Has anyone any experience of:
Osram Silver Star H4, sold by Powerbulbs.com?
They sell for £19.50 a pair.

They claim 50% more light on the road and are the winner of the Auto Express 2003 Autobulb Test.(Best buy)

They sound good, but are they worth the extra cost over "ordinary bulbs"?



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I've just put 4 Pirelli P6000 tyres on my Legacy. They have the following codes on, does anyone know what they mean?

Treadwear 180
Traction A
Temperature A

There are also loads of other letters/numbers on the sidewall. I know about the date of manufacture in the DOT code, is there anything else interesting to know?

(yes, I know, I lead a sad life, reading tyre walls for fun!) Read more

My father has just rung me to say that he's faced with a bill for somewhere between £1500 and £2000 for refurbishing the engine in his N-reg Laguna 2.0 estate. He's caught in the classic trap of whether to have the work done (the car is otherwise in good condition), or replace the car, and I've just been talking it through with him. My first reaction was "Mondeo estate". The situation is that he is retired, wants something cheap to run, doesn't need a powerful car, but does need a bit of space to carry round an electric wheelchair in the boot. He then mentioned an Astra estate as a possibility. I suggested something japanese for reliability.

Do the backroomers agree that he should replace rather than refurbish, given that the refurbishment should at least provide him with a car that will run on for a few years? I can't help thinking that engine repairs have a habit of slowly creeping up as the work proceeds!

Alternatively, do any of the backroomers have any ideas for a replacement? Read more

I am off to Florida next week and, if passing a supplier, will be buying some more EBC Greenstuff pads for my '98 Omega MV6 (3.0) as they appear to be about half the price of over here.

I'm guessing spark plugs might also save me some money, can anyone advise the best kind of spark plugs for the car - at 80k, it's probably time they were changed! A worldwide-recognised model number would be most handy. I've read about ceramics, iridium and dual electrode. (I have the owners manual so by default will try to get some of the recommended ones). People recommend Vauxhall original HT leads, which are dear, am I likely to be able to get them over there? (Again, part number would be handy!)

Also for the Focus 1.8 petrol (Zetec) - any special recommendations, plugwise?

And can anyone suggest any other service parts for either car on which I can save a few bob, without overstepping my baggage allowance? (I'll be travelling fairly light anyway!)

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does anybody know ,where to get a turbo for my pug 405gldt,the normal shop bought ones are just plain carp(not very fast),as i understand it ,peugeot turbo units are downtuned in the workshop when built,any ideas please.i know the above statement is true as peugeot have told me themselves.many thanks
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