Conference terri::cars_uk

    Two of us had a test drive in the new Mazda 323F t'other day. Whilst it
    was mine turn in the passenger seat I started playing with the sound
    system. One of the buttons on the radio/cassette had the logo SAM on
    it. Having pressed it on/off several times I gave up and made a note to
    ask the guy back at the dealership what it were for. I forgot.
    
    Does any one have any idea ??. Is it a Mazda gizmo ??, is it a generic
    type button that does/will appear on all new sound systems ??, if so
    what does it do ??
    
    Ta for any explanation.
    
    Rich
    

    
    Yes, there's one on my 626GT. Never used it in 3 years - must find
    out what is does..................tried it once, marked lack of
    impact. Wonder what it cost me?

    Just a guess, _S_tereo _AM_? Could be it didn't do anything because the
    station wasn't broadcasting in stereo.
    					John Gillings, Sydney CSC
                               

    We had something similar on our Cavalier, It was for the German market,
    where, the radio would interupt anything that you were tuned
    into/playing, with occasional traffic news flashes, supposed to be
    quite usefull, if you are German that is!
    
    Thats only a guess, as I can't remember what the button was called on
    ours.
    
    Carl.
    

    
    (S)urface to (A)ir (M)issile
    
    
    ;-)

    
        Re. 83
>        .... I can't remember what the button was called on
>	    ours.
              
    
    	"INFO" ?  That's what it said on mine.
    
    Ian

    The radio's in MR2's have the same feature.
    
    Now, in the MR2 , i think it's the 'DX' button.  Only ever used
    it by accident.
    
    Nigel

"DX" means  long distance in radio parlance - ie you should get improved
reception on weak signals from distant stations.  You can get the same effect
by switching to "mono"!!

    SAM/INFO is not the same as DX. DX as .87 said is distance, it
    increases the gain of your receiver, or conversely when off reduces the
    gain if you have a too powerfull local transmitter.
    
    The SAM/INFO is either the road info that some countries broadcast, (if
    set, any of these transmissions overrides the station your lisatening
    to), or else it's the new system where radio stations broadcast
    additional info so the display shows the station ID (e.g. RADIO 3)
    instead of the frequency.
     
    Richard

    I think its called RDS (Radio Data System?) in the UK.
    
    Graham

    My radio has a SAM, and I know what it does, because I read the ****
    manual, but I can't remember what it stands for.
    
    My SAM switches in an alternate set of six FM stations, which can be
    manually tuned, or (more usefully if you're "out of state") if you hold
    the button down a little longer it will scan for, and set, the six
    strongest stations.
    
    Jeff.

    
    Ah, whoops.  A quick look this afternoon reveals the buttons are
    'DK' and 'BK' ( Not 'DX').
    
    Nigel

The boost guage on my RX-7 shows -ve and +ve values, from (I think) -2.5 up to
+45 (in mm Hg *10). During `normal' driving the guage rests on the -2.5 mark.
My inference from that is that until the guage reaches the 0 level that the 
turbo is creating drag rather than any kind of assistance. I'd always assumed
that until boost pressure reached a positive value, that the turbo is not really
in the equation, something like the following diagram:-



Inlet =======\      Some kind of valve that only opens once +ve boost achieved
`valve'       \          |
               \ ========\\======Turbo=====
                \
                ||
           /\   ||
    Fuel   ||   ||
    Flow   ||   ||
                ||
              Fuel Tank


Does anyone know if this is an accurate assumption, or any ideas what really 
happens??

When the boost is showing as a negative reading, does that indicate that the 
charge is being dumped. This usually happens when decellerating (on an audi 200
turbo anyhows).
The boost should show as a positive reading when accelerating tho'.



...Art

    some fact, some conjecture:
    
    Fact, the turbo is always in the pipeline. The air comes through the
    filter, down to the turbo, back up to the intercooler if fitted, thence
    to the inlet manifold. 
    
    Conjecture: does the guage show manifold conditions?. if so then
    vaccuum (-ve) would be normal condition. When you put your foot down,
    the extra flow through the engine winds up the turbo (always spinning 
    but not necessarilly pressurising) which applies a pressure (+ve) to
    the manifold. 
    
    The 'dump' valve is a pressure relief valve to limit the maximum
    pressure applied at the inlet manifold. 
    
    -ve show turbo idling/decellerating.
    
    Richard

    Negative turbo pressure indicates that the engine is running on
    atmospheric pressure, not petrol. ( Or indeed diesel for the smelly
    readers )
    
    Latest developments of this technique will allow drivers to start
    with an empty fuel tank and after only 35 miles (20 if driven hard)
    have full tank. The Min of Transport is putting in place a programme
    to allow motorway service stations to the contents of your fuel
    tank. If you use Visa for the resulting credit you will be liable to 
    give the Credit card company a set of wine glasses evey 4 months.   
                         
   DejW 
                             

    The boost gauge will show the pressure between the turbo and the
    throttle, probably before the intercooler if there is one. It will not
    show manifold pressure, as this is often much lower because of the
    action of the throttle.
    
    You will notice that the gauge gets to maximum before full throttle.
    Opening the throttle further will increase engine power, indicating
    that maximum manifold pressure has not been reached at that point.
    
    The pressure will be negative when the engine is running and sucking in
    air, but not producing enough exhaust gas to drive the turbo much. This
    drop in pressure is mainly due to the air filter, but some of it may be
    due to the turbo and air ducts. The drop in pressure will be greatest
    at high engine revs, as the engine is sucking in more air than when
    idling (some engines may also shut off fuel when the throttle is closed
    at high revs, resulting in minimal exhaust gas flow). A clogged air
    filter will make the drop in pressure more noticeable.
    
    Andrew

    FWIW, there is an intercooler. I was most interested about whether the
    turbo created drag rather than extra power/boost when running at -ve
    pressures, thereby not aiding the already heavy fuel consumption, (one
    of the road tests got it down to 11 mpg,(we seem to average 20)); but
    thanks everyone for the info.
    Peter

    New question.
    
    If my lease car breaks down whilst abroad (France in this case),
    how are the repairs paid for.  I assume that the Fleetcard isn't
    valid over there.  Does this mean I have to pay myself and then
    claim the costs back on expenses ?  Has anyone gone through this?
    
    Trev

    1. Ask Fleet management
   
    2. When I needed a garage in France I paid for it on Visa and claimed
    on Empl Expenses. Pas de problem !
    
    DejW

    Has anyone got any bright ideas on how to stop wipers smearing the
    windscreen?  I've cleaned my wipers, and the windscreen, every way that
    I can, yet as soon as I start using them, there is a smear that
    appears in one particular place.  Its driving me up the wall!
    
