Hi all,

Thinking about a change to a jag S-type or XJ or similar recentish luxury barge as they are so cheap (there is a previous thread on this), for about £10-12k. A bit of common sense has kicked in, and I am intrigued by the twin turbo diesel jaguar engine. HJ seems to really quite like it, but any warnings as to longevity/ DMF issues/ things going bang? Are they relatively much more expensive to buy than the equivalent petrol (the V6 3.0)? Part of me recoils in horror at the thought of a diesel jag, but it does seem to make good sense.

Cheers then,

Alex. Read more

I feel like I'm between a rock and hard place with this.

On Tuesday morning my car broke down and I had the telephone number of a local garage who offer recovery. As I was not with RAC or AA, I called them and asked them for a price to recover my car, 35.00 + VAT, I agree this and they come out and take my car to the garage dropping me off at home on the way. They tell me without opening the bonnet that it sounds like the head gasket, and it is a common problem for my car. This is at 11am.

I call them at 2pm, they have not had a chance to have a look at it yet, but they think it is the head gasket. I call them back at 4.30, still not looked at it.

I call the next morning Wednesday at 11am, not looked at it yet, but will call me back. They did call back at 2 and I missed the call. I called them back but the person who needed to speak to me was in the workshop and would call back before going home. He calls me back about 5.30 and says it is the head gasket, it is split between cylinders 1 and 2, he reels off what needs to be done and gives me a price of 470.00, but tells me the sump needs changing as well and the total will be 604.00. I tell him the car is not worth that to me. I only paid 1000.00 for it, and I have just paid 300.00 to have a new steering column, I will bring it home and probably scrap it. The garage say, well, we'll see if we can do anything with the price and call you back tomorrow.

I had to go to college yesterday, but was finishing at 11. During my break, I call another garage (further away, but seem more trustworthy) that I have used and ask for a ball park figure and they tell me it might be as much as £300. I can live with that and tell them I will tow the car down.

I get a lift from college to the first garage, (buying a tow rope on the way), when I get there they tell me that my car is in bits the guy looking at it is going to lunch and can I go back for it at 2pm or they can do a bare fix it job, by changing the gasket only if I am just scrapping it and that will be 270.00, they also tell me it is illegal to tow a car with a rope and that I won?t get much for it if I scrap it. I call them at 2, to be told "the guy working on it has gone to lunch" it still isn?t ready and can I call back at 2.45. The person who was going to give me a tow has to go to work and I don?t call the garage back as I can't pick it up.

I call them at 9am this morning asking if I can come for it now. They say, we didn't get time to put it back together yesterday, we've got your number and will call you when it?s ready, the guy working on it has had to go out for parts, and inform me that there are labour costs to pay, yes, I appreciate you had to diagnose the fault, how much is it. They tell me it is 2 hours labour. I argue that as they thought it was the head gasket when they picked it up, I expected 1 hour would be enough to diagnose the fault and I am unhappy at having to pay for 2 hours labour, I am told that they could not see what was wrong with it without taking it apart.

Is there anything I can do, is it possible to hire a frame or van to take my car to the other garage, or do I just have to wait until they do put it back together? I realise I am going to have to pay what they ask just to get it out of the garage, but is there any arument for the amount of work they have done? Read more

Hi i've got 1.9 diesel 206 on a "Y" plate 2001

need to top it up with gearbox oil does anyone no correct stuff to use?

also where is fill up point!

thanks

Neil Read more

This morning the roads were nothing short of an ice rink and had not been gritted. Its froze every night for the last couple of weeks up here in the north east and I have seen only one gritter on my travels.

I struggled to get to the main road this morning - the road I travel on from my house isnt exactly a minor road and gets plenty of use from the surrounding villages! A mate has just called to say he has wrote his BMW off by spinning and hitting a Golf coming in the opposite direction this morning - luckily nobody was hurt but it wont be before long someone is killed.

Now, either they have ran out of salt or the council have decided to invest their money in some icelandic bank or other...... Read more

Nice to have a chat with people on cold winter night, Ok been and viewed a Mondeo Titanium 130 tdci 55reg today is there anybody on the forum who owns one of these. if so can they tell me what there are like so i can make my mind up before the weekend.
Read more