May 2008
Been driving a Citroen C1 today (as a spare car, whilst the Trajet is in dock for suspected misfuelling with biodiesel) and just thought I would share my thoughts.
I like the simple interior design, although the painted door panels and wind up windows came as a bit of a shock. I wouldn't mind wind-up so much if the knob was easier to grip, but it's a bit small. However whilst the interior suits the French C1 and 107, I don't think I would be too happy in the Aygo version??
Driving position was reasonable, but took me a while to find a comfortable incline of the seats and would have liked to raise the seat and pull out the steeering wheel as well as move it up and down.
Driving was quite pleasant and perfectly adequate, although there was not a large enough gap between the clutch pedal and the side console to drop the left foot after changing gear. That was annoying and would put me off buying a manual version. Not to happy with the lack of rear three quarter visibility but once the mirrors were adjusted properly, I coped. Not ideal though.
Finally, only able to open boot with key. I though that went out with the 1970s? Last car I had that did that was the Cortina.
I wonder if the better equipped models deal with these issues (well some of the them)?
Overall, a five door automatic version would suit me quite well if it had a/c, radio controls on the steering wheel, you could get into the boot without requiring the key and I could get comfortable more quickly.
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SWMBO is thinking about replacing our Hyundai Trajet with something smaller, but still large enough for a growing family of five. This would mean we require the following items: -
# three separate seats in the back (rather than a bench, where the middle passenger is an afterthought)
# Steering wheel controls of the radio
# A higher than standard driving position
# A nice gap between the two front seats enabling smaller people to walk through from front passenger seat to rear area, the gap unencumbered by handbrakes, gear levers etc, and permitting the safe storage of a hangbag out of reach of theiving scrotes who might normally break a window, lean in and grab hadbag from front pasenger seat.
The best example of the latter in a five seater was our old Honda CRV and the Trajet has that as well. I would prefer not to go down the 4WD route if possible but apart from the Mazda5, do not know other contenders well enough to comment. We want petrol, automatic and enough grunt to get a loaded car down to London from Manchester with ease. Oh and it has to be stylish!
Any ideas? Read more
Just answered my own question at the Toyota dealers. T3 not selling well (too expensive) so produce a value model (TR) with similar spec but add alloys and drop £600 off the price. Wanted a test drive, but local dealer did not have one 1.3 model to drive. Crazy.
Anyway managed to drive a Mazda2 Sport which was very nice indeed and SWMBO liked it as well. It has a really great gearshift which has a very short throw and small lever on the dashboard. Really nice. But I think the Yaris may have better access to the rear, as it has sliding rear seats and with the seats in the rearmost position there is loads of room and the boot isn't too small either. We shall see properly when we get a test drive.
In the meantime the Citroen C1 we have temporarily is giving us sheds loads of fun and at about 50mpg for town driving, we are really impressed. If they did a version with five seatbelts (Three in the rear) we would have one like a shot. It is such fun to drive. It just feels so honest about what it is that we just love it.
I just hope whatever we choose out of the Yaris and M2 that we have as much fun.
Can anybody tell me which is the output signal wire on the exhaust lambda sensor. I want to use a tested as I think it's faulty but need to know which wire is the signal Read more
assuming that you have a four wire sensor then one wire (white ) should be battery voltage the other will /should be earth , determine which one is live connect positive lead(from avo) to the live and earth lead from avo to the exhaust this proves exhaust is earthing okay and that you have batt voltage from ecu then swap the earth lead to the other white lead this should complete the circuit again if that side is okay then you will need to check the resistance through the sensor it should have a fairly high resistance no resistance means open circuit means its scrap, the voltage sweeping on the other two wires is milli volts and i dont know if the avo would be quick enough to sweep a digital meter would be better a range between 0 mv up to 999mv constantly sweeping up and down what the sensor is telling the ecu is the quantity of air in the exhaust gasses just because it is stationary dosn't mean that its faulty it could have an air leak and tell the ecu that it needs more fuel, or another sensor is making the ecu run a weak mixture
I had a completely no blame accident a week ago, where I was rear -ended in my 1996 Cabrio.I purchased this car about 6 monrhs ago for 5500. Since then it has had a brand new Audi hood costing 3000. It also has personalised plates. I have just spoken to the insurance assessor, who said it "should be a categoy D write -off as you can no longer get a boot floor for this particular make of car." The cost of the repairs are apparently 3800. After stating that I do not want the car written of, well pleading actually I asked if it is possible to pull out the crease. They have stated that they will try their best but its 50/50. They have offered me 4000 fot the car which I have stated is unacceptable. I asked if they could get a 2nd hand boot floor, but he said if they could it would mean cutting it out even if they could get one and that didnt appear to be an option. I then asked if the worse comes to the worse could I buy it back as salvage and repair it myself, the cost of which for salvage would be 800 . Could anyone out there offer some advice on what to do next. I really would love to get my car back on the road , I even asked if I could pay the difference to get it fixed (fool) and he said that it wouldnt come to that. He seemed a reasonable guy .but maybe Im just a soft touch. Please please help. He is going to call me back in the middle of next week and let me know whats happening. I want to be prepared.
