January 2009
My car was not back from the garage yesterday so was given a new Avensis to get me home. Only done 60 miles so initial impressions.
Didn't particularly look at the outside, realised this morning that it was Blue.
2.0(?) diesel with dual a/c, sat nav (3x?)
Ride / handling is very indistinguishable from the previous model, had two weeks with one in December.
Interior is much better to look at than the earlier model but . . .
Was set to lock as you drive away but does not unlock as you get out (as the Octavia does), I had to unlock the car to get my coat of the back seat!
The electric hand brake is out of reach when sitting normally, I have to lean forward to operate it.
The door handles are not easily within reach.
Why put the fuel cap release and traction control switch low down below the steering wheel just where the switch illumination annoys me at night but in a difficult place to reach!
They have repeated the problem with the previous Radio where you do not appear to be able to curtail a TP announcement easily.
I do not like the cruise control lever moving with the steering wheel (as before). At least there is an indication that it has set now but it still turns off each time you turn the ignition off - pain in the neck when you are used to systems which do not.
This was an estate and the bolt looked VERY small for a car of this size, defeats the object. Lots of plastic storage under the floor but how do you get the sofa home from IKEA?
I don't think you would get into the armrest storage with the rear seats tipped up (you have to slide the top back before it will lift!
Would I get one - well more likely than I was with the last model but still falls far short, will be nice to get the Octavia back. Read more
Hi,
My parents are going to Australia on a long holiday and will be away for just over a month. In the middle of the trip my dad's tax runs out. They leave UK on the 31/1 and return sometime at the beginning of March. The tax expires on or around the 15th Feb. Other than giving his card details to one of my brothers (risky ;0D) and getting them to renew it online what are his options? How far in advance are you able to renew it?? I told him to phone the DVLA but he's tried and has yet to get through to a human being!
Thanks for your help! Read more
I sprung a leak in one of my power steering pipes. I purchased some replacements from a breakers and got a local garage to fit them. (I assume the pipes were correct as breakers said they were, and garage who fitted them didn't mention anything)
The garage said the s/hand pipes were in good condition (which they were), and replaced the P/S fluid with mineral PS fluid which they said was required by VW's.
Since then the steering is heavier than it was before (but still power assisted). Any one have an idea why this would be?
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Over filling is not the problem but suck some out to see the colour. The weong type will cause the seals to swell in the rack and it will stiffen. However your has happened a bit too quick for that but check the fluid colour. Yes it should be green. Regards peter
Hi,
Feel cheeky as ive just registered and this is my second cry for help,Hope im not pushing my luck but i really dont know anything about cars or engines and being short of cash need to ask and hopefully learn a bit so i can save on garage costs.
I have had the car 2 days and noticed today first time i took it for a run,that there is a droning noise that gets louder as i go faster,cant work out if its from front or rear.The best way i can describe it is it sounds like a noisy diff which i had happen yrs ago on an old mk2 escort i think it was which was cured by putting oil in.It seems to start at around 20mph and as i said gets louder with more speed at 70 i cant even hear the radio lol.
Any ideas/pointers welcome,bit scared and skint to take into a garage at the moment.
regards Ian. Read more
Mother-in-law in boot?
(blowing exhaust?)
Hi,
As subject says just got a cheap car for my daughter.Needed a couple bits sorting but very solid body wise only rust is on front valence.
Anyway one of the problems is starting it in the morning it cranks like a good un but wont fire up,someone suggested trying easy start which i have done and true enough it starts first go with a squirt of easy start.
As im not exactly car or engine savvy i could do with a few pointers if possible as im told its bad to use easy start to much.Once its started in the morning it starts normally all day.
regards Ian. Read more
Ok problem sorted,whilst tracing back the wires from the relay I found a break in one.After fixing and waiting overnight the car started first time.
Thanks to all who helped,really appreciate all the advice and I now have a little more
knowledge which is priceless.
I have a 50/15 compressor (50 Ltr). I have a good selection of air tools with PCL couplings.
I recently bought one of those small ones complete with the tools which is handy for dragging down the drive and pumping up tyres etc. This one has different couplings. I dont know what the official term for them is.
Problem 1. My tools are therefore not interchangeable between the two compressors. Is there some sort of adaptor available that will allow me to interchange tools between the two?
