Jack Straw, the Justice Secretary, is considering extending a £15 surcharge for victims to those handed on-the-spot fines and fixed penalties.

Currently the extra payment is only added on to fines handed out by the courts, but any extension to fixed penalties would pave the way for millions of people including speeding drivers to be hit as well.

Surcharge - no it is a Brown Tax - another one! Read more

{any car }

i need some stainless self tappers to finish a engine bay tart up

looking for no14 x13mm self tappers with a hex head in stainless steel

anyone know a supplier that does small orders via mail order? Read more

on arriving at work this morning my wife has found the engine at the rear to be billowing steam, the engine seams to be running fine, no engine malfunction light either.but have been expieriencing a short loss of power when pulling off when first starting car over the last couple of weeks, acctually, it started after having new lambda sensor fitted, but goes fine after that.
when filling water up yesterday, i noticed some oil coming from the back of the head block, weve also had a small oil leak for some time, maybee from the sump, but oil levels are ok.
we had the lambda sensor replaced last week, new coil , leads, and sparks in jan due to missfire.
im hoping this may only be a hose thats gone, and not the head gasket.
any ideas on possible cause ????
thanks in advance
Read more

Hi,

Can anyone help?

I have a 106 1.5D 2000, 8/10 times it starts fine no problems, however recently a fault has started. When turning the key, wait till the coil light goes out, turn the key to start and then there is lots of clicking and the lights on the dash flash. Take the key out, try again and it either does this again a few times or it starts.

I assume the clicking is some sort of relay? Has anyone had similar problems?

Thanks Read more

Intro.
It`generally accepted that `snake oil` is alive and well in America and the world over in `fuel additives`.
But what about UK engine oil and the thought processes that can cause a gravitation towards `cult` and away from logic?

The specs.
Some minor oil companies are `blenders` and as such would allegedly have less control of base stocks than major players with their own refineries. Given that ACEA specs seems linked with that - look very closely at the wording on the `cans`.

I mean closely, with a lawyers eye.

It`s long been accepted that the word `meets` is the only meaningfull term in the context of an oil spec and should be there on the can at the side of the spec.

It seems that `in accordance with` was the best that corporate lawyers would agree to - but that became generally rumbled as actually being meaningless as time went on.

Now it seems there is a new round of meaningless marketing jargon on cans of some blender only - very minor league oil companies - passed by company lawyers - that if it were human, would be a singing and dancing monologue - but without the word `meets` in the dictionary.

Funny word meets - it seems that if you put it on the can - your oil actually HAS to meet the spec...

Also look for outdated specs with `blenders` and contrast the general confidence when an oil such as Shell or Mobil 1 shows `meeting` specific engine manufacturers specs, such as MB.

The Human mind.
Speaking generally, I think that there is a vulnerability in the human psych (which must have had evolutionary advantage) for cults. in other words belief sytems. Its easy with exposure to be sucked in. The mind altered in its perception of what was once perhaps considered unacceptable - or more likely lacking insight and knowledge into its own nature.

Snake oil syndrome then - maybe ;-)

NB
You can just imagine a group of advertising bods sitting around a table with input from a Psychologist and a Lawyer - everthing from the shape of the can, to the last fullstop. Anything and everything to attract and get around the `meets` - that nasty little stick in the throat term that that major oil companies write so easily and clearly on the can.

Read more