May 2008
I had a "minor" service carried out on my car yesterday and they also replaced the rear brake pads ... cost £236 and they also stuck in a fuel additive £12.50 which to me is 2 bags of coal ... They didn't ask me if I had any running probs and Almera's are not known for injector fouling + I only had less than half a tank of juice to which to add the ad.
How many cans of Gasoline Additive do they manage to flog in a week ... a month ... a year !!! Read more
I have read in this forum various strange activities by parking wardens. I suggest that Auckland [ N.Z. ] has come up with one of the best.
To begin with, the Parking Warden department has a Marketing Manager. Quite how one "Markets" a parking warden was not explained.
The aforesaid Manager has taken delivery on trial of 40 Segway electric scooters, [ those ones with 2 wheels on an axle set at right angles to the direction of travel,] "In order to improve the mobility of the wardens and thereby improve our service to our customers".
She obviously knows the jargon, but, as it was arranged at functionary, not Council level, the Mayor didn't know about it. He has expressed displeasure at such apparent stupidity, as have many more of us. The idea of a parking warden howling along the busy main street footpath on his barely-controlled Segway does not sit well with the populace.
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I haven't checked up on whether they are actually banned, but I haven't ever seen them in any real use here either. Personally, I think that I could check more pay & display tickets walking along the footpath than someone trying to control a Segway as well as read the time printed on the tickets.
More than a third of second-hand cars on forecourts in Leicester were found to be unsafe, police have said.
An operation by Leicestershire Police and trading standards officers targeted car sales garages across the city, with trained staff carrying out inspections.
Police said faults ranged from tyre defects to faulty suspensions and excessively tinted windows.
A total of 28 cars were removed from sale by trading standards officers to either be repaired or disposed of.
Consumer protection
Garage owners could face a fine of up to £20,000 per car if the vehicles are not either repaired and pass an MOT test or destroyed.
Leicester Trading Standards manager, John Fox, admitted he was disappointed by the results of the operation.
"Clearly this is a problem that needs addressing with garages in the city," he said.
"I want to remind all used car dealers that it is not acceptable to put unsafe cars on the forecourt.
"Just repairing them at the time of sale is not enough, they must be safe when first advertised.
"We have the power to issue a suspension notice for any unsafe car that is being offered for sale. This power is designed to ensure that unsafe goods are not offered to consumers."
Comments ? Read more
I went to buy a car once-car drove OK but all four tyres were very worn;pointed this out to the dealer who swapped them with the car standing next to it.I was OK but who bought the other one?
I have a Golf CL petrol single injection. It is sometimes very difficult to start and on other occasions starts straight away and runs very smooth and responds to throttle control. If I take it for a run it is perfect for a few miles and then just cut out and just will not restart, it can be left for a few hours and then still refuses to start, I then have tow it back home and if I try to start it 9 times out of ten it starts immediately, I have changed the spark plugs and leads, can anybody help me. Read more
Screwloose has recently answered that question to me - so...
Engine code should be on cambelt cover, in service manual or on label in boot somewhere....
Its not what you know but who you know
James
I HAD A PHANTOM CLONK!
A worn bolt on the lower arm Ball Joint caused no end of head scratching at four or five garages. Even though the vehicle was ramped and prodded and levered with large pinch bars, the problem came to light by chance.
Whilst reading past posts about skimming discs, it bought back memories of our old Montego which has nothing to do with skimming discs! I was changing a CV Boot.
Whilst lifting the hub away from the driveshaft I had to remove the lower ball joint bolt. This was worn excessively, but no one had got any movement from there when the car was up on the ramps. I even put the bolt back in to see if I could get movement but couldn't.
Once I changed the bolt I took the car on a test run on this particular road where the clonk always occoured more often, and the clonk no longer existed.
Hope this helps somebody somewhere someday.
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Having been covered by the AA, RAC and Green Flag over the years we currently have no cover apart from my car as it is a company car.
What we want is cover that will take us and the car HOME if it cant be fixed.
Cover would be for my wife (not in case she breaks down!) rather than for a specific vehicle as we have several.
Any suggestions very welcome as always!
Thank You Read more
What I found with the motor insurance linked deals was that they were all vehicle specific. ( Or at least those I looked at were.) I need cover for myself as I drive a car, ride a bike and drive a van for work. I found Auto Aid and went for it.
please can some one help my daughter her on her way home from univeristy yeserday her micra sterted to splutter and stopped. i asked her have you ran out of petrol, she said no but it was in the red i went for some and put it in but when i went to turn the ignition on nothing at all.i can hear the petrol pump come on and all the dashboard lights come on. i have jump started but same year 2003 1000 cc. also engine light stayes on .all lights and radio window wipers blowers electric windows work. it is just dead when you turn the key on. help Read more
thanks cris it was the starter moter thanks kev
I remember that the tragic death of his brother was discussed here some years ago.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7404844.stm
Again the world is left a poorer place. Read more
It's very sad, and a huge loss. These guys are absolutely superhuman in their machine control and abilities, and the circle is smaller by another one.
I'm sure there'll be the usual "road racing is dangerous" crowd calling for this type of sport to be banned but Robert's accident could have happened just as easily at Donington or Silverstone.
...has been off line for ages. Looks like there has been trouble at mill.
Has anyone any idea when it will be up and running again?
Must declare my interest as a Volvo 740 owner - sorry - who has been too tight to join the Volvo club. Read more
Me too, only had my S60 a few weeks and was really getting into the site. I keep checking though.
6 months my wife took out an extended warranty on her SEAT AROSA auto. It cost about £300 . So far SEAT have made £300 profit on the deal.
Today MAZDA offered me an extended warranty on my Mazda 6 auto estate. To extend cover for 24 months (ie to the car's 5th birthday) is £578. This includes breakdown cover.
Is it worth it?
If I don't take it out, I will still spend £200 approximately on breakdown cover over two years. So far (touch wood) nothing has gone wrong with the Mazda, except for flaky paint on all four alloys which they replaced without murmur.
What do people think?
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Check money saving expert forum - this question frequently comes up there and members always recommend same advise - these 3rd party warranty providers are notorious for refusing claims.
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Good point Screwloose ... I know there is an issue with them melting, and being the headlight aim was so far out, that is where the finger of suspicion points to.
I'll have to get in touch with the dealer and get em to do a check for me as I've not owned the car from new.