January 2003
Specsavers Opticians, one of the biggest optical retailers in the UK, conducted 3,000 eye tests at the International Motor Show at the NEC in Birmingham. A staggering 700 of the drivers [23%] failed a basic vision test which was offered free of charge as part of the opticians campaign to educate motorists regarding the dangers of driving with poor eyesight.
Full article: www.racfoundation.org/releases/191102rac.htm
Just how frightening is this - I think it explains a great deal of the driving I see around the country. Surely this is an area where we can all agree that new legislation would make sense.
V Read more
About 16 months ago I had a chip in the windscreen repaired. This morning on the way to work there was a loud cracking noise and a, er, crack spread from the repair both ways across the screen. As this happened just as some warmth was getting through from the heater I suspect the contrast between the cold outside and the warm inside was too much for it. Anyone else had this?
Anyway, thank goodness for windscreen insurance - they've got to order the screen but they're coming to my house on Sunday to fix it - weather permitting :o(
Terry Read more
Actually I wasn't on holiday, I'm not sure how I missed this one, I only spotted it whilst looking back a few pages for a different thread.
Right then.
Chips.
If repaired correctly they are as stong as the surrounding glass, but the best way to get a good repair is to get the work done as soon as poss, this stops the chance of dirt and road grime getting into the chip and susiquently hinder the flow of chemical down into the break.
Windscreens
You are correct spy over the fitters shoulder ( they will all hate me for saying that ) and check before he fits the new screen that there are no visible scratches to the paint that are not treated, if they are treated correctly then there is nothing to worry about. And the fitter will wonder who you are to want to know about things like that.
Glasweld
They are franchises that only carry out stone chip repairs.
Dealers
If you take your car into a dealer to have a screen replaced it will inevitably be carried out by the local 'one man band' who will be significantly cheaper than the major companies.
Any more questions ?
It's been snowing fairy heavily here in Orpington for some time now and there's 3-4 inches on the ground at this point but I'm beginning to think it should snow more often.
Just come back from walking one of my boys to school and was very pleasantly surprised at the behaviour on the roads.
Courtesy, consideration and common sense seemed to be the order of the day and how much more relaxed and pleasant it all was.
The common sense and good behaviour even extended to outside the school with none of the stupid, inconsiderate and dangerous antics HF and I witness daily. I guess there may be some reversion to the norm as the novelty wears off and the snow clears but for now it's really quite nice. Read more
Oh, for the good old days, eh?
HF
I've just enquired at my local Ford dealer about renewing the cambelt on my 2 litre ("black top" petrol engine) Focus which has done 63k miles. I was told by their Service Advisor that the recommended interval is 100k miles or 10 years. I don't know whether I have the nerve to let it go that long. Has anyone had any experience of a cambelt failure on this engine at less than the above recommended interval ?
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How accurate are these places that offer free cambelt inspections? Is it something easy to inspect, or do they go on the principle that if someone is worried enough to have it inspected then they will be connable in to getting it changed?
I had the belt on my Tipo changed at about 65k - the recommendation is 63k (100k km) - and the dealer reckoned it still had plenty of life left in it. Not sure if it had been changed earlier in the cars life though - I bought it at 59k and 7 years old.
I have a Saab 2.2TiD(115 BHP) with 45K on the clock. The car runs well and returns 45 - 50 MPG. However at tickover there is significant vibration which is felt through the drivers seat. When I am stuck in traffic the vibration makes me feel sick. This car was purchased at 39K from a SAAB dealer and the vibration was not really evident for my first 3K. I have been back to the SAAB dealer who is very helpful and has reset the engine on its mounts as recommended by SAAB UK, the tickover was also increased to 1,000 rpm. This helped slighty but there is still in my opinion excess vibration inside the car.The SAAB dealer said all the 9-3 diesel are like this !!!. Any idea's what the problem could be as if all SAABs 9-3 Diesels were like this they would never sell any. I would be happy to pay for any modification that would eliminate this vibration. Other than the vibration this is an excellent car to drive. I also drive a pool car at work that is a Passat 130 Diesel and there is no vibration felt inside this car. Read more
I had the same car, 1999 model, for about two and a half years as a company car. Like you, I was quite happy with the car (not quite sure it was an "excellent car to drive", but it did have its good points). But I don't remember having any real vibration problems, particularly of the sort you mention, and am sure I would have remembered it if I had since I drove the car every day. Immediate thoughts are that there is something wrong with the fueld supply at idling, possible a faulty injector causing poor running on one cylinder? There is a little known problem (even by the dealers) whereby the injector seals fail allowing engine oil into the engine. This normally manifests itself as difficult starting when cold. Aprt from that though, can't help, but perhaps one of the diesel experts out there can help.
HTH.
