October 2002
Here's one for the UK cellphone nannies. I will try to describe it. SMART Communications Inc is one of our country's four major telephone service providers. Its latest ad depicts Mr Lee, a well-to-do executive, negotiating a complex business deal at the same time as he negotiates a sinuous mountain road in the Southern Philippines.
He steers with his left hand while clamping his CP to his right ear with the other as he pilots his way effortless around high-altitude bends with stunning views over the landscape a long way below. Just as he is closing the deal, he rounds a precipitous bend, and his phone dies - no signal, out of range.
Ad states how in the past poor CP coverage from SMART's competitors could cost you business in areas where they lacked sufficient repeater installations, but how with SMART's new satellite responders you are now in range wherever you go.
Cut back to Mr Lee, still happily twirling his wheel round hairpins while closing his sale inches from the potential disaster the marketeers seem to have overlooked in this wonderful piece of non PC.
Close-out "wherever you are on the road, we stay with you" (that's if you stay on it, presumably...)
Change is inevitable. Progress is optional.
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I've just completed my usual 2 yearly AF change.
The book says the capacity of the system is 4.5l
I have put in a 50% mixture of 2litre and the system is full.
Everything seems fine and there is no overheating.
Any ideas? Read more
The car is a Rover Metro (K-series engine)
The bottom hose was removed. Heater full on.
I don't think there is a separate drain for the block.
Hi folks,
Wonder if you can help me with my newly-acquired 1987 VW Jetta TX. One of the "haggling points" on purchase was the fact that the driver's side rear window was being supported by plastic pegs (!) at the base - the winder doesn't work.
Now, I've got my Haynes manual in the post, so preferring to err on the side of caution all I have done is taken off the winding handle, and established that the splines within are not damaged, so that's one obvious solution out of the way!
Any ideas what else it could be, such as the winding mechanism has become dislodged in some way, or something like that? Is this a common feature of old Jettas/Golfs?
Any help much appreciated! Read more
Thanks Vern,
I'll look into that in due course. I tend to need the window when I transport mates back from the pub who can get a bit "queasy"...
Richard
I was impressed by the recent article in the Telegraph about the 2 million mile Volvo, and while there was lots of advice on how to achieve this mileage, regular oil changes, quality petrol, etc. there was nothing on whether it is was a good idea to keep a car garaged. One would think that leaving a wet car inside is not a good idea, but does any one have the experience to say keeping a car in the open is worse that putting it away. Obviously security, which is why I garage mine is another thing all together and hence I tend to dry with a leather.
Comments appreciated.
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we now keep Dobermanns which induces a degree of reticence
for unwanted visitors.
As well as reducing rats I would imagine.
Can anyone identify how to rectify the following:-
Starts ok from cold but idles roughly for about 30 seconds if cold or 60 seconds if really cold or has not been used for a while. Once vehicle is driven no problem and idles okay.
Also water seems to be comming in to the drivers footwell, about 1/2 inch of standing wayter this morning!, following a downpour. I think it is comming from the outer main seals. The car is 8 years old. How much would a Peugeot dealer charge for renewing both sides and can it be done elsewhere cheaper?
Thanks for any help.
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You can buy sheets of sticky backed foam from your Peugeot dealer for a lot less than that. It is used for all other non-formed membranes.
Here is an extract of the police accident figures for the first 8 months of 2002.
Total collisions - 1540
Of these
1. Caused by misjudged speed or distance 206 events
2, Caused by wrong course or position 191 events
3. Caused by turning right 125 events
4. Caused by going too fast 116 events
5. Caused by dogs on the road 77 events
6. Caused by overtaking on nearside 62 events
Bearing in that 3 people were killed and 7 injured in 30 minutes last night, in seperate accidents, I don't want to come across in any way flippant in this. However, it is interesting that dogs cause 2/3rds (numerically) of the accidents caused by speeding. It might be interesting to see the stats for prosecution of speeding motorists vis a vis the number of dog owners prosecuted for letting their dogs loose on the roads.
Also nearside overtaking caused 1/2 the accidents caused by speeding - how many prosecution there?
