January 2005
Under the new Freedom of Information Act the police now have to provide information on speeding offences on a centrally held database. The aim is to reduce the impact of speeding in urban areas and ensure prompt payment of speeding fines etc.
To check whether your vehicle has been registered as having caused a motoring offence follow the link below or paste into your browser.
You will need a password and username which is obtainable by clicking on the 'need a log in?' The simply enter your registration plate for a list of offences.
www.e-database.co.uk
If an offence is recorded, you can check the photograph Read more
I have a Golf Mk IV estate, only 2.5 years old. The other day we found a puddle of water in the front footwell, and the rear footwell was also soaking (both driver side). On testing with a hose it seems that water is tracking in from somewhere above the brake pedal mounting. Under the bonnet, the enclosed area below the windscreen seems to retain standing water longer than I would like or expect: there's usually a rubber drain hose for these areas, but the engine compartment is so packed that I can't see or feel a drain hose. If indeed standing water here is the cause of the problem. Anyone else had this problem? Any suggested remedies? Apart from handing over wads of cash to a dealer, that is. So much for the legendary VW build quality ...
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Sincere thanks to Halmer, enr1, Stuartli and Dynamic Dave for sharing your information and giving me something to go on. The Puravent website is astonishingly helpful: why aren't car manuals that helpful? (silly me, I am forgetting: they don't want us to do our own servicing any more ...)
Seeing as we had a thread on gently malfunctioning Civics in Discussion, can anyone enlighten me as to the possible cause of the following:
1) Car is idling in neutral. Squeaking noise, almost like a dodgy belt pulley or something, coming from flywheel end of engine.
2) Put foot on clutch and depress - different squeak, apparently from somewhere in mechanism, suggestive of a need for lubrication. Dodgy pulley-type noise stops.
3) Lift foot off clutch - squeak from mechanism as in 2). Dodgy pulley-type noise starts up again.
Car has done 15,500 miles. Just to clarify, I do not ride the clutch, or hold the car on it in traffic/on hills, and the car is not driven especially hard.
I'm going to be having a word with the dealer on Monday, but it would be handy to have an idea of what the problem is so that they can pinpoint it.
TIA...
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RF was working this morning. During my morning fag break.....
At Finsbury Pavement (the border between London Borough of Islington & The City of London) a motorist wanted to stop at the cash machine. He pulls over on to the wrong side of the road to park, unfourtunately going the wrong side of a keep left bollard to do so. Silly man was followed by a City of London police car (Rover ZT T estate in full livery) who promptly stops and gets out to book the silly man.
While the C-o-L Plod was writing up his ticket ( a £30 fixed I assume) a London Borough of Islington traffic warden pops up and starts to write the motorist a ticket for being on a double yellow. Coversation assues between Plod and Warden. Warden carries on writing ticket and the words "IF you carry on I shall book you for obstructing an officer in the course of his duty" is heard.
Warden carries on, slaps ticket on car and now incandescent with rage Plod grabs warden, cautions him, gets on talking broach and whistles up another City of London plod car (BMW 5 series touring - dont the C-O-L use nice cars!) and warden is promptly bundled into back and driven away to much cheering and clapping of the now assembled audience.
Plod issues bemused motorist with his 30 fixed, then takes the the ticket off the car window, and then asks man for name and address (presumably as witness for obstruction charge)
It will probably bee the funiest thing I wil ever see. Read more
At least some Camden "Parking Attendants" have a weird idea of truthfulness too.
The week before last I pointed out to a delivery driver that his van was being ticketed in less than a minute.
Told Camden that the guys were hot off the mark and the reply was that the attendants notes showed that they had spoken to the driver to ask him to move on before issuing the ticket.
Not true: It was I who drew the attention of the driver to the attendants when we were standing in our hallway with the door open!
OK, here goes a really stupid question!
Where on earth is the fusebox on an Alfa 156?
I have a 2001 Sportwagon and my cigarette lighter doesn't work. The one in the boot is fine but the one in the front doesn't work. I thought I'd check the fuse (as this is about the limit of my skills!!) and couldn't even find the fusebox!
I found the one under the bonnet with massive fuses in but presume there is a smaller one for lights and stuff?
Apologies for asking such a basic question but any help is appreciated - no matter how simple!!
