Just got my car back from another hefty service and MOT (new front brake pads etc), and also had the Instrument Panel replaced as it was one of the faulty ones that are replaced for £99 under the 'watchdog' scheme.

When driving home, I was doing about 30 miles an hour and went to change gear and the car stalled and also stopped VERY suddenly (even though this model has no ABS). It was quite a shock, and the Glow Plug light on the dashboard was flashing, so I assume its logged a fault on the diagnostic.

Thinking (hoping) this was a one off, I tried the car again, and it was fine for about the next 40 miles, but then did it again at about 25 miles per hour when changing gear. The thing that's freaking me out is that it seems to emergency brake the whole car. Why the heck is that?

Do people think its just a coincidence this is straight after the service? Any clues on what it may be?

Thanks,
Dave Read more

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Did anyone watch (allthe way through) "Who Killed the Electric Car" on More 4 last night?

I got to 11.30pm when I just had to go to bed. How did it finish?

It was an interesting documentary showing the electric car in a very good light and the programme suggested that it was a conspiracy of various vested interests which killed it off. Among those in the frame were the oil industry, George Bush, the California State Board which examined these things, the car industry, the automotive component manufacturers (electric cars require little or no maintainence), Uncle Tom Cobbley and all.

When I went to bed a group of electric car drivers were watching various sites in the USA to see what happened to the electric cars which had been taken from them - no one was allowed to buy an electric car, they were all leased, at the end of the lease the hirer was not allowed to renew the lease, the cars were taken back by the manufacturers and crushed.

Apart from the fact that it was a two hour programme finishing at midnight and at times they rather laboured their case, I found it very interesting.

Why didn't I record it? I was recording "The Wire" on BBC2. Read more

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