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• Washing paper air filter elements 31 Jan 2008 (Forum)
  The LR Defender Tdi maintenance section says (only for elements not contaminated with oil or carbon deposits): soak the element for 15 to 60 mins in a solution of automatic washing machine detergent and water. Rinse in running water. Allow to dry naturally and dry fully before fitting. Do not attempt to clean a V8 air filter element. It must be renewed. The Mercedes manual states: blow out with compressed air first, soak for 10 minutes at 40 degC in washing solution specified in Service Products Specification Sheet 370 (which I can't find).
• Rover 45 (1999 - 2005) - 2001 1.8i XL - Is this a 'K' Series engine 12 Jan 2008 (Forum)
  Hi. I'm going to look at a... 2001 ROVER 45 1.8i XL Auto Features: 50,000 miles Automatic Red Petrol Hatchback 1796 cc Full Description: Step, 2001, X reg. 50000 Miles, Full service history, taxed & Motd, red, alloy wheels, CD/radio, air-con, electric sunroof, 4x electric windows, remote central locking, very good conditiion. £1,750. ono. 2nd.
• Subaru Legacy and Outback Petrol (2004 - 2009) - HJ's Legacy 2.0R review 4 Jan 2008 (Forum)
  The manual, on the other hand, is great to drive and 3rd gear is very flexible and almost seems to give better acceleration than 2nd. Another thing to note is that automatic Subaru's use the 'Active Torque Split' 'box rather than the centre diff as used on the manuals. I think the normal torque split is 65/35 on the autos rather than the 50/50 of the manuals. This does give them slightly different handling characteristics, believe it or not.
• Where has the flashing green man gone? 16 Nov 2007 (Forum)
  Personally I think pedestrians should be given all the help possible about when it's safe to cross or not, up to and including an automatic neck brace to look up at the lights and to turn their heads to look at traffic, however I feel that's a separate rant. In London at least the time of these lights seems to be set on a whim, nothing to do with how long it takes to get across the road, sometimes the red and green man are off for several seconds with pedestrians not sure if they can dash across or it's simply a bulb that's gone.
• Recommend possible new cars for my dad? 15 Oct 2007 (Forum)
  He currently tows a caravan that he would like to continue towing but may accept that his towing days are behind him (he also has a static caravan on a site). So to the criteria Automatic Diesel - a must (doesn't want petrol) Cruise Control As many "toys" as possible High Driving position - a must Preferably 3 individual folding seats in back (he likes to picnic a lot and folds the middle seat for their "table" - I know I know but it makes him happy!
• Jaguar X-Type (2001 - 2009) - Jaguar X type to be withdrawn from US Sales 13 Oct 2007 (Forum)
  In those markets, Jaguar will market a new diesel version of the X-Type for the 2009 model year, which will feature an automatic transmission for the first time, according to a letter from Jaguar management to dealers reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. That powertrain isn't compliant with stringent U.S. emissions regulations but Jaguar believes the vehicle will prove popular in Europe, the letter says.
• Mercedes E Class versus BMW 5 series basic models. 5 Sep 2007 (Forum)
  I have read that although very economical, the base 520 D BMW needs to be reved hard pulling away from traffic lights etc ( gearing may be too high)?I would definitely go for automatic with Mercedes.
• Toyota & Honda Diesel Longevity 12 Feb 2007 (Forum)
  Is work on these a specialist job, as I know older diesels needed injectors calibrating with special equipment. Cambelt changes required retiming of injection pump too. or does the ECU automatically reclaibrate these things on the newer engines and it is just a matter of fitting the new parts ? Id be thankful of any knowledge about these cars anyone has.
• Suggestions for my next car 21 Jan 2007 (Forum)
  Or should I go for a lower mileage car and change it after 1 year? My budget will be £4K max. My preferences would be something nice to drive, automatic preferred [easier when you in unfamiliar towns and cities] 4 door and not too thirsty. Not bothered about petrol or diesel. Something 'flash' would be nice but not essential. Any suggestions appreciated.
• MX5 Auto advice required!!!! 31 Oct 2006 (Forum)
  I've found a lovely car with low miles, right colour, hard top, leather...exactly what I need. However It's an automatic. I've not really got a problem with this, it drives very well and I'm not such a sporting type that I'd ever miss the manual. The problem really is this The dealer tells me that it's a UK car, but I can find nothing about UK MX5s autos anywhere they all seem to be imports.
