Magnet

Hello Shanna, So is the overheating issue, a new issue, or did it overheat prior to fitting a new thermostat? Have you had the coolant system pressure tested? Any undue smoke from exhaust once the car reaches operating conditions? Petrol or diesel as a matter of interest? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Robert, You will need to thoroughly test all bushes on the rear suspension as well. It’s surprising how rear wear can affect steering issues - as the tail wags the dog. Probably a daft question, but tyre pressures checked and adjusted? An acquaintance runs a garage and frequently get comments from customers that the car always feels better to drive after it’s annual service. As he says, if they knew how much the tyre pressures were out when he took it in, they wouldn’t be surprised at the improvement. Kind regards, Gareth.

Daniel has gone quiet.

Hello Len, Some (perhaps important ?) considerations:- You are considering paying c£65 per month - £780 a year - and that warranty is conditional on you getting your 11 year old car serviced by a main dealer, or a recognised independent - or perhaps Halfords -? No doubt Halfords would sell you this based on ‘It’s only just over £2/day! It’s probably me, but I dislike monthly equivalent payments, and only work on how much is it going to cost me over a year. As Steve says, the devil is in the detail, and most warranties exclude expected wear and tear, and it’s surprising what else is excluded. My tip would be to obtain copy and thoroughly read it, so you know what you are (not) getting for your money. If it were mine, I would be finding myself a trusted local garage and getting my servicing done there and putting my £780 into an account - for any rainy days. We are all different, I just wonder how many disappointments have been encountered with warranties, as opposed to ‘glad I took that out’, so it’s just a question of reading and re-reading the small print and deciding whether this gives you the level of content that you are looking for. Kind regards, Gareth.

Ok Michael, Since you are a business then no doubt you will be subscribing to Autodata or similar. Are you asking ‘What do you mean by a build record’ - ? If so, a Build Record is just that. It lists the VIN and all details of the model and ‘extras’ that were built in when it was constructed. It should/does include the date that the vehicle was actually constructed. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. I guess you have the NOVA document to prove all import taxes have been paid. Not sure whether it’s acceptable for this forum to provide advice to motor traders -? Perhaps Admin can advise.

Hello Natalie, A cheap car will always be a cheap car however much money and time it consumes. No offence meant, but if you are asking the type of questions you are, then it suggests your knowledge may not be sufficient to sort this out without assistance. My advice would echo Steve’s, and I would be giving this a miss unless you are prepared to put up with it as it is, and you know someone who might take it off your hands at a similar price to what you have to pay for it. Current owner for one year? Why sell a good car after one year? My feeling is you will most likely buy this - because it’s cheap. I could be wrong, but that’s my gut feeling. Kind regards, Gareth.

Ok Michael, thought so, but you don’t mention anything about whether you are going to follow the advice given to obtain a build record. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Are you a business?

Hello KMG28 -? Many thanks for being in touch, and you will be pleased to hear that you have won the major prize for registering and not providing any name, location or vehicle model! Apologies, but that’s how it is. To answer your question:- you are most welcome to advertise the car on here under the appropriate heading. Just provide comprehensive details of the car, length of ownership, service history, your location, etc. etc. and add some photos, and of course the price you want for it - rather than offers. It sounds a nice example, and should fine a good home. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Michael, Is this anything to do with DVLA and/or import, or loss of current registration number? What I think should suffice would be a build record, which should be available from the VIN - even possibly from the parts section of your local dealership- or they should advise from who else. If it were mine, I would only be attempting to do this via. a visit in person, and not by phone calls etc. Kind regards, Gareth.

Welcome Daniel, Multiple warning lights, and particularly with associated stop/start failure can be typical of a below par battery. How old is your battery? It would be worth having its efficiency check with a sophisticated testing facility. Don’t assume because it starts OK, that the battery is serviceable in all tested parameters. The likely-fitted Battery Condition Monitor will probably have a different view! Need a new battery? Invest wisely in a min. of 4 year warranty batteries. I’ve used Varta/Bosch to good avail, and I think Exide is also well respected. I always buy from on-line specialists at most favourable prices. Suppliers inc. Tayna, Battery Megastore, and others. It is almost certain that the new battery will require coding to the car. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks Taz. How long have you owned it? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Ian, Glad it’s all sorted, and pleased that the forum was able to point you along the right road to get it fixed. Anyone in a similar situation in the future will now know that refurbishment at a specialist is the way to go. Many thanks and kind regards, Gareth.

Apologies for more wallet respecting comments James. EBay - OK/ great. Specialist on-line suppliers inc. Battery Megastore, Tayna etc. and delivery is generally free if bought through EBay. Bosch - fine, but there are different grades/ warranty periods. I tend to only buy batteries with a minimum of a 4 to 5 year warranty. Always worth the bit extra. Kind regards, Gareth.

Thanks James, Where are you getting your battery from at that (high?) price? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello John, Sorry to hear of your issue. I’ve deleted your e-mail contact, since this is an open forum. Anyone can contact you by PM. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello James, Electrically assisted power steering rather than hydraulic? If so, the culprit is likely to be a failing battery, aggravated by cold weather. Kind regards, Gareth.

You’ve confused me ( easily done!) and changed your forum name.

Hello Mike, I guess you are concerned about the uncomfortable ride with your Sline. I think it’s worth first getting back to basics and enquiring about the tyres you have. Wheel diametrically? Tyre profile? XL or not? Run flat or not? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Darren, Blue smoke indicates oil burning, and if it is, it would not be associated with injector issues. Could you carryout the following tests and come back to us:- Take the car for at least a 10 mile run to ensure the oil is up to operating temperature ( that will be quite a few miles after the coolant has reached temperature. Leave the car ticking over for a couple of minutes and then get someone to increase the revs to around 1500rpm and hold it steady at that, while you observe any smoke. Get someone to follow you in your car and ask them to observe any smoke that may occur when you accelerate - not daftly, just sedate acceleration. Perhaps you could let us know the results. Also confirm you are not confusing grey smoke with definite blue smoke. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. Location:- King. Where is that?

Hello Airgas, Sorry to hear of your engine bay noise. Any engine noise will require vehicle-inspection assessment, since regrettably the forum can at best, only offer a ‘could be this, could be that’ guess. If it were mine I would be treating this inspection as an urgent requirement. Kind regards, Gareth.

Sounds good Gregg. Just goes to smell - and act a stagnant water. I think increasing the concentration and just adding small quantities at regular intervals is the best route to minimising the issue. Kind regards, Gareth. p.s. I’m averse to the Ready to Use variant, on the basis that I don’t like paying a premium for water, and of course it just adds to the bank of recycling 5 ltr containers.

Regrettably, never worked on mine!

Common problem Gregg, particularly in the summer months. Winter months? Far less common. I seldom fill mine more than half full in the summer, since you will find it can actually coagulate as well, and block the jets. Make you are using, and ready-to-use or concentrated? Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello Keith, Try Woolies, Paul Beck and many other suppliers found on a Google search for ‘Classic car trimming suppliers’ or similar. You could also try searching ‘rubber extrusions’ or similar. Kind regards, Gareth.

Hello? (Could you please fill in your profile with the appropriate data). If the fuse is blowing then there is a short circuit in the circuit to the gauge, or something else on the same circuit. You may be able to locate and sort it yourself if you are competent with car electrics ( complex these days). If not, you will need the services of an auto electrician. Kind regards, Gareth.