October 2013
I had a problem in August this year and it turned out that I needed a new Turbo. I briefly read your discussion of someone who had a similar problem in March this year and promised myself I would post something when it was repaired and when I returned from holidays.
I have had not the slightest problem with my Ceed Estate having bought it new in July 08 and had it serviced at WLMG Wooburn Moor nr High Wycombe. It was serviced and MOT'd in late June (53000 miles) prior to driving to the South of France for two weeks. In the hot weather in late July/early August I started to pick up a low whine on accelerating away which then disappeared as speed increased. I kept my window open more than usual and the whine started to get louder and did not go away until I got up to say, 60mph - of course engine noise might have concealed the whine. No warning lights and no engine smells were apparent and the car seemed to perform as usual except for a slight loss of power going up my local 1 in 5 hill where I live.... Read more
M-M junior is now 19 and wanting to learn to drive. He'll soon be applying for his provisional licence, has been looking at cars, insurance quotes etc. and is seeking for some sound advice on what sort of car would best suit his needs and his pocket.
His budget is around £4-5k and he's looking for something up to 5 years old. He's mentioned the usual Polo, Corsa, Fiesta options that some of his mates have plus the Suzuki Swift. In keeping with my official status as an old fuddy-duddy, I've added to the list of potential vehicles the Hyundai Getz and Kia Picanto (long warranties in mind) and also suggested he consider some Japanese offerings like the Yaris. Ideally he wants a reliable, cheap to run (if there is such a car anymore) 5 door hatchback with up to a 1.2 petrol engine but, other than the above, I'm not able to offer much more by way of advice, except that my natural (possibly out of date) inclination is to avoid French. :)... Read more
Junior's found the information offered here very useful so thanks to all who replied. Having checked out a few cars, he's probably discounting the Aygo and variants now as they're a bit too small in the back. He'd be hoping to keep the car for a few years and will need a bit more space. I'm glad to say he's inherited my defective badge snobbery gene though and is seriously considering offerings from Kia and Hyundai.
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My car [owned from new] has always been serviced at recommended intervals by either franchised dealers or trusted independents. Just lately, applying very light brake pressure when coming to a halt [2/3 mph] has led to what may or may not be the ABS system kicking in - a sort of light "chattering", rather than pulsing, can be felt through the brake pedal itself. This can also be heard from within the car. This occurs intermittently, on smooth tarmac. In all other respects, the brakes function normally. There are no warning lights on the dash or fluid loss.
An ASK Honest John advisor suggested checking out brake discs, pads and reluctor rings. A trusted local garage has done this and everything seemed to be OK. The ABS system was also checked and appeared OK. But the issue remains as persistent as before. What's going on? Any advice would be much appreciated, please. Read more
The front ABS sensors are plugged into the hubs held by one bolt. When you undo that.,the reductor ring can be inspected by peering through the hole. The most likely faliure is the passenger side due to road dirt/water.
The rear sensors are integral with the hubs and no inspection is possible. New OE hubs are c £200(!) but pattern are c £75....
yesterday closed boot and car warning light came on that boot was open but it wasn't now this morning boot wont open can hear motor turning but not releasing lock Read more
something jammed in the boot latch,fold down rear seats there is a manual release in the tailgate you have to remove rubber grommet just above latch insert key/screwdriver and turn
Hi. Can anyone help me with the keycode for my mums keycode.
Flat battery radio no longer working. It is an rds 4500 with a serial No. M090864 Thanks a lot. It will greatly appreciated. Read more
Thanks a lot. Big cheer gone up here. Doubled the value of the car.
I purchased a 2 year old 19,000 mile car from a large car supermarket 3 weeks ago and drove it 50 miles home. The car would then not start (after 1 hour of ownership) and was towed to the local main dealer and has been there ever since. The main dealer believe the problem is contaminated fuel, but can not confirm whether this was the small amount of fuel in the car when purchased or the fuel I put in immediately after purchase (I put in the correct fuel and the receipt to prove it). They now say it is not a warranty issue due to it being a result of outside interference and so want to charge me to get the car back (saying all they want to do is repair the car and get the money, washing their hands of the issue) . I have been pushing the car supermarket to exchange/refund me for the car as it was not fit for purpose, but feel they may try to deflect the situation on to the petrol station (who I believe are unaware of the issue). I do not want to pay the dealer as I feel I may end up out of pocket by the £1700 repair bill through no fault of my own as the place of purchase and the fuel company end up in a stalemate with neither accepting liability. Am I correct in saying the liability is with the place I bought it (and I should just insist on my money back) and the onus is on them to prove someone else is liable and reclaim damages if they can? Thanks
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You need more information. It sounds like it will get tedious, so as above, a decent solicitor's time will be money well spent. i wouldn't be happy in your situation but i reckon the law's on your side here ultimately.
i bought this car 2 months ago and it ws fine apart from a slipping clutch, i had used abit of bio diesel for couple of days then it got harder to start so i stopped using the bio and went back to normal diesel. it is still abit hard to start and kinda whines throught the start operation but once started its fine. i think i may have clogged the glow plugs or something can they be cleaned or should i just replace them? Read more
I've currently got 205/50/17s on my Ford Focus 55 2.0 Titanium which is a pain during the winter at any sign of slush or snow. Only on our estate, the main roads are fine.
I did give some consideration to buying a smaller set of steel wheels and swapping them for Winter and it was recommended to go for 205/55/16s which seem to be one of the options my car could have had.
Needing new tyres anyway I looked and for anything decent at 17" it's starting £120+ whereas for the 205/55/16s they seem almost half the price.
Then I had a thought. If I bought a set of alloys at 205/55/16 and new tyres it'd probably only cost me the price of the 17" tyres and I'd make cost savings over the years on tyres. I could even sell my 17" ones on eBay.
1. Would I notice any difference having 205/55/16s in slush/snow rather than the 205/50/17s?
2. Would I need to tell my insurance company since 205/55/16 is an option on the sticker in the door?
3. Would the smaller wheels be ok for my brake discs on the 2.0?
Thanks for your help! Read more
Both tyre choices have the same width of 205, and so they both have the same road contact area which gives the same braking efficiency. You will have a more comfortable ride with a deeper profile tyre.
There are a couple of wheel and tyre suppliers on the Internet who offer a full set of German-made steel wheels complete with Winter or all-weather tyres such as Kleber Quadraxers (which are very good in snow - I've used them).
Please dont judge me for wanting a failry big 4x4 but here goes
I want a 4x4 for under £1000. I have some experience with them but dont green lane etc, it will used for lss than 5k miles a year... Read more
Hyundai iX35 and Santa Fe, Kia Sportage and Sorento can all be bought with fwd only, as well as 4wd.
Hi all
I was curious as to when a Diesel engine is considered to be run in. The reason I ask is that my current Seat, a Exeo 2.0 TDI has just covered 110,000 miles. It is four years old next March and has a full main dealer service history.
Not until it clocked 80,000 Did the engine feel as though it had really loosened up. Now it's running better than ever and seems to become more refined, quiet, smoother and more responsive with each mile I drive. It lives mainly on the motorway.
This car has been totally reliable and has only had service consumables replaced. Read more
German DB taxis normally do 1 million kilometers before they are pensioned off most end up in Africa to start a new life.
Browse
I dont know about this particular engine but turbos can whine for ages befor they go. I used to drive a old daf lorry. The turbo on that started whining at 25000km and it funaly blew up 50000km later. So you properly could of got away with it but best to be safe and do what you did and get it fixed before it goes bang.