August 2008
Hi, I have a 1.0l Renault Clio that is misbehaving. Last week it wouldn't start one morning. It was turning over but just not catching. I managed to bump start it down a hill. Later on in the day it cut out as I was going round a roundabout and took a while to re-start. The next day I lost all power as I was driving - no response from the accelerator. This lasted about 5-10 seconds but power came back when I changed down a gear. Does anybody have any ideas as to what could be wrong? Read more
Whilst driving on the motorway, and puting my window up, there was a loud clunk / bang from within the door. the window then came down really fast and now wont go back up.
when i turne d the engin off and on again, it sounded lime a motor was wrking, but the window wont move?
is this bad? Read more
Sounds like the window has parted company with the regulator mechanism.
Actually looking is the only sure way to find out what's happened.
From time to time we hear this phrase as an explanation for pressure loss in a tyre. To me it sounds pretty improbable, and if genuine, means a serious production fault. Is there any scientific evidence for it, or is it a fob-off for the credulous? Read more
On one car I had about 30 years ago, all four alloys needed tubes in. I don't think they were ever meant to be airtight ! The car itself was then about 2 years old.
From time to time someone writes in to HJ in the paper and says "I've got a Merc 123 which has covered 275,000 miles."
And HJ sometimes replies (words to the effect of ) "that's only just run in. There's a bloke in New Milliband, Texas whose Merc 123 has covered 350,000 miles."
So when is an ordinary car run in? How can you tell? Does run in mean at the peak of performance for that particular car? If it does, how long will that peak last?
Any thoughts? Read more
I was interested to read HJ's comments on VW's heavy caveatting of their longlife servicing recommendations in his review of the new Scirocco.
"Yet VW is now careful to state that its LongLife service regime is recommended only ?for vehicles with a daily mileage of more than 25 miles, where the vehicle is driven regularly and on mainly longer distance journeys. The vehicle should be mainly driven at constant speed with minimum vehicle and engine loading, minimal towing and driven in an economical manner.? Otherwise it?s change the oil and filter every year or 10k miles"
I wonder what prompted this?
Government is thinking of pay as you go tax scheme.
tinyurl.com/6qrjeq
Soon a trial scheme will be launched. A black box on your car will record your movement.
Read more
Not really - once they get cheap enough people will be able to easily justify
the cost of taxation. I'd pay £1000 a year in tax if you could buy
a mint 10 year old 7 Series for £500 for example.
You may look at that way, as do many others on here... but the general public don't, they will see a high annual cost and walk away, even if other costs are low, thats just the way of the lemmings!
(PS Sorry, DD - it was the first one for a while!!).
just wandering if there's anyone out there has replaced one before, is it an easy job?, anything i should know before i start?? thanx Read more
Of seeing two vehicles without any rear lights on a 19 mile journey on a quiet Sunday night in bad weather?
Well I saw two tonight - hardly any traffic but these two muppets were out and about... the first was a car and at least my headlights were reflected in her rear reflectors!
The second was one of those moped things, I managed to signal him that I couldn't see him at all on the unlit road were had just been on but he just kept going....
Why don't people check their rear lights more often rather than once a year at the service/mot?!
Just out of interest what is the financial penalty for faulty lights if caught? (Apart from death in the moped's case!) Read more
Having just read the " Car siezed despite having insurance " thread, decided to try my own entry.
This came up with a message " Invalid Use Code 16540201 "
Can anyone say what this means please?
Thank you. Read more
Update.
Have just had a relpy by Email from MIIC customer services at Milton Keynes.
They state that this Invalid Use code appeared, because the insurance company failed to enter or made a mistake when trying to enter, the make and model of the vehicle.
As the insurance policy in question has only 5 weeks left to run, I do not propose to bother complaining about this but I do wonder, what a traffic officer with a handheld, outside a Kebab shop at 11oclock at night might have made of it.
Regards.
I've been made aware that I should be thinking of another car. A new different car I mean.
After a lot of tooing and froing it has come down to Berlingo Multispace -the "new" one or a Roomster. I'd go for biggest Diesel.
Which would you have and why?
Please and Thanks Read more
a handsome carriage.
That would be putting it far too fulsomely PU, no need for blushes. How can I put it... an eccentric foreign van-car whose styling is an engagingly slick example of the FU* school of design...
*can't spell it out, swear filter would intervene. For other examples of FU, look no further than Citroen: 2CV, Ami6, need I go on?
Hi,
I have a 2000my audi a4 tdi 90bhp, which i now feel lacks a bit of power, therefore i am considering buying one of the many tdi tuning boxes bieng offered for sale on e-bay. Does anyone know if these boxes work and are they worth the money? is there anything to watch out for?
Any help will be appreciated
Thanks
James
slt Read more
The ones on ebay are best avoided, prsoanlly I wouldn't touch them with a barge pole. What guarantee do they provide against not damaging the engine etc. !
Firstly you need to consider contacting your insurance company and ensuring they will cover this modification, if they won't cover then you'll need to find someone who will, otherwise your current car insurance will be null and void and you'd be driving without motor insurance were such a device fitted.
As already mentioned check out the ones for sale via www.dieselpowertuning.co.uk (DPT) as they come with a 3 year warrantee if fitted by one of their recommended garages. They also provide recommended insurance companies who will provide insurance, full details on their web site. The device is designed to operate within the design parameters for any given car. The device can be tuned for economy, performance or various combinations of the two.
I have recently fitted one of the DPT units to my car and it really does make a noticable improvement to fuel economy, performance and drivability. I went for the default settings plus additional low down torque.
Browse
I agree with Screwloose removing and cleaning the crankshaft position sensor (situated on the gear box bell housing) would be the first thing to try. Meths is ideal to clean it with.