Advice on vehicle purchase.

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Advice on vehicle purchase.

These days this isn’t uncommon, there is a guy does videos about where to get cheap parts for Lamborghini most of his hints and tips show parts from everyone from Ford to Volvo not even counting all those parts taken from the VAG parts bins.

I seem to think the Renault engines are certainly a lot better build than they used to be when I was in the trade and we had regular problems with seized water pumps breaking cam belts on low mile cars
I always thought the old Renault engines - I'm thinking back to the days of the 18 and similar models - made a very distinctive "zizzing" noise which was probably timing drive related. Working mostly on BMC/BL, stuff with a few years on DAFs and VAG stuff I never really got to investigate it though.
 
I think back to a good friend of mine who wanted a Lotus Elise, he took his father with him who was a seasoned mechanic who owned a garage.

The car he bought home that day had a knackered clutch. Something you’d think a mechanic would have spotted a mile off.

Having a conversation one day with one of the mechanics in the garage next door to my brothers camper company, I was explaining that the grande Punto was the same platform as the corsa and he went on to tell me with conviction that the Ford fiesta also used the same platform.

The problem with “experts” especially when it comes to cars is they go their training leave college with a C&G and don’t do any more training for the rest of their career if they do learn anything new it’s often by trial and error
Personally speaking , whilst I did get City & Guilds plus other trade body qualifications many years ago, I learnt a great deal from others in the trade and if you have spent your entire working life doing that, then surely that practical knowledge is not to be discredited.
I have never been asked to show those qualifications nor have I ever had to advertise for customers as both my peers in the trade locally and my customers knew and I was happy about that as a recommendation.
However I am happy to accept that we all learn something new every day and the person who claims to know everything is shall we say "being economical with the truth" :)
 
Personally speaking , whilst I did get City & Guilds plus other trade body qualifications many years ago, I learnt a great deal from others in the trade and if you have spent your entire working life doing that, then surely that practical knowledge is not to be discredited.
I have never been asked to show those qualifications nor have I ever had to advertise for customers as both my peers in the trade locally and my customers knew and I was happy about that as a recommendation.
However I am happy to accept that we all learn something new every day and the person who claims to know everything is shall we say "being economical with the truth" :)
Like you Mike, I went the "trade" route, gaining City and Guilds mechanics and technicians certificates and finally, after completing a management diploma, becoming a full member of the IMI (which let me put letters after my name - ooooow - and pay them for the privilege every year!) Becoming an IMI member was a highly prized goal at the college and I felt very proud to be able to put M.I.M.I. after my name but when we returned to Scotland, just as I turned 30, I was shocked to find no-one up here cared one jot for it. They did like the C&G stuff though but were far more interested in my references. Another shock was that garages up here expected you to work "Lying time" so in effect you worked your first week or so without being paid! I wasn't expecting that and it made Mrs J very unhappy - she had quit her job with BOAC for the move so was bringing in no money at all at that time. I just couldn't give up those letters after my name though so went on paying the yearly sub. I think I probably just about broke even on it though because I found that "flashing" the membership card at the likes of Dingbro and TPS allowed me to buy from them. I eventually cancelled my subscription when I retired and then found out those trade sources wouldn't sell to me any more. Not such a big problem though as if I really must have a genuine part one of the "people I know" will usually help by buying it for me.

Gaining experience and knowledge on the job, providing you have a sound basis in good practice, is the very essence of becoming a proficient mechanic. I learned a great deal about my profession at college but then I learned how to really do it in the workshop. For instance they didn't teach me how to split ball joint tapers with a hammer! But the college training did teach me how much damage I might do if I hit the wrong part too hard! Workshop experience gained from "old hands" is invaluable, but you have to judge whether what someone is doing is applicable to what you are trying to achieve. Techniques used on a Land Rover series 111 might not be applicable to a "smart" car! Every day's a learning day and don't you forget it son!
 
