January 2012
My Mercedes E320CDI Sports Estate, first registered in 2007, has suffered what the Mercedes Main Dealer, who has diagnosed the problem, as a "total failure of the instrument cluster". The instrument cluster includes both the display of all the instruments including the speedometer and fuel gauge and the multifunction computer display. The symptom is that instrument panel and computer display are not activated when the ignition is turned on. The engine still starts and the car is driveable albeit without any instruments or status reports whatsoever. The car is less than 5 years old with a full service record with Mercedes thoughout and has done about 71,000 miles. I bought the car privately last September and was fully working until yesterday. The replacement part is £1200 plus VAT and I understand that cost of the part and the replacement of the existing instrument cluster will probably cost at least £3000 unless Mercedes Benz are sympathetic and offer a hopefully substantial discount. Is there any precedent to suggest that a major and essential part which has a lifetime of less than 5 years in my case is not fit for purpose ? Should I accept the Mercedes Benz main dealer's description of the seriousness of the fault or should I take my car elsewhere for repair ? Read more
Not another set of statistics! And as the author suggests, there are too many factors to consider in assessing the quality of a car from these figures. It's hard enough choosing a car from all the other data; reliability, economy, practicality, refinement, etc. Read more
Taken from Car magazine website
Tomorrow's world: Ford's downsized 1.0-litre EcoboostBy Jesse Crosse... Read more
Dear god whats the world coming to if even Jaguar are looking at 'green technology.'
It was bad enough when they conformed to make a diesel....
I need to put my car through a vehicle identity check and it's mot. I don't know if the authority will accept the repairs that have been done to the car but assuming they refuse (worst case scenario) what percentage loss should I be thinking about when selling the car on - perhaps at auction? Read more
From the DVLA www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVeh...7
The VIC is a check of identity, it doesn’t look at the quality of the repair or confirm roadworthiness. If you have any concerns regarding these aspects, you should seek the opinion of an independent expert....
Searching around there seem to be a variety of opinions depending on make/model of car so I thought I'd ask the same questions.
I'm considering buying an ex-lease car VW Golf but they seem to predominantly be diesel rather than petrol. Must be more popular as company cars.... Read more
VAG's 1.6 FSI wasn't great tbh. The 1.4 TSFI 1.8T 1.8 TSFI turbo engines look very nice though.
I have a 53 plate Vectra C which has been owned since new and has now covered 50500 miles, last weel the central locking system packed - up. When the remote unit is operated all doors try to lock but then imediately unlock and on the dash it shows drivers door open, this also happens if the key is use in any lock. As a temporary mesure a local garage has disconnected the electrics to the drivers door so that nothing electrical works on that door but I can now lock/unlock all the three other doors with the remote and lock the drivers door using the key. The local garage has suggested the problem is likely to be the door motor drive unit and has also suggested that a Vauxhall dealer will have to repair it and that a new motor unit could cost around £200 plus fitting.
If the door tries t Read more
The growing complexity of computerised vehicle engine control systems and the vulnerability to electronic interference and hacking has been making news in the US. A couple of articles have been in the IEEE magazines recently, one reporting the ability of hackers to locate expensive models via their GPS units and steal them, another on the belated response of the agency reporting on the Toyota throttle episodes, “The Safety Promise and Challenge of Automotive Electronics”.
The committee report ‘cleared’ the electronic control systems of causing uncontrolled acceleration but recommended seven measures to be taken by the industry. Among the measures are:... Read more
The idea of electronics on a car is to remove the human factor,not working though is it, but it does give employment to some people somewhere IMO they are going too far,but then again they arent cars anymore they are tin/plastic robots on wheels
I know toyota and orbital have developed 2 strokes, but has everyone given up on them? I also know that long term emissions seem to have been one of the problems with them. Evinrude the outboard manufacturer seem to have been having success and critical acclaim for their etec range, could this technology not solve the previous problems? Read more
How would that even run??
Pressure lubricated crankcase + crankcase scavenged cylinder? Firing pulses of uneven magnitude. Ugh. ...
Just seen elsewhere that Tata is keen to build the new Defender in India - and ship them back to UK as CKD !! Read more
Pix I have seen of the NEW defender are bladdy 'orrible. Don't think the wellies and Barbour brigade are going to fall in love with it.
dvd
Browse
For future reference:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MERCEDES-Benz-INSTRUMENT-PANEL-CLUSTER-W211-E-Class-160-mph-A2115403747-/150720730618?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2317a7d5fa