February 2009

Petel

Not wishing to hi-jack the first thread on this question but would wish to raise the same question of " What is the legal situation? "

I live in a housing estate just across the road from the large factory where I work. I use a pedal cycle to go too and from.

However, the firm is trying to get everybody back onto a single day shift ( it remains to be seen how far they will get down this road ) and with an ever increasing number of contractors appearing on site, car parking will become a major issue.

The last time that anything like this happened ( admittedly this was many years ago ) all the local roads, residential parking areas, grass verges, any hard standing private or not, became fair game and blocked garages were an every day occurence.

I can see this starting again, so would wish to ask what the current legal situation will be in these cases?

Thank you.

re-titled to avoid confusion with the "other thread"....! Read more

dacouch

Very controvosial...your bound to upset the mods with that one...

JohnCC

My wife really wants a Previa (a friend has one), and I'm quite keen too. All the other seven-seaters seem to have the same limitation which is that the 6th and 7th seats are in your luggage space. With 3 kids and a dog, you need space for a pushchair and all the other stuff! With the Previa, you get decent boot space with the back seats, and a huge boot space with them folded away.

The problem is, they no longer make them for the UK market. We don't want new, probably just a year or two old. I've looked at quite a few second hand ones, but they all seem to be very highly priced for a car a few years old with moderate mileage. I can't find anything else on the market that is similar in layout.

Questions are:-

* Is it worth considering an import?
* What alternative vehicles should we look at that are similar in layout?
* Why are second-hand ones so expensive for age & mileage?
* I read that the diesels all suffer from cracked heads - is there any truth in this or just an internet myth?

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barneybear

I know some on this forum knock them, but I reckon you can't beat the Espace for quality of the insides. Just had Second 18,000 miles service and first MOT - all went swimmingly. Took masess to the tip the other day - taking all the seats out it was massive. And easy to vacuum leaves out afterwards. Took the opportunity to clean and cream the leather again too. Just 'cos you had a poor dealer encounter in the past don't discount them. Still for sale if interested - new one on order, but delayed it for 8 weeks whilst a cheque came through - can't wait....

dave2353

hi i am having trouble with unlocking the car with fob that is built into key i have two keys both with remote buttons and 1 grey key that has no buttons, i can lock the car ok but when you press the lock button for the second time it used to double lock and activate the alarm and the led would flash on the console to tell you that it was set.. now it just locks with no alarm set....it will NOT
unlock the car you have to insert the key into the barrel and do it manually which only opens the driver door...if you get in the car and turn ignition on and use the lock /unlock button on the driver door console works ok...checked all fuses etc any ideas ... Read more

derekabegs

Pls the key to ma toyota avensis 1999 does not start my engine again.I went to my mechanic and he told me the key is not programmed.I got another new key,pls how can programme it?

hotross

Hi,
I have found a car on ebay which i have won the aution on - the plates on the car read "LH02 ---" but the car is currently on a private plate. The seller says that he has the V5 docs and the car is as described.

Make/model details removed - as its a general question really.

I am a complete novice where it comes to cars and am very nervous of buying a car privately - I have a friend who knows cars who will come to collect the car with me so Im not too worried but dont know what I need to look out for.
The guy says he will change the plates back "when I collect and sign the log book" - My question is, I guess this isnt an instant change, so how can I drive the car home if the plates are going to be changed? Will I be able to insure? Also, what do I need to look for when buying a used car? It is an MX5 2002 1.8 -

Thanks for any advice
Ross




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Vansboy

Regarding the actual registration, pretty much covered above.

What you DON'T want is to drive the car away, with anything BUT the assigned number it has NOW.

Don't take it with 'personal' number, with intention of getting it changed after you've got it home - you'll be pinged on the ANPR cameras & have lots fixed penalty fines - & more hassle!!

Do check VIN plate on car & MOT & V5 all match with the correct registration - the MOT will have been stamped by DVLA, if it was done with old registration, displayed.

& the car itself, which model is it? I'll give my input, if you ask again! Worse thing is if it's got the dogleg alloys, which WERE being replaced, under warranty/goodwill, due to severe premature corrosion.

Also a recall may have been missed, on the front foglights, if fitted - they would overheat & melt the bumper!!

Car itself should be fine!!

