October 2009
I need to replace the water pump as the old one is leaking, my car has the type with 4 bolts on the pulley but the Haynes manual is based on the older 3 bolt variety, so I'd like to know if this makes any difference ot the job?
Also any general tips or warnings would be nice, thanks. Read more
Got sent a promo email about the Legacy Tourer this morning. I have to say it's a very nice looking car, and I've requested a brochure.
Although if I'm honest it is as much because the first 250 people to do so get a free year's magazine subscription - the Accord has a few miles in it yet.
www.unlikeothercars.com/legacy/offer (Mods, I hope this link is okay, if not apologies)
Gord Read more
Pity they don't tell you whether you're one of the first 250 - wonder when
we'll find out who the lucky ones are.
Reading the small print (in too much of a hurry before): "Entries are on a first come first serve basis and will be notified by telephone by 31st January 2010."
I had one of my regular days out in Germany yesterday. I usually a book the cheapest hire car in can find that isn't group A = Small Economy. Earlier this year I got a BMW 118d and yesterday I got a 3 week old Kuga. Not easy to work much out in 8 hours and with the handbook in German but it was avery pleasant drive.
It was a 2.0dci. Hard to work out how to start it; the 'key' is just a remote with three buttons on it Open/Lock/Boot only. On the dash there is a button which could be related to the ICE, marked Power. When this is pressed, with the clutch depressed. the engine starts and it is stopped by pressing it again. The ICE has an oblong screen which appeared to also handle and display sat nav and telephone information and there was a slot for an SD card, MP3s and/or sat nav maps I suppose.
It drove and handled very well, good acceleration, 6 speed box, and very little body roll. Seats were comfortable, elbow movement obstructed slightly by a very large centre armrest/storage box. Excellent foot rest for clutch foot when cruising; good cruise control filled with small paddles on the steering wheel boss.
Knew about the split rear tailgate but never found out how it worked. Whole car had a good solid feel and the interior trim all matched well and didn't sqeak or rattle, nor should it at 3 weeks old! Rear view mirror appeared to be permanantly tinted or dimmed which was slightly annoying.
A nice day out on a crisp clear autumn day and a good superficial impression of the car. Off to pick up my KA today - I shall notice the difference!
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>>No on/off switch on the auto dim mirror on the CC3 - must be the cheapo version. :) >>
>>and the mirror was a bit too dark for me but I couldn't find any means of undimming it. Perhaps it was tinted in the way that windows are? >>
Yes the Mondeo has Off and Auto, I think the new ones switch off when reverse is selected to assist reversing at night.
I live in a city with many speed bumps. Are any common cars better for coping with these whilst maintaining observation of speed limits? I don't mean 4x4s etc just ordinary bog standard estates or saloons. Read more
A few spring to mind (Mart123 is right about the French)....Nissan Note, Berlingo and old shape Picasso (same car underneath), older MB's on 15" 65 aspect tyres, 306 and 406, older Hyundai Accents...in fact probably many of the older designed Korean cars on high profile tyres now i think of it.
Hi all, when I'm driving I get a terrible droning noise from the front, when I turn the steering wheel to the left the noise seems to stop but its there when I drive and turn right. Is it the wheel bearings? I've had 2 new tyres fitted and the noise was there before.
Many thanks Read more
Yep its the bearings on the left that have gone.
Thanks
I've just been to have 4 new "Bridgestone Potenza's" fitted to the Legacy, (215/45 x 17 - 87W). The original tyres fitted were these and I've just clocked 47,000 miles, so I can't complain about poor wear and they ride really good.
Despite me asking/telling them several times the specification/type/designation was RE050A, when I turned-up the ones waiting for me were RE050, (i.e. no "A" suffix).
I pointed this out (again), queue telephone call, then an explanation that the "A" suffix is specifically for Subaru! he will get some in tomorrow and honour the original price, (£460 fitted) even though they are about £8 a tyre more expensive.
Anyone in the know what the "A" suffix means? Is it a different compound?
Another thing I noticed which didn't impress me too much was the "Made in Poland" moniker on the new tyres! The originals are made in Japan (no surprise there as Bridgestone is, I believe a Japanese company), should I be worried about inferior quality, (i.e. will they be as good as the originals)? Read more
>> The A suffix version is asymmetric.
Woudn't that need two spares or a space-saver then?
No this would only be the case if they were 'directional', with asymetric they just need to be mounted with the side of the tyre marked 'outside' on the outside.
just bought z3 in super condition except mirror on wing door has been siliconed in,do i have to replace the whole wing door mirror or just the glass .i have not as yet taken it apart Read more
no spurious mirrors listed so be careful
you will probably find the backing to the mirror that connects to the motor mechanism has debonded?
i reattach these with glass fibre resin
Having 30 odd years of driving experience (no convictions, no points, no parking tickets) including 20 years driving emergency vehicles, I'd like to get off my chest something I did 10 or so years ago of which I am ashamed.
A weekday, on the M4. I am descending into a wide valley in lane 2 about to overtake a line of trucks in lane 1. Lane 3 is occupied by another line of cars. One of the trucks pulls out with one flash of his indicator forcing me to slow from 70mph to 55mph quite quickly. I get round him as we are about to ascend the next hill. I am angry, so I pull in front of him, slow down to about 45mph, and when I see that he is at my speed, I accelerate back up to 70mph up the long hill. As I glance in my rear-view, I see the two flashing headlights and the shaking fist of a trucker stranded in lane 2 unable to accelerate or make reasonable progress.
I was immediately ashamed of my actions. I had retaliated because I was angry. I had made someone else angry. How did he cope with his anger? Did he cut someone else up later that day? Did he cause an accident? Was someone's vehicle damaged, or was someone injured or killed as the result of a chain of actions in which I played a part?
I don't know, and I never will. But i will never forget my feelings as I accelerated away up the hill.
What's the worst thing you've ever done behind the wheel? Read more
safedriver: if that's your worst motoring death-bed confession, I doubt that St.Peter will deny you access to the pearly car park :-)
Ok, the gearbox is doing strange things. essentially, first is playing up. It is notchy and is very, very stiff when attempting to get it into first. Changing down into first is a particularly difficult thing. However, once properly warmed up, the problem is less pronounced.
Ideas? Read more
I am thinking of changing my Peugeot 307 for a Prius as most of my driving is at low spees around the outskirts of London with occasional (approx monthly) squirts down the M4 or M3 to Wales or SW England.
My only real concern is that HJ continually tells people not to turn the engine on for very short periods as this reduces considerably the engines longevity. I suspect that if I drove a Prius, the engine would fire up for less than a minute several times on a journey. Would this not encourage internal corrosion?
Anybody know? Read more
I just want to say thanks for all of the replies. Every one was helpful and informative.
I think I'll probably go for a Focus petrol auto.
Most of my journeys are short, and my annual mileage is low, so I will stick with petrol. I am only expecting to buy about £1,000 worth of petrol so the extra cost of a nearly new Prius will take many years to recoup in petrol savings (and I suspect that a similar argument could be made for carbon savings). I also like to use independent garage servicing, and feel that this will be less expensive for a Focus.
Thanks again for everyone's help.
Browse
Sorry about that, I should have read it a bit more carefully.
One small tip, leave the auxiliary drive belt on untill after you have loosened the pulley bolts, otherwise it's a bit difficult holding the pulley still.