Bought faulty car off eBay. Do I have rights?

J*M*H

Last Monday I bought a car off eBay that I thought was going to be a good deal. I got it for £850, and it came with 12 months MOT, but no Tax. It's a Fiat Stilo. This is the advertisement (copied and pasted) -
02 Plate Fiat Stilo 1242cc 16valve

One owner from new, in good condition inside and out for an 8year old car
(Dint on front passenger door & scratch on drivers side as pictured, not major)
Just had water pump and timing belt kit
12 Months MOT
No tax
Drives like new
Electric windows
Central locking on key

No PX
I am open to offers
Cash on collection only


Here's the problem, when I started to drive the car back, I noticed there was something dodgy about the clutch. As I was changing gear it started over revving, so the clutch was slipping. I also noticed that the steering wheel was making a funny 'clangging' noise when I turned the wheel.

We took the car down to the motor garage the next day, and he confirmed that the clutch is going and it definately needs replacing. I've had this confirmed by one more garage and a mechanic friend. We also found out (when giving it a service) that the reason the clutch was slipping was and knackered was because the gear shaft was coated in oil, probably because the gaskets gone and pouring oil out!

The other problem is that the back passenger door on the drivers side doesn't lock properly! If I manually push the catch down when it's open, it doesn't lock. I can literally push the catch open with my fingers. Which would explain why the door flew open when driving yesterday - whilst my kids were in the back!!!

What I want to know is -

Can I make the guy pay for the repairs to the car? Since it's not very drivable, and he stated 'Drives Like New'?!

Also, should the car have passed it's MOT with the door being like that?

The guy says it drove perfectly for him, but I can't believe that as it is noticeable!

Thanks

Answer
In the £850 market you have just learned that you need to test drive first. I bought a £950 car last week, I even put £5 of petrol in it to give it a decent test drive. Found lots of faults not mentioned in the advert, thankfully all minor and now mostly fixed for a few quid. Cars at that age an mileage all have problems, you need to find the ones where the worst problems not mentioned, though numerous are like my car, CD player, remote, interior lights, brake light, cruise and air con all broken and not mentioned in the advert. Mechanically though it really is good as new and that is what matters at that price. Sorry but it's a tricky market, learn, pass the car off to the next mug who hasn't learned and get a true bargain banger.

what should i charge to install an electric double car garage with an opener?

David

my neighbor, older man, needs a new garage door. I do know how to install one. This one is the BIG one. He needs the all the electrical done as well. I am an electrician full time, part time construction worker. So, some advice a to how much should I charge my neighbor without working for free... Got 4 kids and bills myself to pay, thank you

Answer
cant go wrong with 40 bucks a hour, half charge what a company would charge. 10% markup for finding and buying the door and material. take a couple of ur kids and put them to work.

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mysterious dents appearing on our garage door! please help!?

Ash

our garage door keeps getting dents in it! we have no idea how its happening but there is a lot! there is over a dozen of them now and slowly more and more are showing up. they are small and right it in the middle and towards the bottom. its a 2 car garage my fiance and I both park in it and it has a electric opener. non of the dents are from our cars or anything else hitting it and we dont see anything else that would be causing it. does this just naturally happen over time with some doors?

We need to figure this out because we are renting i would hate to have to buy a new garage door when we move out! the owner is already on us about it! Thanks

Answer
Any kids who play hockey in your neighborhood?

describe an useful device in your life?

Q. just say what you think

Answer
My pacemaker. Just kidding. Cell phone, car cable tv, toaster, lights, electric garage door opener, computer, bed, bicycle, books, washing machine, dryer, dish washer, shower.....life is GOOD!

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How to fix garage door that suddenly stops be itself?

kids electric cars with opening doors image

JKYL

My garage door would stop by itself. And when i push the remote control, it would comtinue to close. Before, if i push the remote button twice, the door would reverse in the direction it was going. So it is probaly not the remote. Any ideas??
I read about that from the other posts. I'll try that first and see if that fixes the problem. And FYI, I only bought the place brand new about 9 months ago.

