July 2014
Hi. Here's one for you to get your head ticking on a Sat morning :)
... Read more
I need a couple of new tyres for my car and like always I find myself wondering which ones to buy some new ones.
Has anyone any knowledge of all season tyres like Goodyear Four Seasons, how do they compare to normal tyres we use in the UK, do they wear much quicker?... Read more
I've just fitted a set of Goodyear Eagle LS2 (mult-season) tyres to my wife's outlander. These are not that common in the UK but are widely used in the US. The Outlander seems to have a less common fitment and many other multi-season tyres were not available in the size so I decided to take a punt on the LS2s. So far the LS2s are impressive - good grip in the wet and muddy lanes which we drive on all winter. Some light off-roading on a wet/muddy slope was no problem. Snow performance is obviously unknown at this stage, the tread isn't like that of a full on winter tyre so I expect they'll be adequate rather than great, but they are an all-rounder and that's why we purchased them so some compromise is expected.
I have also been impressed with a set of goodyear efficient grip tyres recently fitted to a passat estate - solid in the wet and noticably quieter than the conti sport contact 2s they replaced....
Looking for some advice on rejecting a car.
... Read more
If they refuse the rejection, you will have to go to court. This is not that easy and takes time and costs money. Before you do so be aware that:
(a) You will have upfront court costs and will have to get a proper, independent, report on the car. You can't just turn up at court without some proper evidence of what is wrong with it....
Every day I see Land Rovers for sale as "Tax exempt", but with modifications. When I view these modifications against the DVLA guidance (engine, gearbox, chassis, suspension, axles, steering etc.) these vehicles should be registered on "Q" plates as there is so little of the original vehicle left.
However, time after time these vehicles appear with pre 1974 number plates. There are so many around that I am starting to believe I have mis-interpreted the DVLA guidance.... Read more
I was with my father and mother in my dad's company car (bulgarian plates), when we got stopped by police exiting the motorway toll station (they have a lot of those). We stayed there for quite a while since we didn't know what we were doing with all the euro coins, and they probably thought this as suspicious.
Took a quick look at my dad's id and license, asked for the car's paperwork and the passenger's IDs (me & my mom). My dad got quite irritated by this, and the cop was very agitated, (probably high on thinking he cought someone without the proper paperwork). Policeman went to the car and started checking the papers while my dad went to the car. The police didn't speak a word of english, and finally after our contact in italy came to translate (he was in another car in front of us) the policeman said that all the papers are in order and we can go. Didn't utter anything resembling "sorry". ... Read more
Hello Alex, my guess is the stop was because of the Bulgarian plates on the car. Italy is a prime spot for people traficking and the Eastern Europeans are percieved as the villains. However, it is just like being stopped anywhere by the police, if you have your correct documents etc etc you have nothing to fear and a check only takes minutes. All part of lifes' rich pattern! Cheers Concrete
Where could I obtain overall transmission ratios for the "1.4" Jazz.
Many thanks. Read more
Hi all, got a slight problem at the mo, with the wifes Focus hatch. The headlights are stuck on high beam when she turns the headlight switch on. Side lights/F&R fogs all ok, but when swiched to dipped beam, goes straight to high beam. I suspected the LH stalk may be faulty, but everything seems to work ok. Im no mechanic, but im going to have to try and repair it myself. Im just wondering if any other forum members have had this problem and if so, could you kindly let me know how you rectified it, or pass on any tips. Many thanks. Read more
Thanks, the problem was the switch didn't click as you pulled it towards you, so when you turned the rotary light switch on in the dipped position the headlights were stuck on full beam. you could still use the stalk to flash, but only with the light switch off. with assistance from a friend we dismantled the l/h/s casing this afternoon and found a bit of broken round white plastic at the end of where the stalk arm joins the casing. There is a Ford part number stamped on the inside of the casing, so i shall obtain a price for that. My friend has managed to effect a temporary repair so the dipped beam function is available again, however there is now no full beam or flash. but after consulting the wife she was happy to go with that, albeit temporarily as, like me she always uses dipped beam when driving in rain. Thankyou again for your responses, they are appreciated.
I have just had a claim refused by warranty direct, what are my chances.
I bought a BMW 320i 2007 with full service history from the main dealer and what a lovely car it is. I had it serviced at my local BMW dealership in accordance with the service requirements. I am very happy with the car and bought a "Warranty Direct Car policy" to cover me for the big ticket items in case it needed them at some stage. I figured with a car with regular main dealer servicing should be ok but just in case took out the warranty. On the last service they pointed out a small oil leak which I needed to have investigated by BMW. That happened yesterday and they told me it was a sump gasket and vanos gasket and that the cost would be £1061. No worries I thought as I had taken out additional insurance above the £380 policy to be able to let BMW work on my car. I called Warranty claim department who had me give the BMW dealership a direct number. BMW called Warranty Direct explained the work and I got a call from Warranty Direct saying that I was not covered under their policy. The policy says that oil leaks are not covered unless the engine has to be removed to fix it, as this job takes 7 hours to do. The entire suspension undercarriage has to be removed along with the axles, steering components and some AC pipes, the engine has to be supported during this process. So as you can see a big job. Reading the website blurb for Warranty Direct who are an insurance seller the state on the front page they state "Complete protection" well that statement is misleading, the policy states they do not do oil leaks unless engine out as I said which would avoid small jobs on other cars but this policy is tailored to my car and a £1061 repair is not covered I have wasted my money on a bad policy. As usual read all policy details and the small print and do not assume anything. As for me I am proceeding with a complaint to Warranty Direct which will go nowhere until I take it to the ombudsman which I will do as they are mis selling on their website. I have the time the patience and the experience. If anyone else has had a problem with Warranty Direct I would like to hear from them. Read more
I can't believe people are still buying these after-market warranties.
They aren't worth the paper they're printed on....
Hello I have a ford galaxy 2.0 petrol When driving at low speed and the engine struggling a bit it has developed a missfire. It starts fine and ticks over as normal when you get the revs up the missfire doesnt happen. When it first started i changed the spark plugs just wondering of any ideas next. Thank you. Read more
The HT Leads
Hello I have a ford galaxy petrol which miss fires at low speed when the engine is made to struggle a bit. If i keep the revs higher doesnt happen. I have changed the plugs since it started just wondering where to try next. Many thanks Read more
Browse
hi was wondering what was your out come, my wifes cars doing the same, i know why they replaced the pendal as it has a sensor on it... was it a faulty part?
did you car loose revs and started to stall?