September 2021
Afternoon, all.
3.5 years since we bought our 13 plate Jazz ES. She's been marvellous, but if feels like time for a change.... Read more
<< OK I'll take the bait..surely actually owning a car for a period of time would qualify you to comment on a particular model with more authority than brief test drives? >>
Not necessarily. Ownership of one perfect example of a certain model may be a poorer recommendation than wider knowledge of reliability records. Stats aren't everything though....
Just wondering if this is happening now that petrol is “scarce” the Government can claim a green success ? Read more
Those genuinely wealthy, successful or powerful typically have no need of visible ostentation to demonstrate to others their sense of self.worth. They drive 12 year old Volvos, wear threadbare Barbour jackets when out in the countryside, and have a house full of well worn quality furniture and carpets.
Visible affluence is an afflication in those often insecure individuals who need the reassurance of owenership and glitz....
Hi all,
I'm looking at getting my 2nd approved used from Audi, no issues with the first one but worried about the 2nd (not yet finalised).... Read more
My recollection is that when ex-rental has come up over the years that the consensus was that they could be good buys. Any second hand car is a risk.
The Pug 207SW I keep rabbiting on about has Peugeot number plates, was bought from a Pug dealer and was first registered to the dormant company that Pug uses for its lease or rental cars. I got it at 8 months and 13K miles old; it had very few signs of abuse, but for a small but surprisingly deep gash inside the driver's side window. I have no idea how that could have arisen, but like an unusual birthmark it could provide a unique feature if a stolen car had to be identified :-)
I've been doing bangernomics for a while, and have presided over the demise of five cars now, and not one of them was scrapped due to 'piston ring wear' - which is what everyone tells me you need to get the oil changed to prevent, so I'm thinking why bother changing the oil?
2 of them were head gasket going... Read more
Most of the cars I have scrapped have been due to timing belt failure, especially when they are over 10 years old
I have a strange problem with a Crossland which I bought 6 months ago it is a one year old car. On two occasions, I believed I had pushed the gear into first but it shot back. I was totally confused and didn't know how this has happened as I was sure I didn't lift the ring on the gear stick to engage reverse which is left to first.
... Read more
Thabk you Lee, I will take it back to them.
Down at the Kia dealer, taking the Sportage in for a safety recall, and was offered £200 less than I paid for it as a PX aginst a new stonic,2 .
Slightly smaller than the Sportage, which has done sterling service.... Read more
Hi, can’t get the castrol oil at any of the kent euro car parts but did find shell helix ultra 0w20 for £11.27 which is fully synthetic, my stonic is on 17 “ alloys and the spare wheel well is where the hybrid batteries live so it just comes with the Kia sealant and compressor, l have also bought a holts tyre sealant for a fiver from Tesco which was on offer! My onboard mpg reckoned after my first long run it was averaging 58 mpg! I did leave it in eco with out thought and varied my speed around 58to 65 on the motorway avg as obviously running in,by the way 2 weeks in and my sat nav has told me it has an update available! Which the dealership has agreed to do foc.
It is becoming increasing obvious that the average household consumer( me included) has little understanding of the lottery of buying energy from the vast number of companies set up to sell you it. With the current unstable market particularly in gas many smaller firms which customers have signed up to face collapse with the customer facing bigger bills being moved to a more stable supplier ""forced"" to take them on.
Of further interest to those reading this my current supplier's gas bill is detailing things like"" volume correction"" which apparently corrects for volume of gas which varies on temperature and pressure and ""calorific value"" which is the energy content which also varies throughout the year. So I am left with a bill detailing different factors some with six decimal places before they come up with the Kwh they are charging. All this presumably went on in the background of bills from previous suppliers as I have not noticed them before, So you give the supplier the meter reading and they work out the Kwh which is variable?... Read more
The standing charge is a bit lower on the fixed tariff but not much, only a few pence a day.
I had forgotten about the £400 Gov credit, I don't get winter fuel allowance. I think you're right, thanks. I shall stay on variable and will look out my woollen jumper! ...
Looking at a 2013 Petrol 1.6 Zetec Ford Focus.
... Read more
“ Unfortunately my budget cannot stretch any further. I have seen about 10 cars and this is the best of a bunch.”
I’d hold off and buy something older with less miles. Forget image and reg plate, buy something less likely to go badly wrong. The 1600 petrol Focus is a good engine but at 150,000 miles it’ll be worn out.
Hi folks, looking for a bit of advice with regards to charging my Mazda 6 battery. With working from home now almost entirely full time, my annual mileage has plummeted to such that I am only half way through my third tank of fuel this year. Naturally this has not been entirely optimal with keeping the battery in tip top shape.
To date I have had to remove the battery from the car once the start stop system stops working (this apparently happens once the battery drops below 65% charge) and charging it with my CTEK CT5 battery charger. Replacement Q85 batteries are expensive and I don’t much fancy having to replace one because it got damaged by being discharged too much.... Read more
From what I hear - rather like with traditional hybrid cars, these systems hate doing short journeys from cold. They need time for the main battery to recharge and only then will they charge the secondary system.
That's why I personally think it's daft to have such systems (plug-in hybrids and EVs are obviously less affected) in small city/shopping cars - like with this situation, they just end up as dead weight and cost a small fortune to replace if required....
.jpg)
Auxiliary drive belt failing then being drawn in to the timing gear around the bottom pulley is known to cause timing belt failures.
I suspect that's what's caused this one.