January 2007
Seems every estate or MPV you look at these days has at least the option of darkened glass from the door pillars aft. I'd be interested in people's experiences with this, especially since, like other tall drivers, I sit a long way back in the car and need to look behind the door pillar to check over my shoulder. I've already stopped my children from using the sun blinds because they make this difficult; would dark window glass cause the same problem? And what are the compensating benefits - why, in short, might I want it? Read more
Having problems with SWMBO's 2002 Vectra 1.8. The heater has stopped working (not good as weather has changed!), and the temperature gauge has gone crazy. It goes up to the edge of the red sector then down again and then back up again.
Obviously something is not right! Have topped up header with 1.5 litres of water, so could be a leak or air lock. No obvious signs of leak or of mayonaise in the oil, so hoping head gasket is ok.
Mileage is 66,000 and serviced per schedule by the way.
Any ideas please? Read more
Help - I've been stupid............I think !!!
I have a Vectra 2.2 (2004).After the waether finally "let-up" I attempted to do the rear pads on the car.Horrifed/lucky to find that I was almost on "metal to metal".tried,but couldn't get the piston to wind back.Started to rain so had to admit defeat. Put everything away EXCEPT for the alloy wheel lock key.I THINK I have left it on the wheel and drove off.Cannot find it anywhere.I AM fortunate that I do have the key number but strangely/convenviently the key itself is actually more expensive than a brand new FULL SET ?????
The problem being that the lead time for delivery is between 7-14 days.My brakes need addressed now. My key number was 115.Is there anyone out there that would allow me to borrow their key to get my wheels off.I will pay all th eP P and will throw in the lock nuts,once off,as spares.For peace of mind, I want to replace them with a new set,I just need to get mine off 1st. It isn't really practical for my car to be out of use for a length of time as I have a 5 year old attending Nursery quite a bit away
Any help/advice would be greatly appreciated
{Subject header given a less vague title - DD} Read more
Do you have any breakdown cover at all? Maybe if you were to let down the tyre and then ring up for assistance in changing your wheel you may get an AA/RAC man out who will be able to remove it for you for 'free'. That said you still have the locking nuts on the other three wheels to contend with. Maybe the wise option is to buy the replacement key and put it down as an expensive lesson learned.
Been watching various programmes about Climate Changes etc.
From what they say we must use less energy of various kinds ie: Electric, such as turning off TV's DVD's etc instead of leaving them on stand-by etc and use low energy bulbs etc.etc.etc
It occurred to me, why do we need Hundreds of miles of Motorway lighting, we are not going to cross the Motorway to go to the pub or chippy or walk to work along the motorway. Where once you're out of a City/Town there is no lighting anyway, so whats the differemce.
So do we need to waste energy like this, as they say we need to cut Carbon Emissions or we will be under water by 2050/2080.
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One idea put forward about the dip in temps between 1940
and 1975 was due to the increased amount of pollution causing
additonal water vapour to held in the air which then reflected
more of the suns radiation back out. This is just my
vague memory of it, I'm sure someone else on here must
know about this and be able to explain it correctly.
There has been a recent New Scientist article about it. Sulphates I think, not water vapour. It was the theory that supported the panic about the approaching ice age in the 70s, now thought to be much outshadowed by warming from other effects.
The suggestion in the article was that the cold spell lost Hitler the war when the exceptional cold stopped his forces at the gates of Moscow.
Here's a strange request,
I once went to a house that had a car radio/cd player attached to the bottom of one of the units in the kitchen.....(tacky sounding i know but it did look pretty cool and worked very well)..not knowing the foggiest on wiring etc would anyone be able to let me know how they could have got this to work as 240 volts would obviously blow everything....and there are 2 "live/power" wires in a radio are there not?...any wiring genius's that have any ideas i would be greatful.
Thanks in advance... Read more
Thanks for the advice...Just tried it and it works a treat....fantastic.
I actually got a new car stereo from Aldi..(the bluetooth one)..only 70quid and looks and works great with excellent quality....so i am therefore a radio/cd player up that i will now have in my kitchen.
Thanks again...Andy
Hello everyone,
I have a 1999 Mk4 Polo with the 1.0L (AER) engine. It's done 65K miles and has been regularly serviced.
