MärkJ

Is this link any help? Clicky

Does it happen when listening to different stations? Also does it do it when you drive along the same stretch of road or are close to a particular area of town? The reason I ask is because the standard stereo uses digital tuning so it isn't susceptible to worn tuning dials like traditional radios. Chances are it is some twit with one of those iPod radio transmitter thingys that allow you to broadcast them a short distance to your car stereo. I've had that before when cruising past cars on the motorway. If they're using one broadcasting close to the frequency you're listening to it can bleed over on to your radio when you get close.

Mine's a manual and I average 31mpg if I drive conservatively. This works out at just over 400 miles from a full tank until the low fuel light comes on. Granted, this is a mixture of town and highway driving but my daily commute is only 2 miles there and 2 miles back again and is all through stop/start town.

I think I'm right in saying that the sidelights come on first and then the main lights after the engine is started. I'll check tomorrow.

Check the condition of the plugs. If they're in a bad way then it sometimes causes a sort of hesitation when going on the gas at idle.

I've got the red stuff pads on my Trans Am and yes they do need a bit of warming first but they are more effective than the greens.

Hmm not sure. If you haven't done so already you might want to check and replace the air filter and plugs if necessary.

I'm guessing if your car is Chinese then you would have a l/100km guage rather than an MPG one. It will work inversely to an MPG guage so the lower the number the better fuel economy you are getting. It's normal for it to read maximum when idling at a standstill as it means that you are burning fuel but getting 0km whilst doing so. Hope that makes sense.

How old is the battery in your key fob? Mine had a spate of doing the same thing and when I started using the spare key it was fine. Changed the battery in the original one and haven't had a problem since.

To answer your second question, then you are fine to shift between different ranges whilst driving. They've been designed for that in case you need to stop it shifting to a higher gear (ie for engine braking on long downhills).

I just needed a solid, reliable workhorse for everyday use. My initial gut feeling was to go for the 3 series but they're so common on the road today and I always like having something a bit different. The IS ticked all the right boxes and has been the most reliable car I've ever owned (150K miles on a single cambelt says it all). It handles fantastically and is a real joy to drive. I opted for the IS200 over the 300 mainly because I'm a natural born stick-thrower and for use as an everyday car I needed to get as many miles to the gallon as was possible. A lack of power wasn't really an issue for me as I have an '88 Pontiac Trans Am as my weekend fun car.

You'll probably find it's the choice of car. The Fiesta is a popular car for young drivers so the premiums are sky high. As strange as it sounds, try doing a quote with a more obscure choice of car for an 18 year old. After I passed my test I tried to get insurance for a 1.3 Escort and it was stupidly expensive. Opted for a significantly more powerful 2.0 Sierra and it was quite cheap simply because the Sierra wasn't classed as a "boy racer" car.

400-450 per tank is the same as what I get out of mine with a mix of town and motorway driving. From what I've found, you can drive with a lead foot or like Miss Daisy and it always gets the same. :D

Mine's done 151,000 and still going strong. Was still on it's first cambelt up until 148K! :D