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• 'clocking' dilemma, how to sell 26 May 2007 (Forum)
  Which then meant i knew the car was clocked. I'd only ever intended on keeping it as a temp measure as a man in his 20's didn't really want a Volvo 240.....but how to get rid? I didn't want to lie to anyone or do anything dodgy, but neither did i want to lose too much on the car either. So in the end i let a relative sell it for me privately, made no comment about the mileage, instructed them to state that their relative was selling it and they did not know much about the history (which was true) and leave it at that.
• Recommend a used supermini/small fam. 30 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  As my wife complains about lack of bootspace and the girls aren't getting any smaller, I am at a loss as to why she wants another Fiesta and I started looking at 206's, Fabias and Clios before realising that they are (apart from perhaps the Fabia) equally as small as the Fiesta, so I'm now thinking of Focus or 306? Is the Fabia notably bigger that the Fiesta? I've seen reviews saying it's way better than the Fiesta and also reviews saying it's cramped... depends on who's in it, I suppose...?
• Where's the feedback loop 30 Apr 2007 (Forum)
  When a train or and aircraft has an incident, or near incident, there is often an investigation where they trace back to the root cause(s) of the problem and attempt to fix them. We're (quite rightly) outraged when a similar incident occurs. Yet we're all making the same mistakes time after time on the roads - It seems to me that we're missing that vital feedback loop on what mistakes we and others are making and what we can do to put them right.
• Advice needed please 29 Mar 2007 (Forum)
  On inspection, I found that the 4 doors needed replacing due to the well know corrosion problem that many early mk3's had. I agreed with the dealer that I would take the car and put a deposit down on the 18th March (my understanding was that this would take the car off sale). I contacted my local ford dealer the same day and they took pics of all the doors and asked ford uk to authorise replacement of all the doors.
• Whose responsibility? 29 Jan 2007 (Forum)
  The Renault dealer charges 70 ph, and they want the car for 2 days (for now), so it could get pricey. Questions: Who?s (legal) responsibility is this? How do I deal with it? Who foots the bill for the extra? Should I be handing it back to the Citroen dealer lock stock and let them sort the whole thing out? They have been pretty decent to date.
• Insurance Company refuses to pay up. 29 Jan 2007 (Forum)
  I have always considered tyres a very important part of my maintenance regime and have never scrimped when replacing them, so it 's ironic that this should happen. If the tyre was indeed illegal, would I have any legal claim on my garage? Baring in mind that only on the 22nd November 2006, my Main Dealer garage had swapped the tyres around front to back and adjusted the tracking of the car (as I felt it was puling to the right).
• C`Rail misfueling Engineers solutions? 18 Jan 2007 (Forum)
  (With emphasis to elegant mechanical/electrical engineering rather than ( for example) a triangular *cat flap* on the filler neck and matching pump, oh, and with just a nod to occam`s razor :) Some suggested parameters It needs to work anywhere, not just a UK solution, so its ok at that rural garage in France and over the EU borders. Its a good engineering solution before cost cutting is considered.
• MoT Failure 5 Dec 2006 (Forum)
  MoT failure (mainly on hydraulics). Sound engine and gearbox. No rust. £250ono, buyer collects. Reason(s) for refusal to issue Certificate Nearside Front headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.2.4a) Both front windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2) Rear registration plate deteriorated (6.3.1d) Indicator switch insecure (1.5.A2) Offside Front shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3) **DANGEROUS** Both front shock absorber has negligible damping effect (2.7.5) **DANGEROUS** Rear centre seat belt retracting mechanism defective (5.1.B.5b) Back box exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2a) Cat centre silencer exhaust system has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2a) **DANGEROUS** Both front brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d) **DANGEROUS** Service brake efficiency below requirements (3.7.A.8) **DANGEROUS** Parking brake efficiency below requirements (3.7.A.9/10) **DANGEROUS** Rear suspension has inadequate clearance with the bump stop (2.4.A.1) Rear suspension has inadequate clearance with the chassis (2.4.A.1) **DANGEROUS** Rear suspension weakened allowing body or other component to foul a road wheel or would do so if laden (2.4.A.1) Both front headlamp aim too high (1.6) No Advisory Notice issued This raises some interesting points if they allowed it to be driven away!
• Dartford Crossing toll to rise 50% 10 Nov 2006 (Forum)
  The Government excused its duplicity, when continuing tolling charges in 2003, by saying that the tolls would hold down congestion. ?These new charges confirm that congestion has worsened, removing the Government?s justification for tolls. Common sense suggests that making 150,000 vehicles a day stop on the busiest motorway in Britain will create congestion and pollution. Electronic charging will not change this. ?
