September 2008
I'm interested in opinions from people who are driving seven-seaters. I'll probably be buying new and probably in the new year but it has to have seven seats because I'm sick to death of taking car seats out to drive adults around and putting them back to do the school run. It's starting to affect my back. I'm hoping to leave the child seats in the smaller back row on a permanent basis.
I'm going to look at the Toyota Verso after catching one of their ads. Does anyone know anything about the Toyota MMT manual/auto sequential gearbox thing? This may be a little bit too compact though but HJ rates it quite highly. New model due in March so timing could be good.
What about the Chrysler Voyager? I'm thinking that it's a bit taller so extracting sleeping children from a car seat won't be so physically demanding.
Other considerations. Must have auto option, rear dvd screen option and ipod connectivity. Oh and I don't want to spend much money obviously. Swinging towards diesel. Not interested in fashion, badge or credibility, just VFM.
It's a section of the market I know absolutely nothing about whatsoever, don't know who makes them or what they cost so I'm wide open to any suggestions. I like the Merc Vaneo thing with the swivel seats and standing room inside but these must be pretty pricey surely. Don't VW do something similar? Or Fiat?
Many thanks
Dave. Read more
I have a 54 Discovery 3 and after a particularly bad rain storm I noted damp from roof to foot well on the passenger side. Then I discovered that although the screen worked, the sat nav part of it no longer did. The damp/wet seems to have been a freak and has not recurred.
I ejected the CD from under the seat, and checked all the connections to the sat nav player, but it still doesn't work.
Has anyone had this problem, and if so any solutions? Read more
Forgive my rapidly fading memory which wasn't great to begin with.
IIRC i would have been aged about 13/14, we were living near Tunbridge Wells in the late 60's (Dad's job came with a tied cottage so we moved around some), and i remember biking over to i think Chartwell to watch a 'motor slalom', forgive me if i've got any details wrong.
Basically this was a set of manoeuvres coned out, driving into garage, reversing into another space, and a lot more besides, sounds boring i know but this was to be completed as fast as possible with points detracted for cones hit and not being precisely inside the target zone.
It was great fun, and some of the drivers competing were excellent, and very quick sliding their cars into precise spots and stopping dead an inch or so from the 'garage wall' also of course the odd comedian entered with a LWB series landy and a large van just for fun, and completed the course...just.
It was all the more fun as you would expect given the time that none of the contestants took themselves seriously and the whole thing was good natured and friendly, with the usual stereotype commentator hamming it up for all his worth.
Does anyone else remember this sort of event, and are they still held anywhere? Read more
They did an autotest demonstration at the Race Retro show at Stoneleigh in March. A very entertaining indoor event missing concrete columns and walls by inches at high speed; with some weird specials, including a beach buggy with an Impreza engine.
Actually that reminds me many years ago I was tempted to take part in one at a classic car show. Spent a while watching Midgets and Healeys sliding around on grass, and thought I might have had a good go at it due to traction advantage of my Audi 80 quattro. But in the end I left it too late to enter (bottled it). Boo!
If these cars were available at same price,mileage, and condition. Which should be the better buy? Looking to compare 626 2.0 sport against mondy 2.0 ghia.
I like them both!! Looking through ads, 626´s seem slightly better body wise, or am I imagining that!
Opinions please! Read more
Your right about body condition - 626 will typically be tidier.
626 will probably also have the edge on reliability (although a well-serviced Mondeo shouldn't be a liability either). However, if things do break, the Mondeo will probably be cheaper to fix - only exception might be 'labour' on a clutch swap.
hello all.... HJ - you may well move this post to discussions... but I thought about it and it is techincal... your call dude........ :0)
The issue is on a BMW 530d E39 1999 - but generally applicable to all cars.
On many cars where the down pipe meets the middle section or the complete back section there is oftern a flex exhaust part.. some I noticed over the years are 'corrigated effect' where as others are wrapped in for want of better work mesh....
has any one ever tried to repair on of these that is blowing...(the mesh type).
I can only assume that this car has driven over something at sometime and it has caught the mesh.. now she is blowing.......
