October 2009
One thing about Ford USA they know how to build classy looking pickup trucks. Not!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIU6hOOCUig -
Still pictures- tinyurl.com/yj4wcdn
saying that I could see myself in one Read more
I am planning a visit to the Berwick via London due to serious illness of B-i-L.
Have two options on travel time: 1. Leave London at midnight on Friday and with two drivers, go overnight. 2. Leave London at about 5 am on Saturday morning. Both returning on Sunday as co-driver is expected at work on Monday.
Anyone know of any major problems on the A1/M1/M18/A1(M) or more minor roads between Newcastle and the Borders?
Thanks - and yes, I know flying would be more sensible but am taking stuff up that my sister needs. Read more
I don't know whether it's my age, or are others also noticing the variations in taxi speeds depending on whether they have a fare or not? It seems to be getting worse and worse.
Taxi with no fare, and he'll zip along at 40 in a 30, cut you up, swerve in front, pull out on you, the lot.
Same taxi with a fare, and he'll do 20 in a 30, slow right down at zebras just in CASE that pedestrian might get near it in time, slow right down at green lights, willing them to go red, and generally faff about.
I assume it's becasue the longer the passenger is there the higher the fare, but I know if I were a passenger I'd be pretty grumpy about the ridicululously exaggerated "perfect" driving.
It's got to the stage where I won't let a taxi out in front of me just in case he has a passenger. I won't BLOCK him, but I'm not going to make any effort to allow him, that's a sure thing.
Sorry, grumpy this morning. Read more
They are making a living so thats okay,its the rest of the fools who clog up the roads that
annoy me.
M5 Northbound in Worcestershire/Staffordshire, 19:00 yesterday eveing, Dry road, 15 degrees C light traffic, good visibility, no holdups . .
What did the overhead displays read Read more
The signs started well south of the M50 and were still on near Jn 11 of the M6 when I left. A long way for a gritter on one load and also 2-4 local authority areas - Worcestershire, Staffs, West Mids? Glos?.
My 53 plate peugeot 406 LX Estate recently started suffering battery charge fault warning on the dash, then ABS and Airbag warning respectively then the car gives up and conks oot !
had the alternator reconned and also new battery but its still doing it???
recently fitted new com2000 unit (indicator/wiper unit), which is the wrong one but works all the same, cud this be the problem? Read more
Ask these people:
www.bba-reman.com/uk/index.aspx
I have never owned a car with an alarm. But the next car we buy will probably come with an alarm, as most seem to now.
The problem is that car alarms are one of my pet hates. What I want to know is whether factory-fitted alarm systems are normally able to be switched off. I really don't want a car with one of these anti-social devices going off every time one of my cats jumps on the bonnet. (or tries unsuccessfully to jump on the bonnet if I end up buying the Mercedes A-Class we've set our hearts on!)
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I think there is a law requiring alarms to go silent after 20 minutes or something similar. I find they only sound for about that time before going silent but with the lights continuing to flash.
I actually find car alarms worse than house alarms, because house alarms IMO go silent after 20 mins or so, but some car alarms go quiet and then start again immediately - like they are resetting themselves and then detecting the same reason to start up again.
All in all, I do wonder whether the noise from both car and house alarms is justified based on the number of thefts they prevent versus the amount of disturbance caused by false alarms.
will a split (in half) inner cv boot fail an mot? also does anyone know if the engine undertray is part of the mot? Read more
Hi,
Re:- the split CV boot. If it's a quick fix that you're after. clean the boot up well with meths and superglue it. This should get you by long enough until you have time to replace it.
( only the outer boots are covered by the MOT )
All the best
Steve
Hi
I am considering buying a Nissan X-trail and thanks to this place I think I have asked the right questions. It has revealed that the car I am thinking of buying had the turbo replaced at around 20k but not the ECU, which has been checked regularly since. More recently the intercooler has been replaced. It has bone around 55k miles
Now from what I have read these are the common faults with an X-Trail. So my questions are;
Now they have been replaced does that resolve the issue or will the car always be prone to these faults?
Should I get the ECU changed if I bought it or can it be regulated in some way? ( I read that it could somewhere)
Is there anything else I should look for as tell tale signs or issues with a 2.2dci 2004 -Trail?
Thanks in anticipation for your help.
P Read more
Great cars - better than I expected, downside 2.5 petrol auto fuel consumption poor if one uses and enjoys it to the full, off road ability good, not up to R Rover standards but better than most, I have found the dealers and maker back up to be poor. would I buy one again? - its a hard choice, when it comes to it, they all have the goods & bads + or -.
I went a few years ago when the CSMA magazine were giving away £5 discount vouchers.
An enjoyable day on the whole. As with all SantaPod events, you can openly walk around the pit area and see the mechanics stripping down the engines and working on the cars & bikes. If you want a real buzz, then stand right next to a Top fuel dragster as they start it up in the pits and then wait for them to squirt in a bit of nitromethane and blip the throttle. You literally get blown off your feet, not to mention your eyes will start streaming with the smell of the fuel. Oh, and remember to either wear ear defenders / plugs or put your fingers in your ears. WHAT!
I wonder if they still set of the large firework right at the end that sets 99% of the car alarms off in the parking area?
Finally, take something warm to wrap up in. It was fine while the sun was out, but as soon as it started going down, so did the temperature. Brrrrr.
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I took my two girls (11 and 9) on Saturday and unlike Focus I couldn?t drag them away at the end of the evening! There were so many things for each of us to see and do and there was certainly no interminable waiting about as can so often happen at motorsport events.
It was the first time I?d been to Santa Pod in about 15 years, and the facilities are much improved from how I remembered them. I was amazed at the speed and noise of the very fastest cars and bikes, and how so many car alarms went off in unison after a good one went up the strip!
The highlights for the girls were the funfair, all the stalls, shops and displays, the novelty cars such as ?Wind Up?, the shed and the sofa, meeting Minty from EastEnders and getting his autograph, and seeing the very popular Michael Jackson tribute concert. They also enjoyed the Hallowe?en disco after the fireworks!
It was a terrific day out for the 3 of us and they have already said they want to go again next year. A big thankyou to HJ and the organisers from us all!
I refer to the placement of certain car brands in films and television series.
In US films it seems the car of choice for the expert is Audi...seemingly indestructible.
On our very own Doc Martin and detective/spook type series' it seems to be that the no nonsense expert will drive a Lexus.
There was a time when every hood was chauffered in a blacked out Benz.
Does this placement cause anyone to view the product differently?
ps...i always wanted to be Steed and drive that Bentley..nothing to do with Emma Peel of course you understand...or Tara King...gulp..;) Read more
It's a Ford Consul and believe it or not the actual car - i.e., JT and Dennis actually sat on the hallowed seats - is being restored right now --- a process which has been going on since 1990!
Browse
...The TyneTunnel has major works going on until Dec. 2010 with the addition of a second tunnel so is not really an alternative...
Well, the works are the building of a second tunnel, so the existing one remains fully open.
I wold rather go this way than the A1 Gateshead Western Bypass, but it's one of those where you could get stuck either way.