Showing results in  Forum [Show all channels]

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• VW Polo 1.6 L 1995 21 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  Hi, I'm desperate for advice to get my car back on the road. I've been unable to start it since Friday night and, have been told, the problem is the key and immobiliser sytem. The breakdown guy ran a diagnostic check and it came up with a faulty key.
• Is Duratec HE engine reliable? 10 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  There must surely now be some that have covered high mileages. Is there anything to check for on these cars other than the items listed in 'car-by-car breakdown'? A final query - does anyone know if it is possible to get a discount for 'no p/ex' off the Ford Direct prices, or are they pretty much 'fixed' like 'car supermarket' prices?
• Had my first breakdown not nice - Clutch has gone 15 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  Just when I thought it could not get any worse. Just dropped my sister off First off all just when i left my house the car was being lumpy in 3rd, I...
• VW Golf mark VI 1.6TDI - Lost engine power on motorway! 29 Jun 2015 (Forum)
  I set off again and after another 10 mins of steady driving, the engine management glow lamp came on again - but this time, I lost all power! Had to limp into the hard shoulder using whatever speed was left - and call the breakdown services. The car would not re-start. Fuel tank still 2/3 full. Got a tow home. Tomorrow, when the garages open, I will have to take it in. But what could have caused all this ? The car is from October 2009, and has just 59K miles on the clock - mainly motorway driving.
• Volvo V40 2002 - Life saver 7 Feb 2012 (Forum)
  On Saturday 27th Jan at about 6.30p.m.I had picked up my car from where I had left it all day (in a lay by just off the A59 Harrogate road). I  travelled north approx 2 miles north on the A1 when a RAC breakdown van flashed me repeatedly. I pulled over to be told that I had no back lights at all.
• pug 307 52 plate - ecu fault 22 Dec 2011 (Forum)
  hi there wondered if somone can be of help... saturday the battery somehow disconnected on our car after a little wiggle it came back onbut when we went to turn car over it wouldnt start.. called breakdown out they advised the immobiliser wasnt reading the fob chip so towed us home... called a diagnostic guy out on sunday paid him £100 tp connect it to a comp to reset the codes but low and behold the problem still isnt fixed ... he still wanted the money tho... he informs us that the ecu is blocking him access to reset the code so its a job for the dealer.. how much am i probably looking at ????
• Mk 3 Golf Ignition Problems 27 Jul 2007 (Forum)
  I was driving along the motorway about 70mph, when the engine died suddenly (coughed twice), I blipped the throttle and it kept going fortunately until I got home. I tried to start the car the following morning (Wednesday) and although the engine turned there was no ignition. I replaced the coil amplifier ( had similar fault on another Mk3 ) but it didn't fix it. When the breakdown company turned up, they disconnected the HT lead from the distributor and held it against the block, whilst I turned the key, there was no spark.
• Ford Mondeo 51 plate TDCI 2.0zetec..help 29 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  car was driving fine then went to start it and it wont fire up .....phoned up breakdown as i had my kids the weekend,he said soilnoid was knackered....so off iwent to get a new one then bloke in starter motor shop said "before i sell you one make sure the flywheel isnt leaking into your starter motor,so i went home to take alook ..no leaks around the said areas,but now i got a terrible rattle on start up that goes after 3 mins to 5 mins and becomes a funny whistle when accelarating.....now the whistle i thought maybe was the turbo????
• Vectra 2004 Sri questions 13 May 2005 (Forum)
  If I put my air con "on" for a while and then turn it "off" the smell in my car is terrible.Smells "stale", like dirty socks or manure.It takes ages to go away. Lastly, if I turn my stereo up quite high, the sound starts to breakdown, cutting in and out. At first I thought it may have been the CD, but with the volume lower it plays fine.
• Golf 1.4 TSI [dsg] - Golf 1.4 TSI engine issues 27 Jun 2013 (Forum)
  I bought this car in 2007 from a private person. AA checked the car. After 2.5 years and 20,000 miles my engine collapsed.  Just outside warranty but VW agreed to pay for a new engine. Early this year i had issues with the engine which VW dealer first said it was the throttle.
