August 2008

oilrag

Just about to take the big blue brush and hot washing up liquid to the motor?


tinyurl.com/658fnd Read more

Mookfish

And to think I don't wash my car until the dirty windows start to effect my visablility!

The lights and number plates as well.

henry k

It should be interesting in as much as it is a new circuit to all drivers.

I hope they have planned well for any incidents as they cross the bridge.

"Webber, BBC Sport's columnist, admitted the team were struggling, but he said he was enjoying the track and that he expected it to produce an exciting race with a number of interventions by the safety car. " Read more

L'escargot

....... I am no
more pro-Hamilton than pro-Kimi who is better than his results at the moment.


To my mind the fact that you refer to Reikkenon by his first name and Hamilton by his surname indicates that you are pro-Reikkenon.
Al68

Our 7 year old Punto with an 8 year anti-perforation warranty has just failed the MOT because of holes in the floor pan in the rear passenger footwells. Too close to the seat belt mounting points. Has anyone had similar problems? Fiat say that it was caused by poor jacking practice and will not pay for repairs!
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Al68

I was hoping to hear that it was a common problem but looks like it's not so. Inspection is required at 3 and 5 years to validate the warranty. It had a three year service with Fiat but either they forgot to check or forgot to enter the inspection in the service book. I forgot about taking it in at the 5 year mark and they don't remind you.

Suggest all have a good scratch at the underseal just behind the reinforced area near the rear jacking point, not to hard, just enough to see if the corrosion is under the underseal.

jp147

This question refers to a petrol engined car.

I have read that sometimes the oil on the dipstick can look "milky" if there are head gasket problems looming, but can you describe exactly what is meant by this type of oil appearance ?

p.s. sometimes when I check my oil level on the dipstick I notice that the oil does not always go across the full width of the dipstick - is this normal or is there something wrong with my oil (5W 30) ??
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L'escargot

p.s. sometimes when I check my oil level on the dipstick I notice that the
oil does not always go across the full width of the dipstick -


Try checking the oil first thing in the morning before starting the engine, when the oil has had a chance to settle and the dipstick tube is clear of oil. Just pull out the dipstick and read the level without wiping and re-inserting. Wiping and re-inserting the dipstick can give give odd readings because of the oil that is dragged up the dipstick tube when you take it out the first time.
Woody37

We have had a faultless Honda CRV for 5.5 years.

Two weeks ago my wife got in the car, turned the key and nothing happened; it wouldn't turn over at all. An hour later it started ok.

Two days ago, again it wouldn't turn over. We bump started it (instantly fired up to the relief of the CAT no doubt) and off we went. It started fine the rest of the day but whilst out I bought a new battery at Halfords (£60).

Fitted the new battery this evening and it started fine, but sounded no different turning over to yesterday. I am not convinced it was the battery?

Wife now confesses that two weeks ago she used a pump plugged into the cig lighter to blow up our kids' paddling pool - and left the ignition on 'for a while'.

Any thoughts? Read more

Deskpilot

I can't help regarding the battery, but whenever I use an electric footpump to inflate my CRV tyres, I run the engine at the same time,as quoted in the footpump instructions.

I found this out too late when, in the winter when the pump was in the boot and the weather was cold and I blew the lighter fuse!

gtired

Hi everyone! i have a clio 172 (53 reg) 2.0 16v
The problem is a screeching sound from the engine whenever it goes over 6000rpm
Could it just be the fan/drive belt coming loose? or something more expensive?
Your comments are much appreciated, thanks!! Read more

hatman

I've managed to lose the little adaptor that fits into the locking nut on my 51 plate 330i Sport - I've been trying to Google a solution and seem to hear a lot about a Gaitor Grip and also a Laser 3192. Would either of these be able to remove the bolts from the BMW alloy?


Repeated vehicle details chopped from subject line Read more

Peter D

Your local BMW agent will have a full set and will sell you a replacement whilst lightening your wallet. Regards Peter

argybargy


Friend of mine has a 2001 Ford Focus,1600 Zetec--delighted with the car apart from an intermittent failure of the speedo,which occasionally drops to zero when driving then shoots up again.Car has done around 70K miles.
As far as I know theres no loss of engine power accompanying the speedo failure,and no loss of instrumentation anywhere else on the dash.Shes only had the car a month,and its covered by a Mickey Mouse warranty from a local garage which basically excludes everything but engine and gearbox,so looks like its down to her to sort it.
I have read on a couple of other forums that this may be a speed sensor,which apparently slots into the rear of the gearbox,and which isnt an expensive part,thought can be difficult to access.
Any advice on diagnosis and/or fitting would be appreciated.Cheers in advance. Read more

argybargy

Thank you.
As far as I know its only the speedo which is exhibiting a fault,but I think that the first route for my friend is definitely to appeal to the car salesmans sense of fair play...

oilrag

I saw it moving in forwards into the space behind me, big and French - something for the weekend perhaps? as it slowly nudged into me.
Thought I was up a Paris back street for a moment, but no, wet old Yorkshire.

Had a little chat with the driver and ended up giving directions as to how much space existed front and back as it went back and forth trying to get in.
No harm done (unpainted plastic bumpers on the van) and not a buck teethed badge snob in an old 6 cylinder banger, but rather a charming Lady of my own age.

We smiled, chatted a little and I watched her limp off, first to the cash point, then the city post office, then being hugged by another younger female a little further on..
I was struck by the fragility of the human condition..the loneliness of sentience, despite friendships and the overarching brooding of impending eternity and non-existence.

Despite our 120 collective years, that would likely be our only interaction.

So what`s the point?
Well, two things really. Firstly all this took place under the scrutiny of the city camera`s and she had not put a 30min (max) ticket on her motor.

I watched front and back, for the appearance of the Stasi, that have now taken to wearing fleeces as a uniform in an attempt to blend in and creep up on you unnoticed.
(Its so bad that I get a ticket from the machine and hold it up to the camera even though I`m just waiting in the car for my wife for a few minutes.)

Anyway, my wife returned and off we went, but I would have put a ticket on her car under the wiper if said, Stasi foot patrol had arrived.

The other thought was, people are far more important than cars.

Regards Read more

jag

that was no lady, that was some poor sod's wife. jag.

Mutton Geoff

It's been an ambition to own an Aston Martin for many years, but I'm only just at the "right age" for one. I've heard several people say the current V8 Vantage is a well sorted car and I suspect the market for a 1-2 year old model is dead given the current economic climate.

I know the thing is going to depreciate by the hundreds each month, but ownership is still cheaper than renting one a couple of days a month and I wonder just how flexible the dealers are going to be on price. Autotrader shows plenty clogging up the forecourts and I'm confident enough to go in and make a silly offer knowing there's always another, identical spec, just up the road.

Is this a completely barking idea? Any pointers or "things to look out for"?

Perhaps the more economical BR members could persuade me to just bank the money to weather the current financial storms, but I smell a buying opportunity that could soften the depreciation a little over say 2-3 years ownership.

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madf

Sorry ,,, you are far too eager.

I'd wait till next febrauary.
By then most dealers will be absolutely desperate, the economy will be in recession, the weather is cold, no-one in their right minds buys a car in February,