July 2003
I\'ve always read with amusement the signs at car washes telling people to retract their aerial before use - I mean, how obvious is that and how stupid do you have to be not to know that ?
Anyway, I need an new electric aerial for my car. Someone, I think maybe DD, was talking about simply undoing the top nut, letting it unravel out, buying a new one, inserting the nylon track, and then watching it wind back in before doing up the nut.
A few questions;
Are the nylon tracky bits all of a standard length and does it matter if they\'re not ?
Are the teeth all a standard size, if not how do I know which one to get ?
Where do I get one ?
There isn\'t enough of the old one left to use as a pattern, or at least not left on the car. Although if you are using a car wash near Loughborough and it beats hell out of your car with a bent and twisted lump of metal which might once have been an aerial, then I think I might know why. Read more
It's so hot these days. I'm planning to modify the coolant temperature fan circuit on my '97 Omega-B MV6 to prevent heat stroke.
Hope you would provide the wiring diagrams for reference. Any copy or data would be appreciated.
Or you can tell me where to find these information on internet. thank you.
Regard,
Bob
mailto:sumei6614@hotmail.com Read more
Bob - ALL circuit diagrams are now on their way to you. I'm just glad someone understands them...
The Situation:
22 years old, full license for 3 years, got to get insurance in my name for the first time ever. Going to be first named driver on a 2001 Nissan Micra 1.0. Car owned by parents, but driven by myself and brothers. I've been 2nd named driver on my brother's Directline policy on the car for 2 years, completely clean license and no claims for anyone on policy.
The Questions:
1) Directline and Tesco seem to be the same thing, but are their policies exactly the same?
2) Tesco and Directline quotes are virtually identical, but is there any reason to choose one over the other (eg. customer service)?
3) As the car has been insured with Directline for 2 years, is it possible that I could negotiate/be offered a better rate?
4) Even though I have no NCB, am I in a position to negotiate an introductory discount with Directline since I've been 2nd driver for 2 years?
5) At £750 vs £1500(!!!!) Why are Tesco and DL half the price of every other insurer?
Sorry for the barrage of questions, but I'm lost in the world of insurance and there seem to be some very knowledgeable and helpful people about.
Thanks in advance :) Read more
Sprinter - If you want to apply online for Tesco insurance, you must be the car's owner and registered keeper. This applies to the majority of on-line insurance quotes. Telephone quotes may be more flexible.
You could always try to persuade your parents to sell you the car for a nominal sum!
Ian
Hi
Can anyone please help me!? I have just fitted a new waxstat to my 1.6 golf (2E2) carb which I bought from VW. Since I fitted it the car would idle at 600rpm (hot), and when cold at 1000 rpm. I adjusted the idle speed by turning the screw at the 3-4 point unit, and have managed to get the car to idle at 900rpm. The problem is that the car doesnt seem to go onto choke at all even though the butterfly flap closes, etc. In other words it does not seem to idle when cold at any revs higher then 1000 rpm. Despite this, the car runs perfectly hot and cold!!(Very smooth now when cold)! Is this the way the car should have run all along. I mean, I know its summer and it is warmer, but before I changed the waxstat, when I first started the car it would rev at 2000 rpm, and then slow to 1000 rpm.
I looked at the pin on the new and old waxstat, and the pin on the new stat is 1cm from its base when cold, whereas the pin on the old one is only 3mm from its base.
When I spoke to VWs and asked them if waxstats are ever faulty new, they said that in order to return the part, I would have to book the car in for an hours labour (GBP 88)!! to check that it is the part that is faulty and not anything else.
I am worried that the car wont run on choke in the winter at all considering the low cold idle speed!
can anyone advise me on whether this is normal or should i take the risk and argue with vw about faulty parts?
Thanks for any help!!!
Peter Cohen Read more
The cold idle can be adjusted as Adam says, I would say that your revs are not causing any running problems so why change them.
