Showing results in  Forum [Show all channels]

Sort by: Relevance | Newest first | Oldest first

• Wrong place, wrong time! 23 Oct 2004 (Forum)
  Let me paint you a little picture; dual carriageway 40 limit with two side roads joining from left, junctions about 1/4 mile apart, between the side roads a single carriageway service road for the houses, 30 limit, running parallel with the dual carriageway. Service road joins the side roads at either end at a T junction giving way to the side roads. Traffic trundling along at 20-25, me in my Transit, MGF behind, police traffic car in front.
• Some help with a tight situation 17 Oct 2004 (Forum)
  As well as the obvious emotional traumas this involves, some practical issues have to be considered. They've been running a banger as family transport for them and their three children. Now that a fourth young child will unexpectedly be living with them fairly soon, they've asked me for suggestions for a six- or seven-seater car they can afford.
• 02 Seat Leon Cupra 8 Oct 2004 (Forum)
  Service book with the car makes no comment as to when the plugs in the AUQ engine are due to be replaced. I am wondering whether they are the original set and worn out, as the car runs ok except for the slightly lumpy idle when cold. It is just like i have experienced on other cars with worn out plugs or leads. Before i purchase a set of NGK plugs which will cost me £30 all in, i wish to inspect those in the car.
• Dead(ish) battery in Audi 90 31 Aug 2004 (Forum)
  My old Audi has been given a holiday while I dodge the summer showers on my motorbike, and I was attempting to keep it from neglect by starting it up and running for a while every couple of weeks. This was not quite enough to keep the battery (not the original!) afloat, and having left it for slightly longer, the next time I turned the key, everything was dead.
• 405 petrol starter motor 24 Aug 2004 (Forum)
  I have soldered all the joints in the cable from ignition switch to solenoid, and changed the terminal end to a really tight one, and checked all connections, fuses and spade connections to the power supply. Problem occurred intermittently, if left for a few minutes after a run. Yesterday the starter failed (it has done 8 years and 100k) so I whipped it off and put on the original. Instant success. Started it up this morning, and went to local shops only a mile away and back,and parked up. 5 minutes later it wouldn't start. 30 minutes later it started up without a problem.
• Hmmm. An A Class? 20 Aug 2004 (Forum)
  This combined with cruise control on such a little car made it excellent to drive on both motorways and A roads. The ride was a bit choppy, but nothing compared to the run flat tyre juddering experience on our other car. Room inside is amazing and you get a high position to see over things without everyone hating you for driving a 4x4. My main dilemna is whether to get a newish one - good deals from dealers as they're bringing out a new model in the Autumn, or whether to get an older one from a car supermarket or buy a bargain one for £6k from somewhere and cross my fingers.
• Fuel-line cutting epedemic! 21 Jun 2004 (Forum)
  Upon further investigation, it turned out they had leant under the car, near the tank, and cut the first of 3 pipes that run along side each other under the car, and Cut the one closest to them. Obviously not being impressed with the few dribbles that came out, they must have gave it a good yank, and then when still nothing came out, just left it.
• Focus C-MAX TDCI CVT? 19 May 2004 (Forum)
  Comparing the "Fuel performance and emissions" figures of the automatic against data for the the manual, it looks resonably efficient: * Fuel consumption up 16% (5.7 l/100km v 4.9) * Top speed barely changed (112mph v 115) * 0-62mph barely changed (11.6 sec v 11.3) * 31-62 mph much better (7.9sec v 12.1) -- probably because the manual is done in 4th gear, rather than starting in third * Emissions up 17%, from (129gm/km to 151) That all suggests that the CVT should be little more expensive to run than the manual, and offer better real-world performance, while still being much more economical than a petrol automatic However, none of the reviews I have read suggest than any of the journalists had driven one of these.
• Flawed idea? 17 May 2004 (Forum)
  A ?driver? using suitable devices would control the speed and direction of the vehicles, which would run along the ordinary roads. Some sort of code of conduct would be required to ensure chaos didn?t reign. Yeah, great idea but: · Entrust the control of these vehicles, with their huge capacity for destruction and mayhem, to humans instead of some guided system like a railway?
• Temporary Car - 18 year old 4 May 2004 (Forum)
  I suspect that the answer would be yes, as technically the car would be insured twice! Taking public transport is impossible, as no buses run to where I want to go (college) and no one can offer me a lift either as I live in the sticks. Devon County Council refused flat out to give me a temporary pass on a school bus. I'm a bit stuck, really, as I have an exam that week (the bodyshop can't do anything else for another month, I got in on a cancellation) and do not want to face the cost of a taxi fare the 15 miles to and from college for a week!!
• Seat Ibiza TDi 130 28 Jan 2004 (Forum)
  However, I've just had a brainwave about the new Seat Ibiza. It's built on a VAG chassis with VAG running gear and best of all the TDi comes with the 130 PD engine. I can get a 6 month old one for the same price as a 18 month old golf with less miles, and it's loads quicker. I know it's smaller, but thats not so much of a problem.
