April 2009
All
We're thinking of buying a Hyundai i20 under the scrappage scheme. The electronic stability program (ESP) is an option which I'm considering.
I have read up about what it does and it's clearly a good safety device, but I'm thinking I probably won't get it. Reasoning as follows :
a) Main driver will be my wife - given that she spends most of her time driving around town quite sedately and doesn't push her car anywhere near its limits, I'm not sure it's really of much use to her, especially on a car with only a 1.2 engine;
b) In due course, I'm expecting my kids to learn to drive on this car. I think a key part of learning is to begin to understand the dynamics of a car, how to deal with skids etc - and they won't be able to do this if ESP is fitted. So, I'm then concerned that, once they've learnt to drive with an ESP-equipped car, they might be caught out if they switch to a non-ESP car.
Should be grateful for input as to whether you would buy an ESP-equipped car for your kids to learn on. Thanks Read more
do you miss them?
i dont Read more
madux - Triumph are the masters of fuel injection right? I remember the TT600 mess! That was one unrideable bike, the lucky customers became unpaid development riders for Triumph!
The fact that they could not get the 900 T engine to return more than 35mpg ticks the 'could do better box'.
50'ish - that is what my Bandit returns, an improvement by Triumph then.
More power and torque - well yes, but was also about £2k more to purchase as well, plus it is in a higher insurance group. The Bandit is hardly outclassed by the 955 Speed Triple in real world road conditions, plus it has the benefit of being easy to DIY service maintain and spares / replacement parts are cheap and plentiful. ')
Has anyone seen these 'capture cars' that the police are now using. Basically they leave a vehicle in a vulnerable position with something of value on the seat and wait for someone to break into it. The miscreant is unaware that there is camera filming his antics.
Anyway West Yorks police press office have just emailed around footage of this loser so incompetent he cant even break into a car that has been adapted specifically to allow him to do so.
So they have ten minutes of clear footage of him trying to burgle a car with a brick and then a screwdriver.
They arrest him and what does he get?
A caution!
tinyurl.com/cp3ln7 Read more
I try not to buy the local Rag, b308. It`s all doom and gloom and it used to major in high profile news articles such as `Man caught urinating in the street - started again" (as the officer was walking away.)
You can write to the `letters page` but thats usually reserved for the unwashed to directly attack the Council - usually on a NIMBY issue.
It`s difficult to challenge local roads and speed limits - two more kids killed in their car last week. I think some people would like the Red Flag Act back - but of course no one will slow the kids down.
It`s all relative too I guess. There is another local road two miles long in the middle of nowhere, it now has a 50 limit, but back in the mid 60`s I used to take a Triumph twin down it at 100mph +.....
I like the BBC coverage in the main. Coultard especially clearly knows his stuff although Jordan wants a gag put on him.
I do love the fact they have gone back to the old music which Im sure was used when I was a child.
As for Bahrain being a bit sandy, so what? The variety over the race calender makes for more interesting viewing and I look forward to any new track. Spa is nice an all, but so are many other tracks and going to any track on the basis of history is sheer folly. Read more
jbif. Thanks that makes it clearer that there may be exciting times ahead.
maybe ferrari, williams and the new boys racing next year ? :-)
Hello
Wonder if anyone can give me any clues on a few minor issues.
Firstly when pulling away in 1st gear the power bottoms out unless I really over rev it?
I've never owned a Diesel before so don't know what to expect, but it definately doesn't feel normal to me. Also is there any way of testing the turbo? There doesn't seem to be much pick up in the usual range when it should kick in, it just kind of caries on (with other diesels I have driven there is a definate whoosh when it kicks in, but it could just be that this particular model doesn't have much oomph?)
Secondly just today the power steering seems slightly heavier than usual, and doesn't kick in until a 5-10 seconds after starting.
Lastly, when I step hard on the brakes there is a grinding sound and feeling. Have had both wheels off and the brake pads are fine (they also sailed through an MOT). What could this be?
Any help will be hugely appreciated
Minski
PS Just quickly do you need to replace the whole unit if the mirror gets smashed? Some idiot bumped it while it was parked, the casing is fine but the glass is gone.
And where is the best place to get replacement badges (chavvy kids have nicked the rear badge... what on earth for I can't imagine. It's a vauxhall!) Read more
The Opelise shop on Ebay is pretty good for most Vauxhall / Opel / Holden badges tinyurl.com/dxbngs
Due to having been caught out with a Toyota with an inherent design problem(oil burning/carboning of pistion rings-please see my other thread re this),I am now looking to unexpeted and anoyingly...buying another car.
