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• Programming a New Key - 2001 Ford Focus 15 Dec 2006 (Forum)
  Ford Focus Mk I 98/2001, I have got a blank key cut that fits fine, and opens the doors ok, I have been trying to programme the key using the info' from the miraz site, I think I am right in saying my key uses the radio frequency method. What happens is that I can programme my new key to open and close the doors ok, but it won't start the car. The other problem is that when I have programmed the new key the existing key isn't programmed any more, its as if a new programme is used on the new key, which the original key doesn't recognise, can any body help me with this please, I would like to have both keys working at the same time, I do'nt have a red key, the car was only supplied with one key.
• Log Book Loans 8 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  loans against the house, loans against the pension, loans to pay loans, loans to buy cars, etc. etc. All very worrying. However, I heard one on the radio this morning about "Log Book Loans". Apparantly, if you have a car without finance, you give them the log book, they lend you 40% of the value of the car, and you keep the car to drive around in.
• Ford Fiesta Zetec knocking/clunking 29 Jun 2006 (Forum)
  It's a bit odd as it used to be better in the heat/dry and worse in wet, but I was out yesterday in rain and it was so annoying, but today it's been dry and almost as bad. I used to not hear it over the radio but I can now, but that's cos I'm listening I guess! Any ideas? Thankeeeee If it's suspension etc do you think it will be covered by warranty, it was reg March 2004, and apparently has a 3yr warranty.
• What's my car worth? 20 Apr 2006 (Forum)
  BMW 318i SE Touring 1998 S reg, metallic green, velour interior, sports suspension, Mtec steering wheel & gear knob, cargo net, heated locks, radio/cd, good condition (one or two small rust patches on front wheel arches),.. and 175,000 miles on the clock I am second owner. Full service history (non-BMW for last 40,000 miles) MOT until end of August.
• Honda Legend...is it a good buy? 19 Apr 2006 (Forum)
  ABS, Adjustable steering column/wheel, Air conditioning, Alloy wheels, Climate control, Computer, Cruise control, Driver airbag, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, Electric sunroof, Foglights, Electrically adjustable seats, Heated seats, Immobiliser, Passenger airbag, Power assisted steering, Remote locking, Side airbags, Radio/CD Multichanger, Full service history.Insurance Group:17, £5,490.' Many thanks in advance. Gregory
• MG ZR Starting Problem..Grrrr! 4 Apr 2006 (Forum)
  No starter, no click, no sound, no petrol pump noise....nothing! The dashboard lights come on. The radio works. But nothing happens in the engine dept when you turn the key. Then count to 10; turn off the ignition, turn it on again and it usually fires up. Doesnt always start 2nd time though. Sometimes you have to repeat this about 6 or 7 times.
• Vx Vectra battery & Alarm 17 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  I guess it was kind of a blessing as it forced me to splice on a +12V battery from a handy UPS using the fused phone car kit wiring loom while I swapped the old one out, so I did not have to and hunt for the radio codes etc.... but I still had my ear defenders on in case that didn't work :o) Thanks in advance
• £30 Fine for using your horn! 2 Jun 2005 (Forum)
  Did anybody hear the story on radio 5 live at lunchtime about the guy who was fined £30 for "innappropriate use of the horn".Story is; Guy in his car,on a friday night in his local town centre,somewhere in Cheshire.At the traffic lights,he is behind another car which has two occupants.Lights go green,car in front doesn't move-they are looking at girls going in to a pub.
• Warning: Sat Nav stupid questions 5 May 2005 (Forum)
  I'm on a Mac, and have heard I will need software called "TamTam" anyone using this? Right I'm off to fire up my valve radio while I think of buying one of those new fangled mobile phone thingies the young cats seem to like. Be gentle.
• M reg Peugeot 306 heater fan switch 26 Jan 2005 (Forum)
  I have checked motor, relays, fuses and resistor pack, and all seems OK I started to remove the heater controls & switch a la Haynes,but after removing all it said (various panels, radio, various controls) and unscrewing the control panel I tried to get it out through the slot in the facia, but couldn't manage it. It seems to me that the facia would have to come out, but hope I am wrong.
