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• fiat/skoda/totota - second learner car - choice 21 Jun 2016 (Forum)
  Can I ask the room - we need a small second car for family and for 17yo kids to learn on - so low insuarance is a must I have got it down to three-ish Fiat panda 1.2 09 48k £1700 (£30pa tax) fsh etc or an 06 88k for £585   Skoda fabia 1.2 05 66K £950 fsh air con but £145 tax good condition Toyota Yaris - loads 04 onwards £1400ish with FSH very reliable but higher group 5 insurance.   I'm inclined to go for Fiat panda as fun easy to learn on, but fear reliability problems - although owners all seem to love them.
• ford focus tdci 1.8 2006 - very strange engine problem 7 Sep 2015 (Forum)
  Engine runs sweet until you reach optimum temp then it starts to play up for e.g  Stop the car, put it in neutral and soon as you lift the clutch it starts to sound and feel like its misfiring, it sounds like half the engine has stopped and the engine is jumping and shaking.but the weird thing is that if you just simply push the clutch back down then the engine runs sweet again-or if you dont push the clutch down you can turn the air con on and that makes it run ok aswel. Ive had mechanics and specialist both scratching there heads at this diagnostics shows nothing Ive had clutch and flywheel replaced along with a full service but still nothing Also probably about once every 2 weeks it turns over but doesnt start,then you have to jump it,not sure if its connected but thrown it in there anyway Any suggestions would be great!
• Vauxhall Vectra B - vauxhall vectra b diesel 140k 1999 engine noise 2 Jan 2015 (Forum)
  Can anyone please help i have had this strange engine noise on my vectra b 1999 diesel 140k   You tube video: Watch "Vectra b diesel 99 140k" on YouTube Vectra b diesel 99 140k: http://youtu.be/Ek4hz2bvIeo   Recent replacement parts: Egr valve and inlet manifold cleaned and replaced, cleaned boost pressure switch, all new filters and oil, runs well starts fine, eml on for a minute on start up then extinguishes, turbo works fine and engine revs fine noise had been there a long time but would just like to no what it could be   Please note noise seems to come from near fan belt side of engine(engine fitted with a cam chain)  Air con has not worked for a while could be compressor?
• Peugeot 206 SW - Auxiliary Belt Screeching 2.0 HDI 10 Nov 2013 (Forum)
  I don't really have the time to have the car in the garage for another day so I'm hoping I can sort it myself. Its a 2004 2.0 HDI with air con and their are 6 pulleys in total, 3 large, 3 smaller. Last time I adjusted a belt it was a simple case of loosening the alternator and tensioning the belt. This is like spagetti with loads of pulleys :) http://www.flickr.com/photos/62249235@N05/10760614784/ Is there any way of tightening the belt?
• Vauxhall Corsa D (2006 - ) - 07 1.7 misty/frozen windscreen inside 5 Aug 2011 (Forum)
  In actual fact it freezes in the cold weather at times. As there is no fast clear option in my car it takes ages to clear with the heater/air con combination as recommended by Vauxhall manuals. I can clear the whole car of ice/snow etc by hand and still be waiting to see outside the windscreen. I have not used any sprays etc to clean the inside of the windscreen since I got the car but as it was bought used I can't guarantee much more.
• If you have a technical question.... 31 Jul 2010 (Forum)
  I am lucky to see 300 miles from what my gauge says a full tank. I am conscious of making sure the air con does remains off, and to ensure the boot is empty.   I feel that I am a fairly decent driver so I am frustrated at the cars performance.
• Ford Mondeo IV - Low battery 27 Mar 2010 (Forum)
   was sat in my year old Mondeo, in a car park the other day, waiting for my wife. The key was in the ignition, but was turned all the way to the left - so there was no radio, air con etc on. Suddenly I noticed a "low battery" warning flash up on the dashboard. Afraid that it might be about to run flat, I started the engine and just let it run for about 10 minutes and then I didn't notice the warning again.
• Renault Clio II (2001 - 2007) - 1.4 16v Dynamique buying advice 2 Jun 2009 (Forum)
  Its done 102,000 miles its a 51 reg and they are asking £1995. One of the front fog lights is broken and the air con is not blowing very cold so these would need to be fixed before she got the car. They also said they would give it a service before they handed over the car. I gather that it should have had at least two cam belt changes done so far is this correct??.
• Vauxhall Astra G Petrol (1998 - 2004) - Accurate selling price? 13 Mar 2009 (Forum)
  I am not in a hurry to sell but I shall be saving so much on my next purchase that I don`t need to be greedy. Car is a Vauxhall Astra 1.6 8v Club with air con and just under 58.000 miles. Thanks.
