April 2005
Currently have a Clio 172 Cup (03 plate) which I have had for 6 months, but it is too expensive to run so have decided to change.
I reckon it is worth about £7000 or just less (Glasses guide) as it is high mileage (33,000).
I want to have some cash left over so have a set a budget of £5000 to buy a used car.
Main considerations are fuel economy and general costs to run, though safety is important also.
Obvious options seem to be Yaris or Micra (but dare I say it these seem girly cars?), Corsa(long in the tooth?), Fabia (good cars), Panda (strangely appealling) or Punto (too old again?)
Don't want Renault again and Fords give me backache.
Any others I should consider?
Outside option is a Smart ForTwo - had two previous ones so like them a lot and mpg is good and from other owners experience they stand up well in accidents.
All thoughts and comments are welcome to help me make a sensible decision!
Andrew Read more
Sadly this subject has come up before and it will always develop into an emotive bun-fight. This kind of subject simply can't be discussed in a cold and frank way; these are people's loved ones we are dealing with. Thread locked before it gets unpleasant.
ND
Today, the A64 was closed for (at the last count 3 hours) because of a fatal accident. Clearing the road would have taken all of 5 minutes once a tow truck arrived...but no...the plod have to 'investigate' and while they do the road ceases to be our right of way while they slowly, carefully make sure that someone is to blame and that it will hold up in court. Result is that we travelled a round trip (back home again) of 16 miles in 3 hours. My wife's new car will have to wait till tomorrow.
Way I see it is that driving carries a risk of death just like flying or other 'hazardous' activities. If you die doing it, so be it. Once I'm dead I don't suppose I could care less who was 'responsible'. However, I would like to sleep in my own house without being woken by a shot in the head and go for a walk on a country lane without being knifed because I'd like to feel that these should be non-hazardous activities.
'bout time the plod got their priorities right.
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I obviously expressed myself badly.
The difference between someone getting killed, with consequent mayhem, and 'just a crumpled motor' is often just a few inches difference in the point of impact. Yet one is pretty well ignored and the other impacts the lives of thousands of people. This does not seem entirely logical? The likelihood of either being the result anything worse than a lapse of concentration is very very small.
My '03 Megane 1.9dCi has worn its rear tyres down to 2mm in 25000 mls. The fronts have 5mm on each. The two rears have worn evenly and with no odd marks. When I replaced them with two more Michelins the fitter seemed surprised at this wear ( as was I ) and could not suggest an explanation. 60% of the milage has been on motorways and the tyres have been checked weekly when cold. Any ideas out there ?
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ON the Rf goona, its on 36k
The fronts are on the last legs, past the wear indicators on the outside shoulders, on the wear indicators across the middle, healthy tread on the inside.
The rears are still well short of the wear indicators, look to have at least another 10k on them, but are showing a definate tendency to wear on the outside shoulders as well.
so even tho the tyre wear is uneven, 36k fronts is about average for all the previous cars I have had.
My mother has a Renault Scenic 1.6 Dynamique purchased new in March 2002.
Recently it has started to play up by not starting, sometimes it starts no problem at all then other times even after it has been driven for minutes or hours it then refuses to start, only to then start after 15-20 minutes of waiting around.
It is driving her to despair, Renault seem to have no idea what is going on.
Has anyone else had this problem?
Does anyone know a Fixit for this problem?
munchyseed Read more
Won't be the lambda sensor.
To be honest it could be loads of things:
Immobiliser
Fuel pump relay
Fuel pump
Crank sensor
Bad connections to ignition/fuel system
ECU
Plus a few others. The Renault dealer should sort this out.
I am toying with the idea of buying a very cheap 2000 model Jaguar XJ8, overall it's in fine condition but the bootlid and roof has what I would describe as a lightly scrubed finish. It is very difficult to describe and is only visible when fairly close up to the car.
It appears as though the metallic lacquer has been possibly damaged by a car wash. I have seen a few relatively new metallic cars (under 5 years old) with this, sometimes around the wheel arches. As I say it's difficult to describe but I'm sure people in the motor trade will be familiar with it.