So easy to miss something. I thought I'd gone over that Mazda with a fine tooth comb but I missed that the N/S/R power window wasn't working - I only checked the front ones for some inexplicable reason? and the rear number plate lights are missing their lenses! how did I miss that!
The thing about doing the checks yourself is the only person to blame is yourself, but if some other company does a presale inspection then they are responsible for anything missed
 
The thing about doing the checks yourself is the only person to blame is yourself, but if some other company does a presale inspection then they are responsible for anything missed
Hmm..

Heard some cracking stories about "approved used" and "inspected" cars though. Strangely enough know the bloke who wrote the book (well it was a magazine article) on the Puretech timing belt...people contact him on a regular basis regards issues they are having. There's some crackers, obviously OEM dealers never really dealt in old cars pre-covid most stock would be 3 years old max. In the new era they are doing the same cursory checks on much older cars. There are such wonders as them sending out cars with timing belts well over the change interval and the engine grenading and them trying to get out of it.

Think my "favourite" would be the bloke who bought a 2008 from a none franchise garage it was suffering from inlet coking in the same way as mine was...they changed all sorts of bits, coils, plugs etc. Etc. Fighting him on each thing, eventually they narrowed it down to inlet valves..and cleaned them. But there's a very specific procedure for that..and after the clean the oil must be changed so no blasting media makes its way into the oiling system. On his way home..engine light..both VVT cams (powered by oil pressure) have mysteriously failed.

From what I remember Jocks 2 came from a dealer, I suppose there may be some recourse in terms of they've not had it long and while it's still certainly fit for purpose he was quite a new business and might want to build some good will. Window wise anyway...would be surprised if rear lenses would cost more a quid each from a scrappy.
 
Hmm..

Heard some cracking stories about "approved used" and "inspected" cars though. Strangely enough know the bloke who wrote the book (well it was a magazine article) on the Puretech timing belt...people contact him on a regular basis regards issues they are having. There's some crackers, obviously OEM dealers never really dealt in old cars pre-covid most stock would be 3 years old max. In the new era they are doing the same cursory checks on much older cars. There are such wonders as them sending out cars with timing belts well over the change interval and the engine grenading and them trying to get out of it.

Think my "favourite" would be the bloke who bought a 2008 from a none franchise garage it was suffering from inlet coking in the same way as mine was...they changed all sorts of bits, coils, plugs etc. Etc. Fighting him on each thing, eventually they narrowed it down to inlet valves..and cleaned them. But there's a very specific procedure for that..and after the clean the oil must be changed so no blasting media makes its way into the oiling system. On his way home..engine light..both VVT cams (powered by oil pressure) have mysteriously failed..
This highlights a point I’ve hinted at which is supposedly seasoned mechanics make major mistakes and can cost you thousands of pounds in the process especially when they don’t follow the complicated or special procedures that modern cars need.

This is why manufacturers have “master technicians” programs where main dealer staff are always going through training on how to do complex jobs on the newest engines. Learning on the job (it could easily be argued) just doesn’t cut it anymore.

I’ve lost track of the number of times a mechanic has slung the standard 10w40 in my cars that they just put in every car because that’s what they were told to do. I’ve watched a mechanic (mate) put a clutch plate in the wrong way round and it wouldn’t disengage, he couldn’t work out why till he took it all apart again yet it literally had flywheel and gearbox written on each side.
You can be the best mechanic in the world but you’ll know of it have worked with these people, and for that reason I have to take these “expert” opinions on what is or isn’t a good car with a pinch of salt.

As for the pre-inspection ….. approved used car. Where they have “looked” at 100+ points on the car before sale, I know it’s all rubbish, a bloke spends 20 minutes with a torch checks the doors open and close pulls the seat belts kicks the tires and proclaims it “alright” but it’s not the inspection that matters more the claim of having been properly inspected as if anything is wrong or faulty at least you can go back to the company who said it was all sound and seek some sort of repair from them assuming what’s failed is part of the inspection.