• How quick does your 306TD heat up? 7 Jan 2004 (Forum)
  Blowers on speed 1, temp control on full hot. 3 mins: later doing 30mph (no traffic), and very slight warm air. 5 mins: approach motorway (slight warm air), blower on speed 2. 7 mins: good run on motorway, coolant temp approaching 80 degreees C. Internal heat getting warm. 10 mins: still on motorway, coolant rises to 94 degrees celsius, and then drops back to 82 degrees celsius (fairly sharpish).
• Rover 420SDI Turbo, Fuel starvation 14 Dec 2003 (Forum)
  Removed return pipe, checked and totally clear. Blew through fuel system, again no apparent problems. All pipes seem to be clear running from and to tank, but the hand pump collapses as soon as i start the engine only allowing enough fuel to tick over, as soon as i drive i am lucky to get to 2K revs! I have thought maybe the diaphram in hand pump has callopsed totally due to the pressure it was under due to blockage in pipe from fuel tank, so i plan to replace this tomorrow.
• eurocar of year - how many you had ? 20 Nov 2003 (Forum)
  2004 Fiat Panda 2003 Renault Megane II 2002 Peugeot 307 2001 Alfa Romeo 147 2000 Toyota Yaris 1999 Ford Focus 1998 Alfa Romeo 156 1997 Renault Scenic 1996 Fiat Brava / Bravo 1995 Fiat Punto 1994 Ford Mondeo 1993 Volks Wagen Golf 1992 Nissan Micra 1991 Renault Clio 1990 Citroen XM 1989 Fiat Tipo 1988 Peugeot 405 1987 Opel Omega 1986 Ford Granada 1985 Opel Kadett 1984 Fiat Uno 1983 Audi 100 1982 Renault 9 1981 Ford Escort 1980 Lancia Delta 1979 Simca-Chrysler Horizon 1978 Porsche 928 1977 Rover 3500 1975 - 76 Simca 1307-1308 ( Chrysler Alpine ) 1974 Citroen CX 1973 Mercedes 450 1972 Audi 80 1971 Fiat 127 1970 Citroen GS 1969 Fiat 128 1968 Peugeot 504 1967 NSU Ro80 1966 Fiat 124 1965 Renault 16 1964 Austin 1800 1963 Rover 2000 I'll start 1999 Ford Focus .... what i drive now 1984 Fiat Uno .... 10 years good serice in family 1975 - 76 Simca 1307-1308 ( Chrysler Alpine ) .... cheap run about 1970 Citroen GS .... my first car, GS X2, dodgy hydraulics 1964 Austin 1800 .... 20 quid 'disposable' car
• Walking bus - sad response 20 Oct 2003 (Forum)
  School run has been much discussed in the Back Room over the last few months and many suggestions made as to how reductions in the traffic can be achieved. Locally several schools have set up 'walking buses' whereby several parents operate a rota to escort a group of children to school on foot.
• Good luck,gd management or gd Toyota ? 5 Oct 2003 (Forum)
  Or a mix of all three ?? ......Forgive me for feeling rather smug. My run-out model (Oct 97) 2.0l top-of-the-range Toyota Carina CDX has just sailed thru its latest MOT. At 81K miles it's still on original clutch,gearbox,exhaust,battery, pads and shoes (yes really). I had it new from a supersite for £12K.
• Fuel Filter on Back to Front! - Cavalier 30 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  And given that the fuel filter appeard fine (if back to front) is it worth keeping as a spare? Assuming car continues to run fine, I shall be very pleased with my morning\'s labours... Cheers Jono
• Diesel - not so cheap ? 30 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  The result - even with the superior fuel economy of the diesels, not one of them were actually cheaper to run, since even the A2 only saved £1K in 3 years - the others even less. The Corolla is at least £2k cheaper to buy than any of them. In Britain we pay 3p extra for diesel, which doesn't help. Of course, you have to figure depreciation into this too - will a 95k 3 year diesel be worth more than a 95k petrol ?
• I give up... 26 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  Got my insurance renewal through on Friday. It runs out on the 28th. Last year's was £700 fully comp, this year is £1350! Upon questioning it, it appears that both collisions are still "open" on my insurance company's files and these have bumped my premium right up.
• Horrible Cars 24 Sep 2003 (Forum)
  Yesterday I managed to avoid driving completely, and even managed walking round to the local corner shop, for which Volvoman will be truly proud of me. However, today I had no option but to drive (we were running out of beer ;) ) and it was awful. I need to tie a sack of concrete onto my right foot to get any sort of acceleration at all, and reverse gear is in the same place as first, so I had to drive right out of my way to avoid any main roads/traffic lights etc where I might inadvertently reverse into the car behind me.