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• Astra Hot / Burning Smell 27 Aug 2002 (Forum)
  Over the last week I have noticed a hot (Almost burning)smell when I park the car after a fast run.Similar to the smell when a new exhaust first gets hot. I have checked the brakes are not binding, the car has just passed its emissions test with flying colours as part of the MOT test. There are no visible oil leaks. I suspect the clutch (I think it is the original) but I cannot detect any slipping in normal driving.
• Reclaiming Contaminated Friction Linings 20 Aug 2002 (Forum)
  Before you throw your arms up in horror, the car is 73 years old, covers about 250 miles per year, has a top-speed of 35 mph and was braking pretty well before the discovery anyway. I'm sure I read somewhere that it is possible to boil a shoe in water to remove the oil/grease, and that this wasn't uncommon practice years ago as the leather/felt hub-seal were not completely reliable.
• Motorway Driving 10 Nov 2001 (Forum)
  I can't find it in search but I seem to remember he got flak about his comment. I find that in a normal driving conditions you can see the brake lights coming on way ahead and you have prior warning of traffic slowing. When stuck behind a van you react only to his slowing down. Given that one of the best pieces of legislation in recent years was to ban HGVs from the outside lane, shouldn't the Government consider extending this to Vans, People Carriers and Range Rover type vehicles?
• Golf: good game? 7 Nov 2001 (Forum)
  Madame has been driving around in the spare company Golf after I inadvertently trashed a brake caliper on the AX. She has taken a shine to it, especially as the AX is a walk to the pub away from 100K miles, and wants me to buy one of the other Golfs off the leasing company when their time is up (shortly).
• Daewoo Nexia 10 Oct 2001 (Forum)
  Being a "better the devil you know" sort of chap, I've recommended that she keep it, form a relationship with a friendly local garage and run it for another 3-4 years. I've read the car-by-car stuff about changing the brake fluid. Any comments from the Back Room?
• ?Fuel starvation on BMW 5 Series 8 Oct 2001 (Forum)
  Anyone know of any common problems which would cause fuel starvation on a 1996 520i SE Touring? Yesterday I drove the car about 10 feet and jacked it up to check the front tyre and brake wear. Then it wouldn't start, misfires with occasional bouts of running on all cylinders for a second or two. Have taken out and cleaned all six plugs, all looked OK, so seems like a fuel system problem.
• Steering wheel locks 1 Oct 2001 (Forum)
  Taking all the previous caveats as read (don't leave keys where a thief can get them etc), what experience have others had with these? Any injuries/accidents caused by one shooting out from under the seat following sudden braking?
• Mercedes spare wheels 10 May 2001 (Forum)
  Again in last Saturday's Telegraph, someone in the letters column damaged his brakes because Mercedes, to their eternal shame, have supplied a steel spare that is thinner than the alloys, so that unless you use the shorter bolts supplied, they hit the caliper causing expensive damage.
• Vauxhall Astra - Who's at fault? 4 Aug 2023 (Forum)
  About 30 seconds later, whilst now in the right lane and going around a slight bend, I suddenly see debris in the road and start to brake. As I get closer I then see that there is a car stopped in the right lane and a coach stopped in the middle lane, I continue to brake harder but due to the wet weather conditions, debris in the road and the sudden stop (no hazards from either), I crash in to the back of the car in the right lane at, what I would estimate, about 20-30mph.
• Garage negligence 22 Mar 2022 (Forum)
    This is how I have complained afterwards by email: (yesterday)  the work done was not what I asked for, which was (my words, booked by phone and on a sheet of paper handed to reception) :   -  oil and filter change, 10/40 please -  brake fluid change -  MoT test   My car seems to have been given a medium service, plus a MoT test – according to your invoice :   -  oil, air, fuel and pollen filters -  ‘full service’ -  CV boot kit, to pass the MoT test   The brake fluid, which was due to be changed, was not done.
• carburetted engines. MAYBE coked DI - DOT 3 Carb Cleaner 8 Apr 2016 (Forum)
  (e) Free (if you use used fluid) and almost free if you use unused fluid since it has a limited storage life once opened. (This assumes you change your own brake fluid) Doesn't repel mosquitos though frown. I suppose not many people have carbs on cars anymore so it isn't of much contemporary relevance ("Delayed Developments : Solving Yesterdays Problems, Today") except maybe for motorcycles.
