April 2008
Assume you wish to drive straight ahead at a crossroads while someone in the opposite road wants to turn right. Who has the priority? The point does not seem to be covered by the Highway Code.
This happened to me this morning. Big, ugly-looking customer in a big, ugly-looking 4WD started blasting off (in a heavily built-up area) while I gave way to 3 cars turning left in front of me. I can only assume he wanted me to force a passage so he would not have to wait about 25 seconds.
What would you have done?
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I'm thinking of changing my Ka to the above - I accept insurance will be a challenge (I'm only 24!) but the increased running costs currently seem favourable to shelling out on the engine work required on the Ka (drinking oil) and getting it through the MOT in July.
A friend is likely selling her Cupra soon and has mentioned she may sell it to me for £1300 with 12mths MOT. It's a T '99, 75000 miles, it'll need a service but as I'll probably only use it until the next MOT is nearly up and then flog it against something new on finance, financially it makes sense. Part of the appeal of course is having what is effectively a 2.0 litre Polo ;)
If I go for it, can anyone please give me buying tips or things to look for? Doesn't seem to be a lot about it in the car by car review on here. Are they generally reliable? Read more
Oh that's fine, and it is - I've been in it as a passenger.
I'm more bothered by mechanical problems/potential big expenses to be wary of. Ie any common problems specific to the model (mine for example has knackered valve stem oil seals, a common problem on the ka/Fiesta engine.)
I thought the battery in FiL's Corsa (1999) had died when no electrics worked. Used jump leads to start it from my Mazda 323TD and it fired up first time. However, engine management light in the Corsa lit up and the engine is now revving up and down of its own accord and kangaroos trying to drive it. The car will start which suggests the battery maybe okay after all. There's only 15k on the clock from new.
Any suggestions? Thanks Read more
interesting to note amid all the tributes to the late jazz musician and radio comic host Humphrey Littleton in today's newspapers, that he "maintained a dogged attachment to a battered Volvo estate in which he reputedly clocked up more than 250,000 miles".
A truly multi talented guy and so unpretentious, as his choice of aged vehicle shows.
Which car and how old, I wonder, would each of us like to own when "our time" comes? Read more
I looked at buying a second hand Galaxy 4dr with a 406 engine with some friends when I was in my early twenties. Sadly there were too many problems and it would have absorbed endless money! I recall driving it and the massive surge of torque from that mighty engine. Why Ford re-used the name for a, usually diesel, school run MPV I will never know. If I win the lottery I would search out a 427 model for myself!
Our local Esso has just increased unleaded to 111.9....Any body better that.
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Stornoway was on the Tv the other day - Diesel £1.40 for Esso at one station IIRC
I've been careless when removing mud splodges (received when following a tractor which had just come off the fields) on my car's bonnet and ended up with several areas where the paintwork is scuffed. Where I went wrong was to not use enough water. The question is ........... what's the best way to remove the scuffing? I've polished the bonnet several times with Turtle Wax but it doesn't appear to have improved matters. I don't really want to use anything which would remove a significant thickness of paint. Read more
I sware by the Auto Glym products. I use what you say and find it excellent.The super resin polish did an excellent job on my 1999 car.
The honda accord i recently purchased has developed an irritating vibration, knock under the rear of the car. Its not the spare wheel or anything in the boot and only occurs when you get a double grove, couple of uneven spots in the road! ive looked under the car and everything looks ok ,exhaust looks good. Its so annoying so would be grateful for any advice. Read more
Could be loose pads, check rear pads/ calipers.
Challenge by "Robbie the Pict against"
1) Speed Limits on Scotttish Motorways
2) Legality of Speed Cameras & Guns in Scotland
Please see attached "non clickable) link to "The Herald"
theherald.co.uk/politics/news/display.var.2227552.0.Speed_traps_in_the
_dock_as_judges_to_rule_on_legality_of_cameras.php
It may sound pie in the Sky but Robbie the Pict challenged the Skye Bridge Tolls as being illegal on points of law and although technically "he did not win" the Scottish Govt withdrew the tolls and paid off the Bank of America that funded the original build cost.
