November 2008
Hi,
I have a 200 V Focus 1.8 tddi and was wondering if anyone could tell me when the cambelt needs replacing on this car.
Also, how easy is this to do yourself at home if you are reasonably competent?
Thanks! Read more
Just joined and wondering what peoples views of my problem is with new car...
Ive owned my mondeo 2.2 tdci ghia x for 5 month and had a problem with a cold start,i took it back to dealers i bought it from being told if it is injectors,what they thought,it wouldnt be under warrenty.
Since then i found out that the service history it did have from that same dealers was all false (the dealership was taken over a year ago and stamps are all from new dealership,even first few)as theve no record of that car ever been worked on buy them even though the service book was full of there stamps,i questioned this with salesman to which he got me another book and stamped it with the previous dealerships stamps then new dealerships stamps giving me 2 service books saying that should sort it!!
I then contacted citizens advice who then advised me to contact trading standards,since then,theve fitted a set of injectors at the cost to THEM of around £1000.
Ive since contacted the general manager of this branch who has asked me not to got to trading standards,we can sort this out without involving them.
So do i go a head with trading standards or see what he can offer me not to?
Cheers for any responce to this. Read more
In the case of a VAG car any dealer should be able to give a print out of services. Make sure it is done on the chassis number rather than the reg as so many cars have private plates now.
As a general note, I reckon about 50% of cars lose their manual, service book and spare key in the first 2 years. Most of owners simply do not care about such things when px'ing or handing back a lease/fiance car.
Most manufacturers, including VAG mentioned above and others such as Volvo (probably the most helpful company when it comes to tracing history), BMW and Citroen keep a central record of when cars have visited a franchised dealer so it is very easy to check service history for the early part of a cars life at least. Obviously as a car gets older and goes to independents it can be more difficult to trace but it becomes less important value wise then anyway.
I have an old Mercedes Crew Bus which I need to dispose of as it's failed its MOT for really bad underbody corrosion in 14 places. It's a 310 panel van converted to a 13 seat crewbus. It's legal until next Friday, so I was planning to run it to a scrapyard. Trouble is, I've no idea what scrap values are and don't want to get conned. Anybody here able to give me a rough estimate or make a suggestion as how to get more for it?
Thanks guys!
Oz Read more
Thanks guys! I'll try Gumtree first.
My vote will be for the Skoda Superd, had a test drive in a 2.0 tdi recently its a hell of a lot of car little money. Read more
The Fiesta should have won. It's more in tune with the tough economic times. A small(ish), comfortable, well-built, economical and great-to-drive car. Shame that it doesn't have the Jazz's rear seat flexibility.
Anyway, TBH I think the whole COTY thing is a joke and I certainly wouldn't buy a car because it had won.
Discuss.
tinyurl.com/6f7ymg
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Totally non PC comment I know and please take this in the lighthearted spirit I intend. But.... I am of an age when in my youth drink driving was....well....normal. Driving cars drunk is possible if not advisable. Riding a motorbike while three sheets to the wind is quite difficult...apparently.....
I have a Mk 4 golf 1.6, and its just failed its MOT on a centre exhaust mount which has snapped off, ive investigated this and managed to remove the entire metal clamp which is secured to the main frame of the car with about 8 nuts, this clamp then holds on the two rubber bungy things (sorry for lack of specialist parts knowledge!) and in middle of bungy things is a metal pin which holds the centre exhaust in place, but on mine it has snapped off at the actual exhaust part?! ... anyone know how to fix this cheaply? i dont really want to buy a new exhaust as there is nothing wrong with old one except mount has snapped? (ive read in loads of places that this is a really common fault with mk 4 golfs) i would really appreciate the help!!! (thanks in advance) Read more
Recently welded the broken pin onto an exhaust clamp bracket (the type of Ubolt +bracket) and then fitted back on the car. This had the advantage that I could do the welding in a vice on the bench, it is 2 thick bits of metal, so no danger of blowing thro', and the bracket makes it adjustable so it is a perfect fit!
Welding widely disimilar thicknesses upside down under a car is best left to people who do it every day!
pmh
Had an advisory on the front, nearside, upper ball joint. Some free play in it.
Never changed these before and wondered how difficult it is?
Am I right in thinking I need a separater to do the job?
Thanks
Maceman Read more
I've never changed one either, but I paid the garage to do both for last month's MoT. According to my Haynes manual, yes, a balljoint separator tool is needed. It rates three spanners in the book - that is, even I ought to be able to do it. (Same grade of difficulty as replacing the clutch cable.)
I would be interested in seeing a league table of car sales, by manufacturer, for October. We normally hear that say the Corsa was the best selling car, but is there any way that information can be accessed for each individul Manufacturers car sales? For instance if I wanted to know how many Impreza's Subaru sold last month, how could I obtain the information? Read more
Ford are investing £70 million at their Bridgend engine plant, so that's one piece of good news. tinyurl.com/6dbxgl
Hi. I have been quoted over £90 for changing a pollen filter on my car and so decided to do it myself. However, I wondered if anyone could give me any help. I have unscrewed the bottom plastic panel on the drivers side that slots in over the pedals and there is a plastic duct which has been broken off in the past that was just sort of resting up against the side. With this out of the way there seems to be a cubby hole sort of thing but I can't see anything that looks remotely like it is big enough to fit a microfilter in. Any help/pics would be gratefully received and explained as simply as possible (as I'm female and not hugely technical!)
Thanks Read more
Thanks guys - have managed to cchange the pollen filter - not an easy job! However, although the newly refurbished climate control unit is working the blower is not, and looking on net wondered if it would be the final stage resistor or the blower motor that is faulty. Have had my lovely car for many years now but really don't want to have to go to BMW to get this sorted as it is just too old to warrant it. Any help would be really appreciated. Sally
Hi,
I wonder if anyone else has come across this?
If I play a CD everything is fine with the audio quality for about an hour. Around this time the CD audio quality breaks up with crackles etc. the CD starts to jump and eventually you have to turn off the unit. If you leave it for a while and turn the unit back on it is fine again for a while.
I have tried different CDs originals and backup copies and they both do the same.
Can any one help.
The system is a sony generation 2 single cd player.
Thanks
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Hi
Thanks Carse you were spot on.
Went to the ford dealership, they examined the unit and said that a component inside the CD was going above temprature. They are going to speak to Sony and arrange an exchange.
Thanks
Browse
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The replacement time is 10 years or 100,000 miles. Book time is 2.5 hours and it needs several special tools.