August 2006
I was once told that in the 1960s, major motorways were designed for comfortable cruising at 90 mph. This is in terms of things like exits, signs, superelevation (a.k.a. banking on bends) and bend radii. Anyone have any better info?
What kind of science fiction future did they envisage, I wonder?
Where did it all go wrong?
Zebra
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i have just bought a 'nearly new' A200CDI 3-door. all fine except i notice the wipers are for left-hand drive - the left one has a longer blade and wipes higher up the screen. it is not possible, so far as i can see, to fit a longer right hand side blade without it fouling the left.
does anyone have a solution, please Read more
Sorry \i didnt make my 1st post clear.
I still don't mean to be rude but the only cure is another car !
I have a commute of which around 30 miles is motorway. Depending ont he day, the weather and numerous other factors I might drive to work in a Galaxy, a Landcruiser or a CLK.
The different way they are treated amazes me, especially given that I would be around 80mph with the cruise control on most of the time whichever car I am in.
If I am in the CLK the world either wants to block me, or will speed up every time I try to overtake. Speeding up is always easy to spot since I have cruise control on. But if I come up behind them there is no way they will move out of my way. Why ? There isn't much chance of you being able to out run me if I put my mind to it, and the few cars that could never bother to try. You were obviously happy at whatever speed you were driving, why speed up just because I'm coming past ?
If I am in the Landcruiser I will get tailgated. Usually some some plonker (or "little shunt" as they were called recently) in some microscopic japanese go faster thing. Why would you tailgate a Landcruiser ? You'r e not going to intimidate me and if I do hit the brakes you're not going to do me much damage either. Although I'll be picking bits of your car out of the tyre treads for weeks.
If I am in the Galaxy the world seems ambivalent towards me. It doesn't try to hold me up, it doesn't try to get me out of the way, it jjust seems to accept me. All together a much more peaceful drive to work.
I know the easy thing to do is to say that I drive differently depending on which car I'm in, but I'm damn sure that I don't. I drive netiher faster nor slower, nor in one lane more than another. Its a commmute, I do it day in day out the same way every day.
So why do people tailgate a big car, try to out run a fast car and ignore a middle of the road car ?
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But I want to live. (And I don't mean that as in have fun - I mean actually live)
I'm searching for a car to suit a mature relative. Previous car was a 2.0 Mondeo petrol auto, reliable and 40 mpg on a run, but 26 mpg in the Yorkshire Dales, 95% of the mileage was in the Dales.
So, I'm searching for a reliable 5 door hatch, auto, aircon, OK on hills, priced at about £3 000. CVTs to be avoided at all costs, likewise small Ford autos. 1.6 Corolla or 1.5 Almera seems ideal, but they sell quickly. The 1.6 Astra appears bigger but there are more available. Is the autobox on a 1998/1999/2000 Astra reliable? I've suggested switching to a manual and then the field widens but the relative is set on an auto.
Following a good search through the archives, the Almera seems the logical choice with the Corolla a close second, but it seems to be a sellers market. Is the Astra a good alternative? Or is the Astra auto mpg nearer to Mondeo auto mpg? Read more
Thanks Greg,
Car delivered to the Dales yesterday, ran well on motorway/dual carriageway, vagueness in a straight line has improved after adjusting tyre pressures, but it's not 100%. Surprisingly agile on the twisty roads through the Dales.
The car is spoilt by an aftermarket CD player (Sony CDX-MP40), the display is demented and glows in the dark. Couldn't find the dimmer for the radio or the instruments so I'm sure I must have resembled the late Boris Karloff on the A1 last night ;-)
An old boy who lives round the corner has a very tidy 1984 230E It is a pig to start from cold then runs rough until warm. When warm no probs starting and runs very well
Don't ask why but he wants me to have a look. I would think if it was carb engine it would be a choke prob but since i now very little about petrol injection systems what am i looking for Read more
Any progress?
