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• Fiesta 1.25 zetec cambelt interval? 6 Jun 2006 (Forum)
  Just bought my daughter a 98 Fiesta zetec 1.25. HJ FAQs suggests that Zetec E and S engine cambelt intervals are 80,000. Can anyone confirm that I have one of these engines and can I rely on this, the engine has done 51,000. I am naturally nervous having had a belt snap a couple of years ago.
• Am I odd? If I won the lottery I'd buy a 23 May 2006 (Forum)
  ...... BMW 850, mid to late 90's. Does this make me: a. insane b. blind c. Someone who truly appreciates a classic modern car, a car of my youth, that really sums up the in-yer-face yuppe mentality. 0 t0 60: 5.8secs, 20mpg, 380BHP, 5.6litre V12.
• £1.5k, A4 or 323? 12 Apr 2006 (Forum)
  Now here's the thing. Friend loves the A4 and the 323, but which should he choose? Both 1.8's, both roughly same cost to fuel/insure. I've heard question marks on the Audi's reliability and the 96 SE he's looking at has done 107k, while the 97 Mazda has done just 82k and we've not heard of any problems with this model.
• Vectra TD 2.0 No Power Engine Light 1 Apr 2006 (Forum)
  The Problem: The past month the engine management light keeps on coming on when I go above 60 mph but not all the time but knower days it?s nearly all the time. If I stop at traffic lights and the engine is idling the management light will come on. In both cases the car loses power. I have read a lot post and decided to replace the MAF what didn't make any difference and seams to make the problem more frequent.
• Self-charging batteries 27 Mar 2006 (Forum)
  The tube is rocked from side-to-side, and as the magnets slide past the coil enough electricity is generated to charge a capacitor. It?s early days yet, but the first applications are to power navigation buoys at sea, rocked by the waves. Then there is a device proposed to keep mobile telephones charged up, rocked as the owner moves about.
• How can it be so difficult to find a car 25 Feb 2006 (Forum)
  ve been trying to find a 51/02-reg Mondeo Ghia X for 2-3 weeks now. Both Joe at auctioncarbuyer and I have been looking around and could not find one that?s in good/original condition and at book price. Now, I want a top spec car, with electric, heated (leather) seats, cd changer, auto-dimming mirrors and a 2-litre engine. I am looking at both the Mondeo Ghia X and Primera SVE/T-spec.
• lifetime warranties 19 Feb 2006 (Forum)
  It must be back in the 1980's that Japanese manufacturers introduced 3 year warranties. Since then, nothing much seems to have moved on. I think Hyundai now give a 5 year warranty but I wonder if thats a marketing thing, as they try to increase market share, rather than a permanent global commitment by Hyundai.
• Nail in tyre 17 Feb 2006 (Forum)
  Evening all, took my Vectra in for a service this week and was informed afterwards that there was a nail/screw in o/s/r tyre. Tyre had not lost any pressure and dealership said tyre couldn't be repaired because of where the nail was. I've had a look at the tyre and can only see what appears to be a small nail embedded in the main tread (not sidewall) and, judging by its condition, appears to have been there for some time.
• Advice - car written off 21 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  Well, round 2 of my Corolla saga is the crash repairer thinks the car written off - Insurance Company sending engineer to confirm. Car probably worth £2,000 (2001 S but with 165k miles), so cost of repair - maybe £1500 - nearly equal to worth of the car. Advise - the car is actually very sound other than this - should I use the settlement to fix the car ? How does one put a car (legally) back on the road once fixed after a write-off ?
• Red Lights and Emergency vehicles 18 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  As someone who has found myself having to do this more than I care to remember of late, I will certainly not move through a red for an emergency vehicle...Which will be v interesting where I live, as they have just remodelled to towns main road in and out to be so narrow that there is no lateral room to manouver. A+S Constabulary and other emergency services may have a wait on their hands. Would others risk their driving record and wallet?
