February 2006
Being tight, is there any way I can make homemade screen wash? I had an uncle who used water with meths added but not sure this would be any cheaper. Read more
Evening all, took my Vectra in for a service this week and was informed afterwards that there was a nail/screw in o/s/r tyre. Tyre had not lost any pressure and dealership said tyre couldn't be repaired because of where the nail was.
I've had a look at the tyre and can only see what appears to be a small nail embedded in the main tread (not sidewall) and, judging by its condition, appears to have been there for some time. I usually do around 350 miles a week so potentially could have been driving around with this thing since the last service in Jan 05.
My tyres are about £125 each and this one has plenty of tread left so I'm loath to replace it but what kind of risks am I taking by doing nothing?
Thanks Read more
I kind of get the impression that people in the backroom
are not in favour of car tyre puncture repairs in any
shape or form.
>>
The only blow out I have experienced was due to a previous repair of a small nail hole in the middle of the tread.
My 2.0litre 115bhp TDCi only returns approx 40 mpg. I am told it should be more and the local Ford garage has not been able to improve it. It regularly soots up the EGR valve and has had a replacement ECU with several attempts at ECU firmware upgrades. It also suffers the 1700rpm flatspot. Has anyone been able to improve the consumption and fix a similar problem? How did you manage to convince Ford that it could be fixed?
The onboard trip computer gives a very optimistic 47-50mpg readout, but the 40mpg is 'real' and found by a simple calculation of how many miles driven on a tankful of fuel. Anyone know how to re-calibrate the on board trip computer? Read more
alternator belt? um do you mean pulleys, Idler?
sorry for huge delay I left eu came back to Aust. car was buried in that white stuff all winter, pick up next month
thansk for reply
does anyone know if these 84 gbp fuel chips(ebay) are any use
Stu
I have managed to get a secondhand replacement key fob for my rover 25 (03).It will need reprogramming but obviously rover cant do it !!!Any ideas where i can get it done and the approx cost ? Read more
I just bought a new key fob from a local Locksmith shop last month total cost with everything $330-350 with tax!
I'm helping my dad choose a new car and I'd like any advice, please, on makes/ models we should consider where the number one priority is a comfortable drive considering he has a bad back. We reckon that for him this requires a vehicle with (a) an elevated driving position and (b) generous headroom, as he's over 6ft tall.
The car being replaced is a Volvo 850, more than 12 years old, and my dad believes the relatively low slung driver's seat, into which you have to lower your body, has exacerbated his back problem. So he wants the replacement to have a driver's seat higher off the ground. I assume this means we need to mainly look at 4x4s and SUVs. We know next to nothing about these, except that my dad is under the impression that such vehicles, with elevated driving positions, suffer from a corresponding lack of head room. Is this true?
Aside from the high seat/ head room priority, other considerations are generous (but not mammoth) luggage space, automatic gearbox, and a budget of up to £15,000 in the used market.
Any general or specific advice would be much appreciated.
Read more
Just a thought, Jakester, if your dad gets the higher rate of mobility allowance and the car needs any adaptation (ie knob on steering wheel, etc) then a new car would be VAT free and, of course, road tax free. We didn't use that option, but it is there.
Hi guys, following on from this thread www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=38...9 and having taken it to a local parts/garage place it emerges that the lock has 'gone' like you guys thought.
Now my girlfriend has bought a new one, had it made up so she can use her existing keys for the all doors/boot and ignition.
Now she wants me to fit it! anyone know how to do this?? easy or not? she has a Haynes manual somewhere, does it tell you in there?
Thanks again.
Lee182. Read more
>> Finally for the record can you tell me how much you
were charged all in please?
Sorry missed that bit in my excitement!
I think it was around the £25 mark inc vat all in, thought that was pretty good, was told it would be over £30 from Ford.
A lot of cars now need a visit to the garage to change the headlamp (or in some cases, any) bulbs.
