April 2003
I am finding it difficult keeping calm on the road these day.
What with idiots pulling out of junctions in front of me, making me brake sharply, then pootling along at well under the speed limit. Grrrrrr. I overtake as soon as I can and regretably take risks to do so. i know I shouldn't but I just lose my rag more and more on the roads these days.
And what with right lane hoggers on dual carriageways doing the same speed as those in the right lans, and refusing to speed up so you can overtake.
These people really are driving without due consideration to other road users.
Or maybe I am just becoming more impatient and meldrew-esque with the years!
Anyone else feeling like this? Road rage on my part I guess, I don't know. God driving is so stressful nowadays. What can I do to calm down. I fear the risks I take to pass some of these escargots will go wrong at some point.
Perhaps motoring is too cheap?
Sorry for rambling. Didn't start off that way. Read more
The presenter makes a big deal about the new VW having twin sun visors and lots of cupholders.
Lets not forget that the Citroen C5 did it before, and I doubt it was the first.
Just looked at the options list, height adjustable suspension, rain sensor, keyless entry, power closing of boot lid, nothing revolutionary.
Oh, the V10 engine, that won't sell well, so it doesn't count.
p.s. just seen a W8 Passat, whats the point in that then?
Ben Read more
I always thought the point of 4x4s was to be ostentatious,bigger and flashier=better!
hi all
a quick one which i am sure has been asked before. My M reg CLTDI Passat just failed its MOT due to badly aligned and heavily worn back brakes. What would it be resonable to pay for this job in 1) VW main dealer 2) local trusted garage? Could i chance it and go to some quick fit place, or would this be very foolish?
thanks Read more
So Dizzy, are you trying to tell me to give Martin a Break with the spelling lesson? ;o)
Hi,
My father's Rover 97(R)620 SLi keyfobs seem to have stopped working. One key has also now stopped working.
My local Rover specialist couldn't help. He told me that I need to go to the main dealer.
So off I went to the main dealer. The dealer told me that I should have some bar codes for my key fobs otherwise they cannot program them! However they would gladly sell a key fob to me for £60 each and they would charge £60 to reprogram my keys and fobs. £180 seems like a lot of money as they couldn't guarantee that this would work, as they told me that I may also need a new ECU!
The car was supplied from a main dealer which has now closed down. And the car was supplied directly by Rover.
Does anyone know how I can get my key fobs and keys to be reprogrammed cheaply? Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks Read more
Unfortunately the Rover 600 uses a dreaded "RED" key and requires a Rover dealer computer for reprogramming. The Rover 214 doesn't use a "RED" key system. So is a lot easier to sort out.
I've managed to find a few cheap remotes on Ebay but they don't seem to come with bar code :(
I have a 306 with which the key fob does not remote lock the car. I have replaced the battery and it still does not. After a trip to a peugeot garage today i was told it was not the key but another reason. he could not tell me what reason but suggested they would have to take out and change the control, sensor box. I have no idea what he is talking about or how much it could cost. Any ideas Read more
You can test the keyfob to see if working or not by placing near a radio turned to an empty mw/am station. The keyfob transmits an infra-red signal when pressed and if it is working you should hear either blips or bleeps coming out of the loud speaker. You have to position the keyfob in the right place for the radio to pick up the signal. To find out where this is, use a working tv remote control unit first.
Fuel
Budget 2003 raises the duty rate for biodiesel by 1.28 pence per litre from 1 October 2003.
Budget 2003 defers the annual revalorisation of the main road fuel duties until 1 October 2003, at which time the duty on ultra-low sulphur petrol and diesel will rise by 1.28 pence per litre.
The Government also intends to exempt hydrogen from fuel duty for a limited period in the future to encourage further development and early take-up.
Budget 2003 freezes the duty on road fuel gases
7.31 Budget 2003 increases the duty on rebated gas oil - red diesel - and fuel oil by one penny per litre above revalorisation from Budget day.
the Government will introduce a duty differential for sulphur-free fuels of half a penny per litre relative to the rates for ultra-low sulphur fuels from 1 September 2004, to bring forward the availability of this fuel. Further details will be announced in due course.
VED
Budget 2003 introduces a new low carbon VED band for cars with carbon dioxide emissions of 100 grammes/kilometre (g/km) or less. Car and van VED rates are revalorised and rounded up to the nearest £5, in line with established practice. These changes will take effect on licences that start on or after 1 May.
