August 2009
Hi again,
Between the odometer and the revs counter, below the red STOP light, there is a trapezium shaped window. The left hand side of this window lights up the ENGINE and AIR BAG icons, (which are illuminated briefly during ignition). But The right hand side doesn't display anything. Is the light (or fuse) out ? Which icons/info is diplayed there ?
Thanks as always in davance. Read more
Hi guys,
My fiancee recently had her Fiesta serviced and the only "red" advisory was the outside of the passenger side tyre was at 1.6mm tread so obviously needs replacing.
Now the outside of the drivers side tyre was an "amber" advisory (forget the depth) so will also need replacing eventually...
So my query is, is it ok to just replace the one tyre now and do the other later when it really needs doing? Or should we just get both done together?
It seems a waste to replace a tyre that still has life left in it but I wasn't sure if tyres should be replaced in pairs or not.
Thanks for your help. Read more
One of the compelling arguments for them is that the machine can't have had an argument with his wife in the morning!
www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/news/6058498/Driver...l Read more
If it ever does happen, then I predict a big increase in cycling and other activities where you actually get to drive the vehicle yourself.
Why? Well I can't imagine we'll be allowed to drive for long after the acceptance of these cars, insurance companies will charge massive extra premiums if you have the nerve to turn your driverless car autopilot off and take charge of it yourself. Wait and see..
Me, I can't imagine a future any more depressing than having a car that drives itself, except for maybe a 30mph national speed limit! :)
Of course, the 90% of the population that see driving as a means to an end and cars like white goods will be delighted if they don't have to bother with that tiresome chore of driving anymore....
Hallo,
Just been to look at a 2000 Polo that I'm considering buying.
This might be a stupid question BUT ... it says it has a full service history, and the guy just has receipts for all the services it has had, rather than stamps in a log book.
All the receipts look bona fide, they tally with the mileage, and the services have been carried out more or less yearly.
Any cause for concern or is this perfectly normal!?
Thanks in advance!
J Read more
Thanks - good point on the forgery front!
Appreciate your tips.
Cheers, J
I leased a POLO for 2 years for my daughter.At the end of the lease, the car was in immaculate condition and had only 9000 miles on the clock. The front wheel trims were scuffed, I replaced them, the 2 year service was due, I had it done, I replaced a couple of bulbs and had paint repairs on a couple of small scuffs to the front bumper, minor and very tiny dents on the doors (hardly visible and certainly not photographable). I was confident the car would pass any inspection. At the end of the inspection I was given an estimate for £1700 plus VAT from the Inspector to 'put the car right'. I immediately took it to two garages for an independent inspection - both agreed with me the car was in good condition and had a very small amount of use - which they considered fair wear and tear. I have had leased cars for many years (including VWs) and have never, ever, had to pay back one penny in 'refurbishment'. The inspector said I needed two new tyres at the front - the VW dealer I subsequently took the car to for their opinion, disagreed and said the tyres were legal. Sensing I was in for a battle and the inspector was on a commission earning exercise - I took the car to a well known and well respecred body specialist and had every tiny imperfection taken out. On reinspection, the inspector noticed a speck of dirt inside the paint on the bumper (seriously I am not making this up) where the car had had a minor paint repair. He said they would have to redo the paintwork, insisted on new tyres for the front and new wheel trims for the back. In all I spent £1515 getting the car to their very high standards. I have just received an invoice for £134 to cover the rear wheel trims and a new front tyre!! The wheel trims at the back were very very lightly marked and the tyre was legal even according to the VW dealer. I have refused to pay it on principle. I am prepared to go to Court if I have to to defend this. Can anyone tell me how I trace the lease car so that I can see if they had the 'refurbishsment' work done, which I dont believe they did. I would love to hear from anyone with similar end of lease experiences. I have pictures, as do the other two garages I asked to give me a report. The car was collected and the man who collected it commented on its pristine condition. Read more
I run a small leasing brokerage and am pretty sure I am able to guess which leasing company has levied these charges.
Too many leasing companies have been doing artificially cheap deals over the last couple of years and have consequently lost fortunes, they are trying to do whatever they can to recoup losses. Some companies have pulled out of the vehicle leasing marketplace completely, the market is narrowing and prices are increasing.
