January 2008

Pugugly {P}


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FotheringtonThomas

Pop into your local county court and get HMCS leaflet EX307 "The small claims track".

You can also get it from:

www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/courtfinder/forms/ex30...f


Look carefully at the section entitled "What other costs might I be able to claim if I win?". Look carefully at the whole thing, in fact, and you will find your answers.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

I've got the original cassette player in my 1999 vectra. I got a Sony cd for it. Will it be a straight swap or will I need some wire looms? Also will I loose digital display anywhere fitting in an after market one?

Thanks. Read more

SpamCan61 {P}

I don't have a CDR500 but I do have a CCR600 plus glovebox filling CD autochanger surplus to requirements, removed from my lovely green vectra on purchase. It should be a simple install if your Vectra already has the CD changer wiring in situ, i wouldn't bother trying if it doesn't. Mail me at the address in my profile if interested.

Red Baron

Drove 70 miles yesterday. No problems.

Tried to start car today. Engine fires but would not idle. Stalled.
Tried again. Same result.
Tried again, held throttle, engine ran, sounded like a bag of spanners, blue and white smoke. Turned engine off.
Started engine again as above. Difficult to rev engine above 2000rpm, lots of blue and white smoke out of the exhaust. Glow plug light flashing.

Went for a short drive. Engine hesitant/spluttered at about 2000rpm before revving higher. Very lumpy running of engine, but would idle.

Turned engine off and restarted. Engine idles okay and revs fine up to the red line (in neutral).

Drive 60 miles home. Engine sounds okay, glow plug light flashing all the time, do not have 130 horses under the bonnet. Definitely feels like there is no turbo. Car cannot acellerate on motorway inclines.

I have had the car for 4 years. In those 4 years the glow plug light has come on some 5 times, but has always gone away on an engine restart.

Any ideas guys?
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cheddar

Oh and the new doors that were fitted 12 months ago due to the sealant/rust
issue are leaking water through the membrane sealant. Marvelous.


That is the repairer re-fitting the old membranes, take it back and insist that new membranes are fitted.
malteser

While my car is in the VW/Skoda dealer for a new clutch I have been driving the dealer's supplied hire car - it's a VW Polo 1.4 Automatic, with about 5000 KM on the clock.

It's a vile machine - the gearbox has a real struggle to make up its mind which gear is appropriate, particularly when a reasonable amount of throttle is applied. It's thirsty, too.
The box has a "sport" setting - "sport", they must be joking!

This confirms my thoughts that a small engine is completely unsuited to a traditional automatic gear box.
What do other back-roomers think?
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barney100

We had a Corsa 1.4 auto as a loan car and was quite good to drive, being used to the big Volvo estate it was nice to drive the Corsa around town and parking was much easier. However the fuel consumption wasn't very good at but the performance was ok.

ShineOnYouCrazyDiamond

I have a 1999 T reg Vectra.

The drivers side electric window is playing up. When I push the button the window will go down about 4 inches then ping up and down quickly a few times (the quick up and down is only a cm or so). I then have to let go of the button, press again and then the window will carry on down juddering all the way. If I shut it it will judder all the way until close.
Passenger side works fine.

Anyone know what the problem might be and how to fix it?

Thanks for any help. Read more

Jinx13

My son had a similar problem with his T reg Vectra when he first bought it last year. I greased the channels for him using silicon grease (you can buy a small tub at most plumbers merchants), operated the window up and down a few times to work the grease in. Gave it one final greasing just for luck! and it's worked fine ever since. Ron

Thank you I had been having an issue with my drivers window. After reading this I used WD40 Specialist silicone lubricant and sprayed from the open window down the sides and after working the grease into the runners it is now fixed.

My window always went down fine but when coming up it would get half way and then open again. I originally thought it was an electrical problem! The only way I could get it to go up was keep tapping the switch until it reached the top.

snow hippo

hi all i'm looking to get some advice from anyone who can help. this is a bit of a long strange story and any help is gratefully received!

just under four years ago my dad received a sp50 (speeding ticket from a camera) when the ticket came through he admitted it, paid it and phoned the insurance to inform them.
when he called the insurance company and was passed on to the call centre the lady at the call centre said not to worry about it, they don't really recognise them (his speed was not greatly over the limit) as they're pretty much par for the course and it wouldn't affect his insurance.
his renewal has come through year on year (he's been with the same insurers for nearly 8 years - not one for hunting around for a better deal - unlike me!) they sent him new docs and took the money from the account. so everything has trundled along happily for years.
now last week he was in a bump - admitted he was in the wrong and contacted the insurance. today he has received a letter from the insurers saying he never notified them of the sp50 and therefore he renewal has doubled and they are freezing the claim till its sorted out.
if he had deliberately not informed them of the sp50 in the attempt to save pennies etc that would be one thing but he did all they asked and now they say he didn't - the big worry here is if they void his insurance on what seems to be to me the error of one of their employees not recording that he'd called to inform them?
anyone got any advice or ideas of where he should go from here? grateful of any thoughts you might have!