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I have been involved with (not in!) three no-fault accidents over the last twelve months - in all cases the victim was stationary. In all three cases the third party's insurance co. has been dealt with directly to excellent effect.
In one case the victim's own ins co had begun to be inolved, and progress was slow; dealing directly with the third party ins co. caused action to happen within a couple of days, automatic hire car etc. etc.
You have consumer rights in your relationship with the third party's ins co (as jbif points out) under EU law.
The third party's ins co WILL provide you with a hire car for the duration of the repairs; your own will NOT - save through a claim against third party, which is hassle for them, you and the other side, so won't happen easily.
I own a 1995 Mini Cooper in BRG, with 45 k miles and surprisingly rot - free.
For some reason, the bonnet is shorn of the Cooper stripes ( the roof and mirrors are white ). I have seen Coopers with a chequerboard pattern on the bonnet and think it looks great. Any ideas where / how to get this pattern - is it actually painted on or perhaps a sticky roll - Is there a stencil or something ? Maybe I can just ship the bonnet to the painter's ? it's a 2nd car, am based in North London ..
p.s - there is a very annoying rattle emanating from the near side air vent outlet, sounds like
some trapped dirt inside , very loud and annoying . Ideas ?
pps 2 - are these cars being stolen ? it's alarmed , but parked on the street at most times. Should I worry ? ( yes it's insured , but mint and I pride myself on not claiming )
constructive comments welcome
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Brilliant , thanks , just what I wanted
I'm off to view the new Accord at my Honda dealer this evening. There will be refreshments and a string quartet.
Do you think that Honda robot will be conducting? I was a bit puzzled about the string quartet at first, then I recalled reading something about their robot conducting an orchestra somewhere. I don't think they'll get the Liverpool Phil inside their showroom. Read more
Beware I'd wait to see if wrinkles are ironed out before committing. A friend who
works for Jag recommends never buying a car built within the first three months of
production. Apparently that's the industry standard time to get rid of gremlins.
Three months sounds too short to me. Given the complexity involved, the cost to change things on the production line and some of the stories I've heard about other models, I would wait at least a year and preferably after the factory annual holiday shutdown - assuming they have such a thing in Japan. If you really want a good car then I would wait until after the mid life update after maybe 3-4 years when they've had plenty of time to fix things...
Hi iv got a vauxhall calibra 2.0ltr 16v ecotec 1995 (M-reg) as i drive down the road and slow down to stop at traffic lights(for example)the car cuts out doesnt do it all the time somtimes it ok somtimes it does it,can any one help me with my problam as it run perfect apart from that and its anoying me now ha ha,thanks for any information,glyn....
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Thankyou for the information lads il give the cleaning job ago if its still the same il get a new idle control valve thank you again,glyn......
It is the arrogance of the councils that gets me. How dare they take money under false pretences then claim that they should not need to give it back.
It is just plain dishonest!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7424955.stm Read more
Dosen't surprise me either, ideal citizen is one who works all their life , pays all their taxes and claims nothing from the state, commits a few dubious fineable motoring errors and pegs it before their miserable pension needs to be paid out.
I am considering buying a Fiat Bravo. I know it will vary from dealer to dealer, but how much discount from the RRP can you reasonably expect if taking out a finance deal. The dealers must be aware of how much the cars can be sourced for elsewhere i.e. Broadspeed etc. Basically, I want the payments to a dealer to be comparable to any other way of financing whether it be personal loan for a discounted car or a PCP from a web based company. Is this reasonable?
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Why do the Fiat sceptics on this forum not have a look at the new
Bravo? I checked over one recently and was impressed with the quantum leap in the
way it`s put together.
I'm not a sceptic btw, I own a Fiat and will probably be buying a new Panda soon. I don't want a Bravo because it would be far too big for me.
I read in a small inside-page item in today's comic that while two thirds or so of 18-25 year old men in this country are happy ironing their shirts and smalls, only one in ten knows how to maintain a car.
I would declare my contempt for these mincing, scented degenerates if I didn't fear that a hundred or so of them might surround me in the street and stab me slowly and untidily to death with the tails of their little combs. So instead I will praise their feminist side, leaving their mothers and sisters free to slump in front of daytime TV with a fag and a can of beer. Read more
A fellow offered to help me change a wheel in the street here some fifteen or twenty years ago. I refused politely. He hung about insisting until I said quite shortly that I was doing something and he was distracting me. At that he came to the real point: if he couldn't help me, perhaps I could help him with a small subsidy?
I could have of course - who couldn't? - but I certainly wasn't going to after an approach like that. Damn carphound.
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Great little car, my mate uses one to teach people to drive in. Engine is nippy but you need to rev it quite hard. Love the sound of the three cylinder engine with a few revs on it though much more interesting than a four. You'd be mad to pay list though. Go for a lekky windows and air con. Some good deals online or buy a nearly new one.