September 2009
The plastic oil filter housing on my 1.4 petrol engined Berlingo is very tight. I'm loathe to use too much force undoing it with a socket on the end as I don't want to damage it. Is it stronger than it looks and feels)? Am I safe to use a strap type oil filter wrench around the outside or will this damage it? Any advice from anyone with one of these is much appreciated. Read more
How would I go about changing the ABS sensor on a rear (disc brake) hub on my focus?
It looks fairly straightforward but are there any pitfalls or difficult bits I should be aware of? Read more
Not had any experience with Fords but I would think they are all similar. I have just changed both rear ones on my Citroen XM and the biggest problem was getting them out, the metal around the hole corrodes and makes them a very tight fit, I had to drill one of mine out. I they will pull out should be a fairly easy job.
Has anyone had experience of this, and if so does changing the oil work as a permanent fix.
To be honest we've had so many problems with this car, bought new in 2005 (2.2 deisel executive 41K now) that I'm tempted to get rid and go back to BMW, although financially it's not a good time for us.
For interest, it does about 40mpg, more on a run, and fuel consumption got worse when the egr valve was changed.
I've done an additional oil change between annual services, as it does a lot of short runs. Handling was improved when I had 235/60-16 fitted all round, as was noise in the cabin and grip particularly in the wet-recommended.
Hope I get some advice
regards to all
CCC Read more
yes a well known problem
it was on the news at 6 tonight
i was rivveted
;-)
It's all over my head. I don't particuarly care if people who spend a lot of money on a car get them stolen, nor if someone else wastes a lot buying them.
Don't leave expensive toys lying around in the streets.
I'd rather the police spent their time making life safe for decent people who are forced to live surrounded by yobs.
My wife's insurance is due for renewal and when she checked the form she realised that she hadn't informed them of the 3 speed camera points that I had picked up. Unfortunately she had been at fault in a rear end shunt this year (after I got the points) which apparently has already cost over £4000 with a personal injury claim still in progress. What should we do? Should we write to the company and explain that it is a genuine error on our part? how likely are they to deline the claim?
Advice please. the worry is making my wife ill and we can't think of anyone other than Honets John to ask for advice (emailled him already). Read more
Currently you are in the position of having a claim against you to the tune of £4,000 plus a potential personal injury claim; let's say between 2k and 10k (I'm assuming it's whiplash...)
Just think. Tomorrow one of you could drive into two brand new Ferraris. That would cost you half a million. Tell them asap, your current exposure is unfortunate but not life-altering.
The reality is that they almost certainly won't worry about the current claim.
V reg Mondeo with 90K miles on the clock has suddenly lost power. It starts OK and doesn't run rough but will not rev freely and struggles to get past 70. All fluids etc are OK and no obvious faults or noises. Anyone else have this problem, know the cure? My thoughts are either (god forbid) cam belt has slipped a tooth or the Mass air sensor is shot. Any way of telling what it is (or how to test either of these). Any other suggestions Read more
wouldn't faulty coil give mis-fire? Leads are failry new. Engine runs smoothly but lacks power and won't rev above about 3-4 K easily
>>
It was the same with my 98 2.0 black top and it was a faulty coil pack.
went past it again today. the two large areas of tarmac each side between the junction for the M32 and the junction for the A46. about 10-20 miles east of bristol i guess. they look like sliproads for service areas. it's only 5 miles from another serv's so i don't think it would have had good business if it was ever developed.
any ideas what it was/is?
i think this link of map should work,
tinyurl.com/l7f943
Read more
Hi Focus,
The entry road off Hangman's Stone Lane is called... Ammo Alley.
It's bit of a give-away...
(I hope no spys are lurking.)
John R
From the DT - extreme measure to reduce traffic tinyurl.com/calmingparis
On Monday, Patrick Balkany, the conservative mayor of Levallois-Perret, northwest of Paris, made the D909 one-way to cut the commuter traffic flowing through his district.
But Gilles Catoire, the Socialist mayor of neighbouring Clichy-la-Garenne, complained this increased congestion in his area.
So he declared his section of the road one-way, but in the opposite direction.
With the contradictory road-signs in place, the unsurprising result was commuter chaos, road rage and gridlock. Municipal and national police were called in to direct traffic away from the area.
Read more
Hi does anybody no a substitute part number for Volvo Special Gearbox Oil 3343922-5?
I have the Haynes manual but it says that from 1989 onwards this special Volvo oil needs to be used. What is so special about it and what could be a substitute? Bear in mind the car is now in bangeromics territory so a reasonable cheap alternative is all I am looking for.
Up until 1989 the recommended gearbox oil was SAE 80W.
Thaks in advance for your help.
Q. Read more
Don't know about this specific oil. I would use the proper grade, quality manufacturer fully synthetic, (millers or something like that)
Would be interested in hearing opinions on buying a (new) 330d coupe with manual transmission and in metallic Barbera Red. If I planned on keeping it 5 years, would I be making a huge mistake re. depreciation / desirablility on the second-hand market?
Having had versions of the previous 2 3-series coupes, I much more enjoyed my manual 328i compared to the auto 330Ci but I also know that when it came to selling up I was inundated with calls for the 330Ci but only had one call for the 328i (although it did result in a sale).
As regards colour, the range of colours available is pretty dismal I think. I would love a blue but the shades available are either too light (brash) or too dark (can hardly tell the difference from black). Don't want black or silver (sorry, too common a sight on the road). Read more
More importantly I have grown to hate the "tramlining" and hard ride on runflat
tyres and that is on standard 17inch wheels and standard suspension so make sure you
are happy with that aspect.
You are dead right - it gets like the Chinese Water Torture after a while.
However good news is at hand. The Bridgestone company are providing BMW with a third generation of runflat tyres which are almost as comfortable as normal ones (allegedly). This could help things considerably, I reckon.
BMW are starting to fit them on new cars. As soon as supplies increase they will be available to punters like me as replacements.
Use a rubber strap wrench.
I use one from the kitchen bought in Morrisons.. designed for undoing glass jar tops.
I use it on oil filters (and hastily clean it before I return it to the kitchen)