December 2007
Hi I left my car at Eastmidlands Airport for 2 weeks and it wouldnt start when I returned frfom holiday. THe AA restarted it for me and told me it needed a good charge. I have charged it for about 14 hours and it fires up no problem, but it doesnt tickover at all well . its lumpy ,you can come to a junction and you need to blip the throttle to stop it cutting out. it restarts easily. Any ideas???
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slightly off thread, but near enough (hopefully)... i read in your column yesterday a letter from a Land Rover 90 driving chap in N. London worried about the Greater London Pollution Zone (or whatever it is) due to come in 2010...
do you know what vehicles this will affect? I've seen signs that relate to Goods Vehicles etc, but a Land Rover 90 is getting horribly nearer a normal car in my mind... and as I drive an 8 yr old 3 litre petrol car that i'm planning on keeping, i'm getting a tad worried...is Red Ken after me? Read more
Ken really has got his knickers in a twist over his congestion charge - he can't seem to decide if it is to deter all cars, or be a pollution tax. As MW rightly say, we all need consistent, clear policy so that we can all make informed choices - look how many manufacturers have rushed and tweaked cars to emit 120g CO2 or less, such is the competitiveness of the car market today. I suspect the reason behind Ken's muddled thinking is the necessity to preserve a nice income stream!!
What really makes no sense at all is for Lexus hybrids to be exempt when they are both bigger AND more polluting than many smaller cars. One can only assume that Toyota/Lexus see that Ken is 'alright', because the exemption gives them a massive commercial advantage.
Hi,
When I brake in my car, the force required on the brake pedal often varies between journeys. This can range from it being almost like a non-power assisted system which feels very dull (I went straight over a small zebra crossing at uni when it was first starting to happen and I wasnt prepared for it!), to requiring very little force and feeling a very sharp reaction. It probably only happens less than once every 15 journeys or so.
IIRC, when it does happen,it will feel very dull for the first part of a journey, and gradually improve. Turning the engine off and then starting it again will also affect the the performance of them - making them more reactive if they were feeling dull
I have also noticed that when I am braking and changing down a gear, when I release the clutch and the engine speeds back up again, the pedal seems to move slightly further down without any additional braking force being applied to the wheels.
Has anyone got any ideas what may be causing this to happen?
Its a 1.4l engine.
This post is purely to satisfy my own curiosity and I do not intend to try and fix it! I have not changed the brake fluid for a few years so maybe this is related?
For some very strange reason this car isnt fitted with ABS (despite it being fitted as standard since about 1998!). A bit of a side topic but anyone have any ideas why that would have happened as well?!)
Bit of a strange problem and a long shot but it's been bugging me for ages!
Cheers! Read more
If the pump is belt driven, check the belt tension.
Read in a magazine that the Ghia spec mark is discontinuing from the Ford spec line up.
Being replaced with 'Titanium' or 'Sport' or something like that.
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-) Read more
Recent discussion on it here:-
And as I said then:
In std form the Titanium X is the top of the range on the new Mondeo though ultimately the Ghia can be specced highest with full leather etc.
A friend of mine was waiting at a roundabout when he was rear ended by another car,the car was a write off(1996 laguna about £600 he had paid for it).He needed a car for work and was told to hire one by his insurance company,he had the hire car for 14 weeks before they agreed it was not worth repairing.How can it make sense to hire a car for 14 weeks then decide to settle the claim.no wonder insurance is going up. Read more
This was no fiesta it was a 07 model Seat estate cannot for the life of me understand the economics.I wonder if his insurance company told the other company that he had hired the car.
Hi people,
great site,spent last 2 nights reading lots of old threads!!
Anyway,my question is that I will be moving to a part of the country with my job thats quite far from where I live,intention is to commute home 1-2 w/e per month and I was looking at getting an ex-rental Motorpoint astra estate for about 8 grand.
Now after reading loads of threads,Im thinking would Bangernomics make more sense??
