August 2004
It's that time of year again, when passengers suddenly decide to recline the seat and put their feet up on the dashboard; I've seen many in the last couple of weeks.
A moment's thought would identify that in a crash, you'd submarine forward until you hit the dash or the seatbelt caught under your chin. The Germans, a few years ago, crash tested a car with the passenger dummy's feet on the dash; the airbag folded up the dummy, a real person would have been killed.
(If I remember correctly, it was an estate with a surfboard, or similar, in the back - that caused huge damage as well as it flew through the passenger compartment...) Read more
Hi All,
My 1974 Beetle has all-red lenses at the rear, meaning that the indicators flash red, rather than amber. I believe there is a cut-off date that allows cars to display red, rather than amber indicators. My search of the 'interweb' has revealed a site which advises the date is 1st Sept 1965. Anything built after this date needs amber lights. I've tried looking at the DoT sites but cannot locate anything.
Does anyone know off the top of their head if the above date is correct? If it is, and I leave the red lenses on, what sort of offence am I leaving myself open to, and how is it punishable?
Many thanks as always.
DB
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Cheers. I might just wait for Mr Plod to notice, and then worry about it. I think they'd be more concerned with the 'Stinger' exhaust and exposed engine anyway....
DB
I have had overheating problems including loss of coolant with my peugeot. The car ran for 4 hours (stationary) on Friday in the heat and as the temperature got close to 90 the fan cut in and brought it down.......everything fine and no overheating. I then took it for a run on Saturday and at speeds up to 60 mph everything was fine temp between 70 and 90 but then over this speed the temperature began to climb up to 105. Slowing down brought the temperature down slowly. When I stopped the coolant level was fine. The level light continues to come on and go off intermittently.
Does anyone have any clues?
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You have 1 sensor for the fans & Bitron unit
1 sensor does the gauge & ECU if petrol injection
The other sensor does the "STOP" & "High temperature" warning lights
Thats why Peugeot 405s have 3 temperature sensors.
The situation:
Single carriageway road with NSL. The road widens to three lanes as it goes uphill - two for uphill and one downhill with double white lines against the downhill carriageway.
Whilst out and about on my advanced driving run I was asked the speed limit on the road and I replied that it was 60mph as it is a single carriageway. But, the observer informed that it was in fact 70mph as it was a dual-carriageway on the short section that we had the crawler lane. I do not think that it is dual as there is no central reservation.
I think I am right as a friend was fined for doing 69mph on a similar road eleswhere.
Any comments?
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One particular example in Oxfordshire, wide central reservation and physical barriers, but no white line at the edge and some junctions directly onto the carriageway, signed at various points at NSL. Pavements and cycleways adjacent to both sides separated only by 6 feet of grass.
No dual carriageway signs, but by the definitions reported by DVD this counts as dual carriageway so for the NSL section a 70mph limit....I dont trust this and limit myself to 60mph.
A very grey area and one that I dont want to test using my licence!
StarGazer
Had a weekend in Arnside and Kendal. Decided to return to Leeds via the A65, rather than the M6/M61/M62 route. As you can imagine at 4pm last night there were plenty of day trippers returning home. The A65 is a country road with no dual carriageway sections - its forty miles from the M6 junction to Skipton.
All the journey we were travelling in a line of traffic - more than a dozen cars at 40-50mph - not to the limit, but enough progress being made. All of a sudden I became aware of a car overtaking where the road is narrow and views restricted. I was following a Landrover - the other car drew level with me as we approached the next blind corner and carried on! He then slammed on filled the gap between me and the Landrover and proceeded to sit on the Landy's bumper for the next few miles, brake lights coming on every few seconds.
We then came to a straight section, because I left a decent gap I could see round the corner down the straight - nothing coming - the mad overtaker stayed behind the Landrover! Needless to say when the road became dangerous off he went again.
By the time we reached the roundabout on the outskirts of Skipton the other car was just 6 cars in front of me - his stupidity had saved him about 10 seconds and no doubt raised his blood pressure no end.
So to the driver of the BMW 3 series with a London reg. Was it worth it?
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"dabber" - not the word I usually use, but I shall in future !
you have to get out of the car sometime
so visit www.mikes-walks.co.uk
Dear Everyone driving through the midlands last night...
It really is ok to overtake that police car doing 60mph in the inside lane of the M40. They wont arrest you for doing 70mph, or possibly even 80 on a clear dry motorway as it was last night. They're after bigger fish than you. If you've got a guilty conscience, by all means sit behind it while it checks your registration for acting suspiciously and not carrying on with your own journey, but don't hold me up!
And while we're on the subject, that chevron-ed 4x4 on the hard shoulder helping the girl in the corsa change her wheel wasn't even a police car, it was a motorway patrol. So there was no need for you all to slam your brakes on and have a look was there? Hats off to one of the other patrols who was moving people over into the empty inside lane on the M42 as well.
A special mention for that caravan driver that decided to share my lane at the last minute as we joined the A34. I'm sure you think you indicated, perhaps the bulb has gone or something? I assume that was an apologetic wave you gave me as I pointed out that you tried to wipe me off the road - maybe your finger slipped?
Lots of love,
Pologirl.
