December 2007
As has been mentioned several times here in the Backroom, the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) of London is due to start in February 2008, initially for large vehicles and by 2012 for Transit sized vans.
The cost of driving within the LEZ for a non-complying vehicle is set at £200 per day (not per week, or per month, but per day).
I am concerned by this scheme and particularly concerned at where it may end if it is judged a ?success?.
Imagine the following scenario: the LEZ is deemed a good thing and is widely copied by other conurbations. These other conurbations set their own parameters as to what is, or is not, a polluting vehicle and their own timescales for implementation. We will soon live in a country where it will be necessary to Google before every trip, so as to find out if our vehicles comply with the legislation of the areas that we pass through.
Foreign visitors will be either scared to come, or enraged at being ?fined? for being ignorant.
If each conurbation can set its own parameters and ?fine? offenders. If there is no universal central control. If there is not effective national publicity (and international publicity as well) to make everyone aware, then I do think we are entering a period of great uncertainty, as it will become very difficult to travel anywhere without the risk of being fined for non-compliance. Why should we have to check our routes before every trip to see if we are safe from fines for non-compliance?
Where will this creeping form of taxation end?
Am I being paranoid, what do other BR?s think?
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Hello
We have a Jaguar 2.5 X type, regisered in 2001, bought as an approved jaguar 3 years ago and now with 50K miles. it has been an excellent car until now when a sensor in the engine had to be replaced, however to my horror the dealer informed me that they noticed a whining coming from the "transfer box" and that this will cost £ 1800 plus vat to replace. They have logged this as a fault in Jaguar's central computer, so unless I get it fixed by Jaguar, this stain will remain on the car's file.
My query relates to whether there is any mileage in asking Jaguar to contribute towards this repair, the car has only every been serviced by them, hasn't been driven hard or abused in any way.
Otherwise what would be the approximate cost in having this repaired by an independent garage. I intended to keep this car for a few more years yet as it is a great car in every other respect.
Thanks in advance for any comments Read more
get a 2nd opinion - don't let one person worry you silly - service managers have an agenda - as HJ has pointed out , now we are not ripped off on new car prices , we are being shafted on servicing .
The handbook for my wife?s 1996 Fabia 1.2 petrol recommends that to maintain the air conditioning it should be used once a week for 5 minutes on AC with the fan speed on the highest setting.
Does it make any difference if it is set on hot or cold for this purpose?.
wemyss
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>>you only get 49 mpg from a 323TD? >>
It's mostly used for stop-start urban commuting.
Hi everyone
Ford Fiesta 1997 1.3 Endura - E
When started it throws out a load of oily smoke which has got quite a lot of moisture in it. It continues to smoke all the time.
The engine also miss-fires and the exhaust back-fires. It uses an awful lot of oil and blows the oil filler cap off.
All in all it runs very rough indeed. There is a slight knocking from the engine but I think this is pretty normal on these engines? I have no idea when it was last serviced as I have just bought it with NO history.
Theres no water or anything in the oil.
I was thinking that maybe I should give it an engine flush followed by oil and filter change.........Any thoughts?
Thanks,
Andrew (new member)
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ok - thanks for the information.
Hi. My car's revs go mad when brake when coming to a stop. Can anyone give me any tips? My boyfriend says its the way i drive, but i've had the car 4 years and it has only recently started doing it.
Many thanks
Bev Read more
This is one of the threads. [Same engine in a Fiesta.]
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=56009&...f
Just noticed a small trickle of water running along the footwell carpet of my 1 year old C5. Its only a very small amount of water and its coming out of the centre colsole right down low at the very back where the base of the facia meets the floor and the scuttle panel. Its running towards the drivers footwell area, down by the brake pedal. I suspect the heater matrix, but as the car is only 1 year old (10k) i would find that surprising.
There are no leaves blocking the drains below the windscreen and the drain holes are clear. Any ideas what its likely to be please? Read more
The thing is, I havent used the air con for about 3 weeks. I will run it tomorrow and see what happens.
Posted earlier re a 1993 1.1 Petrol Fiesta auto choke with cold start problems. Can anyone tell me 'exactly' where the coolant temperature sensor is on this car if indeed there is one because I cannot locate it having been round the coolant circuit/block now several times looking for any likely suspects with two leads coming from it. Is it accessible from the top as Haynes mentions having to jack up the car to get to it - but still cannot find it. (Found the crank sensor ok).
What this car does have that I have not seen referenced in Haynes is a largeish cylindrical silver coloured sensor in the exhaust pipe about one foot down from the manifold and two inches from the radiator where the two pipes become one. I am wondering on this car if this there instead of the coolant temperture sensor. Who knows.
Also still baffled why the car refuses to start on a new well charged battery yet will fire up tick over and run perfectly every time on a bump start 20 yard tow.
Any help welcome.
Many thanks Read more
Apologese for my last post in the other thread I thought you'd found the right one where you actually found the gauge sender.
Posted earlier re a 1993 1.1 Petrol Fiesta auto choke with cold start problems. Can
anyone tell me 'exactly' where the coolant temperature sensor is
It attached to the inlet manifold, not the block. Feel the underside of the inlet manifold and you'll find it.
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Mike Farrow
i have a Peugeot 306 lx t-reg
it starts ok. if it's running while parked or i'm reversing there is no problem but as soon as i drive forwards all the electrics go, the dials go up and down the led display goes haywire then the engine cuts out also now the central locking does'nt work either
i tried the battery terminals they were fine, i cleaned the points on the earthwire, still no joy.
it's now becoming a pain. could it be the battery itself. it does seem to die quite quickly if
the car ain't running. Read more
thanks for the advice. It was the battery earth I did'nt find it
the A.A guy did.
I did not know it was called an earth wire I thought it was called a neutral wire so did'nt even
look at it i was looking at the earth wire by the battery housing but it's all done now and running smoothly
so a big thanks again
just bought a saxo for my daughter for xmas, the power steering was working fine until last night when she stopped the car she could not get the key out , she started the engine again and the steering wheel felt heavy she phoned me and i went to get her no power steering and no blower , can anybody please help , Read more
No power steering and no heater blower are classic symptons of ignition switch fault,a very common issue om Citroen/Peugeot variants.Replacing the switch is a real pain,it is a lot easier and cheaper to carry out modification with a load relay for this circuit.I am sure there are previous posts on this.hth
How does an ABS system tell the difference between a panic braking scenario (ie, I've got both feet on the pedal as hard as I can with the intention of locking all four wheels), and being stationary (so no wheels turning either).
Since the ABS obviously doesn't release the brakes while I'm waiting at traffic lights, how does it know that I'm not moving? Read more
Mike,
I was thinking more of the difficulties in working on them in their situation. From above, you are bending right into the back of the engine bay, from below, they're sandwiched between the bulkhead and the back of the engine.
They got in the way when doing clutch jobs. Changing a belt meant taking the driveshaft out.
Number_Cruncher
Browse
Just watching Dispatches about Ken Livingstone and his empire.
A few things about congestion charge:
TFL report from 2006 showing an increase in congestion.
Its is turning into a 'traffic reduction scheme', not 'congestion reduction'.
Traffic now only 2 secs per km faster than before charge came in.
Buses - more using them, but TFL 2007 survey shows buses are going slower - 11% slower year on year.
Investment in public transport - system is expensive to run. >50% of revenue raised is used to replace equipment, not invested in PT.
Congestion charge not making enough money.
And nothing to do with motoring, but his office spends more on advertising than Microsoft UK - about £23million a year!