December 2009
the brand new model astras, what kind of gearbox do the automatic ones have?
torque converter, CVT, MMT ?
anyone know?
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I imagine this is pretty much the same box as fitted to the Vectra-C. I can confirm there is no sport button on the gearstick (whether the sport button on the dash of some models changes the gearbox programming, I have no idea). I initially missed having the sport button on my Vectra-C, but when you start to utilise the tiptronic side of the gearbox you find that it is far more functional than just having a sport button.
Good point made about the winter button Tony, I can't recall seeing one either. I would have thought there was one though. Mind you, I've only ever used the button once in all my Vauxhalls that have had auto boxes.
Some of you might have read my tongue in cheek comment about all of us paying a £60 speeding charge to lower this debt.
Have a look here.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8412720.stm
Nice little earner for the Government.
I can see the instructions now.
Come on you lot, get those tickets issued, we need the money so no mercy. Read more
To park in an obviously dangerous place is idiotic. Merely to park on double yellow lines is completely harmless and neutral.
The problem here is that people somehow confuse these two things. They are encouraged of course by local authorities whose rabid, persistent, ingenious justification of widespread theft is thus justified in the eyes of the bleating herds.
Tchah!
Gentlemen, I hope you can help me.
I put a message here at the weekend (now removed?) concerning a fault with my Mondeo.
It has been at the Ford garage since last week and they have now confirmed that it needs a new Turbo. The fault is as described by one of you. It has a motor on top of the turbo and that motor has failed. Ford cannot supply the motor alone, and so I have to buy the two together. With fitting they will charge me almost £1300. If I don't let them do the repair they intend to charge me £140 for finding the fault. Do you think this is a fair price, I did expect they would charge of course, but it seems expensive.
I am a single mother with two children, recently made redundant (lloking hard for another job!), and Christmas is coming up. One of the replies suggested that I might fit a secondhand part. Do you think this would be a good idea? When can I buy a secondhand turbo?
A garage that repairs diesel cars have quoted me £760 inc vat over the phone to do the job, using a reconditioned part. Will this be as good as the Ford part?
I am very disappointed that this has happened and I don't know what the best course of action would be. My background is in the food industry and I know nothing at all about cars, in fact I didn't even know my car had a turbo until last weekend. I have only had the car 6 months, it has only covered 67,000 miles and was a one owner car with full service records. It was owned by a man who worked for Ford, so I thought it would be a good purchase. Clearly not. Thank You. Theresa. Read more
I've posted in the thread on the Technical side...
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=81...7
Oh yes... this forum can sometimes cause locking at random.
Hi. Does anyone know how to re-programme a key fob. I had to change the battery but it does not work. If anyone can help that would be great. Read more
Does anyone know how to get the key fob working. I have put in a new battery but it won't work
Hi all
Just looking for some feedback from MX5 drivers / owners. I've decided that my rover is off to the Great Scrap Heap in the Sky. Was thinking of doing the scrappage scheme, but the maths just don't add up for me - after a weekend testdriving Mazda 2 / Suzuki Swift / Toyota Yaris, I decided that my money would actually be better off going on a used car.
So... in a bit of a departure from the supermini, I've decided that this is probably the last year till i'm 65 that i can have some motoring fun (am 31 now, gf is desperate to have kids etc), so am really looking at an MX5.
I've only heard praise said about them, but was wondering how noisy they are on the motorway? I'm guessing that they're not exactly as quiet as a tomb? Even if they are a bit roary, I bet is still puts a big grin on your face.
Any thoughts welcome - I won't need much convincing, as I'm 9/10 sold already. Read more
Wait until Spring, then prices will be higher, I reckon around 10 to 11K privately.
........... for everyday motoring?
My first two cars were 20 years old when I bought them them in 1956. The first was a 1936 Wolseley 14 and the second was a 1936 Citroën 12 which was a similar shape to the Light 15.
After I'd found out their many faults (I was young, inexperienced and naive) I didn't keep either of them for more than a few weeks. Read more
As an impecunious student in UK in 1960 I bought a 1933 Singer le-Mans. Running order, but I used the College workshops to tidy it up a bit. This was just before MOT started, but it passed when required. Nice runabout, but, after the 1962 winter, I changed it for an A40 Devon with useful extras like a heater.
Hi - I topped up my oil yesterday and the car started fine.
This morning it turned over a bit, but wouldnt fire. After a couple of attmpts the girlfriend gave up. Tonight the display says date is 01-01-00 and time is 00.00. Warning message of "airbag deactivated" comes up and no joy at starting. Lights appear to be fine, and tried to jump it but no joy. It appeared not to be taking any charge from the booster car, but still wouldn't start so I presume battery is OK.
I checked the oil (paranoia) and I had overfilled. I have managed to remove a super tight sump drain plug and the level is now 3/4 the way to max.
Also appears to be having remote key unlock / lock problems. Perhaps the engine is imobilised?
Does anyone have any ideas? Read more
FIXED - WOOHOO.
Fully recharged battery, and shouted big time at the girlfriend. She hadn't put the imobiliser chip in the new key fob.
Switched it in (thank goodness she hadn't thrown the old fob away), WD40'd the wiring area, starter etc, put battery in. Safely let the bsi go soft off and disconnected battery. Waited and then connected battery again. headlights on, key fob resynch, started up!
Just in time for the snow....
Thanks for all the help guys - whenever you're down Dartford way - gimme a post and I'll buy you a beer.
Hi,
I lived in Israel for the last 20 years and I presume my UK driving license (if I could find it) would no longer be valid. I?m coming over to England to stay with my father, while my sister and family take a well-deserved break over Christmas and New Year and want to arrange temporary insurance for me to drive her car. The car is presently covered by her husband?s trade insurance but I cannot be added as I am not resident in the UK. Every site I?ve tried on the Internet is only for UK/ EU residents. Does anybody know of an insurance company that would arrange temporary insurance for a non UK/EU driver?
Thanks
Simon Read more
Thanks for the replies but I have been stymied at every turn: Hertsinsurance.com require UK residency. Another agent suggested I change the address on my license to my father's. I rang the DVLA and they said no way as I am an Israeli resident with an Israeli license. They also asked me to post my UK license back to them!
So it looks like I'll be renting a car in the Watford (Herts) area for a couple of weeks: does anybody know of any cheap car rental firms?
Thanks again.
Simon
Hi
I have a problem with my 206 diesel lxd in as much as it will not start and does not fire just turns over.
I think it might need bleeding as a pipe did come off but cannot find the diesel bleed screw, does anyone know where abouts I will find it???
Thanks for any help
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Hi
It is a non hdi so will take a look today and see if it works.
Many thanks for your reply.
Regards
Browse
It would be a lot cheaper to buy a good ex-military Combi and simply forge one of these congas or whatever they are called. You'd get a better vehicle at the end of it all too, although not as good as an unmolested basic Combi. Frankly though I can't imagine why anyone except a tree-hugging American with a large family would even want one of those although they are quite pleasant vehicles of their age and class.