Problem 2. I have been eyeing up one of those in line filter/oiler regulators to ensure all the damp is out and the air tools are lubricated. However If I have an oiler is it not going to put oil down the air line to the tools; which is the pupose, but what happens if I then connect a spray gun. Will it not pump oil into the paint which isn't very healthy for a quality finish.
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Very little spraying these days.
I've seen a small oiler at Machine Mart which could be cobbled together with a small piece of line and a male and female connection and then fitted right up to the tool with only the tool that needs oil.
Yes I agree, a couple of drops into the tool prior to use would suffice after all I've been doing that for 30 years.
Please excuse this as a first post!
I'm looking at a job switch which would reguire a cross country, mostly single carriageway A road, 45 mile commute.
As the job is a shift work one, one consideration is that I need to be able to manage the trip in all conditions ie snow etc.
The budget is £10-12K (cash buy) and (personally) I want something sporty(ish) although the all weather requirement (possibly?) suggests maybe 4x4?.... We are still debating whether it'll be a 2nd car or the main family one (we currently have a 6yo 1.6 zetec Focus) and one thought was another Focus? A nearly new ST is in the price range (or is this a mid life crisis for this 50yo, lol?), as I've always had a soft spot for fast fords, in the past I've had a XR3i (mid 80s) and RS2000 (mid 90s) escorts.
New or nearly new or what? Diesel or petrol?
The commute itself would account for 12K miles a year, and I'd hope to keep the car 5 years. The jobs worth about £500 a month more than I currently get, so I don't want to blow most of that on petrol and other running costs, lol.
Any thoughts or suggestions on where I/we start looking/test driving?
Cheers,
Angus
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Anyway, after an awful lot of humming and hawing I've decided to buy a new Impreza 2.0 R 5dr from Motorpoint for £10.5K.
I've weighed up the pros and cons of a Cyprus import etc and it still makes sense to me, so I'm just wondering if any of you have anything else to add?
My arguments are still that I'll be using it for a 40ish mile cross country commute across Perthshire and Fife. and the AWD is an important consideration when the other guy doesn't get to go home until I get there. Family commitments also mean regular trips to Kintyre and the Western Isles so more winding A roads etc. In total about 18K miles a year.
Although I'm 50yo and not a boy racer, I do have a history of cars that made me smile, my all time fave was my RS Escort in the early 90s. I know the Impreza is no looker (according to some!) but I do believe it to be a good drivers car and will be a reliable workhorse for the 5 years I intend to keep it.
OK, the wife drew the line at the WRX and the daughters were muttering about mid life crisis etc, but it still makes sense to me. The girls (19 & 22) still threw a strop when I suggested taking them off the insurance to keep the costs down, lol.
Any further advice, before I lose more the the £100 they've got just now?
Cheers,
Angus
I have to drive from Leics to Whitehaven, Cumbria tomorrow morning (leaving about 5.30 - 6am)
Have as usual when I have not done a journey before, looked up viaMichelin route planner and :-
1 Recommended route is M1, A50, M6 to Penrith then A66 to Whitehaven. Estimated time 4hrs 1 min.
2. Quickest (!) route M1, M18, A1 to Scotch Corner then A66 to Whitehaven - estimated time 3hrs 59 mins (a whole 2 minutes quicker than route 1!!
Any opinions as to best route?? (I know you will have!)
It's business not pleasure so scenery (and driving "fun" will have to wait for another time.
Thanks in advance
Phil
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Shhh ! I think you woke one.
I have an astra 2.0 dti and the problem has been getting steadily worse. It starts fine but one it has warmed up the emmisions and cooling lights come on, the rev counter drops to nothing and loses power. It will still run but there is hardly any power there and other times it will just cut out. It has been checked for faults but it comes up fine. Does any body know what the problem could be? Read more
Hi
I have a peugeot 406 HDI 2.0 diesel estate, 2001 (Y) reg. I have noticed in the last few days my speedo does not always work when I first start my car, but after about 21/2 miles it starts working and then it appears to be OK for the rest of the day irrespective of how many times I stop and start the car. Leave it over night and it will not work again for the next 2-3 miles,then it's OK. A freind has told us that there is most probably a censor on top of the gearbox or somewhere, that most probably needs removing for cleaning or replacing. No other instuments are affected. Help true or false Read more
Ok, I sit corrected. Glad you sorted it tho.
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Some confusion here, tax can't run out on 15 Feb can it? Are you confused and talking about his MOT?