November 2006
V annoyed!! I got stopped this morning for what the police said was going through a red light. I don't believe it as I thought it just turned but I was head to head with a police car and he stopped at the lights and I didn't. Stupid really and I wasn't going to argue as I was late enough fo work as it was and was in a bad mood because of crap morning. I saw the flashing blue lights behind me and stopped to let him pass and was shocked when he got out and asked me to. Thought he was after someone else so didn't get that awful feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach when you know you have done something wrong!! Anyway after suffering the shame of having to stand out on the pavement of one of the busiest streets in Liverpool city centre at rush hour, confirm ID, standing like a lemon as people gawped, he decided that as I had been reasonable he was going to let me off with a verbal warning but reminded me it should have been 3 points and £60. I apologised and said I wasn't trying to be awkward but I was a bit stressed as I was late for work but I had been helpful, answered his questions etc. Then he just looked at me! I thought he might say dont do it again but sounded like I should realise he was doing me a favour and it could be worse. He was a complete jobsworth, it wasn't a dangerous manouevre and I'm sure he has better things to do with his time. I'm just glad I kept my cool or I think he would have issued a fine for the hell of it.
just sounding off....feel better now!! Read more
Hi all,
Had the belts changed on my car back in the summer; now the weather's turned cold the auxiliary belt is squealing like a stuck pig when driving in first gear or turning for the first 10 minutes after starting the car. Is it an easy enough job to tension the belt myself? How would I go about doing it? I'm guessing it's unreasonable to drop back into the garage that originally did the work and ask them to sort it out 'cos it's 6 months since it was done.
Cheers,
David. Read more
It's a bit awkward, so might be better left to the garage. You need to get in behind the O/S front wheel - you might be able to manage just with it on full RH lock, but you'll probably need to jack it up and maybe take the wheel off (I can do it on the Xantia on full lock and high suspension). Remove the inner wing liner, which should then reveal the tensioner. There's a bolt right in the centre of the tensioner wheel, and another on the plate below it - both are 6mm allen screws - slacken these off a couple of turns each. To get the top one, you might need to unclip the bottom hose, and you might find a plastic clip in the centre of pulley that needs to be removed to reveal the bolt. Now wind out the tensioner (again 6mm allen screw) located at the bottom of the tensioner bracket. When you've got enough tension on, tighten the two pulley bolts again.
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
Hi all.
I thought you might like to take a look at tinyurl.com/yyzpx3
I am not involved personally involved in the research - it is just some research that my employer (a University) is undertaking and is totally sound. There's a link to this from the University's home page too.
It would be great if someone from the Backroom won the 250 shandy tokens!
Happy answering.
TT
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Top Turkey - the fastest hands in Brum Read more
They do, although the Fiamm one is fairly compact, and fitted in place of the original horn (needs extra wiring, though, because it draws a lot more current).
If space is really tight, the Nautilus might be the answer: tinyurl.com/ym52g2
Be careful with dB values - they are not all quoted for the same distance! IMO air horns are invariably louder than electric ones (although doubtless someone here will know of an exception...)
Advert for Toyota Aygo in todays paper says if I buy one for £9500 I'll get £2900 back in 3 years time. Is this meant to be good?
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I mentioned it in another thread that our local (Chester) Citroen dealer was advertising (a couple of weeks ago) C1's for £99/mth, with a final value figure of around £4500!!
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/6110844.stm
here's the blurb: "The Ministry of Defence has admitted that a fault at a radar dome was responsible for causing electrical problems with dozens of cars." Read more
It's Russia's fault. The radar got a regular testing when they used send bombers out to test our response. "Bears" weren't they? Then you got to see Lightnings from the playground.
JH
I have a 1994 VW Golf GTI with electric windows & central locking which works when turning the key in the door. Every time I open the car & start the engine the passenger window goes down on its own followed buy a clicking noise as if it?s still trying to work.
If I do manage to get it to go up, it just goes down again. Does anyone have a clue as to what?s going on.
