December 2005
Hi
I am looking to get some wind deflectors on a honda cg125 (like the ones on the C90). I can't seem to trace anything like this on the net and I was wondering where I could get something like this from.
Thanks in advance.
Greg Read more
Really struggling here with buying my next car! Want a very nearly new car - but do I go for a hatchback Focus or Golf? (Probably looking at 1.6 for either to keep cost and insurance down) Read more
Is there a link someone can give cornflake dedicated to reliabilty issues and how to get a VW fixed when it goes wrong? 'Cos it will.
All I can say cornflake is the best of luck and well done VW for fooling another punter into a purchase.
When it was new (2004 2.2 petrol) I liked my Vectra. It drove well and its performance was good too.
More recently however it has been troublesome. Firstly the cruise control failed to work as did the automatic wipers (the would not work full stop). The garage put this down to a faulty computer and replaced it.
The central locking failed and had to be replaced - twice!
On going to the sales today with the family the whole thing died on the up ramp to a multistory car park. The engine warning light did come on just before it died (spanner under the rev counter). The engine turned over but did not restart until I reversed it down the ramp (difficult with no power steering and unsupported brakes). After about 10 minutes it restarted and went about 100 yards before dying again.
I left it for an hour and the car then restated and got me home, followed by an RAC van in case we broke down again.
The local dealer did not want to know today - on skeleton staff only and the attitude was that they probably would not be able to find the problem anyway!
Any ideas folks?
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If you had an EML show, there will be a trouble code stored, This should tell the dealer which troubleshooting procedure to follow.
It's a shame most dealers are useless, and don't even bother doing this as they "Don't even know how to switch the compuer on.".
What is a Police Informal Caution?
Today i have received notification from local constabulary that the third party i was involved in an accident with has recieved a "Informal Caution for driving without due care and attention."
Is this a written caution or a vist from the boys in blue? Read more
Car's been repaired and his insurasnce co have admitted liability. I paid the excess up front then about 3 weeks later recieved payment from the third party's insurers for the excess. My insureance company have now closed this matter with no loss of bonus as they have also recovered their costs.
To keep it short........ My car has been returned damaged after being kept in storage during the process of damage assessment and valuation by the insurance company/local garage and storage company.
The original damage to my vehicle was inspected and logged. and according to the local garage, everything was OK when the vehicle left them to go into storage.
I originally agreed to a settlement figure plus the salvage (class 3)my car only needed two doors fitted. but since the car was returned i can't drive the thing because of the front end damage which includes a busted radiator bumper etc.
What liability should the insurance company take? what should i do? do i get the car assessed again? It was repairable but now i wander if it is a complete write off now!!
help!!!
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If the car is undrieable how did they get back to your house and, if it was delivered on a low loader how did theyget it onto your drive? Didn't you have to sign as accepting the car and the 'repair'?
(Thread title changed for clarity.)
TANSTAAFL..
Or, to state it fully, There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch..
My daughter bought herself a NavMan GPS system for Christmas, and is as pleased as punch with it - it gave her the confidence to drive for the first time from Petersfield to wildest Essex..!
However,(and this is where the story really starts..) has anyone else wondered when the American satellite operators/financiers are going to announce that starting in (say)12 months, they're scrambling the signals and if you want to use your system it'll cost you £xxx per year..It must have cost billions to set up, and we've had 15 years use free of charge - now call me a cynical old Victor Meldrew, but altruism isn't the first word that springs to mind when thinking of American 'big business'.
Does anyone know if this is already being addressed by means of a licence fee payable by the manufacturers?
Also, I hear today that Europe is launching its own satellite array,-'Galileo',in order that all the security/banking/aviation etc. systems could be operated if the current system was terminated for any reason.
Any thoughts on this?
Happy New Year to all Backroomers -
P. Read more
> Except that 3G phones with location facility do this using GPS technology
GPS in a phone on its own is fine out on the open road, but most consumers spend most of their time using premium services on foot/taxi/train in the so-called urban canyon. In streets surrounded by high structures the system will take time to get an accurate (3+ sat) fix. Way forward is Assisted GPS (AGPS) which prompts the fix process by using cell site info. A Cambridge company called CPS developed a very accurate system using distance from cell sites calcs developed from astro-research - expensive, but much more accurate in the urban canyon than straight GPS. They are now partnering with GPS-plays to get around the UC problem.
