September 2008
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BBC report online and BBC 1 lunchtime.
Several filmed getting nicked and tow aways.
Longer report at 7:30 on BBC's Inside Out in the West Midlands.
Illegal blue badges cost £500,000
Anyone caught parking illegally could face fines of up to £1,000
Drivers parking illegally in spaces for disabled motorists are costing Birmingham £500,000 in lost parking fees each year, council chiefs said.
The city council has vowed to take tough action against those caught, threatening fines of up to £1,000.
Hundreds of people had already been caught, council leaders told an investigation by BBC's Inside Out in the West Midlands.
A blue badge can only be displayed if the permit holder is using the vehicle.
Criminal record
Transport chiefs said the most common misuse was people using badges awarded to their relatives, without the relatives being in the car.
However, people had also been caught using fraudulent badges.
Currently, wardens only have the powers to tow away the offending vehicles and to issue a fine of £140.
However, the city council said it would now start using private prosecutions to bring people to court, which would allow them to impose higher fines and leave the drivers with a criminal record.
Extra patrols will also be out on the streets catching those flouting the law.
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My son had various problems when he was growing up, and it turned out for some unknown reason (at that time) he had coordination problems and learning difficulties.
We tried to get DLA for him, and were rejected. Went to appeal and that was rejected. Eventually we got in touch with a special needs children's support group who told us how to phrase the application so we got the benefit, and it worked.
If you don't know the buzz-words they look for in these applications then you're stuffed. If you don't have one of their fashionable named conditions, such as ADHD you're also stuffed.
We know know he has a physical brain abnormality, which was diagnosed via an MRI, but didn't have that diagnosis at the time we tried to claim.
Unfortunately we didn't get the higher rate mobility, so were unable to get a motability car. (That's the motoring connection!), but the benefits have been very useful, allowing my wife to stay at home full time to provide care for him.
Showbus 28/09 at IWM Duxford.
tinyurl.com/5bvotd
Anyone else going?! Read more
I have an intermittent problem with my dashboard when driving. There is no set pattern but often one or all of the warning lights suddenly come on which results in either loss of power steering, loss of abs, loss of power (or all) for 2 - 5 seconds then the lights die out and speed dials etc start working again and the car is fine. This problem seems to becoming a more regular occurance. The only light that stays on is the keycode light, but this disappears if the ignition is turned off and the engine restarted. I have had an auto electrician check both the ecu and body computer and no error codes were found. He also checked the wiring in the steering column and couldnt find any obvious problems.
I also have a problem with my puto stalling or cutting out. This is normally when I am stationnary in traffic or when I first get into my car and have to reverse when setting off. I then restart the car and it is fine.
Does anyone have any ideas of what is causing these problems and how to solve them?
Any ideas would be great! Read more
With a few hours to kill at Toulouse airport on Monday I bought a copy of L'Automobile (www.automobile-magazine.fr) to struggle through. One of the articles was on manufacturers recalls in France and the relationship between recalls and quality. Does a large number of recalls indicate poor quality from the start or a manufacturer's intention to look after the customers at their cost?
Top 10 starting with most recalls:
Renault
Peugeot
Ford
BMW and MINI
Citroen
VW
Opel
Toyota and Lexus
Fiat
Mercedes
Most recalled cars in no particular order:
Alfa147, A4, BMW 3 series, Citroen C3 C5 C8, Ford Focus and C-Max, Mondeo, Mazada 6, Peugeot 307 206 607, Renault Laguna II Clio II Scenic Espace IV, VW Touareg and Porsche Cayenne.
Least recalled cars:
Citroen C1/107/Aygo, Dacia Logan(!) Hyundi Tuscon, Kia Cee'd, Opel Zafira, Clio III, OctaviaI, Yaris II and VW Golf+
The most recalled list would seem to contain a few of the usual suspects in the alleged lack of reliability stakes so is this reflected in the manufacturers list and any suggestions as why a maker can produce best and worst cars?
Finally is similar information readily available for UK recalls?
alfalfa Read more
In general the Japanese do indeed have a more honourable way of conducting their businesses.
