March 2006
Can anyone advise me on the law relating to the parking of trailers on the public highway?
Like many of us I live on a congested street which only has on street parking. I'm not really fussy about who parks where, or even what they park, be it large box van, motorbike, transit whatever, we all need to park somewhere.
There is enough space outside each house to accomodate one car with a little extra space in parts for families with two vehicles. Many months ago one family decided to park an unhitched low level camping type trailer outside a house where it has remained since before Christmas, as far as I am aware the trailer has never moved from the spot in all this time, it is unsightly, has a puncture, is taking up a valuable parking spot and is causing a nuisance to neighbours who cannot park near their homes because of it. What makes this all the more galling is the offending family already have three cars in their household so you think they'd try and be a little bit more considerate instead of dumping box carts on an obviously crowded street willy nilly.
Can anyone advise me on the law relating to parking unhitched trailers on the public highway and/or how to get the thing shifted? We've tried reasoning with them but to no avail. Read more
Hi everyone! This is a question i have asked some of my friends but not asked my dad as im afraid he will laugh at me! About a month ago, i bought a new Corsa SRI 1.4 16v with Twinport. I wondered if anyone could tell me what Twinport is and what it does? Ta! Read more
and there was me thinking it was a "retail outlet" centre! :-)
JH
I've recently discovered a small bulge in the sidewall of one my tyres and have been advised that it needs replacing - it's gutting especially as the tyre has only done 5000 miles :(
I've got a quote for a replacement but they can only supply a tyre with a higher speed rating, i.e. I need 225/45 R17 91W and they can supply the same brand and type of tyre but 'Y' rated instead. Would it be legal and/or cause any problems by fitting the higher rated tyre? I seem to remeber reading once that it was illegal to mix tyres, or was that only the load rating or tread pattern or something?
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Oooo Not a Laguna on Silverstone wheels is it?
MKV Golf GTI - haven't noticed any problems whilst driving it for the last few months...
Has anyone had any problems with clutch judder when pulling away from standstill? I have a new Vivaro van which I am delighted with except for this annoying problem with the clutch.
Yes, it is under warranty but my job requires a van 24/7 so I am reluctant to leave the vehicle with the dealer longer than necessary as the severity of the symptoms vary. You know what it's like, sometimes you can be in and out of the dealers 6 or 7 times before they will admit there is a problem.
Sometimes I think it's my driving but then I get in the family car and I realise that the clutch should be silky smooth.
The dealer says that they have had clutch cylinder seal problems. I have just read another posts re hydrolic clutch cylinders so in the morning I will check for fluid leaks around the cylinder.The dealer also wants the van off the road for a week if the remedial work involves a new clutch which I think is far too long.
At present I have decided to put up with things but then i thought - brand new van, lots of stop-start driving - why should I? so I thought I would try you guys.
So if anyone has had similar problems please let me know.
Cheers
Boxer
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You have nother thread which I've moved to this seciton, so no need for this one. Curiously, you don't mention Easytronic as in the heading to the other thread.
Hi folks, quick question: What?s the best method to get rid of an air lock?
The Polo (see profile) has had an antifreeze change recently, but they didn't turn the heater control to 'hot' (thus opening the water tap to the heater matrix) and I think there is an air lock. This is because the car is running hot, but not over heating, at about 95C. If you turn the heater on, the temp will drop. After a run, the bottom of the radiator seems just to be warm.
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I think I have the hang of the bleeding sequence, so thanks for that. The last time we had to refill the coolant, if I remember correctly, we just left the expansion cap off while the engine was running. The bleed valve on the heater matrix seems the preferred option though.
Just looked up the price for one of these resistor packs (because stage 3 is top speed DD): £25!! I?ll take a look at that or more likely, I?ll let my dad look at it. Well, he is an electrician by trade.
Much appreciated, thanks
I'm not sure if this should be on the technical section {moved - DD}. My MIL has an Astra Petrol 1600cc which is three and a half years old, FSH and about 50,000 on the clock (she's had it since new). Today it broke down on a roundabout. The AA man said the EGR was stuck open (which he said he had seen loads of) and took it out and cleaned it (it took a few minutes)and said that might do the trick (in the longer term), it is now running fine. Being an elderly woman my MIL is very worried the car will break down again (she also often has her disabled mother in the car). The questions are: what exactly happened to cause the breakdown and should she just get the EGR changed (presumably the labour would be minimal but how much would the part cost)?
