October 2009
I currently drive a 14 year old Volvo 940 estate with MOT and Tax expiring in January. It goes okay but I have a feeling it is on its last legs (struggles to get above 50, reaches 60 in about 10 mins on a flat road and doesn't really have any vim when trying to start uphill at the traffic lights). Body work is okay, bar a few scratches and small dents and the does still essentially do the very basics. I'm looking at a variet of cars all priced around the £1500 - £2000 mark and what I'm pondering is how do you negotiate (can you negotiate much) in this price bracket?
I'm rubbish at haggling and have always come away from car deals thinking someone else would have done a better deal so I'm trying to work out the best way to approach such a deal.
Is it better to try and trade-in the Volvo or leave it out of the deal and try and work on the power of cash? I might put the Volvo up on Ebay and see if it gets any bids in an auction or I might consign it to the recycling centre. Would a small dealer give anything for it?
Most of the cars I've seen on the web seem to be untaxed or running out of tax and I wonder whether this is a negotiating point in my price bracket? The age and engine size of the cars I'm viewing would give 12 months tax at £190 - is it reasonable to expect that amount of money off or tax thrown it on a bargain car?
A £1500 car with no tax is really (cost to me as a buyer) a £1700 car - is it better to say 'how much off for the Volvo? or how much off for cash, or a combination or none of the above! Any thoughts much appreciated. Read more
Hi
I bought an 08 ex demonstrator 300C diesel (with the merc 3.0 engine) which had very few miles on the clock when I purchased it. It now has about 2000 miles. On occasion the engine seems reluctant to start - sometimes I have to churn it for 5 to 10 seconds before anything happens which can't be normal on an almost new car. I generally only do journeys over 5 miles in it so its not used for short hops and it has yet to have its first service.
Can anything think what the problem might be?
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new type of keys for the 08 on has no blade for the ignition. the blade (that is hidden in the back of the key) is only for the fuel flap and doors. If you have a blade for the ignition then its an 07 model year. Another way to tell is the last 8 of the vin will start with an 7 if an 07 or an 8 if an 08 model year.
Having serviced my son's Mazda 6 Diesel at the weekend, I noticed the rear pads will soon need replacing. To change these is it a simple job of push back the calipers and replace or do I need some sort of tool to ratchet the caliper pistons back? I doesn't look complicated - but then the xenon headlight bulb didn't - and that took an hour!!
Advice and guidance is as always, much appreciated
Robin the Technician Read more
hi you ll need a caliper winder tool to wind back the pistons (make sure you grease the pins when refitting as they are common for sticking and causing the brakes to bind)
A friend of mine is probably retiring early in January
He has had a company car for over 30 years, and now has to buy a new (S/H car)
Suggestions of cars please - Criteria
£5-6K
3 or 5 door with room for doggy in back
Lowish ins group (he has no NCB)
Reliable
Not Diesel (he doesent want pump/injector/DMF issues)
Not Turbo (he doesent want turbo issues)
4-5 years old with average mileage
Replies on a post card please
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Last of the old model Honda Civic.
i get the impression the Skoda is a more roomy car
But the Kia has that dammned 7 year warrenty
Virtually the same money on the scrappage scheme
both nominally the same weight & towing capacity & indeed fuel enonomy
Looking at a level 2 Kia
Or a SE in the Skoda
both have ESP as a cost option
decisions decisions Read more
>> KEY question is the VW a chain cam engine?
No its belt driven
Exactly, it'll cost hundred to replace the belt. The Kia is chain and the servicing isn't actually very expensive. My dad pays about the same to service his Ceed as the Corolla before it (and Toyota servicing is very reasonable).
Hyundai i30 might be better value than either (although only 5 year warranty).
Came accross a group of motorcyclists (3, 2 "under training") yesterday - all three displaying L plates including the one with the "instructor" tabard.
