September 2006
Been thinking about this for two days now, and not sure whether my anger was justified.
Yesterday, I set off for work early and relaxed, to be confronted by a massive queue on the road I get to work on (I only work 4 miles away and it was blocked all the way along!). So, I turned round muttering the usual, went back through town, down the bypass and onto my alternative route. Blocked again.
Was it a bad RTA? Was it a flood? No, it was a census. Whatever that means. I finally got to the head of the queue where there were loads of numpties with clipboards, they asked me to stop but I said "I am really late for work, I am really low on petrol, and I don't want to answer your pointless inane queries" and unsurprisingly was waved on.
Is this bad conduct on my behalf, or should these censuses i) be done at quieter periods or ii) not done at all and the money spent on something worthwhile?
If I had been on my way to the airport or something, I would have gone mental. Read more
A word or two of warning to backroomers who might be inclined to indulge in a bit of horn blowing and gesticulating now and then.
On my way to work today, turning right from a major road into a minor one, I became aware of a car overtaking me during the manoeuvre. He was turning right as well, and decided to overtake me during the turn. I was a bit miffed, but he accelerated off and out of sight. A few hundred yards later I caught up with him at a bottleneck and gave him a piece of my mind - a quick toot and the proverbial finger. He got out of his car, I got out of mine, I was expecting a bit of arm waving and shouting but within seconds I was knocked to the ground and being kicked and punched. When he thought that I'd had enough, off he went.
The police were called, independent witness's came forward and statements taken. Traced by his number plate, it turns out that my attacker is 'known' to them, but that if he hasn't been convicted of a similar offence recently, and shows remorse for his attack on me, he's likely to get just a reprimand.
According to the PC who interviewed me at home, It seems that I should have reported his bad driving, and the police would then make a note of it.
Thinking back to the incident, good advice. You never know who you're getting involved with !
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Years ago we had a Renault Fuego for a short while and ,until i tightedned the gear linkages, had what was at best could be called an orbital gearbox.
Coming home one night with the missus driving we were tailgated by a car on high beam.
The missus got increasingly ratty and when said car overtook she switched on high beam ,dropped a cog and overtook them, just as we drew level and i came eyeball to eyeball with four enormous blokes she lost the gears, we still had momentum and we coasted along side them glaring and me sweating.
Luckily our slip appeared and she backed off, found a gear and we retreated.
I promise it is not a regular occurance but another time another car did the same when we were returning home from a meal at the in-laws, this time it was flashing its lights as well as tailgating.
Broom !! it overtook !! Vroom the missus booted it and Christ !! the car in front stopped dead and we screeched up to the boot of the offending car.
When i had regained vocal and bladder control i recognised the car, it was my brother in laws car, the mother in law had found the wifes handbag and was trying to give it back.
I will not lower myself to make any derrogratory comment about their driving,,,,she's watching...
I'm thinking of buying a nearly new Peugeot 407 2.0 136 HDi. I test drove one the other day and was pretty impressed with spec, power and handling. I also like its design. I'm going to keep it for a good few years and before I take the plunge just wondered if anyone had any better ideas. Price range £10,000 to £12,000. I don't want something too polluting but that still has a bit of poke, is reasonably fun to drive and I need the room. I've also considered a Skoda Octavia, the Audi A3 Sportback, the Saab 9-3. Any better suggestions? Thanks. Read more
The Mondeo, Passat and Accord must be worth a test drive as well I would have thought.
Some silly deals on Mondeo LX TDCi 130's through brokers at the moment. Lots of places offering them with metallic paint for under £12k (£5.5k off list) or about £500 more for Zetec trim.
I'd also see what I could find "nearly new" or pre-registered.
Cheers
DP
Our 2005 Renault Scenic has had the following problems :
1) Steering lock failing to disengage - has been replace under warranty, but the new one still intermittently sticks.
2) Auto-box not changing smoothly - gearbox ECU changed under warranty.
3) Gear lever came off - repaired under warranty.
4) Rear brake squeak - fixed TWICE, but now back again (apparantly Renault will only fix it twice under warranty!)
5) No spare wheel!!! We specified almost every option, but the salesman failed to mention that a spare wheel was an option!! Guess what - tear in tyre and no spare to put on!! What good is a can of puncture repair gunk???
6) Drivers leather seat split (after just 8 months!!)
7) The digital dashboard is now playing up - we do 8mph when stationary and the engine off!!!
8) Various trim loose - fixed under warranty.
Have we just been unlucky, or are other people having similar problems?
The supplying dealer was next to useless, but we have switched to another who is much better.
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Its a shame really because the Space Wagon that went before it was very spacious and airy.
When I was a regular visitor here a few years back folks knew I said one day I would like a middle age Mercedes diesel estate.... one of the forum members then was even supposed to be running his carefully for the day its depreciation curve met my savings balance ;-)
Well now my vehicle need, their values and my budget do all meet.... but things I hear lately about Mercedes of this age are worrying.
So what is the feeling these days? Is the rust issue a frequent one, do the electrics and expensive gizmos fail at great cost etc etc??
I must mention I look after three Mercedes for friends at the moment. A 1990 190E, a 1985 200E and a 2001 C200K. All of these are well above average condition for year and provide their owners with a great motoring experience. It's just that I have very little to do with the 1995-1999 models I'm thinking of.
Thanks,
David Read more
>>>>>I spent a good portion of the 1980's trying to fix BX's (I still have nightmares about all those thin green wires they use in the electrical systems)
Ahh that's a bit like a lifetime fear of dogs after a nasty childhood incident with a farmyard mutt on a very long chain.... therapy can get you over it!
