June 2009
Just a positive mention of Westaway Motors who yet again have come through for me with a free fix of an annoying problem on my Charade.
Back in November I think it was, I had, one of the the other, my front brakes get very sticky. I had my local indy free them up but I still wasnt happy as I felt there was noticable drag somewhere.
I then booked it into my local Daihatsu dealer ( who supplied both my Charade and the misses Sirion aswell as several other cars over the years ) who checked it over and found that the handbrake linkage was seized. The duly freed this off and charged me an hours labour, which at £60 isnt bad these days from a main dealer.
A few weeks later I detected drag again ( same roads everyday you notice if things change ). I booked it in, loan car provided and they stripped all the brakes, went through the motions and when I got the car back, it felt it had its verve back again.
Best thing was, no charge Sir, we should have done it the first time round - only they spent two hours on it this time, so my £60 had stretched to 3 hours worth now.
Now I had this knocking noise that id isolated to the front OS brake caliper after a close inspection which had been going on for what must be 3-4 months but id previously thought it to be a noisey suspension bush.
Booked it in yesterday, 8am today I was in, loan car available if they couldnt get it done in an hour. Fella comes in from workshop, takes me out there, shows me that two bolts are ever so slightly loose causing excess play and thus making a clonking noise over high frequency bumps.
He cleans and lubricated the caliper and re-tightened the bolts, then ran me down the road and all is fixed.
Best part, yet again, no charge as despite it being 5 months since it was last in, they took responsibility for the issue.
Its been a refreshing experience after having read so much about peoples negative experiences of the rip-off merchant main dealers.
As such, Im now willing to pay that bit more and have them do the oil/fliter and its first gearbox oil change due in July as I feel I will be looked after - I could walk away and not use them, theres no obligation, but its businesses like this that need support.
They also do Ford, so its not like they are only used to japanese oddities.
Sales team is just as good. Read more
Daughter runs a Honda HRV and needs some new tyres. Currently running a set of Michelins but is enquiring if there are any other tyres better suited. Needs to be hard wearing with good grip and quiet. Thanks Read more
Needs to be hard wearing with good grip and quiet.
That describes Michelin.
Have the current tyres been OK? It's always a bit of a gamble changing to something else. Try Costco for Michelin - 20% off already good prices this month if you buy 4 tyres.
tinyurl.com/m4k9de (Links to the BBC News website)
Frankly, any one this stupid shouldn't really be in charge of a motor vehicle on a public highway. Would you have coughed up the readies. Honest answers only please. Read more
This driver wasn't fined for speeding.
He was fined £60 for being stupid!
He gave £60 to a stranger, but he wasn't fined!
i have a vauxhall vectra TD sri automatic and manual 04 reg and have had several occassions were my car has moved forwards and backwards (like a lurching movement) and then returns to its orginal position the engine was also not running at the time this has happened when parked on a slop and on flat ground has anybody else experienced any similar problem or have any ideals what could be causing this problem
thankingyou. DESPERATE TO SOLVE PROBLEM I HAVE TAKEN IT TO A GARAGE AND THEY HAVE SAID THE CAR IS IN PERFECT WORKING ORDER
caroline Read more
Thanks DD - I thought of that AFTER I posted! I still can't work the lurching though!
The hinge of the locking filler cap / flap of my V70 has broken. I cannot figure out how to remove the broken hinge component from the car as there is no obvious fixing. What do I have to replace - is the flap (matching bodycolour) itself a seperate part so it can be reused or does this come as an assembly?
Can anyone please advise? Read more
How about if I told you the part and fitting would come to £15? That's what it cost me - fitted by a main dealer at the next service - when I broke the same hinge on my S60. That was three years ago but I wouldn't expect it to have gone up very much.
Our 2.0 FSi petrol Altea is showing its engine management light, I attached a code reader and it reports three faults:
17887 Brake Boost Vacuum System: Mechanical Failure
17811 EGR System: Regulation Deviation
17808 EGR Valve Circuit - Electrical Malfunction A
After resetting the faults the 17887 fault comes back straight away but doesn?t light the engine management light, the other two follow after about 30 mins of driving with the engine management light.
The brakes are fine, the car hesitates slightly on the motorway but is mostly O.K, and it has just passed its MOT with the engine management light on.
Can anyone link the EGR and Brake boost faults, I am concerned that the EGR faults may be a red herring and replacing it may be a costly mistake.
Is it worth cleaning a petrol EGR, do they get gummed up like the diesel EGRs I've read about on this forum?
Many thanks in advance.
Read more
"In theory the part could be fixed by turning the stripped gear a few degrees as it doesn?t use the whole circumference of the gear.
It?s frustrating to replace a 180 pound part for a gear that would cost pence."
Not really. You would have to diagnose and fix why the teeth stripped. If it was all working as it should it wouldnt have happened.
We know that the air conditioning unit in the car affects the fuel economy when in use. Have seen cars on the motorway with windows open travelling at 50+mph. I thought it would be more economical to use an air con frugally compared to having a window open which causes a drag which affects the aerodynamic of the car hence using more fuel.
I tend to use the air con, with the recirculating button on, for around 5mins then put it back on when it gets warmer.
What do your views? Read more
Thanks AS, I would not like to think it was possible to push the choke in (too soon) half way through a take off! :-)
We're going back up to Yorkshire next month and will be bringing mum and dad back down to Basingstoke with us.
Normally, to make the journey as short as possible, we chase down the M1, M42, M40, A34 etc. but with the old folks onboard we're going to make it a bit more leisurely.
We intend to set off between 10 and 11am and then stop for lunch somewhere.
Any personal recommendations for a good lunch somewhere on the backroads between M42/M6 and Swindon on a Sunday afternoon. Cost isn't important but good seafood is a must.
Kevin...
{motoring related, so moved from IHAQ} Read more
Thanks guys.
The Kingham Plough and Kings Arms both look to be worth a visit. I've delegated the Googling to Mrs. K - she loves reading menus.
>you could even bump into Clarkson!
That would be a problem, she absolutely hates him! I have to record TG and watch it when she's not around.
>Well, you said cost wasn't important...
We went to Le Manoir a few years ago. It was very good but I'm getting a bit of heat over my expenses at the moment ;-)
Kevin...
Since having a new reconditioned engine fitted i no longer can use the functions of the Engine management system ie How long in miles till next fill up?Average speed,Miles per gallon ect.When pressed the display just flashes ( ---- ) My mechanic and auto electrician are stumped,please help? Read more
The car runs fine no other probs,you said check its bumps,????????????????????????.Plug in to ??????????????????.Thanks.>> Whats a VSS?
Thanks.
Hi,
my dad was driving his Mondeo with cruise control on, it appeared to stop working and the same time his speedo stopped working.
He's not up to speed on how the cruise control works internally but he says from looking under bonnet that the 2nd accelarator manual appears to be rigid and won't move (is this right??). Without the Haynes manual, he can't look into it any further.
We have ordered one but it won't be here till next monday.
Can anybody advise anything we can try in the meantime?
Rgds
Steve Read more
thanks for that, it was the speed sensor on the gearbox, a pin had snapped, so £85 lighter now but the problem is sorted
Browse
Thanks, Stu.
Backs up what the girls say about their cars, although they're all manuals.
Erin Dors has a C3 sensodrive and neither of us like it...in fact I won't drive it unless I have to, always get the Vitara Auto out.
Will change C3 in Sept....Sirion 1st in the frame now. Saw a metallic plum coloured one on Fish4cars.com. Looked good but not quite ready to change yet .
Ted