October 2005
I keep seeing a strange road sign around the country.
Its about the size of an A3 sheet of paper and has a barcode type design, but with the black parts of the barcode being a light grey colour, the sign usually sits square to the road and are just plonked in the middle of nowhere.
My guess is that they show something underground, but I'm sure one of you knows the correct meaning.
Cheers in advance Read more
Does anyone know a source please for repair kits for my brake master cylinder? The car has covered only 37000 miles in ten years with fluid changes so a repair kit should do the trick for my mushy brakes. Replacement cylinders that I am offered all have four exit ports whereas mine has only two. Is it really sensible to block off two ports and if so with what? Many thanks for any help. Read more
hi all, the ignition on my car doesn't switch off. it recently broke down with no power going to fuel pump so checked fuses/relays but ok! took a plug out of my immob and lo and behold the car started, so logically i thought that was that, but now my prob is the ignition doesn't switch off (although when the engine is runnin you can turn that off on the key but not the ignition -wierd!) you can take the key out of the barrel but the lights an gauges etc... remain on i have been told that i could have a short somewhere (which could be why it broke down but doesn't explain the immob solution) but not sure on going about finding it pls help as i can start it but can't go anywhere grrr!! Read more
hi peter, thanks for the advice, will try it tomorrow. will post an outcome, thanks again!
Can anyone confirm, or other wise that a Lambda Sensor for a 1993 Volvo 245 SE B200F is the same at the Volvo 440 2.0L. The cable length, threads and connectors are the same but do they have the same characteristics. Thanks Peter Read more
Thanks Mark but you have looked up the 320Fd engine which has the Lamba in the manifold and a much shorter cable. You need to refer it to the 200F 1993. GSF and Euro do not list the late 200F sensor but can obtain one. Yes it is a 240 SE Estate 1993 200F engine. Jetronic LH 2.4. Regards Peter
Hi
I wonder if anyone can give advice/opinion?
My Golf (14K miles) steers slightly to the left despite specialist and main dealer geometry checks. Very road camber sensitive. AA suggested the castor angle may need adjustment.
Had it redone at VW main dealer who told me that the castor angle is included in their geometry check. (No mention of this on their printout.) £119.00! No improvement.
Does the VW geometry check include castor angle?
Is Golf castor angle adjustable, can it be shimmed?
A40
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Let's just say I stick to buying bangers off ebay, and I change my car every 3 months.
The only issue I can see is cancelling existing insurance and getting new cover.
So, is there a type of insurance (possibly motor trade) that would not be sky high but would cover me for driving different cars that belonged to me over the course of a year?
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You could also change it on line?? I did a change last week where choice was either
1. Pick up my daughter from a "do" at 2am (thus forgoing my glass or three of red!)
2. Daughter gets a taxi (£20)
3. Do an online change by putting her on my insurance for a month which I did on Saturday night - cost £10 - and off she went in my car. Paid via my direct debit.(As usual it seemed to incur no cost to her!!)
Could you not do same when changing cars??
Phil
There was an article on GMTV this morning about lollipop persons quitting and the difficulty in recruitment - not due to low pay -but because of increasing road rage directed against them. There was an instance of one being knocked down and left with a broken leg having tried to stop the traffic to let some children cross the road.
How is it that the UK has one of the best overall accident records and death rates in Europe but I believe the worst accident rate for children.
Two points here - Frankly I find directing road rage against a lollipop person(many are elderly) who is only guiding children acoss a busy road, to be appalling and I'm sure most do as well. As for refusing to stop and knocking one over -- how about throwing away the key. assuming he/she was caught that is!
The second point, about our child road casulties. As far as I am aware the Uk is the only major european country wher it starts getting dark in winter about 3.30 pm. Could this be the reason for the high accident and death rate. I have heard that if the clocks were aligned to Europe it would save x childrens lives.
I expect we are different to satisfy some minority interest - dairy farmers in the north of Scotland perhaps?- but few things can be more important than children's lives. I certainly feel that about my own children.
If I'm off track here please let me know> Read more
>Frankly I find directing road rage against a lollipop person(many >are
elderly) who is only guiding children acoss a busy road, to
be >appalling and I'm sure most do as well. As for
refusing to stop >and knocking one over --
That happened in Perth, Australia a couple of years ago.
Massive community outrage, featured on TV news, papers, etc. Big
police activity resulted in an arrest the next day.
>how about throwing away the key. assuming he/she was caught that
>is!
I believe that is pretty well what happened. Very stiff
sentence.
Good for Oz! I bet that acted as a damn good deterent!
Recently my Fiat Marea Weekend 2.4TD has occasionally started showing the warning light for the injectors. This is a 2.4 litre turbo charged diesel (not common rail) that has done 82,500 miles. My initial reaction has been to add some injection cleaner to a new tank of fuel.
For the past few days it has been running fine, but this morning the problem returned. I believe it may not be firing on one or more of the 5 cylinders for a brief time due to fuel starvation.
The diesel filter was change only 6 weeks ago when the car was serviced and the glow plugs were changed last year.
When the engine is started from cold there is some white to light grey smoke that disappears quickly. Also when taken to the red line, there is a small amount of smoke which I have put down to clearing out the exhaust after too much slow running. When repeated shortly after no smoke can be seen. The engine uses very little oil so I doubt if the injector is smothered in oil.
Is it time for the injectors to be changed? I do know in some VW diesels that bore wear can result due to poor spray pattern. Is this known in Fiat engines?
All advice gratefully received.
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
You should learn Read more
Thank you for that information Armitage Shanks.
I have been looking on the fiatforum.com and there are several other possiblities that could be causing the problem. They can range from dirty connections in the 4 relays close to the battery, the air flow sensor, the RPM sensor, a leaky diesel delivery pipe, faulty temperature sensor, a split vacuum pipe, etc. All of the faults shown as an injector or fuel system fault and cause the engine to shut down for a short period.
The car needs to be hooked up to a computer to read the error codes. It seems that I will have to book it into a garage to confirm exactly which of the parts could be returning an error code. Oh the joys of complex engines!
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Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
You should learn
hi strange question, but does anybody know how you become qualified to fit thatcham category approved alarms?
chris Read more
This may help:
www.thatcham.org/
I was wondering why people get so worried about fuel consumption and less concerned about other costs for the car that negate any saving?
It seems a lot of people buy a diesel but dont think about either depreciation or cost of servicing, or just other general running costs.
Sometimes it appears that people are so set on getting a diesel they dont think about alternative petrol models that might either a) depreciate less or b) cost less to run on other costs.
What do others think? Read more
Of course its illogical to think about fuel consumption when depreciation is far bigger. But once the purchase is made, then one does try to minimise costs. Sometimes the purchase decision is not you own, as mine wasn't, so the biggest cost for me is fuel.
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive?
Browse
I am fed up with being blinded by those signs that look like a large camera, normally black on a white background..whenever I drive past them they flash at me to let me know they are there...What are they!!
Oh hang on the postmans at the door with some large brown envelopes