March 2006
Hi,
After waiting three months, I have today received a letter from Bromley Council, regarding the parking ticket which was registered against my car on November 24th last year.
(www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=37528 )
At the time, I fully took DVD's advice, and am delighted to say that the council has now cancelled my PCN. In their words, which I am sure are not true but still delightful none-the-less,
'Blur blur blur, On receipt of your letter the case was referred to a parking inspector in order that the location could be visited and the restrictions checked. As a result of this inspection, it has been established that the PCN was issued incorrectly. The contractors responsible for parking enforcement have been duly advised and have now cancelled the charge. Please accept my apologies for the inconvenience you have been caused.'
So, I just want to say a huge thank you to DVD, and others who advised on the issue. I think the advice I got from DVD must have been spot on, because I have read many similar cases in the local papers lately where people who contest a fine get nowhere.
Thanks again.
HF Read more
Engine won't start on cold damp days, no other problems at any other time. Not a sniff of potential HGF woes on this one and I intend to keep a close eye on coolant/rad/hoses/etc after learning my lesson with the last Rover!
Fuel pump kicks in, engine turns fine, just doesn't fire. A liberal dose of wd40 around the distributor cap and exposed ht connectors followed by 10 minutes wait usually cures it. Having searched the forum there are several stories reporting similar problems, the recommended solution usually appears to be one or more of the following:
1. renew ht leads
2. renew spark plugs
3. renew dizzy cap
4. renew rotor arm
Ours is getting 3 and 4 done tomorrow by our mechanic friend who suggests these are most likely to cure the fault. Does anyone have an opinion on whether there is a genuine design fault in one or more components on these cars which is likely to cause wet starting problems? I've known other breeds suffer from similar faults, but seemingly not as commonly as Rover.
Thanks,
Ed. Read more
Distributor caps and rotor arms have quite a hard life. One of the few mechanical parts in 'modern' electrics. By now it will have operated several million times. At 83K replacing is a good idea anyway. Often distributor caps can look OK but have very fine imperfections that wet atmoshere will expose. On hot summer days they can tolerate less than perfect conditions. Probably best to replace both parts every 40K anyway. Usually only £20 for most cars. Classic case of a little over-protective maintanance paying dividends in an older car.
Anyone heard of this organisation? The organiser, Ben Scammell, claims to be campaigning for a fuel discount card for ordinary motorists but needs a minimum number before the fuel suppliers will listen. Apparently Pipeline already have over 280,000 members and need around 400,000. Registration takes place online, it?s free, but of course they want your email address. If this is legit then good luck to him ? your thoughts and experiences welcome. Read more
seconded.
{I have done - well in this particular thread anyway.
Please continue discussion in the thread already created in this forum:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=36586
DD}
My friend Adam at work is a bit of a boy racer and is looking for a car to have some fun in. He's got his heart set on a Renault 5 turbo but I think he could get something more solid & safer for the 3k he has.
His criteria is:
3k maximum spend
Insurance group no more than 15
Fast & fun
I came up with the following, some are closer matches than others:
* Old BMW 325 / 328 (e36 shape)
* Ricer i.e. 3000GT, GTO, MR2, RX7 (although most too much on insurance)
* Mark 1 or 2 Golf GTI
Can anyone else help with this very serious problem!!??
Thanks
*
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What do you think of the old (95-00) shape A4 (1.8's
and 2.6's) - any experiences to share good / bad (beyond
HJ's car-by-car breakdown?)
My Dad used to have an M-reg 1.8, and it was a good car but underpowered IMO. Fine for motorway cruising but acceleration nothing to get excited about. Drove a 2.6 on a test drive once and it didnt feel as quick as I expected it to be but could have been deceptive and it was only a short drive, also that particular car was a bit of a shed. (Slow compared with my Pug 405 Mi16).
If he can stretch to a 2.4 30v they've got 15bhp more than a 2.6 and a bit quicker but still group 15 AFAIK.
I have a Toledo 3 which also has a digital odometer display. I am interested to know how the mileage is recorded and stored within the 'computer'. Is it kM converted to miles? Where is it stored? Can it be modified? Is there a 'total mileage' value in addition to the odometer displayed value?
Shall be grateful for any help you can give on this subject.
Thanks,
don111 Read more
Modified can mean anything! However, if data is stored on eprom then any computer with appropriate leads and program could be used to both read and write data. This service is advertised widely on www.
don111
Greetings all,
What's the drill with selling a car where the road tax is due up at the end of the month? It will be sold "on consignment" by a garage for me, and the log book will still be in my name until someone actually parts with the lolly. It will be stored off a road (and test drives taken with trade plates).
Do I need to declare SORN, or as the car is not in my possession, just leave it? I'm not all that keen on an automated £80 fine....
Orson, using Mrs Orson's log in! Read more
If the car remains your property until such time as notes pass hands then it is your responsiblity. Just like asking a friend to sell it for you.
As a result if not sold by the end of this month declare SORN. You can go to DVLA site and do it over the internet. Make sure you print a copy and get the DVLA acknowledgement and retain just in case.
When sold don't forget to go through the change of ownership proceedures as mention on V5.
dvd
indipod.com/ Read more
They'd be squeezed into painful postures in the corners of the car as the thing swelled inexorably with the would-be carper running on the spot...
My apologies, but this isn't particularly motoring related other than it is in reference to a motoring insurance advert.
Can anyone tell me what the music is in the Priviledge ad with Joanna Lumley at the golf course. It's a classical piece that just might do for my wedding!
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Jonno - without coming over as ungrateful (I hope!) I can tell you that have bought the whole album Alice in Wonderland and I have played "The World is Full of Plankton" and that isn't it either! It isn't even close. Do you have any other really good ideas about what this Top Gear Track might be?
Last night on the BBC London television news there was a report on the distraction of drivers due to sat nav messages. Part of the report included information from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
A test car was driven in London using information from the sat nav. The face of the driver was videoed to see where the eyes were pointing and for how long.
During the drive the sat nav ordered the driver to turn right into a road which was blocked for roadworks. As he continued on the main road he was then instructed to U-turn, even though the road showed U-turns were banned.
Frequently the driver looked at the sat nav for directions, rather than at the road, including a period of 15 seconds. This is the problem that could cause accidents.
Are we looking at a new potential risk for an accident? I personally do not have sat nav and have no intention of getting it either, so what do users think.
--
Roger
I read frequently, but only post when I have something useful to say.
Read more
I find that using Sat Nav makes a trip to unknown areas a lot less stressfull, sure, you have to be aware that it may route you incorrectly, one ways, road closures, roadworks etc, but then, so could using a map.
And if you do miss a turning, it re-routes you....
I'm all in favour of em......
I?m going to the Val D?Isere tomorrow. I phoned the hotel this morning to confirm arrangements and they said it?s snowing and I?ll need chains to get in to the resort. I have never fitted these in my life and I have a dread of it. Does anyone have a truly bullet-proof method for fitting tyre chains ? Read more
As you hopefully already know, the avalanche risk in the Espace Killy at the moment is high. The road up into Val was closed by avalanche two weekends ago. We were stuck in the traffic jam on the hill between Bourg St Maurice and Val for five hours without moving. After sitting in the jam for five hours, the police insisted that all vehicles turn around and descend back to Bourg. Approx 3000 people spent a night on the floor of local schools and gyms (thank goodness our tour operator found us a hotel). Make sure you have snacks and drinks with you in case it happens again.
When we were there, the local police were holding spot checks to ensure that you had fitted your chains.
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Delighted to hear that HF.
dvd