February 2010
The front spring has cracked on my car suddenly and I'm at a loss as to how this could happen. 50000 miles on the clock, mortorway and A road driving, a wee bit of to the shops driving too. My list of failures in the last 8 months are: turbo, EGR valve, fuel cap sensor, 2 wheel bearings, full set of pads, rear discs and yet more pads, battery and the fuel stuff toped up. the anti pollution warning light came on a month ago and went off, but I'm sure it will retrun. Now a cracked spring. Do I need 2 replaced and who thinks I should sell the car? Read more
I saw a number of 2006/07 models today in a showroom, and they all seem to have light grey below the front window. Does this not cause irritating reflections on the windscrreen in sunlight? Do some come with matt black dashboards? Read more
Funnily enough that's been mentioned on the new (2009) model Jazz as quite a serious issue but I don't recall seeing any comment about it on the older model before.
We had the old one and now have the new model. On the new one you can see the dash in the screen, but it's never caused an issue. I think the fact that many people seem to have noticed it on the new one would indicate that it wasn't a problem on the old model.
Recently noticed a deterioration in that the steering seemed heavier especially at low speeds and the car seemed more prone to "follow" bumps and grooves in the road surface. Not dangerously so but enough for me to get it checked at the local dealership.
I had slid into a kerb side on during the snowy weather (at walking pace) and wondered if this had caused the problem.
They say they carried out a visual check for any obvious damage and a four wheel alighnment was carried out. A seized camber adjuster had to be replaced and then the alignment was rechecked/adjusted. Cost £170.
Although I can feel the benefit of the alignment the problem has not gone away. The steering does not feel as light as it did and I feel I am having to make more correction and hold the steering wheel more firmly than before to keep the car following the line I want.
Any thoughts? Read more
I've got their print-out with the before & after figures for camber/caster/toe on each wheel. Would it help to list them here?
When do you start being a badge snob? Why should people be sneered at for the car they like?
Someones choice of car is up to them. Read more
When my daughters were young teenagers they were most reluctant to be seen in my wifes Skoda. Once they had passed their driving tests, driving it was never a problem!
Badge snobbery starts young, but dissolves when the bus is the option.
The piston in the front driver side brake caliper appears to be seized. This is causing the brake to overheat. Is this a repairable unit or is it a replacement job? Read more
www.mx5parts sell caliper overhaul kits. MX5 front calipers are not difficult to overhaul. The piston needs to be perfectly clean and corrosion free.
Hi there
It's new (to me anyway) car time. The venerable Camry at 13 years old and 150K is going to be put out to pasture and I'm looking for something new. Bizzarely, after test driving 2 year old (new) Mondeos, (new) Mazda 6's and an Insignia (all well and nice, about £11K ) the car which most caught my eye was a Fiat Croma in a local dealership.
Had a look online and discovered that you can pick up a 56 plate 20K or thereabouts well-specced example (1.8 petrol) for around 5 grand. I like the high driving position and the 'bum in first' seating, reviews seem to be favourable (Schumacher had one as his run-around!) and from what I can tell, that 1.8 is the 140 bhp GM cam chain unit which is in the Vectra/Zafira so the mechanicals seem fairly well-tested.
But it's a Fiat, a big Fiat and nobody bought them (I assume Schumy was given his!) this will be the first post on this forum about one (I know I've searched!).
If I bought one would I be guaranteeing myself first name terms with the car dealers
with one of the worst reputations in the business or is the Croma potentially one of the great unsung bargains out there?
Should I go for something more mainstream?
Be brutal!
ps: I should add that the car will do the 50 mile round trip (mainly dual carriageway) commute in the week and then family hack at the weekend.
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Second-hand, the high depreciation always works in your favour.
You are looking at a 4 year old car there. If it's 5 grand (surely more like four?!?) it doesn't have much further to go.
I can't say I have heard any massive horror stories about the Croma -- the Stilo was a pile of carp but this is a later model and they seem to have improved.
Always buy the car with the monstrous depreciation is my motto. They all last much the same length of time if looked after and I can't see this Fiat being any worse than a Peugeot, Vauxhall or VW which will all cost more.
Not mad at all.
Ahem...
