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• Astra Ecotec Cam Belt Failure Info 12 Jun 2002 (Forum)
  Although I am replacing them anyway, the tensioners, water pump etc are all OK with no play or noise in them. Point of the story is, like David W's job, these belts made by Gates for Vauxhall/Opel are suspect as well. As the engine was running on the later modified parts it seems that the belts are letting go now instead. Has anyone else experienced a similar scenario and, more importantly, did they get anywhere with Vauxhall?
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  Our car was damaged by a bollard that sprung up from the ground - are we liable? 12 Aug 2019 (Ask HJ)
  We have an allocated underground parking bay in our apartment block and we were unable to access our parking as the entrance gate to the parking lot was...
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  Why is it so difficult to find insurance for driving across Africa? 20 Apr 2013 (Ask HJ)
  I'm travelling through France and Spain to drive around Morocco for two weeks in early May with a 9-year-old Nissan X-Trail. Initially, I could not get...
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  I'm using Twitter to complain after my car was damaged in a Tesco car park. 13 Oct 2012 (Ask HJ)
  My car was damaged in a Tesco car park. On Friday I tweeted the link to my blog about this to Tesco's customer service Twitter channel. I received a reply...
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  Why did my husband's insurance premium increase after a claim, despite having a protected no claims discount? 2 Oct 2010 (Ask HJ)
  My husband has a Mercedes-Benz ML270, six years old. Last April he made an insurance claim, having damaged the front bumper and wing by driving into the...
• has your car done you proud? 26 Jun 2003 (Forum)
  One day I had a skip (midi size- ones about the size of your normal car) and the driver could not steer the truck into my drive so left it of the left hand side of my drive gate. Then surprise-suspire, within microseconds, the said neighbour comes out saying that in order for him to get into his drive he has to ?bank? on the side of the road on my drive to get clearance on his entrance and that the skip was blocking his way although the skip was on my side of the road!!.
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  I have an iPhone with the latest software updated, so why won't Apple CarPlay work properly in my car? 12 Apr 2021 (Ask HJ)
  I have an iPhone 5 SE with the latest software updated. I bought a 2020 Skoda Octavia recently and Apple Car Play linked up very easily through USB connection....
• Hyundai i10 key fobs 23 Sep 2022 (Forum)
    All ok, my wife comes to car with her keys in a shoulder bag, she opens door to put few things in, then walks off to open gate.   As soon as she walks off, the car sounds a buzzing type sound and on dashboard it says "key out of car"   I know, you think its battries, but didn't manufacturers have a way to send a signal to keys, get a code reply without battries?
• Vectra 2.0 DTI power problems 24 May 2022 (Forum)
  This stays and pulses about every 3-5 seconds. when accelerating through the gears there is a hesitancy above 3500 rpm but it pulls well up to that point. It feels almost like Fuel starvation or a fuel supply problem, another hypothesis is a waste gate which is opening at too low a pressure point and then closing again. Vauxhall dealer has done a diagnostic on it and identified the mass airflow sensor and turbo pressure switch needing replacement.
• Vectra 2.0 DTI 16V Low Power 18 Mar 2014 (Forum)
  It is very hard to pull away from roundabouts with any speed and it is sluggish in all gears.In have checked all the common faults like the vac system, egr and all the solenoids and piping, the turbo and the waste gate solenoid are working ok. I have stripped the inlet manifiold and cleaned the variable valves.Ihave also cleaned the air flow meter but with no improvment. The car has just passed the mot and when smoke tested it was well under the pass limit which makes me think the fuel pump is not delivering full fuel, is there any way to test these fly by wire pumps without selling my house and using a vauxhall dealer as it seems with these engines they have no idea what is wrong when the ecu light is not on.If anyone can shed some light on the problem please let me know as apart from low power the car is great.
