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• "Fun" car for retirement 24 Nov 2016 (Forum)
  Hi So, the missus retired earlier this year and I'm now on the countdown (we're both lucky to be able to go in our mid 50's) We've got our 'sensible' motor sorted out in a nice MK7 Golf 1.4 TSi whch does everything extremely well (48mpg from a petrol and it fair shifts if you put it in 'sport mode' which I realise probably involves a changing display reading 'sport mode' but as a fan of 'Red Dwarf' it makes me laugh!)
• Ford Focus Mk2, 2007 1.6. - Recommendations, please. 7 Nov 2016 (Forum)
  I'd like to avoid "pig ugly" too, if possible. I've looked at newish Fiestas but the 1.6 Zetec S, which is the model from that range which I'd want purely for the power, is just too expensive and most of the good examples are with main dealers. Same goes for the other car I've been looking at: the third generation Focus from 2011 on.
• Mercedes E320 - Ford or Mercedes 5 Nov 2016 (Forum)
  He buys luxury rather than sporty, one or two owners, full dealer history. At the moment he has a 52 reg S class which has just gone through a service without one additional penny being spent on it. I've heard the argument that an 8 year old £50k car may be cheap to buy but still has the running costs of a £50k car but I must admit his point of view seems to have a lot of merit.
• Volvo V50. 05 plate - Anti skid message brake failure, immobilser activa 30 Oct 2015 (Forum)
  The day before yesterday my car failed its mot and had the following work done. Rear brakes cleaned and adjusted, n/s/f coil spring supplied and fitted. Rear number plate bulb Do you think the two are related or is it just a coincidence that this has happened now? I did drive my car this afternoon back to the the garage, they hooked it up to diagnostic machine and said there were lots of communication fault codes which they have reset.
• Jaguar XE - Extended test drive - Petrol 2L (240PS) 27 Aug 2015 (Forum)
  I'm half way through a 24 hour test drive of a Jaguar XE S - the 2L petrol 240PS version. So far so good.  I'm generally impressed with the quality of the materials used in the cabin and the way it performs on the road.  The engine (currently a Ford sourced unit until Jag's own petrol version comes out - 2016 maybe?)
• BMW 528 - Does 3rd party insurance have the legal right - 12 Sep 2013 (Forum)
  When the assesor sent by the 3rd parties insurers looked at the car, I expressed that I did not want the car written off. He commented on the good condition of the car and how it didn't look it s age nor show the miles it has covered. This due to me being so particular that everything is kept in top condition both cosmetically and mechanically. The 3rd party insururs have phoned me, they are telling me its a Cat C write off, I nearly fell of my chair, they then offered me £800 - then I did fall off the chair!
• Mazda MX-5 Mk1 1997 - Heated rear window wiring 10 Oct 2011 (Forum)
  I guess it would become obvious which goes where if I were to buy Mazda items but I'd like to save a few quid and use Halfords ones if poss but, because I'm not sure which connector(s) to use, I don't know which relay / fuse block to go for, i.e. 4-pin, 5-pin, etc. I'm also wondering what rating of cable I'll need for the job. There's an existing female connector just behind the passenger seatbelt post, then there are 2 'spare' connectors by the battery in the boot; one white/opaque with wiring of 1-2 mm thickness attached and a black one with approx 4 mm thick wiring, presumably carrying a heavier current.
• small 6-7 seat MPV - Best used small MPV (£5k - £10k) 4 Aug 2010 (Forum)
    I'd do that again except for the lack of space for all the car seats plus another passenger, so maybe the FRV is the answer (wouldn't even have to be a diesel as the petrol is quite efficient). Ford S-Max looks great, but I'm worried by the reliability - lots of problems reported, which is a shame as Ford reliability has been pretty good in the last 10 years. Advice appreciated.  Thanks, Optimus
• Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI 122 SE - arnold clark/Motorpoint 24 Mar 2010 (Forum)
  The alloys are not what you would expect on an Se spec car, they are the 16" Toronto wheels from the S model, not the atlanta wheels the Se should have. The interior is even more confusing, it has an "aSR-Off" button rather than "eSP-Off" like you would get on a UK model, and although it has all the Se refinements like the comfort seats, armrest, chrome window surrounds and RcD310, its missing the leather steering wheel.
• Land Rover Freelander 2 (2006 - ) - Cold Start / Glowplugs 9 Jan 2010 (Forum)
  To other users who have this 2.2 engine in other vehicles (Peugeot 4007 and 407, Citroen C-Crosser and various C5s and C6s, Mitsubishi Outlander 2.2, Ford S-Max and Mondeo etc.), which may have more conventional ignition keys, do the glowplugs on your car activate in cold temperatures and does the engine start OK if you ignore the glowplug warning light?
• Budget 4x4 advice anyone? 12 Nov 2009 (Forum)
  As I'm doing a lot more of this work over the winter, I think I need to treat myself to something which will not break or get stuck in normal UK countryside environments. I've also got the Golf stuck on an unmade road before, which was a bit embarrassing! :S One of the difficulties is that I am based in London, so there will very significant motorway journeys to wherever I want to get to (Cornwall, Scotland and Wales to name a few), which makes anything like a Defender an unrealistic prospect.
