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• Vauxhall Combo van (2002 - ) - 05 1.3 Turbo failure then oil pump failure 12 Oct 2009 (Forum)
  I had it towed to a garage for investigation. after two weeks (dont ask), it was discovered that the turbo had failed and dumped oil into the cat and blocked the exhaust. The cat and turbo were replaced. once the engine was running again, I was informed that there was oil coming out of the exhaust manifold and the cylinder head would need to be removed to investigate this. Whilst this was being carried out I was also told that the timing chain was worn and I need to have that replaced.
• Done 2000 miles in my car now 24 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  Also contary to changing car thread about 6 weeks ago I have decided now not to plan for a new car and just run this car into the ground. I won't let it look like an old banger so I will keep it till either it fails the MOT badly, needs too much welding, the engine dies or I crash it. They are nicer and probably less troublesome cars out there but changing will cost quite a bit more than what I have now so there is just no point.
• How long could you keep a car ? 8 Sep 2009 (Forum)
  In my case 5 years would still be getting close to the tipping point. Mileage would be such that it would be more than run in so to speak ! However, I gather that the "average" motorist covers about 12,000 miles a year. Given that most cars nowadays can easily cope with a couple of hundred thousand miles without major surgery that would translate into a useful lifespan of 16.7 years.
• Vauxhall Astra F (1991 - 1998) - 94 1.4 non starter 10 Aug 2009 (Forum)
  or should I be looking at some other area that I may have missed with my usual tunnel vision? Any suggestions much appreciated as I am running out of ideas! Thanks in advance Tonsberg.
• Volvo V50 (2004 - ) - 05 2.0d Intermittent power loss 15 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  Any thoughts on what the problem may be, or how I get the garage to be more helpful than 'there's no fault code, we can't fix it'. I am concerned I will be left high and dry by Volvo if the warranty runs out and this is still happening. Thanks in advance, Martin Butcher
• Chrysler PT Cruiser (2000 - ) - Ambivalence over possible car change 7 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  Drives OK and is comfortable of course. My wife will be able to drive it (the Ford has always had niggling running problems I didn't want her to have to cope with). But I am already feeling ambivalent about it. It's worth ten or fifteen times what the Ford is worth, on paper anyway, and is going to cost twice as much to insure.
• Volvo 850 (1992 - 1996) - T5 problems 5 Jun 2009 (Forum)
  It's odd that the ABS light was out when I test drove, and back on when I picked it up. Wondering if he disconnected it? Suspect we'll just use it until september (when MOT runs out) and then flog on ebay for whatever we can get. Other ideas very welcome! :-( Cheers, Alex.
• Hyundai Coupe (2002 - 2008) - Not quite so reliable, 40k report 8 May 2009 (Forum)
  Mums car has just passed 40k now which works out at just over 10k per year from new. Mpg on the V6 manual comes in at around the 26 mpg mark in mixed driving, rising to 34 on long runs. We have had some issues though which sort of fly in the face of the usual Hyundai reputation, heres the list: 1. Alarm system had constant troubles so they ripped it out and replaced with a new upgraded one. 2.
• Vauxhall Corsa B (1993 - 2000) - 99 1.2 cuts out and sudden loss of power 28 Apr 2009 (Forum)
  It was serviced 230 miles ago with new plugs, air filter, oil etc. Also this does only happen occasionaly 9/10 journeys my car runs perfectly. but I am worried it is a sign that something is not right. It was also very wet and damp this morning so I wonder if this was a contributing factor? My engine sounded a bit noiser this morning.
• Volkswagen Golf II (1983 - 1992) - 1990 1.3 Fast idle when warm, overheating, overrun 23 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  I am not using the car for long journeys at the moment as I am not confident the temp will behave. I think the fast idle is causing the excessive temperature which is causing the over run Fuel economy is rubbish (<20 mpg) and used to be quite good 30+ mpg I have purchased a new cooling fan switch. I have checked the air intake vacuum is working I have cleaned the carburettor with carb cleaner I have replaced air filter All vacuum lines I have examined seem intact From what I have read it is an 2E3 Pierpoint carb, and any of the following could be the problem Waxstat Thermo numatic time valve Throttle position control diaphragm Choke pull-down diaphragm But I am not sure how to begin to eliminate what is going wrong Any help/ideas appreciated Thanks Peter
• This site is becoming a resource hog [Read only] 19 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  It is a very typical laptop (I repair PCs for a living so I what the general public use and there are much older machines than this still in use). My laptop is currently running slow, there is a high amount of processor usage and RAM usage from Firefox and it appears to be all the flash adverts on this site which is causing it. I only have one website open and no plugins yet Firefox is taking up a massive 158MB of RAM.
