August 2021
Hi all,
I've recently started a thread about a jump start going wrong and my car immobilizer becoming activated. Now every garage I've called has been busy for at least a week. If it's not against the rules, could anyone recommend a decent mechanic, preferable mobile, or in the padgate area of warrington? ... Read more
My car key is getting more & more difficult to use as a remote, whilst I have a spare in better condition that needs recoding to the car.
Does anyone know if it’ll need genuine Jaguar software to code it, or a generic code reader? Read more
All sorted - took the new battery out of the non-functioning key, put another new battery in and all is good….
My local supermarket had travellers camped out. They have a 4 hour maximum parking with CCTV.
It goy me thinking, without a postal address. How do they insure their cars and get car tax reminders?.... ... Read more
The travellers have now returned to the school rugby pitch. I thought they hadn't gone far, I spotted several groups of them shopping in Morrisons two days ago - they were conspicuous not just by the style of clothing and hairdo sported by the younger women but by the fact that not one of them was wearing a mask.
The school has now begun court proceedings to have them removed. Oh well, adds a bit of colour to life, I suppose....
Hi again all,
I left my (09 plate, 1.25 petrol) fiesta in a carpark for 20 days without driving it. It was dead when I tried to start it today. Unfortunately I allowed a chap to try and give me a jump,.when he did, the cables started to spark and smoke heavily, and the rubber on the able melted, and obviously my car didn't start. I called out breakdown company who told me it was an imobiliser fault and he recommended taking it to a Ford garage.... Read more
Not really. Anything beyond fuses will need specific test equipment.
Hi
My wife needs an auto and really likes a Golf. I'm conscious of some of the supposed risks in this choice. So back ground assumptions - vaguely 9 - 10k price point, FSH, newer than 2013, automatic, sat nav, we'll keep it for 7 years & do 40k - choices Golf MK7 1.4 TSI, Leon 1.8 TSI, Leon/Golf 1.2 TSi. For similar money what would you consider to be the less risky option, eg. 2013 1.4 Golf with 40k or 2018 1.4 Golf with 100k or 1.8 Leon with 80k or 1.2 Leon with 40k? We currently have a 1.2 TSi Leon manual and it's rock solid.... Read more
OK, thanks for the feedback. I was hoping that post 2013 they'd sort some dsg issues out like on the 1.4 TSi but reading the feedback it sounds not. I've got the Toyota Auris / Lexus as next option because I know they last, just a shame it's not as nice a car to be around with as the Golf.
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 notice that the Rapid, Tipo and Baleno are the budget bargains for a medium sized car.
Which would you recommend?... Read more
I cannot discuss the Baleno or the Tipo but the Toledo (Rapid) with the 110 bhp engine will cruise all day at 130kph (80 mph) across France, and for me on 1200 miles I achieved 46.9 brim to brim mpg. The car has nice toys eg bluetooth streaming of the music on my mobile telephone and the satnav comes with traffic alerts, albeit sometimes I wish they would be announced a little earlier! Some may say the ride/handling is not the best, not having driven others I cannot say however it certainly isn't bad, especially with 15" wheels although I haven't ever pushed to the limit either. For a couple or 4 persons very adequate, for 5 it would be a squeeze owing to the rather narrow width of the car.
(Note I used a mix of E5, E10 SP95 and SP98 fuel - I didn't note any driving difference with any)...
Can anyone recommend when to change the timing belt on my car. It has covered 90K with full dealer service history. Read more
This will be the Peugeot psa engine . 10 years or 100k miles . So sooner rather than later .
Can you help med with the code to the radio
The number is v031905 Read more
1880
Watching an episode of Grand Tour about the death of the Ford Mondeo and the family sized blue collar car itself as horrid top heavy SUV’s and prestige brands took over left me thinking about what was the greatest affordable performance car of all time? I loved the big spoilers and huge TURBO badges of the 1980’s, the daft digital dashboards and the school canteen bragging rights of those whose dad owned one but which one was the best?
Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4 - Post £7000 price cut.
Peugeot 405 Mi 16
Vauxhall Cavalier GSi 16v
Nissan Primera ZX
Ford Mondeo ST200
VW Golf Mk II GTi 16v
VW Jetta GTi 16v
Peugeot 306 GTi-6
Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9
Renault 5 GT turbo
Renault 19 16v
Renault Clio 16v
Renault Clio Williams
Renault 21 Turbo
Honda Accord Type R
It’s a tough one but I’d probably agree with Clarkson and co and say that the Mondeo ST200 is the best all round family performance car. It was fun yet practical. It could run to 150,000 miles yet beat most hot hatches down a twisting B road and it wasn’t too expensive to buy, especially used as everyone sought out people carriers and premium badges with piddly 4cyl motors. I’ve had many a pleasant journey behind the wheel of a 90’s Ford and sadly with the future turning increasingly green I doubt I’ll enjoy the same again from one without buying a retro classic.
Read more
Back in the 60s people used to make their own performance cars out of what was available on the parts shelf. My first personal experience of this was a rusty old Ford Anglia 105E whose engine had been swapped for a stage two tuned Cortina 1600GT mated to a Lotus gear box. It had a go (even) faster side stripe a la 123E Anglia. I have no idea of the 0-60 time but it was satisfyingly rapid. It met a sad roly poly end when I hit a patch of ice on a bend just east of Gargrave hurrying back to Leeds in the small hours after a wedding party in the Lake District. Heigh ho - happy daze. Fortunately it landed the right way up and I was able to nurse its battered frame and squealng boss-eyed front wheels back as far as Keighley where I abandoned it in a garage forecourt. It was particularly annoying because it had recently thrown a piston ring and I had just rebuilt the engine. It was back to the bicycle for some time :-(
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It might be worth a look at the HJ Good Garage Guide:
good-garage-guide.honestjohn.co.uk/