July 2003
Thread locked. Volume V is here
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=22741
Seeing as Vol III is up to >100 posts thought I would start another one seeing as the next post is rather a long one.
How many posters does it take to change a lightbulb?
1 to change the light bulb and to post that the light bulb has been changed.
14 to share similar experiences of changing light bulbs and how the light
bulb could have been changed differently.
7 to caution about the dangers of changing light bulbs.
27 to point out spelling/grammar errors in posts about changing light bulbs.
53 to flame the spell checkers.
41 to correct spelling/grammar flames.
1 to point out that in certain Pacific Rim countries one can get bikini
clad nymphets to deliver and change the bulb.
6 to argue over whether it\'s \"lightbulb\" or \"light bulb\"
...another 6 to condemn those 6 as anally-retentive
2 industry professionals to inform the group that the proper term is \"lamp\"
15 know-it-alls who claim *they* were in the industry, and that \"light bulb\"
is perfectly correct
156 to email the participant\'s ISPs complaining that they are in violation
of their \"acceptable use policy\"
109 to post that this forum is not about light bulbs and to please take
this discussion to a lightbulb forum
203 to demand that cross posting to technical forum, I have a question thread,
and Xenon headlight thread about changing light bulbs be stopped
111 to defend the posting to this forum saying that we all use light bulbs,
we all drive to the shops to buy them and therefore the posts *are* relevant
to this forum
306 to debate which method of changing light bulbs is superior, where to
buy the best light bulbs, what brand of light bulbs work best for this technique
and what brands are faulty
27 to post URL\'s where one can see examples of different light bulbs
14 to post that the URL\'s were posted incorrectly and then post the corrected
URL\'s
3 to post about links they found from the URL\'s that are relevant to this
forum which therefore makes light bulbs relevant to this forum.
33 to link all posts to date, quote them in their entirety including all
headers and signatures, and add \"Me too\" or add a smiley!
12 to post to the group that they will no longer post because they cannot
handle the light bulb controversy
19 to quote the \"Me too\'s\" to say \"Me three\"
4 to suggest that posters request the light bulb FAQ
44 to ask what is a \"FAQ\"
56 to discuss whether it is A \"FAQ\" or AN \"FAQ\"
4 to say \"didn\'t we go through this already a short time ago?\"
143 to say \"do a Google search on light bulbs before posting questions about
light bulbs\"
6 to say light bulbs last longer if you don\'t press the switch so fast.
45 to then turn it round to speed cameras.
457 to complain about non standard bulbs in front fog lights.
7 to complain about the Audi pop ups.
1 forum lurker to respond to the original post 6 months from now and start
it all over again
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Husband of a colleague wants to buy a car to use for minicab work in Essex. He has come across a company in Newcastle upon Tyne which leases used cars specifically for this and guarantee that their vehicles will pass the rigorous inspection required of vehicles that are to be used in this way. Are there any other places that do this, preferably a bit nearer to Essex ? Are there alternatives, like buying a nearly new vehicle and submitting it for the test yourself ?
At the £80 per week being asked in Newcastle he could probably get himself a newish car under lease or whatever anyway.
Matthew Kelly
No, not that one. Read more
I didn't necessarily mean to suggest buying a six month old car to mini cab. Most taxi firms seem to follow the route suggested by Ben Chapman, although, at auction, that would probably set them back no more than £3.5k (or £35 per week over two years).
However, if you can buy a six month old car for less than the price of a 2 year old, it suggests that the deal is less than keen.
Having said that, some LAs are tougher than others so it's got to be worth examining the rules before making a decision. Alternatively, he might feel that it's worth paying a bit more up front and taking the car to 150k over 5 years rather than 2.
Without knowing the exact nature of the car in question, and the rules of the local authority, it's impossible to make an informed decision, although my instinct tells me that people are usually made to pay for convenience and this deal is unlikely to be too good to be true.
What is the recommended interval for the timing belt and tensioner on a 2001 Passat (Y-reg) 1.9TDi PD (130). Asked the dealer and they said 60,000 miles. I am sure the handbook says 40,000. Don't want to take any chances.I've had enough grief with this car to last a lifetime. Read more
Wonderwheels
Whoo Hooo! that is cheap and I did use the Arnold Clark at Greenock/Port Glasgow for the 40k service much cheaper than usual £178 all in including all the filters etc which is about the cost of a lesser 20k service here in Cheshire.
I do get to Greenock on business occasionally I will just have to get my next trip near the service interval and I will be quids in. Many thanks
as ever
Mark
Today I had great pleasure in driving the M25 going through the dartford TOLL tunnel and around to J25, (from Swanley) has anyone else noticed the \"forest\" of new speed cameras that have grown recently? All covered at the moment with a pinky cover, written on it \"not in use\" - Oh Im sure they damn well will be pretty damn soon......
Dont get me wrong, I think the \"variable speed limit\" works well, but to just stick up more money making machines, to hit the motorist again stinks! Read more
Apropos of not alot I drove along the road where Brunstrom's daughter was caught doing nearly 70. It is a piece of dual carriageway that is 70 for huge stretches either side of llandudno ( i think it is around there) where suddenly the limit changes to a 50 for no reason whatsoever. The layout of the road doesn't change and I don't think the frequency of the on and off roads change either. It's a relatively short stretch so I am hoping I have not been caught out in the same way as I don't remember seeing the 50 signs on my return journey. I can understand the lower 50 limits in the conway tunnels and around there is it is pretty twisty but around llandudno it is a good clear stretch.
