October 2009
Guys,
My RHW has been causing bad reception on the radio for 6 months and then failed altogether. I have replaced it and it does not heat up. The fuse is OK, and the dash light works and times out. Ther does not appear to be any voltage at the cable end so I wondered if their was a relay in circuit somewhere?
Any ideas please,
Steve Read more
Hi - first post here. I have 99 BMW 5 (E39) which runs just fine but I need some help with the idle speed. It's fine when the choke is engaged but when warm it idles at about 500rpm which means it sometimes stalls at lights and makes driving in slow traffic a challenge! I anticipated there would be a simple screw adjustment to increase the minimum idle speed but can't find one. What would you advise to fix the problem?
Many thanks. Read more
I'd also check for split hoses around the inlet manifold.
Am i the only person to pick up on Boris Johnson's speech at Conference yesterday. I think he made a very big insult to motorists of all kinds. He turned his attention to people calling the bankers in the city. He said ''people refere them as to lepers''. He then had the audacity to say amongst other things they are responsible for putting money in to build roads. Well as all backroomers are aware the British motorist in paying taxes in one form or another contribute £57 billion per year to the economy. Only £9 billion goes back into new building of roads. So it is the motorist who pays for the building of roads not the bankers. Have i missed something somwhere was i dreaming. Read more
its promises to limit speed cameras that count>>
Just a gimmick a vote catcher. Has anyone said '' they are going to remove the ones that are already in place''. The already existing cameras safety camera partnerships whatever you want to call them generating £billions of pound for the economy. Will never be removed. Come on think about it its another vote catcher for the gullible public.
{edited to reveal quoted post due to wrong quote symbols being used}
Nearly all tractor units on our roads are the 'cab over engine' type with a flat front.
Why don't we have more with protruding bonnets?
I've seen a few, and they seem to be doing the same job.
Perhaps they are longer.
I know the cabs on the other type tilt, but you'd have thought a unit with a conventional bonnet would be easier to service.
So why are there so few? Read more
Regarding space in lorry cabs BTW; American trucks might look wonderful on the outside but to have any sort of decent sleeping accomodation the tractor units are themselves as long as an 8-wheeler tipper is in the UK, and have a big box tacked on to the back of the cab to accomodate this. On the posher versions they have showers and loos incorporated as well. Most British truckers are lucky to get a cold-water wash at night.
Have a look inside one of the modern sleeper-cabbed DAF, Scania or Volvo artics commonly used in the UK and you'll be amazed at how well all the space is used. It has to be, because that is often the driver's home for the week (and sometimes longer) and since the overnight parking facilities for HGV's are so pitifully inadequate in this country he has to make best use of it.
Oddly enough, whilst the American sleeper compartments are usually luxurious the driving cab itself is often rather narrow and cramped, especially on the older models.
I was watching Top Gear and as they were testing some high performance cars I had a question or two that I thought "interesting"
Suppose I was in a "supercar" with a 0 to 60 time of say 3.5 seconds and I was at a set of traffic lights with a police car next to me and the road in front was a 60mph limit, clear road etc etc.
The lights change and I floor the throttle and accelerate as fast as I could up until I reached 60 and then back off, would I be breaking the law.
Also, a cop is pointing a speed gun at me and another at a much slower car, both accelarating up to 60, bearing in mind the vastly different accellaration times and the constantly changing speed, would the gun show the speed of both cars accurately ?
If one car is accelarating so much faster than the other, at a particular snapshot in time, would the speed gun over read on the faster car.
Read more
Is the brainwashing nearly complete.
It was over and done years ago my friend.
Cyclists are the next target for "cycling furiously", yes people are really convicted of this.
After cyclists are brow beaten into going far too slowly, next up will be runners/joggers and finally regular pedestrians in busy streets.
Prosecutions for walking too quick, you heard it here first... :)
On Saturday afternoon/evening, I'll be wanting to join the M6 Toll (southbound) from the M54 (eastbound).
I can't quite work out from the maps how this is done. Can I join the M6 Toll from the A460, after crossing the main M6?
Thanks
Chris Read more
.... and rail season ticket holding commuter....I'm actually quite looking forward to my Llangollen - Seaford home run on Saturday.
