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• Kevin's car park guide 21 Dec 2005 (Forum)
  The technology does not yet exist to fit parking brakes to trolleys, so they slowly drift across the car park when left unattended. (Am I allowed to name and shame? Or should I say "a leading supermarket chain" in "a dreary west Wales town"? Don't really see the harm but removed the name anyway as it also adds no value... smokie, BR Moderator )
• Motorists paranoid? 14 Apr 2005 (Forum)
  I read yesterday however that a bill intended to deal with the miscreations of foreign drivers in the UK had run out of time and, to cap it all, a leading car magazine has demonstrated how drivers of foreign registered vehicles are effectively above the law in many respects, there being virtually no enforcement action pursued by the authorities here.
• Police Motorcyclists 11 Apr 2005 (Forum)
  Had a "Ride To Arrive" check ride today 1 PC Motorcyclist to 2 riders and it certainly improved my knowledge. In the saddle for 3 1/2 hours with alternate stints leading, was it useful? Yes, was I getting as far left on the road prior to RH bends as the PC? Did I learn anything? Lots. However, one thing that struck me was the speed that these boys are capable of going around corners in this case on a ST1100.
• ZX Diesel wont start after servicing 1 Feb 2005 (Forum)
  clock and the bleed valve is at 6 o'clock this thing is at 9 o'clock) after mistaking it for the bleed valve (my first service with the car). I cant find reference to it in the Haynes manual but fear that somehow this fiddling as lead to air getting in the system ? anyone know wheat this thing is? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Tim
• Astra - diesel pump interchangeability. 21 Dec 2004 (Forum)
  I'm replacing the fuel pump too (as this has broken) and want to know if I can get away with using a replacement engine with a fuel pump that has a slightly different code to the original one? Will the electronic / power leads for the original pump match up with those for the replacement? If not, is there a way round this problem? The original fuel pump; Bosch 04570504003 Replacement fuel pump; Bosch 04570504004 Your help appreciated.
• Golf 2 thermostat? 17 Dec 2004 (Forum)
  The car occasionally overheats causing the water to boil over out of the expansion tank, causing the low pressure light to come on.. like i said it is an intermittant problem, which leads me to the thermostat.. however i dont want to take it out, test it and put back in all to have to do it all over again, once i have the replacement if its def the cause, i can save some work and time?
• Renault Modus Chute Boot 7 Oct 2004 (Forum)
  This way, instead of opening the full boot, you can just simply open this small hatch, throw something in and close again. Even better than renault's split tailgate in my opinion! Are Renault leading the field with this or are they copying someone else?
• Escort 1.3 carb 1991 91AB 5 Jul 2004 (Forum)
  Hi, I wish to check/set the idle/mixture on the Escort and bought a Digital Engine Analyzer to monitor the rpm. Looking at the instructions it seems this can only be used on "conventional engines" as one lead connects to the battery neg and the other to the coil neg. How can I use this, if at all, on the escort. It warns not to be used on engines with electronic ignition systems. I noticed that there is a covered plug,2 terminals, within the loom in the right side of the scuttle.Is this for checking the ignition?
• Corsa 96 1.4 auto probs 28 Jun 2004 (Forum)
  Sister in law bought this corsa some weeks ago apparently it jumps in drive from 1st to 3rd.if you change gear normaly ie 1st/2nd/3rd it works fine.If you drive in drive mode as above it wont clear even after several engine shutdowns.She has been told it is down to type of plugs installed...these have been replaced by VX but has now been told plug leads (ahem) are the prob.Now I dont know the autos on this car but doubt it is what she has been told.any suggestions.and thanks for any help
• Mondeo brake drums 4 Apr 2004 (Forum)
  I'm sure all will become clear when I get a drum off, but at present the only apparent solution involves the lead mallet, which I am reluctant to use. The handbrake is off, have I missed something? Thanks all.