• Renault Scenic (2003 - 2009) - 2004 1.9dCi Clutch pedal failure 7 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  Clearly the clutch slave cylinder has gone, but is this likely to have done any other damage? Engine starts and runs fine, sounds perfectly healthy, no vibes, and all six gears (and reverse) engage cleanly if you switch the engine off. I had the engine idling when being towed the final 7 miles home in order to have PAS and brake servo working.
• Choosing an automatic - the good & the bad ? 17 Feb 2009 (Forum)
  I currently run a Focus 2, tdci which apart from a flat spot that was never fixed & poor brakes is largely ok. However for the next car I really fancy an auto ( it's my age ). I?d be shopping in the B or C sector and am after something reliable, economical but with perhaps a bit of go if needed.
• Volkswagen Beetle (1998 - ) - 2001 2.0 engine emissions warning lamp 30 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  Checked air filter and this is free of blockages. Have disconnected and reconnected the air flow meter, both with engine running and when switched off and light remains on. Fluid levels all OK and having done a quick forum search, both rear brake lights are working, as a blown brake light caused the emissions warning lamp to show on someone elses car with the same engine.
• Ford Fiesta (2002 - 2008) - 03 1.4 Misfiring/Engine management light problem 13 Dec 2008 (Forum)
  When we inspected this we found the Spark plug well was full of water. So we cleaned this out and replaced the Spark plugs and the car had then been running fine until the past week. It has started juddering and misfiring when accelerating and now the Engine management light is always on. I checked the spark plug well again and once again it was full of water.
• Landrover off-road experience - truly amazing 20 Nov 2008 (Forum)
  There were some large mirrors besides the track, so I could even see on them how a wheel leaves the ground :) I learnt some important concepts * If the car is a capable one, even novice drivers can do off-roading to a good extent * It seemed to me that 4x4 with auto transmission is better than manual - as the car will perform most difficult tasks without driver's intervention * As long as electronic gizmos like torque distribution/ ESP/DSC/EBD work properly - they really help driving in otherwise difficult terrains Best of all, this Landrover experience doesn't cost a penny! It is completely FREE. They run it all year around. So if you have not experienced it before, then please enroll yourself. Highly recommended. There is also a paid version which lasts longer and there you can learn some classroom training as well.
• Ford Focus (1998 - 2004) - 02 1.6 Dipstick reading 16 Nov 2008 (Forum)
  Of course I explained about the urgent need for a service and oil change... but (as with many people) they only lift the bonnet when things go wrong. Any advice appreciated. The car is otherwise running fine.
• Peugeot 407 (2004 - ) - 2004 2.0 HDI 136 Fuel Economy 9 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  When I initially filled it up and reset the fuel comp, which is tallying with what it is actually doing, the computer took 50 miles to get from 27mpg to just over 30mpg. This tells me that it is doing roughly 29-30 mpg in town with maybe 42 on a run giving an average of 35mpg. either way I think from owning diesels and talking to other diesel car owners that there is either something wrong or the economy on these Pugs is pathetic. Are there any things to go to the dealer armed with, any possible explanations?
• America Unchained 8 Oct 2008 (Forum)
  The attitude to the customer was astounding to see. As they were not buying fuel from the chains, inevitably it meant running out of petrol (especially as the fuel tank was not as big as they had been told by the seller). In one case the owner of a fuel station drove out 5 miles with a can of fuel to get them into town to fill up, and expected no money whatsoever for this.
• BMW 5-Series E39 (1996 - 2003) - 1999 3.0 530d Autobox Oil Change - hummmmm 15 Sep 2008 (Forum)
  (recently moved to prague and this car was the guy how worked her before me, it was very cheap and due to all sorts of silly legal issue's of permits etc I bought it..... as soon as my permits are done.. over to german for nicer smaller Audi that does'nt look like the Titanic) Anway, the car is on 127K mile's.... besides a really frustrating A/c issue and a slight oil leak from the main crank oil seal she runs like a dream and goes like a train....it is 110% at crusing around Czech and German.... Now to the point: I want to give her a good service and I mean everything.. I'm seriously clocking up the miles and always like to 'start' fresh...