• Recent Crash, Help wanted ref Insurance Co, please 30 Dec 2009 (Forum)
  Hi, this is my first post and I come here looking for advice please: Recently the wife was involved in a five car shunt you know the sort of thing. She's second, but has sustained damage to rear tail gate (unable to open currently) and a bash in the off side door where she crunched another driver. Anyway we are fully comprehensive, have legal and protected no claims. My question is this. Because the car is over ten years old, (very low mileage, very well looked after, lots of life in the old car yet), I have this feeling the Insurance company are going to try and write it off.
• Left in the lurch 31 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  Dropped my car off this afternoon at local independent for an MOT, and since I would be tied up at the airport 1/4 mile up the road until 10pm, I arranged for them to return the car to the airport and drop off the keys at the security gate. Phone call an hour later to say it failed on the driveshaft gaiters (both sides cracked... hmm) and that it'll be £150 to fix - if that's not completely excessive I don't know what is!), and I reiterated my request that the keys are left with security. 10pm this evening and I found the car snug in the car park.
• Parking in Unusual Places 25 Jun 2005 (Forum)
  To enable you to get in, there is a proper entrance and an exit. It really does look like a car park. The entrance was gateable once, but the gate is long gone. 2. There are no markings to imply you shouldn't park there. 3. There are no signs telling you it is not a car park. My supposed offence was (excuse the illiteracy of the programmer): Parking Attendant 081 has reasonable cause to believe that a Penalty Charge has been incurred because being parked on a rural clearway where stopping is prohibited.
• 2007 MK4 Mondeo 2.0 TDCI QXBA - MK4 Mondeo 2.0 TDCI Timing belt tensioner adjustme 31 Mar 2018 (Forum)
  Hi, I'm in the process of changing the timing belt on my 2007 MK4 Mondeo, 2.0 TDCI (QXBA engine) and have a question regarding the timing belt tensioner.  I've read the instructions in the Haynes manual and the ones that came with the Gates timing belt kit.  The tensioner has an arrow and a notch that are supposed to align to set the correct tension.  I have followed the guides and adjusted it so that the arrow is in the centre of the notch, tightened to torque and then rotated the crank 4 times.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 2001 1.6 Intermittent starting delay 21 Jan 2009 (Forum)
  It doesnt seem to matter if it is hot or cold; sometimes this happens when the engine is already warm and sometimes it will start instantly in very cold weather. Does anyone know what might be causing the problem? Gates of Ford reckoned that it is most likely to be the ECU needing a calibration but then again they might just be trying to get £80 out of me for doing practically nothing (a computer reset) which might not solve the problem.
• Astra Diesel 22 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  We've changed the crank sensor. We've had the engine heat shields stripped off, had the turbo, waste gate operation and vacuum pipes checked. > On the level we fly along. As soon as the engine comes under load, in whatever gear, we lose power. Even when the engine is warm, if we lose revs for any reason (slowing right down for another vehicle, or moving off from a junction) there's hardly any power at all and going up over steep hills we sometimes have to change gear right down through the box. > Our fuel consumption remains steady at around 60-63 MPG.
• BMW - service (well Mini anyway) 19 Mar 2003 (Forum)
  Booked it in for a Specific time (i.e. instead of "first thing"). She turned up early and was met by the Service area gate by a Driver who took the car from her and sent her inside where she booked the car in. She reported a sticking window which occured on the way to the dealer. Car was due to be ready within 90 minutes.
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  Underpowered Y-Reg Peugeot 306 - What can I do? 1 Aug 2012 (Ask HJ)
  My brother's Y-Reg Peugeot 306 HDI is under power, the turbo doesnt cut in and their is no smoke coming out the back. It will drive along up to 80mph OK,...
• N/A - Scary Roads in UK 9 Jul 2023 (Forum)
  First of all it was extremely steep but it was also very narrow with a couple of sharp bends between stone walls. As we got up on the moor there was a gate with a warning sign against proceeding beyond the surfaced part of the road. The strangest part of all however was that there were three steep humps which made the road ahead completely blind as you climbed them, with only the sky being visible.
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  Are DPFs linked to EGR failures? 23 Apr 2016 (Ask HJ)
  Do you think there are links between the expensive failures of the DPF filter systems fitted to VAG group vehicles that do not routinely cover high mileages...