February 2014
Hi all,
Just wondering what the backroomers views are on Brand new car models and Faults. Example the Brand new Ford Focus comes out later this year, I'd love one... But would you buy on launch, or do you wait maybe 12 months or so until fault reporting on the model is clearer and adjustments made at the assembley line and faults 'ironed' out so to speak? Much like the iphone 5 on launch, paint work chipping away from the box, power button faulty. Apple stop production for a few days after a few months of complaints, increase the QC standards and use slightly different paint, much improved product.... you get my drift :)... Read more
My local garage in the west London suburbs re-set my tracking yesterday, as part of the service.
The guy there told me that their work on suspensions had increased tenfold over the last decade - and in his view, speed bumps are the reason. Read more
Millions of motorists in modern vehicles face being unwittingly tracked by Big Brother technology that records their every move and even phone calls, motoring groups have warned.
Modern cars have become so high-tech and connected - with satnav, Bluetooth and wi- fi - that they collect details of the time, place and speed of every mile travelled.
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A bit off topic Galilieo but thats why Barry is trying to take guns away from the law abiding yanks, leaving them only in the hands of the criminals. The better to control the people, like how we are bossed around by the unelected EU Kommisars and so forth.
Second why has the Dept of Homeland Security made massive orders for ammunition? Enough to shoot every man woman and child in America a dozen times over. Maybe the Tshirt paranoid loonies are right this time. ...
sensible decision - otherwise the home owner should have stood for council in the same ward as the present leader with an agenda to ensure the leader lost his / her seat
After replacing the front wiper motor the wipers now park, but the arc is about 30-40mm too short each end of the stroke. I allowed the motor to park before attaching the wiper arms, but I may have moved the connecting arms as I tightened the nut on top of the motor/gearbox. On each cycle the wipers first go down about 30mm and then up for the arc before parking down but about 30mm too high. If I position the wiper arm on the spline any lower the blade will go off the bottom of the screen.
So my questions are (1) how to adjust this to correct the park position. (2) stop the first downward movement and (3) adjust the arc? Sorry to be long-winded, but it's a complicated story. Read more
Thanks 659, that makes sense. I will give that a try.
Funny you should mention the column switch. In the past month the turn indicator has been intermittantly clicking after the stalk has returned to the neutral position. Perhaps this is a similar problem....
I am considering buying a more economical car. At the moment I have a Hyundai Tucson, it is of course perfect for my 2 dogs (Lab and Collie) however, it's time for me to search something a little more economical.
I have been looking at Smart ForFours online, although haven't yet been able to find one in my area to actually have a look at to judge the boot area. I don't want my dogs to be too cramped! The car will be basically for me and my elderly mother, so the back seats won't be used much.... Read more
Dacia any good? Deal looks amazing on them!
On my previous car, the dealer talked me into taking out the insurance that allows you have a new replacement car if yours is written off within the first year of ownership. However, this time round I have declined this. Is this a worthwhile thing to have and do the insurance companies offer the same as an add on to their policies? Read more
They used to be comparatively expensive for me in the past, but down to £130 now (rural, old git). Saved 65p by adding my brother as a named driver!
look ata cruze from the same angle a bit squashed up maybe.
makes a nice jag ugh type
Thinking of trading up from mk 6 golf match to a mk7 GT model Does anyone know if the ACC adaptive chassis suspension option is worth getting. The suspension on make 6 is ok but I still find the ride a bit hard on our roads.
I know the GT version has lowered suspension and planning to stick to the 17inch wheels but cannot find a version to test drive with ACC.
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I’m going to buy a new car and want advice on the long term additional costs of a diesel (e.g. DPF mileage related fouling or longer term renewal) that I would need to factor into the equation in the choice of a diesel or petrol car based on 8 to 10k miles a year, a mix of long (100 miles+) and shorter runs, and keeping the car for 8 to 9 years. I’d like to stay with Audi VW cars. I have driven a ’54 VW Passat Estate 1.9TDI from new. It has 120k miles on the clock, no DPF and runs well. ... Read more
There is a vicious circle going on here. The car makers want to sell more cars, so dont want them to last too long. the governing bodies want us to buy more cars, vat, depreciation etc, not to mention improving fuel consumption. The public like buying more cars. So everyone it seems want cars made cheaper with a shorter life, except those of us who actually want a long term quality purchace to last and last, that is reliable, and easy to fix when it isnt.
Trying to single out one manufacturer or another who make cars that will outlast the others, while being easy to maintain isnt easy. I am not sure any qualify any more. In 50 years there will probably be more cars from the 1960 still working than cars from the first decade of the 21st century
Browse
To be honest, there are probably as many examples of manufacturers getting cars right-first-time as there are 'lemons.'
The problem is that ancillary components (like DPFs and their sensors, or fuel injectors) are expensive and can have a disproportionate effect on a models' reliability - for example the recent case with Mercedes diesel Bluemotion cars and the dodgy batch of injectors, which caused supply problems.