May 2009
At the start of March I paid a well known web based broker £300 deposit on a new Ford Fiesta and was told the car would be delivered in "4-6 weeks time"
We are now 8 weeks on and still no sign of the car and emails to them go unanswered.
I would like to walk away from this deal but am worried that they might then try to sue me for breach of contract.
What should I do? Read more
I've just been watching a boxed set of The Professionals. The opening scene with the credits that always comes between the first minute of the story and the rest of the episode - where the Consul/Granada crashes straight through the tinted plate glass window - ranks as my favourite car action/chase/crash/explosion scene of all time.
I don't think there has ever been an action scene quite like it.
... or has there?
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A scene from The Professionals often features in out-take programmes.
To make his get away, Bodie jumps into the back of a barely moving Transit.
The van then accelerates hard and he tumbles out onto the road.
These warning lights (which come on together) typically come on after I have travelled for some time or distance. They go out when I switch off the ignition, but usually come back on again after a shorter interval of time. If repeated, this time interval gets shorter and shorter, until the lights re-appear as soon as the engine is restarted. If the car is not driven again for some while, say until the next day, the time/distance interval reverts to the much longer period, and some days these lights don't come back on at all. Neither the ABS, nor the 4-wheel drive, function when these lights are on.
My garage tells me that the system code says the fault lies in the longitudinal yawl sensor. This has been replaced (along with the G-sensor with which it is fitted), but the fault remained. Since then the associated wiring has been tested and new connectors fitted, and the system 're-adapted' by a Skoda dealer. But the fault remains, and the system code is still saying the problem is with the yawl sensor!
I would appreciate any help in solving this problem (which may bear some relationship to that of octa posted under "1.6 Intermittent ASR warning light").
bill@ham
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I know it's not quite the same model but my '01Y Octavia 1.9SDi Classic had the ABS unit replaced through a manufacturer's recall, see CBCB:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/index.htm?md=369
due to the electronics being too close to the exhaust manifold on RHD models with only ABS but not ESP, they would get too hot after prolonged running and start to report errors, although the CBCB puts it thus:
10/5/2002: 2,995 Octavias recalled because electrical fault in ABS ECU could cause overheating, possibly even leading to fire damage.
It sounds like your problem is related to heat build-up. My car was one of the first to suffer as it was an early phase II mark I model and I did a ridiculous amount of mileage in a very short time, the problem started to manifest itself at around 45,000 miles but it took the dealer until 75,000 to finally cure it. I was doing 100,000 miles a year however :-)
Dave TD.
I've now managed to obtain the service record from the previous owner (fleet operator) of the 55 plate Focus 1.6 TDCi which I've put a deposit on with a nearby trader who must have picked it up at auction.
Turns out it was misfuelled (petrol instead of diesel) on 2 occassions at 9K and 11K. On both occassions the tank was drained and filters replaced.
The car's now done 43K and is running very sweetly.
Would this knowledge be enough for anyone here to ask for their deposit back and walk away from the car?
Cheers
Steve Read more
"Even then, you don't know what the baboons have done to the clutch just putting it on the transporter."
GB would likely respond to that in person, but i understand he`s just tucking into a banana.. ;-)
Hi chaps
I've recently got myself an old Merc 260E. It's a fine old bus and is running great, however it's losing some coolant - needs a top up every few weeks or so depending on usage
Horrible head gasket related thoughts immediately entered my head - it doesn't seem to be showing any other symptoms though. Temp stays rock steady through the worst that London traffic throws at it, there's no white smoke other than the usual condensation on a cold day, and there's no visible oil/water contamination or bubbles in the header tank that I can see
I took the undertray off yesterday, went for a run then stood it idling for a while - couldn't see any leaks or drips underneath the car. There is, however, a very slight oil leak which worries me after reading the car-by-car breakdown!
I'll probably drop it into my local garage for pressure/compression tests in the next few weeks - just wondering if there's anything else I can try/check in the meantime? I'm new to these cars and pretty new to car mechanics in general!
Cheers...
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Hi Fella, check your spark plugs, if you find a clean one, bingo!! theres where your coolant is going
I'd like to know what is the point of the two rivets that hold the backplate on when there are four bolts that secure the whole thing on anyway. I had to replace a brake cylinder and in order to undo the two retaining bolts and unscrew the brake pipe it was easier to remove the back plate but I don't understand why there are two rivets. Read more
Man lost his job this morning i lost a sale i made on saturday.
Lots of customers now are telling me they are either losing their company cars or they are sending them back
where does it all end Read more
On a brighter note, my FIL-to-be who until last week drove a lorry for a living and was then made redundant, STILL bought a new car regardless. Well, not new, its a 4 year old Corolla, lovely motor tho. He can afford it mind, he saved up for ten years!
Discussion on Radio 4 today about electric cars being a lot quieter than fossil fueled motors ... a petrol/diesel motor can be heard from 12ft away where'as an electric job can only be heard from 3 ft away (have I explained that properly!)
They were saying electric cars may have to be made more noticible to peds and some suggestions were ~
Horses hooves ... but would sound like a stampede on the M25 etc., etc.
Music -- maybe with a connection to whatever area one lives.
A personal ring tone - like your mobile phone.
I'd kinda like a leccie that looks *AND SOUNDS* like a Lola :) Read more
My mate Martin, who is almost a Professor of Psychology - so he knows a thing or 2 about cars says ~
How about personalised tunes for the car to indicate ones occupation ...
Tax inspector - 'The taxman' of course
Optician - 'I can see for miles en miles'
getaway driver - 'Bat out of hell'
Carpenter 'Knock on wood'
A hired car could play 'Baby you can drive my car'
Builder - 'Another brick in the wall'
Politician - 'Money, by Pink Floyd :)
hi.
im having some issues with my car. its had to be towed to a dealer to be fixed. upon looking at it, they state that a pipe has rubbed through and sheared off some bolts. they say it will need a new pipe and the pipe they need to replace is on the nearside and it is the one that feeds the fuel pump.
i dont have a problem with the diagnosis, but they were reluctant to answer my questions and i now have a bad feeling about it. they say it will take them 4 hours to fit the new pipe - cost £270 plus VAT and cost of parts will be £60.
can anyone tell me if they are trying to pull my leg with them saying it will cost 4 hours to fit, as i think it is a bit excessive.
please help. Read more
phone around other ford dealers as i have a mondeo 2.0l 130 tdci and i needed a back box and one dealer said 2 hours to fit as he had to cut the pipe, one said a hour and the last one that did the job said 30 mins and only 45 pounds. it pays to shop around
The rear wiper has stopped working stopped. Any kind member get any ideas what could be wrong ???? Read more
Assuming you have power to the motor, then it's probably seized. Water gets down the spindle. Fairly easy to take apart and re-grease.
JS=OP About 40 posts in three days and now nothing in 2 weeks - are you still here? Have you got your car or did your cancellation work OK? Now we are asking the questions!