    
    Mikef

I suggest that you try some new wiper blades.

jb

If its a greasy patch on the glass, try plain vinegar - it often works.

Jc

    RE:  .99
    
    1. I didn't want to bother Car Fleet if I could get an answer an
    easier way.
       
    2. Just as I thought, but it is nice to know that it has been done.
    
    Thanks for the reply,
    Trev

    
    Car Fleet are always very helpfull over the phone and don't mind
    answering a myriad of "silly questions" :-)
    
    By the way....I have just got 2 car quotes through in under a week !!!!!
    
    I wonder if the order will go through as quickly ?  :-)

    2 quotes - submitted and answred in a week?????  Nah...you must be
    imagining things!!
    
    Mikef

    I got my two quotes back in 11 days (16th - 27th)
    
    		Wayne

    
    yep put them in the internal post on friday March 16th (evening), they
    would have been picked up mid-monday, got to Millenium Tuesday...
    
    The quote was in VTX dated 26th March  delivery 1st May...
    
    you can see them for yourself if you want they are Vauxhall Nova 1.4
    and Vauxhall Nova GTEi
    
    not bad prices either :-)

     I have a pair of Morris Traveller rear doors in my wood shed.
    They have been there a long time (8-10 years) but seem OK.....
    
    Q: Is there a market for them?
       If so, what kind of price should I give them away for?
    
    Ray.

    Here is a small question, and I hope my problem is too......
    
    My MGB's exhaust smokes badly in the following situations:-
    
    Just started in the morning and I pull away in 1st smartly.
    
    After a 25 mile trip on M4, Heavy pinking & smoke as I put foot
    hard down in 2nd/3rd.
    
    
    I don't think it smokes badly as I am Travelling but I cannot really
    tell.
    
    Also she's getting through quite a bit of oil and drops a fair bit
    on the ground when parked.
    
    So what counld my problem be???
    
    A tuneup perhaps??
    
    Kris.

	This is absolutely chraracteristic of a worn engine and 
	particularly of worn valve guides.

	The oil seeps down the guides when parked, hence the smoke
	at startup. On the overrun the vacuum sucks oil down the
	guides hence great puffs at this time.

	Solution - recondition the cylinder head (not so expensive on
	a B) and preferably the whole engine since with this amount of
	wear it could probably do with it.

	-John (who once had one like this)

    John, 
    thanks for the info.  Any idea as to the cost?
    
    Kris.

Guide prices if you do a lot of the work yourself ...

	Rebore - #15 per cylinder
	Piston set - #100
	Replace valve guides - #10 each
	Recut valve seats - #5 each	(Add LOTS to insert hardened seats
					 for unleaded fuel!)
	Gasket set - #30 approx

While you're at it, how about a new clutch plate and thrust washer at #45.

If you ask someone else to do all the hard work for you - dismantling and
reassembly - you can add about #200 for labour, minimum.

These prices were current as of last summer when I did an A series myself.

brian

	No idea I'm afraid, it's 12 years since I had mine.

	As an aside on MGBs. When this conference started there was
	virtually no interest in these cars. Now there's quite a lot.
	Times are changing.

	-John

    I paid about 450 pounds two years ago for a complete engine 
    recondition for a 'B', including labour.

    From the symptoms given, it could be a problem with the valve
    stem oil seals. The age of the engine was given, but not the
    mileage. Perhaps a complete rebuild is not necessary yet.

    It is probably worth verifying a few other things before 
    considering a rebuild i.e. compression test, oil pressure
    verification (hot/cold), smoke coming from engine breather 
    etc etc.

    These engins are usually good for about 100k between rebuilds.

   Mark

    She's at 93000 so far......

    ...sounds like the time is right for a rebuild. It probably isn't
    worth just reconditioning the head, you may as well do the whole
    engine.

The prices given here seem a bit dear.  Look through Yellow Pages (Garage
Services section) and Thames Valley Auto Trader; loads of places will
recondition an engine at good prices if you don't want to do it yourself.
SJ Tools in Slough (sorry, don't have their number with me) seem a good place,
and competitively priced.

Scott

    Hi,
    
    Who is near Toronto?
    Problem: My MG B GT 1971 needs a new set of covers for the indator & wiper
    stalks. This typical US fitting only is used in Europe for the
    MG B GT V8 type, so I don't expect a lot of spares about in Europe. 
    
    Family is traveling to Toronto, who might bring it to me from there.
    
    Any Canadese help?
    
    Cheers, 
    
    Hans
                            

    
    Hans,
    
    I'm nowhere near Toronto but could look in the parts catalogues that
    I have to try to locate what you need.  Unfortunately, I don't quite
    understand what the parts are that you require.  Reply here or send
    mail and I'll see what I can do.
    
    A couple of weeks ago I purchased a 1972 MGB.  (Now all I have to do
    is get it running!)
    
    Jack Creamer @OPA
    SHALOT::CREAMER
    (Charlotte, NC, USA)
    
    PS - If you don't hear from me right away, don't despair.  I'm leaving
    on holiday tomorrow.  I'll check when I return.

    Hi,
    
    Here's a really small question.
                                                  
    It is possible to pull away from standstill in 2 ways, both of which 
    achieve the same moderate rate of acceleration:
    
    - Push the accelerator pedel over 1/2 way to the floor, but change
      up at around 2500 revs into the next gear.  The engine will have
      turned over much less in a defined distance, but will have worked
      harder.  I don't mean making the poor thing labour and leap about
      under the bonet though!
      
    - Puch the accelerator around 1/4 way down, but allowing the revs
      to go higher into and through the peak torque area.  The engine
      will not be pushed at all hard, but will be turning much faster.  
      This time it will have turned many more times over the same distance.
      Here I don't mean thrashing it, just waiting till around 4000 revs.
        
    For the above 2, which do you think:
        
    o Uses less petrol.                                               
    o Causes less ware to the car (and what does the opposite damage).
                               
    
    I wondered about this because I would have thought the first
    case would cause least wear because there is minimum, less violent 
    movement in the engine.  But have read in this conference that some 
    bearings somwhere (wow, I'm being specific again!) are worn by
    keeping the revs too low in too high a gear.

    I look forward to any discussion.        
    Rob.

    RE:121
    
    Hi Jack, I have found a contact near Toronto: Josh De_Zwart, who
    drives an MG TD.
    
    The part I need is named in my parts catalogue: Cowl.
    This is the cover a hte streering column, which houses the switches
    for the flashers (indicators)/high beam and at the right side: 
    the wiper/washer switch and the optional overdrives switch.
    
    My MG B GT is manufactured Februari 1971 (derived from the U.S.
    spec. ID plate) Serial # GHD5UB239829G.
     
