February 2009
The water mains replacement operation which has been causing traffic chaos in my manor for the past year has now reached my block. So no parking outside and half the road caged off. At least we will be spared the droning idling traffic, sometimes hooting impatiently, waiting for the temporary traffic lights day and night when they were in the next block...
But now there's a large yellow tractor thing pecking holes in the road up and down the block with a nasty steel beak, Guguguguguguguguguguh very very loudly, on and on. It's all very well for the bloke working it: he's got ear muffs. Up on the second floor though...
After the pecker will come the digger/scooper thing which is also far from silent. They'll be there till Friday at least. Then move on so we get the stuff waiting for the temporary lights again.
At least they don't work at night. Woken up at 4 a.m. in the hotel in the middle of the main street of Maclean, New South Wales, about a month ago by the garbage men, also equipped with machines, who made an unbelievably loud clamour for more than half an hour doing I know not what. Couldn't help feeling there was a deliberate side to it. Read more
My Mazda 323 2003 1.6 GSi is currently in an ATS garage. The front driver's side brake calliper has failed. The replacement part that ATS sourced wasn't the right one, and they were having problems finding the correct type. So I bought a recon calliper from Brake Parts Superstore in Rotherham, but that also isn't correct. Yet we have matching model, chassis number - it should all be OK.
Has anyone got any idea why the calliper doesn't match? Is there a batch of Mazda 323s with different callipers or anything like that?
Any advice appreciated! I may have to get the car towed from ATS to the main dealer to see if they can fix it.
Thanks,
Sam Read more
Got it sorted in the end. Looks like there are several 323F 1.6 models with the brake callipers from the 2.0 model (also found on the Mazda 626/Xedos). Once we knew that, it was easy to get the part!
When I depress the clutch pedel I get a rattling sound I have been told this is a Thread Bearing problem and need a new clutch!
Why can't they just change the Thread Bearing and not the whole clutch.
Also quoted between £350 - £400!!!
Help!!!!
{I think you mean thrust bearing, so header changed} Read more
I suspect they mean thrust bearing.
The thrust bearing can be changed on its own, but the amount of dismantling and therefore labour costs means it makes sense to change the clutch at the same time.
How would you feel if you paid £350 now for a new thrust bearing to be fitted and then found you needed a new clutch a few months later at a cost of £380?
It is more common for a new thrust bearing to be fitted as a matter of course when a worn out clutch is replaced.
Took the boy to nursery this morning in thick fog. Thickest I've seen in a long time, even the tops of houses were obscured it was that low!
Passed numerous cars with absolutely no lights on whatsoever (flashed every one of 'em too!), but you know what? Most of them were being driven by women usually with a load of kids in the back and not only that, their screens were usually misted up so they were hunched over the steering wheel peering myopically through the screen.
Insurance statistics state women make for safer drivers, what they don't take into account is they might drive slowly but they are technically inept and don't understand the 'mechanics' of safe driving by putting on lights and using demisters properly (and learning to turn that fog light off the moment another car appears behind them).
No doubt my less than pc comments will result in the usual replies.
Read more
"technical ineptitude?"
Oi deepwith, no need to bring my brother into the discussion!
He's only been driving about 40 years but I swear he still couldn't find the bonnet release let alone the dipstick or washer fluid filler thing. I remember a few years ago he bought a 306 and (feigning interest) I asked him which model? Answer "a white one", Which engine "dunno", Petrol or diesel "Dunno, wife fills it up each week" etc., etc.. He has absolutely no interest in cars - mind you, he's a whizz with the washing machine!
I'm looking for something to replace the written-off Veccie with. Was pretty set on a Mondeo until I read the S60 thread. I like a largish well equipped car. So minimum spec for Mondeo is Ghia, with Titanium preferred. S60 looks pretty good even as basic - the Sport variant has caught my eye.
Can't decide whether petrol or diesel. Mondy 2.2 or S60 2.4 would fit the bill performance-wise. Don't think I'd let myself have anything over 2l petrol because of impending car tax rises (whenever they come in...). Never driven diesel, is there a good argument to change now?
Hoping to keep the car for a number of years/miles. Therefore easy, reasonable and not-too-regular servicing costs, and no "known problem at 80k" or engine threatening potentials would be good. Bonus if my "little man" can still cope with it.
Budget is anywhere between £6k and £10k, would like at least 06 reg. Around 15 - 20k miles per year, usually includes lots of motorway driving.
