January 2008
On the way to work, I was driving in the outside lane, coming upto a Mercedes in the Middle Lane, who without notice decided to drift into my lane with no indication, causing me to slowup considerably. I chuckled to myself and thought - She should really get those indicators seen to. I mean an expensive car and the indicators don't work.
Now, my Wife occasionally winds me up when I forget to indicate on side roads close to home (not intentional). "We're going to have to take the car into the garage, the indicators are on the blink again" or something along those lines.
However, I make a point on the motorway of Always indicating my intentions, because at 70+mph I think it is courtesy to do so for the sake of other drivers.
I do notice that a lot of drivers don't do this, or it seems look in their mirrors before maneuvering, and tallying them up, they tend to fall into the following car owners:
1. Mercedes
2. BMW (Mainly X5)
3. Range Rover
4. Jaguar
Now, I've never visited any of the above showrooms, as I'm not interested in these marques.
However it does worry me that Indicators and Mirrors are either optional accessories, or their is an inherent fault
Should we contact the manufacturers and ask them about this common fault in their vehicles?
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VW Bora (51) 2.0 SE
VW Touran (54) 1.9 TDI
Coming Soon: Citroen C8 2.0 HDi SX Read more
Has anyone any advice or suggestions on connecting to the CAN bus on this car if indeed there is one.
I have experience of working with CAN bus networks on other machines but not cars so might be able to use some of my work tools.
I want to have a look for active and previously active fault codes to help me diagnose some fuelling probs.
Rich Read more
Rich
It doesn't use one. The engine ECU probably has the facility in there somewhere; but it isn't wired out to any other module.
Not easy things to communicate with, even for a proper scanner.
I have a P reg fiesta which is generally in good working order.
Recently a fault came up with my central locking.
I cannot unlock the drivers door at all. I have to open the car from the passenger side. When I turn the key in the lock I have to pull the handle at exactly the right time in order to catch the "open" stage. If I don't catch it automatically locks again. Once I've got the door open the central locking system continues to lock and unlock until I've got in the car and shut the door.
In order to get out of the car I have to pull the handle on the passengers side to get the handle on the drivers side moving in and out (locked and unlocked), I then have to catch the handle at the right time in order to get the door unlocked and I then have to nudge the door to get it open!
Also, if I get out the car and shut the doors the car is automatically locked.
I've been told it might be a short or a fuse problem...any other ideas?
Thank you! :)
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Thank you all for your tips, i'll try these things....will let you know outcome :)
Yesterday I was driving to an out of town shopping centre in my partner's car, a Japanese Toyota MPV. We were on a quiet road when I was pulled over by a following police car. Initially I thought I must have been speeding.
I got out and spoke to the police officer as he came walking towards the car whereupon he informed me that my rear number plate was "too small" and the font was "not legal".
I knew this was not the case so with the greatest of politeness I told him that because the car was a Japanese import it was allowed to have a slightly smaller plate dimension (to fit in the square aperture) and also that the font was correct. I know this because I checked the legal side very carefully when I had the plates made a couple of years ago and I have subsequently double checked on the DVLA website. The plate is a standard one, not a personal one.
The police officer obviously took great offence at this and told me that he could issue me with a fixed penalty fine "if he wanted to" because it was "obvious to him that the plate was not legal".
I said I was sure that it was legal. He was not sure of his facts because he then forgot about the plate and started looking around the car, at the tax disc, tyres and the front plate. He paced around the car several times with his arms folded before giving me a 7-day 'producer' slip and telling me that I could go on my way but that he would be "keeping an eye out for me".
On what grounds was I given a producer, given that I have not committed any offence?
The officer's whole attitude was over the top. I'm a middle aged 'average looking' and polite professional person so I suppose I was an easy target for him. I wonder if the car would have been stopped if it had been occupied by four Rastafarians? Read more
And at 100 posts... that's all folks!
After a lengthy tussle with Ford and the intervention of my solicitor, I collected my 2006 Mondeo estate from the dealer just before Christmas. Its had about £2000 worth of repairs and now seems to run alright (for the moment). I have lost confidence in the car though, it has been the most unreliable and troublesome car that I have ever owned. We have decided to p/x for a different car, one with a petrol engine. Can anyone make suggestions as to how to take this forward?
a/. Suitable large petrol estate car for 12,000 miles pa; reliability is very important.
b/. Cheapest place to buy new (other than a main dealer of course)
c/. Likely p/x value of my Mondeo.