Mitsubishi was caught with its pants down on this issue -- several recalls were suppressed over quite a lengthy period. When it all came out it caused a [b]huge[/b] scandal over there, with executives being fired here, there and everywhere.
Just not in their interests to hide stuff. That's the outcome.
I have been approached by this company regarding a policy to cover my vehicle that also includes the LPG side of things.
£250 pa for their Extra Care policy.
Just asking what are the views on others out there and your experiences if you have had any dealings at all with this company?
Baring in mind the car has now done 67k, it is a 52 plated ex lease vehicle and the problems I had when I first got it - wish I had this policy then...
It is not the body work that worries me as that is sound but the mechanical/engine/lpg side of the vehicle. Read more
Thanks to all for the heads up on this company.
Far too much negative feedback on other sources for me to go with them.
The vehicle is well maintained and serviced so if something does go wrong I would be most surprised and if that is not tempting fate I don't know what is!
Hi. We have a water ingress problem that we are struggling to cure. We are getting water on the drivers side of the car both in the passenger footwell behind the driver and the drivers footwell. Our driveway slopes downwards and the car is parked so that water could flow from the back of the car to the front, so as far as I can see we either have one leak at the back which is then running to the front (if this is possible?) or two leaks, front and back. The local ford dealership has not been particularly helpful, they've had a hose on it and can't trace the leak. They say their next step is to strip all the seats and carpet out and turn the hose on it again (the cost will be fairly substantial).
I've read a lot of posts on this site regarding water ingress & the majority of the problems seem to occur on the passenger side and be caused by a leaking pollen filter.
Is it possible that our problem is being caused by a faulty pollen filter or is there another known fault?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Simon. Read more
Here we go! Hope it's of some use to you.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=25852&...f
Hi,
i want to purchase a mirror (preferably an internal one) that covers all the blind spots when changing lanes, etc. Can anyone advise?
Thanks Read more
Years ago I bought a round convex mirror to stick on the door mirror outside. I worked very well in eliminating blind spots.
Forgot to mention that in new series 'Massive', which started on BBC3 9pm Sunday and is a weekly, the 2 main characters drive around in an Austin Allegro. Not sure which model, although it's obviously not a Vanden Plas.
I'm surprised (and worried) to find myself thinking it looks quite good... and no road tax...
BBC website: www.bbc.co.uk/massive/
(no pictures of car though)
F Read more
that's good.
Ironically the Allegro I had actually lasted 15 years, it was a W reg and carried on with various owners until 1995 when my dad went into work and through his office window he spied it on top of the scrapyard heap on the other side of the road (Bayton Road Ind Est, Bedworth for those fact fans).
My wife said that she was glad she didn't know me when I had the Allegro. I take that as a hint that I shouldn't think about buying one........
My dad also owned a whole series of BL cars in 70s & 80s as that was all that you could get as a company car when you worked for Leyland Bus as he did.
If you thought the ones they sold to the public were bad, then you should have seen some of the ones that were kept "within the group" and ended up as company cars.
One of my dad's Maxi's started rusting from the inside out within a year and had to have a replacement engine within the year. Strangely, I doubt it that one is still on the road!
Read in the papers today that by 2010, franchised dealerships will not have to provide independent service garages with parts or codes on demand. This means we will all have to use franchises and pay through the nose for servicing.
I thought this had be regulated by the EU so that the main dealership could not hold a monopoly on servicing, making it fairer all round.
It appears they have retracted this decision. Not only will this decision close many independent garages and fuel the dole queue but also mean the sale of sub standard pirate parts. Read more
Read in the papers today that by 2010 franchised dealerships will not have to provide
independent service garages with parts or codes on demand. This means we will all have
to use franchises and pay through the nose for servicing.
Re-servicing, not really a problem, most service items are available from other sources such as motor factor etc. and some are of the same if not better quality than the OE.
Repairs are another matter, some parts are manufacturer only.
Call them what you will, us Manchester surveyors call them flagged roofs, as they are thick stone and not slate. Slate is a specific stone that delaminates easily. Stone and usually sandstone does not; it is much heavier, with pieces that are much larger in area and resemble flagstones that you walk on.