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• More third-world fun ... 21 May 2003 (Forum)
  It was discovered after a schoolboy was injured during a rugby match and there were no ambulances to take him to hospital. A member of the school?s governing body spotted the ambulances outside a hospital where about eight people with luggage, one carrying firewood, got out of one of the vehicles. The passengers did not respond when asked if they were all patients.
• Oil filters 10 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  When I mentioned this tapping to the VW garage, they said that it is probably one or more of the hydraulic valves not holding its pressure, not an uncommon problem on higher mileage VW\'s apparently. I was due to book it in for some new valves and the garage spotted the non-VW filter and suggested I change it. Well I did and the tapping has gone away. I think there are two interesting outcomes from this story: Firstly I have a very honest local garage.
• Premature belt failure 4 Apr 2003 (Forum)
  Is anyone aware of common cases of belt failure on Audi 2.4 V6's? I have a 4 year old 54k model A6 which started with a knocking noise at idle. Ran it to a local independent garage today who advised I leave it there and not drive any further so they can check it out - suspected timing belt problems.
• Romantic names from the past 24 Mar 2003 (Forum)
  On the other hand some names are so offputting I wonder anybody ever buys the car : Robin Fiesta (sounds like a contraceptive) De Dion rear axle (something on the London to Brighton run?) Gunk (clever name for a down to earth product) Ka Remember J Bonnington-Jagworth?s Boggs Super Oaf? Does anybody else notice names like this?
• Fiat Sicilian factory and sell off 8 Jan 2003 (Forum)
  Not totally sure how that is defined as of course none of today's cars were actually being made in the 1970's, but shows how desperate the company is. Market share in Italy has dropped to 30% in a country where people traditionally buy locally built vehicles. Question: Does the Backroom think FIAT can survive?
• Volvo 360 GLE MOT problem 5 Jan 2003 (Forum)
  Anybody have any idea of how much it'll cost to have new sills put on and if they know anybody in the Glasgow area who is good and cheap. Thanks for your help Andy Sorry, I forgot to say that the n/s jacking point has collapsed slightly as well, and that worried the MOT tester as well as a cracked number plate and the wrong bulbs in the back lights
• andrew moorey & mondeo pinking 28 Dec 2002 (Forum)
  have searched the old backroom to your thread about mondeo pinking as I am stuck with the following- 95 1.8 zetec mondeo, pinks really bad during hot weather, but only after the 1st intial start up & run, the next run(s) after engine is up to temp allways produces terrible pinking unless you use minimal throttle opening. during cooler weather & at night no pinking. have replaced the engine coolant sensor, checked the grey "fusible diode" (ford parts description!)
• Help needed re: accident damage 24 Nov 2002 (Forum)
  I realise the police have `proper crime` to fight but I am utterely annoyed by this. Does anyone know if I can take this any further? I felt kinda bumped off by the police`s attitude to this.
• Diesel wins! 27 Sep 2002 (Forum)
  It says here in the local paper (so it must be true): "> Motor sport history was made at the recent Thruxton circuit in Hampshire with the first-ever British race victory by a diesel car, in the shape of the Golf TDi ..... ....Michael Neuhoff and his Golf TDi drove their way into the record books, beating a host of petrol-powered machinery in the Volkswagen Racing Cup not once, but twice ........ qualified in pole ....... battled all the way to the chequered flag in the first of the day*s races, beating a 2.8 litre V6 petrol Beetle RSi by a half second margin. In race two the diesel domination was absolute ....... 14 second victory.... "The Golf TDi seems to thrive on fast circuits" said Neuhoff. <" A Caddy TDi Racer was also entered, DNF race one but "> a creditable 16th in race two<" ">Volkwagen Racing successfully boosted the standard 90bhp TDi, engine to an impressive 200bhp ... max torque 264 ft lbs .... variable turbine geometry, larger injectors, pump and intercooler.