    
    Regards,
    
    Hans

    
    If I sit in my car at lunchtime listening to the cassette, for say half
    an hour, what sort of impact is this going to have on my battery (for
    Fiesta - 1 litre)?  If I do it regularly, what is the log term impact -
    am I going to destroy my battery completely?
    
    Ta
    
    Mikef

    
    The cassette, regardless of what the casing says, runs the risk of
    turning into "The Best of Queen" :-)

.-2 	That sort of load won't have any noticeable effect on the battery.

	But make dure ign is switched to aux and not on otherwise you'll
	have the ignition etc. on too and that could be bad.

	-John

     I know this isn't the diesel topic, but I think it is relevant. For me
     to listen to the radio or cassette in my car, the ignition lights are
     on. I have no auxiliary position. I can only assume that because I have
     no HT circuit (and therefore no coil to burn out) I can do no harm?

    Martin.

    Ta for that, I'll carry on boogie-ing at lunchtime!!
    
    Mikef
    
    Re. 125 - is that a sketch? Believe me, if my tape machine started
    playing Queen - I'd sell the car, and wash myself down with dettol!

>>  <<< Note 223.127 by FERNEY::SMITH "Haute Cuisine - 50 ways to cook Oats!" >>>
>>                    -< Assume make an ASS out of U and ME! >-

>>     I know this isn't the diesel topic, but I think it is relevant. For me
>>     to listen to the radio or cassette in my car, the ignition lights are
>>     on. I have no auxiliary position. I can only assume that because I have
>>     no HT circuit (and therefore no coil to burn out) I can do no harm?
    
    
    That's alway's been my assumption. You will be holding the fuel
    solenoid on, but as it's on 100% of the time the car's driving, and
    unlike the coil, doesn't suffer from overheating, then I see no
    problems.
    
    Richard

    
    Re: .128
    
    No, it's not a sketch, it's a rather funny book that gives a very good
    explanation for the existance and problems of the M25...
    
    :-)

    Although a diesel has no coil, it has "plugs" which help the engine
    to start when the engine is cold.
    These plugs swallow current from the battery and making them hot
    for an elongated period shortens their lifecycle enormously.
    
    I suggest changing the wiring to your cassetteplayer.
    Hint: derive the feeding wire from the cigarettelighter, which normally
    always has power, even when the ignition key is out.

>>             <<< Note 223.131 by HOO78C::DUINHOVEN "Dutch treat" >>>
>>                           -< DIESELS DO HAVE PLUGS >-

>>    Although a diesel has no coil, it has "plugs" which help the engine
>>    to start when the engine is cold.
>>    These plugs swallow current from the battery and making them hot
>>    for an elongated period shortens their lifecycle enormously.
    
    You're wrong to think that this is a continuous drain:the glow-plugs
    are energised by a timer, warning light goes out variable (on abient
    temperature) up to about 7 seconds, glow-plugs de-energised after about
    10 seconds. (This 10 secs happens even if the engine is started
    immediately, as it still helps warm the engine).
    
    [This is true of all the Peugot's and Citroens, can't verify times on
    other's but in general they wouldn't be held on very long, they'd burn
    out!]
    
    So NO you are all right to listen to your radio wired through the
    ignition.
    
    Richard

    Errr...can I ask some more sill questions?
    
    Does anyonr drive into Reading from the West (Newbury/A4) side?  As you
    approach Reading, you go round a roundabout, then tootle along a dual
    carriageway, hit another roundabout, then up to the Motorway Jn by
    Savacentre.
    This second roundabout has 4 enterances  onto it, and until this week
    had arrows on the road denoting left hand lane for turining left, etc
    (clever stuff, eh?).  This week, I noticed that these arrows have been
    'blacked out'.  Anyone any ideas why?
    
    My attitude is that the left hand enterance would still be for turning
    left, the second and third for going straigh across and the fourth for
    making a right.  However, last night, the traffic from the first 3
    enterances were all trying to make for the left hand lane of the road
    opposite.  Not much fun.
    
    Anyone any opinions.
    
    Mikef
    
     
    

    I drive from Newbury to West Reading (Tilehurst) every day, but unless
    I'm driving the Westfield, or it's outside the rush hour, I wouldn't
    use the A4. 
    
    Stay on the north side of the A4 and go through the country lanes round
    Chapel Row, Bradfield and Tidmarsh. The scenery's nicer, and it's much,
    much quicker.
    
    Dick

    Do you mean the roundabout they plonked near the motorway end of the
    Theale bypass?
    
    Note that the rightmost fourth lane (both north and south) has been
    hatched off, as too many people in the lane next to it cut them up
    trying to go across the roundabout in a straight line.
    
    In my view this now makes :
    	rightmost lane turn right/straight-on,
    	centre lane straight-on
    	leftmost lane turn left. ( I suggest not straight on as it's
    approach angle really makes it a slip-road)
    
    However, caution should be taken as this is not carved in stone,
    written in legalese or even expressed in road markings and is thus open
    to interpretation. (all I do know is that you are not supposed to take
    the leftmost lane and then circumnavigate the entire roundabout as once
    happened in front of me!)
    
    Which leads me to....
    coming from Deathpark up to the M4 roundabout you are in two lanes.
    When on the roundabout you shuffle into three lanes, which one should
    go where? In my view, both left and right approaches have the right to
    populate the centre lane, either to go straight over, or to go round
    and enter the motorway slip in the left lane.
    
    Agree/disagree?.
    
    Richard

  <<< Note 223.136 by FERNEY::SMITH "Haute Cuisine - 50 ways to cook Oats!" >>>
                                 -< I.M.H.O. >-
    
    Agreed with all you say,   but which lane from the two lanes antering ,
    goes into the three?. sometimes people in the left entering try to go
    to the middle, forcing those to the right into the
    rightmost-on-the-roundabout, thus forcing them around even if they
    wanted to go on to the a33.
    
    Richard

    People wishing to go straight across the roundabout onto the A33
    Southbound shouldn't really be in the right hand lane as they approach
    the roundabout...
    
    Scott

    I now understand what you meant Richard.

    A33 left-hand lane up to the roundabout: should be used for traffic
    1) turning left towards Shire Hall, 2) M4 eastbound and 3) A33 south-
    bound.

    A33 right-hand lane DEFINATELY for M4 westbound traffic. So far, so good!

    I suppose what follows is the area of discussion:

    Ban the centre lane of roundabouts! ;-)

    Seriously though, left-hand lane of A33 for centre lane of roundabout
    if travelling southbound on the A33.

    Right-hand lane of A33 also for the centre lane, for southbound travel
    on the A33, especially if left-hand lane traffic is heading for the
    eastbound slip road of the M4.

