September 2008
As we all know too well, cost at the pumps rose dramatically this year. We heard of major thefts of diesel from farms, but was there an accompanying rash of siphoning etc. as in the early 70s, which provoked car makers to introduce locking fuel caps and other devices? (I don't seem to remember those on cars before that?) Read more
My wife has an 04 Cooper S with 24k on the clock. The power steering failed and is booked in with the local garage (not Mini) on Monday. Having done a little research, this appears to be a common problem. Is it something that Mini now recognises as a design fault and will help with costs or do I have a fight on my hands? Should I ring Mini on Monday morning to book it in with them rather than our local garage man. Many thanks Read more
They may make a goodwill contribution if it has a full franchise history. BMW are historically very good with that.
On the front of this morning's Motoring in the DT is an advertisment for an organisation which offers people the chance to drive through parts of India in 50'ies style cars. Cost per person is £6995 all found and getting 100 people at a minimum the organisation promises to give £100k each to two worthy charities.
100 people gives the organisation £699500, so nearly half a million goes other than to the charities at an absolute minimum. To be fair to these people anything taken from over 100 people goes directly to the charities.
Still, £500,000 going in expenses for people to drive round bits of India perhaps better left alone sounds alot to me. If 2000 of us on here gave £100 each less tax, just for example, the charities would end up with their money and India wouldn't be polluted by 50 old motor cars and all the support vehicles.
The organisation wouldn't make its money but that doesn't concern me. The drivers wouldn't have their fun but that doesn't concern me either.
I find the bringing together of a sort of rally with charity a bit objectionable. Am I right or am I just becoming an old git?
Resist the easy answer, please.
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rtj, as far as I am aware the participants in the Mongol Rally have to raise a minimum of £1,000 for the charities. If they cannot raise money for their costs, then only wealthy young people could participate!
The young women I know of did it in a £200 ebay Micra, which they paid for - their employer gave them the time off. They did basic maintenance courses in evening classes at their local colleges and got most of the equipment they needed from Freecycle appeals. Sponsors (ie Thule gave and fitted a roof box) gave stuff in return for stickers on the car.
Apart from what they actually saved and raised, they also found a school which was on their route and filled every spare corner of the car with puzzles, pens, sports stuff etc to give the school. At the end of the run you leave your car and equipment in Ulan Bator for the charity to use/raise money with and pay for your own fight home.
I thought it amazing that young people should embark on such a challenge, showing great initiative in some very hairy moments, much camaraderie when teams helped each other out and still raised, between them, £200,000 for charity.
I suspect their employer appreciates the skills they displayed.
As a Trustee of a charity, we would be more than happy to accept funds raised in this way if offered, just as we gladly accepted money from a group of musicians who played Carols last year (thank you Flautissimo!).
When driving through standing water I stall. This may be due to my inablilty to use correct revs and speed, but last week I stalled going through a blocked roadside drain puddle on a lefthand bend. The depth was minimal and I couldn't have gone too fast. It was raining too hard to do the usual mass spraying of WD40 on plugs and distributor, but after five minutes a desperate turn of the key started successfully. On inspecting my trustee Haynes to identify the cable disappearing under the gearbox I noticed I don't have a splashguard. Could this be the cause? I have no problems starting in wet weather, only surface water. If so, where can I get a replacement splashguard
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Sounds like the garage that fitted your clutch "forgot" to refit your wheel arch liner.
It is amazing how many so called garages damage or leave off undertrays, liners, belt covers etc.
Gives the industry a very bad name...
Happy hunting.
Hello, been watching the news, XL the holiday firm gone under, house builders going under, banks in trouble/etc.
We are about to visit a main dealer today that has seveal franchises of differet makes of cars & quoted onthe stock exchange. Just read up on them & ther profits down frm 60 mill to about 12 mill & director states 'difficult times ahead'!
They have sold properties, cut staff etc, share parice down/etc.
