January 2003
I am looking at a number of new vehicles for my wife, and due to her ability to get lost on a regular basis I am looking seriously at SatNav systems.
It is extremely difficult to find comparisons of different models and even more difficult to find out who supplies the mapping information to the manufacturers.
I am therefore thinking of setting up a web-site aimed at providing a forum for existing users and advice to would be purchasers. What little information I have got from the Net suggests that mapping accuracy is the Achilles heel.
If anyone has information on the mapping software or is willing to provide me with their experiences, I would be very grateful.
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Following advice from HJ and others I am now the proud owner of a BMW 320 diesel. I am pleased with the car except for the engine niose which is much greater than the demonstrater that I tried. The dealer has had three attemts to quieten it by loading the latest software etc. but still no difference. Anyone any ideas how to proceed?
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For a car that really rattles listen to a Talbot Alpine, if you can find one! I'm sure rule of thumb was if it doesn't rattle don't buy it, it probably had it's valve clearences clamped down with the obvious long term effect this would have on the valves and seats.
Let us know how you get on after the flushing and new oil.
Steve.
Hi All,
Hoping some of you techies can throw light on this prob. The Head gasket went on my 1994 Ford Granada (2 Litre DOHC) last week. One of the things I nothiced was the coolant system was pressurising. I just finished replacing the head gasket (after many hours of swearing at the thing) and the coolant system is still pressurising, (even when cold). The head gasket had gone between the water jacket, a piston and the outside of the block. I've had the head pressure tested and skimmed, and the block was OK. Any ideas???? My own thoughts are a possible blockage in the radiator, but I'm not too familiar with the cooling system.
Many thanks for any help given...
Nick
PS No water in oil, no oil in water, runs sweet and doesn't misfire at all. Read more
Yoy often have to run engines over 4000rpm.to get trapped air out of the system.
can any one help me the engine managment light on a k plate corsa
occasionally comes on and then the engine cuts out, i've taken the car in for a test on the engine managment system but the results show no problems,any ideas, could it be connected to a faulty sensor on the engine and if so any clue as to where it is Read more
CliveT
When you say it cuts out, does the car completely stop, and require a restart, or can yo keep it running? I assume too that if you stop, turn off the ignition and restart, the engine management light goes out and the car runs OK, until the next time.
I ask because the problem Vx engine management systems is that they don't record faults which are transient. So, I'm not surprised your test showed no problem. Having had problems with a Vectra I was told by the dealer that it needed the car run for at least 20 minutes with the light on to make the fault code lock in the memory. That worked. So, try that if you can keep it running.
That said, I found the dealer was able to give a 99% diagnosis of the fault on my car (camshaft sensor) from a description of the symptoms. The 1.2 Corsa has a simpler system than the Vectra, and if I wonder if a Vx dealer (or, if you can give a better description here, someone on this site) could consider which potential faults may cause the problem. I'd try, but my Corsa manual went with the car and I don't have the system description to hand.
Regards
John S
Oh well, if it's in The Mirror then it MUST be right ! Read more
I know this is late, but. A qick search on the internet reveals this at "http://www.sfb.co.uk" SFB is "Speakers For Business and this publicises one of their clients. Perry McCarthy. Of course he is an Essex Man, although nobody seems to mention that
Perry McCarthy
The Stig (from BBC2's Top Gear) and Former Formula 1 Driver
Short Profile
At the age of 42, Perry McCarthy is one of Britain's top racing drivers and is already part of motor racing folklore. He is known to millions of motoring enthusisasts as 'The Stig', the mysterious racing driver who races some of the world's most powerful cars for the BBC's flagship motoring show, Top Gear.
McCarthy's rise through the ranks along with close friends Damon Hill, Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell, has been against all odds and in a sport dominated by finance he recalls how he 'started with nothing and then lost it all!'
Perry's 10-year fight to reach the sport's elite paid off in 1992 when he was chosen to drive for the fledgling Andrea Moda Formula One organisation. The dream however turned into a nightmare as the team stumbled from one disaster to the next and in recent years he has turned his attention away from Grand Prix to Le Mans and the demands of Sports Prototype racing.
Driving down the M5 last night had the chance to observe a number of tactics when a gritter occupied lane 2 at around 45mph. (*)
Following strategies were observed:
1) On the basis the gritter is probably only going a couple of junctions at most, hang well back and wait till it turns off.
2) As for 1) but with the addition of waiting until a suitable junction allows use of off and on slip roads to slide past. (No pun intended).
3) Blast past in lane 3 keeping speed differential to gritter as high as possible. Most popular.
4) Creep past in lane 3 making sure in firing zone as long as possible. Surprisingly quite a few. Errrm??
5) to lane 1 then on to hard shoulder and undertake as fast as possible. Almost as many as 3), definite favourite of the few trucks out and about. (What would have happened if they'd done it where that Merc Sprinter was broken down??)
Any other strategies? Any comments?
In case you wondered, my tactic was no 2.
(*) Ideal job for members of middle lane owners club. Read more
Jon - I think you must mean Urea Hydrate - can't imagine what U Hydride might be? - explosive perhaps.
The following appeared in the local paper this week:
'£3,500 Sand Damage.
Sand was thrown at the side of a car parked outside the Red Lion pub in Petersfield, causing £3,500 of damage.
The Vauxhall Vectra was left outside the pub in College Street between 1.30am and 8.30 am on Dec.22nd.
The paintwork was so badly damaged that the car needed a total respray'
Now, I'm 'out of the loop' on the cost of a repray, (I last had a car-Minivan-resprayed in the 60's at a cost of £70.00,) but £3,500 seems a bit steep! Assuming that it isn't a misprint, can any backroomer suggest how you might sandblast a car by throwing sand at it.
P. Read more
Perhaps some snowballs were thrown, with grit in them?
No Dosh - but then who has?
Folks, I am looking for a Rover 75 CDT 2.0. In particular a LHD, as I intend to move to Spain soon. Now, I have been told that Rover recently returned a number of these cars from the continent and they are currently selling them through dealers. Is there any way I can get hold of some dealers who might help? Read more
Is that really how Rover 75 drivers speak these days??
A friend of mine has a 1994M Mini Cooper that is currently SORNed, but in show condition as it has just been restored.
He now wishes to sell it as the opportunity to buy an historically significant car has come up.
However, the car's registration plate and history (he is the third owner, after the car was bought at 6 months old from a local dealer) leads us to believe that the car was originally a press or brochure car.
Does anyone know how to find out the history of his current car, i.e., whether it was used in any road tests or brochures, or what the car spent the first six months of its life doing while it was presumably registered to Rover? The BMIHT certificate scheme doesn't appear to apply to Minis after 1969. Read more
It varies from model to model. The BMIHT says that it only issues certificates for Minis up to 1969, but for Range Rovers all the way to 89 for instance.
As the car is only a three owner car, the previous V5 should still show who the original owner was. It's not my car so I can't check without asking my mate, which I will do next time I speak to him.
I have just come out of a 4 month work'a'thon on a triumph 2000 mk2 auto and on its maiden voyage it decided to stop after about 10 miles..The symptoms; stopped when i came to a slow turn then wouldn't start unless i choked right up but then it wouldn't rev as such. As I have only really used it locally for short jorneys and in a workshop enviroment I am thinking the cold weather is a factor...Were the carb's prone to freezing or where air locks a problem.HELP Read more
Sploy,
Thanks for the feedback!
Enjoy!
Steve.
Browse
PST what product do you have? I'd heard that some were not too strong on re-routing.