• Ford Focus II (2004 - 2007) - 05 1.6tdci front wheel arch rust 'fix' 18 Apr 2011 (Forum)
  Hi All, I noticed some rust at the back of the front wheel arches on the focus estate I have just bought. From the car-by-car breakdown it appears a this is a common fault: "Rust appears on the back of the front wheel arches. The underseal in this area is inadequate and Ford has introduced a fix which involves a small strip of plastic that runs the length of the under sill and front wheel arch."
• BMW 3-Series E46 (1998 - 2005) - 01 1.9 wont start - intermittently!!! 27 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  i was very suprised at this, if the battery or started was at fault - then bump starting should definitely work?? I had to call the breakdown man, because the car just wouldnt start. He came out, and tested the battery - which was fine, he told me to push and tried to bump start it as well, and it wouldnt work. He said it was the immobiliser??
• Mercedes Benz E-Class W124 (1985 - 2000) - 88 2.6 Disappearing coolant... 13 May 2009 (Forum)
  I'm new to these cars and pretty new to car mechanics in general! Cheers...
• Zafira DTI,Electrical problem 25 Oct 2006 (Forum)
  No problems for about three months then, the fault happend again, in the morning, attempted to bump start the car down a hill, no good, called out a breakdown firm, who jump started the car battery, pulled up at my house switched off and started no problems So, I replaced the car battery with a new Varta one, high crank output, last night, drove to work for a good hour travelling time and noticed the dash lights started to dim and the radio, switched itself on/off/on/off etc, so in the stupidity of me, I pulled over in the middle of nowhere and turned the engine off and stereo to recetify/reset the problem, turned key to start, battery flat, dash instruments filkering and alarm sounding.
• Mazda MX-5 Roadster Coupe - Car sulking after lockdown 12 Oct 2023 (Forum)
    And the first 'breakdown' in 10 years of MX-5 ownership.  Though it did at least get me home.
• Sadistic driving examiners 23 Mar 2015 (Forum)
  The wife of one of my work-mates was taking her test when the examiner screamed and smashed, and when she hit the brake the hydraulic pipe burst.  She burst too, into tears, and the car sailed on.  The examiner hauled on the handbrake, took over and drove her back to the test centre. My late father-in-law, a mild natured man in his early 60s, had a nervous breakdown due to the performance and never drove again.
• Dependable Estate upto £5K 23 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  Whats everyone elses opinion? What would you do in my opinion...everytime I read anything about them on the car by car breakdown....I'm put off for life....the Sigma gets the best write up in that but finding a decent one for decent money (whatever bought will be sold within a few months of coming back) as the Sigma doesn't look like an easy car to sell.
• Rover 75. Major fault advice please.... 13 Mar 2007 (Forum)
  After further examination the garage decided that it was the water pump at fault and replaced it along with a new timing belt. This morning after my wife left for work in the car I noticed a damp patch on the drive. Later in the afternoon my wife called to say that the car broke down on the way home having over heated. The breakdown guy said that there was a small amount of oil in the remaining water and vice versa and that that the headgasket had gone.
• Mitsubishi Colt 27 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  Being as I'm having some problems finding local Corollas, I thought I'd see if any other vehicle matched my requirements, especially as I'd ruled out every other manufacturer! I like what I see (and read in the Car by Car Breakdown) about the Colt and surprisingly there's one locally, an "96 N Reg Mitsubishi Colt 1.6 GLX, Petrol, Hatchback, 56,000 miles , 3 Doors. 1 owner and full MITSUBISHI history, 3 Doors. airbag double, Body Coloured Bumpers, Catalytic Converter, Central Door Locking, electric sunroof, Electric Windows, Heated Rear Screen, In Car Entertainment, Manual Transmission, Paint Metallic, Power-Assisted Steering, radio/cd, rear spoiler, Rear Wash/Wipe, £2,350" There's hardly any problems mentioned in CBCB unlike the great long list of Fords etc faults, but having done a quick search through the archives here it seems that Mitsubishi parts can be hard to source.
• Nissan Qashqai - Engine revved itself to death 31 Aug 2016 (Forum)
  I got over to the hard shoulder and that was it, engine no go go. At least no fire, family ok. So my breakdown cover got the car taken to a Nissan dealership in Spain, who quoted £6000 for a new engine and turbo. Now I'm getting the car repatriated to the UK, to be assessed and repaired. Which brings me to my question: The used engine replacing / re-manufacturing industry seems particularly dodgy and a total minefield.