April 2009
Hi, I've just brought a 2000 B5 Volkswagan Passat which has two key, But the one the keys needs reprograming to start the car.
It will unlock/lock it fine but i can't find the information to program it to start the car as the last owner changed a battery in it.
Many thanks.
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news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7987301.stm
Will it be allowed in the UK ?
(Segway introduced its personal transporter in 2002 and has sold more than 2,000 in the UK.
They are capable of speeds up to 12mph and cost £4,795.)
I have only ever seen one. It was zooming along the towpath at Kingston. IMO silent and dangerous to we pedestrians. Read more
What's the difference between them and a legal electric bike?
The electric bike has pedals, as did the Sinclair C5 - which gets around the law that the Segway cannot. It was mentioned on the Gadget show.
Hi,
I was out driving today in my less than one week old CRV - first day that I have been out in it in bright sunlight and my eye glanced across to the passenger side where I noticed a very thin line, about 5 or 6 inches in length, on top of the passenger airbag and curving down towards the glove-box.
At first I thought it was some kind of polish mark but as I drove the more it crossed my mind so I pulled over and had a close look at it. Looking down from above you can't see it but you can see it when sat in the driver's seat when the light is bright. I put some spittal on a finger and rubbed it gently expecting it to disappear but it hasn't.
I was not sure if it was a scratch or some kind of manufacturing mark as, with the dash being dimpled, it does not appear to be deep enough to have 'broken' the dimples.
I was about a mile away from my local Honda dealer so I popped in and asked them to look at it. The mechanic came out, had a look and said that someone had scratched it and that it would not be covered by Honda. He said it would be about 1,700.00 to fix as it is the entire passenger air-bag assembly that would need to be exchanged. His advice was to get in touch with the dealer that I bought it from but he said that I would get no joy from Honda and would have to live with it.
Now I am aware of it of course I am constantly looking at it.
I only had the car delivered last Thursday, have only been out in 4 times and haven't even put anything in the glove box yet let alone gone near the passenger side of the car. I have not rang the dealer yet who I bought it from and don't relish a 160 odd mile journey to get there and a 160 mile journey back. The local Honda mechanic said that Honda might send out an assessor.
Advice appreciated.
Thank you,
T. Read more
Not all honda drivers are mature, i bought a fantastic looking Honda accord saloon, in 1980ish i was 30!
It was one of the first in the country, in deep metallic red a 1.6 85bhp engine, it was at the time, 10 years in front of my previous mk4 cortina, which after my mk1 was complete rubbish.
I have not had a ford or honda since, but i would have another, if enough boxes were ticked.
My age group spent a lot of time diy repairing, to keep costs down, how many of you young people replace engines, gear boxs, suspension and brakes etc, and i don't just mean pads?
I am planning a 7 day one-way trip with my friend in his 1967 Triumph Spitfire this summer from Calais to Ancona in Italy. We are both engineers with an interest in history and geography.
I am starting some route plotting on www.viamichelin.com and our aim is:
* scenic backroads, minimise time spent on motorways and in large cities,
* routes through interesting landscapes, e.g. Champagne region,
* around 8 hours per day driving time,
* stops at various interesting historical or engineering sights e.g. Flander's Fields (WW1) and National Automobile Museum in Mulhouse, Alsace.
* overnight in quiet and good value accommodation.
The question is: what else can anyone recommend? There are some great mountain roads and alpine passes on the way but which ones would you recommend?
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the N5 ( Route Nationale ) that drops onto Geneva from around Dijon is a must, goes through the Jura mountains with lots of great hairpins . It goes right past the CERN particle accelerator site which may appeal to engineers - not sure if the latter has a visitor centre , best to check if so .
Then, for the most breathtaking crossing of the Alps, the Col D'Iseran is part of the Val D'Isere ski resort, in summer it is the old smuggler's route , a free road crossing with unrivalled views including Mont Blanc. Aim for Val D'isere , and follow the Iseran signs. You just keep on going straight and eventually drop onto Turin's outskirts, passing some great family restaurants en route..
