"disproportionate amount of anti smokers "

Only because the 'antis' are always more vocal. Hence the term 'silent majority'.

I think this another example of the law of unintended consequences - cars are practically the last indoor refuge for the smoker, everywhere else having been made unavailable. Having been a very occasional pipe smoker, I must admit that I'm inclined to use it more just to make a point!

"Environmental campaigners are always pointing out the mileage that our produce travels. Perhaps a significant increase in transport costs will see consumers buying more local produce."

Oh yeah! All the stuff I buy can be bought locally? Are you really suggesting that we spend most of our money on "local produce"? I live in a rural area - the fields are full of oil seed rape, beans, and cereal crops (not a lot of cows, sheep or pigs). The shoe factories have closed, so have the hosiery factories - I would love to see a label on anything saying "Made in Leicestershire". I rely, not through choice, reliant on products brought to me by trucks, trains, ships - I have no choice.
My biggest recent purchase was a new bathroom suite. I went to the local farmers' market, but they did not have one. Just think what you have bought recently and tell me how much is "local produce"
This tax increase is just a way of Gov raising more money - the tax will not be spent on reducing "climate change", it will have no impact on conserving scarce resources since to most people their journeys are "essential" - you may not agree, but they are "essential" to the person concerned.

Interesting article in the Telegraph today about how gov wastes money. An extract:-
"The extravagance of Mr Brown is further exposed in the annual Bumper Book of Government Waste published this week by the Taxpayers' Alliance.
It estimates that of the £587 billion spent by the state last year, £101 billion was wasted, enough to cut the tax burden of every household by over £4,000 a year.
It includes in this the £65 million fine from the EU for the farm payments fiasco, £36 million for road building overruns, £380 million for written-off tax credit overpayments, £1.4 billion on unnecessary consultants, £1.6 billion on failed IT schemes, £5 billion increase in public administration since 1997. The list goes on and on.
The European Central Bank found that if public spending were as efficient as that of the US, or Japan, the Government could spend 16 per cent less, while still producing the same level of public services.
The Government will no doubt dispute many of the TPA's calculations; but even if they are only a quarter true, this is dissipation on an epic scale.
Now Mr Brown proposes to spend £100 million of your money and mine on an election that is not needed. How generous of us."

Source
www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinio...l


Motorists/road transport is an easy target because most of us, and the transport companies have no choice. We just go out and pay more and more. We have to.


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Phil

Respect for having the stones to come back and give us the outcome.

Don't feel too bad - we've all done it at some time or another....

Glad to hear that you're all sorted.

More tripe about "re-setting." What mechanically-challenged Saxo-owning moron started this myth?

ECUs on whatever size engine, or fuel type, or year, that this is; are adaptive - i.e. they adapt their settings... Constantly.

What can possibly be gained from messing with them. If you lose the basic settings too, then you're into the dealers etc. for reprogramming.

If your local motor factors don't stock one, try your local Chevrolet dealer (Daewoo became Chevrolet). Failing that, try a scrapyard - I have a feeling this engine was used in the Astra.