Isn't there a little railway at Llangollen?
Don't think your season ticket will be valid, though.
A friend's 55 plate Zafira 2.0 with full leather and lots of toys was damaged by another driver having been hit from the side. It will be repaired but he is concerned that the cars value will have dropped more than just general depreciation costs now that it will have a history of a repair. I realise its probably impossible to calculate but does anyone know how much value a car can lose with a history of crash damage?
Can he 'factor' this drop in value in his claim against the other driver or just bite the bullet? Read more
On a 55-plate car it will have very little effect on value. Unless it is repaired to a poor standard then it really isn't an issue.
Hi I read your comments about your wife's parking charges back in January and wondered how you got on.
I am in a similar situation - today I got a ticket from CP Plus while parked in a hospital in Glasgow. From what I have read there are a few reasons not to pay and I am thinking of just ignoring the ticket and any further demands. I hope this advice is right for Scotland as well as England. I wondered what happened as I couldn;t see an update to your story.
thanks for any replies or advice. Read more
There are over 6m million reasons why the DVLA do this and HM Govt need all the money they can get.
It's one reason why the activities of PPCs won't be seriously curtailed - HM Govt have a vested interest in them continuing.
How do car makers measure 0-60 times. Do they redline an engine or change up at say 3000 rpm?
Is it done carrying a full tank of fuel?
Is it done for real on a test track in perfect weather conditions or in a sterile lab along with the fictitious mpg figures?
Read more
>>He promptly drove it up to the rev limiter in 1st gear and wrenched the gear lever with great force straight into 2nd without lifting the throttle. Hey presto, 3.9sec 0-60 as claimed.
I've often done this, but only on cars with a limiter (valve bounce will do). It's far less dramatic in a diesel.
I was out in the old KIA Pride yesterday when I noticed a drop off in performance. It had lost it's edge at the top end. It'll happily rev to 7K normally but it suddenly was topping out at 6K, this was in first with the foot to the floor.
It would happily get to 4K, but then struggle any further.
I checked the carb, thinking it felt as if the second choke wasn't opening. I could see the first open on the cable operation, but can only assume the second is controlled by vacuum and throttle opening. I wasn't prepared to try that stationary.
It's got a crude EGR, where a bleed off the cat feeds directly into the air filter (no valve). This seemed excessive and noisy. Checking the exhaust outlet, that seemed muted without the usual pulses. I've heard of collapsed cats (yes it's got one).
I pulled the cat off and could see that was no problem, so I thought I'd check the rest of the system. The back box rattled. The exhaust has been on less than three years and is showing no signs of external rusting.
i353.photobucket.com/albums/r370/bathtubtom/S63004...g
The little pile of black bits is what I assume to be the perforated tube that runs through the box. It seems this rusted through and allowed the wadding to block the exhaust path, increasing back pressure and forcing more exhaust through the EGR.
The back box is now completely empty, I can see right through it, but stangely the car isn't any louder.
I guess it doesn't get enough long journies. It'll be interesting to see how long the casing lasts. There's no sign of any rust on the outside.
Took it down the road, 7K in first and second, no problem.
The missus would like to know the reason for putting all that stuffing in there.
I'd still appreciate anyone telling me how the second choke on the carb is operated. Read more
Odd little car...... like Ladas and Skoda Estelles, they tend to have a loyal band of devotees who defend them to the hilt despite their acknowledged failings.
My experience of them is via Mrs. H who had one when we first met. Have to admit it pulled well and the headlights were good, but reliability wasn't its strong point. Can't say I was overly impressed with it myself, the Punto which replaced it was a much nicer drive.
Herself's Pride was one of the last batch, on a "V" plate. I understand that these weren't quite as good as the earlier ones, any other owners present and previous know why?
Oddly enough, despite Tom's comments above ours failed MOT due to extensive rust; possibly because of its location, spent much of its life in Aberwristwatch where there is a thriving colony of Kia Prides, think the local dealer bought a job lot!
Browse
isnt that the subject of BMWs latest advert....feeling Joy or something (Joy not being a female person, but a state of mind).