January 2009
uk.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUKS...9
SSangyong is 51% owned by Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Read more
For one reason and another, I need to change my current Skoda Octavia 4 x 4 estate for something similar. As it's quite new - Oct 08 - I realise I'm going to make a big loss, but it has to go. I am trying to buy an SUV, so similar size and type, and I keep seeing here and elsewhere that there are fantastic deals out there.
However, my experience is that dealers, (12 visited so far) far from trying to do business, simply don't want to know at all - not just offering a silly price, but not wanting to trade at all. I'm prepared to foot the bill (more fool me) but I'm finding it a real struggle. I can understand that they maybe don't want another car cluttering up the forecourt, but they are getting cash on top of that, and surely if they need the business, they have to do something.
On the basis of what I've seen, I for one would resist a bail out of the car industry simply to maintain big profits for dealers.
Anyone else had similar experience ? Read more
NW, your grand plan is fatally flawed, when due to lack of custom your favoured manufacturer / importer / dealer goes bust not only will the price of your steed plummet, your car will eventually need parts, they will have to be imported, while your car is parked against a wall at the back of a garage and you get the bus.
Whats the point of owning a car with zero available back up?
Evening all,
I was made redundant from my job as a credit risk professional back in February of last year. Obviously, the jobs market for that market is extreeeeemely slow at the moment and it's not a job that I particularly enjoyed - it just paid well.
For the last 11 months or so I've busied myself driving a minibus for a local coach operator that contracts to the local authority for school and social services. Whilst I am enjoying it, it's not a career choice for me, even though I am in the process of acquiring a PCV licence.
I like driving, I like people, and I like to think I have a strong work ethic ? so I've begun to think about training for ADI. My Uncle, who trained 15ish years ago, has not put me off. He has stated it is hard work but on the other hand has strong rewards.
There appear to be two routes ? independently trained or through the likes of AA/BSM. Similarly, once the Part III exam is out of the way, independent or franchise is the choice...
I am after the experiences of Backroomers that have trained to ADI ? good or bad. I am aware there are one or two of you out there and would love to hear from you.
Many thanks in anticipation.
DB Read more
I did it for twenty years and made a reasonable living, but no kids and SWMBO was also an ADI for most of that time.
A recession is the worst possible time to get into the business, as Rattle has said there are loads of people with their redundancy payments burning a hole in their pockets all thinking of doing the same thing, and not only do people have less money to pay for lessons but we are in a demographic blip at the moment with fewer teenagers around.
There are better ways to earn a living, the job is all about unsocial hours and having to mother unreliable pupils with two left feet, pasta for brains and completely unrealistic expectations about passing after ten lessons or so (impossible now).
Look for a trade where there is a shortage of tradesmen. Locksmith is a good one, you can't get one for love nor money, they charge a fortune and people who have locked themselves in or out have no choice but to pay.
Hi ,can anyone tell me where the timing hole is on the injector pump on a deisel 106 1527 cc , i found the crankshaft n the camshaft ones just cant seem to see the one on the injector pulley ,, ta :) Read more
I recently had the cam belt come off due to a water pump faliure ,not because it was froze !! , i know the engine could be knackered but i tried a new pump anyway , did the timing as per holes and bolts , when i tried to start it there was no knocking or anything just sounded like it wasnt getting diesel n not firing ,is it just broken or could i have the timin out , i cant see how u can with the timing holes in the crank cam and diesel pump .. i undid the pump bolts before tightening the belt then did them up afterwards .. ta ??
{please don't abbreviate words that bypass the swearfilter - deletion is always quicker than an edit of a post, ps, amended the 'txt' message words for proper ones while I was at it ;o) }
Went along to a spares palace today to pick up a part for my car -- £60-ish for a glove box cover. While in there another person asked for a wiper relay -- I did not manage to hear the make of his car but the spares place deals in five makes of the average type of car, not Mercs or BMW.
The man was told it was £55 + vat, and it would need to be ordered, as was my part.
Now I know I can buy general purpose relays for just two to three pounds so on an electronics parts web site I looked up an 'automotive relay' that would handle 30 amps and 12 volts (more than enough) and saw they were less than £1+VAT in 1000 off. So £2 plus some postage would get me one. Some mark-up.
