May 2008
just recently my radio and CD changer has stopped working none of the buttons operate and all I can receive is radio 2. On the screen is SN followed by a whole load of numbers. Has anyone experienced this before?
If so what is the cure? Read more
Hi,
The time's come for the Mother-in-Law to get rid of her ageing Corsa, and she'd like me to find her a replacement. Criteria are (not very exciting I'm afraid)
* Automatic
* Easy to drive and park, she's a fairly tentative driver
* Compact, but enough space to carry her 3 young grandchildren, so 3 proper rear seatbelts very handy, and 5 doors
* Easy to get in and out of, she's not very nimble these days
* Low-maintenance, reliable, hassle-free
* She does a few motorway miles, so must be able to cope out of town
The following do not matter!
* Performance, fun to drive
* Style
* Toys (though basics like electric front windows & central locking would be handy)
Her budget including trade-in for the Corsa should be about £6500.
I am torn between the following - not a very sexy selection really (though that's hardly the point!)
* Nearly-new Fiat Panda - SWMBO's got a 100HP one and I love it so I'm a bit biased but they may be very hard to find with 3 rear seat belts
* Nearly-new Kia Picanto - maybe too underpowered to cope with the motorway?
* Fairly new Daihatsu Sirion - based on the Yaris so should be pretty reliable, but would have to settle for slightly older model
* Honda Jazz - she's said she likes them, and I know they've got a reputation for being reliable, but obviously on this budget she'd be looking at a much older car so potential for higher running costs?
What would you do? Any I've missed that you think would be better?
Cheers
Felix Read more
Hyundai Getz... a larger car than some of the others, very reliable, five year warranty...
Neighbour of mine has a 57 plate Vectra estate,and like many,is hacked off with the rising cost of diesel on his company car.
Rising cost on a company car you say?
Well,he has to pay for private mileage,so he rung me today to ask if he could use veg oil in it,and what complications,if any,he would encounter.
Coupled with the fact he reckons he will be paying £4500 in tax for it next year,he needs to address all areas of cost associated with it. Read more
Thanks for the link Rich,it has been sent on.
A while back there was some discussion of this. I've just weighed a Cavalier "fan" bog-standard alloy wheel with a flat worn tyre, and a steel wheel with an inflated brand new one. So, the steel wheel weighs more, possibly because it's steel, possibly because the tyre weight is different, and certainly because it's inflated.
The weights are:
Alloy: 32LBS.
Steel: 35LBS.
Difference ~= 9.4%. Read more
Ever since I whipped off the spare ( full size ) tyre from the back of my 3 door Shogun Pinin 4 wd , have extended the full tank range by 5 - 10 miles . Not just the weight I suppose , but the drag too, being rear - door mounted .
have not had a puncture in that time . For any long journeys I whip it back on . That was 3-4 years ago, must have saved 4 - 5 tankfuls in total since, at 60 - 70 quid a pop . Think about it .
Hi there,
I'm wondering if anyone can offer me some advice before I start spending like a maniac.
I have an Alfa Romeo 147 TS Lusso with an LPG Conversion. I have an unusual problem where sometimes the car will not switch over to LPG. It will attempt to but fails and cuts out, this sometimes happens from a cold start (I will be driving along and all of a sudden it will just cut out) or if the car has just switched over to LPG and then turned off and left for 10 - 15 mins (The car will start but after a few seconds it will just cut out) I have to turn the LPG off immediately and drive on Petrol (on one occasion, I was going around a bend and it decided not to switch to LPG and almost caused me to crash!) After about 15 mins of driving on Petrol, I can switch back to LPG and it will be fine, seems to be very intermittent.
Has anyone had something similar to this? I think it could be a vapourizer or valve problem.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Many thanks
Read more
i have had a smilar problem with my wifes newly converted mazda 3 auto. it has been back and forth the garage but they have been unable to fix it. its my wifes car and she refused to drive it on gas as it was too dangerous. i was on the verge of having the system removed as it has been there for months. i was suspecting the tick over, but both e gas and the installer said this was not the problem as it was controlled by the ECU. despite this i eventually decided to dismantle the throttle stop, I noticed that there was a very small amount of play when locked into position. i put a rubber solution onto the thread and reasembled it, at first it cut out as usual, this was because i had not found the "sweet spot". either side of this and it would cut out. i set the tick over a little high and very very gradually over a couple of days i would reduce the throttle and recheck from a cold start. it eventually stopped cutting out but would stutter, with each adjustment it got better and better until it stopped cutting out. basically the slack in the thread was causing the throttle to change slightly taking it away from the sweet spot. it would drive normally with a hot engine as the metal had expanded and was taking up the slack.
maybe this will help.
regards
terry
Can anybody please help as im trying to locate the crank shaft censor on my little clio as i beleive this is the cause of my car not startin. Reading a few of the stories on here leads me to believe this could be the thought. Could some body help? Looking foward to any replies, yours thankfully matt
{typo in subject header corrected, and some words more associated with MSN or txt messaging replaced for proper words in main body of post} Read more
I recently bought a renault on finance and it is over four years. The car is on personal finance through Renault. i do like the car but its not really for me. what i would like to know is can i give it back to Renault? Would i have to pay any money? Would it go against my credit rating?
Many thanks Read more
I think i will keep it for the time being. If i was to get a personal loan and pay off the cars finance and the sell it i would lose way to much money. However i am going to request a few things to get fixed on the warranty, if they wont do it then maybe i could kick up a big fuss and give it back!!!
Even though I have a diesel I am really having to be very careful with my driving style these days.
When on motorways I even am starting to stick to 60/65 mph.. Has it affected you?
Re-titled as Volume 1 of a continuing debate, carry on the debate in Volume 2. Which is Here
Read more
www.whatgas.com - Unleaded Prices are going crazy! Link now working
any comments gratefully received or thoughts on car choice from the following
not huge business mileage and the space is not main concern
driveability and liveability is!
alternative was £450 gross per month
the cars are all diesel and i am a 22% tax payer so co2 is not major issue as difference in about £200 a year top to bottom
Ta
Model Type Eng STYLE value Mpg "CO2
g/Km"
GOLF BLUEMOTION MATCH 1.9 HATCH £16,660 48.7 119
GOLF PLUS BLUEMOTION 1.9 HATCH £16,600 46.3 127
CIVIC SE I-CDTI 2.2 HATCH £16,265 42.8 135
PASSAT BLUEMOTION 1.9 SAL £17,095 42.2 136
GOLF SE TDI 1.9 EST £16,640 42.2 137
JETTA SE TDI 1.9 SAL £16,470 42.8 137
PASSAT BLUEMOTION 1.9 EST £18,230 41.5 137
GOLF PLUS LUNAR 1.9 HATCH £16,425 39.8 148
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"To be honest many new cars have poor rear visibility and if it really bothers you get the dealer to throw in parking sensors or even a reversing camera."
Very true - but sensors and reversing camera, though useful, are no substitute for being able to see properly - and it's so unnecessary to style a car like that. The new SEAT Ibiza looks like another bad example - I suppose there will be more unless and until NCAP realises that visibility is an integral part of safety.
Glad you enjoy your Civic, Will, and I do hope you never hit anyone, especially a child, who is obscured by your car's blind spot. Honda should do a Civic estate or Tourer: with that excellent 2.2 diesel engine and a more sensible back end they'd sell plenty.
I have a audi a3 1998, the window motor has broken on the passenger side
is it ok to buy one from say ebay, or is it better to get it properly fitted in a garage
any comments welcome, because im a lil crap when it comes to cars Read more
in other words " have you tried turning it off and on again?" (classic line from the ITcrowd)