February 2008
A straightforward question about car cabin filters in general.
Are they usually up or down stream of the aircon evaporator and does their permanent removal lead to clogging of the evaporator matrix? Read more
hello, I'm looking to buy a polo but the person says when he tries to start the car sometimes it wont but he says his mate can do it first time. I'm just wondering what could be wrong with the electronic ignition switch, and was also wondering could you change it in to a key ignition ?
(year added to header, and the 'sms txt' changed back to proper words) Read more
Hi
I have had a new engine fitted but the garage fitting it have now said that the engine keeps 'surging' and it may have something to do with the fuel pump.
Can anyone shed any light? Is this likely to cost me even more cash?
(year found via a forum search and entered into subject header) Read more
I believe they have checked and double checked everything and are at a total loss.
There are no fault codes being reported at all now and a reading was taken and shoed to be fine.
The car doesnt cut out when the clutch is dipped at idle.
This has been going on for over a month now and he has passed it onto a diagnostic specialist, but I fear it could be something very simple!
Good Morning. Hoping for some advice for a situation I have never been in before.
Background: My self employed wife is looking to get a new or newish car to replace her current car.
We had a look around a few likely contenders and she is very keen on the BMW 1 series.
She does about 8,000 business miles and 4,000 private miles a year. At the moment she claims 40p per mile back from her own business for this.
Now, this is the question.
What would be the best, most economical solution for us to get her a new or newish vehicle?
We can't decide if we should purchase a 2 year old model privately and continue to claim mileage as before.
Go for a new vehicle and use a PCP, lease or business contract purchase. or indeed is there another option I have not thought of?
Mainitaining the status quo is not viable! Her Skoda has been much more expensive to run than expected and can't be relied upon, hence the reason she wants/needs to change. That said I will be getting the Skoda and my old Mondeo will be going to the auctions.
Any advice is much appreciated!
Going surfing now and the outside air temperature is reading -4. Sea temperature 8. Read more
Bear with me, the grape has addled my brain. However, the facts are:
1. The self employed can claim 40p per business mile (for the first 10K) as a deduction from profit. No depreciation can be claimed as the 40p covers all costs (except finance).
2. If you are vat registered you CAN NOT claim the 40p rate as above unless you started before becoming vat registered. If this is the case you must claim for the actual business cost ie: the business percentage of all the costs of motoring, including depreciation. This is where you win with a low emissions vehicle as you can offset the business proportion of the WHOLE cost in the first year, rather then the normal 25%. You do need to bear in kind that you will have no further depreciation to claim in future years, though, and the vehicle has to be brand new to qualify.
Please excuse the following rant, but I needed to let off steam after being messed around by a branch of a major chain of Ford dealers in the North West.
My new co. car is a Mondeo IV estate. It's at the dealers, valeted and ready to go. I go to the dealer on Weds last to sign the contract hire docs and give a cheque for the first 3 months rental. I do this with the salesman AND the dealer sales manager.
"It'll all be ready on Friday," says the dealer salesman.
Come 3pm Friday (yesterday), I've not heard from the dealer. I call them.
"There's a problem," they say.
"The finance company will not accept faxed documents, they have to have the originals before they can release payment.
"Also, we need your insurance certificate to tax the car," they add.
I reply: "First, you don't need my insurance details, the contract hire company taxes the car, not me, you need THEIR insurance details."
I then call the contract hire company, and they assure me that they only need the original docs once I have taken possession of the car -- i.e. when the deal is actually concluded.
So I call the dealer with these details. Silence. Then "Oh, I see, I didn't know that."
Can anyone tell me why a salesman AND the dealer manager, in a major dealership in a large town, haven't a clue how to process contract hire forms? And what's more, never thought to ring the finance company to ask?
As a result I've got an extra £150 worth of accessories, so I shouldn't grumble.
But I like grumbling :-)
Some editing to avoid identifying the finance company, even in the disguised way the poster managed
Read more
Twenty years ago I was buying the occasional new Mercedes at a German main dealer
That may well still be true in Germany. UK MB dealers used to be like that too, until MB canned most of them 6? years ago and brought in the big dealer groups and glass palace showrooms.
My Focus TDI (75,000 on clock) seems to lose power mid way through the rev range especially in fourth or fifth gear. It seems to take a long time to accelerate to the top speeds of the car. (A new air filter did not remedy this). No oil is being lost and fuel consumption is normal.
Read more
sq
I have solved the problem.
I found that there was a thin black tube, coming from the turbo unit (I think), disconnected.
I fixed it onto a small pipe on the MAF. The difference is tremendous.
I have suceeded but am not sure how.>>
Does anyone know where I might be able to buy an OEM walnut trim kit for a current model 3 series? I have searched high and low on the net. As with many things automotive, it appears to be a well kept secret. (I have tried BMW UK without success.) Read more
I tried Ebay too but nothing available for the E90. The frustrating thing is that one or more companies will be churning these kits out by the thousand for BMW.
If you're going to make a speed bump, do it properly...
ie.youtube.com/watch?v=eBDQPYcyjqs Read more
Very funny... but the springs looked a bit small for the job I must say.
BIGGER SPRINGS CHAPS!
Pushing back piston. - Open bleed nipple, or not?
Haynes manual says open bleed nipple when pushing / winding back piston in brake caliper, to avoid damaging seals elsewhere in the system (master cylinder, I think).
Front and rear pad change on MkIII Mondeo in this month's Car Mechanics makes no mention of loosening of bleed nipple. Any idea what the trade do, or what I should do? Read more
I have done the front discs and pads and, seperately, the rear pads on mine. I simply, though very carefully and very slowly pushed the pistons in syringing excess fluid out of the master cylinder periodically. I dont recall Haynes advising against this.
The rears need to be screwed in with an allen key until the lines mark line up, Haynes illustrates this, anticlockwise - righthand side, clockwise - lefthand side, opposite for the estate. A largish allen key, about 12mm IIRC.
Hi folks
Purchased latest (March 2008) issue of 'Car Mechanics' today, and found the 4 page article on Duratorq TDCi diagnostics really interesting. Explains about injector calibration, and a whole range of other stuff. Worth the cover price if you want to know more about this much maligned (possibly justly) setup. Read more
I noticed that it attributes breakup of early high pressure pumps to fuel contamination - I thought it had been established to be poor quality metals in the roller bearings?
Browse
"electronic ignition switch, and was also wondering could you change it in to a key ignition ? "
Thats confused me! Want to explain it more?