July 2005
The new issue of the IAM mag has some info on use of cars in private/supermarket car parks. As this has come up here before I thought it worth sharing.
They say the law is complex and give some examples:
Although road signs do not have the same authority as signs on the highway, and cannot be enforced under highway law, evidence of contravention of a sign in a private car park could be used in support of a prosecution for, say, careless driving.
A driving licence or MOT is NOT required in a supermarket car park as it is not a road
Motor insurance IS required as it is a public place
A vehicle excise licence is NOT required as the road is not repairable at public expense
If an accident occurs the same obligations to stop and exchange details apply as on a road
Rules relating to drink or drugs and driving are the same as on a road
a driver could be prosecuted for dangerous or careless driving but could not be prosecuted for using a mobile phone while driving
Read more
Hi all [hopefully blueh, HJ, & all other sales people!]
We went out last week to buy Mrs Citroënian brand new car and found what looked to be an excellent deal on a website - through a main dealer I know well - lots of branches in the north east and throughout the country.
Spoke to the helpline, visited the dealer, agreed a good price with 0% finance - left a deposit and agreed to pick the car up Friday.
Salesman rings today and to say they're having problems getting the car in the Black - the colour (and only colour) we want. It's even on the order form that the car is to be black. Was passing dealer this afternoon and the options they've given me are:
a. Go for another colour
b. Wait for factory order (~8 weeks) but don't get the 0% finance. (Just read the manufacturer website and I think they should be able to get the 0% on a car reg'd before Sep 30th)
c. Pay another £1000 to go up to the next model variant and get the car in two weeks.
(a) isn't an option, we really like the colour and there's no guarantee we'd get a decent alternative if we did change
(b) Asked a couple of other dealers and there aren't many of this model in Black around, so factory would make sense but the finance is them just telling porkies
(c) We don't want to pay the extra - it's obviously better specc'd but is in total a lot more than we intended to pay initially. Would be extra be worth it when we come to sell the car - it's alloys/fogs/aircon as extras
I think I'm being seduced by the idea of a new car which is warping my judgement. I think I'll just get my money back, but would appreciate any advice from people who know about these things and could point me in the right direction.
Is August as silly a time as I think it is for buying a car? We could wait until the end of the year for the car and we're not too bothered if it's a 05 or a 55.
My head is hurting thinking about this!
Thanks in advance for your views
Lee.
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us. Read more
I think you are right Blue Haddock, but it is going to cost them big money compared to what they would pay if they were more flexible. If they checked out how many thousand more they might decide to compromise a bit and enjoy a huge saving.
Praise where praise is due, and following up on my tax problem thing of a few weeks ago, I just want to say what magnificent service I got from the DVLA local office in Sidcup, Kent.
It couldn't have been better. There was a long queue, but I got offered the only seat available, by the security man (wondering if that was a compliment or that I am looking particularly frail and needy these days!) and he then gave HF offspring his own footie magazine to pass away the boredom of waiting.
Just cannot fault that sort of personal service, and on a car website just thought it worth a mention.
HF Read more
Volvoman, even with our new improved site, there simply would not be the space for that.
Hello,
Just wondering what you think. Just got back from local shops where I parked, legally, in a proper parking space whilst my boys went into the shop. Pretty much immediately a man parked literally 2 inches behind me, stopping me moving my car at all (front of my car was at a barrier) whilst he went in to get his takeaway. He was there for quite some time and I was getting a bit miffed to say the least. It's not that there weren't other legal parking spaces available just feet up the road.
I waited, but when he came out of the shop, I got out of the car just to say something along the lines of 'you blocked me in for ten minutes there mate, what was the point?' I didn't swear or anything like that, all I got in return was a sort of sheepish smile, no apology, and he subsequently flew off in his car.
In hindsight I was probably wrong to even say anything, especially in the area I was in at the time. But laying down and saying nothing all the time doesn't suit me very well.
Would it be more responsible to say nothing and be walked all over? I don't know, I've done that most of my life and it doesn't seem to have got me far!
HF Read more
Steve yep you're right. And you clearly have experience of the people!
And you're right I should not confront - that's kind of what I was thinking when I started this thread.
I could have been asking for trouble - but at the same time there's this little feeling that not everyone should be getting away with anti-social behaviour. Not for me to crusade about it but just occasionally it gets my rag. And, one time in a thousand, it gets too much to ignore. I conclude that, indeed, I might well be classed as an idiot!
My R-reg Mondeo has developed a missing or snatching in a low revs and no load situation. I have checked fuel solenoid on the fuel pump and there does not appear to be a leak on the primer pump. A friend of mine suggested a fuel additive as it might be a sticking injector. The additive has been in for 3 or 4 days but there does not seem to be an improvement. Any ideas?
