June 2008
In the good old days children would generally be happy to play 'I Spy' and other games when on long-haul to holiday destination. However, my grand-children are saving-up to buy DVD player with twin screens to fit on back of front seat headrests.
A well known consumer magazine has not done a test on these, yet. So, please can anyone in the Backroom give me the benefit of their experience and recommend a make which they have found to be reliable?
TIA Read more
In the past week I've seen a few young horse riders on the road, trotting along but either using their mobile phones or smoking a cig - surely this is more dangerous than using a motorist using a mobile whilst driving - in addition to being distracted by the call, the rider would find it more difficult to steer/slow down if the horse spooks. As road users, do the police ever stop and spot fine them?
Also - they leave great piles of cack on the road/pavements - I know dogs aren't allowed to do this as their owners get fined - and their dumps are a fraction of the size of those from a horse!
These are just thoughts... I've nothing against horses - I just don't particularly want to get into an accident with one or have to clean cack off my wheels!
Pootle Read more
A stash of recent top secret government policy documents was recently discovered at a roadside (not, unusually, on a tube train) but on closer inspection, was found to be a great stinking load of old, erm...
Last Friday was driving through London minding my own business when 2 construstion lorries whizz past me at well over the 30mph limit. Got to the Embankment and there they were still speeding and switching lanes etc etc. and generally driving like complete idiots.
Is it worth writing to their employers or just let it rest? Read more
They were probably just doing a qualifying session for a truck racing meeting.
HJ replied to a query in the paper on Saturday recommending a small Fiat with a FIRE engine because if the cam belt went, the valves wouldn't damage the pistons.
I can't quite visualise how this works and, in any case, I thought cam chains were better than belts as a general rule.
Any enlightenment anyone? Read more
Now chains - have you ever seen an engine where a chain has broken? I
saw the remains of a chain sticking through the block where it had made it's
bid for freedom. Bit of a mess.
Happened to my father's 380 Benz. Nasty mess indeed, and needed a 'new' engine after that.
My 1.8 Astra gets the 75 000km changes as recommended, plus a new tensioner and water pump at the same time.
just had my car MOT'd. Examiner was kind enough to say that the readings on the Emissions test were very good, which is pleasing as the car is a V6 auto and only really used now in town....however, it is maintained properly via a Jag Independent, I only ever use BP Ultimate fuel and it gets an 'Italian Tune' roughly once a month
it has got me thinking though
would a well maintained so called 'gas guzzler' beat a poorly maintained smaller car on emissions?... or would a well built quality car beat a cheap one that tended to go out of tune more quickly? etc, etc
the figures for my 9 year old auto Jag S Type are as follows:
Fast Idle....
CO...............0.003% (limit <0.2%)
HC...............12 ppm (limit < 200ppm)
lambda.........1.008 (limit 0.970 - 1.030)
the car is too old to have the CO output on the V5, but a bit of research suggests that this car is shown as being 259 g/km
Will I be entitled to look a bit smug... or will I be shot down in flames and have to slink off back to the shadows with my shoulders down. I'm afraid my knowledge on this subject matter is somewhat lacking. Read more
But what's tested on the MOT bears no relation to the amount of CO2 the
car is putting out - the emissions test is to check the engine is in
tune and the cat and associated systems are working. All petrol cars (of a similar
age) are subject to the same emissions levels in MOT test but can have vastly
different outputs of CO2 (like by a factor of 5).
Richard is spot on.
The MOT measures Carbon MonOxide
CO2 is Carbon DiOxide
Look to the MPG figures to get an idea of what cars produce the most/least CO2 per mile.
Hi
I have a N reg Peugeot xrd 1.9 that will not start.
The fuel filter is clean and there is a good supply of fuel.
Fuel vents from the fuel pump, but there is NO fuel supply to the injectors.
Has anyone any ideas
Phill
{N reg - that'll be something like 1995 then, and not 1993; amended} Read more
Get a good battery then disconnect air intake and spray in good supply of easy start. Similar thing happened to mine and this is what nice man from AA did.