• Automatics - Elderly drivers + automatic = crash? 26 Feb 2016 (Forum)
  Having read HJ views on driving automatics with left foot braking to maintain full control of the vehicle, I wondered how many of the recent headline stories of out of control cars may be caused by 'pedal confusion’.  I found that all these well reported cases all involved automatics and all driven by 80+ year olds as it happens.
• Any - Choice and options 22 Jan 2016 (Forum)
   The salesman says I'd get used to this I-Cockpit, but I don't want a car that I have to get used to.  Similarly, some cars that I fancy have electric parking brakes, which I also don't want, but I couldn't get a normal brake, unless in some cases I chose a lesser specification.  Other desirable features are available only as part of a bigger package that contains things I wouldn't find attractive.
• Ford mondeo estate mk3 (EURO 4) - New parking sensors for front and rear 31 Jan 2011 (Forum)
  Where a red wire to reverse light wire colour? Where a yellow wire to brake light wire colour? And How do a display wire throught in vent or side windscreen to control box in rear boot? I can know still drill front and rear bumpers easy but a front bit difficult over 4 sensor for front put front bumper through under engine to power ass steering to interior to a control box.
• Peugeot 307 1.6 Sport (Petrol) - Peugeot 307 Noises 18 Oct 2010 (Forum)
  Braking does not interrupt it, so it is not related to that, but the noise is cyclical, like it is something in the caliper or it could be a vibration, and so I though, is it the spring... This is where I need your help, not to fix it, but how to diagnose whats wrong.
• Vauxhall Astra Sporthatch 1.6 easytronic, 57/2008 - Vehicle condition buying advice needed 20 Mar 2010 (Forum)
  That there is also some corrosion to the exhaust (but doesn't stipulate where and how much) and indicates on the report as having ‘limited life’. Also noted is that the car’s brake discs have become surface corroded due to inactivity. Other than that everything reads well Checking online guides the price seems ok using independent dealer prices but I was expecting a car in superb condition to be a bit better than this and also nothing to indicate whether this type of damage, etc, especially in regard to the paint chipping and corrosion to the exhaust and brake discs, is acceptable.
• Peugeot 306 (1993 - 2001) - 97 1.9 TD Ignition / Tickover Problem 8 Jul 2009 (Forum)
  The problem only occurs when the engine is warmed up. It is becoming a serious problem for me as i am finding myself left foot braking as I come up to a junction slipping it into neutral coasting untill I get down to a speed i can slip it into 1st gear whack the clutch in pull the hand brake on and hold the rev's so the engine doesn't cut out on me and hold all the traffic up while I take ages to start the engine up.
• Land Rover Experience day 12 Feb 2009 (Forum)
  Well what can one say. this is the car clarkson drove up the mountain in scotland. you can see how it did it. It has full automatic traction control (using abs to brake individual spinning wheels with no grip) fully automatic front, centre and rear diff locks, fully automatic hill descent, auto gearbox (locked in low range). This all comes with a vdu display of the drive train showing which wheels are driving, braking or free wheeling, which diffs are locking or unlocking, even which way the fron wheels are pointing.
• Is 200 miles enough to get to know the faults? 19 Nov 2008 (Forum)
  No noise from the suspension strusts Four good tyres 66k showing on the clock, the alst MOTs state the car has done 2000 miles a year so this is probably genuine. Bad bits:- Plugs slightly rusty though I think a bit of WD40/vinigar will sort this out. Brakes a little noisy (pads) Arch brake pipes will need doing. I think from the sound the bushes on the rear roll bar will eventually need doing. Drivers door does not open from outside Sometimes makes a buzzing noise coming from a pump.
• Did you know... 18 May 2006 (Forum)
  * In 1980, Saab introduced Automatic Performance Control (APC). * In 1983 they introduced the 16-valve turbocharged engine and introduced asbestos-free brake pads. * In 1985 SAAB pioneered direct ignition, which eliminates the distributor and spark plug wires. * In 1986, the Saab 9000 became the first front-wheel drive car to offer ABS. * In 1990, the 'light-pressure turbo was introduced