November 2007
I have a late 1999 (v reg) BMW 3 series 1900cc with 20,000 miles and the heater only blows cold air. 12 months ago I noticed the temperature gauge was eratic but it settled down to normal range. What is the problem? Read more
A pavement cyclist has been heavily jumped on for killing a pedestrian in Cornwall. The cyclist was going like the clappers, allegedly at 30 mph.
I have often griped here about these silently zipping yobbos and hoodies.
In fact only an hour or so ago let out an expletive at a spotty 16-year-old who came at me wearing a hood and looking over his shoulder. I then had to apologise to the pretty girl on her mobile clip-clipping down the same bit of pavement within the scattergun range of my oath. The fact that these whippersnappers are quite good at what they do and have quick reactions is really beside the point. They are dangerous.
And on the way back from the shop damn me if two more going at the rate of knots didn't whip past me from behind.
Speaking as one verging on middle age, let me here and now urge those over 50 or so to heed this advice: walk in a straight line on pavements without zigzagging or staggering or lurching. It could mean a shattered elbow or worse.
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Interesting. How do you decide which laws to obey and which to flout?
I don't choose to obey any. Just so happens most of the time I do. I don't steal. Or mug people.
Sometimes though, I break them. I don't care.
On starting first thing the past few extra cold mornings my car makes the most appalling and fearful clatter which very soon passes off and doesn't appear again until the next cold start. I'm used to the usual horrible diesel starting up racket but I can't remember it ever being so obtrusive. Is this just a feature of the extra cold or is it trying to tell me something? Otherwise cars starts well and runs well.
Thanks in advance for any enlightenment. Cheers.
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Thank you both advice noted and being digested.
A bizarr thing happened today, and I had a ringside seat, in thc comfort of my own van.
I was waiting at traffic lights having pulled up behind another car, when I saw a young lad (late teens) cross the road in front of me. I may have recognised the lad, I don't know.
Next the driver of the car in front, gets out and proceeds to assault the young lad, right next to my van!
It took a few seconds to put the handbrake on and get my seatbelt off but I then found myself instinctively leading the assailant back to his car, not before he tried to hedbutt the other lad, I don't know if he made contact or not, but I was extremely focused on getting said lout back into his car.
I told him in no uncertain terms to get back into his car with one hand on his shoulder and the other opening his car door. He became much more subdude and complied. I then sat him down in his car and told him that his registration number would be reported to the police if he caused any more problems. His gf, sitting in the passenger seat, must have wondered what was going on. To be fair he gave me no abuse and was at pains to make it clear to me that he meant no more trouble.
I shut the door and at that point the lights changed and he drove off, the other lad hadn't been knocked off his feet, so I assume he just scarpered. One assumes that there was a score to be settled between these two but I was damned if I was going to let this go on where I live.
Not one other person in the queue of 6+ cars behind me came out to intervene. Read more
We have a very good relationship with the local plod, to the extent that I felt happy to phone them today and explain what had happened.
I didn't want to report the incident but let them know that I was there for any info if they needed it. They were actually very grateful for me taking the trouble to talk to them.
Tonight I met someone who witnessed some of what went down, unbeknown to me at the time. They were asking what started it etc.
I often read in threads on here, from HJ himself (I think) and on French car websites this business about making sure you use 'quality fuel' ( latest one was a French car website blaming TDCi failures on poor-quality supermarket fuel ). Yet people ' in the know' seem to say the fuel all comes from the same refineries and all meets the 'required standards' (I mean, this isn't Cambodia is it ??) .
So, my question is, does sub-standard quality fuel actually exist in Uk and Europe ???
(Sorry if i missed a thread on thiss and its recently been dealt with)
Hope you've all got a more exciting Friday night ahead than I have. Read more
For my previous diesel a Mondeo TDCi 130PS I can only comment as below:
- Brilliant to start with and run smoother on Smell diesel compared to Tesco...
- I cannot remember how old the car was but approx 18 months old got the classic EGR stuck and clouds of smoke and poor acceleration.
- Within 12 months EGR failed again and I ground to a halt suddently.... EGR faulty and not stuck
Then all fine until I notice what turned out to be a slipping clutch but garage also found leaking fuel injection. In fact they found the latter and the original symptoms still there so clutch done. Ironically without a faulty clutch would not have known about the fuel leak.
But apart from the faulty EGR/fuel leak/clutch it was pretty good on Tesco diesel. But it meets the standards so it should.
Replacement is a three week old Mazda6 (will have been built March at a guess) and it runs smoother on Tesco diesel than the Mondeo TDCi on Shell Extra or whatever its called.
I don't understand.
I've just done a few Confused searches for my Peugeot, and while I was there I thought I'd input a couple of others just for fun...
Same insurance company -
2002 406 HDI 90 LX - £480.
