August 2002
My wife has been advised by our local garage that all MOTs have to be booked in by appointment. This has come about due to new legislation. Is this true or are they just being awkward?
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I understand the theory of Magnatec oil but do the magnetic qualties mean that the fine metal particles inevitably found in engine oil get carried around the lub system rather than collect in the filter.
I cannot help feeling a thin, high quality oil,is a safer bet.
Does anyone know if my concern has any foundation?
Mutley Read more
Magnatec seems ok to me. My Merc 190 has now done 204,000 miles and has had Magnatec every 6,000 miles from new, with one exception when I used Halfords fully synthetic about 12,000 miles ago. I did notice a slight difference with the Halfords oil, but it may have been my imagination.
This car is on the original engine, gearbox and clutch, and its emissions were almost zero at the last MOT.
I think the main issue is the 6,000 mile oil change no matter which oil you use.
Regards
Pat
Just had a conversation with a friend who tells me that he'd read somewhere that all new cars must come fitted with ABS from next year.
I'd not heard anything about this, does anyone know if it's true?
Lee.
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Really wanting to learn more about this and having followed the thread, yesterday we took both Fords out to a clear stretch of road. Braked as hard as I could on mine from a variety of speeds 100 kph, 80 kph, 50 kph.
Result with mine: no juddering, screech of locked rubber, black marks in straight line on road, no apparent ability to steer while brakes locked, no sense of anything going on and off.
Result with hers: same.
...time to move on before more of life passes me by :-)
Help required!
T reg 1868cc Diesel 57k
All of a sudden huge clouds of pale blue smoke has belched out of the exhaust whilst driving at approx 40-60mph.
Also fast ticking noise from fuel pump and revs increased.
This has happened twice.
Recently bought car 18/5/02.
Returned to garage on 1st time and mechanic stated "could be a piece of dirt in fuel pump"
Feasable, but twice?
Any replies most welcome.
Den.
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Brian W.
Thanks for your thoughts.
Den.
Relative offered a Mazda 323 '94M 1.5GLX 5dr Metallic 51k - dealer wants £3k, I think 2.5k max - realistic? Read more
Thanks David, much appreciated.
Tomorrow I have to replace two large rubber suspension bushes.
The Haynes manual specifies to pack them in rubber grease.
Is this a product obtainable easily from motor accessory shops.
If not would vaseline or similar do the job.
alvin Read more
I thought rubber grease was the red stuff that you pack under the dust seals of wheel cylinders; never mind, guess jobs done now!
Whilst driving yesterday afternoon I spotted in my rear view mirror a motorbike that had a rather fetching fuschia-pink headlight. Is this legal, fashionable or just plain foreign.
Clarification please.
Rita Read more
more to the point, what's the doctor/copper going to say to their next of kin when they come off the bike and the added drag from the decorations breaks there neck in what might otherwise be a survivable accident ?
(just got to get that one off my chest - every morning I see a biker on a hardly-davidson who
(a) if his lane is full , will always use the opposing lane no matter how much traffic is coming toward him.
(b) always when driving on the wrong side of the road towards oncoming traffic has his main beam on and both fog/driving lights which are mounted at car drivers eye level
[i dont know how much protection he thinks they'll give him when he finally hits something going round the bend over the blind bridge by the Queen Alexandra, and as long as it isnt me he hits, i don't care any more]
(c) he has fluffy dalmatian ears dangling off his helmet
it's all right, I feel better now...
Just to start I do know that there people in the forum whose viewpoint is "Stick to the rules and speed limits and don't bleat if you get caught". Nothing wrong with that but the other side of the coin is that those in authority have to obey THEIR side of the rules too! Caution you before interview, correct procedure for breathalyser, send out NIPs within 14 days etc. If they don't they won't secure a conviction and that is the way it should be, IMHO.
Having said that it is reported today that a motorist is disputing a parking ticket, not because he wasn't parked illegally, but because the "Traffic Attendant" serving the ticket was not properly dressed ie not wearing a hat! On the basis that motorists are guilty until proved innocent can we assume that Traffic Attendants will have to prove that they were correctly dressed for each ticket they wrote during a shift? Discuss and write short notes, as they used to say at school! Its only a bit of fun! Read more
Pugugly -
My recollection is that the case was heard in Maidstone although she lived in Ashford. As the possible consequences in this instance were more serious than first anticipated perhaps it was the County Court although I am prepared to admit that my recollection may be faulty in this regard. It wasn't the first time that I was a friend in court with her so may be confused as to venue.
The denouement in the case was that another friend who was in the car at the time of the alleged incident was the one that whacked the Parking Warden which she admitted in court. As she weighed about 7 stone dressed the Court had difficulty believing that she had caused as much physical damage as claimed by the Parking Warden. As he had been adamant that my friend was the one that had hit him his case crumbled.
My friend had admitted during the hearing that there had been a certain amount of verbal exchanges but not the abusive bad language that had been attributed to her. As she told the Court "Loud mouthed I may be, foul mouthed never".
She lied, of course.
Rita
Can anyone give me some advice on buying a VW Vento 1.8 CL AUTOMATIC.
Its a replacement for my nan's 1987 Nissan Sunny Auto that has been so reliable. She has a £1500 limit and Insurance cost is important. The cars that match her size and insurance requirements are Vento, Rover 416 & Astra Saloon, all Autos.
I have seen a nice M-reg Vento, 92k, 2 owners etc etc for £1395, which matches the middle price in Parkers guide.
What should I look for when viewing? are the VW auto boxes reliable, and apart from the lack of interest the Vento gets, what else can go wrong often?
Cheers
Neil T
SEAT Leon TDi 150 Read more
There was a time when "same reliability as a golf" would have meant something! Not now if this forum's glut of golf related aggro is anything to go by!
I've recently bought an electric wallpaper stripper that you can also use as a general-purpose steam cleaner too. I'm thinking of trying to steam clean the engine bays of our cars, especially our Xantia, which seems to be caked in split oil and LHM.
* Anyone used this kind of thing before with decent results?
* Do I have to be particularly careful of any components?
* What is the stuff (detergent?) that the professionals spray beforehand to help dissolve the muck?
Thanks
Chad.R Read more
I left mine alone when selling a Rover 827. It was pretty damn clean inside the engine compartment snyway. One guy said he was surprised I hadn't cleaned it if I was trying to sell. You can't win 'em all.
I'd sooner see an engine "au naturel". I'm suspicious if it's recently been cleaned...
Browse
I always book, and wait while MOT being done. Seems to increase pass rate and also prevents phone calls for some minor work they dream up. Since the garage realised I get all repair work done elsewhere there is little incentive for them to invent work. No failures this year so my DIY efforts must be getting better!