July 2004
While driving home today, I passed several cars driven by people holding the steering wheel at the five-to-one position, or even with their hands together at the top of the wheel. This leaves the lower arm positioned directly in front of the airbag.
This got me thinking (something of a rarity nowadays) - if said driver was involved in a crash and the airbag deployed, what would happen? Two broken arms? Has any research ever been done into this?
Andy Read more
Hi there,
I have a Renault Clio 1997 1.2RN. I am currently having problems with it not starting up until the 5-6th attempt, it ticks over but dont fire up.
Also, sometimes when Im sitting in traffic or at the lights the engine cuts out unless I continue to rev it. When it cuts out it sometimes takes a few minutes before I can start it up again!
Please help!!
Lisa Read more
A number of threads in the Backroom comment on the success or otherwise of London Congestion Charging.
Transport for London(TFL) have monitored the traffic and produced a report after over a year of operation. Some findings:
Approximately 550,000 congestion charge payments are made each week.
Congestion within the charging zone has reduced by 30 percent, and the volume of traffic in the charging zone has reduced by 15 percent.
Measurements on the Inner Ring Road continue to show small reductions in congestion compared to pre-charging levels, reflecting better operational management of this key route, despite slightly higher traffic flows. There is no evidence of systematic increases in traffic on local roads outside the charging zone, during charging hours, in response to the introduction of the charge.
On buses there is a 38 percent increase in patronage and a 23 percent increase in service provision compared with 2002. About half of the increased patronage is estimated to be due to congestion charging. Within the charging zone there were marked improvements in both the main indicators of bus service reliability: additional waiting time due to service irregularity fell by 30 percent; disruption due to traffic delays fell by 60 percent. Overall bus speeds within the charging zone improved by 6 percent; after allowing for time spent at bus stops, this is compatible with the improved speeds of general traffic within the charging zone.
Of the 65,000 to 70,000 car trips that are no longer made to the charging zone during charging hours: between 50 and 60 percent have transferred to public transport, 20 to 30 percent now divert around the charging zone (these being trips with both
origins and destinations outside of the zone), and 15 to 25 percent have made other adaptations, such as changing the timing of trips.
By reducing the overall volumes of traffic within the charging zone, and increasing the efficiency with which it circulates, congestion charging has been directly responsible for reductions of approximately 12 percent in emissions of both oxides of nitrogen (NOx)and fine particles (PM10) from road traffic (based on 24-hour annual average day);
One could argue that TFL have a vested interest in declaring the scheme a success but I cannot believe they have invented the statistics. It is difficult to escape the conclusion that congestion charging has broadly achieved what it set out to do.
One thing is certain - it will be coming to a city near you soon.
Read more
You are joking right?
He still won.
Hi.
My wife has a 1.5 Diesel Corsa (Feb 1995). It has done 67,000 miles since we bought it from new. It does 400 miles a week on the motorway and is serviced regularly, oil changes at 6,000 miles and we use Shell Diesel fuel.
The problem that we have is with starting. It "eats" glow plugs. We have had 3 new sets within a few months of each other. When I take the car to the garage it may be that 2 plugs are not working and are covered in black. This is after a we have had to get the AA out because the car won't start.
Even when we had the latest plugs fitted it didn't exactly "leap" into life upon cold start. When it has been for a run then the car starts ok.
I have noticed that the Glow Plug Indicator is only on for about 2.5 seconds. I have a Citroen ZX Diesel and the indicator is on for twice as long.
Could it be that the time is too short and the plugs are not reaching the optimum temperature and, if so, how do you get a more realistic warming up time?
Regards
Pete Lee Read more
hello
I've got the 1.7 version (isuzu) on an Astra and I had a simular problem with mine. They use a 'special' NGK glow plugs which costs about £30 each!!! although I remember reading a post on here a while ago that found a cheaper make that works. I replaced the original plugs and found out it was the tappets that were out, had 3 replaced and has been fine every since. It's a common fault with these engines, mines now done 153k on the original glow plugs and still starts first time
Good luck
Woods
Hi,
I have got a 02 Ford Ka bought from auction, wondering whether as the spare wheel and tire is missing underneath whether I can simply replace with a Fiesta one, as there are loads of Fiesta wheels and tires down the breaker for £10, whereas Ford would want over £60 for a replacement wheel and tire.
