April 2008
Media comments suggest that the Dept for Transport could make its announcement on regional road pricing trials on 15th May (it was delayed from the turn of the year). The one proposed for Manchester will be the world's largest scheme if introduced and will saddle the region with £1.8bn of debt to repaid to be re-paid through charges.
Even if you don't live in or near Manchester, with the scheme being a test-bed for national road pricing, the proposals affect you. If you do live in the area, I urge you to find out where your local councillors stand on the issue if up for re-election. Three of the 10 councils involved have already said they oppose the scheme with a fourth promising a referendum.
More details can be found at www.gmmgroup.co.uk
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www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=17951
{link to pistonheads made non clickable due to some of the content on there}
"Rumour has it that this boring old blue builder?s van may not be as innocent as it seems.
Photos of the van, seen in Derbyshire, started circulating on the web and the suggestion was that it is in fact a speed camera van in disguise.
It could be the latest sneaky tactic the police are using to snare motorists after they were caught using a horse box recently.
One website has already done a check on the number plate and indeed it did used to be white, so perhaps someone has forgotten to tell the DVLA about the change of hue.
But interestingly the picture below it is from the Derbyshire Safety Camera Team website." Read more
Speed kills and maims (which is often far worse) punktum.
Since you seem keen to evangelise the mantra, perhaps you might enlighten the rest of us as to what contructive benefit is offered by the phrase "speed kills" in a discussion on road safety. Because the only fact that I can see it adds to the mix is: if all vehicles were at all times stationary, nobody would ever be killed or injured by a moving vehicle.
Which is true, but utterly useless.
>>It?s similar to hearing heavy smokers disputing the dangers of smoking
despite the statistics just because they had a grandfather who smoked like a >>chimney and
lived to be 101.
No it isn't. Nobody is suggesting that smoking [driving dangerously] is acceptable just because some of the people who habitually do it happen not to die prematurely [cause a road accident]. However, one of the things people sometimes do while smoking [driving dangerously] is to read the newspaper [exceed the speed limit]. What is unnaceptable is to punish anyone caught reading a newspaper without bothering to establish whether they were smoking a cigarette. And it is unacceptable for two reasons. Firstly, those who were not also smoking a cigarette have done nothing wrong and so punishment is underserved. And secondly, those who were smoking a cigarette have not been punished severely enough.
Hi
Can anyone tell me when it became illegal for lorries to use the third lane of the motorway?
Thanks Read more
Not only HGV/LCV but all trailers.
Hello - I have a bad back and recently had an operation. I now need to buy a "new" car (doesn't have to be) but it must have v comfortable seats preferably with electric adjustment and should be an automatic as I shouldn't really change gear. Also must be reliable. What do you suggest with budget up to £12k - could be saloon/hatch? Read more
I've found my C-Max has the most comfortable seats and seating position of any car I've driven.
Whislt I would agree with the accessability I found that the C-Max seats lacked support. They were great for short trips indeed my elderly mother loved it for its easy access. On the other hand on long journeys both my wife and I found the seats to be literally a pain.
I had the a CMax for four years and the seats were one of the reasons I was glad to see the back of it (apart form its dreadful mechanical reliability). I much prefer a firmer seat with adjustable lumbar suport and find those in my current car, an Octavia, much better in this respect . Just goes to prove that seating is very much a personal thing and there is no such thing as a seat that suits everybody
Any ideas! After braking, there appears to be an air leak from behind brake pedal causing an annoying squeeking noise. Renault Scenis 1.9 DCI. Read more
Brake servo on it's way out or pipe loose to servo.
Hi,
My AX jumps out of 3rd gear no matter what load is on the engine, any ideas as to what may be causing it and what sort of cost will it be at a garage to repair?
Any help appreciated. Read more
Sometimes the gear linkage can foul on the air filter housing on the AX. My daughter had a gear selection problem on hers and we'd had the air filter off.
Hi, Can anyone please help!
I have a Vibration through the floor when accelerating but not otherwise, the vibration is the same as a car with a vibrating prop-shaft, only my car is front wheel drive. Does anyone have any clues? Read more
screwloose.
You was right it was abroken engine mount, which I fixed, took nine hours.
Mrs O has to sell one of these in her professional capacity, and is after a Black Book price for trade and private sale. Parker's and the like don't seem to have the exact model.
Vauxhall Astra Envoy car-derived van (same as the estate, but without the windows)
1.6 petrol, first reg 1 July 2002, MOT until July this year, 23k miles at last MOT (and hasn't done much since). It has an old style V5.
Would a private sale of a van incur VAT?
Thanks,
O
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There will be no VAT if it is a private sale.
Well, not quite. A friend has an 2003 Vectra 2.2 diesel SRi, around 70k on the clock and regularly main dealer serviced. Occasionally, particularly on a long run, the engine management light comes on and it goes into limp-home mode. This can be a bit hairy if it happens in lane 3 of a motorway or if overtaking. If you stop the engine and restart, the fault clears. It's been to the dealer and no fault codes found apparently. My mate has been told 'it's a software glitch' and no solution has been offered. If it was me I'd be raising merry hell as I think it is a potentially dangerous fault but each to their own.
Any ideas before he kills himself? Read more
As far as I'm aware this is the same engine as Saab use in the 9.3 and EGR valve problems seem commonplace.
My brother in law's Saab displayed exactly the same symptoms as your mate's Vectra but all was well after cleaning the EGR, as per the instructions from this post:
www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=25451//u...l
Best of luck
I've had a few starting problems with my 1.9 TD. After reading up on all the common faults i didnt really think it was the glow plugs, and after some checks it turned out to be the start relay. I've replaced the relay but it's still a little slow on startup so as glowplugs are cheap i've bought a set.
Now how the hell do you fit them!?! i've done the so called easy ones but theres 2 behind the fuel pump and its so pushed for space i can't even seem to get a wrench on them!
Please Help Read more
the ratchet spanner i got was for removing glow plugs. Its a 12mm one end and 8mm on the other. Its also a double offset at 300mm long made by laser (can get it from halfords). It's arrived today so i'll give it my best tomorrow and see how it goes. The plugs aren't the best in the world, but to be honest im really strapped for cash (how sad) but i don't mind putting the time in, so if i can learn to do it once, im sure i can do it again.
Thanks for all you help on this, It's good to be on a forum that's so helpful
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If they go through with this I will seriously consider getting one of those cycle cars that are popular in other countries, atleast then ill avoid all those costs :-)