March 2009
Hello all,
A quick one hopefully. Burning smell after some moterway running - traced the smell to the aforementioned wheel. Quite a large initial smell, but died down a bit. Brakes not especially hot when we'd stopped - though it did take a few minutes to park and find the affected area.
I assume its likely to be brakes? I guess bearings would make a whine?
Cheers,
James Read more
In 1979 I set a deal in motion which didn`t complete,therefore leaving me to still be the legal owner of a motorcycle.It was never paid for by the crook who moved address and sold it on.I retained the log book,and still have it updated whenever I move,or whenever Swansea change logbook format.However nowadays it appears with the current holders` name(still to my current address)who no doubt bought it in good faith.Funny thing is,that after all my moving,and the current holder of the bikes` moving,there is now just 10 miles between our addresses.Does anyone have any legal experience as to how I could get my bike back please? Read more
Had to speak with DVLA to check out a bike I was bidding on,so I mentioned the other bike,and they confirmed it was registered in my name.That means it`ll be my door plod comes knocking on if any violation occurs under that reg no!They also told me it was last taxed in 1978...I know,it was me who taxed it.
DVLA seem a lot more helpful nowadays,if you are nice to them! I found out from them that the bike with no V5 I was bidding for on ebay had it`s tax refunded in 1980;V5 last updated in `94...and after digging the fax machine out yesterday,and faxing them nicely(so to speak) ,as to whether the number was transferable,a lovely welsh lady phoned me today to say it was.Supposed to take 10-20 days in writing!After all that I played it safe and backed out of the deal after noting irregularities when I went to view.
Which tyres for a Mk1 1.8 focus? I'm planning on using etyres as they have an excellent selection at indy prices. Here's the shortlist; Avon ZV5, B'stone E300, Conti' prem' contact 2 and Pirelli P7. Avons are a good £10 per tyre cheaper so should I just plump for them? All get good reviews on t' web.
Also, the brake fluid has not been changed in 4 years now altough the car has done very few miles in this time (no more than 7k). Would a change be at all benficial and if so where best to get it done?
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My wife takes a country route to work. Her car came new with ContiPremiumContacts and we've stuck with those untill recently (80k up 9yrs). They are superb, especially in the wet, they shift standing water as well as any tyre I've ever driven on (incl those mentioned below). We have recently put a pair of Yokahama BlueEarths on the rear and these are just as good at shifting the water as the Contis.
On my previous car (the 200PS version of the Rover 800 Vitesse) I had Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD2s fitted to replace the Uniroyals the car came with. The car was transformed; fantastic grip in the wet whether braking, accelerating or cornering. It was noticeable that the Torsen diff had less work to do with the increased grip and I was often able to leave other FWD cars trailing in the wet. After two full sets of these over about 60k, for some reason I cannot explain I changed to Toyo Proxes T1R. Utter rubbish. The car was all over the place again if it got even damp. The Torsen was working overtime. They were progressive in the dry and I can see why Scooby drivers like them, but I won't make that mistake again. So 3 weeks ago I fitted 4x Goodyear Eagle F1 Ass2 to my Saab 9-3 Aero. I can report that they are as excellent as expected, though I haven't tried them in the wet yet....
Can anyone tell me what DPF regeneration means on my 1.3 CDTI Meriva? Read more
There's also some Vauxhall-specific information on this link: www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=130
Check out this link to Tesco's direct site
direct.tesco.com/q/R.201-6313.aspx
They are selling a "steel and plastic" security device which looks like a baseball bat.
Looks more like a cosh to me.
What's the chance you'd get arrested if you were sub 30 years old and stopped with one of these in the car?
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It goes with how you look-bought a pick-axe handle at a market in Bath and spent the next few hours wandering around the shopping centre and in and out of shops-no-one even blinked.Few months later bought an axe in Colchester;again no problems.
In the fifties, when most people didn't have cars and a lot of suburban houses were built without garages, but the new cars being sold were a bit smaller than the ones made today and quite a lot more rust-prone, there was a market for prefabricated concrete-slab, asbestos-roofed garages. They weren't very roomy, but all the householder had to do was make a concrete floor slab and they could be bunged up in a day. I think a window was an extra and I wouldn't be surprised if doors were as well...
Does anyone else remember the Batley 50 quid garage? Of course 50 quid was 50 quid in those days, not less than the cost of a third class train ticket from London to Bristol.
For anyone heading up the A1 past Team Valley in Gateshead this summer,you will have the pleasure of lane closures for 6 weeks from 24th July. Announced here yesterday the Highways Agency optimistically admitted they 'didn't know' what the effect would be!
You can also guarantee speed limits and the cameras will be there without a doubt! Read more
I commute past this twice each week. I have recently started timing it so i get to there around 5pm on a Sunday and usually there is no hold ups unlike when I used to get there at 3pm.
They have been closing the A1 northbound at this junction a few times from 8.00pm on Fridays as well, which is just after i get there! I may have to consider the A68 or A66 routes over this period.
What is the point of the new digital sign at the North Entrance to the tunnel? These things must cost thousands and it simply shows the time, and the the hopelessly inaccurate message 'here 2 to deliver for you'
If the tunnels closed, its pretty easy to work out, what with the red lights and barriers so perhaps this should changed to a more meaningful message
- Here 2 make you Q
- Here 2 take your cash
I wouldn't mind so much but at £2.40 a day to use the dirtiest,grottiest tunnel in Europe and this is how they spend it! Read more
Can anyone tell me where to place Axle Stands at the front of the Passat. I need to get underneath and check for a leaking pipe, but I want to be safe. Any help would be appreciated. Read more
Thanks for the info, will look for the indent on the sills.
Browse
ok - thanks Peter. I'll strip the brakes and check it out.
James