December 2009
Hi all,
I was pulling the handbrake on and it made a "snapping" sound. Something definately snapped inside by the handle. Now I have to pull it all way up to near verticle but it still appears to work. Any ideas or pointers before I find a bit of time to pull it apart
Ta RM Read more
So here I am doing my best to be responsible. Pulling out of a sideroad (ungritted, black ice everywhere) in an AWD Jag X type, brake gently, hit the black ice at which point the ABS kicks in. BUT, the car doesn't slow, and I'm now sailing towards the main road even though the pedal was hard down.
Now, someone do please correct me, but I think, in the old days, we were better off before ABS in this situation as at least one could control the skid. Here, the car just kept going. What should I have done? And before any cynical old Ebenezer says "go slower in the first place" this happened at around 2mph... Read more
>>
Its just ice, its NOT black, the road surface is black.>>
See:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_ice
Question for you clever folk. I have noticed that in very cold weather, such as today, my car starts OK, and goes OK: temperature seems to go up and the auto choke gradually takes idle to standard level. My first ten miles were in stop start traffic and engine temp went up to halfway on guauge, ie normal. BUT, when on the M6 later in the journey, and all going fine seemingly, I looked at the guauge and it was almost on zero. My suspicion, based on absolutely nothing, is that the sensor is reflecting the outside temperature more than engine and when I slow down and there's less/no rushing air, it goes to normal.
Is my car about to blow up? Any ideas? It seems to be running fine... oil topped up, coolant at normal levels... etc. etc.
Confused.
Read more
Another thought. Do you mean the radiator fan cuts in or the engine bay cooling fan?
If you are interested I have a repair manual stored on my hard drive, I can copy it to a cd rom and send it to you if it's any help.
I have a '99 Focus that uses a calcium battery. Would there be any issues in putting the old calcium battery from this into another older vehicle that uses a standard lead acid battery, specifically a Toyota Carina? Read more
Calcium allows them to be charged faster (at a higher current) but this is in no way a necessity for their well-being.
You'll have to excuse me as I know barely anything about cars and maintainance, so my explanations might be a bit unprofessional!!
For about a year, at random intervals the car has felt like it's lost a little power, but almost immediately rights itself again. No warning lights come on, and people in the car can't notice it it's so slight. It feels like engine braking to me, but has not caused any major problems. However on the way to work on Friday, it had a major hiccup! I was doing about 45 up a slight hill in 4th, when again I got this feeling like engine braking. This time though, it took me from about 45 right down to 20 and the handbrake and battery lights flashed on (for about a second).
Although the weather is cold now, it was doing it when it was much warmer and my local Peugeot garrage don't have a clue why. It's not in any particular gear, or low revs, it's not when the engine is cold (the last incident was after 15mins at 70 on dual carriageway followed by 1/2 hr cross country!!) its not when the fuel is low, I've done all the basic maintainance and had the antifreeze replaced and before I take it back for peugeot to bleed me dry I wondered if anyone had any ideas I could try, or had experienced and sorted similar?!!
Grateful for any help, could do without a massive car bill so close to xmas!!
Tig Read more
In the latest edition of Saga magazine there was an article which used the words stooger and stooging.
So now I'm going to further update to saying stooger instead of slinker. Read more
You have got it wrong svu. A law-abiding but proficient, aware and considerate driver isn't a mimser.
The essential characteristics of the mimser are unawareness and low intelligence. An element of passive aggression is often also present, as is a tendency to think a car's speedometer is accurate and then subtract five or ten mph just to be on the safe side. Mimsers often congregate on single carriageway roads in waddling, cud-chewing, straggling, tailgating processions a good ten or fifteen mph below the limit. Most or all of them imagine they are the sort of law-abiding types you describe.
Geddit?
Hi there, I wonder if you could help me. I am in similar situation where hire company says that the car was returned damaged when actually it was not. I have written a letter to dispute it but they are insistent that I have to pay the money. They claim that there were some new scratches on the front alloys and they are charging me £600 to replace them!!!
1) The driver collected the car and I was simply told that I would be contacted by the office. The car was collected in my absence.
2)Although they mention scratches, they still want to charge me for replacement of the alloys rather than repair!
I have instructed credit car company to not to pay them but what else I can do? Can they take me to court? How do I prove that there was no new damage? At the moment its their words against me!! Please help!!!
Moved from the clutter of an 07 thread to a standalone one Read more
I don't understand these things - no-one is going to pay £600 without kicking up a fuss.
OP: Doesn't the car's insurance cover this level of claim?
On the local news, the A80 has been blocked for almost 4 hours due to snow and jack knifed lorries.
The M8 Eastbound is closed at Shotts, presumably due to snow as well.
In this weather do you use the main routes, as they should be gritted and ploughed first, or do you use town and back roads? At least with the latter you can usually go for a plan b if plan a doesn't work. If a lorry jacknifes ahead of you on the A80 or M8, then you are totally snookered!! Read more
last Friday i took M1 from Luton to Durham with no real problems. There were a couple of accidents, but Natalie (my Sat Nav) suggested coming off the M-way ahead of the jams and rejoining later. Journey took 4 hours instead of usual 3.5.
Journey back today A1, but A6 blocked so Natalie suggested a little back road. Was passable with care, but twists, and ditch and serious climbs would ahve been impossible last Friday, and as I write now, equally so.
So - if stuff still falling and route a little tricky - stick with M-way, but if conditions have improved chance a few back roads depending on distance being covered, no right/wrong answers
Hi there, my Focus TDDi X reg central locking is slow to operate. On a frosty morning if you unlock the drivers door it can be 5 to 20 minutes before the other doors unlock. Once unlocked the central locking is fine until left for a while (eg overnight).
Any ideas where to look, I am happy to remove the drivers door trim but if anyone knows where the problem may lie I would pleased to have a pointer where to look.
thanks Read more
I think that was a bad link, remove the ; between the & and the word highlight and it should work.
Failing that if you go to http://www.focusfanatics.com and in the forum search box on the top left type in
central locking problems
the thread title is
Central locking problems - Finally a solution! and it should come up first.
Is your car stuck in snow? Show us it :)
i167.photobucket.com/albums/u141/amazingtrade/snow...g
PS I hope that reg dosn't really exist!
I am pleased of how this picture turned out, the movement in snow captures it perfectly. This was taken this morning and a lot more snow has fallen since. Read more
As well as a sad story about three road deaths, there are some evocative motoring pics taken in the last day or so here:
tinyurl.com/y9c83oh
Browse
Cheers RichardW, will get a bit of time to look at it in the morning once I've cleared all the snow and frost off it: :-( Luckily, it is disc on the back so sounds better news.
Ta