October 2009
My 1.5dci Megane Sport Tourer (or estate, to most of us) is up for renewal, and the Kia Ceed SW II Ecodynamics is on the list.
I like the idea of 13% tax and 62 mpg, but I've no idea what these cars with stop/go engines are like to drive, and I'm not so sure about 89hp
Anybody out there got any experiences to relate ?
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Guys,
I've got a Grade 'C' rental car from Hertz, a Fiat Bravo and it's front tyres are getting quite low (approx 2mm). I'll probably have a rental car for another month, maybe longer and I'm interested to know what cars Hertz have given out as Grade 'C' cars if I ask for an exchange.
The official website lists a 1.6 Focus but it might be a case of keeping the devil you know.
This Bravo is a 1.9 diesel so really economical and also reasonably well equipped (cruise, rear parking sensors, USB stick for my music and a bluetooth connection for my mobile phone). It does handly quite poorly in my opinion though, is quite noisy and also it is quite a tight fit inside.
So, if you have had a grade C car from Hertz recently, can you let me know what you got.
Thanks Read more
I'd call the branch and remind them (politely) that you are a (relatively) long term customer and that you are surprised that a quality company such as Hertz, are knowingly hiring out cars which stand a reasonable chance that they will be illegal by the time the hire is terminated.
Then ask them what they can do to "make the situation right".
I once had an accident in the company car and was given a hire car (not Hertz) - a 2.4 JTd Alfa 156 with that lovely red leather interior. Lovely car except (a) it was January and therefore icy/snowy and (b) the tyres were borderline illegal. It was a nightmare - two hundred and something BHP in a front wheel drive car with slicks and sluch do not make a great combination! Needless to say it was sent back pronto and a nice brand new Audi A8 was given to me to make sure I kept schtumm!
Hi,
Does anyone have any comments of the life of the aux drive belt on the V6 Omega. Mine has done 97 and I suspect it the the original belt.
Where the outside (smooth side) of the belt goes around a roller/pully, the inside groved side exposes lots of small cracks across its width. These obviously open and close as the belt rotates. Is this normal, any comments.
Suspect that it should have been changed at the same time as the cambelt and wasn't.
Thanks ,,,,,,,,,,,,, Robert Read more
Suspect that it should have been changed at the same time as the cambelt and wasn't.
Unlike the cambelt, there is no specified change period for the alternator belt. Also, if it snaps it won't trash the engine - just your alternator, PAS, & aircon pump will stop working. Ultimately though, if it looks worn, then change it.
My Vectra 2.0di has been playing up a bit lately and it seems to have a mind of its own when it wants to do it, sometimes after starting it loses power at around 3000 revs however if i stop and wait and get back in it and try again it goes fine, broke down the other night and called the recovery company, but thought I would try it and it started fine and I used it that night and all was good, tried using it this morning and the same again, it chugs badly at about 3000 revs. I have left it now but I was wondering if anyone else had an experience of this? Is it a sensor thats what i have been told, basically skint so dont want a big bill.
Wierd but it only started doing this on the way back from the MOT centre where it passed a few weeks ago?????
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just had xsara HDI LX rear fuel pump replaced as break down man told me that was prob. garage replaced and left car out for me to pick up. But same prob this morn, electics and starter motor fine but won't start HELp!!
{and the year is?} Read more
Just a bit of a rant really.
I am not sure what possessed me to go to this particular national tyre chain to get a puncture mended (I realise that we are not allowed to name and shame - a pity). Anyway, having been told that the price of a new 215/55 17 was £170 plus £10 for something or other I decided to get it repaired. "that will be 15 minutes sir" so I trotted off with my little boy. Came back expecting all to be fine and dandy, to be shown the tyre with a whole lot of froth on the side wall and the guy saying that because it was side wall etc etc etc. Found that very strange as the puncture was from a nail. in the normal place (ie middle not sidewall)
Anyway. Nipped round the corner to where I had intended to go to in the first place. They say, oh yes can be mended no probs. I did mention that they had said leak in the sidewall. Mended it. Put it on. Cleaned off the tire, and see the leak on the side wall. Straight away they say - that's been stabbed.