LBS has been much touted for years - never delivered to date, but perhaps 3G will help it. Still not sure about it though. I've been quite heavily involved in it for the last five years.
Does anyone know how the heated front windows work in the Ford Fiestas. I noticed last week that it has the tiny wires in the front windowscreen but I don't know how to turn them on to clear frost etc.
Will it be on the same button as the rear window heater?!?!
Cheers
M Read more
Bear in mind that your car might not be fitted with the switch and wiring, if it is there you should know about it as it is right next to the rear screen demist.
The car may have had a replacement screen at some piont in the past where the wrong screen has been fitted. Stranger things have happened.
Looking through the service history, there are 2 rather odd receipts regarding the past history of my car, more so its engine.
The first one:
DATE: 16/07/98
MILES: 56539
JOB INSTRUCTIONS: Remove cylinder head + skim and replace gaskets + timing belt
Quite straight forwards that one. Blown head gasket, a common problem on these Polos (poor mating surfaces) and I?m quite surprised it lasted as long, since they seemed to blow quite early. But the next one:
DATE: 26/08/98
MILES: 57785
JOB INSTRUCTIONS: Attend breakdown tow in
- Strip bottom end of engine
- Replace bearings + oil pickup strainer
- Service engine
So what happened there? The only thing I can come up with is, when the head gasket was changed, some of the swarf from when the head/block was skimmed ended up in the sump, and blocked the oil pick up strainer. What do you think? Surely it would have sufficed just to clean the strainer? In any case, I?m surprised the rest of the engine didn?t suffer, but since the its now done best part of 110,000 miles, I can?t say that?s the case.
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oldman might not be far off. Looking at the first receipt for the head gasket, the then current owner was charged for:
- Head gasket set = £42.30
- Cam belt = £15.85
- Head skim = £25
NO OIL!
Some 1246 miles later (not bad considering the engine could have been running on a lovely mayonnaise-like oil), they were charged:
- Oil (they remembered) = £9.50
- Oil filter = £5.90
- Plugs = £12
- Bearings = £35.30
- Gaskets = £18.85
- Oil pick up = £34.85
- Air filter = £6.10
No strict mention of which bearings exactly. However, at those prices, I would assume main and or big end bearings only. I hadn't thought about the effect of water.
need a good relaiable car ..for track and drag days...
must be fast...preferably RWD OR 4WD...dont want to spend a fortune...max £2000...please help Read more
How much does it cost to take your car on one of these tracks?
Using the link I posted above, the price for Santapod is:-
www.rwyb.co.uk/dates.htm
I would imagine most other track websites also list their prices as well.
I didn't realise that the powers that be tried to enforce a move to renewable photo licenses.
www.theregister.co.uk/2005/12/28/lords_voluntary_i.../
The Telegraph also reports a little-noticed reversal in the Lords for the Government last month, when peers rejected plans to invalidate and recall all old style paper driving licences. For new licences and replacements, these were replaced by photocard licences some years ago, but whereas photocard licences need to be renewed regularly, the old style non-photo licences remain, under current legislation, valid until such time as the bearer finds it necessary to replace it (e.g. on moving house).
The Government had included a clause on "Compulsory surrender of old-form licences" in the Road Safety Bill, but opposition peers suspected that the Government could be planning to make the driving licence a "designated document" under the ID card scheme, eventually making it necessary to have an ID card in order to obtain a driving licence. Peers also feared that ultimately all existing licences, including the current generation of photocard licence, could be withdrawn as the licence database was integrated with the ID scheme.
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ID cards in disguise? We should all have those anyway. I have nothing to hide and it's pros far outweigh it's cons.
We are already becomming a police state, ID cards will make it more so.
The state are there to serve me, not the other way round.
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Now that it is getting colder, I have ordered some crash bars.
Where is a good place in SW London or in Brighton to get some flexible plastic that I can use tie-ons to get on?
I saw courier bikes do this and thought what a wonderful idea to keep warm.
Greg