June 2014
Earlier this evening I followed, actually I couldn't keep up at legal lmits, an HGV (pallet company) driver. He/she was driving up to at least 60 mph in national speed limit areas and well in excess of the 40 mph and 30 mph limit in villages. The rear wheels we throwing up dust from ill judged cornering. This was a driver possessed, quite clearly with a death wish and with zero regard for the safety of others. In one 30 mph limit he was tailgating a car driver.
The one upside was the number of the company he/she worked for was on the rear. BTW, this was a very high vehicle too. This has to be some of the worst HGV driving I have ever seen. Generally, IMO, these drivers are some of the best on our roads. Read more
Would really value forums views on my next motor. l presently have a trusty Seat Alhambra 1.9 PD 2001, with nearly 250K on the clock. Has been reliable & trustworthy, though in the next year or so l'll be looking to change.
l don't really want another people carrier, don't really need one; and l didn't really want an estate (as we have 2 dogs) l really like the Jeep Patriot, though l have heard that parts are very expensive. The only estate that l like & would consider; is the Octavia vRS.... Read more
Best to have a good think about what you need the car to do from day to day, rather than just opt on a whim for say a VRS. Do you live half way up a mountain or miles off road, in which case a 4x4 might be useful, although there are far better choices than a Patriot. A VRS is a lovely car, but at its best on well surfaced empty A roads, where it can be driven to its potential by a sporty driver. As ROb says, the low profiles and stiffened suspension will not give the most comfy ride compared to other estates in that range, i have a 1.9 tdi Octavia estate on 15" rims and higher profile tyres, which are cheap and comfortable. The car does the job for me just fine and is never lacking in grip or performance. You can still pick up the old tech 1.9tdi estates which never had a DPF fitted for very sensible money by the way.
i have a 2 litre van 2000 year. diesel
very hard to start and cuts out when running ( actually moving) had to a garage today and they said it is an electrical problem and i need an auto electrician, fuel does come out of injectors. will this be an expensive job, what do you think it is thats wrong Read more
You need a Peuegot Planet diagnostic. That will be the cheapest and most comprehensive check without throwing parts at the problem. That diagnostic equipment can read live data and check current and voltage on cables and components, whereas generic code readers can't.
Is there anyone close to you on this map?...
MOT due next week and I think the coolant thermostat has failed. The car has always taken a long time to warm up but now it only gets half way up the guage unless it sits in traffic just ticking over when it goes up to "normal" at the top of the guage.
If the engine does not get up to normal running temperature will this effect the emissions readings at the MOT? Read more
Thanks folks, your help is much appreciated. I'll get it sorted even though it probably won't affect the MOT.
I have always thought the fines we pay for speeding were pretty much irrelavent, and even at £10k max they still are. (Not that its a small amount) its just i value my licence much more. The reason i dont want to be caught, however daft or unrealistic a limit seems is that i dont want points, and i cant afford to lose my licence. And thats why after 29 years of driving they havent got me (yet). And if/when i do get caught i wont be much over the limit, and what ever the fine is wont seem so bad after all these years. I am sure to get anything like £10K you will need to be doing something very silly indeed
The value that UK employers place on professional engineers has actually steadily diminished since I left school at the age of 18 in 1966. My 'Professional Institution' The IET appears to have made no progress in enhancing the status of its Members since then! I recently retired at state pension age of 65, with only a very modest retirement income based on occupational pensions from four employers plus my state pension after over 47 years of 'prestigious' professional education, training, career development and very productive work for major industries in R&D, ICT and Regulation as a Chartered Engineer (electronics and optical telecommunications). During my career, largely working in the private sector, starting salaries for engineering graduates declined in real terms and my personal 'real' salary progression barely kept up with inflation despite promotional awards taking me through the ranks from Junior Development Engineer to Programme Manager and System Design Authority as a Senior Principle Engineer. Throughout my career, the ratio of my salary at my sustained career peak of over 20 years to the going graduate starting salary barely if ever exceeded about 2 to 1. It would appear that the IET has been less successful in its attempts to 'promote the status of professional engineers' than the trade unions/professional bodies representing GPs, MPs, Tube TRAIN Drivers, Insurance Technicians, Teachers and Accountants etc.
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I am glad that you are satisfied in your work Gordonbennet. It is probably the most important factor in a working life. You made a conscious decision to change from one aspect of transport to another and it has paid off.
Manatee, I think your daughter sounds like she has a wonderful attitude to life. Well qualified but just starting to really learn her discipline. She also really enjoys her job which makes learning and developing easier. Eventually all this will pay off financially as she rises through the workplace. I can speak for construction when it comes to engineers. There is always a percieved shortage of 'good' engineers. Part of the problem is the basics have to be taught to graduates. Maths is not so vital as structures come to site designed and ready to be built (well nearly all). My previous MD would not allow certain people, graduates or not, to write a letter or a report for a client because the standard of written English was so poor. They write as they speak or text. Not good. We could teach them about construction, but re-educating their English was another matter. Cheers to all. Concrete
Hi
I have a citroen c4 2.0 16v. 2005
I had a problem with a esp light coming on dashboard
I called a auto electrician said it would be the module
He changed this then drove it down the road below 40 mpg
Said that's it fixed
I went out in it the next day after 5 mins the engine stopped I struggled to restart it
I took an hour to go 1 mile to home
I have changed the module no better
I changed the coil pack no better
I have changed the cam sensor it now fires but sounds like its on three cylinders
Any advise
Thanks
John Read more
Hi,
A loose drain cover on a council owned road has just caused damage to my tyre and my alloy wheel. I wasn't speeding, it was a 30mph road and I was doing the speed limit. As I am a bit precious about my car I am always careful to look at the road ahead in order to avoid the usual pot holes. However, what you can't account for is a loose drain that doesn't look loose from afar. As I went over the drain (no choice due to where it's positioned in the road), it flipped and has damaged both the tyre and the alloy wheel.
Am I able to claim from the council and if so, what is the best way to go about it? It's not only the damage it's caused it's the danger to road users, especially motorcyclists.
I'm not looking for a huge compensation payout, just the cost to repair the alloy and repair/replace the tyre.
Thanks in advance. Read more
You'll need to show negligence by whichever authority the cover comes under - for instance in the case of vandalism or theft which has just happened, the authority can't be expected to repair/replace the cover instantly but can be expected to do so within a reasionable time.
So you'll need evidence of how long the cover had been loose.
Ford fiesta
Radio code ?
Model no. M148801
Can anyone help please. Read more
1941
Can any one advise on changing the gear oil in my astra, I have had trouble with the gears sticking and locking in 4th gear , we emptied the oil from underneath yesterday and it looked really bad, we think it has been contaminated by the coolant, which was a problem with these models. the oil was orangy brown so i guessed it hadnt been changed for quite some years as i bought it second hand.
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As above.
It is possible to drain and refill the system simultaneously, one bucket of clean fluid piped in, one bucket to collect the old piped out, its usually done with the engine running via the inlet and outlet transmission pipes where the enter and exit the bottom of the radiator....
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You have my respect and good wishes, Wacky. If only your approach was universally followed!