November 2001
I was wondering if there was any mileage (excuse the pun) in reducing tyre pressures (max. by around 10-15%), from the recommended values when driving in Winter conditions? By ?Winter? I mean icy /snowy tarmac roads and motorways.
The logic behind this is from 4X4 drivers who reduce tyre pressure when driving in sandy/muddy/snowy conditions to increase the tyre?s contact area and therefore grip. They reduce tyre pressures by up to 75%, this is obviously a bit drastic and also extremely dangerous on normal roads and speeds.
Is my logic off the mark here and is it that it's completely unintuitive and that increased tyre pressures are actually better ?
Chad.R Read more
Can anyone please imform me of when the stopped being made.
Was there any reason other than lack of investment that kept them in production for so long. Read more
Another delicious snippet of nostalgia in this posting. I was not aware that the side exhaust engine was used in the Land Rover but, it was fitted into the Rover 90 of the Fifties. In fact, the rocker shaft and rockers seemed to be prone to premature wear and the pronounced "tap tap" spoiled the sound of a relatively quiet engine. Rover had made it easy to remedy though. The nearside carpet was lifted up and there was a convenient little cover in the floor
through which the rocker shaft could be drawn, into the passenger footwell. It was an easy job to slip the rockers off the shaft and replace them and/or the shaft. The difficulties came when you dropped something down into the sump but. that's another story.
In your FAQ (14) you say leave the AC on all the time. What benefits does this give? Does this not increase your fuel consumption? Read more
The air conditioning is fitted to cool the air AND reduce moisture. In spring and autumn the a/c will reduce moisture even if cooling is not required.
As others have said, leave a/c on all year and use the temperature control to regulate the temperature. The main increase in fuel consumption comes from hauling 30kg of extra equipment at all times, not from switching it on.
I am in process of selling my Honda Civic. LSi VTEC, 3-dr, Sep 1997 (R reg). It has 34,350 on the clock.
Went into whatcar.com on 2/11 and got a vluation for private sale of £5,296. However went in again last night, 19/11, and the figure is £4,901 - a drop of £395 in under 3 weeks!
Looked at DT Motoring which gives valuations more related to condition. My nmotor is, IMHO, really good condition apart from a tiny "supermarket trolley" type bish on one door. At average condition, DT gives £5, 110 for 34k miles and £5090 for 35k miles. But these valuations are for part ex.
I don't have access to Glass or Cap (probably more related to trade-ins?), and don't know if Parker's is any good.
Can anyone shed any light on this, or suggest a source of info please? Read more
Glass's Guide says about £5,250 trade, mileage adjusted for the 114bhp 1.5 LS 3-door. Follow Piers suggestion to look at what others are advertised for on www.autotrader.co.uk , then advertise your car for slightly less so you go to the top of the list for anyone searching the site on price.
HJ
This my sound quite sad being a bit of a rally enthusiast. Scoured my copy of Motoring News and its special rally suplement but cannot find which date/day the RAC Rally of Great Britain (South Wales!) starts. Can anyone help?
Andrew. Read more
i am talking about the link that 'lee H' gave for the bbc.
Saw a number plate which made me smile today.
It should have been N19 STY.
But it was written in a 1980's digital watch font, with the 1 touching the 9, so it looked like NASTY.
Underneath the number plate, where the dealer details would usually be, was written "I'M NOT REALLY".
Made me laugh anyway. A Merc owner with a sense of humour.
I wonder about the legality of such a font, as it was misleading and very hard to read due to its font.
Still, amusing on a brrrrrrrrrr cold day! Read more
but you can still get the stick on numbers and letters in the whitley bay branch of 'charlie browns'.
Since the introduction of turbocharging there have been a number of attempts to re-introduce supercharging - the Mercedes Kompressor 4 cyl the latest I am aware of.
The argument, as I understand it, is that the the power consumed by a supercharger offsets its advantage in drivability over the exaust gas driven turbo.
I havn't driven the Merc but it doesn't exactly get rave reports in the motoring press. On the other hand Mercedes don't often get it wrong.
Any opinions on this?
Bob H Read more
So THAT's why they are called "slippers" !
I have a 306 hatch. Problem is that when hatch is fully opened it does not stay in the open position ie it falls back down. On my fathers car (Same) when it gets to 90% of the top it actually rises. Do I take it that the strut supports are knackered and if so how much to replace Read more
Yep, the other way of literally wiping the smile off your face is to drop a heavy suitcase into the boot, the jolt will send a dodgy hatch straight down.
Again bitter experience, and a new pair of specs into the bargain.
S.
LPG conversion offers reduced fuel costs for petrol engined vehicles but the cost of having a conversion fitted seems quite high at around £1000.
Considering that the Government will put the tax up as soon as they start to lose significant revenue it seems that the only way to gain from a conversion is to fit it to a thirsty vehicle and get the conversion done for as little as is compatible with safety.
A Range Rover is a thirsty vehicle compared with most saloon cars and would seem to be a suitable candidate for treatment. A cheap but sound 70's or 80's vehicle would suit my purposes. Having carried out practically every mechanical procedure there is on a wide range of vehicles I find it unlikely that fitting a gas conversion would be beyond my ability and with this in mind I approached a local gas conversion specialist to enquire about the price of conversion kits.
They advised me that:
A. Legislation is anticipated that will allow fitting of gas conversions only by approved specialists.
B. A certificate from an approved gas conversion specialist is (or will soon be) required for an MOT test.
C. Vehicles with a gas conversion may only be tested at an MOT station approved for testing gas powered vehicles.
All this strikes me as a load of rot. Are they just trying to protect their business or is there any truth in their statements?
I note that conversion kits are widely advertised in certain magazines.
Regards,
Neil. Read more
Before anybody goes ahead with a conversion I suggest they talk to their insurance company first.Here in Germany the insurance companies and the emergancy services are in debate as a crashed Fiat Multipa with a proper gas conversion was shown to have a enough gas on board to demolish halve a city.
Browse
Rally drivers use narrow tyres in snow conditions so it seems that reducing pressures would make the tyre wider and less grippy.