Just moved house and needed to change address on my driving licence.
I could, and should, have simply completed the green paper counterpart licence and sent it back to the DVLA with my new address but foolishly I looked at the DVLA website and the 'Do it online' section.
Great, I thought, I can simply change my address online, save posting the form and not have to worry about the form or the licence going astray should the Royal Mail go on full-scale strike.
If you're thinking about doing this - please don't!
First, you have to register with the 'Government Gateway' and obtain a username and password. Then you must complete an online driving licence application including lots of extra information which is not required on the paper counterpart: email address, phone number, medical questionnaire and so on.
And at the end of it all... the instructions from the ONLINE DVLA are... "Please print off this form and post it with your licence to the DVLA"!!!!!
How, at any level, can that process be described as doing it online? They may as well have said write us a letter, print it off and send it back to us with your licence. What a load of codswallop, certainly making a mockery of any green pretentions and outright lying about the nature of their 'online' processes. A waste of time, a waste of paper and the smell of underhand information gathering. The last page of the process states it is illegal to hold two licences at the same time and requires you to return your existing licence before the new one will be issued. If this statement had been printed on the first page I could have saved myself time, paper and a rise in blood pressure. What a bunch of nincompoops!
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A fella that works for me got stopped in my car and wasnt covered by my insurance!
The police are now asking me questions about wether i consented for him to drive my car?
Any advice welcome? Read more

Hi, car is 1999T Megane 1.4 16v petrol, 95k (my sisters so have only seen it fail tonight)

Problem has been happening intermittently over a few weeks but is now failing more often than not. Previously they have left it 5 - 10 minutes and it is fine. However this afternoon it has been an hour and a half. I went out and tried, putting foot flat on floor to clear flooding didn't work. Jumped it to my car to help battery and eventually it started. It turns over and over and doesn't try to fire but it then seemed to try as you let go of the key so I tried short attempts just one turn and after a lot of attempts it started. When it did start it was several minutes before it would idle on its own, and as it was about to stall it was making a 'sucking noise' like an air vacum.

Drove home, 5 miles, and it then wouldn't start again on driveway, again after quite a few attempts (10) it started but wouldn't restart after switching it off... have left them with it!

Any ideas on the problem, could understand if it was flooded once but its happening too often and is now in a position where seems it won't start first time at all. Makes no difference whether engine is cold/warm/hot. Could it be fuel pump?, air lock in fuel?, some sort of autochoke problem?

They do have the exhaust blowing somewhere - could that be affecting the idle control/lambda/richness?

Oh, it has no warning light issues (it doesn't have an EML).

Thanks. (they will take it to friendly mechanic soon).

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If I buy a car at auction as a private individual (no trade plates), what is the best way to get the car taxed so it's legal to drive home?

I can see there may be three things missing from a legal perspective:

1. Valid MOT, but I can phone a friendly garage and "book it in" so that's covered;
2. Insurance, I can get this arranged by phone; and
3. Road tax - not sure how to do this.

My guess is that most (or at least some) cars will not have a tax disc, as it will have been cashed in. And I think I need to show MOT, Insurance and V5 to get the road tax from the PO which would take a couple of days. I think BCA let you leave the car overnight, but I'm sure they want it gone pretty sharpish.

How do people normally sort this out?
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I'm considering buying one of these in 2003-04 vintage, are there any current or previous owners out there who can offer advice/ pros and cons, etc.? The CBCB does not have much info on this engine option.

I currently have an A4 1.9 tdi 130 which I like a lot but fancy something a bit more interesting to drive.

What are they like to drive compared with a tdi? Presumably a bit flat at low revs but a lot more at the top end? What about reliability (I note CBCB mentions cracked engine blocks)? Real-world fuel consumption, compared with official figures? Is the ride harder than on a 1.9 tdi?

I need to go and test drive one but thought I'd canvas some opinions first.

Any advice appreciated.. Read more