February 2010
I won't go into any details because there is a thread in tehnical but the upshot is my head gasket has gone on my Corsa and I cannot be bothered with old cars anymore. With my luck on used cars and my personality I just don't want the stress or hassle.
I have just been to a FIAT dealer to enquire about a loan for a new Panda I will find out in a few days if my application is sucessful. My credit score is rated excellent so its only really my self employed status which would effect me.
The Panda is £95 a month for four years, then a £1200 final payment.
The problem I have only owned my Corsa for 11.5 months, on the 27th of March I will have owned it a year and the scheme expires on the 31st.
The MOT is due on the 15th of March so as you can see the timing is all wrong. I have bought some block seal to hopefully bodge the HG and get it through the MOT but before I go down the scrappage scheme is there any other deals I should consider?
I only do city driving so engine size is not important, I just want something hassle free and simple. What ever car I buy I would keep it for a long time.
All this depends on my ability to get a cheap loan there is no point on paying higher APR. I did make a similar thread a few months ago with regard to my dad but the difference is my parents have poor history and my dads not driving anyway now. Read more
please can you tell me where is the fuel additive reservoir tank for Eolys fluid is situated as i need to top up first time on many thanks Read more
Thank you dieselnut yet again someone who cares and always ready to help thankyou very much (ansome) John.
I need to change a fan belt on a 2000 Fiesta courier turbo van 1800 diesel. It has a power sterring pulley on it aswell. Can anyone know where I can get a copy of the diagram to route the belt around the pulleys. Thanks Read more
hi I know its a long time ago you posted this and probably a long shot but do you still have this diagram if so can you email me it please
I recently bought an x reg 1.8 focus and want to change the spark plugs. I saw some with 4 cores (?) in Halfords and they were only £20 for 4. Only thing stopping me buying them is that the current ford motorcraft ones fitted seem OK. They're not worn, and they're like a brown/tan colour. The spark plug gap is about 2mm but the manual says its should be 1mm.
Should I fit new plugs with the 4 cores and would that give me better mpg, perfromance etc over standard ones? The car starts and runs fine at the moment. And should I adjust the plug gap to 1mm?
Reason why i want to change them is I will be be doing a full service on the car so may as well have everything done.
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It is for a petrol, my previous car used to be a tdci but now I have a 1.8 zetec. I don't know if the gap is caused by use over time but the plugs look in very good condition. I will change them since they're only £12 for a set, and not bother with the 4 electrode gimmicks .
Two weeks ago had the same problem, mainly in 2nd/3rd gear (below 3000 Rpm) car would misfire with a gentle judder, EML came on then went off, had spark plugs replaced as badly corroded, and mechanic said there was fluid in the compartment so he cleaned it all away. Car then fine.
Today, same thing again, juddery and EML light flashing then turning off?
Only brought the car 3 weeks ago, done 40k? Read more
rainwater leaks through the bonnet washer jet holes and then drips into the void around the spark plugs .ford know about this and modded washer jets are available which have a small rubber gasket on them (10 pounds for both).my mums car had exact problem . i dried out the void with kitchen roll fitted new spark plugs with coopperslip ,new washer jets no more probs (about a year ago)
So as per an earlier "toot" of mine, I see that research has now revealed that those who require multiple attempts, ie 4,5.6 attempts to pass their driving test never become competent drivers, this proved by their having more accidents..... incl with stationary /parked vehicles. 2nd attempt pass is best, first time passers (like me ) are a bit cocky(apparently), I wasnt btw
cheers
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That is however my concern
What %age of the annual death toll on our roads is due to incompetent driving?...
Hi all, rant alert warning...
"How much?!" This phrase has passed my lips more times than I care to mention whilst trying to find an insurance quote this weekend. I purchased my first car recently, a 2000 Suzuki Swift 1.3 GLS (for those who like details...box on wheels for me), having passed my test a few months ago. I'm having no end of grief trying to find an insurance quote I can actually afford. Today's batch of quotes range from £925 up to £1700 for 3rd/F/T. How can something I'm legally obliged to have be open to so much variation, seemingly random variation at that? I swear I get a different quote based purely on what colour socks I have on that day.
Prices have soared compared to when I first started looking during my early days of having driving lessons (not that I considered them cheap at the time), and I'm actually seeing £100 increases on some quotes I obtained just Thursday night. I'm assuming prices increase over the weekend on the assumption that more people have the time to sort out new insurance? The best quote I've received was £749 with eCar, but when I logged back in using the quote reference number provided, the price had increased (email complaint duly sent). Insurance being cheaper when you're older appears to be a myth I'd too readily taken as a truth. As this is all somewhat new to me, is this really the reality of motoring? I certainly don't expect it to be my cheap and cheerful privilege, but it is frankly confirming all the doubts I had about driving that had always put me off. I feel that I'm already stuck having to bite the bullet rather than completely waste all the money I've already spent on numerous driving lessons, associated test costs, and the car itself. Having not driven once since my test, coupled with this almost black hole of money demands, I'm fairly close to murdering the next person who mentions the freedom driving provides...