• Scenic driving me - or not - nuts 24 Jan 2005 (Forum)
  When I walk away and leave the car for 20 minutes and try again it usually starts first time. The battery seems to be strong, as lights, radio and central locking all work perfectly however the starter motor doesn't turn over at all. My first thought was that the immobiliser was faulty but the AA say thats not the case. They've taken meter readings from around the starter motor and they say that its getting the necessary charge but even so they witnessed the fault and were at a loss as to what was wrong.
• Vigilantes 26 Aug 2004 (Forum)
  Again if IIRC the member of the public was the father of the lad who was killed by the dangerous driving of the aforementioned disqualified driver. This was raised in a radio programme when someone, claiming to be an off-duty policeman, was advocating that the public should report all traffic offences they witness to the police. He argued that most of us would not hesitate to report a serious offence like a hit and run driver; so why not lesser offences?
• Nobody really needs a 4x4 11 Jul 2003 (Forum)
  A deliberatly provocative title, following Lib-Dem MP Norman Baker's Radio 4 interview. But really a tale of my own stupidity and perceived reality. I've had my old SIII Landy for about a year now, and it is now sadly off-road having been SORNicated by rust. During that year I've driven it off-road, on-road in thick snow, up-hill and down-dale all using the 4x4 drive which has greatly improved it's performance in those trying conditions.
• Flat batteries & memory loss 18 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  Slightly different to jump start thread & to a thread from early Jan 2002. I've had to fit a new battery last week & as usual radio code & electric windows lost their programming. That was all, as the car is a '93 model Carlton & has none of the later electronics as fitted to more modern cars. A friend later told me of a gadget that you plug into the cigarette lighter which has 2 leads coming from it, one is marked positive the other negative, these are connected to a 12 volt supply.
• Crap accident excuses 31 Jan 2002 (Forum)
  On investigation her father and myself could find no sign of residue on the road or skid marks at the scene. When I put it to her that she had simply been concentrating on the radio rather than the road she burst into tears and denied it (typical female reaction), even her father admitted this was probably what had happened! My moto is if you make a mistake admit it and learn from it!
• Replace Passat PD 100 22 Feb 2025 (Forum)
  Never failed me but my wife is a bit fed up with the strong old diesel engine smell on idle, the lots of little things that are going wrong (central locking, cd/radio, rust on wings, lack of heated seats , cloth seats (which is a pain with the dogs) . She also would prefer an auto and something a bit higher up. ...so she asked me if I can look around for a cheap,.reliable,.auto petrol SUV It will only do about 5k max miles per year and although tax/insurance not that important i would prefer sub £400 tax I'm hoping I get positive advice rather than friendly abuse ??
• Autonomous driving light 21 Nov 2023 (Forum)
  In future, there should be some way of communication across autonomous cars so that one can tell about obstacles ahead via some preset radio frequency.  We may even get autonomous driving lanes and human driving lanes. More useful than bus lanes which remain empty most of the time.
• What to do with car for three months? 16 May 2022 (Forum)
  But recommendation for a budget one (that is reliable enough to be left for 3 months unattended) gratefully received. I'll recommend she takes it for a good run before parking up and switches the radio and anything else off before turns off the engine. I could suggest she puts some extra air in the tyres, but they are so low profile, I'm not sure they actually have air in them :)
• Hard Use Electric Car Range 16 Mar 2021 (Forum)
  I'd be happy with a range of 250 or so miles but was reflecting on my trip this weekend from Kingston, W London, to Romford, East london. On the way back, at night, cold, wet, I'd have had headlamps on, air con + heating, radio, phone charging,  and stop and start driving for 2.5 hours - covering just 22 miles.I really wonder how long the battery would last stop and go with all the accessories on. Everyone seems to judge range by driving non-stop around the M25 - yet how many people do that?
• Dream car? 4 Jan 2016 (Forum)
  I have been thinking about what my next car would be and trying to decide what my 'dream car' would be. Sitting in traffic one day, I thought about my current car... it has a heater, air con, a radio, it's cheap to run, realiable and it'll get to 15mph pretty quickly. What more could I want when I'm stuck in traffic? I may have my dream car and hadn't realised it. There are faster cars out there, but it would be a waste for what I do.