Halfpenny

Yes, E51 series are around that sort of age. But they are pretty solid - built for the long haul.

Check the obvious first (fuses). Then check for power at the unit.. Remove the surround by using a trim tool at the centre of the LH and RH side of the surround to pop the big retainers (just one each side). There are a series of smaller clips that release quite easily - just pull vertically down. There are two connectors - one at each rear corner. IIRC the left hand one carries power. Probe for power. If the unit has power it is likely that the motor has failed or the gears stripped. Used units are normally less than £100. The assembly is held to the roof braces by 4x 10mm nuts on studs (two each side).

One of their sites is located about 30 miles from me. Around 18 months ago I did my own 'secret shopper' visit to scope-out how they operate. It was interesting to say the least. I would describe it as 'firing shrapnel into the sub-prime market'. I felt like I needed a shower when I got home. I really hope there will be a crackdown....

These Smart radios are very poor quality. The touch screen is old-style resistive and they frequently fail and/or go out of calibration. What has worked for me is disconnect battery then reconnect and recalibrate the screen. Refer to p27 in the manual found here: https://www.smartusa.com/resources/downloads/manuals/2012/smart_audio_system_navigation.pdf

Haven't enjoyed Christmas since the kids got older. Don't like the shopping queues and excessive commercialism. In recent years we have usually spent December and January enjoying beaches around SE Asia while my business partner keeps things ticking over in the UK. I've got properties overseas that we haven't visited since March and of course we're stuck in the UK for Christmas due to Covid and its just so bloody grim! Cold, dark, wet and not many sales ATM to break the tedium. Service side is steady though. Hopefully we can get away late Spring - I'll probably have to vaccinate to be able to travel, so I'll be taking a dose even if it turns me into a half-man half-mole hybrid.

What? You think a JLR product is better quality than a Honda? Give me a Toyota or Honda product any day of the week over the underdeveloped crap turned out by JLR - not to mention Renault, FIAT etc etc..

Great practical motors those, especially the petrol 1.8 6-speed - much better than the CMax and Scenic. Sold a few over the years and no headaches.

I think he's talking about rear suspension air bags, rather than SRS airbags. You can get pretty cheap Chinese-made suspension air bags but we normally fit OE Dunlop - around £90 ea.

Of course there is. Last few months I've met quite a few bright-eyed wet behind the ears laddies telling me how great business is going. I just nod and smile. There's a hard economic winter coming for sure. I'm praying they get a Brexit deal done. A no-deal Brexit with tariffs and a falling pound on top of Covid will just about totally f'ck this country. No need for car dealers if half the population are out of work and can barely afford a pair of shoes!

Not sure why a baby requires a 3.0 V8 4x4.We brought up three kids with nothing bigger than a C-class. ...but, anyhow.. Suggesting a 10+ year old RR would be strong grounds for divorce in my opinion (mental cruelty). I hate the things, and the d*ckheads that drive them. We have sold and serviced plenty over the years and almost every one has given grief in some way. The electrics are the work of the devil. They have been on my do not buy list for a while. Last year I ran around in a 3.0D X5 for about 6 months. It was 7 years old from one elderly owner (son's girlfriend's uncle...). Only about 60k with FBMWH. Unfortunately the bastard thing ate its autobox on my watch...for reasons unknown. We have all the BMW diagnostic kit and do steady business through the workshop. I would not say they are particularly reliable cars - no better than average. These days I value reliability above all. For your mrs I'd suggest a RAV4 if she really wants an SUV - not much street cred but they are reliable. Otherwise something like an Auris Hybrid Estate. These have the Prius drivetrain. We see some of these coming in for service (local taxi drivers) and they must be just about the most reliable machine on the planet - its only ever fluids, filters and friction parts...

We have sold a fair number of Ecoboost 3-cyl and also see a fair number in for service. I would agree that they are not built for the long haul and we've even seen low mileage (less than 10k !!) with a busted cooling system. They run very hot, small coolant volume and inferior materials. In addition to coolant hoses and tanks we've seen leaking cabin matrix and leaks where the hose joins the matrix. If the car has full history and a cooling failure then Ford may repair under goodwill - but it seems hit and miss. I don't like any of these small turbo'd engines - they're all running on a knife edge and difficult to work on.

We've had the occassional customer want to look at the V5. Never thought about the document number. Lack of interest from the police is typical. Sick to death of them. I was test driving a customer's car when I was hit from the side by a LHD Bulgarian registered car. Almost outside the police station! Driver confessed he was uninsured. I photographed everything including his Bulgarian licence. I found out he was living less than a mile from police station. I went into the station with all this information. As God is my witness the desk officer looks at me and says 'Well? What would you like us to do about it?'... F'kin disgusting. No action taken. Last year our metal security gates broken open and attempted theft of a Focus ST via OBD port. I'd disabled it so they didn't get away. We have security lighting and everything captured on high-def colour CCTV - inc. reg. number of their van. Police not even interested in CCTV - just gave a crime number.

It'll be an Aisin 8040LE autobox. These grow old gracefully - just get sluggish engagement and slipping when worn out. Don't ever remember having one with a hard mechanical failure. I've stripped and resealed a few.. Old-school Aisin boxes never die.

These don't generally suffer with timing chains. Check the exhaust manifold heat shield to see if its loose. Has it just had oil & filter recently? - some poor quality filters around... Other than that its use a stethscope and remove belts to isolate rotating parts.

Ozone generator.....

Agreed. Not seen one for a long time, and if I did I'd genuinely consider torching it. Bastard things!

"You've got to ask yourself a question: 'do I feel lucky?' Well, do ya, punk?"

Operating two pitches six miles apart and single-handed? Sounds insane!

Most have had a new chain if at 60k+. Any with 'intergalactic mileage' will be like Trigger's broom - four new heads and three new handles...

BACS for me on sales. Cards and cash accepted in the workshop though. It seems that as card use increases, so do the charges! This is the wrong way round. Once these companies have achieved their aim of a 'cashless society' they will hike charges through the roof. I fight back, I use cash wherever possible in personal transactions - shopping etc.

No magic bullet. If a new sensor hasn't fixed it then you are looking at timing chain/VANOS. No cheap fix. Not a fan of these engines!

JLR products Most French and Italian. Anything with stupid tiny turbo'd engine. Anything with an automated manual gearbox. Quite a lot of BMWs MGs In fact its easier to say what I do like - which is most Japanese stuff apart from Nissan (which is mostly Renault crap under the skin). Sell a Lexus, Toyota or a Honda and generally they don't come back. The Toyo/Lexus hybrids seem particularly problem free.

You might have a chance with EML but DSG switch is a random issue. It will prob get worse over time. There is a recall for it in the US but not in the UK... Full details here... https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RCRIT-19V615-0044.pdf

I can never understand the popularity of BMWs given the number of awkward problems they throw up. I hate the things too... We've seen this fault quite a few times over the years always seems to be a112 or a116 and it can have several causes. Weak battery can be a problem (presumably not enough power to drive the lock motor). Have you actually checked the battery? Intelligent Battery Sensor fault can also be a cause. Reflash CAS module or update? Can reset CAS anti-theft counter in ISTA/D - Snap-On I doubt you can. With an old car like this its quite possible the lock servo is just worn out - in which case a new column assy is required.

Popular problem on VAG cars. Selector switch fault usually. TSB on this. Check out part no. 5Q0713128A