When I worked in the trade we had a deal with a nation wide auto centre to do all the inspections, the cars would often come back so quick I doubt they even lifted the bonnet.
 
Personally speaking , whilst I did get City & Guilds plus other trade body qualifications many years ago, I learnt a great deal from others in the trade and if you have spent your entire working life doing that, then surely that practical knowledge is not to be discredited.
I have never been asked to show those qualifications nor have I ever had to advertise for customers as both my peers in the trade locally and my customers knew and I was happy about that as a recommendation.
However I am happy to accept that we all learn something new every day and the person who claims to know everything is shall we say "being economical with the truth" :)
At the Fiat/Lancia (then Fiat/Alfa) we had wooden plaques, over customer service counter, showing what ‘further’ courses each of us had attended, for which there was a engraved silver shield with the course name, such as ‘electronic safety systems’ or ‘ABS fault finding’ etc etc. However, I will say one thing, there were many that that could pass a course that would still not know which way round to hold a screwdriver…which is why i ‘specialised’ as electrician (then electrical diagnostician wehn mechanics became technicians) I know full well the theory on gearboxes and timing (as in full stripdowns of cams, belts, tappets, etc) but I was bloody useless in practice (I got there in the end but not in ‘book’ times, techtonically slow)
 
I note were knocking French cars and promoting mini when, in reality mini went from a German engine to a French one BECAUSE of reliability issues.
I'm not sure I'd buy a new citroen, but the DS4 I have is 12 years old, pre-adblue 2.0 diesel and it's been a really nice and reliable car. There's so much torque and still give 50+ mpg. The rest of the car has been easy to work on, nothing beyond a typical car of that time.
 
From what I remember Jocks 2 came from a dealer, I suppose there may be some recourse in terms of they've not had it long and while it's still certainly fit for purpose he was quite a new business and might want to build some good will. Window wise anyway...would be surprised if rear lenses would cost more a quid each from a scrappy.
The space saver spare for the new - to us - Mazda arrived yesterday just before lunch but daughter in law was working so it had to wait for today for me to go out to their house and try it on the car. There was a choice of 14, 15 and 16 inch diameter rims. The 14 was only fitted to the earlier version so it was a choice between the 15 and 16 inch. The supplier recommended the 16" as the car runs on 195/45R16 tyres. It would seem he got it wrong because the 16" option won't fit in the spare wheel well. The wheel itself fits the hub, stud PCD and boss etc all fine, just won't fit the wheel well:

P1100678.JPG


I measured the wheel well:

P1100672.JPG


Which you can see comes in at around 22 inches and then the 16" space saver which is 23 inches in diameter. Quart in a pint pot comes to mind? I'm guessing it's the 15 incher I'm needing then? Anyway I just fired off a polite email to the supplier, pointing out that this was his recommendation and could he please sort it all out for me. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

I've mentioned earlier in this thread about us thinking the number plate light lenses were missing - or so my son told me after he'd been giving it a good wash. So my young protege - aka grandson - and I lay on the ground at the rear of the vehicle and closely examined the number plate lights. At first glance they do look a bit unusual but they definitely have their lenses fitted. I think there is a small closing panel missing though. Not a big problem though as every thing is water tight with regard to electrics - it's just a cosmetic panel which can only be seen from underneath. I'd like to find one just to make it perfect but it'll be no big deal if I can't. Anyway I rang John at the garage where we bought it (I'd rung him this morning just to let him know we thought the light lenses were missing and ask if he had them) to let him know the lenses were intact and fitted to the car and also mentioned at the same time that the N/S/R window wasn't working. Is the child lock engaged on that door? he asked. I believe so I said. I think the window operation is disabled if you activate the childlock said he. I've never come across this before but said I'd check. Let me know how you get on and get back to me of you need further help he said. I'm impressed with his support. of course you would wish for this to be so when you've just bought the car but, sadly, it's not always the case. Of course when I was out there this afternoon mucking about with that spare and looking at the number plate lights I completely forgot to check on the child lock situation and whether the window works if I turn the lock on again, Doh! never mind, we're out there childminding again on Tuesday so I'll check it then.

