June 2008
When is a new car not a new car?
My last car, an 06 Passat, had seven miles on the clock when I took delivery.
The dealer supplying my next one, a Fiat, is 270 miles away and proposes driving it to me.
I don't feel a car with 270+ miles registered is a "new" car.
Am I being unreasonable? Read more
Hi to you all,
About a minute after switching the air con on yesterday I noticed a high pitched whine/droning noise. This is louder inside the car than listening outside with or without the bonnet open. It seem to get louder with increased revs and is noticable stationary and when moving up to 40 mph where road noise drowns it out.
Up until now I would hardly notice if it was on or off.
Apart from this the air con is working well.
Could this be a warning that something like the compressor is about to fail?
The car is 10 days out of Ford warranty!
Many thanks
Regards
Graham Read more
Thanks for reply Mike.
The noise does not reduce. I've run it for up to 10/15 mins.
It does sound very similar to your desciption; a kind of swishing/swirling sound similar to a dry bearing but higher pitched.
The a/c not been serviced, the car has covered 41,000, last Ford service at 37500.
My local dealer is offering a full a/c service for £69.99 inc VAT.
I will contact them for their opinion.
Hi, just bought a 97 A4 couple weeks back. When the engine is cold, the car will start, but unless it's given a touch of gas it cuts out. With a bit of gas increasing the revs (maintained for about a minute) the car is then ok. And as long as the engine is even a bit warm it starts, and stays on without assistance.
Any idea what's causing the issues on cold start?
{No need to repeat what you've already selected from the drop down menus as this automatically gets included within the subject header} Read more
Probably not; but get a new oil cooler fitted and the system Persiled-out before it does too much damage.
My wife wants me to buy her a new Volvo C70. Is there anyone out there who has had problems with the folding roof mechanism? Please don't try to tell me I should buy a VW EOS or similar as I can get 20% off the C70 through my previous employer. Read more
I've got a 04 reg and have had no problems whatsoever
Just an idle thought here, but in PUs post about his return from the Ardennes he says "The bike was on top form before going, newly serviced and with an new rear tyre. Overall fuel consumption was very good, varying between 50 to around 60mpg at times."
Now I am very ignorant about bikes (I always wanted one but first mother, then wife said NO - you will kill yourself in 5 mins, and who am I to argue with that??) but my Berlingo does that MPG with four adults up - including 2 women with all their luggage - and about 20 boxes of wine in the back. Now a Berlingo is as aerodynamic as a large brick, and much heavier than a bike (not even counting the luggage and wine) so why does a bike not do 200mpg? Surely it can't all be down to the fact that yopu give your bikes a bit (!) more welly than I give my Berlingo??
Read more
Sounds nice though, Tomo :)
A friend had a 441 Shooting Star 'power egg' single which looked gorgeous but was a pig to own & run. One thing we did learn is that Brit singles are just as finicky in set up of carb & timing as any highly-strung Japanese 2 stroke ....
Hello,
My MB, c180k, auto 2003, the light came on after a few days of low radlevel warning coming on & off & high temps. The lightr went out after 2 weeks. Car ran good.
It came back on again a few days ago, not sure if the car is hesitating at times or just my feeling.
Mercedes charges about £120 to check.
A friend did a check with small meter & he felt it was the number one lamba sensor aka 02 sensor
All help apprciated. Read more
Cheers o both of you.
My internet was not working hence the delay in me ret here.
no fault code, but rad pic coming up. The car has alwasran hot,ie, close to 97 in traffic.
Around 5 yrs & 50K miles ago, I binned the bypass valve from the heater flow/return, the plastic top tank on the heater matrix has now split! After searching various forums ( e.g.
www.clubgti.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=161644&hi...e) it's suggested that the MK3 matrix was better able to cope with the pressure and didn't need the bypass valve, and would fit as a direct replacement for the MK2 ?
Can anyone confirm this ? and/or provide any other advice ?
Surely VW et al wouldn't continue to produce a "sub-standard" MK2 matrix when a better designed MK3 matrix would be a direct replacement?
If I buy a MK2 replacement matrix, from say Europarts, will this be the new improved MK3 version, or should I specifically ask for a MK3 ?
Many Thanks Read more
Hi, I bought a 97 A4 a couple of weeks ago. I've been looking at the back thinking it was a bit low, but assuming it was normal. But I noticed today a clear difference on the back. The offside rear sits about 3-4 inches lower than the nearside (vehicle unladen obviously) Don't ask why it's taken me this long to see it's uneven.....
Is this likely to be a simple worn shocks issue? The vehicle has done 90k, and the shocks look like the original ones. Is 11 years a fair run for these?
I'd be grateful for any advice.
:o) Read more
and a 4 inch difference isnt obvious? or even 4 cm for that.
The shocks dont have much impact on ride height, they are there to damp out oscillations. Its the springs that set the ride height.
Have a good look at the springs -they do break.
Other possibility is that one side has the wrong spring fitted. If genuine springs then if you clean them up you will see different coloured spots on them - both rears should be same and the dealer will be able to tell you what you should have (the suspension code is in the page of numbers at the front of the service book - also on one of the vin plates I think.
My engine has started to sound a bit "tappety" over the last coupe of weeks. Am i right to presume the adjustment is made by shims? If so how easy is it to do please? I imagine I will have to measure the gaps and replace where necessary. Is this the way? Regards,
slt Read more
Could be failure of a hydraulic tappet if its done a high mileage. They will usually go quiet when revved and then start up again at lower revs.
I am considering a Subaru Forester as my next car. Today I went past a dealer that had a number of Subarus advertised. The cars were in different parts of the forecourt not because of price but because, according to the salesman, the Legacy/Outback is an AWD and the Forester is a 4x4! To me the Forester is a a slightly taller variation of the Legacy/Outback theme and of interest to be because of the increased headroom. I do not see it as a 4x4 as in my mind these are the true off roaders. Is there any clear definition or is it in the eye of the beholder? Read more
So that makes my Landrover Defender AWD then...
reply was to jc2, honest
<
What's in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet
>
Hair splitting if you ask me
Browse
Just to bring this up to date, I don't know how these jokers stay in business.
They sent me a letter, which arrived on Saturday, and they said they also needed an original insurance certificate from me so that they could tax it.
I called my insurance people and arranged for my cover to switch to the Panda from first thing Wednesday morning, then for for temporary cover on my present car at £40 a month.
The garage called me on Tuesday morning and said the car had been taxed. When I expressed astonishment, they said: "Oh well, we sorted it out."
They offered me a tank of petrol and a £30 set of car mats if I chose to save them a 540 mile round trip and myself the concern of a cowboy driver flogging the car up here.
Finally, they're insisting on full payment a day before the car gets here.
"What if it arrives damaged?" I said.
"You'd have to call discuss it with the sales manager," I was told.
deleted? Never again.
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