February 2009
Thats how BBC TV's Watchdog program put it the other night.
tinyurl.com/c7yfzn
I can see why people who have never experienced anything but power steering would think the whole thing had locked up and wouldn't turn when failure occurred. I remember the first time a brake servo cylinder packed up on an old classic range rover . I presssed so hard on the pedal I nearly tore a knee ligament. Read more
Well our trusty Mazda MPV will soon be 6 years old and while mileage is low (35000 miles) we would like something diffeent. The Mazda although dynamically not brilliant has been ultra reliable and is in good condition. Called in to the local Renault dealer today at lunch time (in my work car) and was astounded to be a offered a brand new Laguna Tourer estate 1.9 DCi Dynamic S (17" alloys part leather and reverse sensors) in a lovely metallic blue for £12995!.
Its a lovely car and the saleman will consider the Mazda 'at a fair price'. Given past posts about the last Laguna I am anxious about spending my hard earned on a car that is unreliable. Have Renault turned a corner and has anyone experience of 20000+ miles in the 'new' Laguna? Read more
Yes Dodo alive and well! New Golf ordered for my mum (bless her) as a family present for next (significant) birthday. Lovely BMW used on fair days and weekends (now no longer rattly thanks to excellent advice Avant) and yes my wife still has the trusty Mazda. We took on holidays this year and did 1500 trouble free miles at 38 mpg. Zero street cred but as they say in this part of the world 'owes me nowt'. I have taked to one new Laguna driver who has had his fair share of problems and his teenaged children were unhappy because of limited space for feet in the back. Report ends!
hi there i have a huge problem with my mondeo struggles to go any where had my friens look at it and put a fault finder on it and he says its says the master relay is down??? he has also so said its in limp mode which makes sense poor thing limps everywhere and 2 lights on the dash stay on there at the top lefthand side i fink its the frost light? amber and then there is another next to it which is red! they stay on and the temp reading on the rev counter comes up at 20C when you put key in but if you start engine you get ---c PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE i beg you help i thank any1 who gives me the time of day
{subject header amended to *hopefully* make less vague than 'please help!' } Read more
Remember many years ago, late sixties a mate of my Dad's changed his car ...spitfires..every two years. He merely renewed the finance and the payments remained the same. The economy changed and the payments went up and up so the system was abandoned. I've been tending to buy used car and change every 3 years or so and the hits been tolerable. Had a rush of blood in the summer and shelled out for 3.2 CLK convertible which I now reckon a dealer wouldn't px at any price. I guess my best plan is keep the beast going or I lose a packet exchanging.
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Sorry, madf, I disagree. Why run an old motor when for very little more you can run a new one.
The only reason for running an old barge is because it is much cheaper motoring than a new barge. When the difference is small, then why run a 15 year old car rather than a 3 year old car?
Watching 'The Car Lot Blaggers' last night,and it is on again now,ITV 4,Jimmy Nail was driving a sports saloon,reg. 324 PE,but what is it?Paused it on a shot of the rear but could not read the make,six letters across the boot.Quite a stylish looking motor,slab of walnut dash,a bit Jaguaresque apart from the side mouldings.The wheels look like they could be Rostyle.Does anyone know the make and model? Read more
I once helped a mate in the late 60's do a fibre glass wing repair
on his old Hillman Minx with a filling of newspaper and old nylon stockings...
aaaaaaaaaaaaah!! Stockings eh! not tights. Bread you had to slice and carbs and points to adjust.
I just know the response that's coming!
Night night........MD
My Vectra 1.9 CDTi SRi 150 Auto is currently at the main dealers [and has been for a week already] waiting for an EGR valve - a common fault by all accounts.
Anyone know what the lead time on these things is, as Vauxhall have no idea? Read more
the Vectra is a lease car, so the lease company have provided me with a hire car. I'm just surprised that even after a week, Vauxhall still have no idea when they're getting the part. According to the service desk person the part is on back-order.
I've got a 08 Focus 1.6 Style on hire - compared to the mk1 03 plate Focus 2.0 zetec I used to have, it's a dreadful car. And it's made me appreciate just what a good motorway car the vectra is.
I have an 08 Mazda 2.0 6 sport. For a few weeks now the steering intermidantly veers left or right. Sometimes when I apply the brakes but by no means every time. Often happens when I don't even touch the brakes. Can be when I accelerate or decelerate. My local dealer says it may need "super tracking" whatever that is, and why after only a few months driving should it need it? Has anyone had simmilar problems and if so have you found the cause and or remedy? Read more
Bet it's tramlining
Had it on my 06 Mazda6 when the bridgestones got worn down to 4mm very bad at low speeds. Having said that watch out for aquaplaning did that once going up hill on motorway, accelerating never had that before ever.
I have recently bought a second hand Fiesta 1.3. It makes a rattling noise when idling and which gets faster as the car does to the point where it is not really noticable at higher speeds. Does anyone have any ideas? I don't know if it's something serious I should get checked otu straight away.
All I know about the car is that the last MOT has advisory notes that the front Macpherson struts are getting a bit worn as are the front bushes and the velocity joint gaiter had some sort of wear. The car has obviously had a bump on the front drivers side wing.
Any ideas would be greatfully appreciated. Read more
>>My car man's garage says it is a 'Motor engineer
So did my father's garage Lud.
>>Carp carp carp NC...
Not really Lud - surely you of all people appreciate that if we use words, we should them with some degree of care and accuracy - or else, they lose all meaning and can be used by those who are powerful in society for their own ends (c.f. Lord Rumba of Rio, Alastair Campbell et al. I'm surprised they haven't started a "Ministry of Truth")
Virgin make bid to buy Honda F1
news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/78...m
A real bid or another publicity stunt? Read more
>>I know that the prius uses recovered energy but isn't that just used to keep the batteries charged?
Same principle of using recovered/conserved energy and releasing it to add propulsive force. Yes, the Prius stores electricity. as does electrical KERS. Mechanical KERS is also permitted which spins up a flywheel. I don't know whether both permitted methods have actually been used - I recall a BMW tech being electrocuted by a protoype electrical one a few months back.
KERS is implemented as a boost button but the principle of conserving energy and then releasing it to do useful work is the same isn't it?
Almost one in five car insurance claims made last year could have been fraudulent, Sky News has learnt, and the increase is being linked to the recession. More details if you Google the above headline.
Several members of the HJ forum seem to have been affected by this upturn in fraud recently. I'm sure the insurers are aware of this trend.
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Yes that's a valid observation. On the original watchdog program they mumbled about 10's of owners complaining, then updated this week with "we have heard from lots more"
No numbers given, no reference to numbers of minis sold, no percentage failure, so absolutely no idea of the extent of the problem or in other words - typical watchdog sensationalist reporting. Of no use to the public at all.