Any ideas on whether its possible to polish out these marks? All ideas valued! Read more
sounds like g3 would suit you fine, do a little bit at a time and stand back to have a look, then a little more if needed rather than go mad and burn through
always wax after to keep it protected
G'day
can anyone tell me of a website that compares the performance of roadside recovery services pls?
thanks Read more
Just the job, thanks
Now we know who to vote for. The official Monster Raving Loony Party Transport policy is:
In order to combat motorway congestion we will immediately close all motorways to all vehicles with the exception of bicycles to encourage our green policy and fitness. Any bicycles with more than 3 gears will also be banned for safety reasons. Apart from anything else this will allow police to get on with catching burglars. Traffic cops who are not intelligent enough to cope with proper police work will be allowed to wear their uniforms for a transitional period before being re trained as vicars.
Pram lanes will be created in all shopping centres.
All cars will be converted to run on Venos to help stop congestion.
4 wheel drive vehicles will only be allowed to drive off road, therefore stopping mothers picking up their children from school in them when they only live 100 yards down the road. They will also be wrapped in bubble wrap to make them safer.
All trains will be fitted with an automatic braking system that will function as soon as it sees red; this will include people who have been completely enraged by having to stand waiting on a platform for 3 hours.
Rather than to attempt re-opening disused railway lines we will put sound systems every 500 yards along the disused tracks which will play sound effects of old steam trains to keep railway loonies happy. When they choose to walk along the old railways nostalgically, men will be employed to throw buckets of soot over them every so often.
Drivers will be allowed to drive over roundabouts when there?s nothing about. This will make driving through Milton Keynes much more fun.
All speed cameras will be abolished and replaced by a new device fitted to your cars which will automatically slow down to the speed limit when driven though an infra-red beam. This will also apply to police cars; their device will be set to 5 mph though built up areas.
Traffic wardens will be re-named Dick Turpin because, let?s face it, it?s daylight robbery.
Any kerbs that are caught crawling will be arrested and the council will be fined £100.000 pounds.
Full Manifesto is at:
omrlp.brinkster.net/Manicfesto2005.asp Read more
The reason transport and especially road safety policy is missing from
the manifestos is that the EU is basically going to take
responsibility for it. Sadly they're going to go in the same
failed direction the UK has been going in for the last
decade.
Floating voter floating towards UKIP......
I wonder how many of those football fans who festooned their motors with the England flag will do the same again tomorrow for St. George's day?
I somehow doubt I will see any. Read more
Seen several on cars around here and I'll be flying a very large one tomorrow - no NOT on my car!
A lorry driver was fined yesterday for eating a packet of cheese and onion crisps while negotiating a roundabout.
Tyneside magistrates' court heard that the driver held the crisp packet in his left hand, while he fed himself with his right, and used his forearms and elbows to steer.
tinyurl.com/dtjt6
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Hello.
First may i just appologise to any smokers in here.
Second sorry to hijack the thread.
If you cannot eat at the wheel why are we allowed to smoke cigarretes at the wheel.
They are both as bad (iam not on about health issues on this matter)
--
(iam not a mechanic)
Martin Winters
I am struggling to solve a starting problem with my Golf. It is M reg and has done 130,000 miles and is perfect apart from intermittent starting probs.
It sometimes fires revs and dies upto 20 times before deciding to go. It might do it when warm or when cold or when damp. It might not happen for a week of daily use.
It has been put on diagnostics straight after the problem and there are no fault codes.
Have tried replacing the fuel pump relay as suggested by a mechanic but it still does it.
Any ideas....?
Thank you Read more
R30 is the main relay for the engine management system, fuel injection & possibly ignition system depending on engine type. Many owners of this model have experience this relay being at fault along with the Fuel Pump control Relay. This is does show up in the diagnostics. Been here several times and you do not even need a new relay, carefully remove the cover and the chances are that the larger soldered pins through the PCB are cracked and require to be resoldered with a 100 watt soldering iran to ensure the big pins are hot enough. Regards Peter
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I agree the 1.3 CDTi is a cracking engine, but if you only do a relatively low mileage like me the 1.2 would be plenty economical enough. Well, enough for me anyway.