January 2009
hi all,
px my old car for 53 plate fiesta last week. all fine until 2 days after engine management light appeared. knew that the garage i bought it from would not have the technology to figure out the problem so took it to ford dealership. ended up paying £80 for this service and they found that the cat is prob on the way out (plus other minor things that i dont mind paying for). i have three months warranty from the garage, but id like to know a couple of things:
1. if the cat does go, it is included in the warranty?
2. if it doesnt go, is it worth me buying an extended warranty for it after garage warranty ended?
3. or should i just take the car back to the garage?
trouble is though, the car i px wasnt up to much, and i got a good price for it (i did not dupe him in any way!), so im a little anxious about returning if he's figured that the car i left him with was trash. (its a T reg saxo 45,000 ?blockage air filter).
apologies in advance if i sound as if i dont know what im doing (because i dont), and thanks in advance for any advice anyone can give me!! Read more
Morning All,
With a view to keeping the (fairly old) battery on my car in a decent state of charge over the winter, I purchased a small battery charger last night.
Had a look through the instructions and all the usual blurb about checking water levels and topping up with distilled water was there, together with the need to remove the top/caps on the battetry to allow gases to escape whilst charging.
The instructions then went on to strongly recommend that the battery was removed from the car prior to charging. If this is not possible, it stated that the battery should be disconnected from the car whilst charging, to avoid possible alternator damage.
What are the Backroomers thoughts on the need for this? Can't say I've ever disconnected the battery from the car before? Presumably this would result in the ECU resetting itself, needing to dig out the code for the radio etc. Is it really necessary to disconnect the battery from the car, or is this just the manufacturer trying to cover their backs?
It's only a 4 amp charger and would be left on overnight.
Read more
David
any chance you might be able to return and get something like - tinyurl.com/dgq6kj ?
JH
hello, i have just bought a c4 and its reading in kilometres , how do i change it back to miles !! any ideas please, thanks carl Read more
If your car has a modern digital output screen in the fascia, there is probably a Menu button somewhere which may give you the option to switch. RTBM? (if the car has one).
Help!!! when driving my 53 reg stilo suddenly the power goes, the engine dies. All the electrics are fine but nothing the revs die. Turning the engine back over all problems go works fine for any thing from 1 minute to 5 days until the problem re occurs. The dash has a warning light and indicates there is an engine fault, but, sometimes when you restart the car the light are gone and all is well for 1minute up to 5 days again. If this wasn`t bad enough I have spent £1100 with fiat and there is still a problem, they have changed:
-the throttle management system( TWICE)
-the ECU
-the pressure switch
-finally the accelerator pedal itself
Well and truly stuck in the fiat trap, trying to recoup some money back but thats another story. The point is the car still has this problem!!!!!
Has anyone else out there been through this or has any ideas. Thinking of using new age medicine, accupuncture or herbal remidies on, it more chance of that working than the fiat garage fixing it!!
Any advice other than selling it or finding it in a hedge would be greatly appreciated! Read more
Diagnostic code reader seems like a good plan.
I've just been through something very similar with my C-Max... engine either cutting out or temporarily not starting, with no other symptoms. It seems to have been the crankshaft position sensor (according to dealer's diagnostics), which was not an expensive fix. An ex-colleague had a Saab 9-3 do the same things for the same reason.
I'm told that on some engines camshaft position sensors can also cause this. In both cases, the ECU loses track of where the engine is, so no longer knows when to initiate fuel injections, so does nothing.
Hope that helps.
Hi
I was involved in accident 6months ago and it was my fault. But now i recieved a letter from solictor asking that the other person had whip lash injuries on knees, back etc. He has now filed a claim against me. I have changed my insurance company since accident but who will pay the fees for the claim by the other driver? will insurance settle all the money or do i have to pull it out of my own pocket?
Any help will be really appreciated
Thanks
{made non make model specific} Read more
I wouldn't worry about this, seeing as you've already lost your NCB and advised your new insurers that you had a previous accident things can't get any worse.
Just forward all details to your old insurer and they will cough up the extra dosh or fight it in court, either way it's nothing for you to worry about anymore! :-)
Coming home from the Club just now, I noticed an unusual object in the mirror, keeping about 1/4 mile behind. It looked like two hazy electric blue spots, side by side, with a smaller red spot on top, the whole lot drifting around like a turn & slip indicator in a storm. Surreal. So, I slowed down a bit, but the thing wouldn't overtake. At a roundabout it went right as I went ahead, and it was revealed as a twonk on something mid-sized. I don't think he could properly see where he was going. Read more
You might want to rethink that strategy if you have ever seen a car with bike in it.
