August 2021
Hi
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Sorry to drag this up again, I know it's been done to death and I know the concensus on here is "avoid!"
However, many of the cars that in an ideal world meet our requirements for next car are powered by that engine with the well-known hesitation issues from cold and at low revs.... Read more
or is it a problem that can develop later on in the life of the car?
With the amount of problems with that car that has been reported and often Not, as some drivers keep it to themselves, with any car any problem can occur at any time in its life regardless of how its looked after, so IMO if you have doubts about a car you really want you either leave it alone or risk it...
I recall reading a thread here a while ago about people's best experiences with bangernomics. Buying an old jag for £6.50 and running it for 10 years then selling it on at a large profit etc. That was nice and reassuring to read, however my own experiences haven't been so good.
I started a thread here a few months ago, lamenting my £700+ MOT bill on my banger I'd already spent a couple of thousand on in two or three years. Now that car needs another expensive repair and I thought I'd try to cheer myself up by reading other people's terrible experiences. Shameful schadenfreude I know. ... Read more
Over time bangers will cost ~£1k pa unless you are diy capable or an extraordinarily good judge of obselete automobilia.
Assuming basic physical and mental capacity I'd think anyone is "DIY capable"....
2003 model, no ABS, drum brake. Optimistically (encouraged by Haynes manual) making some progress (got the brake drum off and the circlip out) but now a bit stuck (like the old bearing). Does any one have a favourite trick which does not need specialist equipment for getting the old bearing out? Is brute force the main ingredient? It seems like I need a circular drift of about 49 mm - any idea how I could get such a thing easily? And getting the new one in? Have heard about ovens and freezers - any truth in that? An old problem - but new to me - please give some advice if you can - many thanks :-) Read more
The Haynes manual says ....
One snag with a Haynes manual is that (apart perhaps from being cloned from versions for other models) is that it is compiled from dismantling and reassembling a fairly young car. It usually makes little allowance for such as your case, where the car has 'matured' for 18 years ... :-)
I have a 2013 Petrol Vauxhall Meriva 1.4 Tech Line. I got it 4 years ago with 23000 on the clock.
It’s now got 51000 on the clock and has averaged 7000 miles per year. It’s had a full service every year and passed every MOT.
On Monday I filled up a near empty tank which cost £55. I’ve only driven 144 miles up until Friday evening and the tank is almost empty again. I’ve worked that out at less than 15 miles per gallon.
Apart from a slight squeaking noise while idling - which the mechanic said is just the new tensioner belt he fitted needing tightening a bit, a code comes up when starting the engine asking for an oil change which was done last year as part of the full winter service. The mechanic said it comes up automatically at 50000 miles and I checked the oil level which is fine and the oil is still straw coloured. There doesn’t seem to be anything else wrong.
What could be causing this sudden major drop in mpg?
Thanks in advance Read more
<< You would think that petrol pumps at filling stations would have built in filters wouldn't you? >>
It needs a clever filter to remove water effectively.
Hi everyone, first I'll detail some basic info for my situation.
in June 2020, we bought a used vehicle from a Vauxhall dealership, a 66 plate Insignia with around 86k on the clock. We put the vehicle in for a full service in March 2021. ... Read more
. If the timing belt has been damaged by the auxiliary drive belt , then you need to investigate the possibility that this engine has designed fracture camshaft rocker arms that break rather than allow the valves to come into contact with the pistons . This means a top end repair, instead of a major strip down .
Actually, the piston has to contact, i.e. smash hard against, the valve to cause the sacrificial rocker arm to break rather than terminally damaging the valve or the piston - hopefully.
Hello One and all,
I went into a supermarket for a well known supermarket, as I go in there every day to fill up before parking the truck ..... Read more
Which brand of diesel has the least percentage of ethanol , and is it true that even a small percentage can react with the plastic in the fuel lines and tank ?
Useful unbiased information here : <www.fbhvc.co.uk/fuels ...
Swmbo is about to start as a teacher at a new school which involves a roughly forty mile commute five days a week. As a rough cost this will work out at around £130 a month on fuel using “Venus” the Voluptuous Volvo plus the added depreciation and maintenance cost that throwing an extra 10,000 miles a year at it will entail. Using my old Toyota estate is out of the window as the gaffer hates driving it despite it being far better on fuel and the additional miles won’t really do anything to its already low value. So, what to do?
Her indoors likes the idea of a small electric car to commute in so I did a quick search for deals. List prices are nonsense so buying is out of the question but leasing rates do add up. A new VW eUP! costs £183 a month for a 10k p/a deal over 4yrs. If this were to replace ageing Toyota and take the commuting miles it would largely pay for itself and is surprisingly little dearer than equivalent petrol UP models through the same firm.
Am I about to go against my own advice and experiment with going all electric? The new commuting miles do open up the argument in favour plus there’s the bonus of a guaranteed parking spot too. We need to retain a long range car for family holidays etc so doing away with the Volvo is probably unrealistic but a big battery Leaf or similar could potentially do the job and it would save me forking out £720 on timing and ancillary belt changes plus a service and it’s due two expensive tyres at the back too. Read more
That's concerning. The ID3 was number three on my shortlist. Thought the interior looked sub par. Kona was no2. Liked the seating, less keen on the dash esp the centre consoles. Not keen on the front and the back looked fussy. But the range was amazing. Went for the Mokka e in the end.
Ok so for driver and front passenger comfort how much difference between the Superb Sportline 190 and Octavia vRS? Seat length same feels the same apart from the extra side pads in the vRS. £23K vs £28k if i can find one. I can't decide. I won't be taking many back seat passengers. Your expert opinions appreciated. :-) Read more
I bought the superb. It's just very comfortable. and goes ok same weight as vRS. vRSs are silly money ATM. Change left over for an mx5....
My mates bmw x3 2.0 diesel has been having problems with the rear diff. It started of as an oil leak and went too get it looked at by an independent garage. They said that there was loads of swarf in the oil and that its making some bad noises. My mate has gone too the original garage where he Brought the car from but they are saying that the diff isn't covered under warranty,vearing in mind he paid extra for the upgraded warranty. Surely a diff should be covered as its not a wear and tear item like they like too call everything. He has been quoted nearly £2000 for a new diff. Where does he stand with this?
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Most of these so called extended warranties aren't worth the paper they are printed on, I'm afraid.
The are offered to buyers of used cars as a form of reassurance but, in practice, they are mostly useless if anything should go wrong outside the 6 month period....
Browse
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Nothing to fear from an ex-hire car...my Hyunndai i10 was one...got it at 9 months old and sold it when it was 7 years old and had done 140,000 miles...was a great car.