March 2020
HJ's agony colums is now evidently culled from the weekly ask HJ answers.
Does any one have any better suggestions?... Read more
I have been looking at some Toyota Verso's about 5 years old. The majority of them seem to have the capability for Satnav but it was never loaded on by the previous owner. So that nice big screen goes to waste. I was told by one seller that you have to register for it with a Toyota dealer which costs approx £500. Is this right? Or is there a cheaper way? Read more
Many thanks for all the suggestions. I am quite familiar with using a phone for Satnav but I just thought it would be inelegant to have a button marked NAV that did not bring up any mapping. I accept it would be a few years old. It turns out that if you want a car with the Satnav connected, plus some other features we want, you have to specify the 'Verso TREND' model, rather than ICON.
I was wondering what the forum would choose to buy for approximately £5000 that is powerful and fast the lights when required.
The car sits in a garage for most of the year and is not used on a regular basis so a fuel guzzler and high road tax aren't an issue.
Somewhat reliable would be a bonus
Prefer an Auto as the gear shifts are faster but fine with a manual
Short list so far
-Mazda 3 MPS
-Seat Leon FR-but apparently the DSG tends to go "limp" sometimes for a second while starting off.
-Seat Leon Cupra-but available only as a manual
Any thoughts on this and other suggestions do add.
Thanks
Read more
I think you are overcompensating here a little, you currently have a 1.6 NA petrol engine in a fairly heavy car, it will require some revs and throttle to get it to shift quickly.
Almost anything of a similar size and weight with a 2.0 litre or above, or 1.6 or above turbocharged will feel completely different to what you have now....
300 miles total so far.
After the MG, reassuringly solid, quieter on the road. Zero problems, as expected.... Read more
Went to Heathrow from Colchester monday, and return. Zeroed fuel consumption at start, showed about 44. a bit average 190 miles round trip in good driving conditions not pushing it too much. so -10% and 40 ish mpg acceptable.
will verify brim to brim when able to get out again....
Hi I’m in need Of some help/advice please!!
I have a T-Reg 1999 mk4 ford fiesta Zetec-S 1.25 16v
At the moment my car is not idling very well and it also has a misfiring problem????
I have changed all the spark plugs and I have also put a new set of ignition leads(HT leads)on too!!
Although this unfortunately has not made any change to the performance of my vehicle with regards to the idling situation nor has it had any effect to the misfiring situation either????
I have recently been advised that I should maybe also try changing the ignition coil pack....which I have purchased!!
But unfortunately this is where I’m now stuck as I can’t seem to find any information or advice on the internet about how to change the coil pack on the mk4 fiesta model-which was manufactured between 1995-2002....I can only find information/videos on Mk5/6/7 models-which are 2002-present
I really hope that someone can shed some light on this situation for me please
Many Thanks In Advance
Kaz Read more
Probably not daft at all. Remember the old Citroen 2CV? The engine was a 650cc air cooled twin. It was the first car to use a distributorless ignition system. It had a double ended coil switched by a set of contact breaker points operated off the crankshaft. As both spark plugs fired at the same time it was found that the positive electrode would wear on one plug and the negative would wear on the other. On a damp morning when they wouldn't start a usual trick was to remove the spark plugs and swap them side for side. They would nearly always then fire up straight away. The system used on Fords is not a million miles different.
HJ has left the building? Read more
@ Penumbra
So he was supposed to give different answers and lie just to please you? And yet you keep coming back. Weird.
Today I received a letter from TV licensing, which informed me that free licences for over 75s ends on May 31st this year.
It included a leaflet and form for those in receipt of Pension Credit to apply for a free licence. All very reasonable, except that the letter states that this 'free' licence will be "paid for by the BBC".... Read more
The BBC has put a lot more free series on catch up on Sky to keep folks entertained through the current crises.
Very good. I hope they put this material on their i player facility too. Everyone seems to pulling the same direction. My mobile provider has increased my phone, text and data package at no extra cost because they say people are keeping in touch via phones, texts, whatsapp etc etc....
This isn't a swipe at EVs but a specific question about EV battery charging, i asked this question in another thread but no replies and thought it might warrant a thread of its own anyway.
Yes we know the infrastructure will improve over time, but it's part charging that interests .... Read more
See thread, "electric cars ... the future" mate
This has been discussed many times before but I thought it was worth a post to see if anyone had any advice or words of wisdom. It’s renewal time for my breakdown cover, which is for the Logan and the MX5. I’ve been with Autoaid for the last few years, but the renewal price has gone up from £43.31 to £59.99, which seems a bit of a hike.
My car insurance are offering RAC cover for a supposed reduced rate of £109! And compare the market offer an array of companies I’ve never heard of from £42 to £120. ... Read more
Bought the extra cover from Auto aid which refunds the cost of lost keys etc.
£12 i think. Piece of mind definitely....
clip,clop.clip,clop over the rickety-rackety bridge.
I wonder whats underneath? Read more
Get most of of mine from Ebay, generally the cheapest although prices vary. If you have a good look at the pictures you will very often find that the cheap and expensive parts are identical.
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Without government support most companies could not fund fixed costs and staff pay for somewhere between 3 months and a year. Closure would (a) lead to huge levels of unemployment (5-10m??), and (b) would make it very difficult to restart the economy post crisis....