Got me going a bit, so I made a quick call to the national tyre chain, politely (!!!!!) explaining that I didn't appreciate what they had done. The chap who answered the telephone, giving him his due, didn't try and deny and just kept quiet.
Rant finished, but should I take this further? CEO of the company? Trading standards? I realise that it will come down to hearsay (and I did start my quick call with the people who stabbed it by saying that I know that I couldn't prove it).
I suppose that this is also a warning to hang around to keep an eye out on these nefarious chains.
Thanks for bearing with me! I feel better now.
Attempt to name the company with a clue removed, Rob (Moderator) Read more
GB, it was Linglongs that were still doing 27.8mph
Not sure if the tyre that I bought was much better. There seems to be mixed reviews on Kumho KU31s
the light display on my auto gearbox shift has stopped working,its the one next to the gear stick, that displays the gear the cars in ,reverse,drive ,park etc,also a warning light is displayed on the instrument panel,it says reduced gearbox function,
the car still shows the gear its in on the instrument panel.it selects gear and drives fine ,has anyone else come across the same problem,
could it be a simple bulb /wiring failure , or is it a fault in the ecu ,any help appreciated,
regards tony Read more
Have a look on the Volvo Owners Club forum.
There is a thread dedicated to the S60/V70/S80 cars which describes how to change the bulbs in the centre console and avoid triggering the SRS warning in the DIM.
As for the reduced function. Again, I'm pretty sure this has been covered there too.
How many miles has the car covered ? What colour is the ATF ? It should be cherry red, if it's dark or smells burnt you will be looking at an ATF change as a starting point.
Hi all
I hope Screwloose is around to lend his ear to this...
My 306 HDi has suffered a fault with the clutch position sensor 5 months ago. The garage replaced the switch and all was well, for a while.
Now it has gone back to its old ways of struggling to pull at all, and i suspect it is in "limp" mode.
I have just tried linking out the switch with a piece of wire which i thought would give me a fully performing car again, but this has not worked.
Is the ECU clever, and expects the switch to break and make every time a gear change is done ? (i.e. when the throttle is released) Which would explain why i cant fool it...
I noticed that some sort of lubrication has leaked on to the switch again like last time which could be making it fail?
Can the switch be bypassed, or is another trip to the garage for a new switch the only answer?
I really like the car, but i'm starting to lose my patience with it.
Thanks in advance,
Phil Read more
hi ive a astra van 1.7 cdti 2004.was running fine today ,parked up or 5 mins ,then set off a minute later battery light come on and no power steering ,ive had van for 2 months and the last owner said it was a new alternator ,any ideas ,would a alternator off a 1.7 dti fit ? Read more
I know this is a car orientated forum but I'm desperate for any sort of help.
I have a 2001 Renault Mascott 5.5t RWD twin-wheel minibus with diff problems. I'm having trouble locating a rear axle as these are pretty rare. does anyone know if an Iveco axle would fit ( just guessing really as the engine etc. is renault badged iveco, not renaults own ).
Any help is appreciated, even if its only a referral to another site or forum that can help me further. ie. van owners forum, van mechanics forum, van parts interchange forum/ website etc. etc.
Many thanks Read more
Have you considered having your current diff rebuilt at a tramsmission specialist? I can't imagine that trying to change from Renault components to Iveco compenents is going to be an easy or viable task.
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I've read the Road Test, I was more interested to see if anybody had any more long term experience of them (I know they've not been round long), and any comments to make about the economy - are the figures realistic, is the ISG system only relevant if you do a lot of urban driving, etc etc, and how they stack up against the Octavia 1.6TD Greenline, which is shaping up as the main competitor