Oh, and just to finish, here's the car:

P1100684.JPG


The paint finish is pearlescent white which looks amazing at night under strong street lights. Just hope she never has need of a partial respray what with it being pearlescent!
 
I'm not sure I'd buy a new citroen, but the DS4 I have is 12 years old, pre-adblue 2.0 diesel and it's been a really nice and reliable car. There's so much torque and still give 50+ mpg. The rest of the car has been easy to work on, nothing beyond a typical car of that time.
I have a soft spot for Citroens, but mainly the old ones upto the BX and liked the old Peugeots upto about the 504, rugged buses, and, of course the 205 gt’s
I’m not sure I’d buy many cars in the current offerings by any manufacturer, I love my Pandas and like the 500…now they’re all much of a muchness
 
At the Fiat/Lancia (then Fiat/Alfa) we had wooden plaques, over customer service counter, showing what ‘further’ courses each of us had attended, for which there was a engraved silver shield with the course name, such as ‘electronic safety systems’ or ‘ABS fault finding’ etc etc. However, I will say one thing, there were many that that could pass a course that would still not know which way round to hold a screwdriver…which is why i ‘specialised’ as electrician (then electrical diagnostician wehn mechanics became technicians) I know full well the theory on gearboxes and timing (as in full stripdowns of cams, belts, tappets, etc) but I was bloody useless in practice (I got there in the end but not in ‘book’ times, techtonically slow)
Horses for courses as they say :). I would love to understand modern car electronics. but understanding Can Bus systems and using oscilloscopes to diagnose issues, I am just too old. Paint spraying was another, after my first attempt when an apprentice the other mechanics came over to look at it, then all looked up at the sky, they told me they were looking for the seagull that sh*t on my car ;).
Yet I had a young WTS lad when I was a foreman who moved to bodywork and does great stuff and hates mechanicing.
 
Horses for courses as they say :). I would love to understand modern car electronics. but understanding Can Bus systems and using oscilloscopes to diagnose issues, I am just too old. Paint spraying was another, after my first attempt when an apprentice the other mechanics came over to look at it, then all looked up at the sky, they told me they were looking for the seagull that sh*t on my car ;).
Yet I had a young WTS lad when I was a foreman who moved to bodywork and does great stuff and hates mechanicing.
The only way I keep up to modern stuff is a mate who was my apprentice, if it involves a computer, it’s upto him…having said that, all you get these days is ‘computer says no’. Nobody knows how to use an AVO meter, if I had manufacturers ‘values’ for sensors etc, I reckon I could figure faults out, but wehn a computer says ‘could be this, could be that, or could be a yet something else’ then the job is just a ‘fitter’ not a techy’
 
The space saver spare for the new - to us - Mazda arrived yesterday just before lunch but daughter in law was working so it had to wait for today for me to go out to their house and try it on the car. There was a choice of 14, 15 and 16 inch diameter rims. The 14 was only fitted to the earlier version so it was a choice between the 15 and 16 inch. The supplier recommended the 16" as the car runs on 195/45R16 tyres. It would seem he got it wrong because the 16" option won't fit in the spare wheel well. The wheel itself fits the hub, stud PCD and boss etc all fine, just won't fit the wheel well:

View attachment 420292

I measured the wheel well:

View attachment 420293

Which you can see comes in at around 22 inches and then the 16" space saver which is 23 inches in diameter. Quart in a pint pot comes to mind? I'm guessing it's the 15 incher I'm needing then? Anyway I just fired off a polite email to the supplier, pointing out that this was his recommendation and could he please sort it all out for me. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

