April 2005
After 4 years of no more points, I got a NIP this weekend for 53mph on the A13 in a 40mph zone. Does anyone know why there is a 40mph limit on the A13? It caught me out - I felt like I was just keeping up with the flow.
damn cameras - its like Orwell's 1984. Read more
This is probably one for Elekie&AirconDoctor ...
The air conditioning on my Vectra doesn't seem to be cooling as it should! I know that when first started there was a "sucking" sound from the air con (compressor?) that lasted about one second. Now the sound lasts for about three or four seconds with a short "suck" every now and then.
I have checked under the bonnet and cannot see any obvious cracks in the pipes. Is this just a simple re-gassing or is there something more serious? Would Tech 2 show anything? Read more
So where did the original gas go then?
And more importantly, what's to stop your new gas going the
same way?
I can't say where the gas has gone - but I have read the other posts on aircon problems and natural leakage is inherent. The car is four years old so a 10% per annum leakage would be 45% (ish) of the gas gone. This is probably a bit high but illustrates the point. The system was cooling but not as it should, and, in fact, there is no longer the slight suck as the compressor kicks in which had been there since I bought the car at one year old.
I left my car with my mechanic and he had a specialist collect the car and test and re-gas it. In these sorts of jobs I will have to trust that the aircon guy has done his job right - I have noticed a yellow dye near the aircon valves so I would say that he has done some form of leak test but I will look at the pipes behind the radiator. I went through my mechanic to get the job done as I can trust him, so I hope that the others he uses can be trusted.
Has anyone any experience/views on this car. I drove a Corsa Easytronic a couple of years or so ago and I remember having to remember to lift my foot off the throttle to change gear, when it was in auto mode. Is this the same with Astra?
Are there any problems with this gearbox? Read more
My Dad's Meriva has easytronic, he prefers to have it in manual all the time because he drives down a hill it automatically changes from 4th into 2nd with the revs going up 3500rpm when really 3rd would be appropriate. Also you must have your foot firmly on the foot brake whilst you select D or neutral, which dad has only just got into the habit of! He doesnt need to lift the throttle when changing gear i dont think?
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)
2yrs old 50,000 miles, drives absolutely fine.
Do I need to add any additives to clean the injectors as a matter of routine? I very rarely put in supermarket diesel. The manual makes no mention.
Thanks Read more
This was discussed last month at
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?v=t&t=29...6
Hi
Can anyone help? Ive managed to loose the immobilisor fob for my '93 Cavvy. Im not sure what make it is but its the old type that you need to touch on the contact in the dash before starting. The immobiliser is of no use to me and i'd like to get shot of it anyway.
The question is, how do i disable it for good?
Any help greatly appreciated
Martin Read more
Theoretically it should be simple - it can only revolve around the breaking or making of a circuit.
In practice I suspect that it will be so difficult to identify which wire is which that you are better to go to an auto-electrician.
Sorry, HJ, but you slipped up in yesterday's DT column.
You mentioned that Porsche 996s should not be taken to track days as they "can suffer oil-surge problems in extreme driving conditions, such as track days".
First, this only applies to the 911 Carrera models. The GT models (GT3, GT2 etc) employ a different sump design, specifically to cope with the very high lateral forces that the car can create.
Second, even in the Carrera models, an oil surge is possible only if the car is fitted with slick or near-slick tyres - on approved road tyres the car will not create enough lateral acceleration to cause an oil surge. And those owners who bother to RTFM will be warned loud and clear not to fit slicks, for this specific reason.
I can assure you from personal experience that the lateral forces in a 996 Carrera on a track day are stunning, but that the engine copes. Indeed, the car positively laps* it up and begs for more.
I think a correction in next week's column might be in order. If I hadn't happened to have heard this precise point discussed by an engineer a few weeks ago then I would now be in a state of near panic about the track day that I am about to book.
You also comment about relative prices of 993s and 996s. Late 993s are indeed more expensive than early 996s, but this is simple supply and demand. The 996 sold exceptionally well - there are over 15,000 in the UK. The 993 is a rarer sight.
And, of course, you have to ask one question. Why did the 996 sell so well? ;-)
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*sorry. I'll get me coat. Read more
It's an incredibly capable sports car which just also happens
to be able to gobble 800 miles of Europe in a day in comfort.
Spot on, pd. Almost exactly why I chose it - as a sports car it shamed most of its competitors, but if I want to use it to get from A to B instead of A to A then it still shames them!
Just noticed that I have a diesel leak coming from a unit just below the inlet manifold to the right of cylinders 1 and 2 - it looks like the leak is coming from the top of this unit where the fuel feed pipe (from the fuel filter assy) enters at the top. It looks like the pipe is just a push fit without any sort of clip but I was peering at it with a torch so I may be wrong. The fuel has run down the side of the whole engine block. (good job it is not petrol!)
Can anyone tell me what this unit is and what I am likely to need to fix it
Thanks
Steve Read more
My wife's Astra ('97) has just broken a front coil spring, any idea how much this will cost to replace in a local garage? Read more
Thanks, very helpful.
We are off to Northumberland on Thursday next week for a few days, leaving West Yorkshire late morning. We'll be stopping for lunch on the way, but I don't know the area at all. Can anyone recommend any decent small towns or pubs for lunch around Newcastle which are not too far from the A1? Read more
Just got back from the far north east after a great weekend. We stopped at The Sun in Morpeth, an excellent recommendation all four of us enjoyed the fare.
Did the usual sights - Seahouses, Bamburgh, Berwick etc. Alnwick Gardens are fantastic and a must for anyone in the area - the treehouse is one hell of a construction. We had dinner there on Saturday evening - food not bad, but quite expensive, you are definately paying for the novelty! Didn't make it to Lindisfarne as the weather yesterday was foul - monsoon conditions for most of the day, we have saved that for next time.
It was also my first trip in the new A3 as I managed to pick it up last Wednesday. Done 600 miles now so it's virtually run in and so far it's faultless - the DSG gearbox is excellent and brisk in gear acceleration can get you from pootling about to illegal speeds very quickly! Filled up after doing 450 miles and it needed 42 litres (48.6 mpg) needless to say I'm very happy with that figure.
Hi
I am new here and really need some advice.
I was going over the severn bridge last weekend and drove through a speed camera (police camera van on the bridge) I was doing about 80-85 in a new 50 zone and I have not had anything from dvla yet.
I am really worried that I will be banned from this but cant find any details on penalties that are current on the web (not that great at searching to be honest!)
Does anyone know what the penalties are as I recall something about graduated penalties being introduced but cant remember if it happened or not.
I am really scared as mu car is my life and I couldnt live without it in all honesty.
thank you in advance. :) Read more
I am new here and really need some advice.
As you've had that advice, I'm locking this thread before emotions run higher than they already have.
I am really scared as my car is my life and I couldnt live without it in all honesty.
And this is most likely the reason for the high emotions and personal comments made toward you. If your car is your life and you couldn't live without it, then don't speed - whatever the circumstances - which in this case wasn't exactly an emergency.
DD.
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Thats why I qualified it "in parts". In fact i think its this mix of good and appaling that makes it so dangerous.