August 2009
I'm looking around for a small automatic. Had a brief look at a couple of cars and a chat with the salesman without making an offer yet. When I've asked if the price is open to negotation I've been told something like "not really\not much - small autos are hard to find so are more expensive". However they're being offered for quite a lot more than what my Parkers book says they should be, and ones been there for over a week.
I need to buy something within the next couple of days - of course I'm going to make a lower offer to start with, just wondering what my chances of success are!
Any opinions anyone ? Cheers Read more
I have two cars, insured with 2 different underwriters, but via the same broker company.
When I renewed the cover for Car A, I also took the Legal Expenses and Personal Injury extras (provided by companies different from that underwriting the car).
The renewal letter for Car B has now arrived, and includes the same two extras as optional additions on top of the actual insurance of the car.
Before asking one of the broker's call centre agents...
...am I likely correct in thinking I would not need to take the extras on Car B's premium, because I have already got them?
...even if Car A is insured for myself and spouse, but Car B is insured for only myself to drive?
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Shell for Mastercard from CitiBank - free Legal Cover for Drivers.
Hi there,
I have owned my 54 plate Yaris from new and had absolutely no issues with it all to this point.
It has done 60 000 miles but has now started to develop a squeaking noise from the front end somewhere. This noise only seems to occur at slow speeds ie. when moving off or coming to a stop. I'm fairly sure that it stops when gaining speed although of course it becomes harder to tell.
The issue doesn't seem to have any adverse affects to handling, braking, etc. but I am slighlty worried that it might be a syptom or become the cause of a more serious problem.
Does anyone have any ideas what it may be? I'd like to have at least a rough idea what it might be before I take it into a garage!
Thanks in advance for any help!
Cheers! Read more
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. Are drop links that same as anti roll bar links?
If so I had read about this problem but from what i'd read I thought it manifested itself as a clunking noise. This is definately not what I'm experiencing. It definately a squeaking noise that comes from the car rather than a clunk.
My mate broken engine on his Mini. He made head cylinder reboring already, but he needs to do still crankshaft reboring (fine grinding) or something like first or second grinding (reboring) so I need to know all sizes or witch Big Ends (crankshaft bearings) I can use after grinding crank or how much we can grind (reboring) crank.
Rover Group MINI Cooper
first reg.: 11/04/1991
engine code: 12A2A (G)
engine type : 1275 cc / 46kW
chassis : SAXXNNAMMBD016018 Read more
From Standard, crankshafts are ground at 10 thou intervals to a MAXIMUM of 40 thou dependent on how worn the crankshaft is. After the first initial regind of 10 thou undersize recheck crank to see if all marks/ grooves etc have been removed. If not then proceed to 20 thou undersize etc.
This is a job for a professional crankshaft regrinder - not something you can do yourself.
Hope this helps
Robin the Technician
The new car I am about to purchase can only be insured if a tracker is fitted. Can anyone give any advice on the best unit to install around the £300 - £500 mark.
I remember reading an article in a car magazine a couple of years ago about the best one to buy but cant think what magazine.
If anyone has seen any recent reviews or can tell me the best one to buy it would be appreciated. Read more
To anyone seriously intent on stealing 'high-end' vehicles, defeating GPS-based trackers is trivial...
Hi all,
Can anyone have any suggestions on why I am feeling vibrations through my 55 reg car when it is idling? Its drives ok and dont feel any vibration when driving. It has only started to do this no warning lights on dash. It sounds as if there is something loose in the dash. the sound is like when you have your mobile on vibrate and is on a desk but not as loud and duller.
Any suggestions. Read more
Did you find out in the end what the problem was? Mine is doing the same.
On the radio news this morning I heard that something like 1 in 20 cars on the road is uninsured generally and this goes up to 1 in 5 of the cars owned by people in the 17 to 21 age group.
The youngsters (bless 'em) apparently say that insurance is too expensive or they were unaware that they required it.
I think the second excuse is just that - an excuse, and I don't believe it for a second. We all know insurance is expensive but if you can't afford it you can't have a car, can you? Tough.
But where's the ANPR system then? You can't go on the road without being tracked by cameras and police forces like to hold onto the data. But what are they doing with it? Why can't it be used to take uninsured people off the road?
If you put this together with the suggestion the other day that 1 crime is solved for every 1000 CCTV cameras, you come to the conclusion that the sacrifice of our privacy to all sorts of snooping cameras isn't worth the benefit in the maintenance of the law.
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They outsource this to NCP. I have no problem if this does not involve police officers who are better used elsewhere. >>
I was going to post that lifting the cars could be done by PCSO's or some other support but thought that might not be legal. If it's ok, the evidence of the uninsured car could just go to the area where it's registered and an agent of the police could go round with a truck.
Spot of insomnia last night.
Found myself wondering how steep the slope on a road would have to be before a car (let's assume an average car with tyres in average condition) would just slide down it. Read more
>>The road from Edale and round back of Mam Tor where it leads you out to Blue John Cavern
Isn't that Winnats Pass?
www.castleton-rocks.com/winnats.html
I have distant memories of setting the front brakes on my (automatic) Triumph Dolomite on fire while making good progress down Winnats, using it as a short-cut across to Sheffield in the late 70's.
www.rural-roads.co.uk/winnats/winnats11.jpg
I am looking to buy a small Rover Diesel for our son, I came across something strange in the VED band for what is essentially the same car with the same engine.
I am looking at the 101 PS TD L engine that can be found in the Rover 25 the MG ZR hatch and the Streetwise.
I am looking at a 2004 models and see that the band for the MG and 25 is F (£125/year) however the ved for the Streetwise is G at £150/year.
I thought these are the same cars with different badge and trim, how come the streetwise emits more carbons out of essentially the same body/tranny/engine? Read more
Gear ratios are probably the same, 0-60 time is unchanged between SW and 25.
Weight of comparable 25 is only 10kg different, I think it's the extra height (and slight width) that's causing extra drag - so drinking more fuel. 6mpg difference in fact!
The top speed of the SW is also slightly lower, suggesting extra drag through the air too.
We have a dispute with a car supersite and would like to make sure of our facts before complaining too loudly.
This concerns the automatically adjusting cambelt tensioner pully on the Skoda (VW) 1.6L petrol engine. When you hold it in your hand should it spin freely as a bearing should, or does it feel sticky ?
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you will only get a good reduction on a £2000 car if its either overpriced or a sticking dog