December 2004
Over the next few weeks many of us will be on long journeys , looking for things to pass the time.
Years ago, with my kids, we used to play "pub cricket" , but with so much motorway mileage this doesn't work ..but I have come up with a game where we spot other road users ( of course only to be played by passengers !
When you are "in" you are aiming to "spot a twonk" .. identifying features in other roadusers which score points .. you have an "innings" , which would be a fixed time- say 5 minutes per person.. and if you score 100 in your innings you get a "twonk" - highest number of twonks wins.
Scoring
LIGHTS- no lights in rain , mist or darkness -10 points ; parking lights in rain, mist or darkness -5 points ; unnecessary fog lights 5 points - stupid blue lights 5 points
PLATES - unfunny messing with numerals or letters 5; ludicrous typefaces 5 points , with a bonus 5 for copperplate
BELTS - driver unbelted 5; both at front unbelted 10; children unbelted 10 , special bonus of extra 5 if child is standing between front seats and just behind handbrake
PHONES- normal handheld only 2 points , but 5 if you can prove he was texting
MANEOUVRES- 5 each for- slip road to lane 3 in one movement; overtaking within 100 yards of exiting the motorway ; top-class slipstreaming so close to the car in front it looks like it's towing you ; specila bonuses of 5 for completey unannounced lane-changing , especially if that is as the traffic is queuing for an obstruction
HOURS OF FUN Read more
BRoomers
My Mondeo is suffering from high speed vibration. Seat of pants rather than steering wheel and only really apparent over 70mph (sorry officer).
Had the wheel balance checked by Merityre (a step up from the major chains) and no problems found but vibration still there. Tyres/discs etc all look fine
Any suggestions?
Dan Read more
SjB
apologies for very slow thanks (Christmas/skiing hols/away with work and other delays mean the vibration went unsolved for a long time) - yoor advice helped rule out dampers.
eventually traced to a combination of bulge on tyre (missed by both merityre and yours truly until it got worse) and a damaged suspension bush.
cheers
Dan
Got my (nearly new) BMW unmarked like new 2 weeks ago.
Parked in a multi-story car park, some dork has put a one inch vertical scratch on the door.
Is this something I can fix myself? I know I can buy touch up paint from BMW or should I leave it for now, wait for some more damage and eventually take it to the local body shop? Read more
I too would phone the dealer, see who they use, they will occasionally have to do such repairs on new cars I don't doubt.
It is easy to fill a scratch with non-metallic paint and polish it flat, but metallics are virtually impossible, as the flakes lie at a different angle to the original ones.
Is there an Idle Stabilisation Valve on the 16V Corrado Engine/Golf Gti and where is it located? This was suggested as another possible solution to a Eng. Temperature problem I have on my Corrado 16v 2.0i.
I replaced the Heater Matrix on the Corrado a couple of months ago and have had problems since...I don't know if its related to the job I did, I don't believe so. Heater works fine. The Engine is racing at approx. 1150 to 1200 r.p.m. once it comes up to normal operating temperature. The Engine Temp. guage stopped working and evidence clearly showed it was overheating. A mate kindly gave me a replacement gauge but I had to figure out what was causing the problem before fitting the replacement one. I also have some coolant loss but despite many checks there is no evidence of coolant loss anywhere in the engine bay.
A couple of friends and some Tech. Motor club members suspected the Engine Coolant Temperature Sensor, it also influences idle stabilisation I understand, is this true does anyone know?. I replaced this but to no avail (the one that feeds the Temp. gauge). The Temperature Gauge works now but the Engine continues to race all the time, very embarrassing in traffic!!!!. I think it might be only a matter of time before the gauge overheats again.
Eng. Temp. gauge yesterday evening indicated a reading of anything between 95 and 105 deg. after 15 mins of driving in Traffic, fan seems to be coming on ok, however engine was racing at approx.1100 to 1200 r.p.m. I let it idle when I got home, after 2- 3 minutes engine stopped racing, again the fan was coming on intermittently as it idled.
The thermoswitch and Thermostat were both replaced approx. 9 months ago.
Have any of you come across anything like this on a Corrado or Golf Gti?
Thanks.
Read more
is this a club?
Taking the dog for a walk this afternoon I had to stop at the end of the footpath on the road for a farm vehicle. It was travelling quite fast - probably just over thirty - for such a contraption. However, I'm amazed that it was allowed on the road the way it was. It was a type of tractor used for moving bales of hay, and it had half a dozen or so long, thick spikes protruding from the front. They projected a good few feet from the front of the tractor and I shudder to think what might have happened if he'd hit a pedestrian or another vehicle side on. Read more
On front loaders I have seen, the spikes can either be raised high in the air, or turned so that they point downwards.
Almost as dangerous is when they are carrying one of the new extra-large big bales. These often completely hide whatever lights the tractor might just possibly be showing.
I've just been to a training presentation highlighting the dangers of the spikes on forklift trucks. The handout contained an interesting misprint refering to them as "froklift" trucks. Not much imagination needed there!
Ah, expensive chasis damage! So my offer of a quid was realistic after all. I don't mind coming to collect.
My gaffer has a 3 year old Focus diesel,which has developed a fault with a valve in the inlet manifold.(Or so Ford say.)
Has anyone else had a similar problem with their's,insofar as the revs/power die at about 80mph,and what was the outcome?
Sadly,because it has got 65k on the clock,it's out of warranty.
Ken. Read more
IIRC there was a similar problem with the Mondeo diesel. if the valve was rattling the solution was to block a vacuum pipe that operated the valve. The valve was for varying the inlet manifold pressure to improve flow. It sounds like your gaffer's may not be operating, check the pipe for damage/splits.
Hi,
Could somebody give me some advice on tyres please. In a few hundred miles, I am going to have to change all four tyres on my S60 R, My local dealer has given me three choices of tyre, Continental Contisport 2, Pirelli Pzero Rosso and Goodyear eagle F1. I don't know which one to choose, Please advise, I would like a tyre that lasts about 10k and handles really well in the wet. Thanks Read more
When I change them in a few thousand
miles, my intention is to fit Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tyres as replacements.
Note my comments above re Bridgestones, reckon the fronts are 30% worn after 4k miles where Conti's lasted over 25k.
Yeah boring I know, but I'd really appreciate some help in any form.
I bought a 1.4 Clio from a friend last week and something he's had for a while is a knocking noise (every 1/2 sec) going round right hand bends with the engine loaded and above 40-50mph. A much light noise occurs going round left hand bends at lower speeds. Odd? He's had 3 mechanics (including one Renault) look at it and they can't work it out. It doesn't effect handling, but I do notice that under excelleration going straight the steering feels twitchy or less willing to accept user input....I wouldn't of thought this was due to the wheels lifting off the ground...it's only a 1.4!
Really will appreciate any help and assure to follow up when the problem is found.
I can't work it out because after 10 years of riding bikes....my knowledge of cars is limited....to put it lightly! Read more
The Skye Bridge toll has been discontinued.
Should we follow suite with all bridge and tunnel tolls in the UK? Read more
Let's all write "Mark (RLBS)" onto our ballot papers next February!
Reminds of the quote noting that a benevolent dictatorship was always in practice preferable to an incompetent democracy, if not in theory.
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Are there extra points if the stupid blue lights are flashing at the time?? ;-)