;P Read more
Try Bell Directs bonus accelerator policy, you get your first years NCB IN 10 months.
I had the same problem in 2005, at 53 years old i was getting quotes approaching £1000 for a new Fiat Panda 1.2.
Problem was i had been driving company vans and cars for the best part of 25 years and had zero NCB and was considered a new driver.
The North London post code did,nt help, Bosnia was probably safer !
Now 5 years down the line and 4 years NCB £200 fully comp for a Panda 100 HP, and the Blackpool post code i have is also considered a war zone as well.
I hope this helps someone cause it has driven me batty.
My daughter has a W reg Saxo and recently the steering went stiff, I had a new power steering relay fitted which solved the problem short term. The other night her battery had gone flat and so she got a bump start and came home, the following morning the battery was dead flat and so I took it off and charged it, thinking she had left her lights or the stereo on for longer than she should (you know what young girls are like)
Any way the battery drained again within a few hours and so I bought a new battery, that too drained overnight and was so flat no lights came on even on the panel. I consulted several forums and came to an educated guess at the alternator and so I fitted a brand new one, I had recharged the battery and took it for a test drive, I then noticed the power steering was not working again and the next morning the battery was dead flat again. I now suspected the power steering pump and found a second hand one at the scrappies. I left the pump disconnected overnight but the battery still drained. I was now getting a bit upset and so scratching my bonnet decided I would remove all the fuses to see if that would give me a clue, I removed every fuse on the car, both accessories and engine fuses but the drain was still happening. I put a meter inline and the drain was around 20 amps. I removed the power cable on the starter motor but still the same. I then got a clamp meter and put it on each wire from the battery and the wire going to the engine fusebox was showing the drain. Even with all the fuses removed it was still showing a drain of around 20 amps. Directly under the fuses are some small connectors and one by one I unplugged them until hey presto the drain stopped. The car would turn over but not start until the plug was back in but then the drain continued. I unpugged each engine connector in turn to try and locate the other end of the wires on this connector but no difference. I was just about to go for the dreaded ignition switch when I noticed a relay under the ECU. I struggled but eventually managed to unplug it and buzzed the wires to confirm they were the ones I was looking for and they were. I then buzzed the relay and found the normally open contacts were actually welded together and were buzzing when they should not have been. This was allowing current through and causing the drain. I replaced the relay and the problem is solved. It has taken me two days of standing in the rain and the cold to suss this, so if this post helps anyone from suffering like I have then I am a happy man.
Derek Read more
hi mate this is great work and thank you. my brother in law has a saxo with the same issue so i suspect this same relay... don't suppose u wrote the part number down you had to replace it with? and was it an expensive relay to replace or was it a tenner jobbo?
sorry for a dumb question, but when you say "buzzed" what do you mean? did you put power direct through and bypass the relay or something?...
Hi can anyone help? bought a non start car the other day, a Peugeot 306 2lt HDI. Will turn over and smoke but not start. keeps showing fualt code P0340 crank / cam sync. Checked timing many many times. Changed both fly wheel sensor and top cam sensor (and set to correct position), Checked all wiring and plugs but still nothing. any ideas? many thanks. Read more
Just wondering did you get sorted as i appear to have the same problem with my 406 and dont know where to look next. Before the car stopped completely it seemed to start only when cold and run for a while before starting to splutter and cut out. Its been in the garage for 3 weeks and the mechanic is lost as what to try next. Any help appreciated, Thanks.
I'm in the market for a car or van at around the £350 mark. I'm a gigging musician and need to transport my keyboards so there has to be a bit of room in it - which somewhat limits my options. I know I will have to live with a bit of a banger one way or another...
Anyway, I just saw an Astra van on Ebay. Apparently it has rusty wheel arches which all have what looks like some form of black tape over them. There is a bit of MOT remaining but the seller writes that the van passed its last MOT with this tape! So my question is: Is black tape over rusty wheel arches really considered OK in an MOT?! I could give the Ebay link to anyone in the know who could give me an opinion...
I like these Astra vans. A friend had one that went on forever... Read more
I've used and passed MOT with not sticky tape but sticky backed aluminium-used for flashing on buildings.
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No idea... maybe Dave will know. If never looked at the old swear filter.