April 2008
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
Our local Esso has just increased unleaded to 111.9....Any body better that.
Read more
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.......
Have a look at autocar.co.uk at news article about some new technology that MIRA has developed, which can essentially turn all cars into a Prius style hybrid. Very interesting.
I wonder how the politicians will take to it? If this technology becomes widely adopted by motorists but governments continue to tax the hell out of us, it will expose them as the money grabbers that they are! Read more
Hi all, got a tyre question. Our Galaxy is fitted with the original Michelin Pilots all round, they are an extra load re-inforced tyre apparrently. The front two need replacing but the Pilots aren't cheap at around £135 each. I've been offered some Avons at £80 instead. I know Avon are a good brand but are they going to be detrimental to the ride, handling of the car etc. compared to the Pilots. It's a second car that does about 8k pa on mainly urban runs incidentally.
Opinions please.
Thanks. Read more
Nothing wrong with Avons. Were fitted to top drawer British cars for many years as OE.
Despite sharp intakes of breath from brand conscious youngsters, my sons got them on his subaru, and they don't miss a beat, and don't take 3 laps of Silverstone to warm up.
I was going to ask why you had them fitted to the rear, then i thought better of it, then i lit the blue touch paper....incoming-;)
Browse
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!