November 2007
Following all the hoo-ha on TV recently about apparently failing handbrake mechanisms.
I was reminded of my own habit of always leaving the car parked in gear as well as applying the handbrake. I guess some would say there is a reason why I shouldn't but it's now an unbreakable ( sorry ) habit. I suppose it was innately learned on early shoespy transport which didn't always have much in the way of actual brakes ! It seems to annoy the hairspray off the the distaff side of the family when borrowing my car as she usually ends up kangarooing up the drive ! Just can't stop doing it tho' ;-)
So who's for it and who's agin' ? Read more
am trying to find out if i could purchase a spare key for my rover 620TI n reg as im having problems.was de icing it this morning and it locked itself on.i could not open doors at all.it was running for over half an hour till the aa man came to stop it.heater,lights all was running.if i had a spare key i could have saved all this bother.
if anyone could help would appreciate it very much.thanks.
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duplicut or timpsons [shoe repairers] to name but two.
Where there are alternative methods I usually try to use the one which minimises wear or transfers the wear onto a cheaper component.
For example I disconnect the TV from the mains using the switch on the 13 amp socket rather than the switch on the front of the set. I can renew a 13 amp socket, but if the switch on the TV fails it would probably not be replaceable.
So ......... which minimises the wear on car door locks, using the key or using the remote?
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L\'escargot. Read more
I'm just depressed that I wont ever get back the time I had to spend reading this thread...
... it did make me laugh though.
Anyone remember the car magazines from the early 1960`s and the "change your valve springs every 10,000 miles" adverts? If you didn`t do this the advert then informed of the dire consequences of "valve bounce".
Then there was some change in the advertising standards and those ads were dropped overnight.
(Funny how the car I had also seemed to know and went up to 98,000 miles with no valve bounce on its original valve springs ;)
Now it seems the ubiquitous "Up To" are the weasel words that are inserted (with great skill) into modern (typically fuel or additives) advertisements.
Time for new higher advertising standards to protect the largely naive motoring public from the ploys of very expensively crafted claims?
It seems to me a good start would be for "Up To" to be banned and maximum and minimum figures with percentages to be used. Independently verified and the testing open to peer review.
Over the top? A different world I think with money going into testing instead of the marketing depts who along with their psychologists are just out to `sell the product` with no concerns at all for honesty or integrity towards the life struggles of the average person trying their best to make a choice.
Regards Read more
Watchdogs behind dvertising standards are toothless tigers. Just look how long Tiscali and other companies advertise "Unlimited broadband" when in fact they have one of most stringent usage limits regulated by so called "fair usage policy" where they decide what's "fair" or not to them without any clear information on the actual hard limits to the customer.
You would imagine in this day and age the limited unlimited character of this product wouldn't fly for too long before its shot down by legislation, and yet the market is full of unprecedensed cliches, made up figures and straight lies - whether its made up lab test fuel consumptions, mascaras that against any biological rules multiply your wives lashes or flights advertised at prices that don't exist in real life.
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[ Anything I drive can and will be used against me ]
Do you renew wiper blades on the basis of (a) age, (b) mileage, (c) condition, or what?
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L\'escargot. Read more
They begin to wear in three stages, always in rapid succession
1. Tendency to smear
2. Yak-yak-yak changes to yadda yadda yadda
3. Yadda yadda yadda becomes screech screech screech
4. Definitely time to change
Conversations with back seat passengers (of the MiL variety) follow a similar succession and are considerably more wearing.
Ha ha ha.
i've just bought a used polo. how do i find out if it's had any recalls? thanks in anticipation. Read more
Look in www.direct.gov.uk
Or quicker way is www.vosa.gov.uk/vosa/apps/recalls/default.asp
hello all, i am no mug as a motorcycle mechanic but i cant figure out how to take off the air filter cover on my seat ibiza,are there any screws to undo as i cant see any and i am loathe to just be heavy handed and try and physically pull the filter cover off as am unsure of any damage i might do. many thanks in anticipation.
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ok went about 100 miles last 50 engine started to have no power over 70mph in top gear but run fine in lower gears. then engine started to misfire very bad and would rev at 3000rpm stood at traffic lights was alot of smoke coming from eninge bay but i think this is becuase my down pipe is leaking. this is more serious there was a whine from eninge days before and someone told me water pump was on its way when i checked water it was empty so im guessing that the reason but the temp gauge never went high? it was very cold tonight maybe it was a god sent or maybe the sensor is broke? the engine ticks over fine after a while but still misfiring regardless? forgot to say someone told me catalic was on its way so this could of gone too any help would be great has i have to drive it back home some how. eninge specs k series 214 16valve. was running fine before i took it on motorway. Read more
Rob
Don't even bother messing about with that engine. It's history.
If the car's worth it, just get a complete engine, g/box and everything else out of a crashed [not just scrapped] exactly similar one and swap the lot.
Reading a recent post about passengers who "help" you by "cleaning" the misted windscreen, rendering it opaque for the rest of the journey... got me thinking: What are the most annoying things passengers do to YOU in YOUR car?
Here are a few of my passenger pet hates...
1. Talking - too loud and at the wrong moment, e.g. at life-threatening junctions
2. Changing the radio station, CD track etc. without asking the driver
3. Adjusting heating, fan, etc., ... in fact touching any of the controls, darnit.
4. Opening the glovebox and snooping inside
5. Screwing up a piece of miscellaneous litter or even chewing gum and ramming it into the ashtray or door pocket
6. Yanking on the door storage bin instead of the grab handle
7. Shutting the door like some kind of badly-trained zoo animal: Hefty slam / timid push / nervous dab at the door frame with (smeary) fingertips /totally ignoring door handle and shoving the window glass
8. (All time favourite!) Yanking the rear view mirror towards SWMBO to check lippy, at least half an hour before reaching destination and imminent (apparently deadly-important) social event, such as tea at Aunty Flo's.
Have I missed any??
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Passengers who BREATHE.
I can go from 0 - incandescent rage in about .2 of a second being stuck in a car with a 'nose breather' who seems blissfully unaware of the whistling and other noises emanating from their schnozz.
One of things you would give anything to never have noticed........
i bought a private reg and the dvla have all the paperwork they need to proceed, how long does it normaly take until i can put the number on my car,thanks
text talk edit Read more
From DVLA:
The DVLA local office may wish to inspect the donor and or recipient vehicle(s). If everything is in order, the donor vehicle (the vehicle giving up the cherished number) will be allocated a replacement age-related registration number*, the tax disc(s) will be replaced and the MOT certificate(s) (where appropriate) will be amended to show the replacement registration number. You will then be instructed to replace the number plates on the vehicles and to return any old tax disc(s) for cancellation.
The papers will be sent to DVLA, Swansea for the records to be amended and replacement V5C registration certificates will normally follow within four weeks of receiving your confirmation letter from the Local Office. However, if a V62 was used to support your application it could take up to eight weeks.
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Isn't the handbrake lever a bit intrusive in a cuddle sac?