February 2012
My wife was waiting in her car at a level crossing this morning when four identical Subarus (she thinks they were Imprezas) with fllashing blue lights,overtook the line of waiting cars and pulled up on the wrong side of the road, facing the crossing.When the barriers opened, they pulled forward,the oncoming traffic having to give way.
The registration plates all commenced with V08 and possibly EH... Read more
Hi all
My friend has a Peugot van that has now gone through 3 starter motors in 2 months - I think it is because the van takes a while to start, a very long time, and when it fires up it smokes like hell out the back.... Read more
The glow plugs may be OK but have you checked them for voltage? There should be 10 - 11 volts across them for about 15 seconds after switching to the glow plug position, if there isn't could be a faulty relay/connection.
Auto Express have published the SMMT UK Retail sales Top 20 for 2011 - which excludes fleet sales. The retail sales chart is as follows, with each model's position in the overall table in brackets:
1. Ford Fiesta (1); 2. Vauxhall Corsa (3); VW Polo (7); 4. Ford Focus (2); 5. Mini (10); 6. VW Golf (4); 7. Fiat 500 (16); 8. Vauxhall Astra (5); 9. Nissan Juke (19); 10. Renault Clio (18); 11. Ford Ka (33); 12. Peugeot 207 (12); 13. Honda Jazz (22); 14. Hyundai i10 (25); 15. Toyota Yaris (32); 16. BMW 3-series (8); 17. Citroen C1 (36); 18. Audi A1 (31); 19. Mercedes E-class (15); 20. Nissan Qasqai (9).... Read more
Nissan never thought the Qashqai/Dualit would be the succcess it has been. The Juke has grown on me alot. The front view reminds me of a coupe from the 1960s.
Can anyone advise whether there is a problem mixing tyre treads front and rear. My wife's A3 has Dunlop Sport tyres on the front axle marked AO (Audi Only). The rear tyres now need replacing and we have been offered Dunlop Sport Max. The dimensions, speed rating and loadings are the same, the only difference is the tread pattern. Also, should the tyres be rotated front to back? Many thanks in anticipation Read more
It depends whether you want to go through the hedge frontwards or backwards. Worn tyres on front OFF ROAD FORWARD. Worn tyres on back GO OFF BACKWARDS. Take your pick.
The ongoing saga around Saab’s bankruptcy seems to never end, and this time around there may be six to seven serious bidders for the Swedish automaker, one of which is believed to be BMW.
At their weekly press conference, the company touched on its pressing salary situation for its current employees and mentioned that it would take at least another week to sort things out; but the more interesting news is that the highest bidder may not get the deal, according to Saab. The Swedish automaker is looking for a company that will present the best option for the creditors, employees, and the region the most. Which essentially means that Saab will go to the company that has the money, knowledge, experience, and credibility to continue producing Saab vehicles.... Read more
Back in 2008, when Saab was first put up for sale by GM, BMW were named as one of the 27 interested parties who had expressed interest in purchasing Saab. If they were to buy Saab, it will be interesting to see whether they continue with the Saab name, or, as GM found with Daewoo, has there been too much damage done to the Saab name for it to continue as a brand? Do BMW want Saab for the production capacity?
I was reading that list of all the new models of cars coming out in the next 6 months. So what's going to start dropping in price I wonder?
For example: New Civic model - will the post 2005 model drop in price in the used market if lots of owners swap in for a new one? Or is its popularity able to circumvent that?... Read more
Bobbin - many of the motoring magazines have a page of 'what's coming soon' or words to that effect. Some makers' websites also list any special deals that they have going.
If you're looking to buy secondhand, I suppose (although I'm not any sort of an expert) that just after a new model goes on sale, used examples of the old one are plentiful and therefore make possible bargains.
Is there anything inherently wrong with putting some all season tyres on the front (front wheel drive) and summer tyre son the back?
I was thinking of driving to the Alps and the summer tyres I have are apparently awful in the snow, they don;t have much cross tread on them. Read more
Could get some used ones off ebay but they all seem to be 5mm tread left.
If you talk to the Canadians, they laugh that people in the UK even bother putting winter tyres on at all and they change their winter tyres when they get to 4.8mm left....
There is an electrical plug on the radiator but i can't find a lead anywhere within the engine to plug into in? Can anyone help with this plug and its job? Read more
I thought that later ones had the fan controlled thro' the module-the switch may just be there to block the hole(use of old stock!).
I recently bought a Volvo S40 2.0 Diesel with 49k on the clock and a full Volvo service history. It was last serviced at 46k but the oil does look very black; though I know this is not uncommon with diesels.It's done 50k miles now.
It's going to the dealer next Saturday for a couple of minor recall issues and I wondered whether it was worth getting an oil/filter change done at the same time? May be a belt and braces approach but I don't want to throw money away if not necessary.... Read more
I'd leave it till 55K if it's not working too hard on mostly main roads....let the oil level drop. I know that in my Audi it takes 5 litres just to get it to the minimum mark on the dipstick - which is where I like it in the winter so it warms up that bit quicker, which is better for the engine.
Also, why not do it yourself? I bet garages don't let it drain for a few hours to let all the black gunk slide off the internal surfaces and out through the drain hole. That's why commercially serviced vehicles' oil often looks black almost immediately.
Can faulty glow plugs make engine run uneven even when engine is warm? Read more
Depends what you mean by "faulty". If the GP is simply not functioning electrically but is otherwise intact, then the answer is no. But if the tip of a GP, that has exceeded its change time, has broken off into the cylinder then that is another story.
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You should perhaps report it to Hampshire police: I can't think of any genuine registration no. beginning with V08. If it was actually VO08 the Subarus would have been four years old and a long way from the Vale of Severn where V registrations come from.