September 2004
Interesting typo in HJ's test of the new Colt - could be a useful (if unlikely) entry among the touring cars!
"1,493cc 12 valve twin cam 3 cylinder diesel: 70kW (944bhp) at 4,000 rpm; 210Nm (155 lb ft) torque at 1,800rpm."
It reminded me that I had also seen the 'twin cam' label on an Isuzu 4WD recently, and I wondered why anyone would go to the trouble of doing that to a diesel? This isn't one of my usual diatribes about diesels, BTW, it's just physics - you simply don't need low reciprocating mass valvegear on a low revving engine, so I can only assume it's done for show, or perhaps because the heads are shared with a petrol model. Does anyone know?
The Colt review mentioned the new Renault Modus, which is now being advertised on the box, and quite neat it looks. I imagine the Colt will remain the better buy, but I did recently see a Renault Trafic Van with Nissan badges, so who knows what you're getting these days?
Over and out... Read more
I've suddenly developed an interest in a Picasso.
I know a new car takes some getting used to.
But how long is the process in a Picasso where you drive from what in any other car would be the rear seat?
Seriously that is a very nasty feeling. And the pedals are way off set or I need an operation.
Or I've turned into a grumpy old git and not noticed.
Oh dear. Read more
I've had a Picasso for three years but have no idea what you are talking about! The front seat works just fine for me.
In line with the theory that we are allowed a silly post on a Friday:
Today I had a can of Heinz Chicken Soup. As you may be aware, Heinz has reacted to the country's unhealthy state by bringing in new receipes for all their soups (all the old ones were taken off the shelves and donated to charity). The new soup has a much reduced sugar and salt content.
My opinion - it tasted awful! Give me back my original soup!
Which then led me to think - what other "new improved" recipes have came out that were just plain awful? What can you remember that once tasted great but doesn't anymore? Especially when it was done to make it healthier! I had to pour a bucket of salt on my soup to make it taste better!
- Coke - did they not try to bring out a new receipe recently that died (no I don't mean their Dasani water!)
Refresher bars - when I was small I loved these - my kids bought them the other day and they were just so chewy, no taste of sherbet at all! It really wasn't worth the hassle of trying to steal one of them!
Sherbet dip dabs - when I was small these came in a packet with a huge lolly and full of sherbet - now the lolly is a miniature version of a double lolly and has about a teaspoonful of sherbet in it!
Whatever happened to Texan bars, Ringo crisps, Caramac bars and Gobstoppers!!
Any other suggestions of good food that has disappeared? Or been improved to keep our society happy?
Mods, now that I have that off my chest feel free to delete this if you wish!
[Away to search my cupboards for some Creamola Foam now....]
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In line with the theory that we are allowed a silly
post on a Friday:
Providing there is some kinda motoring link, which in this case there isn't. Locked. DD.
Why does a given model of car increase in girth with every generation? Are they vying for biggest-in-class honours?
The mark V Golf was a shoe-in for replacement of my P reg one until I found it had put on four inches in width and so wouldn't fit the garage.
Other marques (Volvo, Toyota) seem the same for their equivalent models. There must be a niche market for £15-20000 type cars whose owners like locking them away at night, but so far I've only found the Lexus is200 as comparatively skinny.
Am I being too bourgeois in wanting to garage a mid-range car, or not bourgeois enough in not having a double-garage?
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I've just been thumbing through an old 'Observers' book of Automobiles'.
A Morris Minor and A Ford 100E prefect had a
kerb weight of about 15 cwt (750kg). Our VW Golf
Mk 3 1.4 5 door is about 1100 kg, 50% heavier.
Extra equipment plus crash protection must account for much of
the increase.
Maybe in the next few years all-aluminium bodyshells will work their
way down from top of the range Audis and Jaguars to
mainstream models, reversing the trend for increasing weight.
Cheers, Sofa Spud (just got 3 new trainee sofa spuds -
at the moment they're kittens but in a year or two....
Second thoughts more like sofa rippers!)
The new M5 V10 is going to be lighter than the old M5 V8. I think this might be the first of this trend.
Just got back from the seeing red ferrari day at Donnington Park - WOW!
Anyone else go there?
Both brakes lights on my 97 306 meridian have gone - one had blown anyway, the other one looked ok, but had been working intermitently for a while and has now stopped altogether. I've changed both bulbs and the fuse, but still no joy.
Any ideas as to fault and cost of repair? Read more
Thanks - both me and my garage would love to know.....
