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Thu 19 Dec 2019 13:00
- GingerTom
Nothing very remarkable about that vehicle stats website. It just uses the information from the DVLA website. www.gov.uk/check-mot-history Stick your reg in and click the MOT history.
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Thu 19 Dec 2019 15:24
Honest John's Motoring Agony Column 21-12-2019 Part 1 - Wazza78

I agree. Its pretty naff to be honest and output not easy to digest. I would prefer to stick to the standard DVLA site or apps such as Vehicle Smart or Total Car Check where the info is displayed in a better format.

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Fri 20 Dec 2019 09:06
- De Sisti
Agreed with Wazz78. Vehicle Smart displays the information in an easy to read format (imo) just like the DVLA version.
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Fri 20 Dec 2019 10:50
- gordonbennet
Too little too late.

If you treat your turbocharged engine with mechanical sympathy, and to decent sensible oil change intervals, there is no reason why any turbo shouldn't last the life of the vehicle, its neglect and lack of sympathy which normally kills them.

Reading this excellent (pinned) advice from Cyd in the The Backroom forum is well worth ten minutes of your time.

www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/114789/any---turbo...r
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Fri 20 Dec 2019 18:40
Honest John's Motoring Agony Column 21-12-2019 Part 1 - doi209

my reg no is reported to be on an Audi I sold 7 years. Since then, it has been on two other cars. Not accurate enough to be taken seriously.

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Sat 21 Dec 2019 14:15
- DLDLDL
Can I make a plea, through you, to get rid of the hump in front-wheel drive cars.


Can I extend this to include massive centre consoles and arm rests that do not go up and down with the seat?

From a safety point of view for all, the driver should be able to get out the passenger door. This is important if breaking down on British Motorways; the hard shoulder (if it still exists) is narrow and getting out the driver's side can be very dangerous. (see: www.survivegroup.org//download_files/Leaflet%2022-...f )

From a comfort point of view centre consoles (and fixed arm rests) can turn tall drivers into Quasimodos.

To be able to see out of the windscreen (and avoid blind spots caused by the rear view mirror and the increasing amount of electronics fitted in the top of the screen - which stops you looking out over the top of the mirror), tall drivers have to drop the seat to its lowest level. Trouble is, as you lower the seat, your upper arm does not get progressively shorter, so the centre console/arm rest lifts your elbow!

It is worse with manual cars because gear changing is not as easy. When I had a Golf (company issue - not my choice), I raised the arm rest to get vertical space - but if you did a rapid change from say 5th to 4th, your elbow rammed against the raised arm rest giving you a dead arm just as you were attempting an overtake.

If a seat goes down, the armrest/console has to go down as well - basic anatomy!
The arm rest can be fixed to the seat. The centre console could be done away with; the driving position is a car not a fighter cockpit!
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Sun 22 Dec 2019 17:45
- jchinuk
Re :Defender of the realm
A little anecdote, I met someone who worked at the MoD depot that received new vehicles for the Army, anything from a tank to a motorcycle, prior to being issued to the unit. Land Rover had a permanent staff there to fix the problems that "new" vehicles arrived with. At the same time, the Army was getting Steyr (then made near Guildford) vehicles to tow light howitzers, they need no attention and the bloke from the factory visited once a month and had a cup of tea and counted the vehicles had arrived.
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Sun 22 Dec 2019 17:51
- jchinuk
Re : Eco worrier
I have had two Ecosport, one a 125bhp (made in India) and a 140bhp ST-Line (made in Romania). I liked both, but the newer one, which was the current model and shares an interior with the new Fiesta was much nicer to drive. I have to say that the extra 15bhp made little difference on the road.
The biggest drawback was the rear door, which meant you could not back into spaces as requires a bit of space to open and the boot is not very big either.
You will notice I used the past tense, I have a Fiest Active ST with the 140bhp engine, which is much more user-friendly and nippy too. The increased ground clearance is useful too, for occasional parking off road.
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Sun 22 Dec 2019 21:34
Just Looking - drago

@Just Looking Check out the android app Vehicle Smart It contains among others every single MOT, yearly mileage, SORN status and CAT "X" damage if applicable. I wouldn't dream on buying a car without these checks. Red or Orange MOTs (fail or advisory) look worse than a nice green stretch (passed with no advisory), but sometimes a few Orange/Red events aren't a concern as long as the owner can supply information about what happened and how it was sorted.

Edited by drago on 22/12/2019 at 21:37

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Tue 24 Dec 2019 21:49
Honest John's Motoring Agony Column 21-12-2019 Part 1 - Captain-Cretin

Hmm, It shows the fake advisories for brakes a few times.

How do I know they are fake? The brakes were replaced (by another garage), and they still kept saying they were pitted and worn.

Ditto tyres, they were changed at 3mm remaining, yet an advisory claiming they were near the limit.

I dont use that service centre any longer, not since I caught them trying to force a fault in the front brake balance by jamming a crow bar inbetween the disc and the pad on one side, AND spraying oil on the alternator belt to make it squeal.

On my previous car I had a "Brake Pads worn thin" advisory on every MOT for 100,000 miles, and there was still meat on them when I got them changed.

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