    With the last two paragraphs in mind, DRIVE WITH CARE - READ THE ROAD.

    Martin.

    Ah, but what is "straight across" on a roundabout with five accesses
    like the A33/M4 intersection?

    I did mention that the scenario was for two roads meeting at right-
    angles. Then I deleted it cos I was thinking of the roundabout beyond
    the M4 at Swallowfield; why? I don't know - must be the time of day.

    Mind you, I think the "straight across" scenario works on the Robin
    Hood roundabout @NEW. :-)

    Martin.

    I was taught to regard a roundabouts a bit like the face of a clock.

    If the turn-off is between 6 and 12, then use left hand lane, between
    12 and 6 use right hand lane. For 12, and 12 only, use either lane.

    This is unless otherwise indicated.

  Mark

    So.....
    
    Proceeding south on the A33, one would always use the right hand lane
    for the A33 to Blazingsmoke (it's definitely further round than
    "straight on")!!??

    But what when your proceeding north on the A33 ?
    
    If you want to go to the M4 its fairly clear which lane to choose.
    
    If you want to go towards Shire Hall then I suppose you should choose
    the right lane (and then take the centre lane on the roundabout, as
    indicated by the road markings). If you want to go on the A33 towards
    reading I think you could choose either lane; if you choose the left
    lane then you stay in the left lane on the roundabout, if you choose
    the right lane then take the centre lane on the roundabout (along with
    the people going towards Shire Hall). However many people seemed to
    have other ideas about this and go from the left lane on the A33 to the
    centre lane on the roundabout, pulling straight in front of people from
    the right lane without even looking. (I dont know if this still happens
    as I haven't had the `pleasure' of doing this trip to work for a
    while).
    
    Not to mention the people who take either the left or right lane on the
    roundabout by the traffic lights and then proceed down the road to
    Shire Hall - there's room for two cars to enter the road side by side
    but it rapidly gets narrower. Are the road markings mandatory or are
    they just there for guidance ?
    
    I often felt that there ought to be signs on the A33 northbound
    approach to the M4 telling people which lanes they should be in - it's
    easy enough to change lanes on this section even in the morning peak
    period.
    
    Andrew

    My view has always been that the centre lane may be taken by either of
    the two lanes heading south on the A33 - I've never had any problems
    in that respect.
    
    I also get quietly annoyed when centre-lane people continue right onto
    the M4, instead of continuing down the right-hand lane of the A33.
    This appears to be one of those unwritten laws for that particular
    junction, just like the unwritten law that says you merge exactly one
    for one on the approach to DECpark in the other direction.
    
    Jeff.

Has anybody any idea what the phone number to advertise a car for sale in
the Sunday Times is 


Thanks

Peter

    why don't you ring them and ask...
    
    ho ho ho

    Caught a sign in Reading last night, it said that the Basingstoke Road
    is to be closed between 7pm and 6am (or thereabouts) as from next
    monday.
    
    Anyone any more details?
    
    Hasn't melted has it?
    
    Mikef

    In this hot weather we all drive around with our windows open. I
    have noticed whilst queuing at roundabouts etc that some cars seem
    to have a slightly musical rasp noise at the exhaust pipe instead
    of the normal engine noise.
    
    Is this unusual, am I going mad with prickly heat ?
    
    DejW

    > In this hot weather we all drive around with our windows open.
    
    Yes, and every car I get, I say the next one's going to have
    air-conditioning!
    
    Jeff.

    What's the tune then..???
    
    something  from CARmen perchance..??
    
    :-)

    Re .152
    
    That noise is your petrol pump pumping hot frothy air.

    -John

    No, its not from CARmen,
    
    its.......
    

    SUMPthing's gonna happen to me !
    
    DejW

    HI Again,
       this satuday, I'm off to Crystal Palace (where they have athletics?)
    from Reading.  Has anyone ever travelled there by car?  Should I go by
    train instead?  Looking at the map, it looks like the kind of place
    that will be jammed with traffic on a saturday (I'll be going around
    lunchtime, coming back late - 11/12 ish).
    
    any info anyone?
    
    Ta
    
    Mikef

    Mike,
    
    If you're going there for an Athletics meeting, then forget taking
    the car. The traffic will be awful, and as usual Crystal Palace
    will come to a stop - believe me i know - i live there! Usually
    we avoid the whole place for the day. People park anywhere - i've
    even seen them parked on the main roundabout!, and when you meet a
    bus - aarrgghh. If you want to you can drive close to Palace and 
    catch a bus. Crystal Palace is a main bus terminal so all buses
    will go there. However if you're going there for some other reason,
    then there should be plenty of space. Any little side street always
    has room. Good luck anyway,
    
    Lewis.
    
    PS. So what is going on there. I'm going back this weekend, and
    want to know if i need to avoid it ;-)

    Its a gig, an all day event, with the headliners being The Cure.
    
    So there is no parking at the venue?  I'd kinda imagined a large place,
    sort of NEC ish?  Trouble is, if I travel by train, I'll have to leave
    early, to probably catch a local rattler that takes forever to get into
    London.
    
    Are you absolutely sure I shouldn't go by car?
    
    decisions, decisions
    
    Mikef

    There always used to be regular trains from Reading to London that
    took about half and hour, if you chose the right one.
    
    Jeff.

    ta - -I was more concerned about trains between Crystal Palace and
    London (Victoria?).  And I'm too old to spend my nights asleep on
    Paddington station.  I kinda got fed up of that a long time ago.  I may
    risk using the car, if the worse that can happen is getting stuck in
    traffic?
    
    M

    RE. .158
    
    Mike,
    
    	I was unaware it was an all day event. Who else is playing ?
    
    	Just out of interest, what did you pay for your ticket ?
    
    Woz

    re .161 - apols to mr. Mod - also James, Lush, allabout eve.  Ticket
    cost 17.50.
    
    
    M

    Mike,
    
    (back to the car section of this topic)
    
    If it's the Cure then drive. It wont be that crowded ;-)
    
    Seriously, i doubt the Cure could pull in such a big crowd, so yep
    i'd drive. If you need good directions from London let me know -
    i used to drive it everyday when i was on shift! Or if you need
    directions from the M25. May be a bit rusty now, but still not too
    bad.
                     
    Lewis.
    
    PS. Are they playing at Crystal Palace athletics stadium or the
        Football Stadium. I was aware that most concerts at Palace
        were at the football stadium. They're about 5-10mins drive from
        each other.

    Ta for your reply.  The gig is a sell out.  the venue on the ticket is
    'Crystal Palace Bowl' - whatever that means.  If you could mail me with
    some directions, and handy hints n tips on where to park, etc, I would
    be real gratefull.
    
