September 2008
I've just looked at a manufacturers website who claim 4.9% APR
List price of the car is 27905
Deposit 5100
Dealer contribution 1621
Leaving a balance of 21184
from which 12600 is the payment deferred to 3 years
This means they are really lending you about 8500 with the bulk being deferred to the end of the lease period which you then have to finance or refinance.
The quoted Total charge for credit is 2455
That's about 28.5% by my calculations.
Since when does 4.9%APR over 3 years add up to 28.5% ?
I've noticed a few manufacturers doing this in the back of car magazines.
How do they get away with it ? Read more
Just received warning that car needs taxing soon. It's a Y reg 2.0 Focus estate throwing out 205g/km CO2, so it's £115.50 for 6 months or £210 for 12 months.
If we pay £115.50 now, will it still be £115.50 for the next 6 months in 6 months time, or is it due to go up?
F Read more
Thinking about it. I'm sure the last time I bought a tax disc at the post office I just showed up with the insurance, MOT and V5 and paid the cash.
So yes, the best course of action would be for OP to get 6 months now and then 12 months in the last week of Feb to start in March.
For the engine in my vehicle Vauxhall (Z 16 XE - 52 plate 1.6 16v dual fuelled lpg/petrol) I have been using a Unipart own branded semi synthetic that meets or exceeds:
API SL/CF ACEA A3/B3/B4 VW 500.00 and VW 505.00.
What do all these numbers & letters mean please? Read more
I couldn't really comment one way or the other. As long as it meets the specs, then it *should* be ok, but someone else might well be willing to give an opinion?
I have spent the morning ringing round for an oil service for my 2002 A4 TDi. Out of the 8 garages I got quotes from, 5 said they use generic oil and will be fine if I change it every 10,000 miles.
Luckily I know different and I want longlife oil thats 507 00 spec. I wonder how many people have their cars filled with incorrect oil from unknowing garages.
Have I been unlucky this morning or is it as widespread as my little survey suggests?
In the end, I have it booked in at a VW specialist for £180 which isnt too bad. Audi themselves only wanted £220 but they couldnt give me a courtesy car for the next 3 weeks and I dont fancy walking 30 miles to work after dropping it off! Read more
It's probably a pre-PD engine, which will run on any reasonable motor oil.
The PDs have a highly stressed camshaft and follower system; paradoxically the engine valves are more highly stressed than the roller-follower unit injector cams due to space limitations making them too narrow.
Run a PD on a non approved oil at your own risk. It's senseless, an approved 505.01 oil which can be run to 10k miles/1 year costs little more than a good standard semi-synth oil. The PD engines (especially the 1.9s) are far too good to wreck.
659.
Bought a Ford Escort 1.6 LXi 1994 a couple of months ago. Its been running great and been a great money saver in these bleak times.
Last week went out in it to post some parcels, staterd up first time as always no fault. Pulled up parcel depot and jumped out to put the parcels in which took 5 minutes. Went back to the car tried to start it but it wouldn't fire up! Really couldn't understand it. I had it towed back to my home and called a mechanic out. He ran all the usual checks such as fuel pressure, crankshaft and spark plug test. He then informed me that the immobiliser was stopping the curent igniting the fuel injectors to fire it up.
He advised me to take it to a main dealer but they want £250 to put a new one in. I have read on the net that there's black wires that can be cut and joined together to bypass but was hoping there would be a few more options before I start cutting and pulling fuses and ignition barrels out. Any help would be grateful as we're on a tight budget as it is and £250 is a lot of money to spend on a second hand escort.
Thanks in advance. Read more
Mine does this from time to time. Usually fiddling with it, locking and unlocking the doors a few times, will achieve something. But the other night it refused to start in the West End, and rather to my shame I called the AA.
