November 2008
I was reading some interesting stuff today on the comparisons of different products and how they compared when a price:weight ratio is applied.
And generally speaking lb for lb a car comes out at the same price as a...............
Hamburger.
Nothing more than a funny little statistic to share with you on grey dull wed pm.
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All three rear belts were fastened when I collected the Focus after its MOT.
Why?
The obvious answer is to test the belts.
But I would have thought the tester would want to make sure the buckles came undone as well, so he would fasten them and then unfasten them.
Leave it how you found it is not a bad maxim, either. Read more
I think that this is the link you mean: www.swov.nl/rapport/Factsheets/UK/FS_MOT.pdf
Interesting stuff.
My local Daihatsu dealer has gone and muddied the waters a bit.
They have a pre-reg Sirion 1.3 SE auto in metallic with delivery miles for £1600 under list. They beat the Hyundai dealer on p/x valuation (£2900) so they could match the Hyundai for monthly payments and basically, it would cost just £1.50 more a month to have the Daihatsu now.
Is that a better deal than the Hyundai or does someone reckon we could get a new i10 for that money from a dealer? A new i10 auto with metallic is £8900 - whats the chances of getting £400 off? Read more
She signed up today for the car, finance all accepted. She is over the moon with it to say the least.
She plans to pay off the finance in about 18 months time rather than go the full 48 months as her wage will allow her to do that easily.
She also has said quite firmly that the next car she buys will only be needed if her Sirion blows up or becomes beyond economic repair. Given Daihatsu's reliability record, that will be around about when she retires!
I apparently am allowed a new car anytime after my Charade hits 100k, so with its 35k currently and my 15-20k annual miles, looks like Im stuck with it for atleast 4 years!
Still dont mind though. I had a loan car old shape 08 Fiesta yesterday while my seized handbrake linkage was being sorted ( only one more corner and every brake in my car has seized in succesion this winter ) and it just highlighted how much interior space there is in the Charade against even a bigger car, let alone one the same size.
Im starting to think that we may become a Daihatsu family, they just seem to suit our motroing needs so exactly.
Hi all,
With perfect timing for xmas my 2003 passat has decided to have a strop and breakdown. Much clattering from the front of the engine and a VW specialists diagnosis of sheared viscous fan bolt/bolts resulting in the need for a new fan/coupling, new housing, bolts, pulley etc.
Two things - in the BR experience is this something you might expect on a 5 year old car having covered 47K and with full service history?
And has anyone experience of dealing with Car Care Plan as a warranty provider? They are prepared to pay for the fan and coupling plus the labour for this, but not the associated parts and labour resulting from the failure. Warranty does indeed not cover such additional work, but my thoughts are that maybe since I've had the car less than 3 months sale of goods act etc may come into play regarding recompense from the supplying dealer for the additional cost or indeed there may be ways of getting the warranty to pay out more.
Any advice gratefully received as ever!
Peter Read more
When I had my cambelt changed the other week. I had a call from the mechanic to advise me that my viscous fan had some play in it. I changed mine just it case it went. I suspect some damage must have been done to it after the dealers changed 2 x radiators, 1 x gearbox, 1 x clutch and 1 x dmf. The price you are being quoted is a good price also VW advise that your cambelt is changed every 4 years or 40k. If the front of the car has to come off to replace the fan then I then I would change cambelt and all pulleys now as it will save you on the same labour charge next year.
Watched the Matador one last night, funnily enough, although I think I've seen the Capri and the Frogeye ones before - the latter was a stunning job, and it truly shamed me watching a 20 year old girl turning a pile of scrap into a concourse car. To think I pay folk to do anything more complicated than changing a wheel....
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It's called that to distinguish it from the Dynamic Dave channel which is reputedly all
about Vauxhalls ...
Sign me up to the Dynamic Dave channel then!!!
A stupid cannot drive spotty teenager ploughed into my two parked cars in the driveway.
The damage was extensive one in the rear quarter and the other on the rear drivers side door, with his car being written off!
His insurance company(third party) arranged the cars to be taken away and provided replacement vehicles.
They have rang today giving me the following...
1. BMW e39 ('99) - is to be written off as the repair costs are to high. I will be given a good valuation in line with autotrader and can expect £3000.
2. BMW e60 ('04) - repair costs are too high at BMW and insurer is pleading that I get the repairs done at another garage as it will be cheaper. Said that BMW have listed a whole host of things which are not all necessary?. (im not happy doing this).
So I need help and advice on what I should do next...
1. I want as much money as possible and with the option of buying back the salvage in an attempt I could repair?What are my options? Also car has a private plate, I want to keep it what should I do and when?
2. I want the repairs done at BMW can I force this? I want everything thats an issue to be resolved and not just some things, how do I ensure this?
Thanks in advance for the help and advice
Jig Read more
Yes, but if you use your insurance you will.
Lose your no claims.
Your premiums will be higher for 5 years.
If you have the money, just get everything done and send them the bill.
just got a 1997 escort si for my son the blower an ac does not come on at all i have wiredn up the fuse box so the blower is on all the time could it be the switch if so how do i replace it Read more
very likely to be corrosion in the fuse box causing the concern.not an uncommon fault on escorts.
I noticed the other week that the antifreeze/coolant on the Primera was very low in the header/expansion tank.
It's an indeterminant greeny/brown colour from what I can see through the plastic so I really don't know what's already in the system.
I have heard horror stories of mixing the 2 basic types of antifreeze and I would rather avoid draining/refilling the whole system.
I had heard of a 'universal' coolant called Bluecol U which is supposed to be okay for topping up anything, but I can't find any stockists with it in my area or even close.
Anybody any suggestions over what I might be able to use to safely top up?
Cheers
Steve Read more
To add, The safe option would seem to be ethylene glycol from say, Halfords if you are determined just to top up and are unsure if its had `normal` glycol coolant at some time.
My understanding is that if a system has OAT antifreeze in - then a later change is done to ethylene glycol - that the latter can never be fully removed from the system due to its method of inhibiting being leaving a deposit on the alloy.
So it has to stay on Ethylene glycol for the rest of its life.
Leaving Peterborough area about 5pm this Fri to travel to Blackpool. AA Routefinder says A1 to Pontefract then M62/M61/M55. Does that sound OK and will any particular section be a traffic problem?
Thanks,
David Read more
In the end started a bit early thinking hitting the A1 around Peterborough at 4.30 would avoid the heavy traffic..... wrong! The queues for Stamford were already back to the Water Newton area and almost static. Turned off at Wansford for the A47/back roads local diversion but that was snarled up miles back from the A1 so gritted our teeth and headed off to Melton Mowbray and rejoined the A1 near Grantham. The rest of the journey was painless right to Blackpool.
Really liked the long lit section of the journey across country on the M62/61/60 area. Made night driving in misty conditions so much safer.
David
Hi All
A colleague of mine is looking to buy a 1999 V5 Passat (Here in Holland) and is wondering what to look for from a mechanical perspective.
Also does the V5 engine have a cam chain or belt and if its a belt what are the intervals for replacement?
Thanks in advance.
Lee Read more
Oops...
Just found the answer on the FAQs bit of the site. Doh!
Browse
From HJ's report above:
"A scant 5 years ago, this 82k mile Mercedes S600 twin turbo V12 cost someone way over £90,000. Yet today, despite a postponed VED penalty, it was knocked down for £10,250."
That seems a real bargain. Still a bit surprised at how well Mini's and BMW's are keeping their value though.