September 2022
Any thoughts on these gearboxes? Reliable? Smooth? Read more
Hi All
I have a coolant leak first noticed had to 500ml in topping it up to max, then 250ml the next day and every 2 days or so its below min and have to top up. I cannot see any leak.... Read more
My had same issue, it was steam out of my exhaust, the coolant was bubble smell of diesel fume it was head gasket leaking. Look if there are any steam out of exhaust when the engine is warm.
Hi all
Just looking for some advice from people who might have some knowledge on transits specifically injector failure and seizure. ... Read more
Sounds like you have a way forward anyway, but I don't really get this "not willing to apply any more force" jive.
IF the proposed next step alternative is a new engine (or more reasonably, new head) anyway I don't really see what you would have to loose....
New ones recommended by main dealer at over £200. Seems a bit steep given that they seem relatively easy to replace or repair. For anyone unfamiliar these are the lights on the front wings that have a clear lens and yellow bulb. Not sure why when they come on with the main lights and not the indicators. Seems to be a common issue but does anyone know how to prevent it reoccurring please? Read more
I may be wrong but I’ve been advised that they can be left not working and it’s not a mot failure. Just in case yours is an expensive wiring issue.
Hi
My daughter is about to experience the joys of parenthood and a new car is on the to do list. I thought a Ford Focus Active estate would be a fine choice but given that she insists on petrol that means we're looking at one of the 3 cylinder Ecoboost engines...gulp!... Read more
My sons 2014 Ecoboost has just suffered a welt belt failure at 51k which is at this stage looking like a £1400 recon engine replacement ..........
I think there is much we do not know about the sourcing of cambelts by car makers. For such an important continually stressed item, high quality is of the utmost importance. The excellent PSA 1.2 puretech engine's reputation was marred by a poor quality batch of belts which crumbled. I have no idea who made them. If you search 'cam belt manufacturers' , seven 'well known brands' appear....
Hi all.
I'm on the lookout for a new car. This will probably be the biggest stand alone purchase I've made in my life so far so after much deliberation, I'm settling on the idea that either a Mazda3 or Auris would hold me in good stead, as I'm after reliability more than anything else (especially reading through helpful recommendations on this sub).... Read more
Thanks for all your observations, things I genuinely would've missed. It appears the Torque TQ021 is the budget tyre from Asda, about £51.
Surely a budget tyre from Asda should be called the Smart Price TQ21?...
I am in my 80’s and run an ageing Honda Jazz iShift. Goes very well, but is now 14 years old. My wife drives the car mainly to visit nearby friends all within five mike radius. I use it for getting to a couple of social clubs I belong to. Our combined annual mileage is barely 2500 miles. Might we do better to invest in an electric car and save the barely affordable annual servicing costs we presently have to pay? Read more
Second car is a Hyundai i10 bought nearly new 11 years ago now mainly for back up. It has done 50k - current annual mileage is comfortably below 2000 miles pa.
It is serviced and MoT'd once a year. ...
Can anyone recommend a good Sat Nav to download on an android phone? It would need to include driving lanes and instructions on which lane to use as on my last drive on the mainland, I got a PCN for driving in a Bus Lane. Living on the Isle of Wight where there aren't any bus lanes and or motorways - other than half a mile of dual carriageway, doesn't equip me for mainland driving, so looking for advice on a really good sat nav.
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Thanks. Alas this is my last day of my holiday, I drive back home tomorrow. Typically it's lashing down. But I will return to Bigbury as I'm house and cat-sitting for a friend I used to work with. Been to Salcombe, Sidmouth, Kingsbridge, Modbury and Ivybridge so not too bad in a week. On a nice day there's nothing better than the beach a mile away, this time of year it's quiet.
The narrow lanes are more of a problem for pedestrians. Several times I've wondered what might happen if a car doesn't see me in time, I've got nowhere to go as the banks are vertical. You can tell the non-locals in their cars, they stop dead in a lane, afraid of scratching their paint on the hedges....
Hi,
I would like ask if I can do anything to increase comfort of driving of my old CR-V (2009)?... Read more
It’s springs that hold the car up and primarily affect ride quality.
A damper is (fairly) easily compressed by hand, a spring less so. They obviously work in harmony, but the primary purpose of a shock absorber is to damp spring oscillations, hence its more accurate name of damper.
I’d be looking to see if there’s a variant of the CR-V that had softer springs.
Hi, I am looking for a second hand car, to commute (90%) on motorway (@60ish MPH) and do around 600 miles a week. My search so far has taken me from the Kia Ceed, to the Astra 1.6 and now the Peugeot 206 Hdi (1.6), all ranging from 2016-2019.
My question is, what would be the most efficient and reliable car for that kind of journey? Like I said, I am currently looking at the Peugeot 208 but even within the few variants with that engine there's a wide range of MPG figures. To keep the comparison fair ive only been using the same site, but I have seen figures as low as 64 MPG (GTI) up to 104mpg for the Allure and back down to 60ish for the Tech. ... Read more
I dont necessarily need a 16 plate or newer, but I guess im offsetting the history/unknowns and potentially breakdowns/repairs with my £10k budget. I want to be able to get another 4 years out of the motor, so thats 120k miles commuting plus any social.
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Thanks all. My plans to buy a big comfy barge to replace my Toledo in due course have gone south, with my wife having been made redundant, so I'm thinking about cheaper alternatives with a nice auto box. Still, she may well get another job this week...