Hi
cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2002...1
Been looking at getting some. Certainly cheap, but is it any good?
It seems to meet the right API/ACEA specs looking at the blurred image text. I hear it's a Renault-approved brand, is this true?
It's between this stuff and GM's own (second cheapest), but this doesn't specify whether it's good for diesel engines.
BTW it's for different cars we have at home.
Thanks Read more
Thanks for your replies - GM oil it is then!
I have a 52 2.0 tdci with 130k full service history Ive had a few problems with glow plug flashing about a year ago but went to ford and they recalibrated the injectors.
The new problem is lack of power it pulls really well from 1000rpm but will stop pulling hard at 2000rpm there is no black smoke , it just accelerates really slowly after 2000rpm
Hope some of you tech guys could help ( been told it could be air flow meter or cam sensor) any help would be great. Need to fix it as I am selling the car.
Tristan Read more
I've just changed the hose that goes onto the inlet manifold on my 150k mile car. Its completely transformed the performance. The replacement came from teh scrap bin in my mates garage, longer length of same diameter hose that had a split in one end. Sawed that bit of and it does the job as well as a Ford £30 part.
Has anyone ever bothered to visit what has become an annual event here in Bromley, where I live. In fact it is held in Norman Park, just to the rear of my house.
I have never been because, among other things, the usual high prices of entry to such events. It seems to always to be very popular, attracting a lot of entrants, owing every type and marque of car and vehicle from the past.
It always seems to be badly advertised, as although is was on today (Sunday, 15th) I wasn't aware of it until late last week!
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I've been once or twice (last year most recent), mostly because I've had a classic or been thinking about buying one.
Nice to see those models you've forgotten about- big portion of nostalgia! Last year I became particularly doe-eyed over a beautifully preserved Renault 16 of all things.
Very huge, kind of haphazard as KRS1 says. Never bothered with the arena really. Autojumble is useful if you need a bit, although ebay will probably be easier & cheaper.
Main reason for not going is the astronomical cost! If I was minded, I could probably derive as much pleasure from sitting at the exit at closing time & ooh-ing at the cars as they came out. Same principle as watching the planes at Biggin Hill from a field at the back of the runway for a fraction of the cost of being inside :-)
BW,
Alex.
Any local knowledge appreciated here - what's the best route Monday morning at 9am ? AA route is pretty much as the crow flies, Michelin takes me three quarters round Glasgow on the motorways.
thanks
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Hi Johnny
Would recommend A726 then onto A727 to East Kilbride. Mostly 40mph / 30 mph, but both these roads should flow reasonably at 9am. Don't think you should even consider the M8. Work began today on the Bothwell Street off-ramp from the Kingston Bridge (M8), and I suspect you will find a lot of congestion on the M8 tomorrow morning.
Browse
Is this a thread hi-jack?
Its a great pity that kids have these things available because there is a continuous DVD being played through the windows - the landscape. Not only that, but it can be talked about, things pointed out etc. I remember taking a party of kids to Austria once and as we reached our destination there were glaciers, mountain peaks, thundering waterfalls, beautiful villages etc and what did they want? "Can we have "American Pie on the video?".
On the other hand, before the days of all these video things we used to drive to Greece - our "kids" still talk of all the things they saw out of the windows of the car as we went through Europe, last year my daughter went to Croatia for her hols because " it looked beautiful when we drove through all those years ago".
I blame air travel, get on a plane, travel for 3 hours, see nowt out of the windows, not a clue what is going on below, ask a kid where they have been for hols and they say "Greece", ask them to find it on a map - not a clue, ask them how far it was and they say 3 hours- about the same as Scarborough but without the traffic jams.
By the way, some fantastic DVD players available these days, brilliant value and boy do they keep the kids quiet - like chloroform would - smiley coming up, I'm an old fashioned grumpy old git - hope you have a great hol. with grandkids! ;-)