Primera,Almera,Accord are coming to mind straight away,any other suggestions most helpful!!
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Pre 2002 on the Primeras.
Regular oil change history is important for the cam chain.
You will hear a rattle at startup. If it lasts more than a few seconds walk away.
Check suspension for knocks.
Drive it on full lock and check for CV joint clicking.
Bad points on the Primera:
Noisy above 4K revs when the power really kicks in.
Very very poor turning circle on the 99-02 model.
Some owners say internal trim rattles. Mine is 90K and fine.
I sometimes find the suspension on my Sport harsh. Unlike the Sport+ it has standard suspension, so probably due to the 50 profile tyres.
SE+ with full heated leather is supposed to be the most comfy.
No cruise control available which I think you can get on the Accord?
The 2.0 falls into the higher road tax band, so pre 2001? if you want to avoid CO2 banded road tax.
Quite a few electrical problems on the newer model and not very reliable DCi diesels apparantly.
The Pre 2002 diesels are not very good. Poor performance and fuel consumption.
In case I have missed anything, log onto NPOC.co.uk and asking for buying advice on a 2.0 P11-144.
They are very friendly and helpful. You will need to register but it is free.
Hi I have decided that I would like to give up my high maintainence 4X4 for an economical car. I dont have any experience in buying cars . I need a car that wont cost too much money to maintain or to fuel up . Can anyone recommend a car? I am only going to be able to afford hundreds rather than thousands ... for the time being . Read more
Continues here: www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=58...8
Car - Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 Auto 2005, running on Warrior Alloy wheels - another question.
Love the car in many ways, but have never been happy about the brakes, they just don't feel powerful enough for the size and weight of car. At times especially in wet I feel they could not be depended on if needed in an emergency.
Can they be upgraded? bigger disks? bigger pads? more powerful servo assist? what is involved? are there any risks, and can anyone suggest where I can take it in the West Herts area, (St Albans, Watford, Hemel, Hatfield etc)
Guy Read more
My first suggestion is to take the car out on an empty road, then stamp on the brakes HARD - REALLY HARD - from say 50 or 60 mph all the way down to 0.
Reason is that your car may have brake assist, and you may well be shocked by how well the thing brakes when this kicks in.
Hi all,
Just changed car, new (to us) one has a nice sony radio/cassette head unit fitted, but the previous owner had removed the autochanger prior to trading to the dealer we got it from. Cables are still in place- looking squarely at a certain auction site... Trouble is- how do I find out which changers are compatible with our head unit? Any ideas??
TIA,
Alex.
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Dr Alex Mears
Volvo 940S estate 1993
Maxda 323F SE 2001
Yamaha RD350 YPVS 1992 Read more
>>>>>It would be tricky to contact the previous owner, as he traded the car to the dealer we got it from. I suppose I could ask them, but it would be a pain!
Why is this tricky?
He is the previous keeper so you will have his name and address on the V5
Hi can anyone help? I have a 7 seater jeep that needs servicing but is still a good runner. My problem is that I can't afford to maintain it. Ideally I would like to get a car that's 1.5 .
I am a single parent that's struggling on a low income so I can't afford to buy a car . Now what options are available to me?
Some one mentioned part exchange as an option???
I am in the Surrey area. I have to have use of a car as that's the only stressfree way I can drop my kids to school. I have no one to turn to for help. I hope someone out there can advise me on the best cause of action. I have tried to freecycle swap but to no avail. How much would I be looking at buying a car that will take me from A to B thats if I can sell the jeep.
What is the best car to buy for someone in my position? I will be really grateful for any help or advise that can be given .
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Cavalier mk3 '88-'95 fits the bill in my book.
Browse
check to see if there is a drain on the battery when you have turned the car off, Ive got a similar prob and after all the courtesy lights have turned themselves off there is still .37 amps leaking out to somewhere..... and i cant find where!! HELP