Many thanks
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Thanks for your reply, I have pulled off the connecter to the switch but it still does it.
I think it may be something to do with the central locking, when you lock the car & the windows are down, they go up automatically, except this one seems to do the opposite.
Hi,
I would be greatful if one of you good people could answer my query. I have had a VW Passat for nearly 12 months covered just over 10,000 miles and on getting the car serviced at VW independent garriage, was told inside tyre badly worn down to the metal almost on the driver side. Sure enough, when I checked the tyre the metal was beginning to show through from the rim. The other tyre was okay. My question, the garriage told me the tracking was out and my steering isn't totally straight, but when taking the car to a tyre garriage they told me it was more than likely bottom wish bone bushes had gone! I need to sort it out but not sure what is the problem greatful if you could offer any advise on this, all other tyres and one on left are okay and evenly warn.
David London Read more
How could this be true?
Imagine a car which is correctly tracked. Both sides of the car are mirrored down an imaginary centre line. The car is in equilibrium. All sideways opposing forces are equal.
Now imagine one track control arm is adjusted so that that wheel no longer tracks the same as it's opposite number,
As soon as the car is driven, that wheel will upset the equilibrium and steer slightly the way it was adjusted, so the driver will turn the wheel slightly to restore equilibrium and the car will then be towing in or out equally but have a crooked steering wheel.
Hopefully someone can help. Had a MK5 golf on 04 plate so just under 3yrs old. Took the car in recently to vdub as the lacquer has blown off the alloy wheels and looks a mess. Trying to get all replaced on the anti corrosion warranty, but I suspect dealer will bounce it on the fact that its done over 60k miles.
Can anyone please advise if they suspect that the anti corrosion warranty is not mileage dependant ? also I suspect it'd be longer than 3 yrs!
Thanks Read more
Hope I am wrong, but anti-corrosion surely cover the cars bodywork? Aluminium for examples corrodes far faster than most metals - but it is the corrosion (i.e. Aluminium Oxide) which stops any further corrosion.
I know alloys wheels are alloys and not solid aluminium, but I'd be surprised if they'd actually corrode without the lacquer beyond an initial layer of oxide.
The lacquer on alloys is surely cosmetic??? And who's to say it's not come off due to kerb damage for instance.
I'd have said any pitting to alloys is more likely to be because of salt-petre/gritt on the roads.
I would appreciate anyones opinion as to the lifespan of a runflat as opposed to normally 'aspirated' tyres. Am about to test drive a vehicle this weekend and in my research can only find tyres at £160 a piece and comments at the what car site about the tyres not lasting at all well! (yes I am testing an E60 touring m sport-braced for the boneshaker ride!). Any comments/knowledge would be gratefully recieved. Read more
My sister/brother in law have a 5 series with big wheels and run-flats.
They hate the car as it gives such an uncomfortable and harsh ride, and can't wait to hand it in at the end of the lease (they much prefer their Pug 30x!!!)
Can I recommend to the BR a fascinating article in the current issue of New Scientist which concerns research which suggests that drivers might be risking their safety and othat of other road users with the introduction in-car systems such as Sat Nav and head up displays which is contributing to info-overload and a sense of isolation from the actual risks they are in at any given time.
It makes the sensible point that manufacturer installed systems when added to with high street systems run a special risk of conflicting or simultaneous alerts croping up with different voice commands and styles of info which add to the confusion.
Couldn't agree more personally - I think it's my job to be aware of what's going around me and take the appropriate actions. Old fashioned I know, but it has served me very well over the last 25 years.
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quick look at the map before I set off is all I need
That's ok if your goal is to go from a town to another town. However, I find it useful when I have to go to a specific address in a large town/city. Trying to find a street in a city such as Stoke is a nightmare I was up there the other day without Sat Nav and one way systems, litle and twisty city centre roads and a ring road which was easier to get on than off made it awful. I find that in those situations Sat Nav really helps.
Browse
Been the dilema since time in memorial barney. Probably a contested Careless Driving summons if it got that far.