Here's a wish list - not all are essential but would like to tick most boxes. (yes, I know they don't all look like must-haves...).
0 - 60 under 9 secs
Top 130+
MPG in the mid thirties or better
16" tyres cheaper to replace than 17"
Heated front screen
Heated front seats
Cruise control
Roomy front & boot (hatchback preferred really, but S60 is exception)
Would prefer to buy one with under 30k miles
Not an estate
Prefer a manual
I've had enough trouble narrowing the choice down to these two really, but if anyone has any other suggestions which fit the bill I'd be happy to consider.
Read more
57 Mondeo 2.5 (petrol) Sport loads of extras (and the basic spec is pretty good!)
12k Ford Direct - £11.5k.
I can afford it and it's a lot cheaper than anything similar on Autotrader. I'm
am very close to going for it. Someone tell me why I shouldn't!! (And I'll
probably still buy it...)
You shouldn't buy this car because for only a couple thousand more you can get a Volvo S80 V8 same age, same or less miles...Proper effortless V8 motoring mmmmmm.
BMW Group design chief Chris Bangle is leaving BMW and the automotive industry 'in order to pursue his own design-related endeavours'.
Adrian van Hooydonk, head of design for the BMW brand, will succeed Bangle with immediate effect.
Source: Just-auto
www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=97853 Read more
Half asleep this morning I caught the fag-end of a news report on BBC TV news that Citroen were going to 'make the DS again'. Nothing on the Citroen web-site but I do remember seeing some scoop photos in a French car mag a year or so ago, which I dismissed as nationalistic overload on the part of the journalists.
Retro styling works for small cars (Mini, Beetle, 500) but I'm not sure it would work on larger cars with its different market. I suspect DS owners will be having a heart attack at the news!
If true I pressume something on the C5/C6 floorpan, bit like a Mercedes CLS is related to an E-class. But I would have thought the C6 is 'DS-like' enough for Citroen fans - can't see enough demand for both?
Does anybody know anything more? Read more
That's the point I was making, Citroen are staying in this market when Renault appear to be getting out.
Does anyone know the name of this grease, apparantley ford use it in their workshops? Read more
While you're at it, it's also worth cleaning and protecting the loom connector plug for the lambda sensor, which (on the Mk 1s) is tucked down behind the front bumper. It can get dirty / corroded from road muck and throw all sorts of interesting readings.
It's a pig to get to (ideally you need ramps) but it's good insurance.
My misses had her workshop Monday night ( sure picked a good night for it eh ).
She came back in a very positive mood, especially since she was one of 6 people caught by the same camera ( possible club being started up? :-) ).
She said that it was very imformative, they were shown video of a real car hits person accident at 35 mph and got the statistics stuff as normal. She said it was scary seeing it but makes sense why 30 is important around town.
They also discussed the varying limits for different types of vehicles, how easy it is to creep over and how to manage your speed, the accuracy of your speedo etc etc.
She said it wasnt in the least patronising and was happy that a portion of the money raised went to the air ambulance and courses for young drivers.
They were also told that no matter how aggressively the driver behind behaves, you should not go over the limit because of it.
She also got a keyring, sticker for her back window in car and a copy of the Highway Code.
Took 2 hours all told and she said that she thought all those caught speeding should go on it as it was a really positive experience. Read more
Not anyone I knew personally, but I understand they were local.
If you go over that bridge from Harlestone direction, you could easily build up enough speed to leave the road alltogether and get some serious 'air'. Im sure its been done too.
tinyurl.com/dedvq3
It would appear that this eqpt is subject to interference from other "radio" sources.
Will be interesting to see where this goes! Read more
There was something about this in England years ago when Airwave was on trial and shown to upset a lot of in-car electrics. ISTR it uses comparatively high peak power.
Here's one from 2007 Scotland again! www.northernpolicefederation.com/081128.htm
Examples of serious malfunctions include the complete failure of the instrument cluster, interruptions to the vehicles engine management systems and interference with the control of the vehicle".
Browse
Saw a story in the paper a while back where residents had blocked a bin lorry in their cul de sac to protest about it's coming at about 5 in the morning.....it worked as well.
Here, our glass bins are emptied about 7am...great if you are having a lie-in.
Some new 'digger' noises started here this week as preparations are startingto relay the tracks on the anandoned railway at the end of my garden. The last train ran in Oct 87 and in 2 years we will have Metrolink Trams running.
Ted