March 2017
My wife, who has a clean driving licence for 32 years, has this week received two speeding tickets in the post - The same stretch of road- once going there and once coming back the following day. The route was about 30/40 miles and she admits she must have been careless as the speed limits varied between 30,40 and 50
She is now worried sick that there are others in the pipeline because if there is she may be facing a ban - is there any way of checking so as to either give piece of mind or at least facing the consequences.... Read more
I insure three cars for myself and the family. Over the years, I've made a few (about 4 or 5?) claims for minor damage usually involving wing mirrors / vandalism / windscreen. Every time I shop around for insurance, I get asked how many claims I've made in the last 3 or 5 or 7 years. I have a vague recollection but honestly, I don't remember with any accuracey the dates or the amounts etc... Besides which, don't the insurance companies have instant access to this information? Shouldn't they be telling me rather than asking me? I came across this which is now very old but wondered if it's still valid, i.e. how I can find out my claims history. I would have thought that in the intervening 18 years since it was written, things have progressed and I could apply online. Does anyone know? Read more
I contacted the ICO, but all they could tell me was to contact my insurers for the information. Not tremendously helpful but it doesn't sound like their specialist area - they just deal with legislation governing access to personal information.
They are the regulator and publish guidance including a code of practice for data controllers and information for the public...
I have a 1.6d Mazda 3 2007 it has an intermittent problem where it will cut out (revs drop and nothing I do will stop the car from stalling) and then the car sometimes will not want to restart, other times it will restart on first turn of the key, it could be when I am idling, driving, changing gear, accelerating, breaking, there is no correlation that I can find. The car will run fine for days, weeks or maybe just hours before this problem happens. I have had diagnostics run on the car with an independent garage using Mazda software which showed nothing, no current faults and no pending faults, the guy said the only fault he could see anywhere was an old fault on the system for the throttle positioning sensor but that it was in the history and not showing as active(he also cleared it just incase it was causing some random problem by being stored there). There is nothing obvious (such as leaking pipes, faulty wires or broken hoses in the engine) no lights ever illuminate on the dashboard when the problem happens or afterwards. I have changed the fuel filter, oil filter, air filter, MAF sensor, all 4 injectors had new seals, o-rings and seating rings, and ran some redex thru the system. The car previously had a split in the turbo intake pipe but the section was replaced and problem remained and has been getting gradually worse.. I am at a loss any help would be greatly appreciated
... Read more
You can buy a pre owned fuel rail pressure sensor from E-bay for about £20
That’s the easy bit, fitting it is a bandit (feel free to fit in alternative word), I found the sensor at the back of the engine below the fuel filter housing, heater housing and radiator pipe. I disconnected front fuel pipe on the filter and disconnected the electrical connector. You also have to remove the housing and pull the filter out and then take out the lower housing with an 8mm and 10mm socket. Below that there is radiator pipe that is a push clip release, water will come out but do it on a cold engine and you won’t lose much. There is also a metal heating housing with 2 long 8mm bolts at the back and a circular metal clip holding it onto the heater pipe. When you get this off you have to ensure you get the gasket on the engine side where the bolts went in.
You can now disconnect the sensor and unscrews it with a 27mm spanner. Then repeat the process in reverse and it’s done.
If it’s a bit much at least you can tell your mechanic the best way in.
Off on another 'Chinese vehicle' thread!.
I am a self employed 'reach and wash' window cleaner. My trusty Transit Connect is starting to show its age and i am aware i will need to think of replacing it in the not too distant future.... Read more
Thanks, that’s helpful. Not an easy problem to resolve without scraping the whole van, which would be a pity as it’s in decent condition.
Looking to buy a three year old Toyota Verso and after some searching I have noticed a couple at large car supermarkets (one being cargiant) are about £1k cheaper than the few I can find at local dealers. Seems like they all have full service history.
I assume the two years of remaining warranty is transferred no matter where you buy it from? What advantages are there to buying from a dealer considering I am not interested in finance or part exchange? Why do the dealers charge more? Read more
I've bought in the past from both main dealers and car supermarkets. One difference to bear in mind are the benefits that might be chucked in by main dealers. My Civic came with a five year service pack at a good saving over paying out for each service individually - and it includes annual oil, three year brake fluid change, pollen filter, valve clearance etc not just the bare minimum. On top of this I get free MOTs and Honda breakdown cover as long as I use the dealer for service.
Once I factored this into the comparison then the price difference between the two types of outlet narrowed considerably.
When I look again I will look at both options but consider the overall deal, not just the price of the car.
Audi have written telling me that I can have a "service action" applied to my car by the local Audi Centre free of charge. This consists of a software update only for the EA189 2.0 litre diesel engine to fix NOx emissions.
I rang Audi who say the only benefit from this fix is to stop the car giving false readings when tested for NOx emissions. Aparently the fix dosen't reduce NOx emissions. It just stops it reducing emissions under test conditions. Unlike in the US, NOx emissions are not tested as part of the annual MoT test in the UK.... Read more
dont understand why used prices are staying high, strange.
Because the general public don't follow current affairs and even less when it involves specialist items like motoring. They still believe the very successful VW advertising slogan "If only everything in life was as reliable as a Volkswagen". How else would you explain the high number of drivers you still see using hand-held mobile phones at the wheel, other than they're not aware of the new penalties?
I'm thinking of buying a BMW 320i and almost all reviews recommend ticking the adaptive suspension option even for the 318i. I'm not planning on flying around A or B roads but don't want to spoil the car for not having it. But before committing, at £750, I'd be interested in people's experiences of driving with or without it. Is it worth the money? Read more
Don't know if I'm too late to comment. I bought a 2016 BMW 3 series 320i with 17" wheels and standard suspension. All I can say is that the ride is unsettled and jittery. I would never want to suffer this again in any further cars I own. I am desperatley waiting for the supplied RFTs to wear out. Then I'll replace with Drive Guard RFTs which reviews claim are softer.
Seen a car, private seller and wondering if I should buy?
Audi A1 1.2 TFSI Sport Sportback 5dr
2013
60,000 miles
Petrol
£8,000... Read more
The belt driven EA211 is a better engine so it's worth the extra outlay for a belt change. I'm sure SP will agree with chain issues common on the older engines.
I have read of issues with the 1.2 TSi but they are far less common than they are on the 1.4 especially the twincharged one which is generally much abused and chipped/remapped.
If you are buying a 2013 car it would be barmy to buy one with a potentially troublesome engine but I am sure there are some abused 1.2 TSi's out there with belt cam engines so as always with used cars its buyer beware and keep your fingers crosed....
Hi all!... Read more
Any more ideas please?
Thanks
Hi
Few months ago I purchased a 2011 mazda 6 2.0 petrol (takuya trim). The average mpg on the computer was shown as 34 if I remember well, and the owner was using the car for a daily commute on motorways of around 30min each way.... Read more
3 mile trips means the engine never reaches optimum efficent temperture, town driving always uses more fuel, maybe a smaller engine car would have been a better choice for short journeys
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