ednmra

I've done several refurbs on my standard Octy wheels over the years, and use Halfords VW Diamond Silver, followed by Halfords Clear Lacquer. In most cases I have not had to spray the whole wheel, but do take in some inches all round the repaired part, and even more area with the clear coat. So far I have not been able to see the repaired areas after the wheel was replaced.

They've obviously never heard of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

My passenger side carpet is 0.83 mm thinner than the driver's side AND there are two marks on it.

the 1.8 TSi is one of the best engines I've come across in every respect. For a regular family car it will take a lot of beating for power / economy without going into the hotrod category

Surely, if you consider the arrangement and fitting of the steering gear all the way from the rack up to the steering wheel, and the location of the rack on the chassis, and all the various joints and connections of the body and the bits inside the car, small variations could easily crop up without there being anything wrong? Especially when so much is slung together on fast production lines.

Had this last year on service deal, got wipers, sill protector kit and loads of VAG screenwash

Mine too - 58 plate 1.8 TSi from new - very even space all round.

Yes, quite so. I carefully check the compulsory and voluntary excesses related to the quote, and I recalculate so that each quote has only £250 excess in total, in order to give direct comparison. I also always include protected NCB and I delete legal expenses, again so that as far as possible every quote goes by the same criteria. I have AA cover, so I delete roadside assistance and I also delete courtesy car if that is an option affecting the quote. So as far as possible the companies are going broadly on the same details.

I'm amazed - I've never had a Direct Line quote that was much less than double what I was accepting from someone else. Just did a quick quote. Direct Line £313. Axa £206

Nothing has a "right price" these days! It all seems to be haggle, shop around, threaten to leave! I just got an AA renewal package priced at nearly £75 - called Silver something or other, whereas new joiners can get a basic roadside for about £30. I phoned up and said I was packing it in and going to RAC as a new member. Boy did that change the quote! £36 for basic AA, and I could probably have got it lower by just resigning when it lapses, and then starting off again as "new member". But you have to this every year, like insurance quotes.

Why not just buy a different car ?

For a 2 litre diesel !!?? Must have got it mixed up with a Red Bull F1. I think even the "low" quotes are high. Unless you live in Tripoli or somewhere?

just did a 'go compare' for mine - I said it renewed June 6 (which it doesn't) Best quote £178.59p AXA (BUT that is with £450 excess of which £200 was compulsory) Went up to £206 when I deleted the extra excess Next best was E Sure £191, with only the £250 voluntary excess I usually specify. These are with full payment in one lump sum.

The service manager at Clarion told me he didn't much like the look of long life oil when they drained it from [e.g.] rep's cars around 30K ! I suppose it all depends whether it's ones own car or just the firm's - what they used to call the S.E. model (Somebody Else's !)

p> My specialist dealer told me they always use semi synthetic for fixed service, lowish annual mileage petrol Octavias, and I've been very happy with it over several years and 2 different cars. I think they used Millers oils, certainly a couple of years ago

Had a pair on my now-famous Superspeed V6 Escort, rally style!

As said before, the Valeo ones (£16 approx.) on Carparts4Less are, according to their blurb, the same Bosch ones that are several pounds dearer on the same site. Go figure!

But in any case, every time you do a compare site you get about 80 answers/quotes, mostly from reasonably well-known companies, with the cheapest near the top. So you look at, say, the top 5 or 6. But if you scroll down the list they go absolutely barmy. I've had quotes from about £200 up to £1400. They all are given exactly the same information. I can only assume that many just do not want the business.

Start a new quote from scratch on a few compare sites?

you have to pay to join Costco - about £25 + per year I think

Carparts4Less are good. They list Valeo (but brand is Bosch and with same part code) for £16.20, front set, exact fit, free delivery. They also list Bosch anyway but at £23.94. I can't see how they can be any different is Valeo are Bosch with the same part number.

But wouldn't you think, with such an obvious problem, and one that doesn't seem to be a concern on other makes, they would say to themselves "Gee, our mirrors keep falling off. Let's see what another maker uses to stick its mirror glass on with, and use that instead." As they say in the cartoons, it isn't exactly rocket science! (And it isn't like having to tool up for a new engine or something.)

I've NEVER had a competitive quote from Direct Line, Rias, the AA, or Saga. I'm 67, NCB of about 30 years, me driving only, no points etc etc. I only get good quotes off compare sites. And even then I do three or four such sites.

Had very good quote from LV 3 years ago, (on a compare site) and good renewal the first time, but much higher the next time, so changed to E-Sure and am back pretty much to the original LV price, though I suspect LV is better company in things like no charge for day's cover on courtesy car during servicing.

in the other threads on this some of us just got the new glass and fixed it to the "works" - the metal (working machinery) bit didn't fall out, the glass just fell off it.