October 2007
Glow plug light went out a week ago when trying to start it.a mechanic changed the glow plugs and solenoid to bypass immobiliser,to start it now a wire is put across the relay and glow plug light comes on in dash.the van will start,this has to be done even when engine is warm.is it the relay at fault?would be grateful for help thanks
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Well something finally broke on the Honda - the nearside headlamp bulb went in France and was replaced by my spare. Interesting job in the dark. Now I want to fit two brand new bulbs.
Question
Other than being a toddler with considerable upper body strength how do you change the offside headlamp bulb in the current Honda Accord? I can touch the cover that goes over the back of the bulb housing but cannot get my hand in far enough to turn it, never mind reach in to change the bulb.
Would have been an interesting discussion with the gendarmes if the offside bulb had gone in France! Read more
hi, my mk 3 fiesta has developed a hairline crack on the core plug and is weeping coolant , is it a simple task to remove/replace it ? thanks mj Read more
just think though every time you lift the hood the eyes of the realm will
be watching you
i was pondering that dilemma BB so i had the foresight to have the fleur-de-lis on display
see how many drivers will be driving home from work tonight with out lights on, happens every year on this particular monday Read more
........ courteous to allow joiners in either by moving over or adjusting your speed.
During my 14 years M62 commute I did it for my own safety, not out of courteousy!
--
L\'escargot.
As a corollary to a current thread about power steering, I think that more advantage could be taken of it in respect of steering gearing. My 1929 Lagonda was geared to about one and a half turns lock to lock, which was very handy for getting on opposite lock fast when roll oversteer set in and generally gave satisfying handling. It was possible because of a decent sized steering wheel, narrow tires and all of the engine weight behind the front axle, but it was a heavy car. Nowadays, as pointed out in the other thread, many cars are so heavy to steer without power that it has become a necessity. However, low geared steering often seems to persist so that one requires too much twirling of the wheel to get the required movement of the front wheels; this is perhaps a legacy of the latter years of no power.
But I ask, given that power is required anyway, might it not just as well be used to afford higher geared steering again?
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"DIRAVI"
Thanks, OS. There is a surprisingly good article about this on Wikipedia. One of the listed advantages was that 'steering becomes an extension of thought process', which is quite a large claim (!), although having used it, I do know what they mean. It added to the 'magic carpet' feel of the car, although I always felt that it needed more cylinders to complete the illusion.
My mother-in-law has just taken delivery of a new Kia Sedona. I've had a short drive in in it - its a 2.9 Tdiesel auto.
First impressions - well built, with better quality internal fittings and trim than the Trajet my wife has. Solid feeling body, with eveything working as it should and better than anticipated. Electric sliding doors are very convenient. Dashboard seems to be reasonably well laid out, although climate control buttons are too numerous, with the least used bottons as big s the ones that are used frequently.
Driving - wow - quick off the mark for anything, diesel, auto or both. Remarkably smooth and quiet inside although I think it s lot noisier outside. A shot drive revealed it to be reasonably adept over potholes and speed bumps - again better than the Trajet.
Value - well if you insist on buying brand new I think its pretty, good. She has the top of the range with electric drivers seat, leather, heated seats, cruise etc. The only disapointment is lack of radio controls on the wheel. Confortable seats as well. I just got in and drove. £22,000 OTR approx.
Compared to the alternatives (Citroen/Pug, Galaxy, Espace & Voyager, it is better value, has better warranty - that you are unlikely to need - and looks quite good as well - quite sharp and appers to be shorter than its predecessor. That makes refreshing change.
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I'd like to know that too - a friend has a Sedona 2.9td which has developed a water leak in that area.
There now seems to be a trend for manufacturers to produce cars which are virtually identical appearance-wise - only in various degrees of size. As an example, the Volvo S40/S60/S80 would appear to have been produced by sticking the plans through a photocopier set on 40/60/80% - maybe that's why they're called that!
Is maintaining 'corporate identity' stifling creativity within a manufacturer's styling team? Read more
Don't forget the Audi 100 coupe and the Aston Martin DBS (1970's).
Well, you have to squint and see them from a distance in poor light.
Just returned from home in Germany and the brother in law has just bought a brand new Civic in black nice looking car ,in the logbook it states it is a Honda Rover Civic,is there something we are not been told about Rover. Read more
Sorry, misunderstood the first post.
As AE says, maybe German computer systems suffer from RIRO sometimes too.
