April 2005
Having returned from the South of F yesterday using the A75 then Orleans - Rambouillet- Cergy Pointoise - Amiens - Calais route, (not my normal Chartres - Dreux - Rouen) I saw at least 5 mobile installations. 4 were within a 40 mile radius of Paris) The French police have discovered that they can hide (almost completely) their small (Clio sized) blue cars diagonally behind the Large Green barriers at the point where motorway exit slips start. The observer just pops just his head above the barrier with the binoculars. They used to do this but the old vans were always visible!
They were also using white vans and other nondescript small saloons. All were equipped with binocular sited radar(or laser?) that appears to target vehicles from several hundred metres.
Going South 3 weeks ago the A75 had mobile units hidden in the bushes of motorway emergency access points. In the past the oncoming French motorists always used to give flash warnings ( even on the lightly used motorways) but this was not evident. However this amy not be as obvious now a prportion of motorist are driving with headlights during the day. (As an aside I gather French motorcyclists are rebelling against this practice as it makes them (the motorcycles) less visible).
The camera on the A75 S close to the tunnel at Lodeve seems to have been reset to a new 80k limit (was 70). This appears more realistic, can any other local resident comment?
Random Breathalyser checks at night seem to have increased around the Pezenas area. Complete road blocks and pulling everybody for testing. Twice reported in 2 weeks.
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pmh (was peter)
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**** THREAD CLOSED, PLEASE CONTINUE DISCUSSION IN
"The Speed Camera Thread - Volume 32" ****
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For the continued discussion of all things pertaining to Speed Cameras.
This is Volume 31.
There is no need to repeat anything since earlier volumes will not be deleted. But then if we only posted original stuff the backroom would grind to a halt in a fortnight.
;o)
A list of previous volumes can be found here:-
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DD.
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"It's a red light camera"
In that case, I take back all my previous comments.
Mind you - someone who cant tell a red light camera from a speed camera needs all the help they can get ( TIC ;) )
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Read moreThinking seriously about buying a V70 in the next month or so - likely an X or Y reg SE spec. Have read HJ's Car-By-Car breakdown which gives it a good write-up but any thoughts from current owners out there would be gladly accepted, especially on the reliabilty front. Read more
Use the Forum Search (see the right hand side of the window) to search for Author=SjB and Message Body=V70.
You will see that I rather like mine! ;-)
Seriously, I find mine a great piece of kit.
Also suggest you take a look at www.volvospy.com (international in nature) and www.volvoclub.org.uk/dc/dcboard.php (more UK specific).
Of course many people only post when they have a problem, but these sites will give a wide range of opinion from a Volvo specific audience.
Have fun choosing, and feel free to ask any question you can't find answered already.
The oil filter on the prelude is horizontally fitted and there is no room to undo with a chain wrench or strap wrench, because of various brackets, drive shafts, exhaust pipe etc. I've bent the casing of the filter a bit because the chain couldn't turn it. In fact everything is in the way! On the earlier model you could just manage to undo it from above, ie in the engine bay under the air cleaner. Does anyone know where you can get a suitable wrench. A strap wrench where the thing you turn is at 90 degrees to the strap might do. I don't like putting a screwdriver through the thing. Any help appreciated. Cheers,Mikie. Read more
I don't blame you for not liking the screwdriver option often quoted.
Once you do this the car is effectively off the road and if by any chance it doesn't come off its disaster...
Hi folks
I have a Microscan MP4000 pager in my car and am in the process of installing a new alarm. Unfortunately I have lost the wiring diagram for the pager unit, so am unsure about some of its wires.
Would anyone have a wiring diagram ?
Thanks !
Frank Read more
Testing, testing........
Sorry, nothing to do with this query - just trying to work out why my other posts have not been posted......
Has anybody tried this?
www.channel4.com/4car/ultimate-car-quiz/
The top is 1215, surley they must have cheated! I cant get anymore than 20!
My Pug 306 hit 100k last week, its only my 2nd car Ive owned thats been over 100k! and it feels good, another 100k to come hopefully! Read more
22, and it took ages, the bloke who got 1200 must have been on it all day. Also I got one question that had nothing to do with motoring at all.
Hi All
In June/July I will be driving across Europe with my wife, to Linz in Austria for my sisters wedding. We're going to take a week each way, and try to see/do as much as possible. I have not driven in Europe at all before, so it's all a bit scary and I thought I'd ask here for any advice or pearls of wisdom people may have, be they about driving conditions, things to see, things to avoid, absolutely anything. Any comments will be very gratefully received.
We've got a kind of draft itinerary, so I thought I'd put that here so people can see where we're going close to, etc:
Firstly, we're going to be catching a speedferry from Dover to Boulogne. Anyone else done this? What's our best plan, do you think? Aim to arrive dead early to ensure we don't miss it, or are they OK about bumping you to the next ferry?
If we miraculously don't get held up for ages, and do get to Dover really early, is there anything to do?
Get to Boulogne on evening of 24th June (Fri) stay in hotel there (are we better off moving on a bit to find a hotel? Is Boulogne nice, or scummy?
Saturday 25th: Drive to Antwerp to meet up with some friends. Stay night in Antwerp.
Sunday 26th: Drive to Cologne (about 2 hours) spend some time in Antwerp, some in Cologne sightseeing etc. Stay night in Cologne.
Monday 27th: Drive to Munich (we've just realised we have an extra day here. Effort will be put into making this a Nurburgring day, but I'm not hopeful.) So we'll arrive Munich on...
Tuesday 28th (after a 5-ish hour drive altogether from Cologne) Stay Tuesday and Wednesday night in Munich.
Thursday 30th: drive Munich to Linz (2.5 hours) stay in Linz for wedding and such.
Monday 4th July: Leave Linz.... we haven't got any further than that yet, we're planning on a more southerly route back, possibly involving Lake Constance and the Black Forest, so I've been informed. Need to be back to Bologne by Friday the 8th, maybe Saturday at the latest.
Please, please comment if you can help at all. I have never driven in Europe before, so we have no idea at all.
Also: How hard is it to just drive around and find motels/hotels/B&B's in mainland Europe? Is it likely, or should we be booking everything before we leave? Or what about SWMBO's idea: take a tent. Not sure about that one myself, space may be limited in the Coupe anyway.
Again, PLEASE comment if you have anything useful, it's all rather scary... Read more
If you've not already actually made the booking with Speedferries, hurry
up!
Message received and understood. I am now booking it. Cheers for the heads up.
Methinks it's time for a new power steering belt on the Megane - it has been squealing when cold recently, and when I depressed it to check the tension I could feel what I can only describe as a scrunching. I'm assuming this means that it's past its prime. Is there anything to be wary of that the Haynes manual doesn't mention - it look suspiciously easy to change to me. Read more
Yours must be the old shape Megane as the new ones all have electric steering. From memory this is not a difficult job but don't over tighten the belt, enough not to squeal should be sufficient. I always found the Megane quite easy to work on. Should be straight forward.
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Driving from Boulogne to Brussels a few weeks ago, just inside the Belgian 'border' from memory, the police had parked their car diagonally across the very wide central reservation, in a clearing between the bushes made for emergency (i.e.road closed) U-turn use. In heavy, but very fast moving traffic, they thus covered the outside lanes in both directions very effectively with two laser guns.