August 2012
is it really normal for a car that does no more than 7,000 miles a year to need a full set of tyres EVERY yearly service?
Yet again my dads car supposedly needs brand new tyres "as they are on the legal limit". I cant help feeling that the garage are taking the mick (especially when they want to charge over £180 per tyre). When challenged this year (when they were reminded that the tyres are a year old and have done no more than 7000 miles) they have come out with an excuse of "tyre Stepping" . What does this actually mean??? Read more
i am looking to change the spark plugs and would welcome any instructions on how to do it !!!
on other cars it always seemed so straightforward but on this car i am having trouble seeing how i get to remove them !!!... Read more
I am taking my second hand avensis for a service , when i got the car , the salesman told me i had to take a certain car key with me , something toi do with imformation on it, but when i booked the car in and mentioned this , they had no idea what i was talking about , can someone please help me on this before i take it in for service. Read more
If they are like the Prius there is a tag fastened to one of the keys with all the vehicle id onit
Hi,
About six months ago kwik fit replaced my car's rear shocks and springs, I thought all was well until one day I stopped by the police and asked if I was carrying a heavy load in the boot.... Read more
I doubt if you can get rear dampers for an 04 that aren't gas pressurised. Just get a pair of Monroe off the Internet or Euro Car Parts. You'll need a replacement bump-stop kit as well, as these disintegrate over the years. The Boge kits are readily available on line.
Having just returned from driving 2,400 miles through France and Spain, I can honestly say that High Viz vests should be compulsary in the UK as I believe they will save lives. A set of replacement bulbs however are just pointless, as who can change a xenon headlight apart from a dealer? Read more
Anyone want to bet that speed limiters on lorries (which a judge in Canada recently said endangered the driver of the lorry and everyone around him) were fitted after a campaign by the manufacturers? If you try and sell something like that normally you spend a lot on advertising and you might sell a few to hauliers who think their lorries should go slower, but if you can persuade governments to make them compulsory you've got a licence to print money.
Since 2009 when it first appeared on the market, I have "liked and been tempted" by the Laguna coupe. It's been a classic case of head versus heart; my heart loved the look of it, the fact that it had a certain "exclusivity" - OK, Renault's marketing and dealer reputation left a lot to be desired and the look of the hatchback didn't exactly help. In fact, such was the poor image that Renault have stopped selling them in this country. And the head saying "impractical, massive depreciation and, yes, it's French so will be dodgy in the electrics in particular".
But, having just reached a certain age, and the fact that my current car was getting ready for changing, I thought, let's face it, you can identify "issues" of one sort or another with most makes and models, and life is getting shorter. I can't afford, nor would I want an expensive German coupe, so, yes, I have gone and done it... One appeared for sale at a local main dealer, in the colour that I like most - oyster blue. It's half way through its Renault warranty and it's taken the depreciation hit.... Read more
I'm the one who started this thread just over three years ago, and am pleased to see it being picked up again.
I can also report that I still have my Laguna coupe and I still like it - especially its looks - and exclusivity. ...
Just got back from an epic holiday to Southern California, and could'nt help noticing that a large proportion of their cars were still mega gas guzzlers, even though regular Gasoline is now about 66p a litre.
I know its still less than half what we pay but it must still hurt running something like a 5.8 V8 Chevvy Silverado or Ford F350 'Super-Duty' truck.... Read more
I disagree with this sentiment that people cannot afford fuel, but they can afford a 42" flatscreen tv and all the latest electonic consumer goods.
It's not that people cannot afford fuel (although that will be the case eventually if the Chancellor gets his way), the issue is why would people bother going to work when most of their wage goes towards just getting there? May as well stay at home....
car hesitates can not find vacuum leeks need a diagram of vacuum pipes Read more
Do you have a fast idle? If you don't, I doubt that you have a vacuum leak.
my gear stick on my Leon has gone very slack. All the gears work and the gear can be selcted easily, it is jsut that the gear stick no longer springs back into the centre when in neutral, it just stays where it comes out of a gear, you have to physically move it into the gear with direct guidance.
1) has anything major happened?
2) how much does it cost to replace any problem parts?
3) would I be better off going to a local garage to fix it?... Read more
Hi All
Hoping for some help to keep a long story short i needed to be driving as i have a new job coming up in a few months, after 15 manual lesson and still stalling, i went for automatic and was so much easyier and was better for me as i didnt have 6 months plus to wait around. now i have to find a good automatic for my budget which atm is only 1000 maybe can take it to 2000 if it was worth paying the extra for a first car, i did research and most people say go for japanese cars avoid the european automatics but a lot of them cars are not in my price range has any one got any suggestions for me ?? ... Read more
Though i would you just add this incase in can help anyone out in the future with the same question the list i got from research is
Kia Picanto...
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Swap my tyres front to rear every year but never side to side which can accelerate wear as the tyre gets used to rotating the opposite way. Many tyres are directional thus cannot be changed side to side anyway.