It always starts first time, but regularly stalls about 20 seconds after pulling away, usually when the engine's cold, and usually in cold weather. It drives away nicely, but then I can feel it losing power, even with my foot on the floor, and as soon as I take my foot of the accelerator the revs drop and it stalls. It's not easy to restart, but if I leave it 2 minutes, it's fine.
But now it's started doing it on warmer days too.
And today, it played up on the motorway at 70mph (when the engine was fully up to temperature) causing the car to slow down to about 40mph for a few seconds... then it was fine again all the way home.
We have already:
(1) Changed the engine temp. sensor,
(2) Cleaned the throttle body,
(3) Replaced the inline fuel filter (after removing the pump's mesh filter to allow any debris to be flushed into the inline filter).
(4) Changed the HT leads, distributor cap and rotor arm.
There are no fault codes stored.
Any ideas? It's changing from a nuisance to a danger now, so I'm keen to get it sorted as soon as possible.
Thanks,
Nick. Read more
is your fuel pump making noises, have you by any chance modified the air filter
{txt talk removed and replaced with proper words because unlike a mobile phone you aren't restricted to 160 characters here!! - DD}
Having read an artical in the A/Express No. 898 some time ago about an Astra 888 diesel with nearly 200bhp remapped by Thurlby Motors/Triple Eight Racing.
Then another artical in A/Express No.944 this week about thier long-term test with a Zafia diesel with 160 bhp or 195 bhp with a push of a button remapped by Griffin's British Touring Car team.
Knowing that these engines are the Alfa/Fiat 1.9td 16v 150 BHP, and also used by Saab, but all have different ECU's.
Are Vauxhalls the only models that have this remapping and with a push of a button choose your power boost and also not effecting your Warranty.
Does anyone do this for the Alfa/Fiat and Saab models. ??
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In Practical Performance Car Magazine, the bloke who recently won a Westfield in their competition is going to fit a VAG Tdi engine in it. He won because owing to the tuning potential of modern diesels, the PPC team were intrigued at how a diesel Westfield will turn out.
Whether he just has it remapped or goes further with modifying it remains to be seen (probably the latter). Will probably be donkeys years before the car is finished, but hopefully there will be some interesting comparison tests with petrol Westfields in the future...
Does anyone know where the speedo pickup is located on the gearbox? V6, 3.0L twin turbo 1995. Read more
Looking at the manual, there is a picture of the 'vehicle speed sensor' on the gearbox. Looking with the clutch and bell housing to the left, and the output shafts towards the viewer, the sensor is close to the bell housing face, about level with the output shafts.
Hope this helps..
I keep seeing alot Citroen C2 Noir models around where I live - all black inc windows and alloys. It just looks so right and of the time - whoever decides on these specs has the youth market nailed - every one seems to be owned by fasionable 20somethings.
Its the first small Citroen ive seen that I genuinely would buy on looks alone. Read more
A question, and I am not interested in the political correctness
issues, I have no personal prejudices against any type of personal
activity, except maybe with badgers and the French.... how does one
aspire to be gay?! An interesting concept. I think the term
is metrosexual?
I dont think anyone can, but the poster was suggesting that 'cool' and 'gay' are one in the same, and being cool is something people generally aspire to rather than achieve ( unless your my ex wife who, for whatever reason, made her deep blue Talbot Avenger look exceptionally cool, with lots of questions and admiration of the package from young and old alike! ).
Hello,
I am thinking of replacing the Mondeo's 6 CD changer with a CD MP3/WMA player, the 6006 is good quality though sometimes tempremental, I like the idea of putting eight or so albums on one CD and being able to random play all tracks across all albums rather than simply random play one album at a time.
I have a neat double DIN to DIN converter that I bought of e-Bay a few months ago that provides an additional pocket under the new DIN unit, I am thinking of an Alpine with adjustable display colour such as .......
www.alpine-europe.com/content/english/a583.det.CDA...m
....... together with the Alpine harness and column control adapters.
Any thoughts or considerations?, any other units I should look at?
Regards.
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where did you
get it for 65 quid?
www.incarexpress.co.uk/index.php
Actually £63.49, some others are doing it for around £67.99, High St nearer £100 though.
Browse
To be honest , I'm not keen on the look when the front is fairly clear, and the rear almost completely black (for legality). Makes the car look like a van - certainly does on the new Disco - ie £40k van !