October 2008
Geoff Hoon, the new Secretary of State for Transport, gave an interview to the Torygraph today in which he had some very interesting things to say about cars and motoring...
Hoon said : "I drove 3,500 miles this summer on our family holiday, we drove across 10 countries. I have driven across the United States four times. I love cars, I love being in cars, I think so do most people. I want to help and support those people who have that same kind of enthusiasm for driving that I have."
I almost dropped my cornflakes. A Nulab minister who doesn't hate cars! Let's hope this is the beginning of the end of the persecution of the motorist, but I will believe it when I see it...
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Because of my age I have just had to renew my driving license. I took out my first about 1958, and since then have two speeding convictions, one for doing 48mph between Whitefield and Bury in 1959 (at 01:00 in the morning, followed by a policeman in a Humber Hawk !) and one for doing 40mph in Kabwe, Zambia, about 1970 (radar trap, over-reading by 10mph, they said I was doing 50, but I knew it was 40).
Anyhow, I had to provide a passport photograph in full colour, full face on and no expression. The result, apart from frightening the children, frightens me too. When the license arrived it had on the original photo, half profile and black and white.
Reading the description of the new card is interesting.
A. It says that Feature 10 on the card, ?? is similar to a hologram but more clear as it has definite lines and brilliant colours. ?It contains a steering wheel that appears to turn as you tilt the card??.
SWMBO and I agree that the wheel is barely discernable and what can be seen doesn?t rotate.
B. Feature 18 on the rear of the card is a picture again of a steering wheel, but changes colour from green to gold as you tilt the card.
I discern it changing from gold to brown, but SWMBO thinks that it has could vaguely described as green-ish.
The driver number, Feature 5, is definitely non-PC because it discriminates against women. Firstly, it shouldn?t make any difference, secondly, it adds 5 to the woman?s date of birth.
Most irritating, it is valid only for three years.
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Ah... yes that might make sense. I think I got my first plastic licence around 2004.
I'm in the place with the cracks still, only just got around to changing my address a year after moving in. The property still isn't signed off because they never turned up to do the inspection so came and did some work based on a list I gave them. To be fair to them, the cracks they patched up have not come back, and they did a really good job with the creaking floorboards, but I've no intention of signing to say I'm happy until one of their building people has actually come and done the inspection they're meant to do.
Currently my flat is the only one not to have had a leak in the kitchen and bathroom, so the longer this goes on with them still responsible for putting things right, the better in my eyes. A couple of roof tiles fell off a couple of weeks ago, and the building itself is only 18 months old!
Apart from that it's all fine, thanks for asking!
Hi, I struggled two days trying to install a new CD tuner on my old P reg Polo but still can't make work. It doesn't turn on whatever I do. However, I noticed when I plug the wires in the tuner a red light on the front panel flashes which I think indicates the 12V contant power is connected properly. I guess it might be the 12v ignition feed the it requires that fails it. Anyway, this is just a guess. I checked all the fuses on the tuner and they are all fine. I also checked the right most fuse (which is supposed to be the one supports the audio and cigar) in the fuse box in the car and it's fine as well. Could please anyone give me some help on this? Thanks in advance. Read more
can somebody help with this please? I've been waiting for help for months. This can't be a big problem for the car gurus. If you know about this can you please reply this thread, and it could be of great help. Thanks!
My tax disc renewal form hasn't got a space for putting the vehicle mileage this time When did this option disappear? It seemed like a good idea to me. Read more
you see a lot of frustrated people <<
G/f's Mother waited fifteen minutes in P.O queue to renew her road tax and pay her "United Utilities" water bill, only to be told that there would be a charge if she paid at the post office, but it would be free if she used a "PayZone" outlet (i.e the P.O shop counter!) so she opted to pay it there to avoid the charge, waited another 10 mins till the Clerk had finished the P.O queue, who then came through into the "shop area" and served her!
Mad! no wonder they are being phased out.