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They get so used to the long straights, they forget there's a bend at the end.
This morning I was on a one-way system where traffic often needs to switch lanes, and therefore your natural instinct is to look across at the car next to you to see whether it is indicating.
The car just ahead of me in the offside lane was a new Corsa. The trouble was, I couldn't see where it's rear indicators were. Initially I wasn't sure whether they were hidden by my car's A-pillars or door mirror. After a second or so of looking I realised that they were concealed behind smoked lenses in the black trim each side of the rear window.
Surely this is a bad thing ? There are times when you want to quickly check that a nearby car isn't indicating and for that you need to quickly identify where its indicators are. Even a second is a comparatively long time to have to take your attention away from what's happening in front.
This is a case of form being put before function and style before safety. Indicators ought to be visibly amber even when they aren't lit. Or am I being pedantic ?
I think the idea of having indicators lit at night as running lights as in the 'states is also counter-productive. Surely an indication will stand out far better among white and red lights than it can among red white and amber lights ?
Apologies if this has already been covered, i've been away for a bit. Read more
Ah, it was late at night, Norwich City council had forgotten to grit the roads and the city was one big car park. So by the time I had got home I was too tired to think.
That puts a different 'angle' on things.
I recently purchased an eight year old Pug 306 1.8 SR Sedan for my missus. Genuine 15k miles, and puts a smile on my face every time I borrow it. I can't believe that a relatively budget second car, with such uncomplicated pretentions, can go, handle, ride, and otherwise entertain like it does!
Anyway, to the reason for the post, which follows from an earlier one on the same subject:
The car had covered a genuine 15k miles when we purchased it a few weeks ago, as borne out by knowing it's previous owner (from new), and the FPSH. A quick phone call to the supplying dealer this morning, who also did all the servicing, to request the radio code (previous owner now unfortunately deceased), prompted the service manager to recall the reg no from memory, and also that the car has no 'history'.
It did, however, fail it's emissions test earlier this year, but passed easily when retested the following day. I also know this from the paperwork I have, but the Haynes manual says that the Magneti Marelli ECU fitted to this car is not adjustable, so what was done to make it pass?
Ideas last time I asked centred round high tech (but feasible!) solutions such as giving it a good blast, but today, I came across something interesting:
On removing the ECU from the battery tray holder it lives in, to to replace the clutch cable, I noticed that it has a large, slightly domed rubber circluar insert in one side, akin to what a section of tennis ball would look like if you took the 'fur' off.
It is clear to see that this cover was originally itself covered in a plastic label with the words VOID VOID VOID VOID... written over it, but which has been disturbed.
Is this perchance how the emissions are adjusted, or am I barking up the wrong tree. I don't intend to let curiosity get the better of me, and remove the insert, until I know what is on the other side. ECUs tend to be expensive!
Many thanks,
Steve
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Oops - posted too soon!
A note for HJ: Thanks for the tips in your 306 breakdown info.
Our 306 exhibits exactly the clutch cable symptoms you mention to be wary of (impossible to exert absolute control, with fine movement when trying to creep slowly forward being a series of tiny, but discrete, depressions or releases of the pedal), so today's job for me is a preventative £38 (genuine Peugeot to give others an idea of price) replacement of the clutch cable.
/Steve
Hi all,
One of the instrument illumination bulbs has blown in my Omega. The Haynes manual says to remove the steering wheel to get the panel out.
Does anyone know if this is necessary to do this seemingly simple job.
In anticipation.
Robert Read more
Just been to a local motor factors and bought the right bulb and decided to give it another go, got this to a 'T' now, it only takes about 10 minutes and there was no need to take off the wheel
There is rather a lot of conversational, "funny" stuff creeping in here.
Please cut back on it to avoid me having to delete it. Its beter in discussion if its needed anywhere. Read more
The Chat Room idea would take much more time than I would be willing to give. Even for three ploughmans a year.
And they're prone to disasters.
However, if you are convinced you are very welcome to e-mail Martyn and suggest it. I am not sure he would like the idea any more than me, but you can always try.
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Not forgetting the one handed cocktail shaker signal to anyone who objects to being cut up by him.