August 2001
Daimler Benz have publically (after months of denying)announced in Germany that there is a severe rust problem on all E class models upto june2001.The worst rust appears to be under the seal rubbers round doors windows etc.and suspension mountings.The problem appears to have started when they started using stretch body panels to make the car lighter but retain rigity.
On another subject I recently returned to the UK to see my family and had to drive the full lengh of the M1 and M62 in both directions.As far as increasing the speed limit I found most Uk drivers are not capable of driving never mind driving fast.Also the truck drivers tailgating at 70mph should be locked up.I never saw one police car on the whole of the M1 trip and only two cameras both in Yorkshire.Laned disipline ,lack of indicating and tailgating well what can you say.I drove the previous month 6000km throughout Europe France Spain Italy Austria and back to Germany and never saw anything like the Uk .No wonder insurance is so high in the Uk compared to mainland Europe.I would say driving in Sau Paulo Brazil is saver than London,perhaps Mark will comment on that.
Have a safe weekend
Andy Bairsto Read more
Further to comments about how easy it is to keep to an arbitrary numerical speed limit,
\"Third of Queensland police officers have speeding fines dropped\"
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_369535.html
\"Speeding police caught on camera\"
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1893.html
\"Police force admits 12mph error on speed traps\"
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_229384.html
\"Police chief\'s speeding chauffeur is let off\"
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_187566.html
\"Policeman\'s eyes \'faster than radar gun\' \"
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_185847.html
\" \'Speeding\' police car \'killed pensioner\' \"
www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_167433.html
Read more
If you have a shiny off-roader, and fancy taking it somewhere to do what it was designed to do, then there is an open day being organised by the All Wheel Drive Club on 18th August at the military proving ground at Bagshot. It starts at 11.00am, runs till 4.00pm, and costs £20 for non-members. Access is from the 'Maultway', off the Jolly Farmer roundabout, (now the Mongolian Restuarant).
It's a tame course, so you won't suffer any damage to your RAV/Freelander/Merc, but you'll get the chance to slip the gearlever into 4LOW (it's the shorter one next to the main one).
If you need any further details, take a look at www.awdc.co.uk, or email me. Read more
sorry to get your hopes up but MD tyres don't have much in surrey yet but they trade under the name of protyre @ fareham 01329220743 & slough 01753571171.
their service should be of equal quality but wether they have so much choice & same prices as HQ i don't know.
one of the fitters at micheldever told me years ago that they had to fit 400 tyres a day to cover their overheads & then they start to make a profit, don't know if thats still the case, but if their boss can afford to have his latest tupperware boat built in NZ, enjoy ocean raceing and still under cut all the rest of the trades prices and give 1st quality service then he's happy & so are the customers Read more
Sincere thanks for your time and trouble.
Hi
My problem is as in the subject line - the car has an affinity for oncoming traffic.
I have checked the tyre pressures. The problem developed not long after when new tyres were put on - just coincidence?
Funny thing was, it used to steer to the left, just not very much.
J Read more
i asked what corner because i wondered if they were fitted the right way round.
Have you checked that the tread patterns are all the same and pointing forward?
As a result of the thread on here about drive offs. I had a chat with my Solicitor today. What we have decided, where the Police can't or won't prosecute for drive offs, we will. I will pay LVLO for the plate details and then chase the buggers through the civil courts. Burden of proof is much lower and easier to enforce (plus I'll know where they live), to save costs I will represent myself in Court, did some Advocate's work in the Military. Read more
Yes, can't think of the last time I used cash.
Had a customer in last month, no part ex., spent a good couple of hours thrashing out a deal with him - he kept disappearing to make phone calls which sugested I was in a bidding war with other parties. Anyway eventually we made a deal, and his car was delivered yesterday, unplated on the back of a wagon to his home ready for a new style plate on 1/09. That would have normally been the end of it and I've had bid him a goodbye, however it was late evening when we arrived and both of us (driver and self) were invited in and treated to a very plesant dinner. Its refreshing to see reciprication of Customer Service and dealmanship. Read more
Dai,
Speaking as someone who sits on both sides of the desk its all about how you deal with those intangibles which can convert you from a salesman into a trusted advisor status.
As a customer, its not all about price, thats just one issue, unfortunately its the one that is too easily measured.
Stuart
Not the kiddies TV programme but these new USA style buses that are appearing on the roads.
If you see one of these in USA stop at the roadside with its flashers going and the Stop sign out, boy do you stop, you just do not go past.....ever.
The clips on the TV show the same flashing lights and the little swing out Stop sign. Question... does the no overtake rule apply here too? Read more
sam wrote:
>
> and these buses are not as safe as they are cracked up to be...
>
errr, just take a hard look at the utter utter utter trash that is being used on the school run now.
First thing I would do is an immediate ban on personalised registrations on all public transport vehicles, so that an owner could not hide how old the sodding things are.
Hi, I need to replace my front shocks and was looking around, not really knowing much about suspension will there be an appreciable ride difference between oil and gas shock absorbers? All anyone could tell me was "oil are cheaper mate".
Cheers,
Mark Read more
Bilstein cheapest on the block? first time I've come across that, Mark go for it. They are the business.
Just to clear up a small point, most people assume that gas shocks just contain gas. Not so the damping medium is still a column of oil. The shocker is split into two, an oil chamber and a gas chamber contaning nitrogen (usually) @ ~25bar with the chambers split by the piston.
The *main* purpose of the gas is to apply pressure to the top of the oil and prevent it foaming. The foaming is what happens when the shocks are working really hard, eg rough surfaces, ie roads around West Midlands, rally stages etc the oil gets hot, aerates or foams and then the damping quality is lost.
Its not really a better ride issue, which would be the case with proper air suspension, though there are some advantages of the gas chamber which gives the piston more movement possibilities which may affect the ride quality a little bit.
i hope to get a lada riva 1.3, back on the road, it was last run in april 2000, and i was wondering what it will need, it had a half tank of petrol in it, and i have been told that i will need to pump out the petrol because it will have gone stale, also the car has the battery still in it, and the radio is still there, any help please reply, AND NO DAFT JOKES ABOUT MY CHOICE OF CAR. Read more
A large portion of the petrol, about 30% I believe, is additives. The petrol evaporates. The stuff does go off. It's something to bear in mind when trying to start a lawn mower in the spring.
I'd drain the tank into jerry can and add fresh stuff. Adam's probably got all the fittings to rig up a temporary fuel hose, but most people haven't. A little petrol will go a very long way, it evaporates and the fuel/air mixture can detonate, igniting the liquid. It's nasty, nasty stuff, don't bugger about with it.
The battery's probably scrap if you haven't been trickle charging it.
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Andy,
I was interested, and my brother in law, who owns a new E class, was frantic, regarding your article and MB acknologising they have a RUST problem.
Can you shed any more light on the press release, report or sources of this info.
What have MB said they are doing about it, how extensive is it , etc.
Regards,