Thankyou. Read more
erm...apologies for sounding boring but how about a Legacy estate?. I had 3 in successsion and prior to that an Impreza 5 door. I am now going through a bangernomics period of my life, spending a max of £1k on my cars (this enables me to work as little as possible and spend 3 months of the year backpacking and skiing in California whilst I have my health and the opportunity). When I have to rejoin reality I shall buy another and may splash out £5k on a 2.5 Outback.
Unless you get a stinker, which to date I have avoided, you won't regret it.
Well I have just heard on the local news here that Snow is on the way, some falling already in "some areas".
As usual we are getting the "make sure you have shovels etc" in the car, just waiting for the "only make your journey if necessary" quote that always follows.
Now as I write this I am looking out of my office over the River Clyde, sky is blue, its cold but no sign of snow and most likely sun will come out.
Why do we go into panic mode at the mere thought of the possibility of perhaps maybe a touch of sleet or snow falling?
And whats the bet (he said in a Michael Fish type prediction) that no snow actually falls!
2007 Seat Altea XL 2.0 TDI Stylance
2005 Skoda Fabia vrS Read more
Cancelled my regular Thursday evening Pub meet with friends as I thought that the road conditions would be too bad for driving (In South London). Result - no snow but plenty of nasty gritty salt on the roads again.
Let's hope it rains aplenty to wash the damned stuff away.
Don't panic Mr Mainwaring!
I tried to remove the oil drain plug from my wifes 1.4 Zetec Fiesta at the weekend, unsuccessfully but I will try again at the weekend. My main point is do most large garages suck oil out of engines these days rather than draining the oil? it would seem to me that possibly the drain plug had never been removed in the 5 year life of the car! I add that when the car has been previously serviced I always check for new oil and new filter has been fitted. Comments please. Read more
The sump plug would come out easier if it were heated, especially with an aluminium sump. Hot air gun?
I'd suggest a blowtorch but I'd be shouted at so I won't.
merc dealer quoting £430 for replacing 12 plugs on my 60000 mile 6 year old c320 petrol merc
"quality" service garage in town quotes " £10 each for MB spark plugs + 2 hours labour = total £230 "
small garage (specialises ion older german cars ... quotes 1.5 hours + bosch plugs "as used by MB garage ? .. " .. at £7 cost each .. total job £130
is this all comparing "apples with apples" .. ie are they are using exacvtly the same plugs and doing the same job ?? Read more
The old American Convair B36 bomber had 6 engines with 56 plugs per engine. Think yourself lucky!
got myself a 10-15mm bullseye today on the windscreen
my post office fully comp insurance just states its £60 quid for a new screen , but i seem to recall radio ads stating something like repairs are free?
is that the case...will i get a spot repair for free? do i call the insurance or just any major windscreen company? Read more
Its saves them money MM. A chip repair is cheap, cheaper than a new screen even with the punter paying the excess. Unless your chip is repaired quickly it has a big chance of turning into a new screen later. Therefore cheaps chips is good for us all.
We have a budget of around £6000 if pushed and are looking for a replacement vehicle for our current car. As a family we drive about 8,000 miles a year, most of which is engaged in the school run. We holiday in the UK so it would be nice if the new (to us) vehicle has the capability to carry two adults, two children (aged 11yrs and 8yrs), one Labrador and all luggage for a journey of several hundred miles each way if necessary.
A large towing capability would be an asset, but this will put us into heavy 4x4 territory, an area that we're trying to leave due to congestion charges, the new London LEZ and other anti-4x4 legislation that is crippling us.
We're not bothered if the vehicle has electric windows, air-conditioning, a radio, central-locking etc as our present car has none of these things so we won't miss what we've never had!
The only essential criteria is that the drivers headroom must be in excess of 1030mm. (At a motor show I sat in the new Discovery 3 which has the drivers headroom listed at 1030mm. When I sat behind the wheel with the seat in its lowest position, the top of my head was touching the ceiling of the car). I have tried the older style Discovery, but the roof-line drops down onto the windscreen so as to make the vehicle dangerous for me to drive due to severely restricted front vision.
Unfortunately It's difficult to locate specific technical information about 'older' vehicles. manufacturers don't seem too keen to assist either. If anybody can suggest or recommend a vehicle that they may feel is suitable, it would be appreciated. Read more
Guys and Girls, many thanks for your suggestions so far. Point taken re: the 'priced off the road issue'. I accept that £6000 is a decent budget, but when penning the original thread, my mind was on the forthcoming £25 per day London congestion charge that my current vehicle will incur, as well as the not-too-distant London Low Emission Zone charge that would see me having to pay £100 per day for the privilege of driving from outside my house anywhere, at any time of day or night, 24/7/365. Apologies if any of you genuinely felt misled.
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Especially if they adjacent to each other.