September 2008
My mum who is nearly 80 has found it increasingly difficult to climb in and out of her 2005 VW Golf TdiS 5 door. She has owned it from new and it now has 18,000 miles. The car is 'as new' and has full VW service history. A neighbour has just traded in his 2008 Suzuki SX4 1.6DiiS with 5300 miles for a new Laguna (another child and he needed more room). The car is like new and is very easy to get in and out of.
The local Renault dealer is bringing the car round tomorrow so I need some advice: Is the SX4 with the Peugeot 1.6HDi engine a good car? Is it safe and if so how much should we we be aiming to change for? Thanks Read more
One sidelamp lights with very low brightness compared to the other.
The sidelamp bulbs are silvered, which I have not seen before.
One bulb is silvered on front half & clear at back.
The other bulb is silvered front & back, which must be giving the very low brightness, which I'm not sure is correct.
Is this correct or is the bulb silvered front & back manufactured wrong or do I just have the wrong bulb ??
Looking on ebay I see there are lots of types of W5W coloured bulbs, so I'm not sure.
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They'll be 41 watt bulbs then. A domestic 60 bulb bas a nominal value of
70 ohms so that has an initial output of 822 watts and people wonder why
they pop when you turn them on. Mass Shock excuse the pun. So now you
know. Regards Peter
That must be for milli or micro seconds, interesting.
Help
I have a leak ever time it rains in the door well - i have had a new door seal fitted but water is still coming in when it rains.
Any ideas????? Read more
Will do Chris. Thanks.
help. i have a 99 passat 1.8 20v, when will the cambelt need replacing? have contacted a few local garages and their suggestions are anywhere between 40k -80k, or every four - six years. mine was changed 5 years, 40k ago, can anyine help? also will the front of the car have to come off? and how much should i be looking to pay? Read more
thanks, i'd better get it booked in then.
In same vein as unusual sightings, what is the most ridiculous modification you've seen- or made you laugh out loud?
The car that's made me think of this is a 3 door Civic hatchback , actually is now a 2 door as the rear hatch has been welded shut and all blended in. Looks like it was well done, but just can't see the point. Every time I see it have visions of the owner trying to sell it, and potential purchaser asking to look in the boot.
Also keep seeing a Volvo 440 with twin 'spud launcher' exhausts, and an old Nissan Almera resprayed the same colour as David Dickinson with ott bodykit and huge spoilers. Read more
About 25 years ago in South Birmingham on a housing estate a guy hacksawing the roof off a "Del Boy" yellow Reliant 375 car, not supervan.
How do I check, and if necessary change the heater or heater fan motor on my 95/M Renault Espace?
The heater does not seem to work, (no life at all, apart from, when selecting the heating positions this seems to activate some sort of response, a whirring sound for a few seconds? But no heat, as far as I can make out, and no blower whatsoever in any position!
I have asked my local garage and they say that they have run a live to the heater and it still does not work?
(How would I repeat this check myself, just to make sure?)
Therefore according to them, its not the switch or the resistor?
They are quoting over £200 to do the job? Ouch!
Any advice on, how I make sure of the diagnostic myself?
Would a second hand replacement part do the job?
How difficult is repairing or replacing the part?
slt
Any help and advice on the above questions would be more than appreciated.
Diolch/Thanks Pedro
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Uh Oh Windscreen just started to mist up, de-mister heater setting won't clear it, only aircon, and at the end of a 3 mile run in average traffic the engine fan came on, this was a new noise, I don't remember hearing it before, 122,000 miles. Any frightening diagnosis anyone ? Advice would be much appreciated. Read more
>I would suggest that the cabin/pollen filter be checked/replaced>
I had an Astra F that suffered from similar symptoms. Turned out the pollen filter was soaking wet caused by my over-zealous use of the hose when washing the car. Had to replace the filter as it wouldn't dry out and the car was constantly filling up with condensation.
Problem reoccurred serveral times after periods of very heavy rain: design fault apparently with the polllen filter located too close to water run-off areas. Ended up ditching the filter altogether. Saved myself £20 a throw.
It may have back fired for the residents. But not for the ones that got free fuel!!!!!!!!!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/7599639.stm Read more
*BUMP*
anyone know how much approx they charge these days?
I have a minor couple of scuff marks on 2 wheel arches which havnt penetrated to the base metal and one on the front bumper that has
a friend said spray shops can charge up to £200 per panel is he right?
(daughters car so Im paying!) Read more
Chips Away or similar mobile paint repair franchise would probably be a better bet.
Walking past a busy junction , saw a car stuck in outside lane causing a bulge with others behind struggling to undertake and overtake in opposite lanes to make the lights. It was a 3 - 4 yr old Mercedes Estate with a woman driver. It was right next to a busy caff and a few builders were laughing at her predicament
Ever the knight , I came over and said ' can I help ? ' - turns out her autobox lever had jammed in P and she couldn't drive off. Ist thing she asks was for me to take away her coffee cup, which I placed on the pavement ... she then says , ' no, pls put it in a bin .. ''
She is then screaming at her husband down the phone that the car has broken down and that he must come and get her . Meanwhile I jumped in the driver's seat and tried getting the lever shifted - no chance , jammed solid in Park .. Even with a few lads, we couldn't push it into the near lane.
Finally, with her being flustered, the husband rocks up in another car , gets on the phone to a Merc dealer and starts screaming that the car needs collecting as it's broken down ... warantee blah blah blah.. and tries organising a pick up. Then I found out the truth from a builder in the caff ; the silly woman had spilled the coffee down her transmission gaitor , and it locked ... she got me to get rid of the evidence and was going to tell her husband the car just froze on her - she done nothing wrong ..
I feel sorry for service managers - getting told lies and half stories . Am sure the husband wouldn't have believed MB service dept if they phoned him later and told him the truth ???
I now know the other side and will treat stories of ' robbing dealerships ' with a pinch of salt.. Read more
Could someone please explain how spilling coffee on gear selector can lock up transmission?
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Probably shorted out some relay which prevents you getting the thing out of park - most autos won't let you out of park unless you have your foot on the brake. If that sensor gets shorted, you won't be able to get out of park.
Most automatics have a little button somewhere near the gear shift which allows you to over-ride this for situations just like this one. Maybe the merc doesn't.
>>. My thoughts on the exhange are around £2500 - £3000 >>
A Suzuki for a Golf - who's paying who in this transaction? :)