Am tempted to do it myself once again now ...
The car has been back and forth to the local garage a few times. (Has only done 37k !)
They have replaced the lumbar sensor ? and the CAT. The CAT was done under warranty as this was only replaced last year.
The light went off for a day after the lumbar sensor was changed and again for a day after the cat was changed.
After to speaking to a couple of people they have suggested changing the EGR Valve. However when I phoned VW to get one, they said that the 2.0L does not have one ?
Can anyone help ?
Thanks
Steve
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Thanks for the reply bell boy.
They replaced the lambada sensor (which was an OE), they then replaced the cat which was not OE. The people I have spoke to said change the EGR valave, but VW said my engine does not have one ? would you know if it has an EGR valve ? They said the 1.6 and 2L diesel have one but not the 2.0l petrol ? sounds odd ?
thanks for your help.
Steve
...in the future:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7986460.stm
Well, the one at the top of the page, not so much the one lower down, which is more like a mutant Yaris Verso. Read more
BBC Radio 4 included this in their headline news at mid-day today:
tinyurl.com/crzhhe
One wonders about the BBC's priorities and how well informed they are, as I suspect it was intended to tag along with the long-outdated "Skodas are rubbish" myth.
Which car made in Britain could have been chosen as a direct alternative? Read more
I think it's amazing that it's a simular 1.9 TDI to whats in my 2000 cordoba in a bigger car is making the same 55mpg and 0-60 time when the superb is so much heavier :) how technology marches on.
My spare tyre is below the legal limit by quite some distance and there is no way I could use it in the event that I had to, however I do have break down cover so if I get a flat its not the end of the world.
I need to get this sorted but I have a few questions:-
I know it is not apart of the MOT but could I get fined for this?
I was thinking of getting a cheap part worn for the spare for about £15
My other alternative is to buy a new tyre for one of the wheels then use one of my existing tyres for the spare.
On my last car I went for the third option as one my spare was ilegal and one of my other tyres was breaking up but then three weeks later I got rid of it ( So I don't want to make the same kind of mistake again.
My question is how urgent is this tyre in terms of the law?
There is also a very minor blow on the back box so this may have to be changed too. Read more
Me too, Humph. In General, it's been a Good Year so far for puns...
I'll get me coat...
Once upon a time IIRC VOSA used the police to stop moving vehicles, whether this was because they did not have the authority or because the public at large did not recognise them, I cannot be sure.
However on the M20 early Sunday morning an VOSA marked vehicle with Red roof stobe, pulled infront of a lorry at 56 mph and slowed down to make the lorry exit at the next exit. What happened next was not apparent as I disappeared into the distance.
So do VOSA now have the power to stop a moving vehicle, is it a new power, or just a change in custom and practice?
p Read more
No they are not sworn Constables.
However the law enacted by Parliament can empower certain groups or bodies with certain powers eg PCSOs, HM Customs and Revenue, Benefits Agency, Parking Wardens, Planning Officers, Environmental Health and the list goes on. Powers to stop vehicles (previously the preserve of a 'Constable in uniform') have been granted to VOSA., purely to make such bodies independent of the Police and save Police time.
And as for a rule that says you do not have to stop or are uncertain as to whether they are a Police Officer and can request that they follow you to a Police station, that is not a rule. It is an option that has developed over the years to alleviate the public's fears due to the occasional rogue cop.
The ABS light blinks intermittantly on my car. Some days it deosn't come on at all other days it blinks erratically as I drive.
What is the likely cause of this ? Could it be a wheel sensor ? Read more
Good job & well done, and thanks for letting us all know.
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Thank for the reply, I went to my local VAG Specialists who told me it was a main dealer only job so i went to a local key shop who replaced the chip in the key, plugged in there code reader to find the immobiliser code and reprogrammed the key for £45.
Works perfectly now! :-)