May 2010
I'm looking for a caravan tug that will hold our two dogs. I won't be doing more than 5,000 miles a year in it.
I've seen an '06 Beemer, as above, advertised at £10,995 with 127,000 miles on the clock.
Parkers has them at £17,000 with 40,000 miles.
Knowing HJ's mantra about high miles do you think that this could be a worthy purchase and are there any issues I should watch for?
Andy Read more
My Audi has just developed a rupture to a flexy joint in one of it's cats. Audi say that the whole cat must be replaced at £1100 + fitting! I've read plenty about aftermarket cats (typically £100 each) but, apart from being shorter lived than OE parts, is there a downside - particularly for cars whose value approaches the part cost? Also, any advice on which aftermarket brand to use? Read more
Yes, I think you're right. Thanks to the other guys as well - helped to clarify in my mind. Actually, apart from not lasting as long, I've heard very few things against aftermarket cats.
Hi there,
A few months back travelling on a motorway I had to slow down fairly sharply as traffic ahead was breaking for a broken down vehicle.... Read more
Rear end shunts with no frontal damage are (almost) always the fault of the car behind.
It gets more complicated when there is more than one car involved but "knock-for-knock" (which doesn't really exist any more - the insurance industry talks about split liability) would be totally inappopriate in this case as you were not responsible for the accident in any event - assuming that there was no damage to the front of your car....
Up until a year ago I had an old Nissan terrano. When I sold the car I obviously cancelled my insurance and received the cancellation note stating as such. Last month I received a renewal notice for the insurance of the vehicle. It transpires that having thought I had cancelled the insurance policy a member of the insurance team had reactivated the policy and withdrawn £400 from my bank account without my knowledge. The insurers state that this was a clerical error. They have reimbursed me and offered the modest amount of £80 as compensation. I am somewhat appalled that the protocols and procedures of the insurance company allow for this to happen; especially that money can be withdrawn from my bank account. I appreciate that had I reviewed my bank account more diligently then I might have been aware of what was happening. What are my options? Read more
It depends on the terms of the original contract but the chances are that if you gave them a card of any kind they have a "continuous mandate" which is almost impossible to kill off without theeir consent without replacing the card and if you gave them your bank details via a direct debit then their only obligation is to refund any charges they should not have made.
As they seem to have worked within the rules and it seems you have been refunded in full and received some measure of compensation for the inconvenience it is very unlikely you can take this any further.
My 2006 VW Touran, just over 4 years old has broken down and the garage have said it needs a new clutch and gear box as whatever has happened is a serious problem.
They've quoted over £2,000 to fix it.... Read more
As you've had the Touran for 4 years from new, the Sale od Goods Act won't be of any help to you.
But your garage can try to get a goodwill contribution from VW: rthe clutch will be deemed fair wear and tear (as some people are very hard on clutches and VW have no reliable evidence as to what sort of use it's had), but you may have more luck with the gearbox issue, depending on what the problem is.
Hi there. I hope someone can advise or share experiences on this situation. Sorry for being a bit of a long post....
On Friday I took my Ford Fusion (04 plate with 34K miles) to a small, local garage that I have been happily using for around 6 years for a service and MOT. When there I also explained I'd noticed the alternator had been making a loud whining noise when under load, which got quieter the fewer things you had switched on (lights, heater, heated windscreen etc). I left saying something along the lines of "I'll leave it in your capable hands as I don't know enough about it myself".... Read more
You could try and negotiate some kind of deal regarding labour costs but I cannot see any real negligence on the part of the garage that I would have any confidence in being actionable.
If a key part such as an alternator makes a loud whining noise then the onus is on you to get it fixed straight away - not to try and deal with it as part of the next MOT inspection....
I have a Golf 1.2 Mk2 starts cold,
Does not start hot; no click, no starter motor, do have electrics
Have replaced:
battery
starter motor solenoid
which exhausts my knowledge - cannyone help Read more
Hiya
Have just brought above car with 105.000 on the clock and all seems good however I keep reading that dual mass flywheels are bad news and want to know what signals I should keep aware of so as I can know if the time is approaching where both clutch and dual mass flywheel will need replacing Any tips will be very well received Thankyou Shanice x.... Read more
Thankyou Andy for the advice .. Shanice.
There`s a lot of limping going on within our older age group when you look around.
At this stage I was slouched on a seat in Koblenz ( 1,300 miles - one week - 99mph &57mpg) as the facilitator for Mrs Oilrags 40th birthday shopping venture. ... Read more
Temporary pics, showing the Elvis exhibit in Koblenz
So, Leaf prices have been announced, and I think Nissan have got it bang on.
£23K for a mid-size hatch is dear of course, but personally I just cant get the 100 miles for £1 running cost out of my head. Especially after the once-a-week £60 pain I feel visiting the forecourt.
1 years fuel costs for me is approx £2700, or the price difference between the Leaf and a conventionally powered rival, which would probably depreciate much faster than a Leaf too.
Here's the rub though, for this hugely promising vehicle to take hold, it absolutely needs the Fast Charging points to proliferate quickly. Personally, I can accomodate the Leaf's 8 hour home-mains charging time in my weekly routine, but for many, they would need the flexibility of plentiful charging points or zones.
So...get Leaf 'Fast charge' zones into shopping centres, town car parks, airport car parks, wherever people congregate and, usually, spend money. Quick 30min charge, for a small price. Spend some of the petrol money which used to be siphoned from your bank account on goods and services, just when they need it, and when all done, head home on your zero-emission, £1-way.
If I start seeing charging points in my usual haunts, it wont be long before a Leaf is on the drive. £1 for 100 miles.....
Read more
Agree with Sofa Spud. I can't see the demand for electric four door four seaters. Much better to shoot for two door two seater hatchbacks as shopping / commuting cars. Go for very light weight to maximise range and performance.
And how long do the batteries last ? If they only last say four years this will have a serious impact on depreciation.
You would be better with a E class petrol if you are only going to do 5k a year.They certainly last longer if German taxis are anything to go by.