• I felt sorry for a Ferrari driver! 21 Oct 2006 (Forum)
  Coming back south from "oop North" today I joined the M62 newar Howden, S Yorks. Rather peculiar junction, you go over the motorway to a roundabout, double back on yourself to the only exit from roundabout onto a downhill slip road. Near top of slip road was a police car, half on a very narrow hard shoulder, half on sliproad, with red lights flashing.
• Renault 21 Savanna - Problem with lights 3 Jun 2006 (Forum)
  Hello this is my first post to this forum and I apologise for the length, I am having a nightmare with the lights on the car and was wondering if anybody had any ideas of what the problem(s) might be! 1. The front fog lights are on all the time. This is wether or not the fog light switch is on or off. When the light switch is turned to dip beam the fog light dashboard indicator comes on as do the fog lights.
• C5 HDI - Turbo pressure too high! 11 Mar 2006 (Forum)
  The car usually performed better before the water reached normal temperature. The oil reaches "urban" temperature a few miles later. (C5's have oil and water temp guages). I initially thought it was an EGR or MAF problem, hopefully more likely the former, but my main dealer says it is the turbo operating at too high pressure. I queried this saying isnt there a valve to release pressure.
• Almera 1.8 Auto 9 Mar 2006 (Forum)
  I don't want to get into an argument about why I don't want the car, so I am not risking losing £200. We went to see one a 3 door S model, at a local specialist in ex motability cars, but it was really too much money for the age of the car, even though it had only covered about 13K miles. The bodywork was unmarked and a nice of green, but what I wasn't impressed with was the fact that part of the seat trim had come away from the front of the front passenger seat, exposing a sharp edge, and both of the door trim fixings were adrift on the trailing edge of both doors.
• Oil Temperature and wear 9 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  But knowing my engine needs to be at operating temperature before I push hard, I go the long way out of my estate which means that the engine is at about 70C when I enter the spine road (which must be better than going with a stone cold engine?). However, that?s the water temperature, but how long does it take engine oil to reach the optimum 80C? (bearing in mind sump capacity is only about 3 litres). I always make sure that the temperature needle has been at 90C for a few miles (about 3 or so) before I?
• VW warranty. 8 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  Please could someone confirm that the second-hand car warranties given out by VW should be nationwide and not tied to a specific dealership. Thanks for your help in advance. Regards, S
• Help! Honda Brake Caliper 10 Aug 2005 (Forum)
  Does anyone know if it's possible to muck up the hand brake adjustment on these if you dont set them properly? I get good handbrake efficiency on one side but can't adust the rear n/s caliper h/brake. Handbrake cable appears to move freely on both sides. I seem to remember reading in the replacement caliper instructions that if it it is necessary to turn the piston anticlockwise to take up any slack (ie. on partly worn pads) you should completely unwind the piston anticlockwise first then wind it back in again so that hand brake adjustment is correct.
• Wheel Camber re-alignment Ford Mondeo 4 Jun 2005 (Forum)
  Last workshop - Not confident with Continentals. Camber Guru on leave, not back. My verdict? 4th w/s sounds a little dodgy. Learning pt? Don't ignore small kerbs and be over-confident. Queries? What do you think guys? Any advice to share? Experiences with camber problem? My camber is 1 degree something off from wheel specs.
• French Radar Traps 12 Apr 2005 (Forum)
  (As an aside I gather French motorcyclists are rebelling against this practice as it makes them (the motorcycles) less visible). The camera on the A75 S close to the tunnel at Lodeve seems to have been reset to a new 80k limit (was 70). This appears more realistic, can any other local resident comment? Random Breathalyser checks at night seem to have increased around the Pezenas area.
• Is it a lemon - New Car faults :( 10 Dec 2004 (Forum)
  And when do we stand as regarding with the Law? (I think this is something to do with the sale of goods act?) So there that?s the note, I feel that the car is a lemon, but how do we go about getting the car sorted in terms of new motor or other means? As these faults are still happening within its 3 year warranty ? my father doesn?
• Watch Out - Rusty Mercs about... 26 Aug 2004 (Forum)
  The paint had blistered up and would have lifted off had a poked it with a fingernail. This is more the sort of thing associated with FIAT. Older cars, like early '90's, W201 and W124 are still largely rust free. If one does encounter rust it is usually a result of a scrape. They only tend to rust around the jacking tubes in the sills (where the welding seems to destroy the galvanising).