I am going to view(all going well) a 2002 Honda Civic Executive,Auto.100,000 miles,highish I know,but hoping this won't be a problem for a Honda.Cam belt has been changed. Honda FSH.
I do not want to be caught out again buying a car with a problem present or that has yet to show itself.
I am looking for any owners past or present, who get advise me as to the reliability and hopefully not, any problems to watch out for.
Thanks all Read more
Someone mentioned that Honda's are fitted with Rover engines? Is this true anyone know?
It was true in reverse. Quite a few Rovers had Honda engines, but not the other way around if I recall correctly.
Looks like I need to get a flat roof replaced. I understand there are new technologies, way advanced over the old felt stuff. I want to keep costs down, but does anyone have suggestions/considerations? It's a lounge extension approx 14' x 14'. It isn't in desperate need of full replacement, but in particular the edges have cracked. Read more
allow you to practise driving on the "wrong side". Get one of the sim games
like GTA and you can get mentally used to the American scene.
Once you've popped a cap in his ass you can practise the driving part of things too. :-)
Don't worry about driving on the wrong side, the car is mirrored internally and your brain sorts it all out for you without any effort. Bigger problem is when you get back to the UK and start triple-bluffing yourself.
After 5 months in Phoenix I came home and promptly drove up the exit slip to a multistory carpark, which resulted in a very red face and embarrassing reverse back out.
I am at my whits end with this problem. Ive had this Astra for 5 months and in the last 2 months 2 or 3 times the car has not started. After inserting the key and turning it twice, the engine light will flash. Pressing both pedals to bring up the error code displays ECN : 161450, fault with CID or transponder.
First of all the garage tried to blame my key, as it happens after another month of testing its happened with thier original key. The car is under extended warrenty now, so only the electrics / engine is covered.
Some googling of this error seems it is fairly common issue.
whats is doing my head in is its only happening maybe once every month I have a couple of questions
1. Will Evans Halshaw be able to pinpoint it? Considering it only happens 1/100 times.
2. Can anyone explain why its so intermitant. Could it be radio interfernce between the tranponder or something? I have no idea how it works.
Basically Im afriad of taking it back, and them fobbing me off. Read more
Can I ask, should this firmware been applied to my car when it was sold to me?
Will pay the 80 pounds, grudgingly however I had lost all faith in Evans Halshaw.
can i get a bit of advice.. just picked up a L200 warrior, noticed the temperature gauge quickly goes up to half way and sits there, doesn't move. it starts at cool but is quite quick to rise, never gone over this. is this normal and i'm just being paranoid? Read more
i'm hoping thats all it is. got this one as my pajero's head gasket went last week. advised by the garage that they cannot skim the 93 swb as it's got ceramic valves and it would be as cheap to buy another engine as it would to replace the cylinder head, the bottom block could be warped and i'd have to replace the engine anyway! can't help being a little paranoid. ;0) after all i'm a woman!? LOL
the L200 just passed it's MOT no problem and it's a clean tidy engine with no indication of anyone having been tinkering around in it. cooling system is clean, no signs of water in the oils etc... maybe i am just being a little on the cautious side!? having just forked out on it i don't need this one going down either.
As a high mileage driver I feel I have done well in modern Britain, to avoid speeding tickets in the past. I can't claim to drive everywhere within the limts but I don't speed excessively. In Nov. I got caught at 23.00 on a Sunday night doing 47 on a 40 mph semi rural dual carriageway, and was subsequently offered a speed awareness course which I did in March. At 4.5 hrs. this was padded out but there were some useful reminders.
Then in Feb. I got photographed on a near deserted motorway in a different county at 80 mph. I expected to get points and a fine this time, but I have just received (the peprwork had to go via the car leaser and my employer) another invitation to a speed seminar !
Following the March course, I still have not had the 'clearance' letter for the first offence advising that the penalty is withdrawn, as stated would happen, and maybe also therefore the details have not been sent to DVLA, who I understand hold a database of all these courses and attendees (?).
I guess I should be honest and advise the new prosecuting force of the last course, but of course I am tempted not to do this !
Does anybody have any advice on this please ? I guess my concern is that if I pay for the second course, that later on the error will be spotted and I will get a fine and points as well !
Thanks for any input
Read more
Interesting you shouid say that Nsar, I know a number of people that have been on the courses (I've so far been lucky) and all have found them useful, to universal surprise.
Browse
Rich320d - thanks for an interesting post. Do you get to examine any other cars besides Hyundai? If so which ones are well put together in your experience?