FRED
Read more
Hi
My problem hasbeen solved, A "Cam tuning solenoid" has been fitted to the injection pump by my local ford agent.
This may be of help to someone with a similar problem.
Regards Fred.
Today I got stuck behind a rover. I've lost count of the times that it's happened before, but as I followed him at 35-40 mph on a 60 I had time to examine his car.
A large piece of plastic stuck to the rear of his car. I presume it was meant to be a spoiler but he didn't seem to be making use of it today.
A piece of metal surrounding the end of the exhaust area. Is this designed to protect his car's body work from the red hot gases coming from his exhaust as he pushes his car to the limits?
Low profile tyres - it didn't seem to be helping him go round corners as he went extra slow each time he approached one.
I would really like to know from a rover driver
- why do most of you drive like you're brain dead?
- why do you do 40 in a 60 and then carry on at 40 in a 30?
- why do most of you wear hats when you're driving?
- what will you drive when the last rover falls apart because of all the tat added to them?
- do you have to pass a special exam in bad driving to drive a red or gold rover?
Read more
I'm not saying that all people should drive fast for the
sake of it. Simply, that if you are holding up several
vehicles, (whatever your model of Rover or MG ZT, ZR, ZR-tat,
zzz) it doesn't take much energy to pull over and let
them past.
Or indeed if you're driving any car slowly.....
I ust admit, I don't see the Rover stereotype round here so much.
We do seem to have more than our fair share of Rovers, but sunday drivers do seem to come in a variety of cars. Some are holiday makers taking in the scenery, others are just slow anyway and some drive tracters and JCBs etc.
The tracters and JCBs and those who know they're driving slowly pull over on a regular basis, as I do if I'm towing my 2.7 tonne trailer fully laden if I need to. The problem we have around here is some (but not all) slow drivers in cars with/without caravans, and camper vans.
Why - I don't know. I can only assume that they are often not aware of people behind them, or they don't feel they're driving that slowly.
The problem is that any indication/reques for them to let you pass safely is so often interpreted as agressive. In this situation I try to be patient and wait for some straight road to overtake. I have occasionally been known to flash the lights and indicate right whilst keeping a distance. That has worked but more often that not, it is ineffective. So I am then stuck behind them. Tough.
On the other hand, how do we all behave when we're driving at what we believe is a sensible speed and someone wants to overtake us?
Seem to have saved myself some money ordering tyres on the internet from 'My Tyres'.
Most of of the quotes I got where for about £155 - £180 fitted and balanced (2 tyres). This was for my preferred tyre (an H rated Pirelli P6000).
My tyres delivered two of these to my house (including delivery) for £86 and a local fitter (with an agreement with My Tyres) fitted both for £12. A total of £98 instead of £155 - £180.
Read more
I can well believe that you're right Hawesy. All of the people I'm referring to had the tyres on Alfas or Fiat Coupes, and were after 'high performance' tyres.
Suggestions please...
Must be:
Auto
No bigger than supermini class
As new as possible (3 years old max)
Low running costs
Not bothered about image/performance (within reason of course)
Thanks in advance for any recomendations. Read more
Thankyou Barty, leaning towards the old shape Micra at the minute, hopefully prices will have taken a knock since the new one was launched....
I have always been used to checking my engine oil level after getting the car out of the garage and waiting about half an hour for the oil to drain down. I was reading somewhere - was it here - that the level should be checked with the engine hot.
To-day, after returning home, I left the car on the drive for about a half hour and then checked the level. I was amazed to find that the oil level was above the full mark on the dipstick.
Previously, I had thought my Accord was a tad heavy on oil.
Is this the correct way of checking the oil level on diesel engines? Read more
* Both remind you that level ground is needed.
I wonder what the people that haven't got a level garage/drive/road do. Presumably they have to drive to somewhere that is level before they can check the oil?
--
L\'escargot by name, but not by nature.
Had to go over to Brigwater the other day and passed a garage selling diesel for 99.9p. Ouch!
Needless to say I didn't fill up...
Can anyone beat that? Read more
When will you lads learn it is not the the Fuel Company's but the Government, we have some of the cheapest fuel production in the world - it is the state that is greedy - as normaly
K2
Browse
.jpg)
A car mad mate has been nurturing his interest in his son since he was a nipper. At 14 they bought a Beetle to do up. He also starting driving, in legal places.
However this clearly wasn't enough for the lad, at 15 he was pressuring his father immensely to let him drive on the road and at 16 he was doing so, without consent and illegally.
So in that respect I think teaching the skills too early can have a negative effect.