I've mentioned earlier in this thread about us thinking the number plate light lenses were missing - or so my son told me after he'd been giving it a good wash. So my young protege - aka grandson - and I lay on the ground at the rear of the vehicle and closely examined the number plate lights. At first glance they do look a bit unusual but they definitely have their lenses fitted. I think there is a small closing panel missing though. Not a big problem though as every thing is water tight with regard to electrics - it's just a cosmetic panel which can only be seen from underneath. I'd like to find one just to make it perfect but it'll be no big deal if I can't. Anyway I rang John at the garage where we bought it (I'd rung him this morning just to let him know we thought the light lenses were missing and ask if he had them) to let him know the lenses were intact and fitted to the car and also mentioned at the same time that the N/S/R window wasn't working. Is the child lock engaged on that door? he asked. I believe so I said. I think the window operation is disabled if you activate the childlock said he. I've never come across this before but said I'd check. Let me know how you get on and get back to me of you need further help he said. I'm impressed with his support. of course you would wish for this to be so when you've just bought the car but, sadly, it's not always the case. Of course when I was out there this afternoon mucking about with that spare and looking at the number plate lights I completely forgot to check on the child lock situation and whether the window works if I turn the lock on again, Doh! never mind, we're out there childminding again on Tuesday so I'll check it then.

Oh, and just to finish, here's the car:

View attachment 420294

The paint finish is pearlescent white which looks amazing at night under strong street lights. Just hope she never has need of a partial respray what with it being pearlescent!
Just wondered how does the original road wheels compare circumference wise to the spare wheel well and what happens when the spacesaver if fitted, will the flat tyre go back there? Your guy John sounds helpful.
Car looks good :). My long dead accountant had a Lexus 400 Saurer gray import before Lexus became more common over here, his was pearlescent white and looked the part too.
 
The only way I keep up to modern stuff is a mate who was my apprentice, if it involves a computer, it’s upto him…having said that, all you get these days is ‘computer says no’. Nobody knows how to use an AVO meter, if I had manufacturers ‘values’ for sensors etc, I reckon I could figure faults out, but wehn a computer says ‘could be this, could be that, or could be a yet something else’ then the job is just a ‘fitter’ not a techy’
I still have my Wilkson test set somewhere in the garage and did have the little tool for adjusting RB340 regulators, they don't seem to work on alternators;).
 
Just wondered how does the original road wheels compare circumference wise to the spare wheel well and what happens when the spacesaver if fitted, will the flat tyre go back there? Your guy John sounds helpful.
Car looks good :). My long dead accountant had a Lexus 400 Saurer gray import before Lexus became more common over here, his was pearlescent white and looked the part too.
Haven't tried a full size in the spare wheel well yet as it's obviously too wide so ruled out as a spare option. However I did "park" the space saver beside the N/S/F wheel just for comparison:

P1100683.JPG


The space saver is nearest the camera and you can see it's "taller" than the tyre on the car behind it. My guess would be that the car's full size wheel and tyre will just go in the wheel well, especially if it's deflated as it only needs to be an inch smaller in diameter than the space saver to fit.

It's early days yet but John does seem to be the "real deal" and cares about the cars he sells. I suppose the proof of the pudding will be in if I ever have to hit him in the pocket book?
 
The space saver spare for the new - to us - Mazda arrived yesterday just before lunch but daughter in law was working so it had to wait for today for me to go out to their house and try it on the car. There was a choice of 14, 15 and 16 inch diameter rims. The 14 was only fitted to the earlier version so it was a choice between the 15 and 16 inch. The supplier recommended the 16" as the car runs on 195/45R16 tyres. It would seem he got it wrong because the 16" option won't fit in the spare wheel well. The wheel itself fits the hub, stud PCD and boss etc all fine, just won't fit the wheel well:

View attachment 420292

I measured the wheel well:

View attachment 420293

Which you can see comes in at around 22 inches and then the 16" space saver which is 23 inches in diameter. Quart in a pint pot comes to mind? I'm guessing it's the 15 incher I'm needing then? Anyway I just fired off a polite email to the supplier, pointing out that this was his recommendation and could he please sort it all out for me. Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