My golf runs at about 1100 when cold and 850 when hot
if you slaken the bolt Adam mentions you can adjust the idle speed by moving anything attached to the throttle butterfly. I use the hot idle lever (the bit that rests on the 3/4 point thingy when hot)
I remember, in a previous posting, someone mentioned that carbon monoxide detected in the coolant header tank vapours was a sure-fire indicator of a leaky head gasket.
Can anyone tell me what this detector is, and where I can get it from?
Thanks in advance. Read more
When the combustion products get into the coolant it becomes more acidic. Years ago, when my dad was in the garage trade, he used to keep test strips which he dipped into the coolant. They changed colour if the head was blowing. I think at one time there was an antifreeze that had a dye which changed colour (blue to red ??).
I know Partco used to sell tester kits whereby you draw the air in the header tank through an indicator fluid. I think they cost £20-30.
As mentioned in Discussion, I have just bought a 1990 Golf 1.6 GTD for peanuts. Unfortunately there is something of an issue with the temperature gauge/the car overheating. On the test drive of about 2 miles the temp needle was at halfway but the temp light was flashing like a good 'un.
A few pessimistic so-and-sos have told me that the cylinder head is cracked but being the optimistic sort I am loath to believe them. The odd thing is, there is no gunk around the water or oil caps, there is no white smoke from the exhaust and the car drives fine. Today when the vendor trailered it to me, he moved it onto the trailer at his end and then off again at mine and the blasted temp light was giving it some already! Surely this is a sender unit problem?
Having said that though, when I investigated under the bonet after the test drive, there was a lot of hissing etc from the general direction of the water reservoir.
Any thoughts? As always, your help and advice is most welcome.
Cheers
Rob
"Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast." Read more
I suggest you run it and keep a close eye on the coolant level and the gauge. I'm sure will all be well!
Here's a link that's good for a chuckle. Not sure just how serious the guy is. Or how long this post will last!
www.anglegrinderman.com/
(Thanks to www.clubarnage.com forum for the link) Read more
About 7 or 8 years ago I had a car parking space around the corner from my office in town. One of those spaces that is a car wide and a car length long. The space was very clearly marked private. I arrived back one afternoon to find a car parked in my space. I waited nearly an hour before I eventually parked in the nearby multi story - I can tell you I was not happy. Before I left I put the chain across the parking bay so the car couldn't get out and left a note on the window.
About half an hour or so later a police officer came to reception and told me to let the car out. Note that the driver did not come to me first - she went straight to the police.
I said I would let her out if she reimbursed my car parking costs. Believe it or not the officer became very aggressive and threatened to arrest me. I don't scare easily so I told him to carry on but the car would stay until she paid up. I also complained to the police officer that she was trespassing on my private land and I wanted her car booked. He wouldn't do that because it was on private land and there was nothing he could do about it.
She eventually paid but virtually threw the money at me calling me a crook and all the names under the sun. The bit I couldn't understand was why the police officer took the womens side without any question and was so aggressive towards me.
Anyway, whenever I see a story about some poor person bleating on about having to cough up dosh to get their cars unclamped I have found it just a tiny bit more difficult to have any sympathy for them.
Hi
Hope u can help on the above car? The drivers side door harness became faulty ( six cables parted). I purchased the repair kit from peugeot( what a pig to fit) & replaced but now i have lost 5 circuits all associated with the alarm the control box appears to be ok I have managed to obtain a circuit diagram of the alarm system and it shows a bank of two relays with a 15A fuse in between but I can not find the said relays I would be gratful for any advise I have checked my wiring harness repair 3 times and it is correct.
The day the door fault occured I had the alarm playing up the central door locking opened on the zapper but the alarm went off & the car would only start after several attempts this was after driving through a monsoon
Read more
I can't help wondering if the shorted/broken door loom has damaged the control unit.....