I also noticed something else odd. Instead of having the de-restriction black diagonal for a dual carriageway there were signs with the usual red surround and a large 70 in the middle. Why are they different?
teabelly
Does anyone know of any Dutch, German or French car site similar to our own AutoTrader. I shall be in the market for a Left Hand Drive Discovery in the near future and would find and web site addresses invaluable. Read more
Best site for used cars in Germany is:
www.autoscout24.de/
Just did a quick check, they have 260 Discoverys listed for sale.
I have just returned from a holiday in the Highlands of Scotland and drove past a Bentley with reg 1WO on the way to John O'Groats.
The registration rings a vague bell in my head - I definitely remember it from somewhere, is it a celebrity's car or is it the reg that always appears on Bentleys's own publicity material?
Please help me get to the bottom of this!!
Incidentally, the next day followed another Bentley, an 03 reg but with Bentley's own logo at bottom of reg plate - wonder if there was possibly a publicity launch going on?? Read more
Iesu ti'n siarad cymraeg?! :P
Thanks for the welcome:P
Recently i bought an S reg (1998) Peugeot 306 (1.6 petrol engine Meridian Model.)
The 1st week it drove without problems, but now it refuses to start. I have looked at the fuel pump which is fine and checked the fuses again these are ok, the car turns over when i turn the key so the battery is fine aswell.
Does anybody have any other suggestions as to what the problem may be?
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I have experience of HDI diesel problems, Prone to getting water into teh ECU wiring and having all sorts of weird problems. Also check the crap quick connect battery terminals as these can cause problems.
One buy a aersol of switch cleaner and spary all ECU connections.
Check the control relay for the rear lift pump, common to burn out on the Bosch Monotronic injection system.
Reucrring problems goto www.autotap.com and buy a code reading attachment for your car like I had to and then you can truely bond with your pug as you can take it by the short and curlys and remind it who is master.
When you get it going, sell it quickly, they have nothing but electrical problems.
Guy came to look at my car a few days ago. He looked around the car for well over an hour and i repeatedly stated he should look at every he wanted so he was satisfied. I gave him a test drive of as long as he wanted. He bargained a good deal- he was getting a cheap car, no question. I needed the sale so i accepted. He didnt have the cash so left a £250 deposit and signed a receipt Ok i thought. This was on friday night.
He arrives to collect today, and wants to look around the car again. Ok i thought, i hadn't used it as i had taken a deposit. If i had bought the car, i would of paid the money on the day. Then he starts picking. He says one button on the remote doesnt work, and there is a tiny dent that wasn't there before. All untrue. He demands £100 off. I decline stating the car is in identical condition to when he accepted. He demands i reduce the price despite his written promise to pay the balance. I decline. He moans on playing with the remote for 30 mins. I make a peace offering of a £10. He is not happy. He then threatens to call the police. I agree, i say its up to him. Then he goes quite and demands he deposit. I don't like hassel and aggrevation and explain to him the money he has cost me and suggest he takes part of his deposit back (£150) he is still not happy. I felt very awkward as i am staying at my mothers house who had started to become distressed. She came out to see what the trouble was. He then called me a liar etc my mum took offense, and said she would refund his deposit in full. Yet still he tries it on! She offers a cheque as we dont keep large amounts of cash, then he moans about a cheque garuantee card.
All this surprised me. He claimed ot have just qulaified as a doctor. What would others have done in this situation? And what were my legal rights in such a situation, i would imagine i could of been entitled to keep my deposit.
Anyone out there selling a mondeo what out!
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>>My post from last night appears to have disappeared?,
Sure you didn't have finger troubles ? I haven't removed it.
Just to clarify, neither did I.
I thought that FIAT dealers were bad but VW dealers in the Staffordshire area have reduced me to tears in recent years.
I wrote a letter of complaint to VW head office in Milton Keynes and their response was absolutely pathetic. I sent a detailed three page letter listing a catalogue of incompetence only to receive a standard letter back along the lines of 'we are always looking to improve etc etc.
Absolute tosh! Read more
Sorry KB.
I had logged off for me tea!
VW at Milton Keynes are a joke. You are wasting your time writing to them as I found out.
Best just not buying the product. I even thought of writing to VW in Germany by getting my German speaking mate to translate mt letter for me.
I rang Milton Keynes once for technical advice. To cut along story short they don't want to know.Couldn't even be bothered to come to the phone to speak to me. I ended up with a young receptionist trying to give me advice regarding the ECU on my Golf.
I may have mentioned once or twice that I am now the proud owner of a 1989 Golf GTD 1.6, which is proving against all odds to be quite a good car (he says touching all available bits of wood).
One thing puzzles me though. In the traditional place (ie where HF hangs her handbag) there is very definitely a choke-type thingy which - if you'll pardon the expression - pulls in and out. The previous owner swears blind that the car starts better with it out, but I can't notice any difference. What could this odd thing be?
Cheers
Rob
"Bucket o'lard" Read more
Rob
i'm changing the Bora for an Octavia TDI on friday. When I took it for a test drive, there was no choke - do you think i'm being done ;-)
I have to grow old - but I don't have to grow up
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AN FAQ, definitely.