I've mentioned earlier in this thread about us thinking the number plate light lenses were missing - or so my son told me after he'd been giving it a good wash. So my young protege - aka grandson - and I lay on the ground at the rear of the vehicle and closely examined the number plate lights. At first glance they do look a bit unusual but they definitely have their lenses fitted. I think there is a small closing panel missing though. Not a big problem though as every thing is water tight with regard to electrics - it's just a cosmetic panel which can only be seen from underneath. I'd like to find one just to make it perfect but it'll be no big deal if I can't. Anyway I rang John at the garage where we bought it (I'd rung him this morning just to let him know we thought the light lenses were missing and ask if he had them) to let him know the lenses were intact and fitted to the car and also mentioned at the same time that the N/S/R window wasn't working. Is the child lock engaged on that door? he asked. I believe so I said. I think the window operation is disabled if you activate the childlock said he. I've never come across this before but said I'd check. Let me know how you get on and get back to me of you need further help he said. I'm impressed with his support. of course you would wish for this to be so when you've just bought the car but, sadly, it's not always the case. Of course when I was out there this afternoon mucking about with that spare and looking at the number plate lights I completely forgot to check on the child lock situation and whether the window works if I turn the lock on again, Doh! never mind, we're out there childminding again on Tuesday so I'll check it then.

Oh, and just to finish, here's the car:

View attachment 420294

The paint finish is pearlescent white which looks amazing at night under strong street lights. Just hope she never has need of a partial respray what with it being pearlescent!
Regards the wheel as I said at the time you were ordering, it was unlikely to be 16, I had a 17 inch wheel Mazda the supplied space saver was a 15.

I'd even hazard a guess at it being the 14 in that for this...but it would be just that, a guess. 15 may well fit given the 1 inch difference but obviously tyre aspect is the as much of the issue as precise rim size.

I'd be surprised if the window was linked to the child lock. Again if it has a similar set up to the 3 the child lock is a basic mechanical device not linked to anything. None of the business we have on the Citroën where you push a button on the dash to activate or deactivate, open the door and twirl your key in a little hole. The window locks were also very basic, press a button and it cuts all power to all the switches except the one for the drivers window. Contrast to the Citroën where all 4 switches work on the drivers door while the child locks have deactivated the rear ones, the Mazda all windows were disabled regardless of if you were using drivers side buttons or one on the corresponding door.

Regards missing panel, there's probably nothing missing. Again if we assume similar to a 3 you'll have 3 mounting points on the back bumper for rear number plate lights, one in the centre 2 offset. The central one is for markets like Japan with a short plate where they fit 1 light, the outer ones are for markets like the UK with a long plate where they fit 2.

They don't blank the unused ones off, so it looks like your missing something but it's just a number plate light that has never been fitted.

And finally...same colour as my old one, looks flat white on a grey day but in summer with a coat of polish huge amounts of gold fleck.
 
As for the pre-inspection ….. approved used car. Where they have “looked” at 100+ points on the car before sale, I know it’s all rubbish, a bloke spends 20 minutes with a torch checks the doors open and close pulls the seat belts kicks the tires and proclaims it “alright” but it’s not the inspection that matters more the claim of having been properly inspected as if anything is wrong or faulty at least you can go back to the company who said it was all sound and seek some sort of repair from them assuming what’s failed is part of the inspection.

When I worked in the trade we had a deal with a nation wide auto centre to do all the inspections, the cars would often come back so quick I doubt they even lifted the bonnet.

I get that it was the more the standard car dealer "well it's was fine on the forecourt" clause can very much apply. Just because they have the obligation doesn't mean they'll be eager to help or help at all.

