May 2012
I'm currently driving a 53 reg Honda jazz altomatic closing up to 100000 miles, it serves a really good car over the past 2 and a half year, only problems occurred so far is some battery flat, failed alternator and rusty exhaust box which fall of in the middle of motorway. I'm planning to change to a newer car and have serveral questions, my budget is roughly around 4k-5k, this include my car to be part exchange.
My daily commute is around 25 miles 5 miles city traffic and 20 miles dual carriage A-road sometimes might be 40 miles a day depends and weekly I do a trip of 80 miles round trip motorway to the city. My car does no less then 47mpg, cost around 35-38 every 230-250 miles
In my case of driving given the higher price of diesel over petrol is it sensible to go for diesel? Used diesel appx 50000miles is the most ideal for I would like to look at, for the maintainence part is diesel expensive and is it reliable? Or should I just stick with petrol.
After searching around my area on autotrader, I might be looking for serveral vehicle such as:
-Newer Honda jazz around 40-50k on clock
- ford fiesta old shape 1.4 tdci 30k-50k miles 05-56reg
- new shape corsa 1.0, 1.2
-Mitsubishi colt new shape
-Astra 1.3 ctdi (many ex- gov or companies cars, around 50k mileage, I know is not a supermini)
Any other vehicle that will suit?
Probably want a reliable car with least running cost as possible, insurance group 4-5 Max. Your recommendation is welcome!
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Hi all. What can cause a ball joint to fail regularly? I'm now on my third offside front balljoint in less than 2 years, each one has lasted only about 4-5000 miles. When the first one failed so soon I thought it might have been a dodgy part so got it replaced. Now that one has failed it seems obvious there must be some other cause. The mechanics I've been too are replacing it under warranty but haven't been particularly helpful in terms of identifying a cause, just putting it down to "London roads" - speedbumps and potholes. But I drive pretty carefully and don't go offroad or anything, surely the fact that it keeps happening indicates something wrong.
Car is a Renault Clio 1.5 diesel, 10 years old, about 200k miles, standard sort of McPherson strut suspension. Read more
Thanks for your thoughts. I suppose it could be poor quality parts, although I replaced the first one and the mechanics the second one so they were from different sources. Fingers crossed for the third one! I haven't been able to detect anything else obviously wrong except that the damping on both shocks isn't what it used to be which I suppose could put more stress on the balljoint. Wouldn't explain why its always the off side though.
I need to change AC compressor on POLO 6N2, the originally part number is 6N0820803B. Me I change this compressor with other parts numbers compressors for VW like J0820803L, : CO1233DC, : 1J0820803E, I see on picture on Ebay and some catalogs that will fit but still I like to ask expert before I bay one of them.
Thanks for your assistance in advance. Read more
My Ford Mondeo is a 55 plate 2.0ltr Zetec TDCI, its only done 40500 (just under).
I have a problem on start up, it happen's only on the odd ocassion.... Read more
Faulty EGR valve would give you the symtoms on start up you discribe and loss of power at high speed.
really needs a diagnostic check fisrt to see whats flagged.
Hi,
I hope you can help me please. I have a 2001 406 estate. The drivers side front audio speaker is not working. I have checked the speaker itself is ok (swapping side to side). I have removed the radio and metered from the speaker plug from the back of the radio to the wires coming out of the door for the speakers.... Read more
Moved to Technical.
We know that a small group of manufacturers dominate what we perceive to be high quality cars. But how do we know it's not all marketing and pricing?
Do Mercs use better robots, or better materials for example, or are most of the key parts simply standard issue produced to a formula, or made by a small coterie of specialist manufacturers whose clients are all the car makers who buy their windows, clutches, spark plugs, rubber hoses etc. etc.... Read more
If that were true, why are the same manufacturers regularly at the top and bottom of the reliability charts?
Demographics pays a large part in this. Your average Honda driver is much more likely to follow service schedules than a Ford driver who only bought a Ford because he couldn't afford an Audi and treats the car with utter contempt....
Hi all. New to the forum.
Had my vectra for 4 years. No problems. Loads of pull. Brakes always been poor.... Read more
Interestingly, yesterday with the temeratures being around 23 degrees C, the car performed better sooner, after 1 mile of driving. It has been around 5 miles usually but the temp has been 9 or 10 degrees.
I hope someone can give me a bit of advice here please.
Every so often my ca\r will not go into 1st and reverse gear while the engine is running, I have to turn engine off, put the car in gear and off I go, the rest of teh gears are a bit of a struggle. Clutch peddle is down to the floor. If I try to put it in reverse while engine is running it crunches like crazy, but 1st gear...not a chance will it go in... Read more
have you got a good clutch pedal .or is it only working from half way down ,if so it could be the clutch slave cylnder ,not to expensive to change ,i wouldnt think its a gearbox fault .
I've tried getting car valuations from parkers, whatcar, etc, they seem rather varied, can anyone in the industry give me a good idea of the private retail value of my car.
Spec: 2006 Honda Civic 1.8 Sport, 5 door, 57000 miles, 17" Type R look alloys, fog lamps, CD player, factory tinted windows, mp3 lead, MOT, full dealer service history, both interior and exterior in good condition, minor trolley dent on the passenger door.... Read more
3 owners, dent is the size of a 5p, no paintwork disruption.
Black.
Hi, This is my first post and I cant get to the bottom of this noise, I'm concerned it will be draining the battery. When the ignition is switched off I can hear a fan funning and it sounds to be to the rear of the battery, it runs for 3/4 minutes after the ignitionn is tured off, is this normal and can you tell me what it is please. Regards Seamba Read more
Hi, this is a fan behind the battery box which runs on after the ignition has been turned off which is supposely keeps the battery cool. Sparky 100.
The Mark 1 Jazz CVT automatic is fine. Honda for some reason known only to themselves fitted a semi-automatic gearbox to the firat Mark 2s, but have recently seen the error of their ways.
For £5,000 you're probably looking at a Mark 1, so no problem if you want an automatic.