The Car Thread

[Spatial]

After a tonne of **** over the past few weeks in dealing with various car dealer numpties, I've just picked up my new car - a lovely Honda Accord ES GT.

More gadgets than my house and so much more grunt (a 1.6 to a 2.2's a bit of a step up ) that I'm going to have to watch the old lead foot for a bit because I'm going to be caught speeding otherwise.

Only slight downside (there's always one isn't there) is that I've just got it home from the garage and noticed there's a gouge on the rear bumper which I didn't see when I picked it up. Buggers! I would make a fuss but after all the grief recently I can't be dealing with all the problems of arguing with them that I haven't just done it. Just a shame I didn't see it before it left the forecourt.

Still, I'm off to go and see if I can figure out how the in car phone pairing / sat nav works

[CMcK]

Quick question lads. Anyone bought a private reg from the DVLA? I ordered one this morning and I'm wondering how long the certificate of entitlement will take to arrive. Ideally I'd like it to here by the weekend so it can go on the car before we collect it on Tuesday.
The DVLA just gave a vague allow 14 days for delivery but I'm wondering if it really will take that long. It's a surprise for the good lady and it would be great to have it on the car so she gets a surprise when she sees it.

[eASY aDDICT]

They can come through in a couple of days.. If the car you are buying is new, the dealer will have to request a V55 from the manufacturer which normally takes 24hours. The cherished number can then be applied at a DVLA local office.
If the car is used then the dealer will just have to take the certificate to the local DVLA office and they will put it on over the counter.

[CMcK]

Thanks for the info. I'm at the mercy of the civil service and posties now so not a problem!

[EvilBoris]

Could you guys give me a little advice for me and my first car.
I bought my 05 Colt at the end of August it was purchased from a Mitsubishi dealer and came with a 12 months Manufacturers Warranty on it.

I've had 1 problem with it that it was pulling a bit to the left, something that was to of been corrected before I purchased it (I had to take it back in as they hadn't) anyways I've got another problem now, when I brakes VERY hard (i was testing the brakes the other day when I was bored) I had feel/hear a grinding/juddering through the brake pedal and even when I break gently I can hear a slight squeak (weather?)

I can get it serviced under it's warranty at any Mitsu garage, so I called up my local one (the one I purchased it from is 40 minutes drive away) and they suggested to me that it sounds like the brake pads may of worn out causing the juddering and that the warranty doesn't cover wear and tear, when I told the chap I bought it only 3 months ago (he sounded suprised) and I asked whether or not the brakes should of been like that following all the checks that my car was meant to of gone through prior to purchase, which he didn't really want to comment on as it was another dealer.

I've asked him if it'd be ok for them to look at it and then (should I need to pay) I can decided what I want to do/not do.
I don't feel that I should be paying for something like that after such a short period of time, where do I stand?

[CMcK]

It is a wear and tear item and they will argue that you may have a driving style that is hard on brakes. Get the brakes examined at a reliable indy first to see what is needing done.
Then go back to the original dealer and see if they will split the cost with you. Probably the best you can hope for.
What milage has the car done? How many of those since you bought it? Do you have any receipts with the car showing brakes having been changed previously?

[Richard.John]

Out of interest, why do cars tend to pull to the left anyway? I know FF models suffer from torque steer but any other reason?

[eASY aDDICT]

It's for safety..

If you fall asleep at the wheel the car SHOULD go left rather than head into oncoming traffic.

[Richard.John]

EA, Please tell me you're joking....

Anyway, I plan to make a trip to Blighty possibly early next year and may hire a car. It would be my first time driving in This Sceptred Isle , so just need some tips on what to look out for.

For example what are the rules regarding yielding and the right of way? Here, if you turn right at a junction/intersection you have to give way to oncoming and left turning traffic.

Roundabouts are an alien concept to me, too. Turning left and going straight seems easy enough. I assume you have to yield to vehicles already on the roundabout? Roundabouts are fabulous actually as they surely smooth traffic flow. Over here, the lack of them means traffic lights, seemingly, every 50 metres or so.

[charlesr]

heheh, cars pull left because the road is cambered. try it in europe driving on the right... it'll pull right.

[EvilBoris]

The steering wheel was permanently turned about 20 degrees to the left, even when parked. It wasn't the road camber

[charlesr]

Yeah, sorry, wasn't talking about your case. Was talking in general.

[CMcK]

EA, Please tell me you're joking....

Anyway, I plan to make a trip to Blighty possibly early next year and may hire a car. It would be my first time driving in This Sceptred Isle , so just need some tips on what to look out for.

For example what are the rules regarding yielding and the right of way? Here, if you turn right at a junction/intersection you have to give way to oncoming and left turning traffic.

Roundabouts are an alien concept to me, too. Turning left and going straight seems easy enough. I assume you have to yield to vehicles already on the roundabout? Roundabouts are fabulous actually as they surely smooth traffic flow. Over here, the lack of them means traffic lights, seemingly, every 50 metres or so.

Roundabouts are a good idea in theory but the is so many of them over here it's silly. Mini roundabouts are the biggest problem. It's so easy for 3 cars to arrive at one almost simultaneously and as everyone is yielding to the car coming from the right you end up at an impasse. Also loads of people don't bother to actually drive round mini roundabouts and cut across them or worse still take them counter clockwise. Muppets.
I've nearly been hit in the car several times by people expecting me to cut the roundabout and they have taken off and cut the roundabout only to see that I'm still going around. Muppets.
People tend to be very bad at using their indicators on roundabouts. You see tons of people indicating left AFTER they have left the roundabout and loads that just don't bother to indicate at all. Can I say muppets again?

That aside you'll probably find driving here fine. And there are some great roads in North Wales and Scotland.

[charlesr]

All you need to know:

[vanpeebles]

Roundabouts are stupid these days because the rules often differ between each one, on one trip I go on you come across roundabouts that are left only, right straight on. Left straight on, right only. and then both straight on or turn.

Anyway nearly had a hyper mega death smash the morning, I was following some BMW saloon thing and had a Golf behind me, all of us approaching this T junction to turn left.

As we went over the brow of this little hill just before it, the BMW sped up, shimmyed right a bit then swung right out into the horizontal road of two oncoming cars and back again onto the slip road for the junction, in a big graceful left U turn move, I was thinking bloody BWMs drivers hopeless. I go to break for the junction, my entire car flicks right 45 degrees to face two oncoming cars from the joining road right(one already breaking for the BMW action) I flicked the steering round a bit and went skidding in a straight line towards the end of junction with my car still angled. Still skidding I thought I might as well pull the hand brake on too, which all together stopped before heading out in between these two oncoming cars.

Car behind me, sails past on my right hand side then does a big side on skid into the opening on the junction on the wrong side of the road.

Amazing scenes really no one hurt, each car seemed to have a few mins to compose themselves then everyone drove off. Whole road must of been black ice.