Answer
The opener stopping is a sign of the motor being overloaded / safety switches stopping the door. This may be from the door itself being out of adjustment / broke OR the opener needing adjustment. You should NOT "just" adjust the opener!!

First, pull the safety disconnect rope on the opener. This will disconnect the opener from the door. Then check the door. It should roll up & down smoothly. It should NOT be too heavy or so light the it pulls itself up. It should stay where ever you stop moving it. It rolling up or down, by it's self means it's not adjusted right. You could have a broken counterweight spring. Garage doors are HEAVY. It may be as little as a 100 lbs or as much as 300-400 lbs. The counter weight springs allow the door to be feather weight. Some have one, others have two springs. A broken spring WILL burn up the door opener.

The hinges / rollers need to be loose (lubricated). The rollers to track does NOT need to be lubricated. The roller should ROLL in the track. They do NOT slide in the track. ( Do you grease your car tires, to get them to roll better????!!)

If you have solid (wood) weather stripping, does the door have a slight gap, when you push the door IN, when it's down? If the door is tight against solid weather stripping, it will could have too much friction (door out of adjustment / hinges / rollers worn). If you have any type of weatherstripping with a flexible (rubber) edge, it should be it good condition. Rips could cause excessive friction. Stick a butter knife in between the door & weatherstripping and pull it out a bit. You should a good bit of gap between the door & the solid part of the weather stripping.

If the door seems OK, check the opener. It should still be disconnected.

For any kind, other than a gear drive ( chain / cable, both visible on the outer sides of the track), there is a two piece "trolley". One part is attached to the opener, the other to the door. When you hit the button, the trolley should run from one end to the other, then stop. If it doesn't make it all the way, you have a problem with the opener. It should run back & forth just fine.

If you have a gear drive (you can tell a gear drive by looking straight up, into the track, you will see a long gear or screw from one end, to the other), the opener should work, as above, but it may take a minute, before it shuts off. It will have a one piece trolley. It uses the door trolley to trip the off (limit) switches, no door, it will shut off after a time limit.

Most openers have safety switches on them. These are two photo electric "eyes" down low, near the floor. There is a "sender" & "receiver". The sender light should always be on, the receiver light will be off, if something is blocking the door. The receiver should be pointing either east or north, the sun can burn them up. If the receiver does not pick up the light from the sender, the opener will NOT go down. It thinks you or your kid is under the door. Most eyes should have LED lights on them. If one is off, they are out of whack. You need to turn one or both, until both LED's are on. If you can not get both on or if both are off, you have bad wiring / photo eyes / opener control circuit board. Spider cobwebs / cobwebs with leaves, etc, can be an issue.

Now, if all seems well, adjust the opener. Some have one adjustment, some two. ALL have separate adjustments for up & down. For two adjustments, there is a "force" with controls how HARD it pushes before stopping / reversing. The other is a "limit", which is how FAR it pushes, before stopping. You should ALWAYS adjust the limit, before the force. This is to keep you kids hand from being crushed under the door. (also, the track should NOT bow way up, just a little). A 2 x 4 under the door should trip it back up.

what should i charge to install an electric double car garage with an opener?

David

my neighbor, older man, needs a new garage door. I do know how to install one. This one is the BIG one. He needs the all the electrical done as well. I am an electrician full time, part time construction worker. So, some advice a to how much should I charge my neighbor without working for free... Got 4 kids and bills myself to pay, thank you

Answer
cant go wrong with 40 bucks a hour, half charge what a company would charge. 10% markup for finding and buying the door and material. take a couple of ur kids and put them to work.

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What Food Did People Eat In The 1950's For BreakFast? And What Were Their Standards Of Living?

kids electric cars with opening doors image

Q. I Have To Write A Report On the 1950's and i need to know how they lived (average size of house, Cars or no Cars, Etc.) And What They ate, and did for jobs.

Answer
You need to watch Leave it To Beaver:)

Yes they had cars
They lived in the suburbs in modest size homes 3 bedrooms living room dining room 1 bathroom nice yard with a garage. TV was around the garage door opener had been invented. Dad worked and mom stayed home and had a plate of cookies ready for the kids after school. It was the American Dream time. They had electric washers and dryers.

