May 2008
I've had the 'pleasure' of one of these for a few days while the Migraine was having some work done under warranty, and have found little to like about it
The interior is very basic - do you wonder what happened to all the cheap 'silver' plastic when Tandy went out of business and stopped selling 'Realistic' brand hi-fi - well I can tell you
At 6 months old and 5600 miles,, the courtesy light switch has already failed, and it already has more creaks and groans than Methusaleh's grandad. I've lost count of the number of times I've checked the luggage space trying to find out where all the noise was coming from, without success. The sound like a tin can rolling on the floor did,
however, prove to be caused by a tin can rolling on the floor
The very thick A-pillars create significant blind spots, don't even bother to try and find the nearside kerb on tight corners, and the passenger door window runner near the quarterlight obscures the part of the door mirror.
Performance is non-existent, especially given that the Migraine 1.5 diesel is 20% more economical over the same journeys. An indicated 75 on the motorway is 3500 rpm in fifth, and becomes very tiring even on my 25 mile trip to work. I keep looking for another 2 gears to change up through
I've come to the conclusion that the only function of cars like this is for Renault dealers to use as courtesy cars, so when you get your own car back, it benefits by comparison !
Now....
it was supplied with the screenwash reservoir completely empty.
If I fill it up, and leave a half empty bottle of screenwash on the passenger seat, how much would it be fair to charge the dealer ;-)
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Hi, does anyone have a problem with their Mini boot lid locking itself and refusing to be opened either by remote or by pressing the contact under the boot lid handle? Mine has adopted a random approach to opening and I am having to resort to the emergency cable. Then all of a sudden its all OK again for a week or a day and then it has a huff and wont open!!
I have tried lubricating it but to no avail. Read more
I was in a Tesco supermarket car park this morning which has a one-way system.
After shopping I am reversing out of my space into the one-way lane to leave . I look both ways over my shoulder, but then begin the maneouvre paying attention over my left shoulder, ie towards where cars should be coming from, given the one-way.
I don't see, but hit, a car coming the other way, ie against the one-way system.
My car is Ok but hers has a ding in the front wing between wheel and bumper.
We exchanged details civilly and my inclination is to leave insurance out of this.
However, thinking afterwards, surely her driving against the one-way system means she contributed to the accident so I'm inclined to limit what I pay.
thoughts? Read more
as an aside, I enjoyed HJ's reply to a DT reader today whose daughter is trying to sell 27k mile 51 reg Micra, which has been vandalised - every body panel covered with scratches, dents and dings. The car is mechanically very sound and has a FSH, but its appearance deters prospective buyers. HJ suggests doorstep selling "and include phrases such as 'pre-scratched for supermarket parking' in your advertisement."
Could catch on - ready dinged cars.
Don't laugh: we buy designer torn/stained denims!
An auctioneer calling a diesel VW Touran described it as 'no dmf'.
He clearly meant the absence of a dual mass flywheel as a benefit.
Are there any other examples of cars which are worth more if something is not fitted? Read more
Baked bean tin sized exhaust, make a car almost worthless.
Hey all,
something that really gets my goat this. Seeing a long line of single-commuter driven cars
this morning, a large proportion of them having one of these displayed on the rear window.
Clearly, the drivers are not aware of the origins of these displays. I wonder if those attending an accident where one of these is displayed even bother to look for a child these days.
Any views?
theterranaut Read more
Have you looked at your user name recently?
Or is it irony? ; - )
Had a test drive in a Honda S2000 on Wednesday which had me wondering just how often I would actually use the car's electrifying performance on busy UK roads, particularly in the wet.
So, how often do you use the full performance/handling/load carrying/4x4 etc etc potential of your car?
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He was being chased by boomslangs. If they had been spitting cobras he could have pushed an armoured personnel carrier at the same speed.
Of to Mallorca soon, has anybody had any experience of these people -
tinyurl.com/6pbsq4
{typo correction in header} Read more
"oilrag, what's this thing about handing over keys? I would never leave my car keys with someone else"
Sorry Legacy, Only just noticed this. There was one company operating near Manchester that took the car away to park, then presented it at the front of the office on your return, keeping the keys.
It may have been one like this that was found to be parking peoples cars on industrial estates and even in residential streets nearby.
It was on TV around 5 years ago.
A recent passenger pulled the rear centre seat belt too sudden to fasten and the inertia has jammed ,thus making it unuseable. I have fed strap back and pulled very slowly on strap but will not disengage.As the inertia movement wheel is located within the seat back out of site iam lost for ideas how to fix , any help please.
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I have had this on a '99/T Mondeo, I fixed it by just kneeling on the seat back and repeatedly wiggling the seatbelt in and out of the top of the seat until it freed I'm afraid.
At the worst you will only have to undo the bolt holding the belt end to the floor (size 10 star bit IIRC) which will allow the belt to retract far enough for the inertia reel to release.
A Sealey code scanner does not light up its backlit display when plugged into the C5. On other cars it does light up. It seems like not picking up the C5's battery voltage.
Does anyone know if this mean that there is a fault on the C5's OBD connector?
Thanks. Read more
Thanks, it was a dodgy pin 16, now sorted.
Chap came to my house the other day, and he drove a unusual car, a hyundai terracan 4 x 4, auto diesel. 2.9 v6.
I think it was 54 plate (can't promise) and he'd done 130K in the vehicle, car was obviously well used as a work vehicle, the interior boot area had a liner and he carried all sorts of gear in there, including building stuff for the house he's renovating.
Nothing unusual in that till he mentioned its still under makers warranty, and then i remembered about the 5 year warranty hyundai put on.
Then i realised he will still be covered until next year.
I asked him what had gone wrong, some trim bits had come loose and been sorted, and the rear diff seal had leaked and been fixed and that was it.
I must admit, it wasn't a bad looking motor, it had stonechips and various scrapes on the bumpers, it could have done with a clean, but no rust anywhere.
He had a good attitiude to his vehicle, he said that any vehicle he owned would be worth nothing the way he piles mileage on, so the badge snobbery thing probably wouldn't affect him. The motor impressed me the way it had stood its hard use.
I wondered if anyone else here had taken advantage of hyundai's or any other makers high mileage standard cover, and what had their experiences been.
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My dad paid £800 for a 5 year servicing package, which includes what looks like a very arkward cambelt change, so you can keep servicing costs under control if you so wish with a Hyundai.
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I have taken rental cars back. Sometimes becuase there was a fault and sometimes simply because the car was a pig to drive. Sometimes of course you get a cracker and want to hold it close to your heart after you drop the keys off, but very rarely! I can think of a large Chrysler in about 1979, but nothing else springs to mind.