I can''t remember the last time that I topped a car's anti-freeze up so what do I use please?

I bought a small bottle of blue stuff from Tesco today but note that the liquid in both my wife's Punto and my Passat is reddy-brown.

The description of what should be used per my wife's car's handbook is similar apart from it tells me to use red anti-freeze.

Am I safe to use the Tesco stuff please? Read more

I've just been topping up the window washer fluid in my C-Max and noticed the coolant in the expansion tank is below the min level. My drive slopes somewhat, so I'm going to move the car to a flat area to double-check, but it's certainly nowhere near the max level. It recently had its first service, and the coolant level wasn't flagged up then, but I must confess I don't check it myself regularly.

I was wondering how normal it is to have to top up the coolant level, given that the car is only just over a year old, with 12,000 miles. Read more

Another tax/penalty where you are guilty until you can prove your innocence? - an impossible task.

Drivers of vehicles that emit unacceptable levels of pollution could be targeted by a new weapon in the fight to improve air quality.

A spy camera capable of analysing exhaust fumes and recording number plates is being tested and reviewed by London transport bosses.

Roadside air pollution has been increasing in London
The Accuscan 4600 works by firing ultraviolet and infrared light across the road. It can scan 3,000 vehicles every hour and pinpoint transgressors in less than a second.

Transport for London has been testing the £100,000 device at Tower Bridge and could use them to help police its city-wide Low Emission Zone, due to come into effect in February 2008.

Drivers of lorries, buses and coaches that fail to meet the emissions targets will be charged £200 a day to drive into London.

The city's air quality is the worst in Britain and among the worst in Europe. Roadside air pollution has been on the rise in London for the past two years and a recent survey by Ipsos Mori found that 72 per cent of residents were concerned about pollution from traffic fumes.

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The zone will begin by focusing on older, more polluting lorries then include lighter lorries and vans, with the aim of cutting emissions by 16 per cent by 2012. If successful, it could be adopted by other local authorities across Britain.

A TfL spokesman insisted that, if adopted, the new cameras would not be used to target drivers but to record the overall success of the zone.

TfL is currently installing different cameras around the perimeter of London capable of calculating from the model of each heavy goods vehicle whether it is capable of meeting the low emissions target.

Referring to the Accuscan 4600, the spokesman said: "A small trial has been undertaken of devices that measure pollutant emissions from vehicles, the results of which have been provided to Transport for London.

"We are studying these results, and if these devices provide robust data we will look at piloting them for emissions monitoring for the Low Emission Zone. However, we will not be using these devices to enforce the Low Emission Zone."

However, Duncan Mounsour, of Enviro Technology Services which has developed the Accuscan 4600, said the system could be used for enforcement.

"Should registered keepers of those vehicles not heed any notices that may be sent to them to get their vehicles tuned up and better maintained, then it could be used as a system to issue penalties," he said.

Under Department for Transport regulations, local authorities are empowered to conduct emission checks and fine drivers breaking legal limits. Until now, however, enforcement has been impractical.

Council officials have had to stop vehicles with the help of police officers and measure a vehicle's emissions using an electronic probe.

By Graham Tibbetts
The Telegraph

www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/main.jhtml?xml=/earth/20...l
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tinyurl.com/yo87ms Read more

I seem to remember reading here that the best way to stop an ABS equipped car in an emergency was to stand on the brake pedal and let the ABS do its stuff. By the same token, how should one drive one's traction control-equipped car in slippery conditions? Floor it and let the TC do its stuff? Pussy-foot around and ease off the gas if the TC dash light comes on?

Reason for asking? The Citroen C8 recovered our caravan from a rain-sodden sloping field near Saltburn yesterday. The clutch was treated very gently and most of the manoeuvering was done at tickover. The TC light blinked occasionally but the outfit escaped onto solid ground with minimal damage to the grass.

Any opinions?


Hawkeye
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Insomniac in a strange land Read more