• Ford Focus II (2004 - 2007) - 06 1.6(115) Cold start rattle - no aircon 23 Sep 2008 (Forum)
  when I start my car from cold there is a rattle from the engine bay, sounds like the tappets are really messed up, only for a second or 2, then it returns to normal , which seems to be quite loud too! Its an ex-moability car and has done 35k and I`m guessing its still under warranty. Also the air con doesn`t work, the light comes on when I press the button but it doesn`t seem to get any cooler, could the problems be related? I`m just worried that the garage will dismiss the cold start noise as the oil getting round the engine from cold but I`m pretty sure that its not doing any good at all!
• Which small car? 17 Aug 2008 (Forum)
  Wish list for the car is as follows : Cost up to £6.5k Small car, but must be 5 door and the boot big enough for a guitar Safety very important Reliable Long-lasting (current car = 10 year old Micra - she wants the next one to last as long) As few gadgets as possible (eg no alloys) but must have air con Main use = town driving Image not important, nor is performance. But economy and low VED are important. Given that small cars don't depreciate too much in the first year, I may be tempted to go for the extra peace of mind of buying brand new.
• Long term new car purchase Volume 1 9 Dec 2007 (Forum)
  Obviously the car will do some serious mileage and im used to fairly bullit-proof reliability as I get with my Suzuki van. Im interested in generally good dealers, but depriciation and image count for nothing. Air con would be nice but not a deal breaker. The car that has sprung to mind at this point is the Kia Rio GS diesel. Im not in any hurry to do this as there may be something new and exciting coming next year.
• Garage 'forgot' to service car....! 30 Mar 2007 (Forum)
  Folks, thought I would share with you my most surreal motoring day to date... 8.45am -- I take my 3 series BMW into a well known independent specialist for a few minor bits and pieces to be attended to (Air con re-gas, minor electrical gremlin, etc. etc.). Agree mid afternoon collection. 3pm (agreed time of collection). Return to the garage (car is still in identical parking spot from this morning), told to wait a few moments by the receptionist.
• Mondeo or Titanic 6 Jun 2005 (Forum)
  There is no evidence of a cracked head or dodgy gasket in the water or oil. Could it be that I have maybe bent a con rod or just wiped out a glow plug. Any ideas would be welcome.
• Ive Gone And Brought the E320!!! 19 Mar 2005 (Forum)
  A fully loaded Mercedes Benz E320 AvantGarde in Black, with nappa black leather ( soft as a babes bum), satnav, panaoramic roof with solar panels to run the a/c or heating when youre not in it, Bose auto change cd and 12 speakers, parktronic back and front, sports set up, massaging seats, auto boot opener, each seat with its own air con control (upgraded)auto boot opener and closer, rear window blind, full telephone kit, radar on the cruise control that applies the brakes when too close to the car in front!!! This car is fantastic, 6 months old ex demo with 7k on the clock, I cant wait to pick it up and Im as excited as hell.
• galaxy no go 8 Sep 2004 (Forum)
  member of my family finally got round to getting rid of his galaxy tdi. its a 51 late, 64k, full service history, new engine mounts, clutch and brakes and tyres - the works. its the 1.9 hdi 90 lx - still has air con and elec windows. he even had side airbag option put on to it. placed it in the auto trader. anyhow, long story short - he told me today, he has only had 1 offer of someone who rang up and said 9 k without seeing it.
• Toyota auto stalling 2 Apr 2004 (Forum)
  The revs drop away from a steady 800rpm to 300-400rpm and quite often the engine simply stalls. It's worse when the air-con is running, and when reverse is selected. If the engine doesn't stall, the revs gradually pick up again to 800rpm. After a while the whole process starts again. In all other respects the engine and transmission perform perfectly.
• Buying Renualt Megane Import or UK Spec 9 Oct 2003 (Forum)
  The nearest comparable price via a dealer is approx. £8900 for a 1 year old with 12,000 on the clock with no air con or CD but it will have the rest of the warranty on it and two years AA cover. Would I be better going for the import and buying additional warranty how much wolud this be or going via the traditional route?
• In the summertime 7 Aug 2003 (Forum)
  This is a pet hate of mine and I know fully well that in the great scheme of things it makes no difference to my life what so ever but AAAAAHHHHHHHH. And don't give me all that "its more comfortable with the roof up and air con on" because most of thm had the windows down. Time for a strong coffee. Buy the way whats the difference between a convertable and a cabriolet ????
• Semi-busted Xantia cooling fan 1 Feb 2002 (Forum)
  (I won't have time to dismantle it until the w/e to look at the other, and it doesn't look like the easiest job to remove the assembly in restricted space with grill removed) Hopefully it isn't just the head of the screw that is missing, the rest still in situ :-( The second fan appears to be working properly so the temp is kept to reasonable levels at the moment, but with the air-con on and working the engine hard, the temp does rise quite rapidly (but still won't hit 90 in normal driving). Any help appreciated, Chris