When travelling at speed, mainly above 50 mph, and If I brake quite heavily, I get a LOT of wobble in the steering wheel. I've only had the car one month, and didn't notice this until I was on the M1 and had to brake from speed because of a queue of cars ahead. It's not minor judder, it's very pronounced and before I go in to the dealer, I'd like to know what others think may be the cause. I'd like to go in there armed with some knowledge to avoid being ripped off. Thanks. Read more
Ok, good useful tool but not everybody is going to want one!
I think we are just trying to ascertain if it is wheel bearing or not just yet though.
Agree about good visual inspection, but not sure if Op is diy type yet either,.
Not meant offensively or rude btw
Friend needs a new car. Has a budget of 5k. Wants an auto that's reliable. I have suggested a Civic 1.6 auto- are there any other cars worth looking at, at this price level?
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Almera would be first choice, other suggestions are a Civic (expensive though), Corolla, Mazda 323 (if you can find one), or maybe even a Suzuki Liana if it's to your taste (also hard to find). Hyundais and Kias in this price range would be good enough, but would depreciate heavily.
An Astra might not be too bad, depending on mileage and SH (good gearboxes, but Ecotec engines have problems). How about A Citroen Xsara?
Be much more cautious with European cars, but anything with a conventional torque-converter auto (except a renault) should be as reliable as the equivalent manual. Don't buy CVT.
Gangs are deliberately braking hard in front of lorries to cause rear-end shunts, so they can claim the insurance. Be warned.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17647209%26metho...l Read more
To my knowledge, a London Police Force (yes, there are 2) is investigating organised car insurance fraud. In addition, I am aware that the FSA gave the insurance industry a boot up its backside when it tried to put premiums up to cover fraud costs. The industry was told to employ fraud investigators instead. Guess where old retired fraud squad officers end up to supplement their pension?
I have a '94 Rover 414 which exhibits the following problem:
Driving along when a complete loss of power occurs. Ignition remains on (and all electronic equipment works) but pressing accelerator doesn't give power. Changing down gears just slows the car faster, until eventually it comes toa halt. If you then depress the clutch or take it out of gear it will tick over apparently normally, although maybe a little rough. If you tap the accelerator the revs dip, and if you press it enough it will stall. Leaving the engine running for a while, or turning off and re-starting it straight away, doesn't cure it. It needs to be left off for a minute or two before restarting and then it's fine - will revv up and drive off.
When it is not playing silly beggars it runs well. There is usually the odd hiccup of power going off then coming back again, which warns you that it will probably soon cut out completely. The power loss is clean - not like spluttering/misfiring.
Any ideas what is causing it?!
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CPS is the most likely to cause it,or possibly coil failure
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Steve
hi hope someone can help . my old girl has started to play me up its a carlton 1800 .
starting up when she feels like it and then cuts out , when she does decide to run its a low powerd effort from her .no load she ticks over nice (sometimes).took air filter off and was easier to start but the carb spat out and sometimes smokes up , but when she wont start i take out plugs and there wet there is a great spark at each plug.
what i have done is changed the rotor arm new (made sure this went on right way)
distributer cap new
leads new
oil and filter change
erm im pulling my hair out this is the first time she has let me down in anyway in 6years from what i can tell the carburator is a piperburg (think thats how its spelt)
all help is desperatly need as my wifes doin her nut at me . Read more
Glad to hear it's all sorted!
Number_Cruncher
Browse
We were once talking to my mate's Grandad about motorway driving and he told us about driving his friends Jag XK140 on the M1 in the early '60's. Doing 120mph he would give cars a couple flashes of main beam and they would neatly pull over for him, then he'd give them a thankyou toot and a wave as he passed. And he'd often get a friendly wave back
So much has changed, coming up behind a car (on a dual though) doing barely 60 in the OS lane, a quick dose of lamps results in quite the opposite. I don't think that that was a cheery wave the driver gave me yesterday anyway.