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• Megane moans 21 Mar 2010 (Forum)
  I have a close relative whom sells Renaults for a living. He currently drives a two week old 'new shape' Megane. In those two weeks the hand brake has failed, all electrics have ceased to function, car has refused to start twice. He comments that he can mark in his diary when a clio will be returned to the dealer. Four weeks after delivery they will be returned due to an airbag warnng light illuminating.Four out of five Lagunas will be returned at some stage ddue to electric problems.
• Nationwide AC - Servicing 29 Oct 2009 (Forum)
  I have looked at there website and looked over what they do for a 'major service' and for the price of £260 (with AA discount) they will do the following - Oil and Filter change Plugs Fuel filter air filter Replace brake fluid and bleed system Drain cooling and replace coolant Plus all the checks. My car is a 98 Mercedes c240 sport. Do you think thats a good price? Would a indy do a major service for that or a cheaper price?
• Ford StreetKa (2003 - ) - 03 1.6 Wishbone bushes 5 Oct 2009 (Forum)
  The lower end of the strut on this car is tied to the frame with a wishbone. At the inner end the wishbone is carried on two rubber bushes. I noticed when changing the brakes last week that the rubber bushes appear to have been bonded to the wishbone, but the rubber now seems to be splitting away. Is this common and will it need new wishbones? Car is just 4 years old, has 29k on the clock and light use only (one lady owner etc etc).
• How To get a cheap new motor & go green 13 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  I feel it's not in the interest of motor manufacturers! Imagine a Ford Ka or similar but no: PAS. Anti lock brakes. Elec windows Radio Central locking Rear seats Reduce ir bags carpets and rear ad rear side windows made out of plastic. This would cut the cost of the car, make it lighter, thus more mpg, less ivsurance, poss less road tax, less to go wrong - so why do the major manfactueres do not do this as some pple just ant a reliable, trouble free, cheap car?
• Vauxhall Astra H (2004 - 2009) - 04 1.7 vibration in car whilst driving 12 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  hi, this has just began to happen recently but as i drive my car around, the car vibrates intermittently for around 30 seconds. i have not had the chance to take it to a garage as yet but its happend for around a week.has anyone else had this problem or does anyone know what i should look out for?the oil and coolant and brake fluid all seems to be fine.the car steers ok, i think it may have something to do with the engine.please help
• MG MG ZS (2001 - 2005) - 04 1600 Snaking at 80 19 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  Travelling on motorway at around 80, car started snaking, no trailer, lasted around 3 or 4 seconds, braked gently, and slowed to 60, all ok. This was at the end of a long run 400 miles, previously car had been wandering slightly. Turns out there was too much pressure in front drivers side tyre 35 pounds when should have been 30.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 02 1.6 Hissing noise from front wheel 19 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  Recently noticed a hissing noise coming under the front drivers side wheel arch after driving the car, which stops about 15 seconds after parking the car. Sounds like its coming from the wheel/brake on that side. Tyre pressures are fine and no obvious problems on tyre so don't think its air leaking from there, but the noise is just like the noise of a puncture. Any ideas what might be causing it?
• Subaru Forester II (2002 - ) - 07 2.0 Strange noise when slowing (intermittently) 22 May 2009 (Forum)
  It doesn't always do it and only does after a while, when slowing, or having slowed. I haven't detected it during braking yet but it does make the noise when not breaking. The noise is quiet and COULD be something rubbing (friction). It is a single, medium high pitched tone whine that lasts between one and several seconds and is not the powered steering as it does it whilst on a straight, I assume.
• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 1998 1.4 drivetrain/transmission 18 Feb 2009 (Forum)
  I recently had a problem with nearside front brake binding which caused overheating of hub/wheel.I changed calliper with front of car up on axle stands,the car was left on stands for about a week without use .After the work was done i started car(still on stands)and found that front wheels were driving although car was in neutral ,i hadn't had any problems with clutch or gearbox before car was off road and can still change gears ok can anyone help diagnose this problem .thanks
• What's the point of driving a quick car slowly? 23 Jan 2009 (Forum)
  I couldn't keep up in the 30's (since it was doing a steady 45ish) and then when we got to derestricted roads we managed a steady 40 but braked at the merest hint of any curve, whether we needed to or not. Any overtaking opportunities were thwarted by oncoming traffic. I'd be the first to defend anyone's choice of vehicle and their decision to drive er, carefully, but honestly, what's the point in bringing such a car out if it's to be driven so??
