May 2008
The month's Bike (June) comes with a reprint of the 1971 first issue, which makes fascinating reading for old rockers like me. In those days, it was a spin-off from Car magazine and had similar editorial standards (i.e. high) and I wonder if the current publishers will come to regret reminding their readers how much better written it was back then! There is a 6000-word (!) article on the relative merits of the BSA Rocket-3 and the Norton Commando and an excellent piece on stagnant m/c design by the peerless LJK Setright. In fact, it's a fascinating window on an industry about to commit suicide, floundering round for ideas too late (although there is a lovely Carl Vetter design based on the Rocket-3 that might have helped, if BSA hadn't ignored it).
Good nostalgia trip, anyway, and a reminder about inflation - the cover price was 30p! Read more
Just got back from Devon using the M5 from Birmingham. I noticed in both directions small signs at the side of the carriageway every 1/2 Km countig up in 1/2 Kms. Does anyone know what purpose these signs serve or what it costs to put signs up every 1/2 Km that doesn't seem to serve a purpose. Read more
The number is the distance in kms from the datum point, or start, of the road (except the M6 which uses the M1s). The A denotes the carriageway going away from the datum point, B the converse.
The number is on the small white and blue marker posts which are placed every 100m. These posts don't have the A or B on them.
These marker boards / posts are essential for finding exact locations on the roads for anyone who works on them. The boards have recently been introduced to be help in finding locations in the dark (try reading the numbers on one of the small marker posts from the nearside lane at 50mph at night) and to make it easier for Joe Public to tell breakdown agencies, for example, where they are.
Getting the wrong carriageway is a real problem, (not helped by the fact that the marker posts don't have this information), to the extent that if the Fire Brigade are called to an incident on a Motrway, they will always dispatch at least 2 tenders, one in each direction.
Getting the number wrong by just 1 digit can cause real problems sending the emergency services to completely the wrong junction. And just a couple of hundred metres difference in marker post can make the difference between getting to a location from a particular junction or having to go up or down to the next junction to turn which can sometimes be a considerable distance and take tens of minutes even on blues and twos.
The Emergency Roadside Telephones (ERTs) have a number on them which relates to their location + an arbitrary number. For example an ERTs on the M1 at marker post 64.5 A is numbered 2645A (2000 + 645).
I recently found a tiny leak in my reciever drier on my sharan air con. Would this stop the pump on the engine working or is there a differant problem. Is there any way of testing the pump. The fans do kick in when activate air con switch. Read more
The component you are referring to is a compressor, not a pump. The leak will not stop the system working immediately until the low pressure switch activates. The only way of testing the compressor is to re-gas the car and then observe the pressure gauges on the re-charging equipment.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES TRY TO WORK ON AN A/C SYSTEM UNLESS YOU ARE QUALIFIED AND WEARING SAFETY EQUIPMENT. PENALTY FOR IGNORING=SEVERE INJURY INCLUDING EYESIGHT DAMAGE/PERMANENT BLINDNESS
Hi I recently got my a mate to replace timing chain on my explorer. I drove it for a few miles approximately 8miles then it started to misfire. It starts but runs and cuts out while idling. it sounds as if it is blowing! Replaced an airsensor. but still no luck, please help. Read more
I want to fit some blind spot mirrors to my CR-V. The Magnum frogeye mirrors look very good on their website but I would like some user feedback before lashing out my hard-earned cash. Has anyone out there had experience of them? Read more
I'm not familiar with these Magnum products so cannot comment, but the cheap stick on type from Halfords (or cheaper at Wilkinson) seem to work fine for me. I've stuck them on both door mirrors in the outer corners, they give a good view of the side of the car (useful when parking near a wall) and of the lane next to me (useful for motorways etc) for both when driving in the UK and Europe.
Problems, well after a few years the reflective capacity has worn away, easily solved by fitting a replacement, and on frosty mornings they need to be cleaned by hand as the mirror heaters don't cover them....
Hi folks,
I'm having some issues with the front passengers headrest, it just doesn't stay up. Within minutes of raising it to the desired height it just slowly drops down with the vibration of the car. I suspect that it is the plastic clip in the top of the seat but I have no idea in how to remove this or whether I can even get a replacement. I have already tried pulling it out but am afraid that I might break it. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to remove it? Or any other ideas as to the cause?
It has been happening ever since I owned the car (about 2 years) but now that I've put my mind to fix it it is really frustrating and also quite dangerous!
Your help will be greatly appreciated.
R Read more
Anyone have any ideas?
First off this is my first post so hello to all the members out there, this site is fantastic help so far in looking at whats good/bad about potential buys and certainly gives me a good idea of what NOT to get ;)
I am selling my current car and looking for some else now got around £2k to spend, no real requirements other than it has to be around a 1.6 anything lower I feel may struggle if I go on any journeys.
Obviously it has to be as reliable as possible and cheap/easy to repair so im thinking something like a ford as they are common (mondeos/fiesta so forth) so parts should be cheap/easy to get. Also needs to be cheap to run by this I mean insurance/tax mainly! Currently paying over £700p/a for my car and this is too much.
What would you suggest? Currently looking through pistonheads and autotrader to see whats available. Read more
"skodas and so forth are really ugly looking."
You can go off someone. :-)
My money would go on a petrol Mondeo or even a Vectra (steady)
ok im looking for a new o2 sensor for my g60 engine
the old one is a 4 wire bosch item, id like to know if any/most bosch 4 wire sensors could be used if im prepared to swap the plug over
a certain auction site has a bosch 4 wire universal LS 602 (0 258 986 602-36Y) can anyone advise if that will work
ive tried to google it but found nothing....other sites that sell o2 sensors suggest another model number
so can i use a LS 602 (0 258 986 602-36Y) bosch universal 4 wire o2 sensor on a 1991 g60 corrado
Read more
The way to go on 02 sensors is OE if possible.
HI all
I have a renault scenic 1.6 2003 reg and it sometimes wont start when its warm or when i go on a short run, the immobiliser flashes and works ok ???? but the car will start if i bump start it its so frustrating when i go out because sometimes it starts and sometimes it dont .the engine turns ok but its not firing up .i havent had a diagnostic check yet but someone has said it could be the crank sensor
can you help and maybe point me in the right direction of getting it fixed
{subject header made less vague, and moved across to the Technical Matters forum} Read more
I had a similar problem on a 2000 1.6 and it turned out to be the crank sensor. Although I had the sensor and cable replaced this can sometimes be caused by corrosion on the connector which can be cleaned but you need access underneath to get at it
We hear about the large number of drivers who are driving illegally, without a valid driving licence. I've never seen a break-down of the statistics but one assumes they are mostly people who have by-passed the test procedure altogether or drive while they have been disqualified for an offence.
However, locally there was a fatal accident a few years ago, caused by a driver who had never held a licence because he had seriously defective eyesight. He was jailed. I also overheard chat on a bus some years ago about a man who was driving HGVs somehow, despite being medically barred from driving any kind of vehicle.
But is there another hidden class of illegal drivers? I mean people who have failed their test several times and then decided they were going to drive anyway? Read more
Ref Marlot's comment on fines as a tax, last year we had a similar programme to your Road Wars, but with the copped drivers also having their say. The young gentlemen travelling at high speed were quite open that the fines were just part of the cost of a bit of fun.
.jpg)
Wad that the magazine known as the "blue 'un" ?
Well before my time ( being a '59 model year)