• Mondeo Zetec / Alloy Wheels 16 Jan 2004 (Forum)
  Every week the pressures would drop around 5-8 psi per wheel,thought I had better get it checked and took it to local tyre fitters.As soon as they clocked that it was a Mondeo they said, there all like that if they have got alloys,"you need the metal valves replced with rubber." The reason being that the original ones start to rust which leads the air to escape. The car in question is a mk2 1999 year. The cost to do the job £24.
• GM Oxygen Sensor - Failed again 8 Nov 2003 (Forum)
  Fault code is 13 ('oxygen sensor open circuit'). I've done more than 10000 miles in that time. Does anyone know if other factors can lead to early failure of the Lambda Sensor, or is it just a poor quality part (genuine GM - £115!) I'll try cleaning it first - are there any fluids worth trying. Any comments are most welcome.
• Honest but a little brutal 30 Sep 2002 (Forum)
  Reading HJ's column (actually a double page spread) in the Saturday Telegraph is one of the highlights of my weekend (I lead a quiet life now I'm older). His advice is always informed and relevant but my real joy is when he pricks motorists egos. Classic example from last weekend. Some guy was moaning about something to do with his Saab (forget what) and concluded with the line 'should this happen on a £25,000 executive saloon?'
• Speedo digits ......... 15 Sep 2002 (Forum)
  I looked at a car today which read 43333 - with the 3's all perfectly lined up but slightly below the 4. In taking it for a 12 mile test drive the resultant number had the 3345 all slightly below the leading 4! I checked the service history and the car had been serviced @ 39204 miles - so the displayed milage was probably genuine. It is less than 3 years old, so no MOT's to veryify it. Is this anything to worry about?
• Scorpio Cold Starting 19 Sep 2001 (Forum)
  As a complete non mechanic perhaps you could advise on the following:- Last winter my scorpio 2.9 12v would start without a problem but then stall immediately if i didnt keep the revs up and generally act as if the leads were faulty until it warmed up. Then no problem. My local Ford dealer to his credit, refused to take the car in and said change the oil to 5w/40 ( i believe). Would that make sense to you as i didnt get round to it last winter but am about to get the oil changed and it has run perfectly all summer.
• Nissan Juke - Is melting classed as a fire 17 Mar 2025 (Forum)
  Tried to jump it and nothing either. My garage has found that the main fuse had blown and the wiring leading off it had melted and fused together. The garage has said that it is a "catastrophic electrical failure", and it is likely going to cost the value of the car to repair. We have comprehensive insurance - does the melting and subsequent short class as a fire?
• The future of personal car ownership 12 Jan 2022 (Forum)
  But once bought and insured there is an incentive to use the car more rather than opt for travel by bus or train. Maybe the governments love affair with EVs will lead to a future of shared ownership of electric cars charged at the home of the intended user? 
• Old;mechanical lock only - Key wont go in door lock 12 Feb 2018 (Forum)
  and a blast with compressed air next. I see graphite sprays recommended, but I dunno if I can get them here, though I can get pencil lead. After that I suppose I MIGHT try to take it apart, but I'm not very keen. One consolation is its fairly low risk leaving it unlocked here even with stuff inside it, and I should make a sun cover anyway..
• Any - NCAP 30 Sep 2017 (Forum)
  Do we not bother because the majority of cars are safe nowadays, and there's little to be gained by making comparisons? Or is it the forum's opinion that, as suggested elsewhere, "you can lead a car-buying horse to water, but if its already decided to drink from a muddy puddle there's little point in going into too much detail about the cleanliness of the stream."
• Parking outside my house 25 Apr 2017 (Forum)
  Quick question just looking for other people's thoughts on this really, My house in an end of terrace house with a piece of pavement on the side which is big enough for 2 cars to park fully, when I purchased the property the person I purchased it from wrote down that there was parking to the front to the side and the garage but the pavement is not actually down on the deeds just looking into things i wondered if anyone knew whether this pavement would be purchasable from the council as it only leads to my gate and only I need access there it also has no services in according to documents I've looked through, Any thoughts or feedback would be really appreciated, Thankyou