There were beehive hairdos, nylon stockings, poodle skirts, saddle shoes, denim jeans were becoming popular, leather jackets, letter highschool jackets, scarfs and berets, cats eye glasses, pencil skirts, pony tales with bangs, slicked back hair for guys.

Young people were called youths not teenagers

Music was just beginning to branch into Rock and Roll but there were still people like Perry Como and Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole but there was Elvis, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash

There were drive ins, diners, and drive in movies, and soda fountains, and car hops

There was James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Marlon Brando , Tony Curtis, Cary Grant * Charlton Heston, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart, and Elizabeth Taylor in the movies

TV dinners were popular and trendy and acceptable in the 1950's Basically they ate what we eat now. Lots of packaged food started coming out around this time.
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/50sfood.html

Cars were a really big deal they tricked them out and raced them and they were muscle cars and made them cool to the teens
They were status symbols to the grown folk
http://www.nationwidepicturecars.com/50.html
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/50scars.html

What is best for me to do when the big earthquake in cali hits?

ladyzman21

I now live in LA I do love here but I'm always worrying when the big one is going to hit. I've been here for a week now nothing really bad happened yet. What do I do if I'm in a car, high rise building, in a house, or even on the street on foot

Answer
PROTECTION DURING EARTHQUAKES

The following are some of the important precaution to be observed to save our life during an earthquake. Even though we do not have fool proof system to fore warn earthquakes some of the changes in nature or in the behaviors of animals and birds may help to decide the situations.

Before an earthquake.
Have a battery powered radio, flash light, and first aid kids in your house ,
Make sure every one knows where they are kept ,
Learn first aid; teach how to stop electric main and gas supply ,
Donât keep heavy objects in high shelves ,
Fasten heavy appliances to the floor, and anchor heavy furniture to the walls ,
Plan for your family for reuniting after an earthquake if anybody separated ,
Urge your school teachers to discuss earthquake safety in the class rooms, and ask them to conduct drills ,Keep some dry fruits and drinking water.
Find out your office has an emergency plan, know your responsibility at your works during an emergency .Keep some dry fruits and drinking water .

During an earthquake.
Stay calm if you are indoors, stay out if you are out of buildings. Many injuries occur as people enter or leave the buildings.
If you are indoors , stand against the a wall near the center of the building, or get under a sturdy table keep some cushion on your head, Stay away from windows and outside doors, if you are in a high rise building stand against a support column.
If you are in outdoor stay in the open place , keep away from over head electric wires. and bridges. If you are in car just stop it where there is know over bridge or over head electric lines and stay in side the car until the shaking stops.
Donât use open flames, if you are in a moving vehicle stop away from over bridges and stay inside the vehicle still earthquake stops.

After an earthquake.
Check yourself and nearby people for injury, provide first aid,
Check electric and gas connection,
Turn on your radio or T.V for emergency instructions, reduce the use of phone lines it may be required for conveying some important messages.
Stay out of damaged buildings,
Wear chapels and gloves to protect against shattered glass and debris.

Stay away from beaches and water front areas where Tsunami could strike, even long after the shaking has stopped.
Have one earthquake alarm fixed in your house.

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what should i charge to install an electric double car garage with an opener?

kids electric cars with opening doors image

dutu

my neighbor, older man, needs a new garage door. I do know how to install one. This one is the BIG one. He needs the all the electrical done as well. I am an electrician full time, part time construction worker. So, some advice a to how much should I charge my neighbor without working for free... Got 4 kids and bills myself to pay, thank you

Answer
cant go wrong with 40 bucks a hour, half charge what a company would charge. 10% markup for finding and buying the door and material. take a couple of ur kids and put them to work.

How do I loosen really rusty bolts on license plate?

Dan

I have to remove bolts from my car to get the license plate off, but they're really rusty. I'm really limited for tools too, all I've got is a couple of small screwdrivers and a hammer. My uncle's got a blowtorch, but I doubt he'll let me use it. I thought I could chisel away around the screw, and make it fit on the new car with a washer, but that might take too long. Also, a screwdriver won't lock into the groove, it's too rusted over. What do you think I should do?