• Stuck Xantia rear door + an MOT? 25 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  Hello to all, The deadlock on my n/s rear door appears to be stuck on as under no circumstances will it open (following a period of sometimes working, sometimes not). Have managed to get the interior trim off, which wasn't the easiest of jobs and at the expense of a few trim clips :-( but having previously assumed a separate solenoid would operate the deadlock (so I would be able to disengage it), it seems the lock is an all in one affair.
• Demon OAP drivers 11 Mar 2002 (Forum)
  I took the right-hand lane as usual (normally the quickest) half way round the roundabout i became aware of a car going very quick round the outside of me to my surprise a little old dear (80's) peering THRU the steering wheel of her Proton.She actually beat me onto the exit road !. Very embarrasing, i had a good look in my mirrors to check no one from work saw this.I followed her for about 2 miles she overtook everything in her path.
• Look Back in Anger? 8 Jan 2002 (Forum)
  As I read this Motoring forum I come to the inescapable conclusion that John Osborne?s Angry Young Men of the 1950s have become the angry ?Silver Surfers? of the 21st Century. Thread after thread is hijacked as a vehicle to attack the fabric of this country ? Police, Politicians, Judiciary the Monarchy and the military are all seen as targets.
• Easy - question for beginners 12 Dec 2001 (Forum)
  Any rookie who, in the opinion of one of our many experts, answers correctly, will be promoted - at least in my reading of his or her future posts - to the rank of 'one to be taken notice of', Thanks and best wishes to all; Colin S
• Buying a 2nd hand car from a main dealer 23 Oct 2001 (Forum)
  Parkers suggests a price for an A1 condition car of 3£870 (having corrected for the mileage) - a whopping £1930 difference. The other car we saw was a 1998 S Escort Ghia with 20,000 at £6,500. This one ain't in the guidebook (it stops at 1997 P) but I cannot believe the price. We have also seen a VW Polo at a VW dealer where the difference between the garage and Parkers prices is only £400 Is the Ford dealer vastly over-pricing these cars or are the guide books not to be trusted?.
• Ford Ka - rusty spark plugs 9 Apr 2001 (Forum)
  Hi everyone My fiancee and I both have S reg Ford Ka's. I recently took them both for a service (non-Ford garages) and in both cases the mechanics had extreme difficulty in removing the spark plugs. They both (two different garages) explained that there is a design fault on the Ka that means that water that gets under the hood corrodes the spark plugs.
• Fuel level gauges 19 Dec 2000 (Forum)
  I also read that the fuel tank is also meant to be of around a 50L capacity (well, at least the old S-Reg Clio brochure stated that!), but I have never managed to fill more than 37L, even when the red warning light is on! Surely it is important to have a gage which accurately show the correct amount of fuel left in the tank for safety reasons?
• Cheaper than cycling - Recommended to Merc owner 27 Apr 2013 (Forum)
  I assume he’s about to moan that I didn’t leave much room for him to get past and get ready to tell him to s*** off. ‘Have you just bought this?’ he says excitedly. ‘What’s it like?’ I tell him it’s fine. Then someone comes up behind and hoots before I can start ranting about central locking.
• Poor service from motoring organisation 22 Nov 2005 (Forum)
  The following event happened last night and I felt other Back Roomer?s should know about it and comment about the service. All references to the motoring organisation concerned have been omitted under the naming and shaming policy. Last night my wife?s car broke down on a rural section of a main A road.
• 
  Why is my DSG jerky? 8 Aug 2025 (Ask HJ)
  I have inherited a 2018 VW Polo with the 1.0 Turbo engine and DSG transmission. It's great in many ways, but is strangely jerky setting off from rest sometimes....
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  Should older drivers be tested for reactions as well as eyesight? 5 Jun 2025 (Ask HJ)
  While I fully agree with over 70's having eye tests, at 82 I have had a two yearly one for over 20 years and have 18/20 vision, without glasses. I believe...