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rtj70

SP50 sounds right for speeding on motorway.

golfer-jules

Once a dealer has shaken hands and taken your payment, can he then decide he has underpriced the car and refuse to let you have it??

Found a mint low mileage Nissan Micra SVE auto for my wife today. She had her older Micra written off by a policeman in a bit too much of a hurry to respond to an incident.

Great car for the money, haggled a bit, shook hands. Paid for the car with a credit card - we needed to get a car today. I work away from home so can only get a car for wife on a Sat.

Called my ins company and arranged ins. Just about to leave when dealer decided that car had been underpriced (£6,299 instead of £5,299) and refused to let us have the car. Insisted that we have a refund. Should I have stood my ground? Didn't we have a contract?

Opinions gratefully received.

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Vansboy

As you've accepted the refund (as I read your post) nothing more can be done.

BUT... would you REALLY have been happy, buying the car, if you'd have insisted in enforcing the original contract?

Can't imagine it's the best way to start off !!

VB

truckerjim

Hi, any help would be much appreciated!!

My astra started overheating......turned out the rad fan wasn't kicking in. With the radiator switch bypassed the fan works fine....I'm still waiting for new switch.

With the fan always on it worked fine for a few weeks and didn't overheat......until now!

Suddenly it's started overheating again even though the fan is always on...?

I thought it might be an airlock....so I was advised to remove the expansion tank cap and let the engine idle without revving.

I did that and this happened:

* Air bubbles came up in the tank, and the level went down.
* After few mins therostat must have opened
* Expansion tank suddenly overflowed with hot water and dribbled out all over engine
* Turned ignition off
* Topped up with water
* Put cap back on and idled it again for a few minutes
* Temperature went up nearly to the red again
* Let it cool down for a bit then idled again with fan disconnected until approaching red again
* Radiator hot at top and bottom, and hoses hot.

Seems like the coolant IS circulating, guess thats why coolant overflowed suddenly with cap open.

So I'm stumped, as far as I can see the fan, thermostat, pump and airlock situation is ok, but it definitely overheats, it bubbles and sounds like it's boiling if allowed to get right up to the red.

Anyone got any ideas how to solve this problem? Read more

truckerjim

Thanks for the advice....I'll try what you have suggested

Fiddy Shilling

I hope you can help me with this. My dad has a 52 plate Space Star II with an engine management light which keeps coming on despite various solutions being applied to rectify what appears to be an oxygen sensor failure.

His local Mitsubishi main dealer told him that one of the two oxygen sensors had blown and that despite running the diagnostic checks, they didn't know which one it was. They replaced one of them a few weeks ago but the warning light came back on soon after.

My dad then took the car back and they replaced the other sensor. The light went out and everything was fine until today, when the warning light came back on. What I was wondering is has anybody had any similar experiences and do they know what he should do next?

He seems resigned to going back to Mitsubishi and forking out more money (it's cost him about £600 so far) but I said to him that he should complain and demand that the problem be rectified free of charge by them. However, if this persistent problem is a more serious indication of a bigger problem with his car, then maybe there isn't any simple solution.

Thanks
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Fiddy Shilling

sq
Would Mitsubishi be bothered? I'm not dismissing the idea of threatening to inform them, but would the gesture of a threat to do so give the dealer the kick up the backside they need?

charlesb

OK,

Just before I take the plunge. I'm not convinced by the current booster seats with backrests for older children. I've seen this one for £105 including delivery which is an Isofix seat.

The next equivalents (Recaro / Britax / Silverlight) are almost double the price and don't have a good reclining action.

This one has a reclining action that can be used whilst child is in-situ. My son frequently falls asleep in his current Group 2 seat and he is getting too big for it.

I've seen several glowing reviews for this model, but wanted some advice. Their website lists some Citroen models, but Not the C8, although it does have Isofix on some of the seats.
Also for my Touran, which also has Isofix mounting points.

Anyone have any experience of these car-seats?

Thanks in advance.

Charles
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luciar

We have beenusing the Jane Indy Plus for two years now and absolutley love it & more importantly our daughter loves it.Was well worth the money and will definatley be buying one when our baby is old enough. Friends who have bought booster seats without isofix were very impressed with the reclining function and with the isofix as they have to secure their seats with seatbelt when not in use. Dont hesitate to buy this seat gets 10/10 from us on every aspect.