As it's illegal to knowingly drive with blown bulbs, will the AA/RAC, and also the likes of BMW Assist and Mercedes Mobilolife etc, turn out and change the bulb for you? Strikes me that this would be a lot cheaper than an hour in a dealer getting it done? Read more
From Renaults website:
Renault Assistance provides the services of the AA during the 3 year manufacturer warranty, but while this programme aims to provide you with peace of mind motoring, it only covers manufacturer-based or mechanical faults on your vehicle. For a single payment of £50, your Assistance cover will be upgraded to include the following incidents:
The use of incorrect fuel, or lack of fuel
Wheel changes, punctured tyres
Instances where keys have been locked inside the vehicle, lost or stolen
Road traffic accidents
Incidents involving caravans and trailers
Hi all
I was wondering if someone could help me with a query.
The engine management light has been coming on intermittantely on my 02 plate 1.8 Vectra for around the last 3 to 4 months. It has no affect in performance when it is on.
I took it to a local garage with the right equipment to read the fault code for me and he said it came back with the code p1555 TPS Sensor. Now he said it could just be a blip, and that I may never get it again, so he cleared the memory for me. He also said that if it does come on again (which it has) in the meantime, it could be the Throttle Position Sensor malfunctioning and if it is the whole unit will have to be replaced, costing around £300! Apparently I can't just replace the sensor, I have to replace the whole throttle body!
As I said earlier, when the Management light is on, the car seems to run OK with no ill affects.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Gary.
{edited to use drop down menus that weren't available at the time this post was originally created} Read more
Just fixed my wifes 2002 1.8LS Vectra with this fault. Take the throttle body off, get some carb cleaner (or use petrol and a cloth) and clean the carbonised gunk from the body above and below the butterfly flap.
Also a common problem is the idle air by-pass port gets blocked up (like this one was). When you take the throttle body off, you'll have a small bore rubber hose going from the rocker cover to the lower right hand side of the body onto a small brass stub. This allows air to by-pass the butterfly when on idle and it gets blocked easily as condensation builds up in the hose and dries / hardens, causing the blockage. I used a small straight pick tool (you could use a thin, strong steel wire or 2~3mm drill bit) and cleared it out by working it through the crud in the stub. Give it a blow out with compressed air and spray some carb cleaner down it to make sure its clear.
Bolt it all back together, check the fault codes and clear them and roadtest. If it was the same as mine, all should be OK with no hunting and the emissions light should stay OFF.
All the best,
Graham.
I know this may seem like a simple questions but. Where is the correct place to lift a car up from using a trolley jack. And where is the best spot to place axel stands without damaging the underneath of the car? Any suggestions would be very appreciated. Read more
For simple access not involving removal of a particular wheel, I put a trolley jack under the bottom of the shock absorber, lift the wheel to its maximum extent, then shove a pile of large blocks of wood under the wheel and lower the jack a bit until the blocks are just pinched.
That way is quick, avoiding having to unwind the whole suspension travel, and safe because the car is doubly supported with the blocks and the jack each still in situ.
Having an earth floor garage I don't really like axle stands - they exert too much pressure on the ground.
Car jacking points are often flimsy and designed for a different kind of force, the jack often hooking on rather than simply taking the weight from directly below.
Hi,
I noticed quite a few Alfa 156 JTD's going on autotrader for very cheap prices. I absolutely love the 2litre petrol 156, having spent hours in one.
My question really is whether a well cared for 156 going to stick to its heritage, that is being a pain in the you know where.
Cheers Read more
Hi bruce100 i am new to the 156 looking for a cheap fun car i think they are better regarded after sept 2003 facelifted models? which model would you go for when thinking of speed economy reliability ? they all seem around £1000-£2000 is full service history an absolute must on these ?
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A drop of washing up liquid in 5 litres of screenwash greatly improves removal of oil etc deposited in roadspray. Frankly if I added the same quantity of Saxa the solution would be far too weak to significantly accelerate corrosion.