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• Jerky Peugeot 306 9 Jul 2005 (Forum)
  Hi, I've recently bought a 2nd hand 1.4 306 which is only 5 years old so I'm unsure if this is a new or existing fault. The problem is that occassionally I'll find that when idling, accelerating, or when driving at low revs, the engine jerks, and sounds as though it is misfiring.
• What insurance excess do you have? 29 Jun 2005 (Forum)
  In process of renewing my insurance and realise that I have a £100 xs on my Esure policy for my 7 year old Saxo. The premium seems to change quite a bit if you increase the excess. My question is what viewpoint do you take when selecting your excess? My Saxo is probably only valued at say £1500 so the slightest of damage would probably result in a write off.
• Fiesta Mk3 Brakes 16 Jun 2005 (Forum)
  Firstly, the pedal feels much firmer than it did (OK, you might put that down to the fact that the old master cylinder was worn and had more travel). But it also requires more force to bring the car to a stop. I dont't think the brakes are unsafe, it's just that they don't feel as strong as before.
• Odometer problem 15 May 2005 (Forum)
  The display on my odometer has blanked out, and the problem appears to lie with the speedo head. The only solution is a replacement speedometer. However, it's an 8-year old car which I intend to 'run into the ground', the speed indication and all other instrumentation is fine, so given the cost of a new speedo I propose to ignore it. I can live without an odometer -- it rarely moves much anyway, now that I'm retired, and service intervals are no problem since I never reach the mileage anyway and service by the calendar.
• Mazda 626 Noise + fuel economy 4 Mar 2005 (Forum)
  I have a Mazda 626 GXi SE 2.0i estate. It is nearly 3 years old and has developed a loud in-car resonance (low frequency thrum) at an engine speed of 1500 rpm, both on the move and when stopped. It is particularly bad when cold. Also it appears to have a problem on starting from cold deciding whether to go to the cold start speed (1500 rpm) it goes up and down like a yo-yo for a few seconds then goes to 1500 rpm.
• Falling second hand values 27 Jan 2005 (Forum)
  Whilst new cars are becoming cheaper to purchase, in real terms, thier subsequent second hand values are really tumbling, and anyone prepared to take a risk on major mechanical problems, after expiry of warranty, can pick up a real bargain.
• Saab 2.2 TiD 21 Nov 2004 (Forum)
  Far and away better than any other deal for anything similar - generally up to £400pcm. I know its getting long in the tooth, but its only for one year. It's the sort of car I want, but mainly gives me a breathing space of 12 months to decide what I really want. My question is this. The 2.2 TiD engine is the old engine right? Being replaced by the 1.9 GM unit. What I can't find anywhere is the specs of the 2.2.
• Understeer / Oversteeer 28 Jun 2004 (Forum)
  I had to be pushed up a hill bumper to bumper by a Land Rover at one point. Good job it was a company car. Since then I\'ve preferred front wheel drive and I\'ve had a couple of Passats and now a Megane. Am I missing out on something? Can someone explain to me like I\'m a 3 year old the advantages and disadvantes of both?
• Focus pollen filter 16 Jun 2004 (Forum)
  I pushed the cover back in position as best I could and hoped I would be informed of any damage during the service. After collecting the car I found the filter had not been changed. I returned to the Ford Dealer and watched the fitter release the front clips and lift the cover sufficiently to remove the old filter and slide in the new one.
• New Audi A3 vs VW Golf 23 Feb 2004 (Forum)
  Anyone thinking of buying a new Golf should seriously look at the new Audi A3. I have owned 4 Golfs in my life. I saved up and delayed replacing my old car so that I could get the new Mk V Golf. However when I went to look at it, in my opinion the interior has been downgraded and it looks ever more like the Polo. I am very pleased to say I voted with my wallet and bought the new Audi A3 instead - only slightly more expensive but twice as good in my opinion!
• argh dealers 19 Feb 2004 (Forum)
  My ford Ka is due for a 30k service, and as it is now out of warranty i don't really fancy paying 200 odd quid for the privilage, but i would still like the appropriate work done (as a student now 20k in debt i need to save all i can). so i phoned a couple of dealerships and their own fast fit chain, and was told on many occasions, that as the car is a ford they will not do anything unless its a dealership prices. GARGH!!!!! I even had one person tell me why i should go for a manufacturer's service over the "non branded service" due to the fact that you could not use any old oil.
• Diesel Chipping-Decision Time 4 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  Do you think the power upgrade could damage the engine in any way and how would the warranty be affected. The car will be a year old in November so I really dont want to affect the warranty but my dealer seems to think that if I went ahead and had it upgraded it would affect the warranty.
• Parts for Isuzu Rodeo 12 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  It must be the same platform , and the result of some kind of joint venture. however, the engine and transmission is not Vauxhall. It has a 3 litre V6. It is about 10 years old (and a bit of a dog). Mate bought it as he was emigrating to France. It got him to his new home, but the next day the exhaust expired and the clutch gave up. His local french garage says that it is not possible to get parts for the car in Europe, and parts would need to be shipped (at vast expense) from the US.
• Servicing and fuel economy 9 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  Also, what driving techniques are important to maintain good fuel economy e.g. quick gearchanges, low revs etc Any comments would be really helpful. Also, where can I get information about old cars e.g. max torque, max speed, MPG, (the official stuff).
• MkIV Golf another gearbox bites the dust 25 May 2003 (Forum)
  or is it straight down to trading standards? This is not by a long way the only problem I have had with the car, but it is certainly the most expensive one to date. any help appreciated Nick
• Dead Battery 25 May 2003 (Forum)
  I'd started it from cold not 1/2 hour before. I did put a new alternator on a couple of weeks ago when the old one siezed. Perhaps all that power going into the battery killed it.
• Motorway Madness! 25 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  Does no-one give way on motorways anymore? The old school thought of M-S-M appears to have given way to M-S-S (Manoeuvre-Signal-Sometimes). I have lost count of the times where I have left a suitable gap between myself and the car in front, only for someone to dive in, leaving me with no option but to slow down to account for the fact my safety zone have just been nicked.
• reading newspaper at 70mph 3 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  Other incidents included a school bus driver caught travelling at 42mph in a 30mph with 10 children on board a 19-year-old who had no driving licence, stopped for driving at more than 100mph in a stolen car seventeen drivers caught travelling at more than 100mph on the southbound A74(M) motorway.
• Replacing tyres on a Mercedes A class. 16 Jul 2002 (Forum)
  From what I understand the "fit to rear" is to reduce the posibility of a rear breakout. With more modern cars with ESP - possibility and loss of control of a rear breakout is already reduced, and hence the recommendation by Mercedes.
• De-coke methods. 22 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  OK so I know we don't have to do this on modern cars but on another thread I noticed *terry* mention his old Anglia vacuum operated wipers. By chance this morning I was reading a September 1953 Popular Mechanics magazine (USA based publication). In it there was a tip for an easy de-coke....