July 2009
I cant decide which to buy between these 2.
BMW E46 323i or Mitsubishi Galant V6-24 both are auto's and year 2000 models.
I like the look of both cars but the Mitsi is cheaper than the Beemer.
Enyone got advice or which do you prefer. Read more
i have a astra estate expression 96 and just recently its been very sluggish to start. Sometimes it fires no problem but others it sort of coughs and splutters before coming to life. Sometimes the engine management light comes on if i'm sitting idle for a bit say at traffic lights. I've then to stop the engine and then start off again. Been told i need a new thermostat switch and this will solve the orange light problem but don't know anything about the starting problems. Any ideas? Read more
Out of curiosity I had a look at the askMID web page. I entered my registration and it informed me I am not insured.
I am insured of course, the Co-op took their money from my credit card months ago and I havent heard anything from them except receiving all the correct paperwork at the time.
I will give them a ring later to enquire why, anyone else had this problem?
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Once the fuss over incorrectly seized cars started following some well publicised cases, a lot of police forces claimed not to have kept figures on this issue.
Had my car 3.5 years now and never had any problems starting it. Yesterday and today it has failed to start first time when I have turned the ignition key and I have had to turn it about 6 times before it would start. I know nothing about cars (as you can probably tell) and wonder if I need to be taking it to the garage or could this just be down to the very damp conditions at the moment? It has been regularly serviced. Read more
I called out Green Flag and they reckon that it is the electronic key code that is the problem. They must be right because the car started later with the spare! Feel a bit of a dumbo now.
Dipping the engine oil on our pick up can be slightly confusing till you realise whats happening.
The side of the dipstick facing gives the true reading, the rear facing side must wipe itself almost clear (but stops wiping itself about an inch below the correct front side) on something as you pull the thing out.
Some owners must be thinking the lower reading is the true one as i've checked the oil level out of interest on several used models of our truck and found they have far too much oil in.
I've measured the correct amount of oil in when changing and when serviced by Toyota it's spot on the correct (front) mark too...yes i've turned the stick round before you wags fire up..;)
Wonder how many cars are running round with far too much oil in, and what if any damage is likely to follow. Read more
I think that is because when running, oil can end up in the tube and then doesn't return due to the airtight seal at the top - taking out the dipstick allows that oil then to run back into the sump.
The bottom of the tube shouldn't rest in the sump oil itself.
It has been a few years since i've seen the bottom end of an engine though... ;-)
tinyurl.com/knmlh2
I loved the Mk1 Golf GTI - trendsetter, first hot hatch etc....
But £16,500 for one with only 500 miles? With loads of receipts??
Suppose it will go straight into someone else's collection!! Read more
Certainly.
Probably the only other car post 1960 that can lay claim to that description is the Audi Quattro. Both influenced modern car design more than any other car other than the Mini.
Other cars have been interesting (e.g. original Merc A-class) and whilst the Espace and/or Voyager of the early 1980s were influential, they are not icons.
Give me a nice Mk 1 Golf GTi with 1.8 litre engine please and I think I would be happy.
tinyurl.com/l6lgtc
Looks like another particularly over the top American custom has made it's way to our shores. Fist they destroyed halloween and now this.
Can we expect to see the equivalent ' Ghost cars " appearing on our verges and road sides as well ? Read more
I'm not talking about the ones who dive, but those who scramble in blind panic to avoid death under an HGV.
Anyone come across this engine? Not mentioned yet in HJ car by car guide, but latest brochure promises 62.8mpg combined consumption and even 49.6mpg urban when fitted to an Octavia Elegance. £35 VED as well. I thought a 1.4l TSI petrol was the way forward for economy but this new engine seems incredible.
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They've come a long way since the 68 BHP 1.9 TD in my T4 van. Mind you, VW claimed that was nevironmentally friendly when they brought it out. It probably was in its day - has a cat. Oh for a spare 105 BHP 1.6 TDI to replace it with. Wishful thinking . . .
There was a half page ad in Saturday's Telegraph for a company called
www.carsboughtforcash.com
Has anyone tried them?
I ran a couple of cars through the search process and the prices seemed, at first sight, to be halfway reasonable.
I did a search on the forum first, but could find no reference to the company. No doubt I will be told I didn't look properly! Read more
A quick comment on one of your rivals mentioned elsewhere in this thread...
I'm going on assignment abroad so had to dispose of my wife's 6 month old 2K mile 1.4TSi Golf VI (ouch), we sold it back to the supplying dealer who offered a price which was £2.5K (or 17%) higher than your rival web site, the dealer still retailed it with an additional £2.5K margin....
An acquaintance has a 1996 Astra automatic, 1600 or 1800cc she thinks. She says the model is a GTX (I can't find it listed in CBCB).
She has had it a year or two, bought from a dealer in Brighton, mileage allegedly 58,000. It hasn't had an enormous amount of use but hasn't been left standing longer than three weeks.
The symptom is sudden engine stalling on the move. It usually starts again more or less immediately and behaves normally. Last time it happened the engine symbol on the dash lit up. Apart from this fault the car has been very satisfactory.
The car did this apparently when first bought, and the dealer got the problem fixed. Now that the symptom has reappeared, the dealer is being uncooperative.
Does anything obvious suggest itself to Vauxhall owners or other experts? If it was my car I think I might start by unplugging and trying to clean all the electrical unions to the engine electronics. Does that sound sensible? Anything else basic?
{moves to Technical Matters} Read more
you might be able to do it yourself on this year
Yep - www.topbuzz.co.uk/info/fault_codes/fault_codes.htm
ps, never heard of a GTX Astra either. More likely something like GLS. I doubt the GTE would be an auto.
Browse
That is a good point and one that many people (starting with me) keep forgetting.
That said - the build quality of both these cars is very good, and if one does have an edge over the other then it will only be slight.