December 2009
Hi All,
The eastbound carriageway was closed around 1930 ish on Friday. the diversion took us down a road parallel to it and there seemed to be flashing blue lights everywhere. Ambulances, fire engines the lot, but can't find anything in the news.
Anyone know what happened?
FTF Read more
Hi folks
Am adding something similar to the Snooper Tracker to my car (www.snooper.co.uk/snooper-gps-tracker.htm ) {Link corrected - didn't like the bracket at the end without a space})
These things have an internal battery that charges off the car's 12v supply. Should it be connected to the permanent +12v ? Or to an ignition-switched +12v ? The former will ensure a topped up battery-backup, but may deplete the car's battery. The latter will obviously only charge the tracker when the engine is running.
I do have an 'old' tracker fitted to my other car (MX5, connected to permanent +12v) but that plus the alarm will deplete the car's battery within 5 days. However, the MX5's battery is a fairly puny gel type, so it's not surprising. Maybe a normal wet-cell battery will do better ?
Thanks
Frank Read more
Trackers of any description are pretty useless any self respecting car thief has the means to turn them off in seconds.
Just tried to remove front headrest to fit seat cover. I followed advice in handbook depressing the single locking button (handbook shows 2) but even with locking button pushed in when I pull head restraint up it seems to come up against a stop used reasonable force but still could not remove it is there a trick with this? Read more
yes
push headrest down and with button depressed pull straight up and off ,watch it doesnt smack you though
for interest most seat covers come with velcro to go over the headrests,does yours not have this?
farm3.static.flickr.com/2790/4181157966_521bff9a70...g
farm3.static.flickr.com/2627/4180393631_4c2eddc361...g
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My 2008 Ford Ka Style Climate 1.3 has covered 6,040 miles on its stock tyres - Kleber Viaxen 165/65/R13 tyres. I have kept the correct tyre pressure maintained. I will admit I have hit quite a few kerbs when parking, but never at high speed.
Are the hairline cracks visible on the photos normal for tyres that have covered only 6,040 miles? Read more
That's just flexing of the treads. If you had cracks in the actual sidewall then you should be concerned.
Hi all,
Following on from a very strange link to my Photobucket I have been reminded that I haven't posted a link here yet, but I've just bought myself some new wheels, Mondeo ST TDCi. I have to say that it's very strange to finally own the most commonly recommended car on the forum, but certainly not a bad thing!
First impressions are that she has bags and bags of power, is very quick and has loads of torque. She certainly feels quicker than my older V6. However, she is no where near as smooth and I feel like I'm stirring a pudding mix with all the gear changes that I have to make!
Features wise she doesn't have much more than my last Mondeo, I think the only extras are a much better Sony sound system and auto lights/wipers. The other fairl major factor is that the heated seats work much more effectively, they heat more quickly and get hotter, I never thought that this would be a benefit but it makes the car far more comfortable!
Economy so far has been highly disappointing (about 30mpg), however, I topped up the tyres tonight and one of them was down to 17psi (instead of 40!) so I suspect that this has had an effect, I also have a new MAF sensor ready to be fitted and will be cleaning the EGR and Inlet Manifolds next week to ensure that she runs more efficiently. I really hope that the tyre isn't a puncture but I suspect that it will turn out to be so! Worst case scenario and I have bought a car with knackered injectors, but time will tell!
Here she is in all her glory anyway:-
i191.photobucket.com/albums/z251/blueoval1984/DSC0...g
i191.photobucket.com/albums/z251/blueoval1984/DSC0...g
Economical or not, I'm still over the moon with her :-)
Read more
Thanks for that, Blue.
I guess one has to balance the higher price for tax, insurance, and fuel for the ST220 against the bigger risk (I suspect) of big bills with the ST TDCi.
I just love the thought of the overtaking muscle in the latter, but the thought of a misfueled car, potential big bills, etc. scares me.
Hello,
I have recently bought a used Nissan Almera Activ 1.5. On the first day itself I realised that it had two problems: (1) There was a grinding noise from the engine - something similar to one when driving down the slope in a smaller gear (2) the gear stick moved during accelaration and deceleration.
I immediately went back to the dealer but he refused to do anything about it unless I paid him to fix the problem (he says that I had taken the car in 'as is' condition). I agreed to pay pounds250.00 for this and left the car with him for 2 weeks.
I just got the car back today and the total bill was pounds290.00. The mechanic has changed the gear bearings and problem 1 has disappeared. Though 2 problem has now worsned in the sense that not only does the gear stick moves on accelaration and deceleration but it is now so loose that it is difficult to even know if it is in gear and shifts to neutral gear when the car is in motion and goes over a bump.
I spoke to the dealer and he said he will call me back, but still hasnt! :(. Can anyone please let me know as what kind of expense am I looking at to fix this problem?
I have bought the car for pounds1700.00 and already spent pounds290.00 on it.
Thanks in advance Read more
i was cleaning the hoses out under the plastic scuttle panel and broke one of the tee pieces on the jet, was wondering how to remove them Read more
Wandering around today I came across a bloke working on his car.I could hear a noise which made me think he was doing something underneath with an angle grinder,but as I got closer I could see he had nothing more than a file in his hands.What he had done was taken the wheels off his car and put it on axle stands,although not necessarily in that order,started the engine,put it in gear and knelt with his head in the wheelarch whilst holding the file to the disc.I wonder if he returned his discs to 'as new'condition,so he has the opportunity to wonder why they sheared at the hub,or has he now got a massive headache from the pink fluffy dice (technical term) file stuck in it .
Maybe related to this guy.
i49.photobucket.com/albums/f299/sierraman/NoHoist....g
{link corrected. DD} Read more
OK
I cheated.
I used axle stands, chocked the rear wheels etcetc
And used an angle grinder, a file is
(i) too risky
(ii) harder work
To clean up discs before now
Today you can see for miles, many cars still are still lit up like Blackpool, or mabe they are Christmas lights. Read more
I always understood a single offset rear fog lamp was the preferred option.
Approaching from the rear in fog, this gives a distinctive 'two dim and one offset brighter' red light pattern, identification then possibly helped by an illuminated rear number plate.
Rear fogs must be the most over-used lamp on the car, exceeded only by front 'under the bumper' spots.
Often on the way to work I will get my usual first glimpse of Durham Cathedral from just under two miles away while the car in front of me has its rear fog light on.
If I can see a grey unlit building, albeit a large one, on the horizon, visibility cannot be that bad, can it?
I like to know why demisters start to lose their effectiveness after a few years. How does the element deteriorate? Does it change its composition over time carbon build up or something? I've never had a car over ten years old where the demister worked properly, which is irritating as rear windows with demisters are expensive to replace, something I wouldn't do anyway. But it is such an inconvenience, even if you stop to wipe they can mist up again before it has warmed up the windscreen enough. Grrr! Read more
Yes clear glass does appear either side of the strips but the clearing
spreads very slowly and that is my gripe.
I knew what you meant in the OP and it's certainly something I've experienced in the past too, with cars bareable to clear mistyness, never mind condensation.
Don't know why it happens - perhaps there's a slightly high resistance conection somewhere (most likely at one or both sides of the screen) which is preventing the full voltage from being applied across the screen.
Maybe you could measure it if the connections are accessible - should be 13.2V with the engine running.
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Phone the Police???