September 2008
I have just driven eastbound on the M27 past J11 for the first time since the roadworks finished and can't believe what they've done to the layout, it feels incredibly dangerous to me. For months now they have been working on adding a crawler lane where the motorway climbs over Portsdown Hill between Fareham and Portsmouth - the crawler lane only starts halfway up the hill but that's another story - and they have finally finished it. There are 3 lanes at the bottom of the hill as before, then the new crawler lane starts at the J11 on-slip to make 4. At the top of the hill it goes back to 3 lanes again but incredibly it is the outside lane that suddenly comes to an abrupt end, with minimal signing, rather than the crawler lane which carries on as lane 1. The fastest-moving traffic in lane 4 is abruptly forced to merge with that travelling more slowly on its' left (sometimes MUCH more slowly, we've just come up a hill remember..). I just cannot believe that someone has actually designed it this way.. Read more
My 53 plate 2.0 HDi 110 (98000 miles) has developed the squeak at engine stop, and when crawling along in first or second gear. The noise seems to be coming from the gearbox end, and from reading other forums I think it's the DMF.
Is this an urgent problem or is it safe to drive until the symptoms get worse?
Many thanks,
Richard Read more
Just an update.
Got it fixed last week at Mr Clutch for £758. Ouch!!!
Still Mr Peugeot wanted £1150 for the same job.
Richard
Went to view an Audi A3 Apr 05 plate with 40k on the clock. Private seller. Probably overpriced but Very nice condition and mileage appeared genuine according to receipts, stamps, interior condition. Bodywork was excellent apart from the bonnett and front bumper/valence which had a hundred or so chips, really let the car down. Colour was a metallic blue, (not light blue or dark blue). Is this a common problem for the Audi A3 paintwork for a car of this vintage or is it more of a problem with this particular colour? I cannot recall any other A3`s having so many paint chips. Read more
My previous car (Mondeo 2003-2007) and current car (Mazda6 2007-present) have/had paint that easily chips/marks. I put it down to this VOC too. The car before that was a VW and it's paint never had a problem like this.
.. there's progress for us.
will sat nav work in c3, only been told wont work in some french cars without separate aerial
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In my Xsara Picasso it seemed to work fine even with the heat reflecting windscreen. However, I simply installed the unit on the front quarter light - easy to see yet out of the way. And Costco have an offer coming up for a Navman which seems v. good, better even than my discount Tomtom.
1 glow plug will only go in half way and 2 are hard to undo would it be easier if engine was hot
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I`m badge snob Ned
YOUR car`s a shed
It`s built with faults
loose nuts and bolts
While mine is best
puff out my chest
Its good to gloat
makes me float
but shimmed tappets!
Belts and crappits
8 plugs to do
inlet tract too
I aspired to this
Don`t take a miss
I accept my shim
to look down on him
cos badge matters
as cambelt scatters
plastic pulleys
now in the gulley`s
now snap to attention!
my badge needs a mention
as I wait in the gutter
for the AA guy to mutter..
For gasp and grimace, all together
Cars have faults (aircon & leather)
A badge is a badge, plastic and paint
Inconsequential, when feelings do taint
oilrag
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Hondas aren't bad,
A couple I've had,
But sad in a way,
I now have less pay.
So sheds are my thing,
No need to pawn ring,
My pension's too short,
To run cars badged Sport.
I still have my fun,
With cars that just run.
I park with no care,
As bumps aren't so rare.
So with body that's rusty,
And paint that's quite dusty.
I drive my old Ford Pop,
'til one day it will stop.
Hi,
just noticed the following ad on the HJ splash page today:
"Leasing rates slashed on stock cars, be quick."
Whats puzzling me is the picture- a Fiat Bravo! Whither the days of the MOT-failed Escort with a roll-cage chopped in, fire extinguisher added, and all the glass taken out?
I know that in their native Italy they are often driven like stock cars, have Fiat decided to tap into a hitherto unexplored market?
tt Read more
My wife is right- I'm not as funny as I think I am...
tt
A friend of mine has a 2003 Mini Cooper S which is equipped with a brake pad wear sensors.
The pads have plenty of life left in them but the sensor is indicating that they need replaced. A mechanic has checked the brakes and the connections for the wear sensors but everything seems fine.
Has anyone any ideas how this can be resolved?
Thanks,
Stuart Read more
Yes,you will need to replace the pads and sensors(and possibly the rears as well).The sensors wires are positioned to activate the light when the pads are around 2/3 worn,so there is a fair amount of life left in the pads.hth
I?ve just been given an 06 Passat as a pool car and it?s central locking is two-stage, the first click unlocks the drivers door, the second click unlocks all the doors.
I know in my ford you could disable the one-door unlocking so that all doors opened on the first click. Is this possible on the Passat?
In the manual it is certainly possible if you have a hi-line computer in the car but my Passat is a Sport variant with only a mid-line computer.
Can you push the buttons on the key-fob in a certain order (like my Ford) to programme the car to open all doors?
Help most welcome.
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It's a 60 second job with the VAGCOM or VASTOOL. The dippy dealer should do it for free if you ask when they are doing other work, but they will probably say there is no such thing and you will need a £1000 brain box from Germany.
I just acquired a 1995 Primera 1.6LX which has done 185K (ugggh) but looks immaculate & still drives well.
The previous owner (from 70K onward, very hands-on) experienced coolant loss & couldn't find why, so used Wondarweld which has so far fixed it. The car has been running for a couple of months (i.e. thousands of miles) without a thermostat, because he wanted to make sure the magic potion got evenly mixed throughout the cooling system. This means no anti-freeze/anticorrosive coolant during that time!!
So I have this car and wish to clean out the cooling system (i.e. drain, refill with pure water, run briefly & drain again to flush away any gunk) then refil with antifreeze & fit new thermostat before autumn sets in.
Any comments on this problem and how to move forward would be appreciated.
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Why would you go to a main dealer for a 13-year-old car?
It's a Nissan -- which means any backstreet with a decent spanner set can fix a fault like this with minimal effort.
The part is £25 -- so at £35/hour this should have cost no more than a ton to put right.
I'll hold my hands up and say it was my fault, I drove it again today and there are indeed signs half a mile from the lane merge (assuming they didn't put them up last night, mutter mutter..). I guess I drove assuming that the road did what it used to do, I've been along that stretch of road every working day (well almost) for the last 14 years so it came as a shock to be faced with something different. I still think it's poor design mind you.