Advice welcome! Cheers,
BTW It's a bog standard 1.3i.
Tim P Read more
Should be exactly the same but check the offset(hub to rim);breaker sold me a Capri wheel for a Cortina once(half-inch different offset)screwed up the braking till I put it on the back.
Prompted by a tech thread about Corsa power assisted steering.
Why the obsession we have now that every car short of a track day special has to have power steering?
I remember my parent's first Volvo, a 1972 144S, built like a tank, weighing like a tank, and with completely non assisted steering. Mum ain't exactly a Russian shot putter, and she could park it with aplomb on a six pence. Parallel parking in to a narrow gap? No problem. Three point turn? Easy!
Now, if even a micro car doesn't have PAS, ooooh the steering's a bit heavy.... Read more
Didn't know that, and I should, I used to work for a Hepolite and Wellworthy dealer, County Pistons of York Road Worthing.
Many a rebore or regrind (no tittering please) I've supervised but Lord knows the asbestos I ingested doing all those relines of Ferodo brakes.......we just did it, it was the job and you got on with it.
Back to wimps and weaklings.
It was not possible to set the tappets on a side-valve Ford Popular 103E because there was no way of doing it. The valves had to be ground down to achieve the requisite clearance. Seems to me if is this were the norm these days it would make men of our youth.***
(Huffs and puffs, orders another G & T and returns to Times crossword after writing letter to Editor saying bring back National Service).
*** Growlette wants to know why young Englishmen all go bald so quickly these days.
Can anyone enlighten me as to a good buy for a reliable pick-up truck (small van size) under £4000
Many thanks Read more
Mmm - which particular model of Toyota is this? I don't intend to purchase from Afghanistan....
Hi guys,
im a bit clueless on the newer corsa mechanics and was wondering if anyone could shed light on a problem.
The power steering malfunctions and fails to operate randomly when the car is both in motion and when stopped. the dash board light comes on when this happens.
however the problem seems to go away on its own accord.
the main dealer isnt interested and AA says it can recognise their has been a problem but cant figure out what.
car is 52 plate corsa sxi 1.7 diesel.
any ideas? Read more
The corsa uses an electric rack which are terriable the problems vauxhall have had with them are extensive.
Can anyone point me in the right direction? First of all I'll give you the background. I got my driving licence some years after my wife and hence ever since we bought our first car it has been cheaper to have her as the policy holder with myself as the second/named driver, as of course this is always the case!?! Anyway now that we are considering a second car I have tried to find an insurer who will take into consideration my years of being a second driver and give some kind of No Claims Discount.Tesco have said that if the roles were reversed then they could transfer my NCD to my wife but not vice versa. To me this is sex discrimination but thats life as a male. So if you know of an insurer who would give me some No Claims please help!
Read more
we insure our main car thru direct line and got a second car for me(male) with no ncd.
tesco were brill and gave me a mirrored no claims of her policy so i can insure a corsa for 15 per month even though i have no no claims
i think tesco and direct line are related,
tesco were excellent and the woman on the phone told me about the no claims fiddle herself
I wonder if people can share their experiences of using VAG's DSG gearbox, with twin clutch etc...
As I understand it, you have two peddles, brake and throttle, and then control gears with levers around the wheel.
Now you can drive in automatic, or use up and down gear shifting.
My question is, have people enjoyed driving this way, without the clutch peddle, and also, how do you do a hill start.
Do you balance the handbrake and throttle?
It seems to me that VAG should have designed this NOT to roll back on a hill start what so ever.
There is no driving advantage to rolling back, and more so, people will forget. It is just a pain. Plus it means the DSG can't be used as a proper automatic when you want it. Read more
Its one of those things on flowers ...
Seriously I suggest HJ sees P5 of todays Telegraph ref the \'Abuse of English\' by Lynn Truss author of \'Eats shoots and leaves\'
Don\'t have the time. I only ever bother to spell-check stuff when I\'m editing it for the column.
HJ
Browse
Or like a fork-lift driver :-)