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• B Max - Valuation 4 Dec 2017 (Forum)
    Obviously they have to see the car first to make a final offer, but I have to admit, I'm tempted. The car is clean, having had oil change and new front brakes and tyres since I bought it, not to mention a brand new clutch via another dealer. Only problem being Christmas coming up and the need to buy quickly to replace it.
• Any - What do you carry with you? 13 Sep 2017 (Forum)
  Jump leads which I don't need because I've been an AA member since 1987, a dry car washing kit someone gave me years ago but which I never used, spare bulbs from previous cars going back about 15 years, any number of concise atlases which had been out of date since the Sopwith Camel lost its appeal as a mode of transport.  But there are things I ALWAYS carry, and always will. Torch, spare change, spare glasses, high viz coat in case I get marooned on the highway in the dark, several blankets, all tartan. An ancient socket set which is probably Imperial by now, and a sticky mass of something unmentionable in the bottom of a plastic box which is probably the remnants from decades of leaking bottles of shampoo, polish, oil and anti freeze.
• Mazda Mazda 6 (2008 -) - 08 2.0d DPF problems 12 Feb 2013 (Forum)
  Yet on Sunday, the light suddenly came on but flashing and the 'check engine' light also came on, and the car had gone into 'limp mode' (which means I have no turbo) so it has gone to the garage, where they say it needs an oil change, filter change and the DPF system regenerated (at a cost of £250+). They also said the service record computer on the car said this had happened before and a dealer had 'wiped the computer', even though I have never taken it to a dealer before.
• Audi A3 1.8T - Juddering, bad idle 3 Jul 2010 (Forum)
  I have been trying to fix the problem but I am running out of time, money and patience as it isnt a consistent problem. Not sure if it means anything but it has been worse since I serviced it a week ago, I changed the oil & filter, air filter & spark plugs. Sinced the problem started I have checked the coil packs, changed the MAF sensor and the pre cat lambda sensor but still havnt cured it! Any ideas?
• Done 2000 miles in my car now 24 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  They are nicer and probably less troublesome cars out there but changing will cost quite a bit more than what I have now so there is just no point. I know my car has not used a single bit of oil in the 2000 miles I have had it, not used any coolant or anything which is more than can be said for some unknown car.
• Vauxhall Corsa B (1993 - 2000) - 99 1.2 cuts out and sudden loss of power 28 Apr 2009 (Forum)
  This has happened enough times to make me realise its not me. The car drives perfectly and got the pinking issue sorted by changing gear a bit later (this was down to me not used to 16vs). However a couple of times I have stalled it at junctions when the lights have changed to green, other times the car will just suddenly loose power and will have to put the throttle down heavier and its all fine again.
• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 99 1.4 Zetec - gearchange problem 13 Dec 2007 (Forum)
  i pulled up to a junction normally down the gears, 4-3 then 3-2, then stopped at some lights, as i pulled off normally i went for third and it wouldnt go in. i got the car to the side of the road and called the robbing fellows 'rac' they hauled it back to my house and said it was unusual because they couldnt get it in any gear. normally the five speed box has been slick as any other car ive owned. i limped it back to my other address using 3rd and 4th because i couldnt get it across the gate, eg 2-3 and got my dad to have a look, he was suspecting engine mounts but it wasnt that after checking with jacks etc took it the local garage where he said it was either low on gearbox oil or selector box under gearstick was chuffed. he filled the gearbox up with 2 litres!!! obviously to the fill mark. now it is way better but second to third or any change across to either 3rd or 4th results in fishing for gears and a rather less than pleasing jump as the revs pick up from idle from the lengthy change, have i done some damage in the gearbox does anyone reckon??
• Diesel reliability HDI technology 29 Jun 2007 (Forum)
  I have never had a turbo or head or injector or EGR valev & have nothing but praise for the reliability. However I double my oil changes from new with carefull running in for 3000 miles with a very gradual increase in revs, when starting from cold I allow to tick over for 30 seconds before I move & I drive gently without turbo boost untill the temp gauge is out the blue, I don't change down to overtake I use the torque very rarely going over 2500 rpm, mostly 1600-2250, I always use a major brand of fuel ( & not supermarket ) I use fuel line cleaner every 3000 miles ,Always allow the engine a slowing down period after a hard run & allow to idle for at least minute before I switch off.
• Toyota build quality - am I unlucky? 25 Jun 2003 (Forum)
  Mine seems to have been in the garage every few months since I got it and I'm starting to get a bit fed up, especially when I changed from a 9-year old Tipo to get away from the niggles and get something that wouldn't need attention. In the 8 months I've had it, it's been in: To have various trim rattles fixed. To have a new window seal that had become misformed.
