March 2021
Hi all,
Not much of a car expert so looking for some advice here. I bought an used X-Trail from Nissan dealership in May 2018, under an year old and had done 10k miles. Almost an year after owning the vehicle, i noticed oil on the driveway so called up service centre. They were prompt and replaced the timing belt cover under warranty in 2019 when they found the source after inspection. 2020 COVID happened so vehicle wasn't serviced but this year 2021, it went back to Nissan dealership for MOT and service and guess what, the same leak has happened again. I have been quoted ~1000 gbp for works to replace the cover and reseal.... Read more
Hi,
I washed my car today main body, wheel arches etc. Up until i washed the car the car was running fine.... Read more
Yes all the lights light up as normal and the starter motor has a strong turn over.
I am thinking about buying a used Renault Captur as I had one as a hire car on holiday a couple of years ago and enjoyed driving it. So, I’m thinking about getting a diesel one, maybe a 2016 or 2017 model. I see there are two choices, a 90bhp 5-speed manual gearbox or the 110ps with the 6-speed gearbox.
Most of my driving is on motorways and A roads at 70mph, so the diesel is probably a sensible choice, but what’s your thoughts re the 5-speed or 6-speed gearbox choices?... Read more
Depends what you want from a car. Its more sedate LWB cousin 'limo' has a higher geared final drive. My contact in Kansas tells me his 2006 LWB W12 shows 2150 at 80mph which translates to around 37mph per 1000 revs. Audi geared the SWB 'sport' for mid range performance and acceleration, a bit like a rally car but obviously not as few mph per 1000 revs in top gear. So the 0-60 time is less and in theory it could even have a better top speed than the LWB if the 250kph limiter was disabled - it might well do 180 mph at 6,000 revs.
I was working at a Saab dealer when the 2.3 turbo debuted in the 9000. I remember reading in a magazine at the time how it would do 50-70 in 5th gear quicker than a Ferrari Testarossa. All very impressive, but I was thinking that the Ferrari is geared to do 180mph, whereas the Saab topped out at about 140mph. Were the Ferrari's 5th gear the same as the Saab's, would it still take longer to do 50-70?, unlikely. ...
Hi all,
I was booked in for an MOT and service the other day and when I went to start my car it refused. When I start the ignition the engine turns over and seems to catch, but cuts out straight away. It is also giving messages about the engine overheating, but the engine is running for literally seconds, so I don't think this is actually the case. The first warning is about the AC being turned off due to high engine temperature and the second warning, which shows up after sitting with the ignition at position 2 for a few minutes, is one about the engine overheating while idle (but the engine isn’t idling, because it’s already cut out by that point...).
Really I’m just looking for a bit of a steer on what this could be and how expensive it’s going to be to fix. I’ve contacted a garage and I’m waiting for a reply from them at the moment, but thought I’d ask here too.
Thanks,
Beth Read more
Hi, just wondering if you ever got to the bottom of this? I have the exact same car and exact same issue. Thanks
£149 for a four year old car which seems extortionate to me. Where do people here get this done and do I need to bother if it’s working fine? Thanks guys. Read more
Yes, compressor oil is not changed as above. When an aircon is regassed, they usually use a fully automatic machine. It removes and weighs any gas left in the system, and separates any oil that is held in suspension in the gas. This will be in the order of only a few ml. It pulls a vacuum to remove all the gas, any water present boils off too. It checks the system for leaks by then stopping and checking the vacuum is still maintained after being stood for around 30 minutes or more. It then refills the system using a set weight of new gas. At the same time new oil is added, equal to amount removed plus a bit usually 5-10ml depending on how much gas had been lost.
If the vacuum test fails, it indicates a leak, the machine stops as its illegal to refill a leaking aircon system. One significant advantage with kwikfit type places is if it they don't charge the customer if the machine fails the vacuum test (ask them beforehand to be sure). No idea but doubt a dealer would do that.
I'm not asking for specific advice, just mulling things over generally. I only learned to drive 3 years ago at 26, and have practically 0 knowledge of cars. Since then I've owned two cars that I've spent almost £3k on for repairs, services, tyres etc.
My current car is a 10 year old fiesta that I like a lot, but it's just cost me another £700 to get through its last MOT. The main reason I decided to pay for the repairs rather than scrap it is because I'd already spent £800 on a new clutch, cam belt, and tyres in the last year and didn't want to "waste" that money. ... Read more
I spent the past 30 mins on auto trader, lots of junk under £2000 with the occasional gem mixed in
If you do your research you may find a bargain
I am interested in buying a used Skoda Octavia Estate VRS Estate, the 2017 model I have seen is within my budget - it is priced at 10k. However, the reason it is in my budget is because of the high mileage (123k). It has full dealership service history, and the cambelt was changed at 119k miles. It was owned by Lex Auto Lease - so I presume it was an ex company vehicle.
Should I avoid this car, or is the mileage an issue? I don't do a massive amount of miles, but I might be travelling more to holidays in the UK, with COVID for the near future.... Read more
Any Audi/VW/Skoda/Seat petrol with the 2.0ltr turbo giving some 215 to 245bhp for the later models. Any VW Golf GTI is a good bet. A BMW 330i has some 245bhp
You will find that on the road you will often have little opportunity to exploit the full potential of the above and when you do fuel consumption suffers. Also insurance has also to be considered....
Hi all, having thought it was on its way out, I've tested the EFB battery in my 2013 Seat Alhambra...my KW600 says its good and needs recharging. Its been charging on and off via a Ctek XS 0.8 over the last week and its holding very little charge even after 13-14 hrs and also after a 50-60 mile trip. After the last charge both automatic door opening lights on the dash are now flashing.
If i can, I want to sort this issue(s) myself to keep costs down as gf is v likely to be made redundant imminently, that said we have nearly 2yr old triplets so time is at a premium. Also, my experience with cars is limited tho I'm a keen pupil...my questions are:... Read more
I doubt it but have you had experience with BB in terms of diagnostics?
I thought I needed a new starter motor. Took the old one and they offered to test it, diagnosed the 'freewheel' and replaced just that part. Much cheaper and I was well chuffed.
I have no connection to them, other than being a satisfied customer for decades....
Helo, I've just got a VW Beetle 1.4 Luna convertible with a manual roof.
I put the roof down, but it does seem to lock into place and the overhead warning by the handle is lit, I have tried to open and close it several times and it won't lock open and the light stays lit. It will lock shut but the warning light is now still staying on. To make matters worse I put all 4 electric windows down and now they won't go back up! ... Read more
Sounds like the hood frame is distorted or out of alignment. Something in the mechanism may be bent . Probably not a cheap fix . The door lock problem is a separate issue and likely to be a fault with the door latch ( very common) .
Any chance that the car may not have been straightened out properly after a bump ? :-(
With the very limited forms of entertainment due to Covid restrictions I thought it would be nice to go to the local park with my Family to celebrate the little one's second birthday.
As is often the case with Otterspool Promenade/Park it was choker with cars. I spotted a space on the verge free up next to another car so felt fortunate and pulled in thinking nothing of it.... Read more
Notice states (Pleasure Grounds Parks and Open Spaces Bylaws 1992. (Insert code) 9.2 )
I was parked in an very unclear supposed to be hatched area which doesn’t look like a hatched square, but on the Note they have put “parked where sign prohibits”
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Yes the timing chain and engine share the same oil. No a small leak won't have any effect on the chain or the engine unless you let the oil get too low.