    BTW _ the Cure are big names these days, last year it was 5 or 6 sell
    out shows at Wembley arena.  Gone are the days of being in an audience
    of 20 for The Cure at JBs in Dudley!!  I prefer the old days, meself,
    but thats another rathole.
    
    Ta Again
    
    Mikef

If only it was a *motor race* meeting at the Crystal Palace...

Anyone else remember them?

    
    Yes - & I still have my entry pass for the last full meeting there ('73?)
    
    Great little circuit. Good fun, tight, not easy to overtake.
    Competitors always friendly.
    
    Castle Combe is nearest current equivalent in atmosphere.	

    
    I've never been to Crystal Palace, but BBC2 once showed a race from
    there in their 100 great sporting moments series.
    
    It was a F3 race with James Hunt and a few other famous names which
    I now forget and was literally thrill-a-half-minute (or less!).
    
    Mark

Drivers I remember seeing racing there included Peter Collins, Roy
Salvadori (Maserati 250Fs), Ian Raby, Jim Russell (Coopers), Tim Schenken
(F3, can't remember which car - Techno?).... 

Wish I'd kept my old programmes.

    There was some talk of having race meetings there again, but the
    locals complained and it was hit on the head.
    
    Maybe it'll come around again one day.
    
    Lewis.

    Does anyone know of a notes conference on Motorbikes in the UK?
    
    If not, Europe or US?
    
    Cheers,
    
    James

    
    The two I know about are both US based, but have a few UK contributers:
    
       STROKR::CYCLES
    
       RAINBO::MOTORCYCLE
    
    
    Elaine
    
    

    Thanks.
    
    J/

    Anyone know if DEC as increased the milage allowance from 8p?  Someone
    I know has been told to claim 12p per mile, and this has been signed
    off.  Anyone know what the score is?
    
    Mikef

                     <<< Note 223.173 by SHAPES::FIDDLERM >>>
    
    Anyone know if DEC as increased the milage allowance from 8p?  Someone
    I know has been told to claim 12p per mile, and this has been signed
    off.  Anyone know what the score is?
    
      
    Was it relocation milage? This is subject to income tax, and therefore
    the company ups the rate so the post-tax value to you is the same (i.e.
    they pay the tax element).
    
    Richard

    RE. last
     Nope...this was a straightforward office trip.  Maybe his manager got
    confused??  Or perhaps there are different regs for EIS people?
    
    Mikef
     

    	
    Re .176
    
    Do you REALLY believe that 'all regulations in Digital apply to all
    people' ? :^)
    
    Mark

To some this maybe a dumb, obvious question but to me it ain't.

It looks like my wifes car has about three small oil leaks coming from the
front of the car i.e. in the area of the sump etc.etc. No big deal.

However yesterday I checked the engine oil level and it was well over i.e.
about 1/2 inch, the maximum mark on the dip-stick. The car hadn't
been run for two days so the oil was well and truly cold. Now with these
leaks that have been noticeable for sometime now I would have thought that the
oil level would be below maximum.

    So I assumed that because of what appears to be the excess of oil
    sloshing around, the oil is
coming out of the rocker cover and maybe a few other places, running down the
side of the engine block and then dripping to the ground, making it look like
a 'normal' oil leak.

Is this a rash or reasonable assumption ??

Thanks in advance for any comments, advice etc. etc.

Rich

    Re -1
    
    Its possible that you have blown a gasket somewhere (causing the leak)
    and water/petrol has got into the sump, thus increasing the level.
    
    Usually when you over-fill an engine with oil, masses of white smoke
    pour out of the exhaust which I'm sure you would have noticed!! 
    
    Either way I suggest you get it seen to ASAP, before the engine seizes.
    
    ..Craig

    re. -1
    
    if you want to know if you've got water in your oil check,
    	o	inside radiator, for low water level, and oily film
    	o	dipstick for 'greyish' oil rather than gold, or black
    	o	inside the oil filler cap for 'greyish' sludge.
    
    Still not sure ? Get you engine compression tested and see if any
    cylinders, or pair, are down on compression.
    
    AMS

    ...> It looks like my wifes car has about three small oil leaks coming 
    ...> from the front of the car i.e. in the area of the sump etc.etc. 
    
    Seen this "teaser" before ( on me dad's old Ital ). The engine wasn't
    at fault but there was a considerable amount of leakage from/around
    the Gearbox. Check the "Gearbox Oil Level" just in case...
    

    
    Re: - a few.
    
    No the oil looks lovely and black, no oil in the water.
    
    I'll put in up on rapms tonight and take a look-see
    
    Rich
    

    It's a Lancia Y10 and it's always been serviced by the garage - we got
    free servicing for three years when we bought it. 
    
    The car is coming up for 4 years old and has done 26,000 miles. 
    Was last serviced, including an oil change, about a year ago - it's
    done close on 5,000 miles since then.
    
    Rich
    

Engine oil and tranny fluid smell very different.  Tranny fluid is not something
you'll enjoy smelling.  I'm sure someone can give you a sample to sniff and
then you should be able to figure out which one is dripping.

Dave

    Could someone explain to me what the car magazines meen when they make
    the following statements.
    1."Torque steer"
    2."oversteer"
    3."understeer"
    
    I have a vague understanding of this but could someone explain these
    terms in simple english.
    thanks
    	steve
    

Torque steer: on front wheel drive cars, the tendency for the power to the
              wheels to try and turn them.   Most noticeable if you have
              wheels with too little inset / too much outset (as appropriate).

Understeer:   tendency for car not to turn as sharply as the direction of the
              front wheels suggest it should.  In extreme cases results in
              front wheel skid and complete loss of steering (ie car keeps
              going in a straight line).  Correct by releasing brakes and
              centralising steering until front wheels grip.

Oversteer:    tendency for car to steer more sharply than direction of front
              wheels suggest it should.  In extreme cases rear wheels skid
              sideways (ie tail flips out).  Correct by steering "into" skid.

NB "Inset" is the amount by which the centre line of the wheel is set in from
the wheel's mounting face.  "Outset" is the obvious opposite.

Scott

    Oversteer Indication: the passenger panics in the bend
    Understeer Indication: the driver panics in the bend
    
    russ

	And I thought that torque-steer was the ability to talk whilst
	negotiating bends...

	The torque steer on my old XR2 was so bad that all you had to
	do to overtake was press the accellerator.  Torque steer took
	you into the overtaking position, just ease off to get back in.
	It's not so viscous in the wife's Cavalier SRi, but still 
	there.  That's one of the reasons I prefer rear wheel drive
	cars.  No torque-steer, just understeer.  Actually, manufacturers
	attempt to set there cars up with a progressively understeering
	suspension, as that is deemed to be easier to live with...

