December 2003
John,
I've warned you before. If you want to go on being Arthur Daly's true successor, you need to be much less polite to the punters.
Today (27th Dec, 2003), your first Telegraph item is from someone who can't tell the difference between rear lights, front lights (presumably sidelights) and turn indicators. Your reply maunders on about style and "manufacturing convenience". If this person can't tell between a red or white light and a yellow flashing one, they should hand in their license at once and go see an eye specialist. In fact, as someone who professionally advises people on motoring matters, you have a duty of care to report them to the DVLC.
As for the Corsa with worn out brake pads and the eight year old Merc with a worn out autobox - why is it that so many of your readers think that their cars should last forever without maintenance? Because you are too polite to tell them that they are cheap as well as thick.
Now, John. Practice time. Type and send off to me, "Bog off, you interfering git. If you know so much about motoring journalism, go and set up your own website and see how many people use it."
Happy New Year!
The Other John Read more
In today's newspaper, Maplin are selling quick start units for £29.99.
400A with built in light and cigarette socket.
Too late for a Christmas present?
I think they are a good idea, especially at that price, and one in the boot of student offspring's car does increase peace of mind.
I do not know if they are available on the web at this price.
Read more
Just seen them in woolworths for £19.99
As I mentioned earlier in this thread.
The downside of the Woolworths one is that it is not very powerful and you don't get jump leads to connect dirrectly to the battery, but instead you have to plug it into the cigarette lighter and wait for approx 20 to 30 mins for it to recharge the car's battery. If like my on car, you have to switch on the ignition to activate the cigarette lighter, then any charge to the car's battery is drained again by any circuits that also activate when you turn on the ignition.
Has anyone any experience of the rear wipers working intermittently when they are supposed to be switched off?. I want to identify the cause. Read more
Those of you that are out and about
today please keep your eyes open
for a
GREEN ROVER 600 - L 410 PMB
Hijacked at Leeds yesterday
afternoon by a despicable object
after shooting one PC dead and injuring another.
If seen DO NOT APPROACH but report to
Police a.s.a.p
DVD Read more
Just watched the live press conference on BBC - they have a name and a photograph of an American citizen they would like to interview in connection with the murder and two attempted murders.
Matt35
Hi all,
I recently had a complete exhaust system replacement on my omega, i.e. back box and middle section. I have noticed that on accelerating above ~ 2000 rpm, the new exhaust sounds somewhat noisy, almost as if I didn't have a back box. I returned to the people who fitted it and they told me there's nothing wrong with it, that was normal. I am very dissapointed as it is annoying having this constant drone when accelerating and motor driving which I never had before on the original system.
Can anyone recommend a really quiet exhaust for my Omega 2.0 16V auto T-reg, should I go to a Vauxhall garage and get a manufacturers one fitted or not? I realise I am going to lose on this, but I am prepared to do so for a quieter ride!
THanks!
Simon
_____________________________________
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The exhaust on my 2 litre Omegs sounds the same : seems to be a 'characteristic';-)
For various reasons that I won't go in to I was out and about on the roads of four counties at all hours for the last five days.
In previous years I have run in to police road blocks (illegal but when did that stop them), enhanced car patrols, foot patrols breathylising those about to get in to cars etc, etc.
This year... NOTHING. I only saw two police cars the whole time and those were in broad daylight cruising around the M25 doing the 'don't go faster that me' trick.
Have the police abandoned the traditional drink driving blitz?
(I am teetotal by the way.) Read more
Andy,
I agree with every word you have written. Well said.
However, as it will be deemed political and not much to
do with motoring, I'll leave it there!
Couldn't have put it better myself.
Please keep posts relevant to motoring. I will edit a post or two on this thread for now, but any more digression and the thread gets locked.
Ta for your cooperation, understanding and custom. Have a nice day, y'all.
No Dosh
mailto:Alan_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
'T' Reg 1.6 GL Polo Estate.
Accept (a) clutch pedal not depressed
(b) clutch pedal pushed to floor.
If clutch operates at point almost at (a) between (a) and (b)
is this indicative that clutch is on its way out?
DVD Read more
If you have a cable clutch on this model then it will have an automatic adjuster. Press the cluth all the way down and slip you foot off the pedal the the automatic adjuster will take up any cable slack. Regards Peter
How many of us during the year have come to that jaw slackening moment in a motorway service area when we are faced with shelling out something roughly equal to the national debt of a 3rd world country in order to provide coffee and sticky buns for our nearest and (literally in this case) dearest?
Likewise when questioning the shop why Chorley cakes are two for 99p when they are four for 69p in the Co-op we are usually confronted with the reply "Well we do have to be open 24 hours a day 365 days a year!" as the excuse for the high prices.