Billy
My 1999 1.8 Focus has gone through 2 rear offside wheel bearing, new drums, new shoes and been looked at by 3 garages but still has the same problem.
The rear brake/wheel seems to be 'binding' causing it to overheat - so much so that after 10 miles the alloy is too hot to keep my hand on. It also squeals going around corners.
Last year the wheel bearing needed replacing so both sides were done (110,00k miles). since then the brake gets very hot (drum) causing the alloy to get extremely hot too. Garages have taken 3 looks at it and...
First - replaced the wheel bearing, shoes and drums.
Second - replaced the wheel bearing, adjusted brakes and handbrake.
Third, replaced brake adjusters, set up brakes, tested it on the rolling road, result was ok... for a day.
IT NOW GETS HOT AGAIN AFTER JUST A FEW MILES!!
Anyone know what it could be, how to fix it, OR wants a cheap Focus?
Thanks.
slt Read more
Thanks for all the advice guys, gonna get my spanners out today and try each bit of advice out methodically - its been driving me nuts!
I have a Ford Ka with a 1.3 Duratec engine. It would'nt start, I think it was flooded. I removed the spark plugs and sure enough they were wet with petrol. I set the gaps, cleaned and re-fitted them. After a few turns it started and ran OK. I drove it for a few miles and switched it off. After about half an hour I tried to start it again, but it failed to start. I think it's flooded again! Can anyone help me? Read more
If it's flooded,foot flat on throttle-turns off injectors.
I am looking for a cheapish second hand car. I have seen for £5k a 2006 Mondeo 1.8 Zetec with 40k miles and a 2006 Vectra 1.9 CDTi with 63k miles, both with service history.
The car will do 10k miles a year, with 2 adults + 2 children.
I am looking for a reliable, cheap car able to carry decent amount of baggage. I am not really interested in the minutiae of how it drives (the most enjoyable car I have driven in 30 years of driving was the wifes 10 year old 1ltr Fiat Uno!).
Which would you choose - and can you think of anything better for the money? Read more
Both good cars - what spec is the Vectra?
My only comment is that the 1.8 Ford petrol is no ball of fire and not that economic when pushed IME.
Could anyone help advise if an overfilled antifreeze reservoir will hurt the engine? Read more
A Max level is given, presumably for some good reason. You could try and get some out - use a turkey baster to pump it out or syphon it if you like the taste of coloured poison!
citroen xsara 2.0HDI 90bhp '99. Over the last 1000 miles or so, a knocking or pulsating sensation is felt (and heard) through the clutch pedal. This only happens when the pedal is depressed AND THE CAR IS MOVING! The pulsating feeling is relative to the speed of the car and can still be felt if the gearbox is in neutral - but the pedal must be pressed and the car moving. It feels like one pulse per front wheel revolution There is no noise or knocking when the car is stationary!? Please Help..
Frenchmike Read more
Ok, so i know its a year later, but the fault has finally been fixed! I just wanted to post my result to help others. Essentially, the fault had many strange effects to it. One was that if you accelerated too hard the noise would start and could only be stopped if you pulled over and pulled away gently. another was that the fault got only slightly worse over the space of a year and often was undetectable.
Anyway, the fault was the clutch cable: on uk version xsaras it is twice the length of the european version and gets routed around the base of the engine. Mine had a section that runs close to the inner CV joint and the plastic sheath around the cable was rubbing on the inner CV joint clip (the type that has a pinched edge to crimp it tight) This gave the thumping/knocking noise approximately once per revolution. It may have been twice per revolution, but whose counting at 30mph+?
The cable must have been making intermittent contact with the gaiter, a few cable ties later and the fault is FIXED :)
My sister went to a Hyundai garage to look at a Tucson which had been advertised as a 4x4 but was in fact FWD.
The salesman admitted the error, saying it wasn't actually a four-by-four but a "two-by-two".
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Inventive, and also wrong.
It's a 4x2, unless it's had two wheels removed.
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Oh good.