Does anybody know if its a common problem in alfa 146s for the handbrake to freeze on? Car wouldn't move this morning and the handbrake lever was felt very loose, found 1 thread in google mentioning this and was wondering if anybody else had this problem or would it be more likely just to be a broken handbrake cable as i first suspected.
tony Read more
Not sure if relevant to the more recent Alfas, but an old friend had a Silver Cloverleaf Sprint (stretched Alfasud?) which I think used inboard dics for the handbrake....these were particularly susceptable to getting wet then freezing and locking the handbrake solid.
Had to jolt them free more than once in a cold NE Durham winter
Ian L.
Did anybody see this programme tonight. (Motoring Link in a minute)
Left telly on BBC 2 after Right Car Wrong Car thingy and was saw
what was a brilliant documentary on the Southall Train Crash. Makes a change from the never ending fodder of makeover gardening bilge on telly. Next week's programme is on RTA or RTC as we are meant to call them. Book some couch time for this next week. Read more
Interesting, but not really Motoring.
I´ll leave the thread here as being of some value, but I´m locking it to stop it going further.
Or whatever it's called. What did everyone think of it tonight? It thought it was quite good, but then it did have a MINI on it.
Tragically, I noticed that the car shown had the £270 SALT pack and £250 alloys on it, taking the price to £10,820 and then maybe and extra £250 if it was metallic black paint...Perhaps I should get out more.
Anyhow.
She seemed to love the MINI but went for the Peugeot - I'd have loved to see them try and haggle with a MINI dealer, I'd be interested just how cheap you can get one with a bit of haggling. Wonder if they told her not to go for the MINI as there was no chance of discounting. (And the SALT pack already includes "flaps"!)
Am I alone in thinking she was nuts to go for the Insight? Very clever, but I it must wind up with eye watering servicing bills and the batteries will fail, bringing a whole new set of headaches into long term car ownership.
I'm beginning to warm to the little fellow who threw up on the Motorshow programme, he's quite a cheeky chappie...
Lee.
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Thanks T Lucas. Enough said on the pink furry dicing with death, I think.
Just had a Glance at the Gloria on Google. I've never seen one before. Very Japanese looking. Reminded me of an older skyline, which probably shows my ignorance.
As to whether it'll turn a profit - who can say? There are a fair few people about who will buy something because it's unusual.
Do you know anyone who's got a more interesting job than yours?
I thought I'd share my recent experience to see if other drivers have suffered similar incidents.
I was driving a Vauxhall Omega saloon, 3.0L automatic, rear wheel drive. The road was wet but thankfully empty.
I was accelerating up to speed on the motorway with only a slight left hand curve to the road. The rear of the car started to slide at 50 mph'ish and then the car started weaving violently from side to side. I presume it was my reaction to the initial skid that set it off but once started I had no idea what to do but hang on, brake and hope.
Was there anything I could have done once the slide had started? What caused the snaking?
I'm now scared stiff of driving anything with more than 95 bhp!!! Read more
I put an auto Carlton into some railings once: coming out of a roundabout, dark, wet, maybe even a little icy, floored it, got kick down, which pushed the back out and spun all over the place. I think I froze, and was actually accelerating as I hit the railings.
Just as well I was 18 and illicitly in my dad's car while he was on a trip to the USA then....
That, at least, taught me the value of skid control- though best learned at slow speed in the snow in a carpark. Not sure whether you need the few beers, Toad!
Personally I'm tiring of reading posts about tyres.So please excuse this one! My aging Honda Prelude was fitted with Centaur Supreme by Kwik Fit which turned out to be a mistake. They came out very badly in the giant test.They do last mind you - 25K miles. I am fitting 2 new Vredestein tyres at the front.(Theyre a good price and perform well). The rear Centaur Supreme have 5 mm tread left. Wouldn't it be better to fit new ones at the back as well? I am concerned that having much better tyres at the front will unbalance the vehicle. Incidentally,the only advantage of fitting the not so supreme tyres is that their rolling resistance is low, they're reliable and you can get free wheel balancing- otherwise in other respects they are pretty dreadful! Ok for shopping trips. Their ability to disperse water at motorway speeds is poor, and steering, handling, traction,also poor. Ok in the dry. The fronts have worn more on the insides.I don't think this is a tracking problem is it? Any suggestions. Cheers,Mike Read more
Hi Mikey, I suggest you read my thread called "New tyres - front or rear?" which I started on 26 or 27 December. It was a bit of an eye-opener for me, and will probably be for you too. It may even save your life!
Browse
"annual police terror" - I hope this was ironic, if not I suggest you check on the statistics for the nunber of people killed, maimed, bereaved every day - not just year - through drunk drivers. The sooner we have random breath tests the better.