2002 Alfa 156 3.2V6 GTA - £500.
2001 Alfa 156 2.4 JTD Veloce - £390.
What is going on?! Are they assuming that an Alpha would spend more time in the garage so there's less of a risk??? Read more
Until recently I had a Honda that I bought new 7 years ago - the Ins came up for renewal.
Looked at the current insurer website and Fully Comp was £147, ticked the 3rd Party F&T box to compare and it changed to £177 - £30 more for less cover.
I want to make a pair of jump leads for my son who has called me out a few times with my leads when he has left his lights on at the office, no one else there has any.
The leads I have were made for me using good length light welding cable and two pairs of heavy duty clamps which have helped me and others over the 15 years since they were made for me .
Since I have left the heavy steel construction industry I do not have access to light welding cable so has anyone any suggestions as to what type/size of cable I should look for and where to ask for it.
I have tried looking for a decent set of leads in motor factors but they have always been poor quality.
Mal.
Ps nothing to do with Rolls Royce Silver Spirit but "any make / any model " was not accepted prior to posting!.
sorted - although I was dying to read the post after your choice of make and model ! Read more
he is obviously very young jc2
>>>>
That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said.
hi i am looking to buy either a fiesta 1.6tdci zectec s
or a focus 1.6 tdci zetec 2005 on but im reading a lot of bad
things about the mondeo tdci would anybody know if
the 1.6tdci is same engine as fitted to mondeo or
different. Read more
thanks dp. i drive a 54 plate astra 1.7 cdti works van
good power delivery and economy when working proper
but has been back to main dealer a couple times because
of poor economy and smoking under acceleration both times
had to have new injecters and pump both times only coverd
30,000 miles so that has put me off a corsa or astra
In the local paper. tinyurl.com/2nyzol
A magistrate has been found guilty of careless driving that resulted in a motorcyclist being killed.
Joan Brighton, 67, of St Andrew's Street, Kirton in Lindsey, was found guilty of driving without due care and attention at Hull Magistrates' Court. She was fined £600, ordered to pay £455 costs and was banned from driving for 12 months.
She had maintained her innocence throughout the case, stating she had checked to make sure there was no oncoming traffic before pulling out of a layby on the A1077 near Barton-upon-Humber to do a U-turn.
In the 10-hour trial, the court heard how Brighton was a magistrate in (A place in Linconshire the filter doesn't like) for 17 years before stepping down after the crash on June 7 last year.
Under cross examination, she said: "I didn't see a motorcycle on that road because there wasn't one there."
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"We have all done what this women did fortunately without consequences. Can anyone here claim they have never made a driving misjudgement which would have resulted in an accident had someone else been passing them at the time? "
I agree with that, as I have certainly made mistakes which subsequently frightened me given the possible consequences.
"The woman made a stupid mistake which caused the death of a biker and her comment was stupid in the extreme. But I never agree with prison sentences for for motoring offences that have no criminal intent such as dangerous driving drink or drugs or driving in pursuit of a crime."
Deterrence and punishment do have a role to play. Both make the roads safer through frightening us into being careful. Drink/drug driving does have criminal intent in the sense that people know the possible consequences.
As I have said before here, my half brother was deprived of a driving licence in Sweden after being found drunk in a public place. They consider that drunkenness indicates a lack of control unsuited to driving.
"Why clog the prison system up with an otherwise respectable citizen when a more effective method of rehabilitation would be a couple of years of unpaid work in a casualty department or helping recovering accident victims."
That is not a bad suggestion for the less serious cases. And our legal system does have community service as a punishment.
Thats a lot of untaxed cars off the roads...
www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1024627_100...d Read more
"I am surprised that no one has started printing his own tax disks. Scan them into the computer, photoshop the details and churn it out on a colour printer. Should be good enough to take in a parking warden who just glances at it. "
on my motorcycles , i do use photocopies of the correct tax disc
A: they tend to get stolen (and cost money to replace)
B: they are so badly waterlogged after a few mths , that they are unreadable,
Yes i know i should not be doingit?
Browse
It could be that after the warmer weather of "summer"? the heater control linkages have got a bit sticky and the valve isn't opening to allow hot water through to the heater rad. Not easy to get to as these bits are usually well hidden under the facia/ dash etc. Check that the levers do move when the heater controls are moved from cold to hot. Sometimes a LIGHT tap from the end of a screwdriver can free thing up.
It could also be that you have some muck floating around in the system that has collected in, and blocked, the heater radiator. I had similar problems several years ago. Try a drain down, refill and drain down again. If this doesn't clear the problem you might consider putting a flushing agent into the system but BEWARE. All the flushing products loosen EVERYTHING in the waterway and you could end up with leaks all over the place if the radiators are held together by corrosion !!