June 2008
hi my car smokes like hell black smoke not all the time just when accelerating hard when the turbo kicks it runs fine no loss in power and so on only when i first get in it when i set off it will judder slightly then wont do it all day i put some injector cleaner in it 2 weeks prior can anway provide me with the answer i need thanks Read more
I will be returning to live in the UK next month after 5 years away, and I need to buy a secondhand (c.3 years old) car quickly. I want a petrol 1.4 or 1.6, to keep insurance down. A Focus would fit the bill, but I have been attracted by the Corolla, and Mazda-3 because of their supposed greater reliability. However, I hired a Corolla about 6 years ago and I remember what an awful gearchange it had. Am I right in thinking Ford gearboxes are the most precise? Is it the same in the Mazda (Ford subsidiary)? I never like hunting for gears.
I have also wondered about the Ceed - I know secondhand models are only 2007, but I am attracted by the long warranty. I would welcome readers opinions on these various cars, as I want to be able to make my mind up quickly - and not waste time on too many test drives etc.
Thanks,
Paul Read more
i think with zero no claims a focus/corolla will be silly money to insure
if it was me id just go buy a new fiat panda diesel for 6300 new, then its only group 2 insurance, 35 quid road tax, and miles for not much fuel
especially if young driver on policy, and/or depending where you live, will it be garaged or not etc
use the money you save to hire a bigger car for the odd week or weekend you need it
also if youve been out of the country for a while be careful cos road tax is now tied to emissions of car, and some cars in this category are due a steep rise in road tax soon (if labour can cling on to power)
right i'm dealing with this bravo 1.2 16v which when you put your foot down the revs pic up but nothing realy happens, i'm thinking something along the lines of throttle possitioning sensor or a blocked fuel filter, but i can't seem to find it, the engine manegment flashes for a while but eventualy goes, the problm is more likely to happen when running cold. thanx Read more
Kevz
If the revs pick up, but the car doesn't increase speed; then a slipping clutch comes to mind.
Interesting motors in this weeks Autobild especially the Dacia and the Alfa
www.autobild.de/ Read more
Current car is leased from the finance division of the manufacturer with leasing company as the owner/registered keeper. After a number of visits to the dealer for different, significant issues which are now escalating it's time to consider rejecting. Leasing company are denying all blame saying it's up to me to reject via the supplying dealer whereas my view is that I have a contract for them to provide me with a working vehicle.
I've searched to no avail for any similar cases so can anyone suggest the best way forward ? Read more
Is this a business lease or a personal one?
If it's a business lease then bear in mind consumer legislation doesn't apply in the same way as it does to private customers. You'll have to rely more on breach of contract.
The tyre tread depths on our Zugara are coming down to around 3mm and will soon need replacing. The car is fitted with OEM Bridgestones 215/45-18. According to the owners manual and the tyre label fitted to the car, this is the correct size. When I was doing my research for buying the replacemnt tyres, all the sellers websites came up with a different size - 225/40-18. I've used the tyre calculator at www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html to compare the tyres.
The wrong size is a much cheaper tyre than the original and only differs in rolling circumference by -2%. However, this means a 2% increase in fuel consumption. Opting for the wrong size will save around £120 for a set of tyres but inrease the fuel bill by 2%.
Any thoughts? Read more
Tt
Why not just stick with the correct size and make of tyre.
That way you won't have to declare modifications to your insurer and there will be no need to lose sleep over it.
I`ve been pondering renewable and looking into it with not too precise calculations.Well, really no calculations, just `guess-timation` which we all know doesn`t often mean much;)
That said, I looked at home `windmills`. Seems you can sell back to the grid any spare power ..
(visions of a battery car on the drive charging at night)
But it seems you get around 40 watts in a 10mph wind rising to 400 watts only if a jet stream blows over the roof. Best bet, no wind and so on and gentle breezes i bet you would be lucky to get a constant 40 watts over a year.
Contrast that with the house storage heaters drawing 9,000 watts through a winter night, that`s excluding the part heated by gas and without the 300 watt TV, kettle, lights, computers and so on.
Not much spare capacity then to charge an electric car at night... How many roof `windmills` would I need to break even on electricity? (Excluding the cost of the equipment) selling spare to the grid to compensate for windless periods?
Renewable doesn`t work in other ways too. I was looking at torches today. Hand cranked one`s can get twenty minutes or so if you wind the handle like mad and get 3 or so dim LEDS. Or you can buy a 20 LED (3Dcells) torch that will last for 100 hours full on.
(OK if there`s a nuclear winter and so on that`s different, but then there would be other issues beyond hand cranking a feeble torch)
It all just seems to highlight the actual trivial power outputs of this sort of generation and solar equipment. The inefficiency must surely be similar with the bigger `wind farms`being proposed off our coasts?
No chance of a `green` pure electric car then, when all of the wind farms combined will not even be able to power the nations electric kettles.
A disappointment (but no surprise looking into it)
Regards
and yes, I chose the 20 LED battery torch Read more
I suspect people must fit these roof top `windmills` believing they are generating a significant amount of energy for them. (why else) I thought a `motoring` slant may explore that in a context acceptable to the forum, ;) as we all know that the *ultimate* automotive power will be electricity, whether that takes 30 years or 100.
I`m quite sceptical that roof top generators are anything much more than a green gimmick, but am not sure of exactly how useless they are in the context of modern domestic electrical demands. Maybe one of them would be up for charging an electric bicycle on a `now and then` basis?
Or is it really just half the fairy lights on the tree if there`s a strong wind on Christmas day?
;)
Looking to get SWMBO and cheaper car and these are the options so far.
X reg Clio 1.6 Initiale 5 dr
47k miles
FSH
12 monts warranty
£3495 main dealer
Y reg Fiesta 1.25 Freestyle 5 dr
58k miles
FSH
3 months warranty
£2495 local dealer
X reg 306 1.9L D 5 dr
65k miles
FSH
3 months warranty
£2995 local dealer
All in very good condition. Needed to ferry SWMBO and 2 daughters. Mostly local but some longer journeys and may be used for my daily commute of 130 miles round trip twice a month. Your opinions would be appreciated Read more
Tough to advise what you can get, without knowing what you're trading in.
During a normal commute along m'way, the engine has lost power. I cannot hear the turbo whistle over 1700 (about which I could always normally hear it cut in). I had been driving for about 30 minutes, between 50 and 90, cruising down a long hill (little power applied), but on climbing the next hill the turbo was obviously not feeding the engine. The engine seems to be running fine otherwise (temp ok, and no warning messages), but briefly did regain power for about 10 seconds, about 5 minutes later, but nothing after that.
Car has done 90K miles, fully serviced, last at 84K. It has had a lot of high speed motorway miles for the last 3 months, and with no problems at all.
Could this be a sensor (the MAF threads are very interesting, but I am not nearly technical enough to check readings myself), or more worrylingly a turbo failure? I consistently allow the turbo to cool after long runs. The fact that it cut in briefly surely is an indication that it is operable?
I haven't had this inspected, and will see how it runs on the return journey.
Thanks for any advice. Read more
Noises from the flywheel area are never good news - even if it's only a dry release bearing.
Solid flywheels are a risk on engines designed not to have them.
97K is nothing on an HDi; with good oil and regular changes, it's barely run in. When it works properly, that fuelling system is the best attempt there is at complete combustion. The nightmare FAP system traps a lot of soot anyway. [Frankly; give me the soot anytime...]
How do I remove & replace a new door lock on the drivers side of my 1996 ford Escort van 55 Read more
Browse
oh, and consider trying millers derv treatment, reputed to work wonders