March 2002
Coming off the North Circular Road (London) onto the M11 tonight the signs on the gantry at the start were lit to show a 50 mph limit.
No sign of any obstruction but the next one (on the central reservation) showed 40 mph.
No sign of any obstruction but the next one showed 30 mph.
No sign of any obstruction but the next one showed 50 mph.
The traffic started to speed up.
And then we came to stationary traffic in all 3 lanes.
The next sign showed the nearside carriageway closed.
I then turned off but could see blue lights and what was obviously a major accident about half a mile ahead.
Now this bit of the M11 is well covered by cameras and is right next to the control centre.
The dimwit who set the fourth sign to 50 mph ought to be taken out and shot. It was misleading and could easily have led to traffic approaching the stationary blockage at too high a speed.
Bad control is worse than no control at all. Read more
Bought an excellent second hand book - Cape Cold to Cape Hot by Richard Pape. Its 1956 and Pape recounts a drive from Norway to South Africa in an
Austin A90; great reading worth a fiver of anyone's money.
In the pub tonight thoughts turned to replicating the journey under C21 conditions in a Rover 45 perhaps...?!....wonder if the journey is still possible given the current state of politics in certain countries.
Anybody interested in giving it a spin ? Read more
any ideas?
have run the above for 6years and 100 000k (add 97 000k when bought) no major problems (capably of own maint which keeps cost down) until recently.
car now struggles to start. every 3 weeks i clean: 1) the crankshaft sensor 2) the inside of the distributor cap (ingress of oil form camshaft) 3) the rotar arm. all ok for a bit then back to 1,2,3. immediatly after 1,2,3 engine starting and choke impeccable. made the classic mistake of off loading to a work mate (bought a nice nissan primera from motorpoint) who has inherited the problems (though fully aware of!) and i would like to help (could have sold to over a dozen anonymous punters but w/mate had first call) any thoughts out there would be appreciated.
ta
chris Read more
Good advice from David. This oil mist in the dist cap is well known and can lead to excessive contact burning so I would renew them too. Ideally do the oil seal but consider first if this is a problemm with excess cranckcase pressure due to blocked breathers.
The other possible problem is with the "ECU", particularly if you have that weird one that looks like part of a 1960s radio.
Good luck.
David
Hey y'al, remember that fabulous Skoda Octavia of mine that I was telling you about earlier in the week ? three and a half years of trouble-free motoring apart from a rear-stop light bulb replacement ? well, blow me down with a wotsit! One of the rear electric windows has only gone and given up the ghost ? it doesn't respond from either the drivers door control or it's own indivdual switch. Gives off a clicking(?) noise when I try to tempt it to open!
Easy DIY solution to hand or will it take me 'til Easter Monday to even prise the interior trim away? Any advice obviously appreciated.
Have a good break now...
Ricky Boy Read more
What about PTFE spray?
(polytetrofluoroethelene - yes I am good at trivial pursuit)
As in coating on non-stick frypans.
Coefficient of friction similar to dry ice.
I use it on sunroof, windows and garage door runners.
A bit of amusement from the other night's London Evening Standard for Alwyn and the rest of us who are, er, more than a little unconvinced about the global warming theory:
Crocodiles in the Thames
Let it not be said that the proponents of global warming are resorting to increasingly desperate scaremongering and headline-grabbing tactics in order to deflect attention from the dodgy 'evidence' behind it. Anyway, the odd marauding croc would certainly liven the Boat Race up a bit! Read more
The mans a nutter. Wonder why he did not leap on the report last year of a penguin being found in the the Med?
Cool enough for penguins or a faulty penguin? :-)
Cheers
I was sitting in my brummer last night (motoring link) and I thought, "I wonder where that comet will appear in the sky . Then I was sent this by a friendly relative.
encke.jpl.nasa.gov/images/02C1/c2002c1chart.jpg
Anyone seen it yet? It may still be below the horizon here at 53 degrees North.
I also saw the Earth move! Looking at Venus, low in the West, I noticed some power lines in my line of vision. Venus was just above the upper cable. As I watched, it moved behind the cable then re-appeared below. Here we are, spinning at over 1000 mph.