The end-of-lease "scam" is in fact a contractual requirement, I always advise customers to put the car in good condition before returning it and if the vehicle is physically close enough I will inspect it myself. There is no onus on the leasing company to actually carry out the work for which they have charged, although I accept this is difficult to swallow.
A good idea is to imagine it is your own car and you are selling it. In order to maximise your revenue it is advisable to ensure it is in good condition.
In the dim and distant past chrome was seen as a sign of having a well spec'd car. And then for a long time having chrome (especially window surrounds) seemed to be frowned upon. Now you'd chrome the whole lot?
Just wondered about other BR's opinion... so many cars have chrome these days around the windows.
I might not have much choice for my next car!
P.S. The image may not work in the future... so it was a chrome Audi. Read more
What doesn't help either is the move to enormous corporate logos taking up half the front grille on some newer cars.
Some of these are tacky beyond belief. Heaven alone knows what this cheap, badly-made plastic is going to look like in a few years when the cars get older and have a few battle scars.
Take a look at some newer Peugeots and tell me that all that front plastic bling is necessary.
Hello all... silly question, and I have done some limited reseach on the web.. does anyone know if my wifes A4 2.5tdi Quattro Avant with an Auto gearbox (not the CVT one) has a transmission oil cooler?
If so.. where is she?
Thanks
H Read more
I've been experiencing occasional brief slowing down when driving as if I've applied the brakes momentarily. I've also been told of my brake lights flickering. Since I believe this subject has come up before (Linesman in March 09 I believe) I'd be grateful for any information to explain this experience and, hopefully, a cure for the problem.
(this is my first post as a newcomer)
{typo in header corrected} Read more
Many thanks to the three members who responded to my post I'll examine the brake pedal switch and if necessary replace it or have it replaced.
I was just driving along fairly sedately, 40 mph, suddenly the glow plug light came on, the car stalled and wouldn't start. Pushed the car to the side of the road gave it ten minutes and the car started again. This is the second time its done this. The first time it happened a couple of days ago, took it to the dealer the next day, they checked for fault codes and nothing had been registered for 3600 Km.
Reading some of the other links could it be the EGR value clogged or would that register a fault code. I'm new to diesels and Jag's so anyone any ideas what it could be? Read more
Hi
I have a Laguna Estate 2.0L RXE Limited Edition. The one with leather interior and rear brake discs rather tha drums)
I recently had all 4 tyres changed.
The fitter put the rotation on the front left tyre the wrong way round, so switched this with the rear right one.
After getting it back on the road i noticed a knocking sound coming from the front axle getting louder between 20 and 30 at a specific point as the axle turned.
Ive to date switched the front tyre for a spare to eliminate thread problems and paid £28 to have the wheels tracked. Still the same, there has always been a slight rubbing sound when turning left but this is not noticeably louder.
Its as if the wheels oval!! lmao
Ive taken it back today to the garage that have fitted the tyres, there the experts............COUGH........Theres a slight lip on the disc which they say they nwill grind off tomorrow to see if this helps, of it could be a ball joint..
But the question hasnt been answered that if the car was OK before they fitted the tyres WHY all off a sudden am i presented with bag of bolts??
Any answers would be appreciated as im skint and cant afford to be messed around by a mechanical merrygo round special!
Regards
Lav Read more
You should know that wheel nuts should never be greased for obvious safety reasons.
HHHMM. Now you have confused not just me but everyone. I can see your point that greasing the nuts up might cause the nuts to not "Nip" up. But then maybe you should go and advise any good quality tyre spot that apply copper grease to your wheel nuts when changing your tyres.................................
Maybe youve never been 50 miles in the middle of no-where, trying to change a tyre with a manufacturers supplied wheel brace.... AFTER some loop at the garage hasnt applied any form of grease and OVER tighten the nuts.......................
LAV.
P.S. Ex-Triumph Man was correct in point. The wheel nuts on the opposite side hadnt been tightened properly
Browse
Hell yes, three just between my house and the main road... (500m).
Cheers for the great advice guys. Will get the back tyres swapped to the front, replace the "red" and the "amber" tyre and new ones on the back.
Get tracking checked and corrected as necessary.