It is not just the refunds of fines that might cost BIG MONEY but the financial losses could be claimed by people who lost their licence / job due to speeding convictions that were not valid.
So it may be that Scotland has no Petrol & Diesel due to the Refinery strike as we speak but NO Legally enforceable Motorway Speed Limits or Cameras / Laser Guns (until legislation is changed). Read more
Police equipment and technology Speed cameras The Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988 Section 20, states that safety cameras used to enforce compliance with speed limits must be 'type approved' by the Secretary of State before evidence from them can be used in court.
Type approval process - the type approval process provides a public assurance of the equipment?s accuracy and reliability.
The process for acquiring Home Office Type Approval has two parts:
an ACPO TET (Association of Chief Police Officers Traffic Enforcement Technology Sub-Committee) part followed by
a Home Office part
.
What the Type Approval consists of can be seen at:
www.tinyurl.com./45dcpl {link corrected}
At the end of the process a formal agreement is made between the manufacturer and the Home Office and a type Approval Order issued. Details of are on the Home Office Police website.
www.tinyurl.com/68yqbs
He states that the LT 20 - 20 is not listed - it is along with 3 type Gatso's. I would suspect that there will others that have not been updated (21)?
From this and the implications a success would mean I cannot see him succeeding.
dvd
Can your front seat passenger switch off the cruise control if you become seriously unwell or worse?
Similarly could you switch off the CC if your driver became seriously unwell or worse?
David's comments below in another thread reminded me of the risks.
>>Scary Faults - David Horn
>>The Honda cruise control disconnect is in 3 places - brake pedal, master switch, and steering wheel.
Irritatingly, it's not on the handbrake (wouldn't have killed them to add one more microswitch),
so if I died at the wheel I have no idea what a passenger would need to do. :-)
My MkII Mondeo has no handbrake CC switch.
Are all cars configured this way?
I have raised concerns before about this shortcoming of CC.
My concern was met with a a big silence when I raised it at a Advanced Motoring presentation.
There have certainly been crashes when CC was selected and the driver became unwell / died.
I have explained to SWIMBO how to react if I have a problem.
The CC kill button on my Mondeo is at least on the left side of the steering wheel
IMO there should be a health warning on all cars with CC that do not have a handbrake switch off for the CC. Read more
What happens if both the driver and the passenger die at the same time? Maybe they should put an off switch in the back as well for any passengers there. Unless they die at the same time as well.
I usually drive alone, but with the dogs. So I'm thinking of training one of them (or all of them, just in case one dies at the same time as me) to push a button in their carrier. Maybe I should put some blocks on the pedals so they can take over if needed. I saw a dog driving a car on 'That's Life!' once, so it must be possible.
Have had my car now since june last year, and have had a few problems with it. Basically, everything was grand with my car, she passed her mot 2nd time around, so lately its been in and out of the garage quite a lot. It stood unused for like 10 days at the airport, picked her back up, started fine and drove to work. Then since then every time really when Iv gone to start it up, its not cranking over, and the lights on the dash are coming on and nothing happening. Itll then take a couple of go's, like 10-15 seconds of trying and sure enough shell start up fine and run fine. Rang my mechanic today and he said to try my spare key as the chip might have gone in the other one, but that didnt work. I don't think its the battery since it wouldnt start at all if it was?
Any ideas of the prognosis or what could be causing it not to start up straight away?
Thanks Read more
Sounds like a bad connection on the starter motor. Remove the small terminal, clean and re-connect it. Then try it again.......
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In Spain, the two-cars-oncoming in a "Mexican standoff" rarely occurs. It is extremely rare for two oncoming roads to have equal priority: one will have a Give Way sign and the other no sign or else a STOP, which clearly shows who has priority.
There is a well-established hierarchy of signs and markings, with uniformed traffic cop at the top, then traffic light, road sign, road marking and (if all else fails) "give way to the right" last.
In Switzerland the Postbus has priority over absolutely every other vehicle.
In Germany it *seems* to be:
1. Porsche 2. Mercedes 3. BMW 4. Audi... and so on through other, "lowlier" makes and nationalities of cars.
In the USA the guy with the biggest gun rack wins...