Used Car Free Mileage MOT History Checker UK

If you are looking to buy a used car and want to check the mileage and MOT history then there is a new free tool available on the DVLA website that shows all MOT history since 2006. Unfortunately it's a bit of a backwards step as the previous tool had more information available but you needed the V5 document reference to use it, this is much better as you only need the registration number and vehicle make.

Used Car Free Mileage MOT History Checker UK

I decided to do a check on one of my old VW Golf TDI cars to see if it was still on the road. I sold the car in August 2013 with 189,000 miles on the clock as recorded on the MOT. The buyer for the car travelled halfway across the UK from Stoke on Trent to Kent to collect the car which seemed slightly strange to me but they paid in cash and took the car for £1800.

VW Golf TDI 130 LT53ZCV

 It was interesting to view the vehicle history for LT53ZCV since I sold it as the car has now miraculously lost 100,000 miles off the clock! I'd imagine it has made a massive difference to the value and the new owner probably paid a lot more than I sold it for.

The site to check MOT history is via DVLA or https://mot-history.net/

Dart Charge Penalty Appeals Poor Signs at Dartford Crossing

As of November 2014 the toll booths at the Dartford Crossing (comprising of the Dartford Tunnels and QE2 Bridge) were removed and replaced with a number plate recognition system to automate the charging for the crossing.

However the signage that has been put in place is exceptionally poor and many motorists are being sent penalty tickets for non payment of the tolls despite no sign making any mention of the word "TOLL".

This video driving from Essex into Kent over the QE2 bridge of the Dartford Crossing shows how lacking the signs are - the only overhead gantries show a large C symbol yet no mention of any Toll or charges so it's hardly surprising that people outside the area have no idea that they are meant to pay for using the crossing.

Anyone who has received a Dart Charge Penalty Fine and wants to appeal is welcome to use this video as evidence to support any appeal that the signs are insufficient to support charges.

Goodyear Efficient Grip Tyre Review

I needed 2 new tyres on my VW Passat yesterday and choose Goodyear EfficientGrip tyres as they looked to have a good mix of performance and low noise levels.

On the first drive today I have been extremely impressed. They are far quieter than the Pirelli P7 tyres that they replace and seem to give much more comfortable ride with bumps being far more smoothed out and less jolts as you are driving.



Goodyear Efficient Grip Tyre Review

The tyres on the Passat are quite big being 235/45R17 which can be noisy due to the profile but this seems to be well controlled with the Goodyear Efficient Grip Tyres.

It's too early to tell if there is any different in fuel economy from the tyres but the Goodyear Efficient Grip Tyres are meant to be one of the best rated for low fuel consumption.

Replacing Rear Shock Absorber VW Golf MK4

This is how to replace the rear shock absorbers in a VW Golf Mk4.

Loosen wheel bolts on rear wheel
Jack car up
Remove wheel
Using 16mm impact wrench remove top mount bolts attaching shock to car
Using 16mm impact wrench remove single axle bolt attaching shock to axle

That's it - shock removed! Replacement is the reverse of fitting. Remember to check your wheel nuts after driving around 30 miles to make sure they aren't loose.



This video shows he order of the components and how they fit onto the shock absorber before replacing it in the car

Plastic cover
Bump stop - large end upwards
Top mount
Washer
Nut

VW Golf TDI Registration LT53ZCV PD130 Diesel Review

The best VW Golf  I've owned was a 130PD 2003 model MK4 TDI.

Update 2015 - I did a check on MOT for LT53ZCV and the mileage has now dropped 100,000!

I bought LT53ZCV in 2009 with 141,000 miles and ran it for over 4 years racking up another 50,000 miles on it. Photo below of a very dirty looking LT53ZCV in London after winter driving and lots of salt spray.

VW Golf TDI Registration LT53ZCV PD130 Diesel Review

The photos below are the ones I took for Autotrader when I sold the car. As a sign of how good these cars are the buyer was a dealer who travelled from Stoke on Trent to Kent to purchase it. This Golf TDI 130 gave 4 years very cheap motoring and the overall depreciation was around £250 per year in that time.

Setting AUX Input on Pioneer DEH-P5850MP Car Head Unit

How to setup the Aux/Auxilliary input for a Pioneer DEH-P5850MP

You can get a connector lead called a IP-Bus Interface Cable Cord Adapter for Pioneer DEH-P5850MP on Ebay or other site

How to setup the Aux/Auxilliary input for a Pioneer Pioneer DEH-P5850MP 

This lead will allow you to connect into the CD changer socket at the rear of the Pioneer DEH-P5850MP and use a 3.5" jack cable to connect an MP3, iPhone, iPod or any other source with headphone socket to it.

However when you turn the unit back on after connecting the cable you may find that AUX isn't shown as an option in the menus. You need to press the function button when the unit is off to enable this as shown in the video to setup the auxilliary connection on the Pioneer DEH-P5850MP head unit.

 IP-Bus Interface Cable Cord Adapter for Pioneer

Buying a Used Car - Is A Warranty Worth It Or Not?