Of course the relay would need to be of a size that would fit where it was wanted but that would not be a problem for me and sizes are given. Read more
Last part I bought from a dealer was a fuel pump relay for my lovely green Vectra, 17 quid inc. ; seemed fairly reasonable to me. Mind you they operate the spares business out of a scabby looking warehouse on the edge of town, rather than a shiny glass and chrome palace.
what type of clutch is in my 99 diesel sharan and how hard would it be to do on the drive??? what sort of time would it take a garage and what roughly could i expect to pay. Many thanks rich
slt Read more
First time caller here. Apologies if this has been addressed elsewhere on the forum/site, but I did look. Honest.
Bought a Focus 1.8 TDdi estate, first reg 1/3/01, just before Christmas. The dealer MOT-ed and taxed the car upon the sale. On getting home I noticed the tax was £101.75 for six months...
Waited for the V5C to arrive, and there it is: the car has a taxation class of PLG rather than 'diesel car'. Emailed the DVLA and got this response:
After investigation it appears when the vehicle was registered the CO2 emissions figure was not provided therefore the vehicle fell into the Private Light Goods taxation class instead of the Diesel Car taxation class.
To have your registration certificate amended please highlight the error on the document and return, with a covering letter from the manufacturer/dealer confirming the CO2 emissions figure, to the following address.
Now... this is a Ford Duratec 1.8 90PS engine. There must be a million out there. There must be tens of thousands of 'identical' Focus estates out there. The DVLA know more about this car than I do: the V5C lists make / model / variant / version, together with a full set of exhaust emissions (sections V1 > V5).
Is it really necessary for me to approach Ford for a covering letter, or is there an easier way of doing this?
Thanking you in anticipation... Read more
This is true. Handbook states 134 g/km on 185/65 R14s. Doesn't offer any trim-specific info or AC adjustment, but hopefully that'll be enough for them.
As I said in the original post the DVLA have values for both 'variant' and 'version', so you'd think they know all there is to know about the vehicle.
I guess the sticking point is that the V5C emissions are listed in g/kWh rather than g/km format, and the values can't be directly compared: g/kWh is an engine-only bench test rather than a 'driving test'. As you asked. ;-)
Okay, will return to the DVLA with the handbook info and will report back on their response.
I was unlucky enough to be involved in an accident yesterday. Mine was the only car to be involved and it was clearly not my fault.
I've wrecked my lovely car.
I have some questions though.
1. Must I necessarily lose my no-claims
2. Unluckily the "damage" is extensive will I have to wait long for a repair.
3. For my own information will my10 workmates laugh at me ?
4. Critically am I safe enough to be out on my own in a powerful car ?
Read more
There's a bloke lives alongside an electricity sub station on the A4, under the M4 elevated section. I used to pass him daily when I worked up there, that was at least 8 years ago, and I believe he's still there.
Anyway Humph, the looming gloom 'n' doom will send us all back into living in caves or tunnels won't it?
i know I'm an idiot but I've just tried to jump start my corsa & the leads were on the wrong terminal once I'd swapped them back the engine management light was flashing & it will start rev once & die. I've seen on other questions on this site that its an immobiliser fault my key fob is a none battery type and i only have the 1one key. could you let me know what i should do next to get it going again. Read more
thanks for that will get some one to look at it for me.
hi. when driving and only steering to the right direction i would get this problem, a slight vibration and sound, and only recently when braking to a stop i would get a squeaky noise, sounding like brake pad wear. can you point me in the right direction please!.
{Added model from a search of previous postings, as you'd left it off} Read more
Have you checked the brakes?
Have you looked at the bushes? drop links?
I'd also look at teh springs - I think there was a recall to fit cups over the top of the front springs due to the number of springs breaking - could the end of the spring have snapped and the noise is the spring moving on the plate or in the cup.
Browse
Farming friend had a Rexion - whilst he admitted it was ugly, it was cheap to buy and run, well made and a cracking Mercedes engine. I had a go in it - didn't impress me much but we have different values.