Hi i have been having problems with my clutch pedal rising after in has been pressed and i was told by the AA that the clutch slave cylinder was leaking, after giving me some more fluid it worked fine and said just to keep an eye on the level and top it up to get me to a garage to get it repaired, i would just like to know does any one have any idea on how much this will cost to repair? any info would be much appreciated. Read more

Serviced my 2006 Citroen Dispatch yesterday, only problem being the fuel filter.
Any advice on changing it?
Is the pump self bleeding or is there a hand pump?
The model is the 110 hp version, the new filter is a paper canister type meaning the filter casing needs split.
Any advice would be appreciated
Cheers
Rob

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I have 5 litres of Halfords 5W40 turbo diesel oil which I was going to use in a previouos car. The oil is only rated at VW505.01 and has no ACEA specs on the container. I need B3 or B4 quality. My local garage mechanic recons that the Vw spec is at least this quality but these common rail motors are too expensive to fix to take any risks. Does anyone know if it is safe or should I get rid of it? Thanks.
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Today I went along to a showroom near Dublin and I sat in the driving seat of the new Ford Mondeo for the first time. Wow,that car truly is quality!! The driving seat is so comfortable and all the knobs seem to be in the right place. The car seems extremely well put together and the dashboard materials etc seemed to be of a high standard. I also sat in the middle seat in the rear. It seemed comfortable. They always nowadays put a folded up armrest for the back of the middle rear seat; but the one in the Mondeo is comfortable. The back seat as a whole is extremely comfortable though. Nice flat floor in the middle of the rear. I quite often carry five people in my car for reasonably long trips. My wife was with me and we were both extremely impressed with the car. We both like the metal rather than the wood for trimmings. I would rather have the softer Ghia suspension though. I would probably be forced to have the wood though. It would be alright if it is dark enough.Such a fantastic car at a reasonable price even in Dublin. I can't wait to test drive the Mondeo. I would definitely go for the 2.0 litre diesel 140 bhp. It would have to be manual, as I read the automatic has to be 130 bhp and it is much higher in CO2s and is slower and uses more fuel.I read all that!! ( If it was Mercedes I would definitely go for automatic).
In Dublin the Ghia Mondeo saloon manual 2.0 TDCi 140 bhp is 37,725 euros. The 2.5i TitaniumX 220 bhp manual is 43,025 euros. Read more

I have seen a few roomers querying the risk (or otherwise) of accepting cheques/drafts for car sales.

I quote below the new rules which came into force in November last year: Mind you, I still wouldn't accept one, even taking para three into account.
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The UK banking industry has announced the start date for changes to cheque clearing processes.

The changes, known as 2-4-6, are a major development that will benefit anyone who accepts a cheque, banker?s draft or building society cheque. The changes will apply on all cheques paid in to major banks and building societies in the UK with effect from Friday 30 November.

For the first time, after paying in a cheque, customers can be sure that at the end of six working days, the money has safely cleared and they are protected from any loss if that cheque should subsequently bounce.

The changes set maximum timescales for the day that customers can expect to earn interest, or when the balance on which overdraft interest is charged is reduced. This will be no later than two working days after paying in a cheque.

Customers will be able to withdraw money no later than four working days after paying in a cheque under the new maximum timescales. Banks and building societies will still compete to offer services that beat these guaranteed limits.

Certainty and clarity

In research commissioned by the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company, less than a quarter of cheque users surveyed knew the correct timescales for cheque clearing, and more than half were worried about accepting cheques for fear they may bounce.

The 2-4-6 changes address these uncertainties, and provide guaranteed maximum time limits on cheque clearing to help businesses and personal customers decide how best to manage the cheque payments they receive.

Angela Thomas, Cheque and Credit Clearing Company Managing Director, said, ?Although cheque use has fallen over the last few years, cheques remain important for certain customers in certain situations. Whether it?s a small business or someone selling a car, there are many occasions where cheques still get handed over. These changes will really benefit anyone paying in a cheque, offering them certainty and clarity on when the money has cleared and giving real peace of mind.?

Despite the positive change, the industry continues to remind customers to be wary of accepting cheques if they don?t know or trust the person offering them the cheque. Other options include CHAPS or making an online or phone payment.

Downloadable advice guides

Any customer who is uncertain about clearing timescales for a particular cheque should check with their bank or building society.

The Cheque and Credit Clearing Company and APACS have issued downloadable advice guides and a range of information for personal and business customers, available free from their websites, to explain the changes.

These changes cover cheques, bankers? drafts and building society cheques drawn on and paid into a UK current or basic bank account. For saving accounts the maximum time limit for withdrawal is longer, six days instead of four.

Basic bank account holders are likely to be able to withdraw cash more quickly than before as a result of these changes. Small businesses will benefit from the certainty of funds for managing their cash flow, and for deciding when to release goods and services that are paid for by cheque.

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