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 2001 1.8 Potential problems with low-mileage Focus 14 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  Doesn't run very smoothly and lots of condensation from exhaust. 2. Original tyres (2000 manufacture), too old? 3. It's on its original cam belt. 4. Brake discs are rusty & fluid was last changed in 2005. Any other potential causes for concern on such a low-mileage car?
• MPGs when idling / rolling down a hill 11 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  Citroen C4 Picasso 7 seater Right, if I dip the clutch down a hill the mpg counter gives roughly say 400mpg, as you would probably expect. Strangely though if I 'engine brake' it down the same hill it goes all the way up to 999mpg. Now I saw something a few weeks back that suggested modern engines when you take the foot off the accelerator stop the flow of fuel completely when going downhill..
• Audi A3 + S3 (1996 - 2001) - 1999 1.8 ABS light occasionally illuminating!! 25 Nov 2008 (Forum)
  A friend of mine has a audi a3 1.8 sport 1999 and the ABS light comes on occasionally, it always goes away again, she had a VAG diagnostic test done and the fault code was something like no power to abs brakes, so the garage who did it cleared the fault code and for a while it did not come on, then recently its starting to come on again, she wanted to know is there any common faults with ABS on audi A3's?
• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - Checking for fluid leaks 20 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  I have my dads to compare it with the same engine, so I know what it should sound like etc. However is there any easy way to spot oil/water/brake fluid leaks from underneath considering I can't jack it up? I am thinking this car could serve as a cheap insure banger until I have real money to spend on a car (this time next year).
• Peugeot 307 (2001 - 2007) - 2001 1.6 cooling fan from cold 12 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  when i start my 51 reg 307 after 5-10 seconds the temp gauge goes to red hot & display reads engine coolant temp too high & stop,fan runs constantly, checked wires for brakes, new senders,relays, its been on computer & comes up with error code p118 or p180 cant remember which but it says cooling fault, contact gap too big. totally baffled any help would be apprietiated
• You and yours 26 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  On the BBC radio 4 yesterday the YOU and yours program was all about motor cars and some parts were quite intersesting until they interviewed a numpty who owned a service repair garage (with more eqipment in it than a NASA space station) who went onto say such things that you cannot renew brake pads without a computer and if you were to put the wrong oil in a car then you would totally trash the engine his main jist was that only he could repair or service cars and anybody who did any form of home service was a potetial murderer.Remind me to stay away from his garage.
• Dazzled by Mitsubishi 11 Jul 2008 (Forum)
  Each unit comprised approximately 23 LEDs and when held up at traffic lights etc. they were exceptionally bright when the brakes were being applied and as this was an automatic it was very uncomfortable being the car immediately being said vehicle. Surely there should be regs. limiting the amount of brightness emanating from this type of assembly - they should be attenuated during the hours of darkness.
• Volkswagen Polo IV (2002-2005) - 2002 1.2 Engine cut off in low revs/slow traffic 13 Jun 2008 (Forum)
  my 2002 VW polo 9n (1.2 petrol) seems to cut off in low revs/slow traffic while i have clutch all in and braking is there any reason to that? its working finr when in normal speed? all i can say is i got countless problem with my VW polo 9n, never ending....please help me expert {engine info added in following an email from OP}
• Speed limiter and cruise control 22 Feb 2008 (Forum)
  All the cruise contol equiped cars i've driven do that anyway? The car I'm looking at has both speed limiter and cruise control. Plus it has an auto parking brake with hill start assist. Do they work well? I managed without them just fine all these years. Sounds v expensive if things go pear shaped? Ta
• Vauxhall Vectra C (2002 - 2008) - 04, 2.0L DTI LS - Sparodic flashing service light. 12 Feb 2008 (Forum)
  Having a few issues with my Vectra C. Yesterday the dash light to say theres a bulb out came on. So therefore I replaced the brake light. From just after replacing that another light has started to appear with a car & a spanner thru it. It is not staying on all the time, just coming on every now and again. Anybody know of any faults or what it can be?