(That's quite therapeutic actually... I don't get road rage, I just visit the BackRoom!)
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PG, obviously your driving skills and awareness have developed since first
coming here. I remember you then posted about having had multiple
accidents or near misses in a short space of time, and
I offended by casting some doubt on the driving ability of
someone so accident-prone.
Heh...maybe I've just learnt not to admit to them any more!?
>>I felt a bit bad about it at
the time, and I know you were annoyed too.
>>
Steady on, that was nearly an apology... from a man! Can someone get me the number of the Guiness book of records? ;-)
Not intending to sound patronising, and a little t-i-c, either the
Backroom or your advancing years have had a beneficial effect on
you :-)
I don't know if it's being here or being hit that has made me more aware - I just keep out of the way of anything bigger than me because I don't want to have to drive another courtesy car, and I want to hold on to my no claims for when I come to insure the Fabia :)
And what do you mean about advancing years?? I'm 21 (again) in September!!
Thanks :)
I have had trouble starting my car for a few weeks. It happened suddenly. The car would start eventually after turning the ignition but it would then blow black smoke out of the back.
I suspected the heater plugs. I changed these for new ones. Problem still existed. I then changed the air filter and the fuel filter. Still the same problem. I have put injector cleaner in the fuel and its still the same problem.
What I noticed tonight whilst messing is when I turn the ignition and let the heater plugs go out and then repeat this 3 times, it will start ok. Almost as if the plugs arent reaching temperature. I tried looking for some timer on the plugs but couldnt find it.
What controls the plugs and where?
I located a relay by the fusebox (footwell) and tested this. It closed when 12v is put across the contacts.
Thanks Read more
get your tappets ajusted
My parents stayed in a hotel last night, which has valet parking. Upon check in, the car keys are handed over to the porters, who then park the car in the car park attached to the hotel.
Unfortunately, when the car was being parked, the valet was reversing into a tight space and scratched the bumper of my parents' car on another car. Although the hotel has admitted liability to us, the valet claims that the other car drove into him, while the other party claims, unsurprisingly, that he reversed into her. I wasn't there and I will make no comment on liability.
The simplest solution by far would be for the hotel's insurance to pay for the damage to both parties' vehicles, but of course this may not happen. The car is insured so that it may be driven by anybody at all, so there is no issue with regard to an uninsured driver or any question of my parents' indemnifying the insurance company for their loss other than any excess or increased future premiums - which will themselves be minimal due to protected NCB.
My feeling is that my parents' insurers should be told of this, as there is a potential claim under the policy, even if it is indemnified by the hotel owners. My father feels that they have no need to know, because the premium may increase for what is the hotel valet's fault. Any comments? Read more
If the hotel management are concerned about their image they'll pay up without a murmur. A few years ago I returned to my car in a hotel car park to find a substantial dent high up on side. The manager correctly surmised that, given the location, the overnight laundry truck was the culprit. A call by him to the laundry company resulted in a swift repair; I reckon the laundry firm didn't want to risk losing the hotel's business.
Hello all. I have the shock horror situation of trading in my much loved and only recently bought Alfa 147 3 dr for a more practical family car, eg one that I can get a pram in as opposed to one large shopping bag. I have roughly £10k and am steering away from a brand new car, maybe 1 up to 2 years old, I was thinking along the lines of a Citreon C5 read various reports, Vectra, new Astra or Mazda 6, the £10k I fear would need to be flexible for some of the cars mentioned, could I have a bit of guidance, mileage is not an issue as I don't do a great deal!
Cheers. Read more
Hello again, I sure do enjoy my early evening posts! Cragg I and DD thanks for an insight into Vectra life, VB too, luckily I bought my Alfa from a dealer in which does have citreon and Alfa within their remit, I may have to talk tough but when I checked Parkers Sept figures I was pretty upset, me thinks a shot on E-bay as a respected member!! would do me some good, again thanks all and I will let you know what I opt for in the end!
Badgerman.
All,
I'm thinking of getting rid of the Mazda Xedos 9 that we've used as our family car for the past 18 months.
There's been nothing at all go wrong with the Mazda (nor with its 626 predecessor) but we're getting to the stage of wanting an estate.
Now, my first choice was for an Omega Estate (my other car's an Omega and I love it) but before I do, I wondered if anyone of the Japanese manufacturers do an Omega size estate? I've racked my brains, but I can't think of any. Are there? I understand there are plenty of Vectra sized ones, but Omega?
If ony Mazda did a Mazda 9 estate...
V
PS anyone know how I should pronounce "Xedos"? Read more
I had a play with all the buttons in the new Mitsubishi Grandis yesterday, they are a very big car, seven seats if you need them.
Only available new of course so expensive.
Browse
Same here. I remember one incident on the M25 some years ago when I had to brake hard (I wasn't concentrating enough to my eternal shame) and the laptop I had in the boot burst through the split rear seat and hit me in the back!
This taught me two lessons. Firstly, make sure that anything in the boot is secured appropriately, and second, ensure that if I've had the back seats down, make sure they're locked in place properly.
Whenever I need to take my toolkit around now, I stow it in the rear passenger's footwell where it fits like a glove.