Cheers
Glen Read more
Just above the right knee and slightly below the steering column - I think it looks like an oddment tray. Not sure how the lid comes out - probably just a gentle pull forwards - as the one in the car I drove had already fallen off!
Help! I am trying to identify the various "chirrups" etc emitted by my (very) recently acquired Rover 25.
It seems to have more bells and whistles than a fun-fair. My fault entirely, I'm sure, for not buying a new car for 9 years.
It does all sorts of (mildly irritating and superfluous) things which I won't go into but........ I really would like to know why, every time I switch the ignition off, it goes "warble warble, warble warble, warble warble". No clues in the handbook; nice sales-person says "probably something to do with the immobiliser....". "Probably" doesn't fill me with confidence, I have to say. Another thought was that it was to remind me to remove the front from the stereo...........
Any brighter ideas from you clever people - please?!
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Dave and Adam
Happy now! The Sony Stereo is non-standard and therefore not covered by the h/book. Borrowed one from a neighbour with a Sony and it's all explained. Sadly it doesn't tell you how to stop the wretched thing doing it though.
Will cross that bridge another time............
Sorry yours was nicked, Adam. It's obviously a really great security device!
Thanks to both of you!
Barbara
The fuel gauge on my 1995 1.2 Corsa swings about when cornering. Is this likely to be the sender in the tank of the gauge damping? Read more
I think you will find that this is a fairly common characteristic of these early model Corsas.Later models have a modified fuel tank to reduce the amount of fuel movement when cornering.(extra baffles)
I am going with my BiL tomorrow car hunting for him to get a car. He has decided he wants a C2 1.4Hdi Design.
Citroen price is 9395 - 1300 cashback = 8095
What is the best way to get the best deal on this car? He has sold his own car privately so time is of the essence. Also, aware that Citroen change their deals monthly, I feel that Jan's deals might be better than Febs as Feb is closer to new car reg time?
Do dealers have much scope to haggle on price - it would be a straight cash deal but he would consider finance if it worked out a better deal over the term.?
Or is any haggling going to come in the form of accessories? There are 3 main dealers we are going to look at, should we be honest and say by end of day we will we buying a car from one of them so that they open up to us?
If I started by phoning round them would they discuss a deal on the phone? My previous experience is they always want you to come in to discuss a deal?
Thoughts would be appreciated guys. This is a new one on me as the deals I have "advised" on before always included trade ins, so was very ependant on trade in price, but not this time!
Any insider info from people in the trade? Read more
I like Citroens. The Xantia we have now has 165k on it and still never lets us down despite being 11 years old this year. Brilliant car.
I will be genuinelly sad to see it traded in on Saturday.
Need to check a car (a Japanese import) which is 150 miles away and don't have time/inclination to go there and do it myself.
Anyone got any feedback on these companies:
Vehicle Condition Specialists
Car Inspection Company
Unipart Car Inspection (take car to nearby Unipart service 'shop and they inspect for £99).
Alternatively, any others that are good (RAC want £200, which is a bit dear IMHO)?
ABS has closed down now, AFAIK. Read more
When I was looking into purchasing a warranty from Warranty Direct I was told that if there was a claim I could let one of these Unipart Service Centres do the work and have them settle the bill directly with Warranty Direct.
The other option was to take it to a VAT registered garage of my choice, get them to agree the job and costs with Warranty Direct, then pay for the job myself and claim the money back.
On the face of it the Unipart option looked good as I had 4 local garages showing up as Unipart Service Centres on the Unipart website. Unfortunately the first two of centres that I went into to 'check out the facilities' told me that they didn't do this 'direct billing' with Warranty Direct.
Needless to say that's where i left it, not a good experience before I even got started.
It could have been an expensive exercise if I'd bought the warranty and then tried to use my local Unipart branches.
PP
Had a laugh this morning.
Rang an insurance company for a quote (new business). Got the spiel about 'call being recorded for training purposes'. I then told them that I was also recording the call on my digital answer machine (which has this facility). The girl on the other end then said that she could not speak to me and would have to refer the matter up to a supervisor and call me back!!
Very interesting...... Read more
If you can stretch to a 0870 phone call and don't have the equipment then the link below looks interesting.
www.registeredcall.com/Default.asp?cat=2
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comedian !