I think up until 07 you could specify if you wanted the DPF fitted or left off on the 2.0 Tdci. After 07 you had no choice as the euro emission regs made it mandatory to have it fitted. There are lots of companies that will replace the dpf when it fails with a dummy and modify the ECU so that the car thinks it’s still fitted. The last time I checked it was about £1115 fitted at ford or 1015 supply only so approx 100 quid labour to fit it. The dummy can is about 200 quid fitted. You will also need the special fluid that is added to the fuel supply to help the dpf work properly if you have it replaced. Dpf’s have an average life span of between 80 and 100k. Urban driving at low rev’s reduces the life of Dpf’s accordingly.

Jimi Hendrix was once asked what is it like to be the best guitarist in the world? He said “I don’t know you’ll have to ask Rory Gallagher!”

Ford changed the 2.0l Tdci engine from 54 onwards from the chain driven puma engine with no dpf to a pug/citroen 2.0l Tdci with a cam belt and a dpf. Same power and torque but better emissions for the stricter euro emissions. Hardly a step forward in reliabilty. Mondeo’s didn’t get the dreaded dpf till 07 but the cmax and focus had the dpf earlier or you could specify if you wanted one.

AE86

Same as my old one, silver over black face lift version. Best car I ever had. Sold it to a lad who put it on its roof! Then had the temerity to phone me up and ask if I knew anyone else who would have one for sale. As if! They go for big money now.

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Toughen up his pads with a bit more tarmac walking first. Ours was a racer with soft pads. Cut his pads all the time. Tried shoes lasted 2minutes. He hated them. Once his pads had toughened up he was fine. They are the dummest dogs this side of a Red Setter mind so if they can hurt themselves they will!

First port of call would be to check the positive strap to the battery, check for fatigue etc.

Jeez how much are you guys paying for your tyres. I have all season tyres with a bias towards snow. Fit and forget. 65 pounds each from mytyres.co.uk then 7.50 a corner to fit and balance. 205 / 55 /16’s. Fantastic in the snow and slush.

Go for the 2.0 diesel, its got a BMW lump in it. The 1.8 is a rover k series not a lot of torque to pull a car that size and prone to head gasket failure if its an early one. The engine doesn’t hold a lot of spare coolant so when they go it goes quickly. Later ones had addressed the gasket problem apparently. Don’t know if the 1.8T is the same engine. Cost me 400 quid to have the head and gasket done with new water pump etc on my 216 si. One of the best cars we’ve had as a family.

Most modern engines now have DMF’s. It’s the huge torque of modern diesels that leads to the issues with the clutch. Most petrols have far fewer issues because they have about 90 less ft/lbs of torque. The DMF is there to prevent vibration from the engine damaging the gearbox. The Vag TDI’s at about 2004 are reputed to be the best with the best injectors. A lot of ford tdci’s didn’t have DPF’s until 2007-8. They all have problems. I picked the cheapest one to fix without a DPF and that was the 2.0 TDCI 130 mondeo 2004 with the chain cam engine. I did look at a merc estate diesel auto but the mondeo was far cheaper to repair.

Have you checked its not just a split in the intercooler pipe dumping the boost from the turbo into the engine bay. Mine split on my Mondy 2.0 tdci pre frenchy engine and it had no boost at all, changed pipe 40 quid from ford all is now well.

What does fitting carpets have to do with vacuuming them!

SEBO german quality. Two motors one for the vacuum and one for the beater bar. No carpet cleaner worth their salt would have anything else. A friend who is a carpet cleaner gave me his old one, must of been 20 yrs plus old. It wiped the floor (no pun intended) with any other vacuum we’ve ever had by a country mile. In fact its laughable how much better it is than the Dyson we have. They are not cheap however. You gets what you pay for!

Have you ever tried using the bar and pipe on a dyson to hoover the stairs, utter sh!te. Form over function.

6ft 4 here and ride a 21″. Swopped all the bits over from my 20″ steel 456. What a lovely finished bike it is. Would have preferred a standard headset but it’s ok. Very comfortable and rides spot on with my 120 fork. A bit less rad than the 456. Seems faster on the flat and uphill. Got to be Aqua blue though!!!

Always been told to charge unit for the first time for several hours. Efficiency usually improves as the light is used and recharged several times.

If the element has gone it will normally have a tiny hole or pinprick in the element where it has gone porous. Check the thermostat now. Hindsight says to check thermostat first. Elements don’t last forever so keep the original one for a spare if it’s OK.

One problem area with the passat is where the cables run from the door pillar to the door. The wiring harness is too tight ie not enough slack to cope with the door opening fully. This fatigues the harness internally over time causing faults with the doors electrics. See if yours feels tight and look for any chaffing on the grommet holes in the body and door. Good luck.

Leave it till the better weather is here. Alter the entrance to your drive instead. Sods law says that the day after you get that done some idiot will slide into or bump you when the snow and ice comes back. Better to get body work done when it’s warmer anyway.

Can’t better Tales of Brave Ulysses. Always loved the chemistry of a good combo when talking about rock bands. Keyboards don’t count sorry! Something about vocalists that play bass, a drummer and one guitarist. Raw and simple. Keep it simple is the way .

Cheers for that.