    Can someone tell me the name of the winner of the 1990 RAC Rally
    please?
    
    Thanks, Howard

    
    Pentti Arikkilla (sp?) in a Mitsubishi Galant VR-4
    
    Mark 

    re 223.193
    
    Thanks for the prompt reply!
    
    Regards, Howard.

    Can anyone give me the address and phone number of the BMF?
    
    Cheers,
    
    
    James
    
    (cross posted in Motorcycles)
    

In the event of getting a (front wheel) drive car
stuck in the sand on a beach.. whats the best
way to get it out ? 
(in the absence of someone to give you a push)



(one suggestion was to put the rubber floor
mats under the wheels to give some extra
'grip'.. would this work ?




End of document

close the doors and wait for high tide.....:-)

Dave

Step one.	Buy your self a Landrover.

Step Two.	Buy your self a set of sand ladders.

Step three.	Place sandladders under vehicle wheels.

Step four.	Drive over sandladders, takeing the ones from the back and
		putting them in front to make a continous driving surface.

In the absence of vast quantities of money ignore step one.


Simon

    Ah the joys of being stuck up to your axles on the beach. And how did
    that happen i always used to ask ;-) Fnarr, Fnarr.
    
    I'm told (by a friend who it happened to naturally) that if you get
    both mats, and put one in front. and one behind a driveing wheel, then
    rock between 2nd and reverse (less likelyhood of spinning the wheels in
    higher gear) then you should get out.
    
    Anyway - how come you've entered the note ? Is the car still there ?

	E 673 ELU why can't you park your car properly???!!!

    <<< Note 223.199 by RUTILE::SMITH_A "No-one puts baby in the corner" >>>
                        -< ...thanks for the memories >-

>    Anyway - how come you've entered the note ? Is the car still there ?


no there were some other people on the beach that gave us a shove
... just wondering if it happens again how to get
it out (Fnarr, Fnarr) without help

1. If already stuck :-

   a. Mats, brushwood, stones, beach towels work

   b. Make sure that you use a high gear 2nd/3rd and very slowly slip the
      clutch. 

   c. It helps if you dig some of the offending soft stuff away to make a 
      shallower "ramp"

2. If not already stuck in soft stuff - follow 1b

3. I have seen demonstrated the following technique...

   You are already stuck.

   Turn wheels to full lock...left or right which ever is safest... put car 
   into gear 1st "welly" accelerator and drop the clutch.... 

   Be prepared for a violent movement in any direction...it gets you out of
   the hole anyway !

    
    I've used Jane's last method to get out of deep snow and it works
    a treat.
    
    Mark

    re  .203  option 3,
    
    depending on a) how soft it really is,
                 b) how well the manoever is performed,
                 c) luck
    
     you may well end up buried even deeper!

    
>    I've used Jane's last method to get out of deep snow and it works
>    a treat.
    
Best not done near things you would rather not hit/fall over etc like chasms, 
walls, large rocks... :-)

Also best not done near anything/body that you want to keep clean.

Especially on front-wheel drive cars, in which, of course, as you turn the 
wheels to steer, you turn the spray of mud from them as well, covering a much
wider arc !

Once you get out it's best to keep moving... ideally as fast as possible, to
avoid the mud-spattered bystanders  !

Ian
(Yup, I've been there!)

       Rumour has it there's scarp yard in the Caversham area that 
       breaks Landrovers. Does anyone known of such an establishment?
       
       Regards, Howard
       
    

    
    I don't know of one, but if you find out (from a source other than this
    note!) please let me know!
    
    The only place I know of in this area is in Yateley - and his Landy
    spares are _not_ cheap.
    
    

Does anyone here use a "boot tidy"?    if so are they
any good.. do they stay in place (even under heavy cornering)
.. do they keep things in place ?

Ta!


Peter Bailey (trying to start out right keeping my
new BX TZD tidy!)


(for those not in the know.. a "boot tidy" is just a large 
'hold-all' with pockets that you can velcro into place in your
boot.. to hold all these bits and pieces that otherwise 
mess up the place)

	
	Yeah, I've got one in the Marlin's boot, it does keep bity things
	out of the way.

	Dave

    
    Sort of....
    If you are attatching to the insde of the boot, (NOT THE BACK OF THE
    SEATS) they may well work properly.
    The one I use is attached to the rear of the seats by a bungy cord
    from each side and the flaps over the cord. The problems are, that to work
    properly it is better to mount to a vertical surface.
    That aside  I quite like it as it stops most of the stuff from flying
    about the boot.
    
    	Trevor....    PS mines a astra estate
    
    

    > Yeah, I've got one in the Marlin's boot, it does keep bity things
    > out of the way.
    
    You mean, I could use one for my dog?

	re .-1

	Not unless you have a very small dog that loves sitting in the
	dark.

Why don't any of the 'mid range' cars (IE Escort Ghia, Citroen BX etc etc)
come with windscreens that have fitted 'sun strips' (without a
"KEVIN & SHARON" logo)

Or doesn't bother anyone else at this time of year.. there you are driving
along with the sun visor (HA!) down to keep out the sun.. and then you
turn a corner and get 400 megawatts of sun glare in the 0.00002 inch
gap between the sun visor (HA!) and and the roof of the car

    
    My eyes aren't open when I drive to work.

    
    The tinted band in a windscreen is rarely deep enough or dark enough to
    make much difference. The best bet is a pair of decent sunglasses.
    
    Mark

	I know what you mean, however, I use a combination of flat cap and
	sun-glasses to keep out that low level sunlight that can make
	driving quite hazzardous at this time of year.  Mind you, sunset over
	the M4 can be very pretty...

	Dave

    The rover 200/400 has it too!
    Richard

	The montego has it, but not the Landy or kit

    How long, before and after expiry, are you 'allowed' to buy tax
    discs and have MOT's done?
    
    
    Ian.

    
    Not sure about before, but legally you do not have any time after these
    expire to replace them, the only exception being if you are taking a 
    vehicle to an MOT test centre for a pre-booked test.
    
    You might find the Police will give you some leeway if they have JUST
    expired, but legally they don't have to.
    
    Mark

    I believe tax discs are available at post offices about 14 days
    before and after the end of the month the disc expires.
    
    Mots can be done up to a month before it is due with production
    of the old certificate and the expiry date will then be a year after
    the expiry of the old one if you see what I mean.
    
    - Roy

       You are meant to replace your tax disk within 14 days of expiry.
       I know from experience that some Post Offices will give a new disk
       even after the 14 days, but you can't get one more than 14 days
       before it expires (even if the Post Office has supplies).