When buying a Used Car, is a warranty worth it or not?

I've bought quite a few cars over the years and in some cases they came with a warranty. In only one case have I ever had cause to claim on that warranty and even then the repair was very small that I could have sorted myself if I hadn't had the warranty available.

When buying a Used Car is a warranty worth it or not?

The cost of a used car warranty can vary hugely but seem to be up to around £1000 depending on the model of car. In most cases although described as a "warranty" you are actually buying an insurance policy - mechanical breakdown insurance - and like most insurances policies there are exclusions to it.

Often wear and tear items are excluded which covers things like the clutch that could fail on an older car and could be expensive to replace. If such items are excluded then you wonder what benefit the warranty could have for most car buyers. The answer is not much - the insurance company need to make a profit so they aren't going to sell a policy that doesn't make them money.

Despite what you might be told when considering a warranty, cars are pretty reliable overall. Of course they need routine and regular maintenance but again those items wouldn't be covered anyway.

My personal view is that used car warranties are not worth it and it is far better to "self insure" by putting any warranty money into your savings so it's available if you have a fault on your car to pay for.

VW Golf Fixing Noisy Turn Signal Indicator Fault - Replacing Steering Wheel Indicator Stalk

As per this video the indicator module in my MK4 VW Golf has developed an annoying fault where the indicator continues ticking after the turn signal has been cancelled. You can hear the example of the noise from the indicator which appears to come from the hazard switch here.




However the actual fault lies in the indicator stalk which needs to be replaced. It's a relatively straightforward job - if you have the right tools, in particular you will need a Torx T25 and T9 screwdriver head and an M12 spline socket to remove the steering wheel. Over the last year I've been building up my tool collection so have these to hand.

I bought the replacement part from EuroCarParts and it cost me £40. From a VW dealer may be more. Interestingly the replacement part had an additional button for setting the cruise control that wasn't present on the original. The VW part number for the indicator stalk with cruise control is 8L0 953 513 S, the original fitted to the car had a date of 25.09.02

The process uis brilliantly explained on the MKIVS forum and I followed the guide there. It doesn't cover the multi function steering wheel but the basic process is the same. The thread with the guide to removing VW Golf/Bora indicator is here

These are the photos of the process on my VW Golf. The most important part to avoid getting airbag light - disconnect the battery!

Battery disconnected

VW Golf Steering wheel removed

VW Golf Turn indicator replacement

VW Golf Turn indicator replacement - airbag removed

VW Golf Turn indicator replacement - stalk removed

VW part number for the indicator stalk with cruise control is 8L0 953 513 S

Old and new indicators - top also has the right hand part attached, bottom is the old part taken out

VW part number for the indicator stalk with cruise control is 8L0 953 513 S

VW Golf MK4 Steering wheel with airbag removed

VW Golf Steering wheel airbag connectors

VW Golf Multi function Steering wheel removal

Replacing Damaged Foam in VW Golf GTI Sports Recaro Seats

A common problem on the VW Golf GTI and in fact any car with sports seats, is that the foam inside the seats can degrade where it gets most rubbed and squashed.

I've replaced the seats in my VW Golf but needed to take the seats apart to repair them and this shows how bad the seat foam inside the seat can get.

Damaged Golf GTI seat needing replacement foam

 With the cost of parts at the moment for a MK4 Golf that these seats have come from it is far cheaper to buy a second hand set of seats from a breaker than trying to repair the existing seats. You can remove the seat covers for cleaning as shown in this video and easily remove the seats from the car to swap them for replacement ones. I found mine on Ebay and there are generally lots available. In fact I bought the replacement seats for such a good price I made a profit selling the rear blue material seats to someone needing the middle seat belt design.

Damaged Golf GTI seat needing replacement foam

Damaged Golf GTI seat showing foam broken down

VW Passat Part Number 3C0-825-271-B (Underbody Wheel Liner plastic trim)

When I replaced the wheel arch liner on my VW Passat I found another section of underbody plastic trim had also broken. This was the part for the VW Passat which was VW part number 3C0-825-271-B which cost the grand sum of £3.01!

VW Passat 3C0-825-271-B

VW Passat part number 3C0-825-271-B

The video of replacing the wheel arch liner is below:

VW Passat B6 Wheel Arch Liner Replacement - Removing and Fitting New Housing

The wheel arch liner on my 2007 VW Passat had become damaged so I needed to replace it. I managed to purchase a new wheel arch liner from the VW dealer. At £30 it was slightly more than the ones on eBay but I decided I'd prefer to know it would fit exactly. I also bought some space T25 screws to be able to fit it in case existing ones were damaged by removing the liner.

There are 8 x T25 screws that hold the liner in place. Remove these and the liner can be unclipped from the edge of the wheel arch. The new liner then needs to be slid into position. The video shows the whole process.

Part number for the VW Passat wheel arch liner is 3C0 805 977 and for the bolts/screws to attach it N 103 546 02

VW Passat B6 Wheel Arch Liner ready to replace

Damage to Passat wheel arch liner, T25 screws visible

Passat wheel arch liner, T25 screws