Hello,

Bit of a rant, but does anyone (backroomers excluded of course) read (from the signs) when these are 'active'? I ask, because there's a stretch (less than 1 mile) of bus lane in my town that is only operational between 16:30 and 18:30 on weekdays, clearly stated on all 6 of the signs. When it is not in operation, I would estimate that 90% of drivers drive merrily along in the offside lane. Some start to get 'uppity' about seeing someone (me) driving perfectly legally alongside them. I get the impression they think I'm trying to avoid the line of traffic and cut in at the end of the zone. Short of having a P.A. system fixed to my car and telling them to read the signs, what can one do?

S6 1SW Read more

As the more *mature* members of the Back Room were very helpful with a solution for the last conundrum Auntie set me, that of the dirty solenoid connection, I wondered if I might lay the latest problem on the collective table.

Auntie has an easy life these days, only venturing out to occasional rallies, but about two years ago she was reluctant to return home from one, due to severe flooding of the H-type SU carburettor. I quickly determined that this was due to the float (original soldered brass type) having sunk to the bottom of the chamber. Try as I might, I couldn't get the petrol out of the float until I punctured it. I then emptied the float, screwed a self tapper in the hole I had made, and drove home. After soldering up the hole I had made, I tried to find how the petrol originally got into the float (immersing in hot water etc.) without any success. Eventually I gave up, put everything back together, and added 'ignition on; wait for SU pump to stop ticking; start engine' to my pre-flight check list.

This morning, the pump didn't stop (incidentally it was perfectly OK yesterday). Mercifully as I was still at home, the procedure was straightforward enough; try to get petrol out of float, fail to do so, drill through soldered patch, shake petrol out, insert self tapper & rubber washer, immerse float in hot water to try to find original leak, fail to do so, put everything back together and off to the rally, only 20 minutes behind schedule.

The solution of course is a no-brainer; purchase a nice new reliable nylon float. However the puzzle remains; how did the petrol get into the float? On each occasion the time interval between the float having enough buoyancy to close the needle valve and sinking below the critical point was only a matter of hours, which would suggest that the entry point for the fuel should be large enough to find. However not only was the puncture impossible to find but it has taken two years for the float to refill sufficiently to sink, which would suggest a minute seepage.

On the subject of the new nylon float (new brass ones no longer being available) it is getting late and I can't get my head round whether or not fitting this will alter the level of fuel in the float chamber. Presumably it will be of different density to the original brass version; will it therefore displace more or less fuel in the chamber thus altering the level or is it simply a matter of the volume of the float setting the level in the chamber, this presuming new and old are of similar dimensions. Aunties liquid intake is so great in any case that it is fairly important to get the mixture just right. Thanks in advance for any views on this.

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One mans junk is another mans treasure Read more

Hello everyone,

My dad's 1995 Golf CL estate (55kW diesel engine, code RB??) has recently been difficult to start.

When you turn the key, the starter turns the engine normally, but nothing happens for 3-10 seconds. When it's started, everything runs perfectly. It doesn't seem to matter whether the engine's cold or not, some times it's easier than others.

He took it to a garage last month, who checked the glow plugs (no faults found) and replaced "some tubes which can get blocked" - cost about £60. But sadly, this had no effect.

Any help gratefully received. I'd like to sort this for him before the starter motor gets ruined!

Cheers,
Nick. Read more

Hello this is my first post to this forum and I apologise for the length, I am having a nightmare with the lights on the car and was wondering if anybody had any ideas of what the problem(s) might be!

1. The front fog lights are on all the time. This is wether or not the fog light switch is on or off. When the light switch is turned to dip beam the fog light dashboard indicator comes on as do the fog lights. Wehn the fog light switch is turned on the dashboard light and fog lights get a little bit brighter.

2. The side lights are powered from two different 5 amp fuses. One does the left hand side of the car and the fog lights, the other does the right hand side of the car. The fuse protecting the right hand side keeps blowing. I have tested it with a tester and the circuit is drawing about 8.5 amps. Interestingly when a fuse of 10 amp rating is put in it doesn't blow although the dip beam lights come on as well as the side lights.

I have checked all of the wiring and bulbs etc. that I can get to. It all looks OK. I dont have a wiring diagram so am not sure which relays do the lights. Maybe they are stuck open? or closed? I am not sure where these relays are located. I have also checked the light switch, I dont think this is faulty as I have tested the circuits using a piece of wire instead of the switch and the same faults occur.

The car is a 1995 (N) 2.1 td Savanna.

I would really appriciate any advice!

Many Thanks

Sam Read more

SWMBO had a collision Saturday afternoon, nobody hurt, thankfully, just a lot of expensive metal bent.
SWMBO approached a cross roads on the 'main' road, lady in a Ka approached from the right, overshot the give way marks, stopping third of the way across, as seems quite common these days. I rarely seem to see anyone actually stop short of giveway or stop markings it seems. SWMBO slowed down seeing her approach from the right, then having seen her stop assumed the other driver had seen her and proceeded only for the driver of the Ka to promptly start off again and drive straight into her offside as she drew level, hitting the rear of the front wheel and scraping right the way down the side to the rear wheel. Result; damage to two alloys, front wheel arch, drivers' door, rear door and rear wheel arch, plus probably damaged steering rack or track rod as it now drives 'offline'; as I said, a fair bit of expensive metal bent. All going ahead with insurers, other party was actually insured which is a first for us, our previous three accidents have all involved uninsured drivers :-(
It was just the other party's excuses that took my breath away.

1. 'I didn't know whether I needed to do right or left.' Ok, so just carry straight on into the side of a vehicle then and ignore the give way markings.

Followed up with,

2. 'Well, how am I supposed to see you, you are driving a dark car.' SWMBO's car is a sort of metallic British Racing Green, which is rather academic as it had been raining and she still had her headlights on!

This just got me thinking what are the daftest excuses you've been given by another driver?

Oh, and for the statisticians amongst you, SWMBO was 150 yards from home, the other party less than half a mile. Helps prove the old story about most accidents accurring within a mile of home!
Cockle Read more