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• Skoda Felicia gli 1.9 diesel 1999 15 Oct 2002 (Forum)
  I have a problem,when we start the car in the morning we have to turn on and off a couple of times to get the heater light to come on.It then goes off after 5 seconds and starts ok.When car has not been used for about a couple of hours you switch on and the heater will not come on and then takes a while to start.Could this be a fault in the relay or glowplugs as runs fine? thanks JJ
• Xantia Activa: how good? 2 Oct 2002 (Forum)
  As there appear to be lots of Xantia enthusiasts on this site, can I ask if the Activa is simply an expensive box of trouble or will a decent service record have kept on top of potential problems? I already run a BX 4x4 estate so the risk of expensive part replacements is already something I live with. David
• Annoying Wire 24 Sep 2002 (Forum)
  A post-factory phone job was done on my car by the previous owner. A wire runs along the top (inside) of the rear window. It tucks into a gully but keeps falling down leaving a bowed wire across half the window. This is a silly point I know but I can find anything to hold it up - I don't want to cover it with gaffer tape as that would look awful but because of the gully I am finding it tricky to fix it with anything.
• cavalier with blue smoke 12 Sep 2002 (Forum)
  I have a Cavalier 1.6 and as soon as you start the engine, blue smoke comes out of the head, the only way to keep the car running is by taking off the oil filler cap off. There is no oil in the water and the oil in the engine is clean, There is also no knocking noises coming from the engine I beleive this is more than likely a problem with head or head gasket, Can anyone confirm that this is deffinatly the problem.
• Rattly/Squeaky Escort '91 1.4 Estate 21 Jul 2002 (Forum)
  When decelerating, squeaking similar to a wheel bearing can be heard from somewhere around the engine. If stopped with engine running no sound is heard. However, if the handbrake is applied and any gear is selected and the engine loaded, the squeaking can be initiated. We know it's not the clutch thrust bearing as this can be operated with the car out of gear and no squeak/rattle is heard.
• How to remove wax? 19 May 2002 (Forum)
  Cavity sealing wax has leaked out of the drain holes on my car's tailgate and run over the paintwork, unpainted plastic bumper, and painted plastic fairing below. Any suggestions on what to use to remove it please? BTW, I recently tried removing sticky label residue from the dashboard using isopropyl alcohol since I thought it wouldn't attack plastic.
• VAG raises Dutch Prices to German Levels 6 May 2002 (Forum)
  Buying at the new pre tax price, then paying UK VAT, the reader could only save £204 on an A4 TDI. Am not running this as a news item until I get further confirmation, but this could mean the end for a lot of imports from Holland and Denmark. HJ
• Vauxhall Astra G Petrol (1998 - 2004) - 1.8 CDX engine problems 1 May 2002 (Forum)
  Symptons are engine shunt and kangaroo hops when changing gears at speeds below 25 mph. Main dealer is giving my friend the run-around. Anybody had a similar problem or know of a specific problem for a particular production batch?
• Dead Golf 14 Apr 2002 (Forum)
  We've owned it since new, no rust (no surprise with a VW), but it's not the most desirable of Golf variants. As they are supposed to be ideal bangers to run, do you think it would be worth something to somebody, or is it just a scrapper? Oh, and it has nearly new (good make) exhaust, oil pump, etc...
• yellow school buses 18 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  There's been some discussion recently of reducing the school run traffic by introducing US style yellow school buses which would give a safe and convenient neighbourhood service. Great idea, but the other part of the US scheme doesn't seem ever to be mentioned and it's an important part.
• Superchips - any good? 6 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  Reprogramming the computer seems to me to be quite plausibly a good thing, for a Jap import particularly running under UK conditions, but I do not want to spend good money just to blow up Toad! Please, can anybody give a report or an informed opinion, good or bad? (I think I am marginally on topic this time.)
• Change gearbox oil? 18 Feb 2002 (Forum)
  The handbook says change the gbox oil evrey mjr service on my Civic vti, but my dad says he seems to remember HJ saying somewhere just change it once after it is run in. It is 91k and fhsh, so it will have been done afew times now. Do I take the advice to leave it, or should I change it? Does it make any difference that thin engine oil is used in this gearbox?
• Audi vs VW vs SEAT 25 Jan 2002 (Forum)
  How does VAG get away with such a wide discrepancy for more or less the same car with differnt badges? btw- anybody out there got first hand experience of a Leon - reliability, running costs etc.?
• Rover 400, appetite for light bulbs 19 Dec 2001 (Forum)
  I have changed many, many bulbs front and rear during the 1 year of ownership of my P Reg Rover 400. A colleague with the same model (S Reg) has changed bulbs about 6 times. I see these cars running around in twilight with very often, one of the brake lights or side lights not working. Is this typical of this car or am I becoming paranoid ?
• Yesterday's is the price right? 15 Dec 2001 (Forum)
  HJ replied that many people are still taken in by low miles etc etc. Surely, though it means that the interior will be almost new, bearings and running gear will not be worn, brakes will be okey dokey etc? Or not? What are the main things which might go soon - the whole engine?
• Ford Scorpio Computer Glitch 9 Nov 2001 (Forum)
  I recently parked my 1997 Ford Scorpio for several weeks at an airport, and the battery will have run pretty low. When I returned to the car, it started and everything is fine EXCEPT, the onboard multi-function computer reverted to metric units and will not reset to imperial units. I tried disconnecting the battery completely and then reconnecting and restarting, but that has not helped.
• Ford Focus 1600 servicing 16 Oct 2001 (Forum)
  But as Ford quotes £160 for a 30000 mile service, I am tempted to have a go, especially as the service schedule looks pretty straightforward. Am I likely to run into any problems? Many thanks.
• Company car versus own vehicle 30 Sep 2001 (Forum)
  Dilema! What is the true answer as to whether it is more economical to have a company car or run & buy/contract hire your own vehicle? I will do in excess of 40k miles, will pay some higher rate tax, would get a Mondeo Ghia or a car allowance plus 11p per mile. With new Benefit in Kind, emissions rules etc is there any definitive answer which way are you better off?????
• stealing diesels 28 Sep 2001 (Forum)
  Assuming you always lock your car and fit a steering wheel lock of some kind, does that make cars with diesel engines less likely to be nicked by joyriders and 'chancers'? And is it always obvious whether a car runs on petrol or diesel? Because if not, would a large sign in the window saying 'diesel, harder to nick' be a worthwhile precaution in areas of high car crime?
• Ford Puma Erratic Idling 14 Sep 2001 (Forum)
  This symptom lasts for about 5 to 10 seconds and then everything settles down to normal. The car runs perfectly if the clutch pedal is not depressed. Weird!! Any clues as to whats up with it anyone??