I'm thinking of trying to use one of HOLTS flexiwraps.. but I though they went 'hard/brittle' so techincally will simply crack on a flexi exhaust part....do the bandages go hard or stay 'flexible' ?
This is a general question.. reason why I appear to be mad..... if I can not fix it I need buy a new front section of exhaust... which will set me back the wrong side of £350.......
A diagram of the exhaust system can be seen below.... the flexi part I'm talking about is kind of below the number 6....
www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=DP81&mospid...0
Thanks All H (now living in Prague, but still need to sell the wife's 2001 A4 Tdi :0)... now willing to go silly cheap) Read more
they generally come in two diameters and can either be welded into place or clamped, welding being the prefered method
About every 2 months, the brake fluid warning light comes on when braking.
The reservoir is filled almost to the max, but a small amount of additional brake fluid solves the problem for a couple more months. Is the sensor just over sensitive and is it normal to lose brake fluid all the time, even if slowly? The brakes seem fine and the MOT in June showed no brake problems.
Thanks Rosie50 Read more
Thanks - I'll get the garage to check it out.
Rosie
I have just bought an M reg Nissan Sunny which, once warm, stalls when braking and changing down the gears. The revs drop off when the clutch is dropped, the throttle off and the brake applied, and the car stalls as it comes to a stand still. Otherwise drives well, and also always starts at the first turn of the key, even just after it has stalled, and idles smoothly with no desire to stall.
I have checked the air filter and spark plugs - all are fine. Would it be a carburetta problem or possibly a fuel filter? The car has been stood on a driveway for the past two months and not driven - would a good long journey at speed help, or maybe some Redex?
Also the fan does not operate - any suggestions?
Thanks Rosie50 Read more
Rosie
Fortuanately; these don't share the Micra's faulty MAF sensor. Instead they had a weird "Electronic Carburettor" with full ECU control - didn't work, dropped fast and never tried again!
To get the, ECU-controlled, idle function working will need an expert on these short-lived carbs - even the dealers probably won't have anyone left who's ever seen one.
Checking for any air leaks into the inlet side would be a worthwhile first step.
anyone know if a filter
part no 4.537.951
3C11-9176-AA
S701C
with "Ford, TDci Di"
is correct for a transit tourneo 55 plated tdci
dealer says its the wrong filter, maybe coping out of warranty
cheers
www.freewebs.com/nationalcouriers/images/DSCF6675....G Read more
it is indeed, but this is interesting....
ford dealers have no stock of the right filter, but 50 locally for the Tddi
seems they are fitting the tddi to tdci's, ......
warranty sir? what warranty?
Why in all that is holy does anyone buy them? I keeping seeing them everywhere and I cant really believe it as they seem to have no redeeming features whatsoever.
Is it just me? Read more
Dodge Caliber SXT CVT I am running my second Caliber as an experienced motorist (42 cars) the Caliber is the absolute best value 2 litre auto hatchback on the rip -off UK market especially if you buy at the low internet price of around £10K. It is obviously not perfect but is better specified than any other car for the price.
I have a 1992 Honda Prelude and recently seen a climate control unit for sale and was thinking on buying it to replace and upgrade the standard heater/blower without A/C as it looks better. My prelude does not have A/C or climate control. Would this upgrade still work so i could change the temp etc. I understand the temp is changed mechanically but on the climate control unit it seems to be electronic. Read more
I very much doubt it, as it will require Aircon, and possibly lots of wiring and "plumbing" in which would be a lot of work, is it worth it?
Went through this not so long ago due to expansion of the family. We bought a Fiat Ulysse 2.0 petrol initially for family use only - kept my Peugeot 306 as a runaround - but found the fuel bills hard to manage. We sold it on after a few weeks (made a profit on a car sale for the first time in my life!) and bought a Renault Espace TD.
I miss the sliding doors on the Fiat, but the Espace really is much better to drive, seems to have a better performance than the Fiat, and obviously fuel costs are manageable.
Check access to the rear seats on all the cars you look at - its not as convenient on the Espace which makes lifting seats in and out and strapping the two younger children in a pain, so our older two usually sit in the back