To the point: If we traded in our son's car toay as deposit (worth about 4k) and purchased another & paid most o all of the remainder of the money for the new/used car via debit card and that car was delivered (without log bookas it goes to the dvla), or not delivered as the case may be... my question is, say if te min dealer, the whole group that runs that franchise and others went into receivership, where would we stand?
Thanks
ps - hope my question is clear! Read more
I paid the deposit for my Skoda Superb using a credit card and then used my Halifax debit visa card to pay the balance (phoned the bank beforehand). On picking up the car the payment was completed in seconds- I also got 1% back from the Halifax.
Extreme sport? It's no more than a one-man version of the three-old-men-in-a-wheeled-bathtub event we've seen on BBC1 on a million Sunday evenings. Nora Batty's wrinkled stockings, anyone?
My car could do with a service the plugs are getting onto 18 months old and the oil has not been changed for 11k. I want the gaps checked on the plugs and replaced if needed and also the oil changed. I will do the rest myself.
I usualy go to my local back street the last few tiems its taken ages to get simple jobs done, I was thinking for an oil change and plugs check would itbe ok to risk a fast fit centre?
I don't want to do this job myself because its the 1.3 Endura engine which are known for snapping their plugs.
Any ideas? Read more
They'll only carry one type for petrol and it will be 5/30w so yes, it may well rattle somewhat.
If its an older engine/car then something like 10/40 would be fine, maybe a fast fit place that;s doing an offer on oil and filter changes. Make sure they use OEM filters.
Driver's door electric window motor sluggish - i think this is a common problem.
Are the motors for all the doors interchangeable? Nothing about them is mentioned in the Haynes manual I have. I wondered if i chould simply exchange the driver's door motor with one of the rear ones (or passenger's) and how hard it might be...
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a liberal spray of silicone lubricant in to the window rubbers should cure this.
Having done this 2 or 3 times the window is working much better. thanks.
Can anyone please help with front pad replacement on my 10yr old Audi A6? [Haynes can't - no manual yet]. Where one expects to find the two bolts to enable the caliper to be removed or swung away there are two apparently immovable plastic bungs the size of a large thimble. There is also a daunting-looking spring on the outside of the caliper. Is this a 'with use of special tool AuXYZ...' job? Read more
Many thanks for helpful prompt reply, 659, - up with the lark as well, eh? [flying blind in my misty neck of the woods!]. I was scared of damaging something by enthusiastic leverage so I'll give it another go. Depending on yr/model I think the A6 and Superb are virtually the same car mechanically. The Haynes for my previous 100 2.0SE describes similar caps for a Teves caliper but it looked completely different.
Just been to my local bakers, they have a small forecourt for customer parking but full so I parked in the road - yellow line so looked around for dreaded parking warden, coast clear (supposedly) so popped in, served immediately, literally no longer than 30 secs, outside spots parking warden taking down car details.
Dashed to the car muttered apology, response "your ticket will be in the post sir"
Said ticket was never attached to the car so do I have any get out or shall I just take it on the chin?
I know I was in the wrong but........ Read more
I've been accused of generalisations in another thread and the above is another example.... "but in recent years, the number of spaces in towns and cities has dwindled by about 90%"... really? I'd say round where I live its stayed about the same... now if you had said compared with the 60s and 70s then I'd have agreed... but the number of cars has gone up considerably since then as well, so inconsiderate parking in those days which may not have caused major problems, now would...
And I still remain to be convinced re the "make money" bit - as far as I'm concerned its the same as the speeding "cashcow" - the remedy is in our own hands, don't park illegally or speed and they wouldn't get any money...
If the parking ticket is given out incorrectly, then I'd agree that you should fight it!
If the car has a plastic fuel tank (and the tea-leaves know which), they just crawl underneath with a hand drill and a jerry can. It really isn't any more sophisticated than that.
Not only do you lose the fuel (anything up to £80 these days), but you get to replace the fuel tank as well at £????!?!