June 2010
My 2002 A3 1.9 TDI was last serviced by Audi in Oct 2009, at which point it had covered 121,000 miles. It had a long-life service and I wasn't expecting to be back in the garage for another service until I'd racked up somewhere around 20,000 miles.
It's now covered 133,000 miles and the car's service indicator is telling me it requires a service in 1,600 miles. So it will have covered approximately 13,800 miles between services.... Read more
The VAG variable service regimen is sophisticated in some ways - but not in others. There is no oil quaility sensor (Hella are working on one) but the engine monitoring software which determines the service intervals is quite comprehensive.
Other than time and distance, the number of cold starts is taken into account together with warmup time and the amount of time the oil runs very hot....
We have successfully dealt with a number of cases which have involved the failure of dual mass flywheels on late model vehicles where the manufacturer and dealer have initially asserted that the warranty will not cover the costs of repair - usually exceeding £1500.
There is normally some attempt to assert that the cause of the failure is misuse by the driver and hence the owner must pay.... Read more
Lucy, obviously you cannot discuss costs here, but on a no-win-no-fee basis, presuming someone wins (me) and gets their £1200 back, are they then going to give it to you, and more?
The legal fee is £200 - £250 payable only if we reach an outcome we have preagreed with you.
The engineers' report is another £225-£285 depending on the location but in most cases where we have needed one the arrangements can be agreed with the dealer.In all but two cases so far we have not needed an engineers report....
I understand that the Mazda 6 (2002 - 2007) had rust issues. This is also mentioned in HJ's CBCB.
I gather that this is partly caused by poor welding on the wheel arches, the inner arch not being closed of properly, etc.... Read more
Re the Passat, it could have been down to a replacement windscreen. I had a Renault 19 once and the rear screen got smashed. Within a few months of replacement the paint around the seals had started to bubble. Could just have been coindicence but I doubt it.
Hi,
I am looking at the SAAB 9-3 1.8T Vector Sport as a potential used buy (a 5-6 year old, 2004 - 2005 model).... Read more
Surprised no one has mentioned the Skoda Octavia, an extremely well made and competitively priced car with few reliability issues. If you are doing over 12,000 miles a year, the TDI is capable of 55 mpg and doesn't suffer from a lot of the problems on other diesels.
I have a 55 reg (mk II) Focus 1.6 TDCI 110.
Is it possible/wise to attempt changing the fuel filter at home or is it asking for trouble?... Read more
hmmm, sounds like a real pain, I think I need to give it some more thought first....
Hi there,
I'm brand new to this forum and would really appreciate any help/advice you can offer regarding focus turbo probelms..... Read more
Hi
Stabbing in the dark as these posts are quite old now but if possible and the author is still active could any details on these issues be sent to me via email please ?...
Hello all!
I recently posted a thread with problems on my 52 plate Mondeo TDCI 130 BHP.... Read more
Regarding 2) I had this happen after having one of the driveshaft gaiters renewed.
The ABS sensor had slightly worked its way out of the steering knuckle by just a millimeter or 2....
Hi,
... Read more
In fact German and Swedish cars also do these parts for around these prices too.
I bought a new IX35 Premium Diesel about 3 weeks ago. The quoted mpg figures from the brochure are as follows : Urban 40.4, Extra Urban 54.3 & Combined 47.9
The car had 10 miles on the clock when I bought it, and so I fully expected the engine would need to be run-in. The first 100 miles or so gave 36mpg. After about a week I went for a run and the car was indicating 42mpg, however since then the next 2 tanks full of fuel have both only averaged 34mpg.
Hyundai UK said the engine needed 500 miles to bed in, while the suppling dealer said 2K. The Aftersales Manager also said he was getting the low 30's in his company IX35. Surely the real world mpg should be around the figure quoted for the Combined cycle ?
I have also noted and pointed out that the engine does not seem to be reaching the right temperature. The temp dial is a graphic where the 12 o'clock position indicates 90C, however the dial never gets to that position and stops one quadrant short (about 80C if the scale is linear).
Once again the suppling dealer told me that they all do that !
Would you say this is normal for a new model, and would the fact that the published mpg figures are nowhere near achievable be grounds for rejecting the car ? Read more
Forgot to mention our i10 only returned 44 MPG during its 2 months as my commute car when the claimed combined was in the mid 50's. The 200 BHP A3 cab petrol that replaced it is getting 38 MPG on the same run.... Is this a Hyundai thing?
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