December 2020
I have a garage in a block. In front of the garages is a concrete area, the area in front of each garage is owned by the respective garage owners.
There's an agreement in the deeds that each owner grants the right to other owners to pass over each others areas by vehicle or by foot for the purposes of accessing their own garage. This I think is perfectly reasonable and fair.... Read more
hello again.
I'm having an issue on my 3 and a half year old picasso that I bought 3 months ago and it is going back to the garage for a check in two weeks time but in the mean time I'm looking around to see whats what . So far I've seen stuff about alternator , belt tensioners, starter motor and battery which all make sense , however the question I have is if fixed under warranty ( great ) but is it worth the overall hassle that may come from stop start wear and tear and so far in my research questionable savings and that maybe just turn it off for good AND is it ok to turn it off in the long run. ... Read more
Might as well get it checked while in warranty. Worse think ever invented just for the hassle it causes some. More expensive battery needed for starters(get it!) and various criteria needed to operate it when the car is running. I always switch mine off before setting off
Had a recent problem with my 2017 Fiesta Titanium. My wife complained that she could not open the passenger door, but I could lean over and let her in. I couldn't get it to work properly, and the local agent seemed surprised, but didn't think it was connected to the electronics, where the ECU was replaced under warranty. I didn't want to pay for another one.
A local firm got it to work, after dismantling and reassembling the mechanism, though he didn't find the reason for the failure, but it failed again a few weeks later. The same man found what caused this intermittent fault. A plastic component of the mechanism had cracked and distorted. They obtained a new part, and the supplier said they sold quite a few of them, and that it was a known fault. Ford on Twitter, say they are unaware, like the agent. Perhaps it's case of 'well they would say that, wouldn't they ?'... Read more
The car runs so well, but I am losing confidence in it. At least the cover for the fuses has not fallen off lately, thanks to Blu-Tack.
Rather than Blu-Tack I would recommend the double-sided adhesive tape available from B&Q (and likely elsewhere) in three grades of tackiness. It seems to be long-term waterproof and I have used it for all sorts of jobs like the one you mention. I use the tackiest grade, and the only problem is starting to peel the backing before application. It sticks like the proverbial ....
Just had the timing belt replaced at 60000 mile service at franchised dealer. Next day, difficult to start. Sounded rough. Went back to dealer and whilst they acknowledged poor starting, they sent me away saying 'no cause for concern - if it doesn't improve, bring it back next week'. Next day, at 70mph on cruise control, car suddenly slowed. I pulled over and engine cut out.
AA picked it up and reported fault code P0341 Camshaft position sensor A (bank 1) pointing to either a failure of the sensor or the camshaft and crankshaft timing being out.
At the dealer, it was found that several rocker arms are broken. They tell me this is nothing to do with them changing the timing belt less than 50 miles previously.... Read more
A salutary lesson that a big name fancy gin palace is no guarantee of competence.
I'm not sure it ever was. Maybe some mechanics interested in their calling preferred to work at a place which cared a bit more ?
Hi all, my wifes Auris's alarm goes off, within 10 mins of locking it with the fob.
I can lock with the key blade, and have no issues, but i really don't want to keep doing this!... Read more
UPDATE! PROBLEM IS SORTED! was the bonnet sensor switch that was the issue! I disconnected it, no more issues, no lights or message on dash! When i opened bonnet before, it would still remain 'flush', it wouldn't pop up a little, which is what made me suspicious of it!
I'm considering buying an Outlander for 2 main reasons. I have a begun a new job with a 6 mile round commute but don't want to lose the space of a family car. Currently have astra diesel estate which is not enjoying the short journeys. My issue is I can afford a 2015 vehicle but given that the battery is only warrantied for 8 years or 100,000 miles, will the car be worth much in say 3-5 years time if I want to change it. I understand a new battery pack costs £4500 at present. I'm a little worried I would be buying something that will be worth very little at a later date. Any advice is greatly appreciated
Pointless buying a hybrid for such low mileage usage. Buy a newer petrol estate instead. Your money will go further and there’s less complexity to worry about. Plus with Mitsubishi pulling out of the market residuals will collapse and non-service parts will dry up quickly. An Avensis or Mazda 6 petrol estate would both be far superior to own and drive, especially the Mazda.
While looking at Skoda Karoq YouTube review, I came across an Australian review of the 2020 version. I noticed a sticker on rear screen showing the car had a 5 Year warranty. Apart from the obvious, why do we only get a 3 Year warranty in UK. Read more
I think you will find "any driver" policies are still available(at a cost) in this country and that "owner only driving" and "named driver" policies are available in the EU.It is NOT the car that is insured.I insure my cars "owner and spouse".
I don't think that it possible to insure a car in the EU with the parameters you describe. This is the mandatory situation in France which presumably must be the same in the rest of the EU....
Hi all,
I'm wondering if anyone on this forum has any info on what the cost price of a Mazda is. I'm talking about the amount the dealer would have to cover to break even on a car. For example, at a list price of £30k, the dealer's base price, including profit, would be £24.5k. This is gross, of course, pre-VAT and other non-VAT related expenses (first year tax duty, registration fee etc.). I imagine the gross margin is around 10%, so the actual vehicle is "bought" by the dealer at around £22k. How far off am I?... Read more
You’half right, but things are not as rosy as they seem. The UK has seen a reduction of more than 50% new car registrations compared to 2019, hence reduced production. Things are not looking great for 2021, furlough is about to end.
Like I said, I’ll wait as long as it takes :-)
Hi
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Don't know about your Seat but on Skoda older models have a button either on the drivers door card or on the B pillar that you can press and then lock within 30 seconds. That disables the internal monitoring and the alarm. Later more recent models, you just double lock the keyfob. The alarm is disabled on the second click of the fob.
Spurious alarm issues on older cars (Skoda) are usually related to an expired corroded nicad battery contained in the alarm unit, which on a Skoda fabia is hidden somewhere near or under the offside front wheel arch. Either replace/disconnect the unit or it is possible to repair for someone with the right skills ...
Seems they've filed for bankruptcy.... Read more
Unlike the French, most Brits won't buy the basic model, so knowing this, the makers push up the prices sharply for the high-end models that we fall for.
You can pay well over £40,000 for a 3008 PHEV or Grandland PHEV....should you wish to....
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Suitably position a couple of pallets of concrete blocks opposite your garage.