January 2010
In the next 3 months or so Im planning on changing my front tyres - they are down to 3mm and will prob last the year, but I dont want to hit next winter with marginal tyres, so Im turning my mind to what boots to stick on it.
I am not a tyre guy, usually I simply slap on a pair of budgets for £35 a corner and that is if I ever keep a car long enough to need to change them. However, having read so much about getting quality tyres and how they are worth the extra, I thought id see whats out there an maybe spend a bit more.
So, anyone got any recommenations for the latest econmentalist tyres that might come in 13's?
Something that are reasonable in winter would be good too.
I bow to your greater knowledge :-) Read more
Ok, the 4x4 people clearly believe they have the best cars for snow (even if us fwd owners know different! ;) )... but what do you think is the worst current production car for the snow...
Remember, no modded cars, as we know those big wide low profiles would make them pretty useless, it has to be a current production car in just left factory condition... Read more
We have a newish A4 Avant and a 6 year old 1.6 Focus hatchback.
Since I put Avon ZV5's on the front of the Avant it is close to useless in the snow unless I let the tyres down from 32 to about 20.
The Focus (on Goodyear NCT5's) is far far better in the snow.
Hello!
I'm new to the forum and have been reading the many posts on here re Boxsters in their various incarnations. Have also been doing my own research to ensure I am well informed about the perhaps impeding purchase of a Boxster.
Here's the deal...I'm 21 and recently lost my father. He died suddenly from a heart attack, never got to enjoy his retirement and has left a huge hole in my life.
He did however leave me some money, and I've been considering what I should do with it. There are the sensible options, such as, paying off my ever increasing student loan, or putting it away into a savings account. Both of these options are very safe!
Of course, there are also the unsensible frivolties of being able to attain such a car as the Porsche Boxster at this tender age.
I've been offered a 2004 Porsche 986 Boxster S with 20k miles on the clock for £22k and 5k in exchange for my late 2007 Skoda Fabia, which has around 16k miles on the clock. I ask if this is a reasonable offer, and whether I should take the plunge.
Insurance is a killer at £2.2k per annum and having read about the likely servicing costs and considering the depreciation of around £2k/a, it looks as though all of these figures suggest this is not a good car for me at this time. And not good use for my inheritance.
I would like to use the Boxster as my everyday car. However, I don't drive every day. Usually only short trips some evenings, to the supermarket, around the city. Would have longer runs at the weekends and travel a good 200 miles up to London every couple of months. Annual mileage is low, at around 6 - 8k.
Please let me know your thoughts! They are very much appreciated. Read more
Shame you didn't look at the independent specialist garages rather than the OPC cars - you could have got a nice 2005 car which is the new 987 model, for under £20k. The interior & comfort of the new model are greatly improved. Well done on buying a nice motor though, you'll definitely spend less running it than the Porsche. FYI, you can buy a third party warranty on a second hand car from WarrantyWise for a few £100 a year on any car. A few of us on the Boxa.net forum have had correspondence with one of their directors & they sound better than most so if this is a concern for you you could look into that? All the best with the new TT.
One morning the car would not start so I fitted a new battery and it started immediately. However, the next morning the battery is completly dead again - not even enough power to turn the interior light on or operate the central locking.
I know to check the obvious such as the boot light etc, but I would appreciate it if anybody has any ideas or advice on how to track the source of the power drain.
I've heard that this could be a bad earth or the alternator - any advice appreciated. Read more
The alternator has indeed been identified as the offending component (admittidly I did use an auto electrician)! There was a fluctuating drain of between 2-4 amps. He suspected that it was the rectifier, but it turned out more cost effective to replace the whole alternator than to re-condition the exsiting unit.
Thanks to everyone who responded.
I don't own a 4x4 , but when Mrs Gs Mitsubishi Grandis comes up for replacement I will certainly be looking at 7 seat 4x4s like Hyundai Santa Fe next time. The big Mitsubishi has been lowsy in the snow, whereas my little VW Polo has never once let me down, lost grip on ice once, but never failed to move away from a standstill. Anyway I digress...
Will this winter put an end to the tree hugging brigade of 4 x 4 bashers, me thinks that for the next few years people will be drawn to these cars as they recall this winter.
Anyone see the Topgear BMW X6 review where it got stuck on a grassy knoll and a Range Rover sailed past it? clearly there are 4x4s and then there are 4x4s of course! I'm not a specialist, never having owned one with zero experience of them, but come the time I will come on here and seek advice.