Regards mechanics, in the case of the bloke with the 2008..if he'd taken it to a main agent there's a technical service bulletin covering exactly the issues he had and the steps to be taken to fix it. Which works as it's exactly what was done to ours. But an independent garage is unlikely to have to access to that.

Also the engine has a bad name for the timing belts..you mention oil. Vast majority of 3 or 4 year old PSA products will be outside the dealer network..you put 10w 40 semi-synth in it then belt in oil does not like that at all. It's 0-30w fully synthetic only, however doesn't stop people posting on the web "my engines dead, it's the belt in oils fault" rather than "my engines dead after I ignored both the oil spec and the belt change interval because I didn't want to spend money on it".

People are used to the old TU which you couldn't kill with a stick..the modern ones you very much can by just being a bit tight.

I would say the last sentence is pretty much transferable to all modern cars..
 
Regards the wheel as I said at the time you were ordering, it was unlikely to be 16, I had a 17 inch wheel Mazda the supplied space saver was a 15.

I'd even hazard a guess at it being the 14 in that for this...but it would be just that, a guess. 15 may well fit given the 1 inch difference but obviously tyre aspect is the as much of the issue as precise rim size.

I'd be surprised if the window was linked to the child lock. Again if it has a similar set up to the 3 the child lock is a basic mechanical device not linked to anything. None of the business we have on the Citroën where you push a button on the dash to activate or deactivate, open the door and twirl your key in a little hole. The window locks were also very basic, press a button and it cuts all power to all the switches except the one for the drivers window. Contrast to the Citroën where all 4 switches work on the drivers door while the child locks have deactivated the rear ones, the Mazda all windows were disabled regardless of if you were using drivers side buttons or one on the corresponding door.

Regards missing panel, there's probably nothing missing. Again if we assume similar to a 3 you'll have 3 mounting points on the back bumper for rear number plate lights, one in the centre 2 offset. The central one is for markets like Japan with a short plate where they fit 1 light, the outer ones are for markets like the UK with a long plate where they fit 2.

They don't blank the unused ones off, so it looks like your missing something but it's just a number plate light that has never been fitted.

And finally...same colour as my old one, looks flat white on a grey day but in summer with a coat of polish huge amounts of gold fleck.
Yes, I'm nervous about how this "wheel saga" is going to turn out. I would imagine that he'll be prepared to send me another but if that doesn't fit? I've sent him detailed pictures of the wheel in the boot so he can see it clearly doesn't fit and also a picture of the wheel well with a tape measure showing the space available and suggested he measure the overall diameter of the wheel he might send to replace the 16". Incidentally choosing the 16" was not a wild guess. I checked with our local Mazda dealer who said the 16 inch was the one to specify and the supplier himself asked what rims were fitted to the vehicle - 16" - before recommending the 16" spacesaver. I did point out to him that the tyres were low profile - 45% aspect ratio - but this didn't change his opinion that the 16" was the one. Ah well, can't see what else I can do. Just have to wait and see how it all pans out.

Thanks for the info on your door locks vs window activation. I do feel it's quite unlikely that the child locks would have any effect on the operation of the window winder but he seemed to think it would so I've got to check it out just in case. I'd take bets it's much more likely to be a break in the wiring or something inside the door itself.

Number plate light panel? I just don't know. It does look a bit "unfinished" though. I noticed an almost identical car parked out in the main road yesterday. If it's still there I might risk the wrath of the unknown owner by taking a quick peek under the bumper.

Oh yes, the paintwork. On a dull day it just looks white unless you look at it really close up, but when the light is good and bright it positively glitters.
 
Number plate light panel? I just don't know. It does look a bit "unfinished" though. I noticed an almost identical car parked out in the main road yesterday. If it's still there I might risk the wrath of the unknown owner by taking a quick peek under the bumper.

If I had a pound for everytime that question had been asked on the Mazda 3 forums..

I'd have at least 3 quid...

There's no fairing over them etc, just a lamp unit hanging on the clips on the bumper. Unless they do it entirely different on a 2.
 
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