November 2001
Some weeks ago HJ commented in a thread about the difficulty in seeing past vans when you are stuck behind them. I can't find it in search but I seem to remember he got flak about his comment.
I find that in a normal driving conditions you can see the brake lights coming on way ahead and you have prior warning of traffic slowing. When stuck behind a van you react only to his slowing down.
Given that one of the best pieces of legislation in recent years was to ban HGVs from the outside lane, shouldn't the Government consider extending this to Vans, People Carriers and Range Rover type vehicles?
With tongue firmly in cheek
Timmy Read more
We have now replaced the headlamp switch on our Mark III Golf for the fourth time - they keep buring out. VW do not accept any responsibility despite a recall in Sept 97 for the wiring loom (which was done prior to us buying the car). The most recent switch to burn out did so within 12 months of the previous one which had been replaced under warranty so VW say the replacement is not covered by the warranty and we must pay for it. Do other Golf owners have similar problems? Should VW be liable for this problem and do something about it? Read more
I expect that if you buy a new switch every time from VW, and particularly if you get a VW garage to fit it, you are paying out a load of money. My suggestion is that you buy replacement switches from a pattern parts supplier like German and Swedish, or Euro Car Parts ... it will be a third of the price of a VW one, and they will be quite easy to change. And they might even be made by a diffrent manufacturer and last longer.
I wanted to buy a load-restraining net for my Vauxhall Zafira. £87 for a bit of cotton covered elastic! How do they have the nerve?
Needless to say, I did not buy one. I'll find a cheaper non-branded alternative (how do you brand elastic?) Read more
Sort of thing youd expect to pay fifteen quid for in an accessory shop,innit!
Our Corsa 1.7 Diesel has just had the heater matrix replaced for the second time. The car was new in 1996, the heater matrix failed in 1998 at 23000 miles, also ruining the carpet that had to be replaced. Vauxhall paid 70% of the cost. The matrix has just failed again at 64000 miles, cost £173 to replace. We are waiting to see whether the carpets need replacing again when/if they dry out; replacing them will be about £200.
Vauxhall say this failure history is fair wear and tear, and that there is no evidence of it being a common fault.
HJ says that heater matrix leaks might well be linked to the (highish) incidence of the water pump failing due to lack of water.
Has anybody else experienced heater matrix failures? Read more
VW Golf MkII's had a fault with serial failure of the heater matrix. A recall to VAG dealerships of all MkII Golfs to fit a pressure relief valve sorted the problem. Methinks replacing the matrix each time is not solving the root cause.
In the St Georges Hill/Ashley Park/Burwood Park areas of Walton/Weybridge, you can see a BMW X5 driven proudly with the number plate X55 NOB with the lettering arranged to read X5 SNOB !
There is also a Merc with the plate D1 SCO, another car (I forget the make) driven by a dishy blonde girl with the plate 50 FAT. I wonder if Disco belongs to Steve Penk the Capital radio DJ who lives locally?
Other "stars" who live in the area include:
Mike Yarwood also was seen regularly in a Rolls.
Michael Aspel drives a Merc and has lunch at the Swan on Manor Road almost daily. Cliff Richard can be spotted regularly driving thru town. Simply Red's Mick Hucknall has yet to be spotted in his car.
Sir Geoff Hurst, and PR guru Max Clifford also live here.
Fiona Fullerton, who has now moved away used to have plate FF + no. on her Jag. Read more
Some number plates must get through the D.V.L.A net, I bought H11CKA recently.
This post is apropos of nothing in particular except to say if you're like me a terminal rock 'n roller and love the cars of the era like I do, take a look at www.57heaven.com. I just couldn't resist nicking the '57 Plymouth Belvedere convertible for my PC wallpaper. Read more
Maybe. but at least David Beckham will have a job once his playing days are over!
FfwlCymraeg
supporting Manchester United for over a quarter of a century
What a marvellous story! From today's Telegraph ...