Just read this week's Honest John column in the Telegraph: tinyurl.com/33urse
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My wife's 2002 Jaguar X-type went for a service and MoT recently. All was in good order, but an advisory notice was issued to tell us the "rear number plate might fail the next MoT". How can this be?
D.B., Norwich
# Number plates delaminate. Once the numbers start to become obscured, it's an MoT failure.
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Just wanted to point out another reason the advisory might have been issued is due to new MOT regulations for registration plates which came in force 1st October 2007.
Source: tinyurl.com/yrh6nv (Auto Express: MoT clampdown on reg plates)
QUOTE: "Plates fitted to models registered after 1 September 2001 that arent embossed with the name and postcode of the supplier and BS AU145d British Standard symbol will result in an automatic failure. The move is designed to make it easy for testers to spot non-road-legal show plates, as these dont have a BS symbol."
Also press release at VOSA tinyurl.com/2qlzdy (with additional PDF document link from that page for other complying issues for plates.)
I know 2 people who've failed on their plates this month due to no postcode or no British Standard symbol on the plates, even though the plates came with their cars, brand new are unaltered from the dealer's, on Year 2002 models.
And from what I can tell having looked around a bit on my travels, alot of people are gonna fall foul of these MOT regulations come the busiest testing times. I reckon it's a good idea to check your plates before you go, cause it can be a right hassle with retests / paying again ect.
PS:- I searched forums and saw that Dwight Van Driver mentioned the new regulations a few weeks ago, but he didn't seem to state what's needed to comply with them. Read more
Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regs 2001
Schedule 1 :-
VEHICLES REGISTERED AND NEW REGISTRATION PLATES FITTED ON OR AFTER 1ST
SEPTEMBER 2001 (MANDATORY SPECIFICATION)
1. The plate must be made of retroreflecting material which, as regards its construction, colour and
other qualities, complies with the requirements of?
(a) the British Standard specification for retroreflecting number plates published on 15 January
1998 under number BS AU 145d(a), or
(b) any other relevant standard or specification recognised for use in an EEA State and which, when
in use, offers a performance equivalent to that offered by a plate complying with the British
Standard specification,
and which, in either case, IS MARKED WITH THE NUMBER (or such other information as is necessary to permit
identification)OF THAT STANDARD OR SPECIFICATION..
The British Standard also requires that a number plate must be marked with the following information: -
The British Standard Number (currently BS AU 145d)
The name, trade mark, or other means of identification of the manufacturer or componentsupplier. (The company who actually make the number plate.)
The name and postcode of the supplying outlet.
(The 'supplying outlet' is taken to mean a company whose business consists wholly or partly of selling number plates.)
A non-reflective border and the Euro-symbol with the national identification letters are optional additions.
There shall be no other markings or material contained on the number plate
.Further information about the British Standards requirements can be obtained at www.bsi-global.com.
(Snap Martin?)
dvd
There was a slightly daft feature in the Observer today offering tips on how to be off-grid ie make it hard to be tracked by CCTV, credit card usage, mobile phone usage etc and it made the claim that fitting infrared bulbs in place of normal number plate bulbs was legal but would defeat ANPR which uses infrared and would therefore be foxed by infrared light flooding the reg plate.
This sounds pretty unlikely to be true and I would have thought it was illegal.
Anyone know for sure? Read more
The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001
9 (5) The plate to be lit so that it is easily distinguishable from every part of a relevant area having a diagonal length -
(a) in the case of a plate displaying a mark having characters with a width of 44 millimetres, of 15 metres, and
(b) in any other case, of 18 metres.
11 (2) A registration plate must not be treated in any other way which renders the characters of the registration mark less easily distinguishable to the eye or which would prevent or impair the making of a true photographic image of the plate through the medium of camera and film or any other device.
Could therefore be illegal?
dvd
Browse
Managed to work this out last night - on a Diesel.
Remove the bolt holding the top of the washer bottle filler (needed a flexible drive and care not to drop the bolt.
Pull off the top part of the filler tube - top 2 inches comes off, lower part might pull out as well but I managed with just the top part removed.
You can now move the tube over allowing (me) just enough room to get my hand in. If you have large hands you will struggle. At one point I thought we might need the fire brigade to get my hand out! Next time I might get the wife to do it!
Refit the washer bottle filler tube. I did drop the bolt but luckily it lodged on one of the many pipes there are down there so was reachable - just.