I have been a major BX supporter in the past... during the tail end of the period when they were still a choice for the average owner. Came to realise a few years ago that the ones left were more suitable to enthusiast use than daily never lift the bonnet motoring.
To be honest my Xantia experiences over the past 12yrs have been similar to your Japanese comments... but sometimes with the added joy of a clutch, radiator, heater blower and a couple more known issues. All easy stuff when you know what the causes are... just as with yourself and your MBs.
DW
Hey guys,
Just got a question if you could help me out :)
A mate at work is having a garage clearout (garage at home not commercial garage) and as I was helping him I saw a stainless steel back box exhaust. I asked him if he was interested in selling it and he said I colud have it for a fiver. He does not know which car it is for as he bought it from a car boot sale for £20 with the hope of fitting it to his escort, which he never got round to. The guy who sold it at the car boot sale had no idea as to which car it has come from or even which car it fits!
Question is are these exhaust universal fit or not?
All that the box has on it is a sticker which says PECO DTM. It doesnt have any other marking in it.
The exhaust has two tail pipes sticking out and one pipe on the section where it joins on underneath the car.
I want to fit it to my VW Polo 1.4 R reg.
How easy is it to fit this exhaust and will it fit my car?
Thank you guys for reading and I look forward to your answers.
Mike
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It may even reduce the performance. I built a kit car a few years ago (JPR Wildcat-Cortina based Etype look-alike ) to which I temporarily fitted an exhaust based on the original Cortina boxes to pass its first MOT. When the car was drivable I had an exhaust made up by an exhaust centre (Transit V4 box in reverse + twin pipes bent round rear axle + original Jaguar rear tail pipes) Sounded great and looked the part but the car seemed to loose quite a bit of power (incorrect back pressure etc?)
Rant time!
My drive into the office this morning featured the usual idiots, including the inevitable 4x4 mobile user. What was different, and really got me going, was a newish Golf GTi sighted in my rear view mirror, dodging in and out of the bus lane. At first, I thought he had just hopped into the lane to get around a car turning right but after the next roundabout he overtook (undertook) a whole line of us at some considerable speed. After the next set of lights he did the same, weaving around any slower traffic.
I guess what really bugs me is not only the blatant assumption that the rules don't apply to the two lads in their GTi, but also the " fingers up" statement that they are effectively giving to the rest of us mugs who are sticking to the correct lanes.
_______
IanS
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">obviously argued back and got them to realise they were in the wrong<" No, no and no. Give them a bright and cheery Stirling wave as you sail effortlessly past.
One of the things that struck me as surprising when I arrived here was that they have no scheduled system for vehicle testing, like the UK MOT. All they do is an emission test (every 2 years in most states, and includes NO mechanical inspection). The US has to be the first Industrialized nation I have been to where this is the case.
I know that in the UK, the MOT keeps many potentially deadly cars off the road. It is concerning that over here there is nothing to prevent these kind of cars from being driven. I dont buy the argument that people drive newer/better maintained cars here, or that the concern about getting sued compels people to maintain their cars properly. If you take a drive to the wrong side of town, you would agree that this is definitely not the case. It is a wonder that the road deaths are not an order of magnitude higher than they are. Lucky the roads are mostly wide and straight, I guess.
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They also got a young bloke who's chav-mobile wasn't taxed and
he gave some daft excuses. When he realised they were
going to take it away, he went round slashing his own
tyres, so they also did him for criminal damage!
Can you do criminal damage to your own property??
Maybe it wasn't actually his though.
I received a parking ticket in February. I had a summons to attend Court in August.
The summons did not have the offence written on it, but I was told by the Clerk of the Court that when it is obvious what the offence should be, then they can ask the prosecutors permission to continue with the case. He said yes.
The magisrate then asked me if I was happy with that, to which I replied " No, not at all." She then told me that "when it is obvious, and it is obvious" then they can continue.
I then asked for the summons to be ammended, and the words "TO PARK" were written in pen on the summons. ( I also have a copy of the unamended summons).
I am defending myself and the case has been adjourned. Does anyone know if it's legal for them correct a procedural error and continue , or have I been shafted in a kangaroo Court bacause I didn't have a solicitor? I am pleading not guilty.
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Terminological clarification.
Traffic wardens are (usually) employed by the police authority. The tickets they issue are contested/enforced in the magistrates court usually by lay magistrates, though sometimes by a single profesional judge. They are strictly speaking a criminal matter, although you won't get a record.
In London and many other areas parking enforcement has been "decriminalised". Penalty charge notices are issued by attendants (soon to be renamed Civilian Enforcement Officers). Contested cases go to a tribunal run, except in London or Scotland, by the National Parking Adjudication Service. The adjudicator is a lawyer employed specifically for the purpose.
There's something of a sport at the moment in trying to undermine the decrim system, some of it driven more by anti EU fanaticism than any real issues with the adjudication system which for the most part works well, though many of the Councils still need to clean up their acts.
Siena's case is in the mags court stream so none of the stuff about local authority enforcement is going to help.
mondeo 2l auto. driving along as normal no problems. stopped for a cup of tea got back in car but it willnot come out of park. any ideas please. engine starts as normal battery fuly charged
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sorry not to have replied .have been on holiday with your
help.it was brake shift interlock solenoid i removed it have tested
it and it works. so it must be
electrical works ok without it
Good. Glad to be of assistance. I suspect you'll find that this is operated via the brake switch and possibly a relay. So check those out next + wiring. Its a safety feature so really its best to get it working again.
Calm down, dear!
It's only a post!