July 2001
Just watching a film I taped off TV called Atomic Train in which a train carrying a nucluar bomb exploded near an American city.
In the aftermath the cars wouldn't start because of an electro magnetic pulse from the bomb knocked out the computer chip on the car.
Was this artistic licence from the film makers or would it be true.
I understand that mobile phones emit radiation or even overhead power lines.
Is this the same as a electro magnetic pulse???
I understood from my handbook that if a fault occurs all systems restore to default and will operate albeit inefficiently.
What is the definitive answer from our panel of experts.
Alvin Read more
I recently got my c-reg VW Golf MOT`d in Glasgow to be confronted by a total failure and an approximation of £330 worth or repairs needed to pass. Shocked and saddened I took it to another MOT garage, on the offchance that they may pass it, and guess what, they did - with flying colours. I don`t pretend to know a lot about cars but surely, it`s sad for the average punter who knows nothing about cars and goes to the `wrong` garage and ends up emptying their purses. Surely there must be some sort of overseeing body that looks after these MOT test operations? Read more
Gwynedd County Coiuncil has one on the Llandegai Industrial Estate, Bangor.
Damn just done myself out of a shedful of MOT trade ! ;-)
could you advise me if I could get an extension piece for a seat belt and a thick pad for a clutch pedal.
I have a volvo 480es 1988.
many thanks Read more
I'm away right now, so can't look it up for you, but there's a place alled something like The Quickfit Safety Centre somewhere West of London that does custom seatbelt webbing. It's in some of my old books.
HJ
I have a mazda mx6 which as far as I am aware doesn't have ac. When I was checking under the bonnet tonight, I saw a black cylinder to the rear of the engine on the near side. I am not very mechanically minded but it looks suspiciously like the condenser unit found on the back of fridges.
The car has an ac button which you can press in and out, but the light doesn;t work. There is also a space for an ac relay, but no relay.
Does anyone know if it is likely that an ac unit was fitted, but no relay (ie, to purchase ac, just fit the relay) Or is this thing something completely innocent?
If it is the former, I would obviously need to recharge the unit, but would it be knackered (7 yrs old)?
I just thought I would ask, as we are expecting a two week heatwave, and the car gets bloody hot.
Thanks
Jonathan Read more
Dave,
just been watching the haymaking round Carsington Resovoir and really envying you fellas.
Now youv'e gone and spoilt it all.
And I had visions of comely wenches on tops of haystacks back at the ranch with lusty young farmers.
I don't want to join now....
Alvin
Has anybody heard anything about 94L-95M Corsas being recalled due to a fault with the passenger seat mountings. My sister has a 94L GSi and the passenger seat moves back of its own accord. She rang the local main dealer and they said if her car was affected then she would receive notification from DVLA.
I seem to remember being told there was an article about Corsa recalls (possibly in the Telegraph) about six months ago? Read more
At the risk of being considered argumentative, which is probably the case already, so might as well be hung for a sheep as a lamb.
IMHO on the web its often better to check more than one source of data, and the reason I posted the above is that unlike the on site car by car breakdown both Glass' and the AA also list recall notice R1995/012 air bag connector plug which might cause air bags to fail to deploy on Corsas up to 95, the date in question for Marc's motor. This was on the same notice in 95 that listed the sparking during refuelling.
However in general the car by car breakdown is more up to date than all other info sources.
But yes, having noticed the omission I meant to e-mail the info direct rather than include it in the post and thus potentially create distrust in the site info. I forgot, so sorry.
I have a kit car which has suffered some fuel problems due to excess under-bonnet temperatures. I think I have resolved this now, but just out of curiosity, what temperature does petrol boil at? Read more
Petrol is a mixture of hydrocarbons so its boiling point can only be quoted roughly. Like diesel its formulation is probably adjusted at the refinery to allow for ambient temperatures in winter and summer. But the Octane-number standard (iso-octane) boils about 100 C.
You may like to know Citroen are recalling Xsaras for front bearing/suspension checks...
They seem to be using their own customer database and not the DVLA one as this ones owner has moved since it was bought and the letter went to the old address (yes the registration doc has had current address for some time)
The Xsara is about 10 months old...
