December 2004
Around london I have noticed small circular black/silver things sunk into the front wings of mercedes cars. I think they may be some kind of security device as they mostly seem to be on s-classes possibly used to transport vips. Does anyone know what these are? Read more
HI,
My S60 R has just been returned from an accident repair shop. I locked it, only to find that the indicators did not flash. the LED in the dash was lighting up as normal. HOwever, when i unlock the car, the indicators flash as normal. STRANGE???!
does anyone have any ideas? >>>>>>>>>>> Dan
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Hmmmmmmmm????
Some time ago I found a car registration site that let you putin a number and it told you where and when it was issued. Can't find it now. Anyone know of such a site.
Cheers
Peter Read more
Well my cherished mark (mods:it's in my email adress) is listed as 'maybe for sale' and is listed as 'price on application'
That's certainly news to me!!!!
Where can I find he Jack in a 1994 Ford Fiest LX? Read more
You will find the jack under the bonet, above the battery!
This was a problem in my grandmothers fiesta!
Let me know if this has helped!
From the BBC News website, this is also proposed on the A370 leading into Bristol.
I just see it as completely undemocratic, the ability to share a journey with someone is a matter of circumstance not choice. Why should I be penalised because I do not happen to have a friend or neighbour who works near me and/or for the same hours as me in comparison to a guy in the next village who just happens to have a neighbour who works around the corner from him who also does a 9 to 5.
It is not as if public transport is an option for many motorists, in such circumstsnces it is gauling when buses trundle past in a bus lane, however for another driver to take precedence just because he has a passenger ......
There is another issue, I could be stopped and prosecuted for using the lane if I have no passenger however a drunk, drugged up, uninsured, no MOT, bald tyred etc etc driver would motor on through just because he has got his mate with him.
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Funnily enough, Islington is outside the congestion charging zone.
I wonder why?
More traffic jams there than there were in central London before the charge was imposed.
Anything to do with the fact that politicians live there?
Personally, I haven't been into the charge zone in a car since it came in and don't intend to.
London's loss, not mine!
A couple of months back I bought a 1997 Fiesta Ghia 1.8 diesel as a second car for local trips. One previous owner, it's got 2 years MOT (I'm in France), 140k miles on the clock, starts first time, doesn't smoke, and as long as I keep the revs around 3000 it sings along (noisily I grant you).
But when I change up through the gears a bit soon, or negotiate sharp bends or roundabouts without changing down from third to second, the whole car just jerks and "kangaroos". To pull away I need to drop another cog.
Should I be worried that I've spent my hard-earned on a car on it's last legs? Or is it just normal that this wheezy old torque-free lump can't pull itself along? I'm ignorant about diesels, but I believe there's no distributor or spark plugs to point the finger at?
BTW, all the locals (French) swear that old Fiestas are a much better buy than their Peugeot/Citroen/Renault counterparts!
Easily fixed, or do I put up with it? It cost me more than you might think to buy - used motors in France fetch higher prices than in the UK.
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Change up later, change down earlier, and as a lonshot what state are the engine mounts?
Stimulated by the recent thread on spacesaver spares, I've been thinking.
When we had a poll on spare tyre options, 85% or so of respondants expressed a preference for a full size spare wheel, and I guess most motorists would agree. Once upon a time, such a thing was standard on all cars (to the best of my knowledge). No longer.
We also had a poll about optional extras asking which of the following we would choose if we could only choose one: air-con, sun-roof, leather seats, electric windows, satnav, DVD, alloys.
I wondered "What if 'full size spare wheel' had been on the list?" I'm not suggesting we re-run the poll, but I'd be interested in whether it would make much difference to the way the rest of you voted.
Personally, I think it's daft that a lot of cars come with alloys and electric windows as standard, but don't even give you a proper spare wheel.
I might also add that I think it is interesting that car mags have tables at the back which tell you about whether cars have air-con, alloys, etc - but they never seem to incorporate spare wheel choice in these tables.
What do other Backroomers think? Read more
A2 also came with a large, heavy duty, white, Audi branded bin bag to put the dirty wheel into!
www.a2oc.net/pic_showall.asp?cat_id=56&parent_id=7...s
We have a leakage! Have replaced the thermostat today but water is still leaking from the back of the power steering pump, through holes that were already there.....any ideas pls? Read more
The leak is on the back of the power steering pump. I took off the housing and there was a small impellor. The hose from this part goes to the bottom of the rad. The holes do have thread, I plugged two with bolts but the leak has re appeared!
We need a new lwb hi-top van to tow the rally car (about £2-3k)
(our F reg Ducato has finally died)
Anyone got any experiences of
Ducato/Boxer/Citroen equivalent
Iveco Daily
Transit
Any other ideas?
Any web sites which give specs of vans?
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What you really meant to say was a new secondhand/pre-used/old van....:-)
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
I'm looking for something really cheap (few hundred quid). To mess around with on road rallies, use for club auto tests, scatters etc. Then throw away after 12 months or sooner if I bend it.
Should be small and powerful and cheap to buy / easyish to get bits for.
Ok the ideas so far are ;
309 Gti (easier to find than 205)
Metro gti
ZX 16v
Jetta gti (or whatever it was called)
What would you suggest?
James Read more
Watch out with 309 GTi Mi16 conversion cars- it is NOT an easy conversion to do IF it is done properly. The manifolds cause problems. You really need a to use a custom exhaust manifold. Lots of people fit these engines, but dont put them in at the right angle, which can result in oil starvation when cornering etc.
Mi16 engine is capable of huge power, cams are very mild as standard so just changing these improve power noticeably. Big valve head, cams and throttle bodies will give enormous performance, but you would need new drive shafts.
Handle well, but once lowered and uprated, can suffer problems with understeer, hence the desire still for good 205's which dont have this problem.
Best to look for the best shell you can find and have the engine and gearbox rebuilt by a decent engine builder. Watch out there a loads of useless peugeot tuners.
Jetta 16v's are quick and quite easy to set up suspension wise, but big power increases are not al that easy, a ported 2 ltr with cams will give about 160-165bhp if your lucky. Standard 1.8 16v's can be tweaked around with (vernier pulley, exhaust cam used in the inlet, modded fuel pressure regulator) to give as much as 145bhp if you get a good one.
Browse
Are they like the spikes bodecea had on the side of her chariot to plough through the peasents in her way?