• Foreign Highway Codes 6 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  I drive abroad for about 4 months a year, mostly in western European countries and have always been a bit uneasy about not having an English translation of their Highway Code(s). We quite rightly expect foreign drivers in Britain to abide by our rules and it seems reasonable that we should follow theirs, but how is this to be done when the rules are incomprehensible? OK I can manage French and German, but Hungarian, Serbo-Croat or Norwegian?
• restoration/repairs 4 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  1, hi bit of advice needed really, i want to get myself a classic to restore have my eye on either a datsun 240z/260z, a triumph gt6 or a late 80's 911 only problem i have is in where to find these cars that are need of restoration? i subscribe to practical classics magazine but these cars don't come up very often and if they do they're not really in the right condition, i want one that needs a full nuts an bolt restoration form the ground up. 2, also i see alot of salvage cars about for auction and wondered how you purchase such cars as the majority are for release to motor trade only, im not qualified mechanic but am capable of fixing a car so is there anyway around this?
• Mini pistons and rings. 13 Oct 2005 (Forum)
  Here\'s a subject that will have most of you racking your brains. I race a Class 1 Mini in autograss,and have just recently detonated 1 of a new set of 4 pistons.A nice little hole has appeared in the top,and to say I\'m mighty fed up would be an understatement.
• Part-ex question 5 Oct 2005 (Forum)
  Hi all, I have just done a deal on a Mini Cooper S from a main dealer and have agreed a part-ex value subject to visual inspection etc, no problems there as car is as described. Part-ex is a 52 plate scenic and the deal they have given me is about £750 less than I would have expected.
• 911 issues 26 Sep 2005 (Forum)
  Start in a couple of months. I propose to sell my Leon Cupra (53 reg, 41k miles, serviced by SEAT every 10k), and buy a 1980's Porsche 911 with the proceeds, largely because I can, and it may be the last chance I have to own one (possibility of kids etc). I reckon I'll get between £10k and £11k for the Leon- there are 911s at this price, but I won't have much of a slush fund if there are problems.
• Growing consumer debt 6 Sep 2005 (Forum)
  He also wanted to put a 'cherished number' on it so I helped him sort out the DoT paperwork. The number was of the form XYZ 123A (i.e. the old style introduced in the 1960's). The number didn't look anything special at all to me - but the 'XYZ' bit was his initials. I was staggered to learn that he'd paid just short of £1000 for this number - and borrowed the money to buy it!
• Strange sight 9 Aug 2005 (Forum)
  Was on the M40, 1 junction before High Wycombe going East/Southbound, when I spotted in my rear view mirror some police bikes just over half a mile behind. They all had the blues going and as they got closer I noticed that there was a blue S-Type Jag in the middle of them. As they got closer I counted 6 bikes, 2 at the front, 1 either side and 2 at the back. They were taking up about a lane and a half between them and going well over a ton, probably 120+ as I was doing a good speed and they went away from me like I was sat still.
• Mondeo 1.8 Zetec Timing belt or chain? 26 Jul 2005 (Forum)
  Since having acquired the car recently, I decided the check when the timing belt was changed only to be advised that Mondeo?s don?t have timing belts, but have timing CHAINS. Being a novice on technical matters, could anyone let me know whether this is true or not and if it does indeed have timing chains, do they have to be changed?
• Seat Ibiza Burnt out Valve 11 Jul 2005 (Forum)
  Car is 2002 1.4 8 valve 75 BHP unit so guess head needs to come off for inspection and replacemnet of valve (s) car has done 54K. My question is what causes a valve to burn out, I assume valve clearance if too small can do anything else I need to be aware of. No idea what this is going to cost to repair do you ?
• Peugeot 306. Vibration & noise.. 6 Jul 2005 (Forum)
  I'm probably being thick/gullible here, but.... My Pug 306 is nearly 6 years old, 65k miles, and having the first round of mechanical bits replaced, exhaust,...