He came in 20 minutes and was pretty cool, a Czech or Pole (but I didn't ask which). He said the immobiliser only works on the starter in my 94 LX 16v. At the back of the relay tray (the other side of the fusebox) there is a fuse, which he pulled out. The car then started, but he said best to leave the fuse in. Since then it has behaved itself. He said there's a way of wiring it that would take a couple of hours of fiddling about. But he also said the engine will run even with the immobiliser light on, and the car can be push started. Never knew any of that.
I remarked to the bloke that as an AA man he must have to remember a lot of stuff about all the different cars. His reply made me think he might well be a Czech:
'They're all the same.'
Hope this is some use!
My car is a Peugeot 406 2.0hdi 110bhp.
At the weekend I drove through a number of floods faster than I should have, and I now struggle to select gears.
Randomly, when I select gears, it feels as if the gear stick wont push fully into the gear I want. Usually, after 2 or 3 attempts, the gear will fully select.
Does anyone know what this might be? Read more
If, like it's near relative the Xantia, this car has a cable operated change I'd get the cables looked at. Mine rusted after a period of inactivity but I guess driving fast through floods could mean some debris being picked up.
Not cheap to resolve as there's quite a bit of dismantling involved in accessing/changing the cables.
I have a 1999 Vectra. The digital reading where it say the mileage and also the digital reading you can zero for trips have a problem. They seem to flicker and are non readable. Both are the same. This problem is not there all the time, it seems to be 50/50 if its readable or not.
The digital display abover the radio is readable but some of the numbers have parts missing.
Hope this makes sence and hope someone can help.
Thanks. Read more
The mileage of the donor car will be displayed, IIRC.
Hi, was hoping for some ideas on this one.
when i accelerate between 30 and 40 mph the car seems to wobble a bit like it was spinning up a very imbalanced wheel. This happens in any gear and it's fine at any other speed, and you can still notice it when you aren't accelerating but holding a steady speed between 30 and 40 but not so obvious as when accelerating.
i've had all the wheels balanced and checked twice by different garages, all the engine mounts checked ( one replaced) and now my local garage doesn't seem to have a clue whats wrong! i'm looking to sell the car but obviously i need to get this sorted before i can.
hope you can help me. Read more
If the wheels are perfectly balanced, one or more tyre is probably out of round.
Hi I have a 2005 ZetecS 1.6 with a fault code relating to cam position sensor, I understand this is a bit of a known issue with fiestas, where is the sensor located and is it easy to replace.
Read more
If its the same 1.6 zetec as fitted to the focus it is located on the bulk head
side of head near the cam cover
Hi all
After some advice really. I bought myself a Mondeo 1.8LX at the weekend to replace a car that died. On the test drive I noticed a vibration through the wheels when going above 3000rpm in any gear.
The dealer said that it could just be a bit of a mis-fire as the car had been taken out cold after standing for a while.
Its been 2 days and even after running the car for a while to bring it up to temperature the vibration is still there. The engine is still keen after 3000 revs but the vibration stops me pushing it too far. When driving around town today I also noticed the vibration appearing when pulling away on a hill and when accelerating in too high a gear (ie, putting my foot down in third at 20mph). It also has a bit of a clunk when disengaging the clutch and a rattling when turning on full lock (unfortunately not noticed when testing).
I'm going to get the wheel balance and alignment checked tonight but think there may be something more serious going on. Has anyone else had similar problems or have any ideas what could be up with it??
Thanks
Olly Read more
He didn't say " they all do that sir "- how odd, that's what they normally say. And people believe it!
Could be why the last person got shut- have you tried them?, worth a go ,save a lot of guessing.
I had a car like that and it was a burnt valve, do cars get that now?, or poor plugs/leads/coil packs. Try those first.
If it is mechanical- i.e. steering/wheels/tyres/drive shafts it will be speed related - not revs.
Clunk sounds like CV joint to me though - check that first.
Hope it's a cheap one to fix.
>>And I'm guessing a lot of buyers would also need to borrow the initial 3295 deposit,
>>making the final real average monthly nearer TWICE what is advertised.
"they're all out to get me"
No. You're being lent money at 4.9%. That's a pretty good deal in anybody's book.