Got most of Heart’s early stuff. Saw them at Wembley Arena where Thunder supported them, got a bit all Diane Warrenish at the end. Love the early stuff. Heavily influenced by Zep. Ann has to be one of the finest female rock vocalists I’ve ever heard and Nancy is just a great all round guitarist especially when it comes to the old finger picking, superb.

Think about what labs are bred to do. Flush out game from dense scrub, retrieve game and swim etc. They are not bred to run any distance at a sustained pace. That’s not to say they won’t run all day with a bike but what problems are you storing up for a later date when the dog is older. I love it when people say they love running with the bike, I’ve never seen a dog yet that wouldn’t chase after it’s owner on a bike. I bet they would prefer you walking with them for a couple of hours through some nice woodland or over the moors. Get a dog that’s bred for running, that’s light on its feet, a pointer, vizla or a collie if you want to take them with a bike.

Better dogs out there to run with a bike than labs. Having had a choccy lab she would run till she collapsed, too big and solid to run any distance at a fast pace. I would go with something a bit more leggy, collies or pointers would make a great trail dog.

Have owned both, although older models than your after. The golf had the best interior by a country mile but the focus has the best driving dynamics of any standard car I’ve ever driven. To give you an example of why fords are so very good in this department you need to read Sir Jackie Stewart’s Autobiography. He had to sign off every models driving dynamics and if he wasn’t happy it was back to the drawing board. If it’s good enough for him it’ll do for me. The feedback of the steering, the controls, the feel of the brakes they are just spot on.

Bit bonkers but this is a very overlooked chrimbo record.

Wheel is much better with 2.1’s than 2.3’s. I ran conti 2.3’s on my 717’s bit squirmy to be honest. Changed to maxxis Larsens 2.0s much better. Now run 719’s and probably should of gone up to 21’s. Solid wheel though for a 17 not had any probs and I’m a big lad.

These are the Sava Adapto HP’s I got a month ago for 60 quid each from mytyres. They are now selling for over 80 quid each. If you think you need some tyres get them now.

Mytyres are usually the cheapest but I have used tyrewizard in the past for some Lassa Snoways ERA’s in the past, great in the snow but not great at dispersing water as the snow melts and very soft.

I have gone down the route of buying all season tyres with a snow bias. Just got a set of Sava Adapto HP all season tyres from Mytyres. These are made by Goodyear in Slovakia. They get a great review in Autobild, 4 stars in the snow. Sixty quid a corner. I have driven cars in all weathers front and rear wheel drive, if I was driving a beemer I would put 4 snow tyres on. On my Mondy I have 4 snow tyres but it wouldn’t bother me to have just two on the front if money was tight.

Put his lead on and walk him round the doors. It will harden and toughen up his pads as well as trim his claws. Never had to trim a dogs claws. Is he only walking on soft ground? Any vets in? Is it a good idea to knock out any animal just to cut it’s claws, doesn’t anesthetic affect the heart and metabolism ?

Get a decent newish Forester 2.5T . Brilliant off road and on. Bit of a street sleeper . It may even come with a diff lock. They are reliable not as thirsty as any mentioned above and above all loads of fun!

My 10 yr old does the plank and side plank as part of his core strength building exercises for his tennis. 2min’s front and 1 min each side. That’s so it doesn’t strain him to much!

As above 50 quid from ford and 20mins to fit. Very common failure, easy to put right! Did mine at 85k. Mines an 04 now with 101k. Super car chain cam no dpf .

Take it to any decent engineering shop. They will drill it out and clean out the threads. I doubt you will be able to drill a thread that small square through. You will probably take half the thread out. Bit of a grey area warranty wise. Probably won’t even charge you and you’ll have it back on the bike quick. Take beer as a thank you. Works wonders :wink:
PS Extractors are not going to work on a thread that small. Save your money.

If you want to see good car control then Google Simon McKinley. Possible the best bit of driving I have ever seen. That man is a true genius and his Mk2 Escort is the dogs b#llocks. Still prefer the UR Quattro 20v.

If its a 2.0L up to and inc 04 its a ford unit and its a chain cam with no DPF. 05 onwards its a pug/Citroen unit with a cam belt and DPF.

I would say you have lost a cell or two in the battery. When the dash goes mad and the dials wander all over the place it’s a low voltage fault. Get some jump leads hefty ones if it’s a diesel. If it fires up Bob’s your uncle.

Labradoodles were bred to not shed hair! They are supposed to be for people that are allergic to or sensitive to dog hair. Ignore the bit about shedding blah blah blah. Never heard so much bollocks about hair colour and intelligence. Had a Choc lab for 11 glorious years. What a dog loyal superb with kids, super easy to train and the biggest thief where food is concerned. Got a 3yr old English golden retriever at the moment. Sheds less than the Lab. Can’t go wrong with a Lab.

Bells fish and chips in Durham are very good. Any pub fish and chips tend to be dire! If it’s a proper fishy they should use dripping of course. Chips were the waste product that were used to regulate the temperature of the fat so the batter didn’t burn before accurate thermostats were available. The chips were just chucked away once the fish was cooked.

Attach rope to ceiling above bed. You’ll need it to get up in the morning!

In laws have one. Bit of a looper to be honest. Would’nt trust it with my kids. Mood swings, aggressive. Better breeds for kids out there in my opinion.

Plenty of good advice on here regarding alcohol and depression. Start to rebuild your relationship with your daughter by getting the back issues of the mags you burned. If it was me I would be paying for cookery lessons from Nick Nairn or similar.