Oh! little strips of rubber, supposed to stop you feeling sick
I saw you today, on the tail-end of a Black Honda Civic
A vanilla 03 plate, I seem to recall,
I saw you on the M74, just south of Larkhall
and Oh! thought I to myself- well, it must be 20 year
since last I saw a car after-marketed with such gear
'Twas a journey of revelations not easily spanned by man
for listening to "Koeeoaddi There" by the Incredible String Band
I noted that it sounded right familiar, might it even be?- oh hell!
Its only "the Stars of Track and Field" by messrs Sebastian and Belle.
(Thats McGonagall on the phone, can he have his scans back?)
tt
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I see lots of taxi's and a like with a black piece of cloth i think it is tied under the back of the car what's all that about?
I'll try to be as descriptive as I can, I've read through most of the posts regarding clio's but none seem to be the same fault as this.
My GF's 2002 1.2 Clio Dynamique will start from cold, run perfectly, idles fine, no warning lights, then when you stop, turn off ignition, wait 1-2mins and try to start again, it won't. Its not the immob, as when keyfob is removed from key, and key turned in ign, the immob light flashes like crazy, and theres no cranking, when fob returned to the key the light goes off and will crank again.
In the no crank period, what I assume to be the fuel pump in the boot area can be heard to prime/run, the starter motor turns, the engine cranks, but theres no spark in the leads. (removed plugs 1 at a time for visual check, and used a voltage presence testing screwdriver (when engine is running this flashes with the ign pulses))
If you stop the engine, and start it again within a minute or so, it will run fine again.
Almost every sensor has been replaced in the last year by Renault, new crank sense loom, metal crash box removed, new coil and leads, relays by the battery checked and terminals cleaned, (although it will run from cold and can be restarted when hot)
Its almost as if something that energises the coil, cuts out after ign is turned off and is failing to switch on again after its been run...
Also if I disconnect the batt for 20-30 mins it will start up again fine once reconnected.
Leave the car overnight and it will start fine in the morning.
Any ideas, advice will be much appreciated.
Paul Read more
The plight of the occupants of the car speeding at 120mph toward a road junction in the USA, without throttle control or brakes was truly fear inspiring.
I too had a sticking throttle problem with the second new car that I bought, although thankfully not the brakes. A stiff throttle cable was the source of the problem. In slow traffic, to avoid jumping into the car in front I had to slip the clutch and use the handbrake. I complained several times but always received the answer, ?It?s the way you drive, Sir?. The dealer didn?t do anything at first, but mysteriously the throttle cable was replaced several times during routine servicing under ?product change?. Eventually the Manufacturer managed to get the problem sorted.
I do hate it when garage spokespersons are less than open with the actuality.
A second time was after having the clutch was replaced. The engine would die and suddenly surge. I took the car back several times only to have the lead mechanic perform a diagnostic test and say with transparent honesty and hand on heart that there was nothing wrong and it was the way that I was driving. After a particularly dangerous situation I spent time examining the engine and found that the same lead mechanic had not reconnected the crank position sensor securely.
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My folks purchased a new Nissan Micra Tekna 1240cc Automatic (on a 59 plate) late least year with a scrappage offer (despite now seeing their old car on the road since).
However, their insurance now needs renewal and their existing company seems expensive.
I have had a look at several price comparison sites and some other direct sites and they don?t seem to have their car listed. They do have the manual version though.
A phone call to one of the direct companies got a rather odd response along the lines of: ?Use the manual car?s details. I have checked with the underwriter who says that will be ok?! Now unless this is in writing I intend to ignore the comments, but have the backroom folks got any ideas on how I can get their car listed so that the correct quotes are provided?
(BTW the registration also brings up the wrong details but the V5 is correct. )
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As the V5 is correct then I assume they will just have to keep looking for an insurer that has the car on their records.
Re the scrappage. The car was over 10 years old but I guess the dealer managed to sell it on a pocket the difference. The folks were happy to get £2k for it.
Browse
I've driven a KIA cee'd as a hire car and it was the most hatefull, wooden souless car ive ever driven... HOWEVER, you can't argue with that warranty, even if the car is unreliable, at least it can be fixed for nowt. But bear in mind it will be worth nothing when the warranty expires.