Answer
WD-40

Water Displacement #40. The product began from a search for a rust
Preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts. WD-40 was
Created in 1953 by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical
Company. Its name comes from the project that was to find a "water
Displacement" compound. They were successful with the fortieth
Formulation, thus WD-40. The Corvair Company bought it in bulk to protect
Their atlas
Missile parts. Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is
Nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.

When you read the "shower door" part, try it. It's the first thing that
Has ever cleaned that spotty shower door. If yours is plastic, it works
Just
As well as glass. It's a miracle! Then try it on your stovetop... Voila!
It's now shinier than it's ever been. You'll be amazed. Here are some of
The
Uses:

1) Protects silver from tarnishing.
2) Removes road tar and grime from cars.
3) Cleans and lubricates guitar strings.
4) Gives floors that 'just-waxed' sheen without making it slippery.
5) Keeps flies off cows.
6) Restores and cleans chalkboards.
7) Removes lipstick stains.
8) Loosens stubborn zippers.
9) Untangles jewelry chains.
10) Removes stains from stainless steel sinks.
11) Removes dirt and grime from the barbecue grill.
12) Keeps ceramic/terra cotta garden pots from oxidizing.
13) Removes tomato stains from clothing.
14) Keeps glass shower doors free of water spots.
15) Camouflages scratches in ceramic and marble floors.
16) Keeps scissors working smoothly.
17) Lubricates noisy door hinges on vehicles and doors in homes
18) It removes black scuff marks from the kitchen floor! Use WD-40 for
Those nasty tar and scuff marks on flooring. It doesn't seem to harm the
Finish and you won't have to scrub nearly as hard to get them off. Just
Remember to open some windows if you have a lot of marks.
19) Bug guts will eat away the finish on your car if not removed quickly!
Use WD-40!
20) Gives a children's play gym slide a shine for a super fast slide.
21) Lubricates gear shift and mower deck lever for ease of handling on
Riding mowers.
22) Rids kids rocking chairs and swings of squeaky noises.
23) Lubricates tracks in sticking home windows and makes them easier to
Open.
24) Spraying an umbrella stem makes it easier to open and close.
25) Restores and cleans padded leather dashboards in vehicles, as well as
Vinyl bumpers.
26) Restores and cleans roof racks on vehicles.
27) Lubricates and stops squeaks in electric fans.
28) Lubricates wheel sprockets on tricycles, wagons, and bicycles for
Easy handling.
29) Lubricates fan belts on washers and dryers and keeps them running
Smoothly.
30) Keeps rust from forming on saws and saw blades, and other tools.
31) Removes splattered grease on stove.
32) Keeps bathroom mirror from fogging.
33) Lubricates prosthetic limbs.
34) Keeps pigeons off the balcony (they hate the smell).
35) Removes all traces of duct tape.
36) Folks even spray it on their arms, hands, and knees to relieve
Arthritis pain.
37) Florida's favorite use is: "cleans and removes love bugs from grills
And bumpers."
38) The favorite use in the state of New York -- WD-40 protects the
Statue of Liberty from the elements.
39) WD-40 attracts fish. Spray a LITTLE on live bait or lures and you
Will be catching the big one in no time. Also, it's a lot cheaper than the
Chemical attractants that are made for just that purpose. Keep in mind
Though, using some chemical laced baits or lures for fishing are not
Allowed in some states.
40) Use it for fire ant bites. It takes the sting away immediately and
Stops the itch.
41) WD-40 is great for removing crayon from walls. Spray on the mark and
Wipe with a clean rag.
42) Also, if you've discovered that your teenage daughter has washed and
Dried a tube of lipstick with a load of laundry, saturate the lipstick
Spots with WD-40 and re-wash. Presto! Lipstick is gone!
43) If you sprayed WD-40 on the distributor cap, it would displace the
moisture and allow the car to start.

P. S. The basic ingredient is FISH OIL.

P. P. S. I keep a can of WD-40 in my kitchen cabinet over the stove. It
is good for oven burns or any other type of burn. It takes the burned
feeling away and heals with NO scarring.

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