Thanks for all your help.
Big Norm Read more
Thanks - looks like binning the EGR could be a good move.
I have a 1998 Ford Transit, not a car I admit, but still a motor vehicle. It is fitted with the 2.5 DI non turbo-charged engine and comes as standard with an EGR valve (Exhaust Gas Re-Circulation) for the purpose of lowering exhaust gas temperature and hence reducing oxides of nitrogen therein.
Some time ago the exhaust started to put out black smoke, a little at first and then more and more. This was traced to the EGR valve tending to open at all times and not just when required, the consequence being that the more the exhaust smoked, the more it smoked etc.
A new EGR valve costs about £120 and thus is not to be changed lightly, so I have been looking at ways of overcoming the problem.
The first method I was told of was just to block off the vacuum pipe that operates the valve, this works a treat. The valve stays closed all the time and the exhaust stays smoke-free all the time, but of course the oxides of nitrogen are presumably higher than desired.
The second method would be to adjust the linkage which controls the butterfly valve which modifies the vacuum which operates the EGR valve. My manual (Haynes) basically says ?take it to a dealer?, my dealer has not got a clue. I have tried hopefully twiddling the linkage, but without any obvious success.
I have asked here before, but sadly without much result but perhaps this time someone may know how to do the adjustment? Read more
Take it off and put a plate over the hole, get rid of it and the problem is cured or cut the pipe block it
I'd welcome BR members comments on this situation. After a bit of failure to start and getting going but packing up twice in a week, my partner's T plate 9-3 diesel is in the main dealer needing a £2000 "fitted" injection pump. The car is worth about £4K and won't be worth any more when it has been repaired!
1. What might it be worth, sold "as is". 70K miles recorded
2. If she is going to keep it is it worth spending the money?
3. Might a part from another GM car using that engine be a suitable substitute - Frontera, Vectra.
4. Is there anyone in Bedford/Luton area who might rebuild a pump and give a warranty? Read more
I have been using up to 50% Bio Diesel for about 6 months,
Using 50% bio will almost certainly have attacked any rubber in your pipes and seals plus it can also damage pumps and injectors. That is why there is normally notices in handbooks telling you not to use it. The commercially available diesel has about 5% bio in which is shortly to increase, thtat percentage is alledgedly safe....
Does anyone know of a web site where I can find torque settings for engine bolts?
The reason I ask is that it appears the head gasket on my girlfriends 2001-Corsa is leaking (sludge in the oil) and before I go to the expense of getting a garage to replace it, I'd like to make sure its not just that there is a loose bolt. Read more
You can of course have a water way to oil return gallery leak and there will be no HC's to detect or pressurised hoses just a slow loss of coolant. Regards Peter
Hi,
having problems opening the bonnet on my 2001 Rover 75.
It seems the bonnet cable has stretched & no amount of tugging on the cable (with pliers etc) will release the bonnet.
I've tried getting to the actual release mechanism itself by getting underneath the car & reaching up behind the front bumper, but cannot get to the mechanism.
Other than by destroying the front grille (which will 'hopefully'(!!) gain me access to the release mechanism), can anyone think of another way to open the bonnet?
Many thanks,
daltonman Read more
You don't need to cut anything or remove the wheel or wheel arch liner. Turn the steering as far to the left as you can and reach inside the small inspection hatch at the top of the wheel arch liner. Use a torch so you can see what you're doing. You can push the neck of the washer bottle up and off to give yourself more room. Unclip the cable junction box from the inner wing and pull it through the small hatch. Tug on the shuttle inside the junction box (plastic thing that the three cable ends go into) to pull the two cables to the latches. You shouldn't need pliers. One latch will probably pop open first then the other.
Thanks for this advise. I have just followed your instructions and would like to add a couple more tips. I struggled with removing the neck of the windscreen washed reservoir but on searching through my tool box found an old Raleigh bicycle tool which had a semi-circular section at one end which fits snugly under the flange on the neck. I attached a mole grip too the other end of the Raleigh tool and with a bit of up and down levering the neck came free, no need to cut the neck. The rest was easy but I discovered the cause of my problem. The cable junction box clips had sprung slackening the cables. Having WD-40ed the bonnet release catches I secured the junction box to the inner wing with a cable tie and it all now works perfectly. Took some photos but I don't see how I can upload these onto this site?...
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It doesn't need insurance.