March 2001
Can anyone help me find details about a Laserline car alarm?
My K reg Audi haas one fitted and it has started going off (several times) during the night for no apparent reason. I'm told it has a built-in diagnostic system - switch off the alarm and count the LED flashes to identify the problem - but I don't have details. Also the alarm unit has a number of tiny switched and I'd like to check their settings; a dangling black wire hanging out from the waterproof boot, and two multi-pin plugs attached to wires but not plugged in to anything, inside the rubber boot. Do you know where I can get a specification or a manual please?
Thanks
Martin Vann Read more
I have just purchased a brand new speedfight 100 which has a slight front wheel wobble as if it needs balancing.
The dealer says it is "tyre patter" which is a characteristic of the bike.I am not convinced.
Is there anyone else out there with a similar problem?
Any comments would be much appreciated. thanks Read more
Sounds to me like you're dead right - it's out of balance, or as Andrew says, out of round. What else would cause it to patter? Andrew's right; it shouldn't do it!
Regards
John
I have just e mailed HJ about my Probe - 94 24V 67K miles - which seldom gets used as I work in London and commute. I checked the last couple of services and the plugs had not been changed so i decided to look. easier said than done, they live at the bottom of very deep holes and I do not have the right tools, however the bottom of three of the plug cap "tubes" had oil on them?? The car does rattle initially on first start up after a week but goes quiet immediately. There is some blue smoke for about thirty seconds which then stops. I pulls like a train and haas never failed a ticket, is it doomed? any ideas where oil is from?
Oh nd what on earth type of tool do you need to get to the plugs? Read more
Thanks andrew,
probably seemed ungrateful but just lost the link on pc.
think what i will do is get quote from ford and maybe mazda to do whilst servicing. or take a few days off and prepare to get grubby.
Honest john reckens the valve stem seals may be worn too. but Ive heard that this is not a diy by any stretch - never mind it goes ok - very underrated motor.
thanks for your input andy
Why oh why are we still putting air in tyres?
The need for a "soft" filling inside tyres giving the cushioning effect must be better than all of the related problems of the air filled: punctures, tyre blow-outs, correct/incorrect pressures, leaking valves, changing tyres at the side of busy motorways/dark country lanes, can't get the wheel off/nuts overtightened by garages, space taken up by spares, wasting time looking for a working/reliable air pump at filling stations, etc, etc..
It must be possible in this tecnologically advanced age of ours to design (if there isn't one already) a suitable "filling" for tyres. Read more
As a daily motorcyclist I would welcome an alternative.
Back tyres seem to pick up nails all too frequently, especially in London, and without a spare you are stuck at the roadside for at least an hour and a half whilst a mobile unit comes out, takes out the wheel, puts in a new tube and reassembles everything.
I recon on a puncture every six months or so on average!
I'd like to repurchase the first car that I ever owned. (LPX230Y). Does anyone know of a service for tracking down the owner of a specific vehicle? Do the DVLA consider "sentimental" reasons good enough for release of information on a V888? Read more
How cruel to such a well-loved vehicle! It would have lasted longer if the paintwork was better, but the rust spidered out from any damaged spot. I only bought it because I had to have an auto quickly, due to one broken leg, and that was available then. The 1800cc engine was OK at 26mpg (I think)
My local dealer changed the block and pistons recentley due to the problems with the nicasil-liners, at the same time i had the clutch changed. The car had done 60,000 miles and would have requiered doing in the near future. Everything seemed fine but after a short time it became increasingly difficult to select first gear. The car went back to the dealer and the clutch slave cylinder was changed. This made no noticable improvement so another replacement clutch was fitted. Unfortunately now it is nearly impossible to select first and reverse while the engine is running. I have done 2,000 miles since the engine rebuild and have had to top up the engine with a little over 1 litre of oil.
Could you please give any thoughts on the clutch and is the oil usage normal. Read more
The problem with the liners is common. Insufficient thickness of plating was the cause. Mercedes plating is very much thicker. I can't throw much light on the clutch problem unless the friction plate only was replaced? Regarding oil consumption: are you trying to run in this reconditioned engine on full synthetic? If so, stop, and run it on a good semi synthetic or quality mineral oil, (Valvoline). Another cause for high oil consumption is running-in the engine TOO gently. Give it a little more "stick" without over-revving or labouring it and it will pay dividends in the long term.
What is the best way(if there is one)to remove the spark plugs from my sons 90 mitsubishi galant .They only seem to move approx.5mm then they are solid.I tried release-oil but i think it needs someones realy good tip to save me because you see i sold him the car!, which i now regret since he comes running to me whenever anything goes wrong, so please someone help met out of this situation. Read more
Thanks to all for the advice, have checked and they are the correct plugs fitted,will try the hot engine method and if that does not move them then they will just have to stay there and hope they last untill he changes his car. (it must have been me that put them in too tight).
Soapbox time...........a week or so ago, DVLA were crowing about the £500 million they had made from sales of desirable number plates. Did they happen to mention where the money went? Not on the roads I suppose! Read more
The introduction of the bi-annual registration change may be partly responsible for the collapse in the used car market as suddenly cars began to look older than they really were. A 1998 R doesn't seem to be 3 years old but twice that because there have been S, T, V, W, X, and Y registrations in between.
The collapse in the car market happened before the manufacturers dropped retail prices. If consumers were not buying new cars then there should have been a drought of trade-ins and people preferring to either buy used or nearly-new. Supply and demand suggests that used values should have been bolstered by consumer reluctance to buy new.
Hopefully, the date-specific registration will be clearer than the current letter-based dating. However, should the introduction of such plates not be January and July?
I am 6ft 5ins tall and am trying to find a car with enough legroom. My old Cavalier is Ok as it does not have a foot rest by the clutch pedal.
All new cars tried so far ALL have these footrests which restricts the way I can stretch my left leg out. I do not want a Vectra.
Any Ideas please? Read more
Am I the only one who thinks the Scorpio range was the best yet from Ford. I know the shape is a little quirky, but what does that matter when you are in the driving seat.
For comfort, refinement, terrefic value second hand and sheer driving pleaseure I reckon its hard to beat, especially the 24valve version.
Why ever did Ford withdraw it? Down here in the West Country there seem to be loads about. Volvos are hardly a raelistic alternative.
has any truck driver any infofmation on the scania series 4 p cab driving seat problems i e back pain, pain in legs or numbness in legs. Read more
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YOU'LL FIND THE NUMBER FOR THE NATIONAL CAR SECURITY HELPLINE IN THE SCRATCHPAD WHICH YOU LINK TO FROM THE HOMEPAGE AT www.honestjohn.co.uk
HJ