Budget 2003 freezes VED rates for motorcycles and lorries.
Company car tax
The Government has decided that the level of emissions qualifying for the minimum charge in 2005-06 will be 5 g/km lower, at 140g/km. Read more
About 6 weeks ago I bought a private reg from DVLA. Very quick and miles cheeper than anywhere else.
Today, just for a laugh, I had a look on a web site to see if I could buy it, and lo and behold they were offering it for sale.
I then checked a further four sites and three of them were also offering it!
I've made a few phone calls to ask them to remove it, but surely it should be taken off a lot sooner than this.
I can understand that the wheels of motion in the DVLA could be a little bit slow, but it took less than a week to get the plate, and I got a V5 with the correct reg on it about 10 days later.
Is it just that these firms are simply offering what they don't have or it DVLA really that slow? Read more
technically, I don't think he should be able to legally.
but technically every car on the road is mechanically sound, insured, and driven in a safe manner by a sober licenced driver
I've seen something similar happen in the recruitment business - someone is starting out as an agency for themselves, they advertise a job that doesn't exist, and say 10 people send their Cv in. that person then phones up employers saying 'look, i've got this candidate....'. Its not illegal, its making a bit of business out of nothing.
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
I test drove a 307 Style (2.0l HDi) at the Great Trade Centre and there was no power/acceleration when pressing the pedal to the metal. I am unfortunately ignorant of why this could be. Any ideas, please? I like the car but want to know if I'm buying trouble - never mind all the nightmare stories I've just read on the net! Could it be that it was v low on diesel? The fuel light was on. Thanks in advance etc.
Read more
Could just be too much slack in the accelerator cable adjustment (fault with my 306 HDI when I got it).
I have a new shape Mondeo (01Y 1.8LX) with 30k on the clock. Parked up the other day with wheels on full lock and noticed that the front driver's side tyre was completely bald on the inside edge. I can't say I'd noticed this happening as I rarely see the inside edge of the tyres.
The tyres are Contisport all round and these have been on since about 12k - still plenty of tread on them all round. Got a new tyre fitted at a local dealer but I wasn't offered a tracking or alignment check (probably because it was 4PM on a Saturday) The fitter recomended getting the steering geometry checked at the next service. It was last serviced at the main dealer in January and isn't due for another 7000 miles so I rang the main dealer and they wanted £80 for a geometry check at their bodyshop. They then suggested I get the tracking checked at a tyre dealer(!)
The car has no wheel wobble at speed, sits steady on the road and I've never kerbed it. The pressure in the bald tyre was also correct. Anybody got any ideas what the problem could be? Should I get the tracking checked as a matter of course at the tyre dealer?
Any thoughts on this appreciated Read more
Mini-roundabouts??? They're all dirty great big roundabouts in MK!
It's more likely to be those infernal speed cushions, the things that are cambered at the edges to be exactly the same width as your car. Loads of them, and also loads of full width speed ramps, in each separate area of MK.
Hi
I have had a re-occuring problem with my 1997 Audi A3 1.6. Coolant/water seems to be getting into the No.1 cylinder / piston bore. A cylinder pressure test has shown a leak however the escaping air seems to be coming from somewhere around the top of the manifold inlet. This is the second time this has occured, the first time round i had to replace the cylinder head. Please can anyone help? Read more
Not really enough info yet. I assume No 1 is steam cleaning itself and the cooling system is pressurising itself or are you just loosing water. You said the air appear to be coming out at the top of the inlet manifold, explain please. This could just be a burnt out inlet valve. Some garages use a sniffer in the water header tank to detect fuel gasses in the water system.
When the head gasket was change was the block surface check for cracks and how long ago was this work carried out. Come Back. Regards Peter.
Browse
On a serious theme there are horrific crashes here, because of the lemmings who persist in driving up the 3-laners at 80-100kmh on a 120 limit road In the centre lane!
The fact is, you can see 2 kms ahead, and the inside lane is (a)EMPTY; and (b) in good condition (probably 'cos nobody uses it!)
My 'record' is 38 cars 'undertaken' in 12 kms. [Oh, and it's lega here, though still and appaling driving technique]