July 2018
Taking delivery next week of a nearly new CX3 and been offered a 3 year service plan as an option. Am quite tempted. 3 services. I can pay monthly. Car guaranteed for 3 years. Dealership-just down the road.Are these deals a good idea? What do they include and what do they not include?
I have a confident and cheaper local independent, but doubt whether he has access to all the Mazda gadgetry(s)... Read more
Hello,
I own a Honda HRV 1.5 i-VTEC Manual Petrol. I am going to do a long trip with it and I'd need to buy a spare tyre. My honda has 17" ALLOY WHEELS
The problem is that I know nothing about cars, so it would be really appreciated if anyone of you could help me with this.
I'd like to know if this tyre would work. Ling Long Greenmax - 215/55/R17 94V - E/B/71 - Summer tyre
Is it for the Honda HRV? And does it fit in its trunk (in the space available for the spare tyre)?
Thank you all Read more
Your problem is more getting the right alloy or steel wheel/space saver & tyre.
The tyre needs to be the right size, off-set etc etc...
It seems the Hyundai/Kia commitment to quality (A journey they started about 20 years ago) is continuing to pay off. The rest are about where you'd expect them, but I was suprised to see Vauxhall pip Honda into the top 10.
www.am-online.com/news/manufacturer/2018/07/11/hyu...y Read more
Both my neighbours have Vitaras (there's some special lease price for police - and they're both eligible). Both seem very happy.
Evening all, hopefully someone on here will have had this problem, there's a very slight coolant leak on my 08 Fiesta, not losing that much but it is noticeable on a weekly check, dropping by about 10mm or so from the Max line. This did happen a little while ago and it was leaking by the thermostat which was fixed, had a look under the car and noticed some where the leaking coolant was settling, along the bottom of the cover for the cam belt. No sludge or anything like that in the oil and can't see any other leaks so any ideas where it is leaking out and how long it'll take to fix? Thanks Read more
Apologies for the delayed reply here, at first it seemed it was just a crack near the overflow pipe that was causing the issue but in fact the actual bottle had cracked near the base, so that's been replaced and touch wood no problems since
What is the theoretical maximum range for the Sharan’s 16 litre Adblue tank?
I had mine filled up 14k miles ago and still have had no warning light or info to say I’ve got x miles until I need to refill. Read more
Following on from my original post - I’ve just had the car serviced and after plugging it in to their diagnostics I was told it’s used 49% of its Adblue - so that’s approx 8 litres of Adblue for 15k miles. (The car hasn’t had the software update.)
Hi, folks,
Just purchased a Kia Picanto and given it's new and more than we have ever spent on a car before I am considering buying a "physical" anti-theft device.... Read more
Don't mention isolator switches, i had one fitted to my MB many years ago by my mobile sparky, and yes i forgot all about it.
So much did i forget it that when it failed to turn over ocne after i'd vacuumed it and accidentally flicked the switch, i then hot wired the starter to get it going and took it over to my MB indy....
I'm a long time reader of this forum and find myself with a dilemma I would appreciate some help with.
My wifes car needs replacing with a mid size petrol car to do 5K miles a year with a budget of 12K to keep for 8 years.... Read more
I've had an Astra 1.4t Elite for over 18 months and I've been very happy with it. Never thought I'd ever see myself in a Vauxhall but the K is leaps and bounds ahead of the previous J model and is much better equipped that the equivalent Focus or Golf.
As another poster pointed out there were problems with the new Astra turbo engines that were solved with an new oil spec and an ECU upgrade, if you do get one make sure this has been carried out....
Hi all
first of all sorry by my English.... Read more
Why not just go round to the house and speak to her in person?
What are people's thoughts on buying from a car supermarket vs main dealers? I am looking at 2 identical vehicles with a price difference of around £800 (in favour of the supermarket) but am unsure what to do.
The main dealer supplies a 12-month warranty and their vehicle has been a one owner privately owned car with full main dealer service history. ... Read more
Absolutely, use air con if it makes you feel more comfortable. Cars do tend to heat up. I keep mine on for a few minutes if the car has sat in the sun, to cool it down. Yet another luxury in modern cars.
Forty years ago I jacked up and placed enough bricks under my Mk1 Escort to be able to wriggle underneath to remove the propshaft and the gearbox then renew the clutch plate and the very noisy release bearing. This and many other practical tasks were typical amongst the young motoring crowd that I hung around with and no one thought anything particular of it. The following weeks brought enhanced enjoyment of driving with smooth pull aways and noiseless clutch dipping until you got used to it and then something else would come to your attention. The almost continuous tinkering with an old car to keep it as good as possible was part of the motoring experience and the word driver implied some mechanical knowledge. Most drivers brought up on these vehicles would have learned some mechanical sympathy and perhaps still have it. I wonder if we are expecting too much from todays motoring crowd who are brought up on vehicles with dynamic qualities plus comfort and ease of use we could only have dreamed of combined with perhaps just one annual visit to the garage. I write of these things because the contributors to this motoring section reflect so many of the thoughts that time in my retirement now allows. For many people the car is like the fridge / washing machine / microwave and numerous white goods that perform the required task and little understanding of them is required. Indeed the manufacturers push the wifi and other electronic features as the principal reason for purchasing rather than the basic function of the product. For me the driving I do still includes some of that satisfaction derived from some knowledge of a well maintained machine and I wonder if all the other motorists whizzing past me are missing out. Or is this all irrelevant other than to the few left of similar experience. Read more
I doubt main dealer services would be up to your standard.
Main dealer could not let a fitter take that much time over an oil change or anything else for that matter...
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To add to the already excellent commentary as a owner of a Mazda car from new for over 12 years, I too would endorse checking both the prices AND reviews of as many Mazda main dealers as possible that are within reasonable reach, as servicing prices can vary by up to 15% in my experience, particularly if you live near a large city or upmarket area. Sadly the quality of the service departments at their dealers varies quite a bit and thus I'd go by reputation far more than price.
During the 3 year warranty period don't use an indie for servicing for the reasons already given, but a good one may be worth using for brake servicing and repairs as the vast majority of faults won't be covered by the warranty (as most, as I've discovered, are due to low use) and aren't cheap to fix at most main dealers. Some may price match indies if you're lucky, but again go on quality only - poor repairs or servicing will shorten the car's life, cost you more in the long run and can be more than an annoyance....