• Diesel wiz kids, help..... 14 Mar 2003 (Forum)
  So the question is this, how long would this car last under reasonable use and abuse, and whether its worth spending the money to keep it going? For example it need a new cam belt (first one changed at 70K), it will need exhaust shortly, it leaks oil, it needs to have one of the drive shafts replaced, and also possibly the injectors. But I am not sure if I do all those how many more miles I get out of it.
• ASTRA head gasket 17 Feb 2003 (Forum)
  had been found in the fluid but if it still makes the noise the head gasket may need replacing. It took a couple of visits for them to determine this. There is mayonnaise under the oil filler cap but this has always been the case since I can remember years ago (is this due to not giving it a higher speed drive regularly?). The popping is unchanged (they've said this is air in the cooling system but why would that be if they changed the radiator and coolant?)
• Helicoils and Torx Bolts 4 Jan 2003 (Forum)
  With this in mind I set too last week to remove the cyl head and review what next, mentally absorbing the financial pain whilst on the job so to speak. The late 1989 hatch' has done close to 200K but most of this has been motorway driving, oil being changed regularly at 5-6K. Other fluids have also been regularly changed against a maintenance log. The old dog still has some life I would like to think. Two items have emerged so far to cause me frustration (hopefully shot term) 1 An inboard cyl head bolt, initially loosened, but tightened up and eventually sheared.
• Ruined battery ? 12 Aug 2001 (Forum)
  The only thing I can think of is that the oil may be a little on the thick side (and rather old by the look of it - I've not had the car long but it doesn't look like it's been changed in a while) ie. 20w50, could this be a contributing factor ?
• "Check Engine" warning light 14 Jul 2001 (Forum)
  I wouldn't say that it was an exhaustive check, but its a good as I'll get out here. The engine runs fine. Absolutely no change at all, as far as I can tell. Perfomance the same, consumption, temperature, oil pressure, CD volume - all the same. In the course of investigation it became apparant that if the battery is disconnected, even for a brief time, then the light stays off - usually for a week or so - then it comes back on.
• Astravan 1.7 DTI 16V Y17DT 2001 - Error code P1125 Y17DT astravan G orange warning l 16 Oct 2020 (Forum)
  Haynes Manual is hopeless, when i connected to a diagnostic box i got P1125 and boost pressure solenoid valve. I changed the pierburg valve that has 2 vacuum pipe connections and a 2 pin electrical plug. the boost valve is underneath that solenoid, have i changed the wrong part? ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ok had an eventful day today. replaced the MAF no change, replaced the boost solenoid on the back of the engine under the pump ecu, no change.
• Mazda CX-5 - Engine failure 24 Feb 2023 (Forum)
  So my other option was getting it reconditioned, so i bringed the car to them and they opened it and said the DPF was acommulating gases and the oil pump wasn't doing it work, consequently it damaged the engine. Is this possible to happen? And is there anyway where i can get any compensation or other ways to solve the issue? As the Reconditing place is charging me alot to get it fixed as they said they will need to change the engine, its a bit frustrating since i've only had the car working for about 3 months and im paying finance on it.
• Toyota RAV4 2.2 D4D 2006 112k - Rotatinal noise 22 Jun 2020 (Forum)
  I nitially though it was a nearside wheel bearing which I repaced. inspected prop shaft and bearings all look ok. I changed gearbox and transfer oils, all looked clean. no metals. have replaced offside driveshaft and carrier with bearing, both front discs and pads. The noise persists. though about removing propshaft but understand it throws up ABS warnings which need coputer to reset at 60 pounds.
• Engine braking, and how to prolong disc life. 21 Sep 2019 (Forum)
  New thread, 'cos the 'no oil change in 5yrs'  thread has drifted off topic...... I don't do engine braking (apart from on long hill descents), but I'm not hard on brakes either,  To 'engine brake' is absurd nowadays.
• Ford Fiesta MK6 - 2002, 1.4 petrol - Ford Fiesta - Tapping noise - tappets clearance? 22 May 2019 (Forum)
  Hi,  I'm having a bit of a problem with my car, it's making a lot of noise when I put my food down, it starts doing this tapping or knocking noise.  I've changed the oil for fully synthetic, but this wouldn't be it - the tappets are not hydraulic in this car.  I've suspected a number of things, but the one that seems to make most sense is tappets.
• Toyota RAV4 - Toyota RAV4 Purchase 20 May 2018 (Forum)
    Just like to enquire if any others have any advice when buying this model or have any stories good or bad around these 2015 RAVs (or if anybody has any thoughts on another estate/SUV I should take a look at I'd appreciate any guidance). We don't change our motors often (current BMW3 we've had for 18 years) and want reliability in a bigger estate/SUV type car above all else.  The wife is getting real 'ancy as the 3 series is getting crankier than her, the repairs have started and the BMW has developed one real nice oil leak (though this beauty owes me nothing after all this time - unlike the other 'beauty').