BTW is it true that Mondeos are known for scrubbbing front tyres. I recall seeing it written somewhere. Looks like we are about to lose some very good Michelins on my wifes car. Outer edges are going, yet the tracking is said to be OK. Read more
Did you ever get a good answer to the tyre question? I never noted one and, as a Mondeo driver of over 100,000 miles (what WAS I thinking...?) haven't really noticed bad wear. Suppose you could discount the front near side inner edge worn to sticking out cords and having Kw** **t track me (it WAS Sunday) the front offside wore the same....(left side for toe-in, right for toe-out). Recently had a 4 wheel track done...time will tell.
Haven't noticed the comet yet. Thought they were actually turned into the Nimrod, mainly used in search and rescue......OK...OK....I will look in my garden tonight and check for the damned thing. Will I stand a chance, being right on the East coast...?
A303 5:30 tonight near Whitchurch.
Lilac / Blue VW Golf TDi (red D and i). Lights on, front and rear fogs on despite bright sunlight. Loads of smoke from exhaust.
Hope you damaged yourself and the car when you cut across a line of traffic to get to the exit from the outside lane and hit the kerbs. Read more
Richard's sister in drag?
The govt. is trying to make driving in London more difficult and it is a conspiracy so there!
At Vauxhall Bridge in London they are carrying out traffic calming measures including restricting the width of the junction by removing slip roads. This is one of the busiest bits of road in London. All of the bridges on the Thames are congested. The current roadworks are making the Embankment more congested causing longer traffic jams.
It makes me mad. I will not vote for Ken and his bearded cycling wierdo cronies next time!
Angry of Tooting Read more
Piet Cass
If Ken ever got out onto the streets, he would know that the major congestion in London is NOT in the central area where the charges will apply, but in the five mile ring surrounding it.
The charges will actually force drivers to stay in that ring to avoid the central area and will therefore make the situation worse, especially with the proliferation of bus lanes which are bringing the major routes into and out of London down to one lane in each direction. As soon as you get a vehicle waiting to turn right (as happened tonight) the whole thing grinds to a halt.
The clock symbol/warning has appeared on my beemer.
I have been told that this is an annual thing - warning me that the car should be taken in to the garage to check the fluid levels for brake fluid etc.
Don't they check these as part of the service? Surely I can check these things myself and top up as necessary.
Sounds like a con to me. Read more
Yep :-) Best to pay a little and get it done properly.....I could think of better things to do on a Bank Holiday Friday
In October, some of you may recall I raised the question concerning repairs/replacement of V6 (1997) engine which had got corrosion on the block between the head gasket and the block. After alot of anguish I decided to have a Rover replacement (with some allowance from Rover), reassured by the main Rover distributor that any earlier problems with the V6 were now resolved. This was at 59K miles. After (perhaps unnecessary) running in over 5K miles) it has now developed a clatter/rattle coming from the upper engine/cylinder heard area. It's not obvious when starting cold, first thing in the morning but gradually gets noiser. It is less evident when pulling away. It is horribly out of tune and has lost its power.
The distributor tells me that it sounds as if there is a 'screw' rattling, and he has recommended that I take it in as soon as possible.
Obviously, I am not driving it but in the meantime (since the earliest they can look at it is well after Easter), I thought I would check if any of you have had similar experience with the V6.
My concern is that I had done about 1000 miles whilst the noise was not obvious, and it might have developed into a more serious problem. (Originally, I thought it might have just been some vibration rattle).
I expect the work to be done under warranty of the new engine (it was also serviced during the intervening period), but, I would like to pre-armed with as much information as there is available before I have to start the inevitable round of negotiations.
Thanks in antiucipation,
Keith Read more
So, you guys rate these steaming piles of dung do you?
Fair enough. each to their own.
Having been let down big time by three rovers now (800,new shape 216iS and 25) Im never going there again!
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Sorry, Kanji script, before someone picks me up on it. Kansai is of course Osaka's airport in the middle of the ocean, which actually floats -- this is so big it can be seen from outer space. Not many people know that.
Motoring motoring. Yes: I shall indeed be in UK for a mix of social and business and I hope to be able to tell you all how lucky you are to have the motoring conditions you do, with some examples. (It is of course SOP for all expats to rant on about It's Tough In The Tropics etc. Now where the hell's that housemaid? It's 7 p.m. already and she hasn't washed my truck or the other two cars yet, and I need some more ice for my drink....)