• How many do you need? 28 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  My present Hondas have: 1, a four-speed auto with lock-up overdrive and sport mode which I don't use because it works perfectly well without; 2, a four-speed auto with lock-up overdrive and 'sequential sport mode' for manual use, which i don't bother with very often. It, too, works well. My first automatic had a Hondamatic box with low, 'star' - in which it would do 0-100mph without apparent stress - and a selectable overdrive. Do we really need all this complication? Surely it would be better to have lots of torque - or a good torque converter - and just a few gears to make life easier?
• What should I replace the Forester with? 18 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  Lets say I have a budget of £20,000 to buy a second hand car that less than four years old. I like sitting high but prefer not to act like a mountain goat to get in. It must be automatic and have four doors. Not bothered about diesel unless the drive is much better than the petrol equivalent. I have thought about the usual German saloons, but frankly don't need the space of an E-class or 5-series or A6.
• Anyone Towed with Toyota Camry 3.0 V6 ? 6 Aug 2006 (Forum)
  U prob all spotted my post about vovlo V70s (are theyany good) and are they OK to tow a caravan......... Just noticed a local dealer has a "PX to clear" Toyota Camry Estate 3.0i V6 automatic, at just under a grand. Mileage is a little high - 120K, but car seems to be in mint condition, no rust visible, only 2 owners, has leather, cruise, 7seat etc all the goodies which apparently all work.
• New Car for Aged Parents 19 May 2006 (Forum)
  So a car with a higher driving position is essential (they definitely don't want a proper 4x4 type vehicle). The car must be automatic (mum hasn't driven a manual in over 25 years) and preferably diesel. It needs to have four doors for carrying passengers. They also own a small Seat which is used for most of the short local journeys so the replacement would be mostly used for longer cross country trips (mostly A roads as my mum dislikes the speed of motorways and my dad dislikes being told he's going too fast at 65mph).
• Used Car Problems. 2 May 2006 (Forum)
  It drove well on the test drive, but after collecting it, it became apparent that it would not reverse up even the slightest gradient- the (automatic) gearbox was just slipping. There were further problems- airbag and ABS lights were coming on (these are MOT failures, despite the car having a newly issued MOT) and the heater would not blow hot air.
• Almera V Corolla 5 Feb 2006 (Forum)
  Sorry to start another thread, but have just been doing a little more car-hunting in my quest for a car as-dependable-appliance. I thought that a Toyota Corolla automatic would be outside my price range, but have found one for only £1000 more than the sort of prices on offer for a similar age Almera (2004), so I have been wondering if that's worth thinking of. The Corolla has 25,000 miles rather than the Almer's 10,000 but otherwise the two look similar.
• Replacement 7 seater 11 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  Frankly, we probably don't need a car the size of the Trajet, but seven seats is very handy. We want automatic and whilst diesel would be handy, we probably only do 10,000 miles pa, so its not vital. So we are looking at the following vehicles: - Zafira Verso Grand Scenic is there anything else, and are there any recommendations regarding these vehicles including best value spec and engine/gearbox combinations?
• Hit dog - report? 10 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  My questions are: 1) is it still necessary to report dog accidents, now they don't have licences? 2) what should one do with an injured dog in the middle of the road? 3) is the owner automatically committing an offence by letting a dog run loose, or only if it actually causes an accident? Incidentally, it was extremely difficult to find a live policeman to report it to. The two stations I passed en route to work were shut.
• Rover 75 2.0L v6 oil problem 11 Apr 2005 (Forum)
  Can anybody help, I'm now desperate. I have a Rover 75 2.0L v6 automatic on an X plate. I originally was getting a horrible ammonia type smell when travelling 'remove this bit and replace with the @ symbol' speed with window open, then the engine blew the thermostat housing off, took to garage , told head gasket blown & warped head, and have fitted a secondhand engine with only 9,000 miles use.
• Rover 75 2.0L v6 oil problem 6 Apr 2005 (Forum)
  Can anybody help, I'm now desperate. I have a Rover 75 2.0L v6 automatic on an X plate. I originally was getting a horrible ammonia type smell when travelling 'remove this bit and replace with the @ symbol' speed with window open, then the engine blew the thermostat housing off, took to garage , told head gasket blown & warped head, and have fitted a secondhand engine with only 9,000 miles use.