• Passat CC or Audi A4 ? 25 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  I have a choice from a fixed list, and have discounted already the Ford Mondeo 1.8 TDCI ( underpowered & ubiquitous) Saab 1.9 TDI 120 Linear - Old and unattractive, Mazda 6 - Unbeleiveably plasticky and tinny, like a 1980's Datsun Cherry with its corduroy seats. and Amstrad HI FI Dashboard. How they manage to sell any of these I can not imagine. Also Honda Accord EX GT - not enough Legroom. Vauxhall Insignia Exclusiv Nav 160 - Looks nice but what about the imminent demise of GM.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 03 1.8 Are "Vetech" suspension arms any good? 9 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  Feel a bit cheeky asking for help on my first thread but we all have to start somewhere I guess! Anyway, I have decided for several reasons to replace the Front O/S Lower Suspension Arm on my Focus Estate TDDI. I normally use Unipart for spares as they are allways the cheapest - but not on this occasion. They wanted £60 + VAT for this part and I remember paying £25 all in when I replaced one on my Escort a few years ago.
• Honda Jazz/Fit (2008 - ) - New Jazz Co2 levels higher than expected. 12 Apr 2009 (Forum)
  In view of the 'premium' pricing of Jazz I suggest that a number of prospective buyers may be looking closer at, say, the new i20 Hyunda when it arrives... especially with it's 5 year warranty and despite the current concern about diesel reliability over petrol and comparison between diesel/petrol pricing, I would think that a prospective buyer will look at the Hyundai warranty and say I'll have the diesel for 5 years, free of worry, and sell it for....whatever... thereafter... and still be quids in. Having said that, we don't know for sure that the i20's figure will be 120 or below - but I would disappointed if it weren't. I guess a number of bods awaiting the new Jazz model may reconsider and take advantage of the offers on the old CVT model that, hopefully, will abound in coming weeks.
• Ford Fiesta (1995 - 1999) - 1997 1.3 idle and drive issues 16 Feb 2009 (Forum)
  Increasing the throttle only causes the stutter to get worse; eventually the power does come back. Or I have to put the car into neutral and use full throttle until full revs come back. It?s almost as if the engine was seizing or fuel mixture running way too rich; the latter of which explains why increasing the throttle worsens the problem! 5) On disconnecting the throttle position sensor, the idle drops 100 rpm to about 860 rpm, but symptom 2) becomes a lot more noticeable and if you come off the accelerator fast enough, the engine cuts out.
• Parking Question 13 Feb 2009 (Forum)
  and I have heard that they charge upto £1000 for this type of work which to benefit someone else when I sell the house in 2-3 years* I simply cant afford My real concern is the likely damage to my car, as it?s the left hand side front wheel that has to do all the climbing, I take the car up very, very slowly but I don?t know what damage im going to be doing, can anyone advise me. Thanks {dropped make/model from subject header}
• Volvo S60 (2000 - 2009) - whooshing noise on test drive 31 Jan 2009 (Forum)
  Dear all, Mrs apm and I have settled on a Volvo S60 as our next car. I looked at three today, just considering options. All are D5's, with SE spec. 1) Silver with light grey leather, auto, 33k, 55 plate. This one's an ex-company car, felt a little tired and unloved, despite low miles. Up for £9k, but the stingy trade in offer means not the bargain we first thought it was. 2) Dark blue with beige leather & wood trim, auto, 42k, 05 plate.
• Toyota Yaris (1999 - 2005) - 2000 1.3 SR Increase in fuel consumption 14 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  Over the last few months I have noticed the computer fuel consumption figures have dropped - in all the years it has constantly read around 44-48 mpg and I had no trouble getting it up to 50 mpg - however it's now reading 39-41 - it runs well and starts first time - Now when starting up from cold I can smell slight whiff of petrol and after first 200yrds to first tee junction when lifting foot off throttle the engine speed doesn't drop instantly like it used to -- I have given it a few Italian tune ups (she drives steady) cleaned plugs and changed air filter - There is no temp gauge only a blue symbol of thermometer and that goes out after about 1 1/2 miles - heater gets hot quickly - so before I ask my local Mobile Auto Tune specialist to come and plug his kit on has anyone any advise as what I could look for - I feel it has to be something simple and connected to cold startup as when engine is hot and I reset computer to zero the fuel consumption figure is back up to 44-48 but after startup next morning it drops back to low 40's and if she does a few cold starts during day it gets even lower -- Doing a tank full to tank full consumption work out it's coming out at 44-45. Thanks
• Saving fuel: Car vs House 2 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  HOWEVER, very little seems to be done to persuade householders to use less fuel (i.e. heating oil) - and indeed, to use less heating generally, since about 75% (or so I am told) of the UK?s electricity is generated from the combustion of fossil fuels. In my efforts to conserve fuel, I changed my driving habits in May, and have seen considerable improvement in the mileage that I am getting.
• Ford StreetKa (2003 - ) - (another) Ford warranty question 26 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  service and engine flush, I explained the engine flush should be optional and I didn?t want it. He apologised and agreed. Now how many people wouldn?t know it?s optional and just go with it??? Anyway????.. Friday we drop the car off and get told ?that it?ll be £215 when we collect? . EXCUSE ME !!!!!! Their justification was that the ?value? service is only meant for cars over 3 years old and that by having that on our car it will invalidate the remainder of the warranty.