       One interesting exception (which I've also made a point of using)
       is that can can drive your vehicle without tax to a polling
       station, for the purpose of voting. A small concession with very
       little practical application!

       Ian.

    Does anyone out there know the phone number of the manufacturers of
    "Omega" pistons, or that of a supplier?
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    Anyone have the number for Janspeed?
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    
    Where (ie. what node) is the conference devoted to motoring in Europe
    these days?
                                                      
    Bill.

    You will find it on UKCSSE::EURO_MOTORING.
    Sorry, but I don't know how to do the KP7 bit.
    
    Regards,
    Wayne

    
    Many thanks.
    
    Bill.

    Thanks, KP7 now done.

	If your MOT runs out, is your insurance still valid?


	Heather

Re .238

Check your policy, but I think you will find the answer is...

No.

Jon

The insurance *should* be valid providing you are driving the car legally on the
road.

So if your MOT has run out, your insurance will only cover you for driving the
car to and from an MOT testing/repair place.

Scott

    If your MOT runs out you shouldn't be driving the car, EXCEPT for
    driving it to a pre-booked MOT appointment.  I can't remember where I
    found this out, it may have been in this conference, but through
    carelessness it happened to me a few months ago.
    
    Ian.

I thought the law had been changed on this one to ensure you of at least
road traffic act cover. If you are stopped by the police driving a car
with no MOT, I don't think that you get done for invalid insurance any
more, just a lot of other things ....

I think the change was made to protect the "third party" who might be
involved in any accident claim.

But then again, I could have it all wrong :-)

    Talking of MoT's. 
    
    With the leases extended to 36 months, if you don't get your
    replacement until a few days/weeks later you'll need to get it MoT'd.
    
    How many will remember/bother ?
    
    - Roy

Yes. As far as your insurance in concerned, you have no duty to keep your car
MOT'd. You do have a duty to keep it road worthy. This means that you could even
be in a position where your car was MOT'd and your insurance was invalid since
it is not road-worthy, and vice versa, not MOT'd but insured since it is
road-worthy.

As far the the minimum cover is concerned, it is in practice, impossible for an
insurance company to avoid a TPI claim. Although if they could justify
invalidating your insurance, they would be paying under the BIA Agreement and
would be allowed to seek recompense from yourself.

	Thanks folkes, I suppose the insurers could say that if it wasn't MOT'd
	it wasn't roadworthy???????

	Looks like it'll be down to how stroppy the insurers are.

	Heather

>> if it wasn't MOT'd it wasn't roadworthy.

No MOT doesn't mean it isn't roadworthy.  There's a special box on MOT report
forms which the tester ticks if he thinks the car is "unroadworthy" as a result
of, or in addition to, failing the test.

For example, if one of the indicator side repeater bulbs has gone, you'll fail
the MOT, but no-one could claim this makes the car unroadworhty...

Scott

>	Looks like it'll be down to how stroppy the insurers are.

No it won't be. There is no T&C in your policy that requires an MOT. IT is only
used as an indicator that you have complied with the terms. The only time you
may have trouble is if the car has been stolen. In which case a garage who
serviced it recently may give a written opinion which will normally suffice.

M.

    
    re -1.
    
    Dangerous assumption. Insurers are specialists at finding reasons not
    to pay. If your indicator was duff, & you were involved in a prang,
    could be just the type of issue that would take months or years to
    resolve.
    
    By law, you can only use a car without MOT to take it to a testing
    station within reasonable distance for its test. Insurance companies
    aren't the law, but I strongly suspect that their conditions about
    keeping car roadworthy would not be met if you have an invalid MOT --
    none at all, or crook.
    
    Not an area in which to take risks. Consequences can be very expensive.
    
    
    

>If your indicator was duff, & you were involved in a prang,
>could be just the type of issue that would take months or years to
>resolve.

1)	What has this to do with an MOT ? Or are bulbs only allowed to fail
	once a year ?
   
> Insurance companies aren't the law, but I strongly suspect that their
> conditions about keeping car roadworthy would not be met if you have an
> invalid MOT --

Why would you suspect that ? As has been stated, an MOT is nothing to do with
whether your car is roadworthy before, after or during the test. There is no
mention in your insurance policy of an MOT or whether you should have one or
not. It does mention maintaining your car in a reasonable and road=worthy
condition.

>    Not an area in which to take risks. Consequences can be very expensive.

I agree.

Whilst it is true that you do not need an MOT for your insurance, you are still
adding to the risk. If, for example, someone pulled out in front of you and you
ploughed into them because your brakes weren't good enough, then you are def. in
with a chance of getting stuck with a contributory negligence bill. A defence to
this would be that you had it MOT'd recently and they said it was ok, and the
car is regularily serviced, so how were you to know. (You only have to prove
that you couldn't be reasonably expected to know). If, however, you haven't got
an MOT, you're gonna be hard pushed to prove you behaved reasonably.    
    

M.

Hi,

Do I still need a green card if I want to drive my
lease car around France?

Insurance say no, but I just want to make sure.

Mark.

    
    I would have hoped Insurance had made sure ......
    
    On their advice, I have not had green card for last 6 visits into
    France. No problems so far.

My understanding is that if you don't have a green-card, your insurance 
cover is reduced to the that of the minimum level for the country you are
in. So, in France, that is third party only (no fire/theft etc etc).

To extend your home country level of cover, you need a green card.

Unless this has all changed VERY recently, and I don't know about it.

re .252; you're right, but .250 was asking about his lease car.

It changed a year (or maybe two) ago; the insurance certificate that you
get each July now includes most of Western Europe (or maybe just the EEC).

Be careful though; it doesn't include Switzerland......

Peter.

re.253:

>Be careful though; it doesn't include Switzerland......

I was informed by the insurance dept. that Switzerland was covered. This 
was March this year, just before a skiing trip.

/Dave.

	Well, I phoned the AA legal dept.


	They say that third party is always covered, even if you don't have a 
	MOT and the accident was caused but a MOTable-bit failing.

	They said they have NOT YET failed to pay out on the insured vehicle
	even if it was a motable bit that failed, however, this does not mean 
	that they may not in future.

	They said that they would also take into consideration how long the 
	car had been without an MOT.

	Heather

>	They say that third party is always covered, even if you don't have a 
>	MOT and the accident was caused but a MOTable-bit failing.

As I said, it is not possible to avoid a TPI claim. They *CAN* sue you to get
their money back, although in practice they don't very often.

Even if they refuse the claim, they will still be asked to pay it by the BIA.

Also, if you do not have an MOT then it can affect the question of blame,
depending on the circumstances of the accident.