Well family FiF have been on the road this Yuletide, long story totally off topic so we will leave that out of it but it appears the case is that "No they are NOT open 24/7!"
Picture the scene, you've driven past umpteen signs saying " Think don't drive tired" or "Tiredness kills take a break" and so on. So off you pull into the service area to find......
The car park shut, blocked off with barriers and cones.
The service area building closed and locked, no access to toilets even.
Now the filling station shop is open admittedly, with two staff running round like blue rear ended flies dealing with the fuel forecourt, serving shop customers, plus making coffee & sandwiches.
Presumably their duties also include cleaning the one trap toilet/disabled facilities/baby changing area. Obviously that job task had fallen off the end of the counter judging by the state and smell of things.
As for parking facilities effectively non existent without blocking access roads.
Now I accept that it is difficult to get staff to work over Christmas, even for premium pay if that applies. Plus I am not asking for a full service availability, but the above scenario was at 8:30pm Christmas Eve for goodness sake! Not exactly an unsocial hour!
Merry Christmas to all our readers and contributors, but to M***, W****** B**** and R******* plus any others I've forgotten out there, I am going to make every effort during 2004 to avoid patronising your establishments as far as possible.
In certain cases I also am going to make your life hell at the Highways Agency about your removal of access to toilets and short term parking facilities which you ARE CONTRACTED TO PROVIDE 24 HOURS A DAY 365 DAYS A YEAR!!!!
Any more examples that anyone can come up with to reinforce my own case you can mail to me.
regards,
FiF (man on a mission!)
Better go and lie down now...... nurse! nurse!!!! Read more
I wrote a letter to one of the service area operators a year or so ago complaining of the fact that they advertise "2 hours free parking" as if it is wonderful of them. Given the fact that there are restrictions on driving hours for commercial vehicles and that none of us should drive for long periods without a decent break parking should be free for as long as people require TO ENSURE SAFE DRIVING. My letter was prompted by the fact that having just returned from the continent we were faced with a 3 hour delay on the M20, then another hour or so on the M25. By this time it was 3am and I decided a decent kip was in order but had to pay £7 for the privilege. Of course, I could have continued and fallen asleep at the wheel but I paid up, slept for 4 hours and moved on. Needless to say, my letter got a "we are providing everything required for the motorist" reply.But isn't there a contradiction in all these signs which tell us to "take a break" yet they only provide us with "services" which cost a fortune and don't even provide a variety of "services"? Most French service areas have picnic tables, grassy areas to walk, shaded wooded areas, even "exercise circuits", play areas for children etc. What's more you can get a decent proper meal (not just revolting fast food) and a proper coffee from a Gaggia rather than an instant or push button machine. Rant over. Sorry for long post, but I think our services are absolute carp.
The missus is out,
The kids are away,
So I'm off to the BackRoom with good old HJ,
Conversation and views,
Which are bound to amuse,
Fiction and fact - Sometimes lacking in tact,
A great place to visit,
When you need to fix it,
Pop ups and adverts, But a small price to pay,
No need to complain, Long may it remain!!
HJ & Mods - my only excuse/defence is that I'm still sobering up :-) Read more
Mr Toad had it: "p***,p***" :-)
madf
Hi
Changed the Front Pads on a 1998 1600cc Polo
Yesterday afternoon.
everything went fine till I drove the car their seems to be excessive brake travel before stopping.
Their doesn't appear to be any air in the system haven't lost any fluid.
So im wondering if the pads will eventually bed in and hopefully take up som of the slack.
Or is this common on Polos ?
Thanks for any advice.
Read more
This is a timely reminder that advice (generally given in good faith) may be given by somebody with a dangerous lack of understanding of the subject. With primary safety issues this can be outright dangerous.
Generally the HJ BR has sufficient 'good guys' to quickly pick up on these points, but some other sites can be less than reliable.
Good to hear that bedding in seems to have reduced the pedal travel. Adjustment of the rear shoes should get you back to a more acceptable feel. I have been surprised in the past on what is fully acceptable as pedal travel to full time (mot)mechanics when I have not been very happy.
I have always found the earlier Polos to have a very poor pedal feel, although when pushed in anger(sorry) the brakes perform adequately. Richard W any comments?
pmh (was peter)
Browse
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Change my handle?
That's rich, from the moderator of a website called www.honestjohn.co.uk whose home page bears the message:
"Please Note: This is NOT www.honestjohn.com. He runs Caddy Corner in Texas and deals in classic 1950s to 1970s Cadillacs."
I remain the one, the only, your very own,
JohnR
(Shortly to be known as "The JohnR" please!)