December 2007
After over a year of dangling the carrot of exemptions to the Con Charge if you drive a car in VED bands A & B, encouraging nearly all mainstream manufacturers to spend considerable sums of money in making cars that would comply, Ken has changed his mind.
The proposed exemption is, reportedly, no more. But funnily enough the £25 penalty charge for Band G vehicles (and no residents discount) remains! No word yet on hybrid exemptions.
Why should some cars that are smaller and pollute less than hybrids be charged whilst hybrids are free (VW Polo Bluemotion vs Toyota Pious? Sorry, Prius. Read more
Cooking oil in common rail diesels, state your view for posterity.
The reason,
Certainly I have stopped responding to all the new threads that pop up on this topic, perhaps many others also? but that could give a distorted view of the forums opinions, when only one or two members (with topic endurance;) continue to address a warning response to the issue.
In other words the need for a show of hands for AND against to get a true picture.
Myself?
Against, Very much so..............
Regards
Read more
There exist two camps in this debate.
Wise men think alike.
Fools seldom differ.
You either get it or you don't so that corssmovement between the camps is rare.
I certainly won't be using my TDCi as a testbed.
Now then guys, its been a while.
Back in july i treated myself to a 2004 Audi A3 TDI Sport for my 70 mile commute to and from work everday... Mileage is now just over 50k and before it gets stupidly high i want a change...
Leading to my next choice, a facelifted version of the A4 2.0 TDI S-Line! I really like the car but i know there is a new model out soon. I'm unsure whether to wait and see what kind of price difference there is once that hits the market. And will there be more choice after this is released as current owners will p/x there older models?
Just after peoples thoughts really... It would be much appreciated...
Sunny Read more
The interior of the new A4 is updated compared to my A3. It feels solid and looks good. The ride doesnt bother me in the slightest in my A3, i'm only 23 so i dont notice these comfort things...
Definatley going to test drive one very soon...
I have run a W reg Merc C220 diesel for just over three years and thought it would be interesting to compare costs with other BRs who have had their car of any make for a similar period.
I paid £8500 after part exhange allowance of £2000 and I might be lucky to get £3000 for it now. Mileage at purchase was 65k and I have now done 128k.
servicing I have farmed out to a local indy, also a one man band and believe it or not a servicing deal from the local Peugeot main dealer! They work out at around £150 a go once a year and I get the oil done every six months for about £50.
Breakdowns have not occurred but the local main dealers did come out once to replace a sensor (£35)
Other parts,
Battery
New radio £120 (Halfords)
Both sets of pads £120 a time fitted
4 tyres- £200 ish
Kit for the cylinder head £8 and £50 fitting ( mine as an older car gets 50% discount on labour
Got some small rust spots around the rear wheel arch and under the front doors..taken in and fixed free of charge
Usual fluid top ups
does well over 40 mpg on a run- apart from the odd bulb or two thats it -and MOTS of course.
Whats your experience?
Read more
Mine's a bit newer but I've run a C270CDi auto estate for 3 yrs, bought at 5mths old with 5K miles. I've only put 28K on it (job function changed just after I bought it) and all it's had is an A service (£150, plus oil which I supplied), 2 rear tyres (£100 each) and an MOT.
The only times it's been to the dealer were for the service & MOT.
Its computer says it's averaged 43MPG over its life.
I paid £23,500 for it (it's got £7K of options) - I'm hoping it would be worth around £15K now, but I was looking at new cars like Mondeo TDCi or Accord CDTi as alternatives so hopefully I've done no worse than if I'd bought one of those.
Going to Austria for christmas from january 1st lights must be used in day time 50euros fine and don't forget autobahn toll.I myself am tonights Hull Rotterdam and a steady drive to Dresden. Read more
It is still the silly season - Dresden wasn't in Austria last time I visited! Perhaps I missed out on some war or other
Motorists caught driving dangerously while using a mobile phone face being sent to prison under new guidelines.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has issued guidance to courts because of concerns that too many drivers are flouting the ban on hand-held phones.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7153070.stm Read more
Is it really "over-regulation" to blame, or a culture of selfish infantilism? As for the criminal underworld without licenses, they have always been around. But its their aversion to walking nowadays, and the lower real cost of acquiring a car, that allows them to drive without papers:)
My Meriva is telling fibs. In this freezing weather, the indicator is telling me its anything from 14 to 25 degrees C.
Its handy to have it working properly, as well as a safety issue if it is a bit icy.....
So, can anyone advise on where the sensor is placed ? Could it be a loose or poor connection ?
It occasionally tells what I assume is the truth, but is usually way off the mark. The actual display works correctly.
Any help most appreciated Read more
My Nissan sensor sits up high, in front of the radiator, directly in the airflow, however, when I stop, all that heat rises, and flows forward through the only outlet available, past the sensor. I'm quite used to it reading 25c in the current weather.
Apologies if this has been done to death before. I was wondering why diesel is significantly dearer that petrol - is the tax different? Does it cost more to refine? Or is it supply and demand?
Am I right in thinking that it is cheaper on the continent? So how do they manage it?
Peanut
Read more
Agreed PR - I just took the post as an opportunity to have a go at the government - nothing directed at you by the way.
I'm just feeling that way about them at the mo.
Has anyone visited it recently?
I was wondering how much there is to see - is it a whole day visit? I appreciate it depends on how long you want to spend looking at each exhibit, but a general opinion is sought. Read more
We were going to go yesterday, but decided not to due to the fog. Maybe next year.
Went to see St Trinians instead. One of the ads was for the Astra Twin Top (or whatever it's called). Looks like it's the ideal car if you live around Gloucester. Apparently you can go surfing in it with no ill effects. Bring back Pearl and Dean DaDa DaDa DaDa DaDaDaDa
My car has been running fine for over a year, however over the last couple of weeks when i turn the ignition on the glow plug light did not come on, all the other lighs on the dash were on. tried to turn the engine over but nothing. Swithed the ignition off and back on, glow plug light came on and engine started fine. for the rest of the day with stopping and starting it was fine (glow plug light came on everytime) I left the car for a couple of hours and had the same problem again (rectified in the same way) When the car has been left for a couple of hours the glow plug light does not come on and sometimes i can turn the engine over sometimes nothing, however, touch wood, fingers crossed etc, it seems to sort itself out. Any ideas? could it be the starter motor, glow plugs (only 6 months old), ignition or a relay? it has been very cold the last couple of weeks if that would make any difference.
Thanks Read more
Still sounds like the switch, or connections to it.
Peter.N.
Browse
.jpg)
You can't call Livingstone 'government'. He is that tiny, joky thing 'local government'. Trouble is it's London, so it's tiny and joky but writ incredibly large.
He's a screaming carphound. So are those who support him in government and in little small borough councils. Carphounds and monkeys. But we knew that already, didn't we?