September 2009
Is there any law which says that you must cross the road at a pedestrian crossing if you are within a certain distance of one? Read more
I started an earlier thread about things we didn't ask for on cars, you know that stuff over the last 10 years or so that's, highly complicated, of questionable use and extremely expensive to repair. The thread seemed to have legs and it was interesting to read the diametrically opposed views.
OK....so we got all this stuff and I keep reading about ODBI compliant whostis on the ECU and the fault codes etc......all good stuff believe you me, the cars can track faults and store fault codes....OK they don't always get it right and sometimes seem to sprout fault codes faster than weeds on my drive. Anyway, it set me thinking, we have cars that can talk to us, display all sorts of useless information on their laughably named "trip computer", radios with ever mode complex displays, in built sat nav.....little marvels of technology
So why......does it cost £50-£80 quid for a garage to plug something in and read the fault codes etc.. from your ECU....is it beyond human ken to build in that function on the cars dash and perhaps loose some of the other useless crap we're given.....how hard can it be.....they call cars sophisticated...that's a laugh. Surely the best time to tell the motorist about a fault....is when it happens?
If only the cars were as sophisticated as the marketing.....I remember with amazement the Vectra advertisement with the Tom Baker Voice over (Tom, your better than that)..."the car for the next millenmium"
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You may remember me complaining about these triumphalist expressions of modernism that somehow suggest everything
before was rubbish and those who understand the advantages of new technology are hipper than
their forebears and (as it were) morally superior.
Ok not fundamentalist Luddite perhaps, more lud leaning tendencies. ;)
first indication no beep when engaging reverse, second rear window wiper doesnt work,third reversing lights dont work Read more
thanks you may be right, further investigation checking fuses etc in engine bay found near and below fuse bank shreaded wire bunch one wire cut through and others had insulation bared, to get access to repair i need to remove bulky air intake filter assembly? how do i do this?
Not a retired person, Oh no !
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8275944.stm
One life less for the passenger? Read more
>> Did they send her a parking ticket though?
In the video it says that they did but subsequently quashed it.
or did they squash it?
The TV scriptwriter Troy Kennedy Martin, who wrote the first few episodes of Z Cars establishing the characters, and later the much admired Edge of Darkness, as well as the vulgar and silly (but also much admired) sixties caper movie The Italian Job, has just died.
One of the two movie projects of his that didn't get made was on the Ferrari family. During the negotiations he, the Kiwi proposed director and others went to Switzerland for a meeting with various people including a younger Silvio Berlusconi, then a rising media mogul and potential financier of the film. At the meeting Berlusconi asked if anyone present had ever driven a Ferrari. No one had except the Kiwi director.
He said he had briefly owned a Ferrari at home in New Zealand. But he had stopped driving it because whenever he did people kept shouting: 'What a *******!'
I had expected the story, told by my sister-in-law who was a good friend of Kennedy Martin, to end with the offer of free drives in new Ferraris. But it actually ended on the total inability of the interpreters expensively present to think of a word in Italian to translate that, in such a way that it could be applied to a Ferrari owner.
They couldn't. There's no such word. Heh heh. Read more
>>They couldn't. There's no such word. Heh heh
And I thought it was only the Americans who were supposed to have no sense of irony.
I've noticed my MPG has dropped from around 40+ to around 28. I ran the self diagnostics on the Corsa B which is a little known trick which is activated by pressing the two MFD buttons and it came up with a fault code 171 which I have decoded to temperature sensor.
Where is this sensor located? The fault code is not being stored hence the EML is not on but the panel activates a life diagnostic mode as well as just showing stored fault codes.
My car seems to rev at 1100 when I first start it and then kick down to 750-800 rpm so does that mean the temperature sensor works?
Where is this sensor located I assume its easy to test?
Edit there is now debate on the Corsa forum about what the information this display unit shows. Some say it is faults other says its none sense :(. I have no idea now. I suppose it could be down to heavy traffic.
Bellboy have you come across this before on the B? Read more
hi all, the power steering pump on my 97 523i estate is noisy, i have a replacement to hand. Is the swap a tricky one? the pulley faces the front of car and is driven by secondary belt. Im guessing i should slacken this belt for starters, once i have the car up on my ramps. I want totackle it myself, is there anything i should watch out for, or is it a straightforward job?
Also the blower and climate doesnt work, the handbook says fuse no: 76 is for the blower, but its not in the glovebox where the rest of the fuses are, nor in the boot. Where else could it be?
Finally the locking wheel nut is missing and i dont have the box it came from. Is it possible to get another measured up and made? The alloys are in good nick but i really want to change them!
Any help would be greatly appreciated
cheers
jeremy Read more
The wife is looking at buying a 52 reg 2.0L Dti Astra.
Are there any known problems with this engine size / type that I should look for ?
I know that the 2.0L Di engines are known for using a bit of oil, does this apply to the Dti engines as well ?
The car is immaculate for its age and has a full service history.
The mileage is nearly 140,000 should this be of concern ?
Thanks in advance Read more
They drop fuel pump ECUs at around 120,000 miles. Since yours has gone over that it might be a good idea to check and see if it's been done......
Ok, it?s another one of those ?What car shall I get now?? times.
Company car, to keep for 4 years. I have two small children, one is a babe in arms, the other a toddler. I do about 20k per annum. Space, practicality is important but I do like the way a 3 series drives which is why I have left it on the list?.
I have discounted the silly cars in respect of cost of income tax and cars that I really wouldn?t drive and here is my shortlist.
Audi A4 TDI Avant SE 143
BMW 3 series Touring 320d SE
Skoda Superb 2.0 TDI CR 170 Elegance
Rav 4 2.2D XT-R (not really sure about this one)
Verso T Spirit 2.0 d4d (again not really sure)
Passat Diesel estate Highline CR DSG (I do like autos)
Tiguan 2.0 TDI SE
Volvo V50 2.0d SE Lux (both powershift and non-powershift are available)
Your thoughts are most welcome.
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But didn't you say you're stuck with your choice for 4 years ? It's an awfully long time to hate your car for, believe me I've been there (1996 Vectra) and I now pay extra for a 2 year lease since the option became available to me, it's a highly personal value judgement.
There are plenty of other options (BMW 520d for instance) that'll give 18% tax without the performance penalty....
Anyhow - I do wish you good luck with your choice, I hope it works out for you and doesn't become something you regret. I'd admit it's a personal 'gripe' that manufacturers produce compromised cars (IMHO) in pursuit of BIK benefit e.g. VAG PD convertibles or the 1.6D V70.
Some years ago I was refused planning permission for a garage. Things have changed somewhat in the area as the council now seem to object less to extensions, garage conversions, etc. Before I apply I want to get some idea of costs for a garage that would match the house ? rendered finish over brick. The idea is to house a second car rather than my daily driver. Wanting to work on it I am looking for something wider and longer than usual say 20? x 10?. Last time I had some building work done getting quotes was worse than dealing with many a garage. I am sure that amongst Honest John reader there must be some honest builders who can give me a ?ball park? figure. Many thanks. Read more
Madf
That was best time to buy - bet it's better now than then - I bought mine in 79 when petrol went up and no one wanted to live in country - best investment I ever made. sold for megga % increase
Stuartli,
Can you clarify the jay walking point.
The highway code certainly advises against walking on the zig-zags. However I thought jay walking was a US offense and not sometihng that exists in English/UK law. Loitering on te corssing is however an offence.