You would have thought if its an important check they would be complelled to use the DVLA addresses ?
Sorry to all you Xsara owners... (is this a tactic to avoid getting on the recalled cars list?) Read more
There's a Xsara that parks up the road from us that looks suspiciously as if the suspension has collapsed (front and rear). I've seen it driving around in that state and it looks bouncy. It's sitting like a flat BX: top part of tyre hidden up to the wheel trim etc. So either they drive around with very heavy weights in the back or it's knackered. Must be a nightmare to drive. I wonder if they look at it and think: It's a Citroen, it'll go up when we set off...
Chris
Anyone else had problems with bubbling paint around the lock of the boot on current E - Class Mercs??
My dealer says they have seen a lot of this. M-B will only make a goodwill part payment - in my case leaving me with £120 + VAT to pay. This is a "take it or leave it" from M-B, NOT negotiable. You cant even get to speak to anyone about it.
All this is reminiscent of 1970's British Leyland/Fiat rustbuckets.
Barry Brandon Read more
I can concur.
The paintork on my 2000 model E240 is shockingly susceptible to chipping even though it is a metallic.
I am also experiencing reliability problems with numerous warnings coming up on the ashboard eg cruise intermittently malfunctioning, also ESP, ABS, air con
Dealer and Merc thmselves are just not interested and I would never ever buy another Merc.
I ordered a new Toyota over a month ago. At the time they told me they could get it in two weeks, but I said no that?s ok I?ll have it on the 1st Aug thanks. We agreed a delivery date.
Subsequently that sales guy has left the company. Sales manger rings me up on holiday to tell me this.
When I got back I rang up for reg number in order to sort insurance. After being called back I was told due to a mix up between them and the distribution people the car hadn?t been sent out.
Anyway today was rang by another sales guy at the same place. Given a reg number, told that ?we?ve put the car through our July sales figures? and that it must be registered in July. And I?d need to get an insurance certificate insuring the car over the last few days of July. Having rang the insurance company they quite reasonably want 10.50 a day for having 2 cars covered (I?d still have the part ex until the handover). Rang Toyota garage back and they said ?fine ok insure it for 9-00 am 1st August, give us the certificate and you can pick the car up on the 2nd as we need a day to tax the car?? Funnily enough I was expecting to give them insurance before the end of the month and theyd have it taxed then. All this of course is not ok by me as I then wouldn?t have current car insured the day before the handover.
Since my tax/mot are about to expire, and I running out of time to get an insurance certificate sorted, this is going to cost me lots of hassle.
Anyway I?m not at all happy. Toyota man is going to get his boss to ring me tomorrow.
I am upset and I?m thinking of just walking away and issuing a summons for the deposit back, they are in breach of verbal contract.
Should I really be getting all this hassle ? Read more
Some years ago a dealer called me to see if I would accept a car a day earlier, to get it into the previous months figures. A suitable price adjustment made it worthwhile for both of us. Go and haggle.
Mike Holland
I've got a problem with Provisional sales at Auction.
I'm not a trader, but I do like to buy my own cars at auction. My problem is that I can bid for a car, the bid's accepted provisionally, then a couple of hours later I find that the sellers have not accepted the bid. I'm left with no car, and I have to wend my weary way home and come back another day.
So, my question is, if I bid and am accepted provisionally on a couple of cars where the seller subsequently accepts the bid, am I stuck with trying to drive two cars home down the M3? Do I have the right to say "stuff this for a lark, much as I like them, I only need one Omega at a time"?
I have a feeling that, as the hammer never drops, I'm not legally committed to either car, but I'm not certain about this.
On a side issue, this highlights the whole problem of provisionals. The seller should put a realistic reserve on the car, and it either sells or doesn't.
I know I could call BCA and ask them, but I prefer the fun of the real world answers I get on the site. Read more
On Friday afternoon, I called BCA at Blackbushe and was told that if my bid is accepted provisionally then if the seller agrees with that price I have to take it.
Now, this conflicts with both common sense and the replies above. But he DID sound like a spotty Herbert who might not know better, so I'll ask at the auction desk next time I go up.
Mark wrote:
>
> Bill
>
> 4oz of blasting explosive would be just as effective
>
A bit more noticable to the local constabulary though...