August 2009
Just driven over a junction which we use several times daily.
It's light controlled and in the form of a single lane road crossing a very wide, but relatively little used dual carriageway.
The city council have recently re-jigged the area, changing the lights to pedestrian button type and putting in dropped kerbs with knobbly paving.
Driving down today, I was stopped by the lights and saw. to my left, that give way lines and triangle had been painted right across the pavement at right angles to the kerb and just before the ' pedestrian walk- off ' flagstones....same on the other corners.
I can only think that these lines are aimed at warning cyclists using the pavement to give way to pedestrians waiting to cross. AFAIK, footpath cycling is still illegal. It looks, then, as if the council are encouraging lawbreaking.
Although the dual carriageway is not too busy, the junction gets very crowded twice a day as there are 2 secondary schools, 2 office blocks, a parade of shops and a park with a nursery, all, virtually, on the junction.
I wonder if this is the precursor to a more general acceptance of pavement cycling ? I also wonder what the 'blame ' implications would be in the event of a child, say, being hit on the footpath when there is some implied permission from the authorities.
Ted Read more
Hi again. The large nut in the boot which secures the spare tyre just turns and turns without loosening or tightening. Does it need to be pushed, or hammered or lifted in order to release the spare from underneath the car ?
Thanks in advance! Read more
How to date the tyre www.carbibles.com/tyre_bible.html
If you order a new car and agree a price with the dealer, can this agreement (ie the final price) change if the manufacturer increases the list price between the time you place the order and delivery?
Sorry for being rather longwinded. Read more
Read the terms and conditions on the order form.
What explains a dealer selling-price estimation difference this large on the same-spec car: £12285 Parker's and £9000 Glass's? Read more
"VW 411 Variant"
Cor blimey. I had one as a company car in the early 1970s. Great in a straight line. Brakes . . . what brakes? As a book publishing rep, in crosswinds I was glad to be able to fill the front boot with boxes of books, without which it was more like sailing than driving. And that weird little auxiliary heater? Those were the days.
We're looking for a secondhand Punto as a second car. So I've been searching the Freeads, Autotrader and ebay. It's surprising how difficult it is to find a car with the right spec of the right age at a sensible (read cheap!) price and reasonably close, say 50 miles, to home (South Coast).
On ebay, it seems to me that most of the eligible cars are, relatively speaking, 'up north', by which I mean, north of Birmingham. Have other ebayers noticed the same? Is it that Northerners are more in tune with selling cars this way?
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Two of my recent cars have come from ebay - in each case both cars were listed clearly and honestly; I asked a few questions and got straightforward answers from the sellers which answered both my questions and concerns.
One was a local private sale, the other was from a dealer in Slough, who had a really good attitude towards buyers - answered questions, gave a phone number, and even made me a cuppa when I arrived to collect the car, which had been valeted. Very good service for an old Espace which sold for not much over £500. The car was honestly described and has been superb apart from the odd electrical hiccup. Talking to the guy at the dealer when I collected it turned out they sell quite a few of their part exchanges through ebay - they can go for good money, but they do get their fair share of time wasters.
After starting the engine, I have to manually turn the key back to the run position.
Sometimes I forget and this is burning out the starter motor drive every 6 months or so.
The AA man tells me the A4 is renowned for sticking ignition switch.
Does anyone have experience of replacing one or having it replaced?
Where did you obtain the replacenment and what did it cost?
Is it difficult to get to it?
BTW the 'switch' is quite cheap, just an electrical switch, but I assume my problem is in the barrel i.e. a spring is weak or broken?
Thanks for any advice.
Stewart
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I agree.
I'd say do it sooner rather than later. One of ours failed totally stranding the car.
I was told at the time by our local indy not to bother with the aftermarket ones but to go to VAG for a real one because they had had lots of problems with non-genuine ones failing quickly.
Its the same part on lots of vag cars Audi 100/A6 Golfs/passats and skodas.
If you get the part number you can ring round and check prices.
My daughters Beetle has 2 small dents in the roof (no paint damage) caused by students walking over it.
She now wants to sell the car and is looking for the best way to remove the dents.
A recent bodyshop quote was £700
Are the paintless dent removal methods any good? anyone have any experience of these methods.
Regards Read more
Just to be clear - the evidence that I can see is the slightest of 'shimmerings' in the paintwork ;-)
I have just been told that my tyre cannot be repaired. I reckon the nail is borderline between the red and blue on this graphic.
www.kwik-fit.com/assets/jpg/graphics/tyre-breakdow...g
To me the term 'major repair area' implies that a major repair can be carried out. I certainly don't want to take a chance with safety but this feels like a bit of a racket!
Anyone offer anything? Even it is only to make me better about having to chuck away a part worn £150 tyre!
Cheers.
FTF
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It did include valve and balancing.
£17.50 seems to be standard round here!
Cheers.
FTF
Power steering is very heavy on cold start up, then works fine but there is a juddery whine/screech when on full lock. Power steering fluid was low, but after top-up the level hasn't fallen again. Am I looking at a dying pump? Or something bigger? Thanks in advance! Read more
Now that summer is in full swing (!), it seems that more and more people feel the need to don their Ray-bans or Superdrug specials - but not necessarily when the sun is shining....
Even in the strongest sun, I've never felt any need for sunglasses - though my other half can't live without hers. I do have a pair of rose-tinted spectacles which come out occasionally - but that's another matter altogether :-)
So who thinks they're essential - or just for poseurs? Read more
>>> I don't like the quite bright cloudy days and always wear sunglasses then, which strangely isn't so much of an issue on bright sunny days <<<
An Optician once told me that shades are advisable in bright overcast conditions, because of the glare - which ya don't get when its sunny.
The worst thing about cheapo shades is that they just darken *everything* whereas good sunglasses actually enhance vision.
Browse
I meant that :). But was confused why you said Princess Parkway was little used yet in my head I had images of the Southern Hotel pub!. I need sleep.
They have changed the light timing at Corkland/Albany/Wilbraham Road which is now causing major traffic jams at Morrison's car park.
Why can't the council just leave things alone?