May 2012
I bought an MG TF in August 2011 and for peace of mind opted for a £290 12 month used car warranty with The Warranty Co. Recently, when checking the oil levels etc I noticed the coolant level had dropped considerably and there was sludge on the coolant cap. With my little knowledge of cars I suspected there may be a problem with the cylinder head gasket. I contacted the Warranty Company's recommended repairer (Halfords Autocentre) and booked my car in. They, in turn, contacted the Warranty Company who said the cylinder head would have to be removed for examination. I had to give authorisation for the stripdown, which I duly did. Within a few days the garage received a fax from the Warranty Company rejecting my claim on the basis that the fault had been caused by wear & tear. Upon checking the Warranty Handbook, it clearly states that wear and tear is excluded from the policy but do not define or provide any examples of "wear & tear" I also noted that when I took out the policy at the dealers premises, I was not offered a cooling off period. Having carefully checked the wording of their terms & conditions I would have been reluctant to take out a warranty that was so prejudiced against the consumer. Does anybody have any advice to offer on my rights? Read more
Have purchased a vauxhall omega workshop service & repair manual from QuickManuals.co.uk but I dont know what program I need to open this disc, had issues with company took my money like yesterday but didnt post disc out to me for two weeks, have asked them what program I need to open disc, but nothing but (silence) as I would have expected, any one out there with any idea how to open this disc please,(gisajo1) Read more
whats the max bore for this engine?Can you go beyond 1340cc?Anyone know? Read more
Put a turbo on it.
The MG Metro turbo A+ unit would drop in, but I wouldn't want to bet on being able to find space in a Mini for the induction/exhaust/turbo arrangement....
I read on an earlier post on here about somebody that was locked out of their car which is the problem i have now. There was a guy called 1400ted who could offer advice but only through email. does anybody know how to contact other members on this site or can anybody offer any advice???
many thanx... Read more
Are the keys in the car and you don't have a spare or is it an electro mechanical problem?
did i see correctly on top gear that this jet plane reached an astonishing 419.5kmh? Read more
A colleague has just got an old motorbike that has been buried in a barn for the past 20 years. All the paperwork up to about 1990 was with the bike. He intends to rebuild it and get it back on the road. However, he is a bit concerned that this has not had a SORN for the period that a SORN has been required. There has been no correspondence from the DVLA during the period it has been out of use. Is he likely to have any problems when going through DVLA for change of ownership and SORN? Read more
If the bike/car was registered with DVLA, so a V5 exists, the registration should be safe. If the vehicle layup pre-dates that, and it was only registered with the local authority, then DVLA may have reissued the number plate. If not, and if you can prove entitlement, there is a proceedure to go through where you should get the original number back.
Take plenty of photos!...
Hi There!
Bought a car 2 months ago from a decent looking dealership, not a main dealer though.... Read more
heh, thanks, 3,500 will certainly be a struggle
I took the 1,000 on the chin at VW, I think there's a fair point in saying that these items are wear and tear stuff that I should've perhaps found through a thorough inspection before buying the car...
I need to book a hire car soon for my holiday in San Diego. Its been a while since I've been to the USA and its seems like many other things its gotten a bit more confusing with regards to the insurance.
Some comanies quote with full Collision Damage Waiver, but some companies are unclear as to what the standard package is but try to sell you bronze silver gold packages as extras. ... Read more
Recently used Dollar @ Phoenix Sky Harbour.
We booked in advance online and the process was completely painless on arrival at the dedicated car hire facility situated a couple of miles away from the airport (free regular courtesy buses) Drivers will lift your luggage on/off for you without question/hesitation/tipping!). America is so much slicker at doing stuff like this than we are. It really puts us to shame....
Last night I was pulled over by the police as my car came through as having no insurance as it was newly bought and only recently covered by Motor Insurance Bureau, after the police had established that I was indeed insured to drive they proceeded to breathalyse me (as I had admitted to having a drink). I blew a 52 on the initial test and was subsequently taken back to the station, in the station I blew a 61 and as you can probably guess will be appearing in court.
I completely regret taking the decison to drive even though it was in order to prevent my Brother from driving (which is no excuse as it was MY decison).... Read more
yup, its likely to be a year and points anbd a small fine with other costs too...
the big hit is going to be the insurance premium once the ban ends....its likely to be seriously huge, go try it now as if it is already summer 2013 and keep your fingers crossed!!
Hello all.
I will be looking for a car in the next few weeks but have a very limited budget of under £500.... Read more
I must admit we halways have few vehicles ready to roll for a few reasons - in 2002 we bought a 1994 LHD BMW316 with 100ishK (62k miles ) on the clock. There have been occasions that this has done 0 -100miles between MOT's but has NEVER cost us anything between MOT's between 2006 and now. We are now on 265,000k's. It has got us out of holes, lent it to staff to use whilst between vehicles etc. I have never owned a cheaper vehicle over the years. I also employ a few guys who would rather spend 1000-1500£ on an old A8, 735 etc for a year or two just for the fun of itt - only epsensive bits are tyres, pads maybe and if it breaks down then split it for spares. Far more fun in that bracket than Escort estates and if bought correctly then more reliable and well built as well.
Whilst I wouldn't touch a warranty with a bargepole, I cannot see how a failed head gasket can be considered 'wear and tear'. It is not a serviceable item, Head gaskets can fail due to overheating (which is misuse on behalf of the driver) but that doesn't fall under the catagory of wear and tear!