May 2011
hi .when we had the bad snow over xmas my nissan micra 2003 m reg engine management light came on .a local machanic had a look at it for me .he said it was the engine chain .he turned it off for me .( anyway it came back on again )the car sounds quiet,not noisy at all.anyway started having problems with starting the car .it would start but you had to give it full throttle for it to catch and go...could take 10 times trying then on other days start first time . . but now wont start at all. the machanic rang a nissan friend to ask advice about it .anyway he said could be an immobiliser problem .the car turns over ok but wont fire up its just done 17.000 miles and was a good car till this happened .i cant afford to have unessassary work done on it just to find out its something else which alot of micras seem to have had done to solve this problem..i have checked fuses in engine compartment they are ok.took out the fuel fuse .didnt make any difference at all.advice on this welcome ..thanks Read more
Hi, can anyone help with electrical issues please?
Indicators work, hazards don't. ... Read more
thnx tdc was switch and trader replaced foc for me
I will be averaging about 20,000 miles an year in the foreseeable future commuting to work on the motorway (70 miles round trip). Preferably need an automatic as left knee is dodgy post surgery.
Current car is a 54 plate Honda Jazz, which is fine apart from being noisy and unrefined on the motorway and a manual.
My priorities are bullet proof reliability (being a time-strapped doctor), low running costs (given the high mileage) and comfort on the motorway.
Have a budget of up to £13,000 and intend to buy a 2-3 year old second hand car. Either a good sized hatchback or saloon would be fine. Diesel would obviously be preferable, but an economic petrol or hybrid would be fine as well.
Any suggestions from the panel? All advice gratefully received.
Many Thanks,
Harshan Read more
There used to be big issues with the Ford Focus Cmax Diesel auto gearbox failures, presumably not the same as the Powershift Diesel?
Hi the tyres on my Zafira are currently 205/55/R16 which are currently in need of replacing. I havebeen offered a set of 205/60/R16 from a friends car. They obviously fit and I know they will putthe speedo outslightly but is there any other reason why I shouldnt fit them??? Read more
They could effect your braking could effect your handling and also most surely will effect your insurance.
We're looking to buy a used honda fr-v, and think that the diesel is probably the best for us, but can only really afford ones with 100k on the clock. Will we be being stupid if we buy one of these? Read more
We have a petrol auto FR-V 1.8 EX, on an 08-plate. It's a brilliant car, and a superb piece of practical design. 6 individual adult seats, four Isofix points, flat floor, tons of room - my wife can simply walk across the back of the car and strap our 1-yr old and 3-yr old into their child seats. We've had 4 adults and 2 babies riding on many journeys, with all their necessary luggage in the boot and everyone travelling in comfort (the leather seats are top quality too)
For the record, it's narrower than a C-Max, shorter than a 3-series with more boot space than a Golf. ...
Hi All, I have just joined the site and think its great. I was wondering if anyone could advise me about changing the radio cassette ( its a Ford factory fitted ) for a standard Ford CD/radio. How difficult is it ? can I do it my self or will it be very expensive. I was hoping that the later model Modeo CD player would slot straight in but I suppose I am dreaming lol Read more
Thanks very much for your very help
I am very happy to hear that its not gonna cost an arm and a leg for a change and something I can do myself...
For anyone who has retired to a village and enjoys exporing the countryside for a good pub lunch a soft ride is essential because our country roads have been ruined in the last forty years by increasingly heavy vehicles and poor maintenance. They have no proper foundations and just get sprayed with tar and grit occasionally when the potholes and furrows get too numerous.
It used to be said that the English blamed the road and the French blamed the car for a rough ride. What is the modern equivalent of 1960s Renaults/Citroens with squashy seats and soft shock absorbers? As French roads are now far better than ours, they do not seem to make suitable cars any more! Read more
Been a passenger in a Toyota Auris several times and the ride was very smooth.
A friends new Subaru pseudo off roader is very comfortable. I forget the name but it is a 5 door estate.
Am looking for advice on the following:
Vauxhall Signum 1.9 diesel (120) 56 plate with 75k on the clock.... Read more
>Yep, quite common
Seems generic to GM vehicles. My Zafira "A" had this, as did a colleagues Zafira "B", a mate's Vectra and his wife's Astra, etc ad nauseaum. With mine, even the Opel garage reckoned it was wheel bearings until they found no play in them on inspection....
Mrs has got a 1.4 54 plate fusion she filled it up tonight and the engine warning light has come on and stayed on? its all running fine oil ok and water any one any ideas i`ve not got a clue ?????
cheers... Read more
parked the car on a verge tonight and guess what? the lighs gone off?????? and stayed off...........CARS AHHHHHHHHHHH
Hi there.
I am looking to buy a used car (budget circa £10,000). Not knowing ANYTHING about cars or engines, I have been looking at inependant local dealers who have been around for several years, and franchised dealers such as Audi, Ford, etc - in my attempts to limit risk.
With the local dealers, most of the window stickers say '1 owner from new' which suits me well. But when I ask further this always seems to mean ex-lease.
Case in point. - I found one recently that was spotless, indestinguishable inside from brand-new despite over 60k on the clock (2007 reg).
I was very keen, but when looking at the paperwork it was ex-lease. I googled "ex-lease buying guide" and a lot of people seem to think that these should be avoided like the plague, or, at the very least be much cheaper than book price (this car was a fraction over).
I told myself this wasn't a problem, but looking at the lease history I noticed the car had done a lot of it's miles in very short periods - hence the good inside condition?
For example - in the first 6 months it did around 9,000 miles - then in the space of 18 days it did just over 10,000 miles! Then some months later it did 18,000 in around 2 months. I don't even do that in 2 years :)
So my question is - should this hard usage deter me? The log does show that it had good services right after each big drive.
Or would you be better with a slightly older car, but with less miles and a more traditional "one owner from new" scenario - I have found this to be the case in most Audi dealerships.
I would really appreciate some advice - this car hunting is driving me crazy.... Read more
Audis, of course, are teutonically hand assembled by Valkyrie-like technicians dressed in gowns of woven thistle down, they will be time served craftspersons and incapable of of anythting less than 100% commitment, apart from the ones assembled in India, Slovakia, China, Brazil, Hungary, Russia and Ukraine, but i'm sure they're just as good.
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You need to establish is the fuel pump is running when the engine is being cranked and is there a spark. Regards Peter