We replaced a 306 door loom t'other day to find the offside CDL motor wouldn't work......first thoughts were "Which wire did we mess up on?" but it soon turned out to be a faulty motor!
Coincidence or what?
Folks,
I see from another thred that opinions are divided on the method of changing brake fluid.
I am struggling to understand how simply topping up and pumping (with care with the pedal) would cause the brakes to subsequently be soft. Surely one stream of fluid is simply following another if the reservoir is kept topped up? Or am I missing something? (like "grey matter"?)
Now, if a caliper, hose, or pipe had been replaced, and air could have got everywhere, then I could understand the need to use the Gunson pressure device to "blow" the fluid in.
I am about to embark on changing the fluid on the Trooper/Monterey, and wonder about shelling out the £15-ish for the Gunson tool (maybe more if I need a special cap adapter).
Maybe this is where the Citroen has the edge, which, for all its electro-hydraulic fun, has, (so I read repeatedly on other forum) a virtually self-bleeding system, save for the "cul-de-sac" of each caliper.
Suggestions from list sages welcome!
Rob Read more
The following posted on the XM forum by Duncan Bryan.:
----------------------------------------------------------
Fatal to say it but... my XM (2.5TX VSX) has not had any unexpected faults
over 40K miles.
I wish I could say that same about my wife's A-Class Merc A160.
N reg XM problems over past 2 years.
1. A tyre - puncture :-(
2. A set of spheres. Pleiades tastic.
3. A cam belt
4. about 8 oil and filter changes - air filter as well of course.
5. 3 diesel filter changes ( phew - not due next time )
6. A gallon of hydraflush
7. A door mirror temp sensor.. grrrr
8. A keyfob outer.
Mileage now - just shy of 92K
Mileage covered - about 40K
Time unavailable over 2 years - 1 day - for cambelt change.
Cost - about 900...sigh.
2.25p/mile costs
Depreciation. probably about 3000 lost.
T-reg Merc A160 over same time.
1. New petrol gauge sender ( warranty)
2. New rear wheel - it hit a pothole ( I hit the same one in the XM )
3. Four new tyres ( in 2 stages)
4. Anti-roll bar drop links ( front)
5. Left rear radius arm ( 4 months ago)
6. Right rear radius arm ( this Friday)
7. New petrol gauge sender - needed again soon.
8. Rear door window ( not that car's fault)
9. 3 services ( one of which missed the bent wheel!!!!!)
Mileage now - just shy of 26K miles
Time unavailable over 2 years - about 5 days.
Cost - about 900
mileage covered - about 15K miles
6p/mile costs
Depreciation - probably about 5000 lost.
==================================================
Probably not the best time to post this in light of recent postings about careless drivers but anyway...
In February I was involved in a minor accident with a police vehicle. No damage was done to either vehicle. At the time I was advised that I would be reported for driving without due care and attention.
At the end of May I received a letter from the police:
"....I refer to the above accident in which you were involved. After careful consideration of the available evidence and surrounding circumstances, the Crown Prosecution Service decided that no further action will be taken against you at this stage. However, if circumstances change or further evidence is brought to the notice of the police, investigation into this incident may be reopened.
This decision does not prejudice the right of any other party to institute civil proceedings, nor will it directly affect the outcome of any such action."
Great! Except that today I received a summons for DWDCA.
Question is has the letter weakened the case of the police?
The letter seems vague enough to allow for reopening of the case but if nothing has changed since it was written then is it reasonable that the case should be reopened? I am not aware of any further evidence or change in circumstances. I'm hoping it's an admin error- what's the best way to tackle this?
Thanks,
9000
Read more
Not where I come from DVD. Its the full monty! Crime is a bit more streamlined if its a GP.
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I had to laugh at an episode of the Simpsons when Homer watches his car being driven through a car wash, after the brushes have gone over his car a mechanical claw comes down and deliberately snaps off his aerial!
I'm a loser, baby....so why don't you kill me?!