I've re-insured one of my cars through eCar. I quite liked the fact that they insist on checking driving licenses and NCD proof. Stops people just lying.

However, be very careful. For one of my penalties shown on my licence I declared the offence date rather than the conviction date. This has incurred me a £67 additional penalty for administation. ... Read more

Hello,

I'm new and hoping you lovely people could offer me some advice on a recent Mini Cooper 54 I've just purchased, costing £6,299:

I bought the car on finance from a small dealer on Saturday. It went for a service on the Monday-was taken by the dealer to Mini, and they discovered a slight leak of gearbox oil coming from passenger side driveshaft. They thought it would just be the seal, so the dealer booked it into the gargage-at no cost to me because the car has 3 months warranty. I was updated then on the fact that the garage would replace both d/shaft seals-this confused me because it was orginally passenger and then drivers..But I left it up to the experts. Anyway they had the car for 3 days and in that time they fitted the seals to it-which they then said would only last around 6 months as they didn't fit correctly, so the dealer asked for them to fit correct seals. They ordered the seals from BMW, and they fitted them, and then again, they said they weren't correct. They called BMW and they sent a BMW specialist(apparently) and he said the gearbox is BMW and not Rover-which is seen in most Mini Coopers. So, once again they fit the 'correct' seals and send it back to me. I get it to work, parked up for 3 hours and there is a big puddle of oil under the car. My dad checks it over once I get it home (around 3 miles from work) and he said it's leaking from the gearbox AGAIN! So the car has been picked up this morning and taken back to garage (My dad said the gearbox could knacker up with anymore driving) but they've driven it to the garage (around another 3 miles down the road) and they are looking at the car.

My concern is that in a years time, or once my warranty has expired, I'm going to have to fork out for new gearbox as it's most probably knackered if it's had a leak for sometime now. What do you all suggest or could you offer reassurance that the car would last after this?

Many thanks, Kelly
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Bought the above car about five weeks ago--by and large very pleased with it. However, I belatedly decided the other day to take a look under the car at the exhaust...appears to be in a bit of a state. The rear silencer is very pitted and the tailpipe so badly corroded that point at which the hanging bracket touches the pipe is just a blob of rust. The car has only done 33,000 miles, so its almost certainly the factory fitted system.

First question is this: someone told me these silencers are manufactured with a double skin, so that even if the outside perforates, the system wont leak until the inner skin goes as well. Ive never heard this before--is it true? Sometimes when I pull away it sounds like the exhaust is blowing, but on inspecting/ listening underneath to it I cant identify any actual leaks.... Read more

Hello, i've recently bought my C5 2.0 HDI VTR which has a wheezing noise, the garage i bought it from pinpointed the noise as the alternator using a stethoscope, since then a friend has heard the noise and thinks it could be the turbo.

The noise occurs everytime the engine is reved up, either in or out of gear.... Read more

Hi

Not sure if this the correct place to ask, but it is motoring related.

A local school in a County Council area has asked its staff to produce and change the following.

1) Produce driving licenses from its staff to show its valid and have no more than 9 points.

2) Produce a valid MOT certificate for that persons vehicle if its required.

3) Produce and change that persons vehicle insurance for business use, although its covered for use 'to and from their place of work'.

The above applies to staff no matter whether they park their vehicle on the Queens Highway alongside the school grounds or in its car park. Even if that person only uses its vehicle once or twice a month.

The staff has already had their personal background checked by Police and attended First Aid courses for the safety of its pupils.

Has the County Council or its Headmaster the right to ask of this or is it another new bureaucratic requirement of the day.... Read more