VB

steveo3002

theres a stretch of road near me , farmers cake it in mud year round , not just a splash here n there but its properly caked in mud

they stuck a couple of childlike homemade "mud on road " signs on the verge , so doe that make it okay ? are they allowed to just filthy up the road all they want

is it worth me complaining about it and who should i complain to , id like to see the worst of it cleaned up now n then

{Dropped make model selection. It's not compulsory to select one in discussion. Selecting a category is sufficient enough for you to be able to post} Read more

loskie

Yeah and it covers up that spray on mud you buy in a can.
How rude.

mattbod

I have read how safe and well packaged this little car is but I don't understand why anyone would choose one over an Aygo/ C1 etc. It is much more expensive and doesn't have that nice utilitarian image like the Aygo based trio or the FIAT Panda. Also despite having the same engine, the performance figures are well down on an Aygo which is (from my recollection) capable of around a ton and 0-60 in about 12.5 secs. The iQ figures for the manual are about 15 secs and 93 mph. Is it a heavier car? What would you choose? Read more

harib

I expect for those people who want to show themselves off as being "green", but still have a bit of money behind them, the IQ would be the perfect car, as it screams "look how green I am", but also screams "I'm richer than you, because you've got an Aygo and I've got an IQ!"

Since 4x4s are unfashionable at the moment, I wonder if cars like the Mito/500/IQ will be the new type of car which those in suburbia who have to keep up with the Joneses will splash out on.

John Shoebury

Hi,
My wife and I have remote door keys for our 3 year old Getz [recently purchased]. We like the car very much but have an odd problem which is that, due to the press button being on the side of the key, it sometimes gets accidentally pressed when it is in my wife's bag and when this is being moved around but it also occasionally happens to me when I accidentally press the button when putting the key in my pocket. Often we do not realise the button has been accidentally pressed until we return to the car to find it unlocked! We do not want to take the battery out of the key but is there something else we could do to eliminate this problem? We have spoken to our local dealer, to Halfords and to a local key agent without success.
Regards
John Read more

Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

My Hyundai locks itself again in 30s ,if unlocked and not then entered. The Getz does not automatically re-lock.

john hunt

Hello. I Have recently changed a number plate festoon light bulb ,which i had the side lights on at the time i created a short and side lights went out ,ok a fuse i thought had gone but when checking the fuses ,as left and right side had gone out the fuses were ok, i still have no side lights all bulbs working as the park position is ok. can someone confirm the fuse numbers or can it be a light switch problem. comments please. Read more

john hunt

Hello. Spot on i was convinced i had checked it, but i have just come home from work and i went out with torch and yes it is that fuse 2 minute job 10p . this has been a week long headache. many thanks to you.john

brg190 pete

Hi All

Thinking about buying a nearly new supermini for SWMBO (either a Yaris or Sirion). The non-metallic red is generally a few hundred cheaper than metallic. We like red, so this isn't a problem.

But SWMBO keeps her cars for 10 years, and we used to have an old red Polo which faded quite a lot over the years. Does non-metallic red on new cars still fade over, say, a 10 year period? If so, we'll pay the extra to go metallic.

Thanks in advance Read more

kithmo

Only time will tell. Red and white seem to be about the only colours you
don't have to pay a premium for.

What colour does white fade to ? (transparent ??)
psst

Hi all,
as previously mentioned, i have a Mk3 Golf with engine code AAM. I'm just looking through the Haynes manual as the timing belt needs replacing and I'm assessing my ability to do it!

On my engine the belt loops round the crankshaft,camshaft,passes the circular tensioner and also drives the auxilliary shaft. I think the auxilliary shaft drives the distributor so its timing is important.

Off the cranksaft are some vee belts which drive the power steering pump,alternator and water pump. The water pump is not driven off the timing belt.

Do i need to remove the crankshaft pullys in order to remove the lower timing belt covers to get at the belt?

Do i need any special service tools? eg the tensioner has two holes for a "special" adjustment tool.

Are the timing marks on the craknshaft end,cam sprocket and aux shaft obvious?

Thanks Read more

psst

Well the job is finally done.

I got two hex bolts out of the water pump pully fairly easily but the last one was a pain. The old belt and tensioner had done about 50,000 miles and visually,looked ok. The tensioner spun freely but did have a slightly edgy feel to the bearing.

Fortunately the VW Main dealer who changed the belt first time round,helpfully painted some blobs on the teeth of the crank,cam sprocket and aux shaft so when i put the engine in tdc using the manufacturers mark on the cam sprocket,all the paint blobs lined up nicely !

Top tips for other amateur mechanics like me doing the same job,,

Make sure you have a 3/8 or 1/2 drive hex socket to fit the daft hex bolts and that it is good quality and an accurate fit.

Clean out the heads of all hex bolts before putting that socket anywhere near them.

If your engine isnt already marked up, set the engine in tdc and accurately paint blob all the cogs so that its easier to reset when you fit the new belt.

Belt tension should be max 90 degree twist mid way between the cam sprocket and aux shaft.