Honda Accord with yellow label of a large Scottish care dealer on the outside of the screen COVERING the high level brake light! Wonder how often they wash thier car? Read more
"group of motorcyclists (3, 2 "under training") yesterday - all three displaying L plates including the one with the "instructor" tabard. "
There is a bike centre around here whose instructors sometimes use the direct access bikes. They simply put an electricians tape cross over the L, this was also done by the instructor from another centre to the bike I used on my test as I was no longer a learner.
It?s a pity that parents teaching kids to drive don?t use this method on their stuck on plates.
Boris
I washed my Hyundai i30 yesterday, a rare occurence but a water rinse/shampoo/final rinse got all the dirt off, except on the roof and part of the bonnet. The dirt looks the same as the rest but seems to be stuck on the surface. The car is nearly always parked under a tree and I wonder if this is casued by resin from falling leaves. Any suggestions for removal gratefully received. I thought of using white spirit or paraffin but wondered about damage to the paintwork. Read more
We have some Douglas fir trees and this year, for the first time in my memory, they've dropped some sort of resin on the Prelude, when parked under them at odd times during the summer.
It's the most difficult stuff I've ever come across and I had to resort to white spirit and a re-polish.
I'm hoping that a member can help with a small request, if anyone will be at the BCA auction at Walsall tomorrow I would like to know how much a BMW 320Cd Convertible goes for, VK56SYU.
I know it's a bit of a departure from a 520d but my dad has rightly pointed out that I can expect better residuals from a 320d convertible than a big saloon. I'm going to do a back to back test drive tomorrow as I really, really like the 5 Series but could very well be tempted into a 3 Series.
The first two that I looked at on Autotrader turned out to be from the same trader posing as a private seller, both were attractive cars that were very keenly priced but I'm afraid that dishonesty about his status as a trader has immediately killed any chance of a deal.
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Could you imagine him bidding Big Bad Dave?
It would be him all the way bidding against himself in case he missed his own bid
I love watching stuff like that
Hi,
The automatic (rain sensing) wiper function on my 2006 Grand Scenic sometimes doesn't work. This doesn't happen very often but if I put the wipers in 'auto' mode (setting II on the wipers stalk) they continue to wipe when the screen is dry. This will continue to happen whenever the wipers are set to setting II.
After the engine is stopped and re-started the wipers the work correctly in rain sensing mode and all is OK.
Anyone know what the cause of this could be?
Thanks Read more
Hi,
I hope someone can help.
I have a problem with my 2002 Focus 1.6 automatic. The vehicle has run fine for years been regularly maintained/serviced etc.
I find i can start the car fine, but after several minutes of driving, the car completely cuts out. I get no warning lights, it just switches off as if you have turned the key to switch it off, the power steering disappears, and the brakes go heavy.
After 30 minutes of being on the roadside, the car usually starts up again and drives.
The only way i have found to keep it going, is when it starts to die, put my foot down on the accelerator, and it will come back to life, but this means flooring it everywhere, and i dont think thats the greatest idea!
The alternator and battery are both brand new, ford dont know how to fix it, and have tried to diagnose by putting a new boot sensro in, which hasnt changed anything.
Any help or advice, would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks again,
Steve Read more
I had very similar issues, thankfully I have a local independant & very reliable garage who diagnosed a faulty PCV (valve) which was £50 to replace & £25 to fit and crankcase ventialtion hose (£15 to source & £25 to diagnose & fit). TOUCH WOOD my issues are over now... The car does seem OK.
It seems I was (hopefully :-)) lucky 'cause both of the above parts were relatively cheap to supply & fix. The faulty PCV should have lit the engine warning light straight away but didn't :-(
From all the reading I did it seems that Ford used slightly "dodgy" hoses throughout the Focus engine - hopefully your issue can be easily found & cheaply fixed!
Browse
Why not register with the Volvo Owners Club forum, and put the question simply in the 940 section.
Anyone local care to come and suggest what might be wrong?
Anyone want to swap a poorly running 940 for something smaller?
There are people around who love these cars. If it were a 240 for example, near to me, I'd snap it up in return for helping you find something else.