"THE Lotus Elise is one of the world's most desirable sports cars with a top speed of 150mph and staggering acceleration.
But Margaret Molloy, an octogenarian from Southampton who won the £27,000 car in a raffle, found the boot too small for her weekly shopping.
Despite protests from her husband, 87, she has decided the car must go. Mrs Molloy has asked the raffle's organisers to sell it for her and the couple will keep their reliable 15-year-old Volvo." Read more
Sorry!
I've just logged on for the day.
Brill and Stuart, you are both right, in a way.
Voetsek isn't really that nasty.
Glad to do my bit for language skills!
In traffic etc... you should be able to drive without using the brakes if you plan ahead adequately. This is the advocated approach from all advanced driving schools of thought. Rather this than the stop-start-stop-start that plagues most traffic situations. yes/no?
I was stuck on the A12 as usual for quite a bit and l'd thought l would try to put this into practice. (my left leg was beginning to ache in anycase) So instead of racing up the rear of the car in front everytime the queue advanced for a gain of 10 whole feet, l paced my own advance so l didn't have to brake at all, staying within a couple of car lengths of the stop/start disciple in front.
My heart was filled with joy when l looked in my mirrors to see that the traffic behind was moving in a similar fashion. I felt like l was doing a service to 100's of clutches and left legs everywhere.
And then what happened...? The truck behind me indicated and pulled out into a brief gap in the middle lane (Created where one driver had momentarily lost the will to live perhaps?) "Where's he going?", thought l.
Ans: Immediately in front of me l found out as the HGV pulled in, his 2.3 mph overtaking maneouvre a total success.
Queue grinds to halt and l momentarily do a thorough demonstration of how to polish those chrome exhaust tips up a real treat. (Before the coward part of me coyly suggests that he's almost certainly bigger and l should put my hand back where it belongs.)
In short: The truck drivers action seemed completely unwarranted, he gains a car length in a near standstill jam. I have to assume that he was making some point regarding those two car lengths l repeatedly kept leaving in front of myself. Anyone? Read more
Have a look at: www.amasci.com/amateur/traffic/traffic1.html
There's been a few threads regarding new brighter headlights etc, but l haven't seen any mention of the perculiar colours new car headlamps seem to be chucking out.
I was under the impression that lamps had to be white to yellow. Now many new cars (and those owned by grill fiddling boy racers) appear to have some tasteful hue added in for good measure.
Green is the most interesting to catch out of the corner of the eye, but blue is still the favourite and the one most likely to distract you. Police? Ambulance? Oh no, just a white transit van with blue light refracting out of its clunky light clusters.
How long will these new light/old cover combinations last before they get banned?
Or is it just me? Read more
Pity.
Hi,
Has anybody heard of such a thing as a Crankcase Ventilation Filter? Someone told me that Vauxhall have one on the V6 (Omega) Engine in the form of a wire mesh filter.
What function does it perform and does it ever need to be changed - as filters do, it isn't mentioned in the service schedule anywhere.
Can anyone shed any light on this?
Many thanks .....
Robert Read more
Excellent- think I'll give that a clean in the oil paraffin on my Cavalier as well. Hadn't worked out where it was...
On my old Maestro (A series 1.3 descended from the dark ages) the car had two massive great wire mesh filters (looked like paint tins!) either side of the engine. Much more efficient than all these daft little modern filters...
Browse
Why dont we tax cars on their weight rather than emmisions. As a heavy car is always going to be less efficiant. This will also promote smaller and lighter cars, and take away this hideous craze for 4x4s, which have very little use in todays society. Also, it will stop dealers loading up cars with silly expensive heavy gadgets, and use lighter materials, step forward and bow Audi A2.
I think that if people want bull bars on their cars they should pay a stupendous ammount of money into an account, so if they ever kill/seriously injure someone due to having bull bars, they would be able to compensate them/their family.
Sorry I cant help about original point Timmy
Kev