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I changed the oil on my 1.8 tdci 2 weeks ago and have covered about 300 miles. Normally I would get a garage to change it (anyone agree its a hassle to change the oil and filter on the diesel focus?). After the change the oil looked about 25% black. Now its about 80% black. I thought normally oil in diesel cars would turn black immediately. Is this down to the good condition of the engine, the quality of the oil or driving characteristics? Some points:

Car has covered 105K (up to 67k it was a lease car probably used to pound motorways)
I rarely go over 3000K revs
I change the oil between 7000-12000 miles depending on the type of driving done
The oil cost £15 for 5L, semi synthetic (carlube from sutton auto factors, is £15 a bit cheap for semi syn?)
I change the airfilter every 20k miles


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I like to save money, so these days I hardly ever buy a newspaper, I just scan through the newspapers' web-sites.

Today, I was pleasantly quite taken aback by the aggressive Global Warming scepticism expressed in comments responding to a Guardian / Observer web-site article on 'How continually cooling global temperatures is not evidence that Global Warming is not happening'.

Here's a link to the article & comments: tinyurl.com/55apbv

I also note that Saturday's cross-Europe environmental demonstration day has been a cold, damp squib.

I'm starting to feel optimistic that the tide is starting to turn on the Great Global Warming Hoax.

The Conservatives are talking about dropping 'Green' taxes. The Eastern Europeans are insisting on continuing with coal-powered electricity generation. We're all worrying about the survival of the motor industry.

Motorists are amoungst the biggest victims of the Great Global Warming Hoax. It gives politicians an excuse to raise taxes on cars & driving, cut back on road-building, interfere in car-design.

One thing that's amazed me is the way 'Global Warming' has fallen out of the news since the credit crunch kicked in. Apparently, the survival of capitalism is more important than the survival of the human race!


Global Warming: The new secular religion of the post-materialist middle-classes.
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I am planning of replacing my oil pressure light this week as I have a bit of spare time. My mechanic says there is the correct oil pressure getting through to the engine and there is no symptons of oil problems but I would like the warning light to work anyway.

At the moment the bulb doesn't come on when I start the ignition so I assume its the bulb.

There is a buzzing noise sometimes from the engine bay I am not too worried about it, but in case there is a possibility its a dying pump I would rather get this light working.

My plans are as follows:-

1) Remove screws from the instrument panel
2) Prise the instrument panel cover off careful freeing the fog and rear heater switches
3) Remove instrument panel
4) Replace defective bulb
5) Try and put everything back

Will I need ot disconnect the battery? Am I likely to get into complications while doing this?

Free spelling upgrade and subject line tweak Read more

Have had our 307hdi d turbo for about 4 months now all was well until about a month ago when my wife recons its lost power, i dont drive the car all that often so didnt really notice but have done more recently and it has lost its low end power.
It is a 2002 model with the stupid fap system. It has had new fap fluid, filter and deisel filter when we bought it and i have just changed oil oil filter and air filter.
The symptoms seem to be worse when the outside temperature is cold.
When we purchased the car we were bombing about in it and ws getting 40ish mpg out of it now with the most careful of driving we can only get around 29mpg and it is really sluggish until you get the revs up.
It doesnt smoke and there are no odd oil leaks or diesel leaks.

Any ideas anyone dont really want to give the main dealer all or xmas money just yet

Thanx Read more