Have already seen the Sante Fe recommended a few times, so it will likely be starting point
I wonder if they are seeing a sales boom at moment.
GUY Read more
>>Still, if he is wrong wanting to come out better in an accident, then what view should I take of anyone driving a 1700kg family car? Clearly they are not bothered about hitting my 750kg car and causing disproportionate damage to me. How dare they!
Or indeed anybody driving at 70mph when they could manage at 50, driving more miles than they need to do, or, heaven forfend, driving for pleasure - which must be the ultimate selfish act - callously endangering small children, and risking mowing down whole bus queues when there's no need to be out at all!
The whole argument is ridiculous. It's a sad human trait to identify groups that we perceive to be different from ourselves in some way and focus hate on them, building a delusional framework of distorted reasoning to support it.
I have a shameful tendency to curl my lip at lager drinkers, but I am at least trying to curb it, not trying to explain to lesser mortals on internet forums why they are responsible for the decay of western civilisation.
Hi, me and my partner are considering purchasing a 2004 Civic CDTI. It currently stands at 82,000 miles, the salesman said the cambelt is due at 90,000, however there's usually a timed interval as well as milage so does anyone know what this is?
I didn't think about it until I'd left the forecourt and realised the car is 5.5 years old (not 4.5, I'm having trouble with the mental arithmetic involving 2010) but thought it would be easy to find on Google, however it's proving to be more difficult than I thought to track down.
Thanks for any replies! Read more
Thanks WorkshopTech! I assumed that with the milage interval being higher it would be longer, but 10 years is excellent. My own VAG engine is 60k/4yrs so I was thinking 90k/6yrs for this which would mean it was very close and I'd have good grounds for a deal. I'm going to ask about it anyway (don't ask, don't get!) but just wanted to know whether it was a dealbreaker or not.
I would never skimp on a cambelt change, I had a new cambelt fail on my old Golf due to incorrect fitting which did ~£800 of damage which thankfully I didn't have to cover, so I know just how vital it is! However, 8000 miles is roughly a years motoring for my girlfriend so if I know it has plenty of life left in it time-wise then I can still consider the car even if they won't throw in a cambelt change, it looks to be in good condition and well looked after so would be a shame to walk away from it.
I am having an absolute nightmare with my Fiesta, really hope someone can help!!
My car started overheating (going into the red) a while ago and loosing water. Got it checked out and had a new thermostat put in and radiator flushed (incase of any air locks). That seemed to stop the problem for a while. Now its started overheating but cooling down and staying at a constant temp (smack bang in the middle) when the heaters are on full blast. It isnt loosing water, its been preasure tested and has no leaks, the fan is cutting in and working fine.
Cant think what else it could be!!! Any infor would be much appreciated!! Read more
Must have been slipping then, that's an unusual one.
How come no Junc 3? J4 after J2 doesn't make sense!
Also, J7 & J8 are same junction! Which I believe was done quite recently. Read more
There's no J13 on the M56 - superstition, lack of money or future development?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M56_motorway
I've had my first brand new car for 2 weeks now and as the weather has improved it's time to wash it. And boy am I anxious as I don't want to scratch the paintwork. Does everybody go through this with their first new car?!
I think it's now time to ditch the old bucket and sponge and get a pressure washer instead. Which one though? I read the Auto Express review of the Halfords one but it got very average reviews when I looked into it.
Can anyone recommend a decent one and any tips? Should I keep away from engine bay to avoid soaking any electrics?
Many thanks
Doug Read more
1001
Cleans a big big carpet
For less-than-half-a-crown.
My dad has a 2004 Fiesta van 1.4 TDCI which has covered around 45K miles. It is regularly serviced and passed its MOT recently. He is complaining of fumes entering the cabin through the vents constantly, even when he is not following another vehicle. There is also a strong fume smell when he gets in the car when it has been parked up before even starting the engine. Apparently there is a gasket or seal somewhere that is a common fail item on these? He has had a quick check for anything obvious that is hanging off or loose but cannot see anything. Any ideas or advice would be gratefully received. Thanks. Read more
I had this exact problem. It was one of the fueal injector seals that had gone. It's a very common problem on these. Bought the new ones from for for around £20
Browse
Yes. There are choices in the middle ground and you can choose the balance you want. Thats why there is more than one make of tyre.