italiastar

- I agree !! Mine's got conti's and I'm happy with them - If I get 29K out of them I'll be even happier - My Space wagon used to be barely legal on Bridgstones after 16K - ALL ROUND !!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...7936936287&rd=1 Just out of interest, why are people selling these parts on eBay when dealers take ages to order them and then charge us the earth for them?

Don't get me going on Alhambra mudflaps again........................................................................................................

Try www.caraudiodirect.com - they currently have a Kenwood CD/MP3 player for

:lol: :lol: :lol:

No it wasn't me, Ivor

Welcome to the aux Heater club - mine sounds like a jet engine turbine with a ticking noise. This is probably the most discussed subject on this forum - do a search on aux heater - here's one to get you started - http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.ph...4&hl=aux+heater

Don't worry I'm the exception in this country - If I get poor service I make sure I complain and to be fair give companies the opportunity to sort it out. In the case of my insurance company, I dealt with a senior manager in customer relations, but ebven they didn't seem to care. My boss had a similar experience with them (using a different approved repairer) - in the end they sent him a case of wine, but were still not interested in sorting out the real issues. these companies obviously have "more than" enough customers. On a diffrent subject, my local supermarket made the news this week - I've been complaining to them for several years, even trying to get to cheif exec level - had they listened to me, they could have avoided fame.

See my comment above - they make it VERY difficult if you try and use another repairer. For example, they wanted me to leave the car with my repairer for a whole day before approving the repair and ensure that there was access to a ramp when their inspector turned up - although they would not give a time or guarantee that anyone would turn up. Any costs associated with this were my responsibility and they would not provide a courtesy car - YES you do have a choice. When I told them their repairer was *rap and ripped them off, they were not interested, not even telling me the cost of the repair.

This is a copy of what I put on another post: My experience of the insuranc company's approved repairer on my wife's Golf convinced me never to use them again. A simple panel beat and spray job turned out to be a three week and three attempt night mare - even then it wasn't done properly. They replaced a slightly bent tailgate - badly spraying it so that primer could be seen through the paint - the inside even had patches of primer, in removing the rear window they placed it on the floor and severly scratched it (another

:D Hava a look at this unit - in the picture it looks VERY nice, unfortunately it's

I respect your desire to be "boring", but consider doing your ears a favour and look at this - http://www.caraudiodirect.co.uk/product_in...1992fe608942830 another

My neighbour called for help today - a dead battery on his W-reg Alhambra 1.9 tdi. This had occurred to him before, earlier this year when his children left the interior light on and on the car ferry in the summer when he left his electric cool box running. This morning it was the cold night - first of the season. Even a jump-start from my other neighbours taxi wouldn't budge it. I looked at the battery - electrolyte was below the plates and the reading was 11.5 volts as opposed to 12.5 on my car, but as this was voltage, it didn't really give me any idea of the car's ability to start. There was also signed of a light white deposit on the sound deadening above the battery. I suggested a top-up and overnight charge in his garage, which is normally used to house bikes etc. He called the AA who jump-started it without a problem - the AA man checked the battery and said it appeared OK - there was no drain causing the problem and the alternator charge was OK - he recommended a local auto spares shop. The local auto-spare shop checked the battery and said it was OK apart from the top-up which they carried out - it took nearly half a gallon of water!! to cover the plates. They said that it did have a slight bulge, but it should still be OK - at least they weren

Thanks, Topbloke - Apparently the car is high mileage and full of parking dinks - from what he said, I think it was just the fact that the light was on - no problem starting - although these cold nights may change that, so looks like the best thing he can do is run it till it breaks as the car is probably not worth the cost of taking the head off etc etc. Goo to see that stuck glowplugs do not seem to be a general problem on that VW PD engine.

Thank you for your reply - point taken, but exhaust systems don't cost

A friend of mine with a p-reg Vectra (apologies for using such bad language here) has a problem with a siezed glowplug - apparently this is quite common as my boss had read reports about the same thing happening on other cars - if so why don't dealers loosen them during services.

My experience of the insuranc company's approved repairer on my wife's Golf convinced me never to use them again. A simple panel beat and spray job turned out to be a three week and three attempt night mare - even then it wasn't done properly. They replaced a slightly bent tailgate - badly spraying it so that primer could be seen through the paint - the inside even had patches of primer, in removing the rear window they placed it on the floor and severly scratched it (another

Too true - My wife hasn't been able to drive it for just over 5 weeks following an op and still has 5 weeks to go. I hear that the car adapts to the style of the driver -she'll think it's had a personality swap when she gets back in it. Thanks for the diagnostic link - 0.01p on the way .........

Has anyone seen the following - Do you own a Skoda Octavia, Superb or Fabia which is fitted with Climate Control? I will email you instructions on how to display digitally your actual speed of travel as opposed to the erranous reading displayed on your speedometer with it's factory built-in percentage error. You will also be able to display other varied information and diagnostic features. This info includes accurate readings of Engine Coolant Temperature, RPM etc. This info is supplied free of charge. No tools or equipment are necessary, it is activated/deactivated in seconds and is completely harmless to your car, as it is an inbuilt feature for use by VAG/Skoda techies. Many satisfied buyers already - see the positive feedback left by buyers for this item. The link is as follows: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...ssPageName=WDVW I guess that someone here must know about these "secret codes", whether they work and possibly have them.

This is beyond a joke! :D I do know of someone who has an N-reg Sharan who's never had any air con problems - it's not fitted to his car! :rolleyes: Had I known this before I bought the car, I certainly would have thought twice - a VW dealer even told me that facelifted models with CC did not have any Air Con problems. This was my first new "VW" (yes I know I bought a Seat) and I bought it because of the excellent build quality and percieved reliability - sounds like in this case, there's nothing more unreliable than a VW - I hope my Skoda is better!

I totally agreed only I'd replace "ford" with "any main dealer" (please feel free to correct me if you've found an exception) However, people are obsessed with the word full main dealer service history.

I suppose your both right - does this mean that someone who stamps their own book up with say "Micheal Mouse Garage" using a John Bull stamp kit could get away with it ?

I remember reading a story on this site about an Alhambra which nearly rolled into a lake for the same reason - basically because the brake disc had cooled down and thereby reduced in thickness resulting in the pads slipping. I can't believe the comment about, we've never had this reported before (with the inference that it can't be a problem then!!! - I keep getting this said to me.

I recently read about problems with glowplugs being difficult / impossible to remove on older diesel cars. A friend of mine has just experienced this problem on an 1996 Vectra (apologies for using such language here - at least I didn't use the other "V" word. He has got 2 glowplugs siezed in place and the "V" dealer has said that this is quite common. Any thoughts? and if this is quite common why don't the loosen / replace them during a major service - it would be better than changing things like the screenwash!

They introduced it on the 2003 models (on sale from sept 2002 ??) on the SEAT Alhambra SE models - not sure about Ford.