could some advice please
have rover metro automatic 1.14
is has done 25000 miles
what would be the milage to change gearbox oil
and would it be easy to change Read more

1.6 petrol. If the cambelt snaps does it wreck the engine on this car? Read more

Story in today's Independent says drivers often feel that they have been unfairly targeted by the Treasury, with the duty on petrol having increased dramatically since 1997. But, says the newspaper, the rises in the costs of running a car have been more than offset by the falling cost of buying and maintaining a car in real terms. For example, a Ford Fiesta with a 1.25-litre engine cost £9,165 when Labour came to power. Consumers can buy a similar model 12 years later for £9,995, "making it much cheaper once inflation is factored in. The cost of maintenance has also fallen sharply as cars have become more reliable," it adds.
Anyone here enjoying that 'better off' feeling? Read more

I know there has been a lot of discussion about these engines on here but I have read on another site that they' re prone to lunching their cam bearings even if you use the correct 505.01 oil and that the top end is generally weak. Is this true?
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As there's nothing on the box worth watching, I was musing about cars and transport in general wondering what advances or changes we'll see in the next 5-10 years on our cars.

With the possibility of average speed cameras being introduced nationwide I think manufacturers will start to sell even basic models with either cruise control of some form of speed limiting device. I would imagine BMW or Mercedes having a camera device which will actually scan and 'read' road signs and automatically adjust the speed of the car accordingly with the ability to override the speed limiter with a dab of the accelerator similar to cruise control. Speedometers will get larger and there won't be the need for rev counters anymore.

Low profile tyres will become a thing of the past because cars won't need to do 155mph or handle like the 'ultimate driving machine'.

Perhaps car makers will stop marketing their products on how fast they go or how much BHP it's got when all they can legally do is 70mph and probably no more than 50 (being the new national speed limit by 2015).

On a positive note (:-)), tax discs will be sold with a chip that is read by a black box within the car. Only if you have valid insurance and paid the VED will the chip be activated and make the car work in conjunction with it also scanning your drivers licence/national i.d card. Cars will only work by fingerprint recognition of the person entitled to drive so can never be stolen or driven illegally.
If your insurance expires or you cancel the policy, the insurance co will send a radio signal to the car usng existing mobile phone technology. The next time you go to drive your uninsured car, it simply won't start.

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