Most bikes weigh in the region of 170 to 200kgs plus rider, and fluids. They make a bit of a mess of a car side on...
The ABS light on my Ford Focus has stayed on. Last May, I had the cluster done, as it was a fault. I am hoping it has nothing to do with that. Could it be the sensor? Could anyone tell me how I can tell which sensor has stopped working, or would I have to take it to a Main Dealer. Many thanks for the help. Doll Read more
Hi,
Its been 9 months now since i own this 2005 BMW 320 CD. 74K Genunine Milage...perfect drive...excellent handling..in short its fun to drive...
The only thing I am not happy about is the clutch paddle!!...its heavy.....fews days back I drove a 54 Plate Passat 1.9 TDI... 6 speed manual...also drove an Audi A4..2.0 TDI with 6 Speed manual transmission...if I compare these VW clutches with my BMW....they are very soft and smooth...I even got my car Inspected by BMW dealership in Surrey and they said that 'working' of my clutch is fine...i never said that i have some issues with the working of the clutch..it works fine....gears are engaging fine...no vibration but the paddle is HEAVY!...and i feel a lot more when i am stuck in a stop and go traffic....
Just wanted to have opinions from Diesel Manual Tranmission BMW owners...what are their experiences..
many thanks..
Clutch pedal maybe ? Changed it anyway - if I'm wrong let me know Read more
I have the dilemma of needing to change the coolant on my Ford Focus (Petrol).
The car still has the original water pump but the timing belt has already been changed 18 months ago so I am very reluctant to change the water pump at this point unless it was actually leaking because of the cost of replacing the timing belt, tensioner, pulley and water pump all over again !
My question is if next week I decide to get the coolant renewed by the garage and some point down the line the pump starts to cause problems (or the radiator for that matter), would I need to replace the coolant again and if so would it be much more money ? Read more
Changing the coolant is a pretty easy job so if you're worried about the cost, why not do it yourself ?
I haven't got my Haynes Manual to hand, but I'm fairly sure it was just a case of undoing the coolant expansion tank cap, removing the drain plug at the bottom of the radiator and letting the stuff drain out, then flushing through with water and finally refilling with the new coolant, diluted by the correct amount.
I don't remember the Ford/Motorcraft 10-year coolant being too expensive (£10 - £20 tops) and I'd imagine that Halfords or Uni-Part stuff would be even cheaper.
Tried to renew my road tax over the phone today and was told that I wasn't on the insurance database. Telephoned my insurance company to find out what was going on and was assured that I was, having paid my premium for next year even though my current policy doesn't expire til next month. I've just been on ASKMID and I'm on there. Clicked on the DVLA link, thinking I'll renew on line. Unfortunately I can't as I'm not on the insurance database. Either somebody is telling lies or someone is breathtakingly incompetent. I'll go down to the post office with all my documents and do it th'old fashioned way then. Tempted to stick the plates on it was wearing when it arrived in this country. Clowns. :-( Read more
Update:
Taxed car on Friday at the Post Office without any problems. I previously phoned my insurance company (again) for reassurance that I was indeed on the database which was confirmed. Never had any problems with my insurance company, been with them for decades and would never change. The extremely helpful lady I spoke to said that sometimes the DVLA would class a car as not insured if the insurance renewal date was close to the tax renewal date as it has been known for people to renew the tax then not bother renewing their insurance, or renewing then cancelling. I don't know if DVLA can trace back to previous tax/insurance/MOT renewal, but if they did they would see seamless continuity. I wonder if it's because I left it a little later than normal this year, normally I renew as soon as I get the reminder? Nothing to stop me cancelling my insurance now though is there? Ha ha ;-)
In reply to Alanovich, yes it is an import, as are quite a few I've had over the years and I've never had any problems before
cc
Browse
Irrespective of exclusions from the Insurance Warranty a dealer has to provide a warranty under the Sale of Goods / Merchantable Quality.
A fault within 2 days must be fixed or you can get your money back! Trading standards dropped into the conversation if they initially refuse will make him wary!