Noticed blue smoke on start-up/take off, found that the air filter housing was covered in oil so removed, soaked and flushed oil separator and hose with parafin. loads of crap in it and this solved the smoking problem. The following week did lots of jobs for MOT,it passed, treated it to an oil change, a week later I have the same scenario, but now its worse. Removed top of air filter while engine is running to check fumage, seems fine even when I rev it.
I suspect it could either be:
The new oil is thinner so its working its way past the seals although I have changed the oil evey year with Halfords 15W-40 and never had this problem before.
Oil seals are wearing out, after all its 16 years old and 125k. But if this were the case I would not have solved the original smoking problem by cleaning out the separator.
I am hoping its not piston rings as that would really annoy me considering the work I put in getting the thing to pass its MOT. I intend to do a compression test , can anyone tell me the acceptable range of PSI that would indicate the engine isn\'t knackered, I\'ve not done one of these tests before. Thanks Darren Read more
Thanks guys for the useful replies. Did a bit more investigation, sparks plugs are clean as a whistle, doesn't smoke on startup when cold , just on take off at operating temp. Suspect it is the seals which I'll replace at some point, will do a compression test just for curiosity. I agree with what you say number cruncher about the vauxhall engines being easy to work on, i wouldn't have a clue with modern cars!
According to the Le Monde newspaper, Sept. 9th., the number of victims of road accidents in France has gone down for 27 months on the trot, apart from January. The month of August 2004 showed a 10 % reduction compared with 2003. Brush off your GB plate and head over the Channel! Read more
As I understand it, French road deaths are almost twice UK equivalent, so it is comparatively easy for them to reduce this - they have had a national campaign in the last year or so. Question is, when (or if) they reach our levels, will the numbers level off and possibly rise (as ours seem to be) or will they continue to fall (France being a bigger, less congested country).
Splodgeface
Saw this on ebay (must be bored...)
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=...W
I think it means that the DIS display in the centre of the instruments can display the car's speed.
Any ideas? Read more
Not much at all.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=25...3
The bonnet I'm not too worried about - the liftgate handle I am. If it helps anyone to help me I'll take a pic and upload it to the msn site. You can't see it until you're about 4 foot away from the car but it will get worse.
Adam
There was a thread on here a while ago about tasteless customisation of cars (or is all customisation tasteless?).
Today I saw a prize example. It was an early Ford Fiesta whose bodywork was modified with massive wheelarch extensions like on the Metro 6R4 Rally cars. But what was missing was any sign of wide wheels - the car was riding on standard looking XR2 pepperpot wheels, inset maybe 10 inches from the wings. The car looked a bit ropey all round and appeared to have been sprayed using Halfords aerosols!
Maybe this car a set of wide wheels kept for special occasions, but It's difficult to imagine any roadwheels wide enough to fill the arches!
cheers, Sofa Spud
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I saw a tarted up Honda or similar saloon the other day - owner had even gone to the lengths of painting the rear drums silver with black spots to look like cross-drilled disks
--
Sept 2004 - 'Britain on the Move'
curious ? see www.mikes-walks.co.uk
On my 1997 Vectra V6, I have renewed the following;
Front discs and pads
Master cylinder including brakes system bleeding.
The brakes are improved slightly,but there is still the symptom of air in the system.
Has any Back Roomer any ideas or suggestions?
chartsurv.
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Chartsurv
Its possible that air is in the abs module and this can only be cleared by bleeding system and the abs module activated with the tech1 thingy that the dealers use I would go this route first as even if you get a new abs unit it will have to be bled this way to remove air out of abs unit hope it helps
RobertH
Hi Steve,
Please forgive me if I misinterpret your post - I'm not sure I follow it entirely [your style uses significantly fewer words compared with my verbosity :-)].
I am not sure I understand the need for controlling the air input into diesel engines - they tend to run very weak anyway. Even at full load, there is typically 20% excess air. I suppose as long as you can measure how much air goes in, you can make sure that you don't overfuel and cause excessive particulate emissions. If you don't measure the air that goes in, you may need to use a 'safer' fuel mapping to avoid soot, etc.
Racing engines usually do not need to demonstrate either good fuel consumption, or more saliently, acceptable emissions. (Wouldn't it be good it formula 1 and the like did have to pass euro V or whatever the current rules are? Then, the money spent on F1 might have some benefit for ordinary motorists!)
number_cruncher