And of course the AA Legal Dept. haven't refused a claim. They're brokers not
an Insurer.

    
    
    Never trust an insurance company. They should be first against
    the wall come the revolution. 

    Re .257
    
    Wrong. IMHO MThey come a distant 3rd after Estate Agents and property
    developers.
    
    

I thought it was going to be the Marketing Division of the Sirius Cybernetics
Corporation ?

    
    
    The insurance companies announced today that they will be paying
    out reduced to amounts to people injured who were not wearing rear
    seat belts....
    
    No reduction in premiums is expected.
    

>                             -< It makes me sick >-

Why ?

    Yes, why?  They are probably being generous paying out anything at all
    to someone who is breaking the law.
    
    Jeff.

Let 	R be the Total premiums received 
	O be the amount paid out
and	P be the profit for insurance company,


	R - O  =  P

So if, as is suggested in .260, O decreases, but R stays the same, the
Insurance Companies are finding yet another cheap excuse to increase
their profits.  Maybe I should rephrase that - nothing related to
Insurance premiums ends up cheap...

Jon

    
    
    Congrats to .263 for the correct answer.
    

>    Congrats to .263 for the correct answer.

Pity he was wrong really.

An underwriting profit is Premiums less claims. No accounting for running
expenses.

No Insurance company makes (read as: made in 1988) an Underwriting profit.
However, take into account Running Costs (Wages, Rent etc) and Investment
Interest from investing your dosh and they made loads of money.

Also, it is generally worse for an Insurance Companies profits turning down a
claim (adverse publicity etc) then it is to pay out when it doesn't really need
to.

Unfort. for the Insurance company, most people think as long as they have paid
their premium, they can claim for anything they like. Why should a company pay
out when you've chosen not to wear a seat belt ? Or are you prepared to pay more
for not wearing when ?

And as for reductions in premiums, premiums are worked out as a result of the
previous 5 years business. If seat belts have resulted in a drop in the amount
of claims then premiums will not rise as much. Tehrefore it will be taken into
effect.

M.

If premiums are worked out on the previous five years' business, then so should
claim pay-outs.

They can't say they'll pay out less today, but wait for five years before
deciding whether to alter premiums in line with that...

Scott

    Re: notes saying `not wearing a rear seatbelt is illegal'
    
    That is simply not true.
    You must wear a rear seatbelt if there is one available to wear. 
    If there are, say, three people in the back of a car and there are only
    two belts, then the two heaviest people should wear the seatbelts.
    If there are no seatbelts, then noone is breaking the law.
    
    It is quite obvious to most people that insurance companies are just
    out to make a fast buck at the expense of the people.
    
    When other types of business (like digital) are in a difficult market
    place and profits are falling, we reduce costs, etc so our prices are
    not increased.
    Insurance companies, certain public transport organisations, etc pass
    on the cost to the user when times are tough because they know they can
    get away with it.
    
    It too makes me sick
    
    James

    Re my last note...
    
    I must say though (because I forgot in my previous note!) that I 
    totally agree with wearing a seatbelt in a car, wherever you are sat.
    
    James.

>    It is quite obvious to most people that insurance companies are just
>    out to make a fast buck at the expense of the people.

So if you were selling something and the cost went up, you wouldn't increase
your selling price ?

>    Insurance companies, certain public transport organisations, etc pass
>    on the cost to the user when times are tough because they know they can
>    get away with it.

Oh right, the world owes you as well, huh ? What do you think the entire
commercial world does with their costs ? "Oh I'm a nice shoe manufacturer, I'll
make less money just to be good to that sweet consumer".
    
>    It too makes me sick

So rebel, borrow JJ's horse. Mind you, you'll probably have to insure that
against trampling foxes.

Insurance Policies are a service/product that you buy. If you don't like it, buy
it elsewhere or don't buy it at all. Generally, there are exceptions, it is a
good product that you are buying. You need to pay for it. Life is like that.

M.

p.s. And you think Digital doesn't increase it's prices because it's too much of
a nice company so it reduces it's costs just to help out the poor old consumer??
What a strange view of the world.

>> or don't buy it at all

Whereas the consumer can influence some prices on optional goods, by simply not
buying them if they are too expensive, your argument fails for car insurance
which is a legal requirement.

I'm not going to get involved in the argument about whether they're ripping
anyone off, I don't have enough info for that, but there is certianly the
potential for them to do so, as their "service" isn't optional; they've got the
public by the proverbial fuzzy-wuzzys (as Clive Dunn calls it...)

(OK, so car ownerhsip is optional, which in turn makes the insurance optional,
before someone starts that line of argument...)

Scott

RTA is compulsory. Comprehensive, Nil XS, Any driver is optional. Getting it is
compulsory, where you get it is not.

My Insurance bill is high because I insure my cars comprehensively. My choice.
It's lower than it could have been because I buy it somewhere cheap.

I agree, they do have a step up because the RTA is compulsory, but generally
most insurers use Private Motor Insurance as accomodation business only,
although fleet tends to be somewhat more attractive to them. They're really
after your house and life policies. And business, asnd liability, and A/R and PA
etc etc etc. Now there they do make money.

M.

>    And so are you. Insurance companies act as collectors of individual
>    premiums. They sell the policy and make a profit on the sale. Most
>    take no risk whatsoever as they simply place the policies in bulk
>    once they've sold them.

This is *NOT* true. Insurance companies rarely, if ever, make an underwriting
profit on private motor insurance. Ask the Vehicle and General about taking no
risks. Indeed, all insurers have a very large re-insurance group which does
pretty much what you say, but are you assuming this service is free to them ?
    
>    When has an insurance company paid out when it didn't have too?

You'd be surprised how ofter it happens. Mostly with Home Insurance, admittedly,
but also with Private Motor. For example, an Insurance Company can avoid all
Accidental Damage claims from you if they can prove that your vehicle is not
road-worty. For example an indicator not working. In practice they will only do
this if the indicator contributed to the accident.
    
>    I don't believe I'm reading this.

You obviously weren't.

>					In case you hadn't noticed, the
>    commercial world CUTS its costs wherever possible, so prices don't
>    have to be increased. Maybe downsizing and rightsizing has passed 
>    you by without you realising why DEC was doing it?

That is precisely the point. They do not cut costs because they want to be nice
to the Consumer. They do it to survive. If they could get away with not cutting
costs and the market would stand still for increased prices, this is what they
would do. The point being, Insurance comapnies are no different in their desire
to make profit than anyone else, despite some people's rather rose tinted view
of the motives behind Digital's recent actions.   

M.

And as Mark and ::JENKINS retire to their corners at the end of the second
round, the crowd are getting very tense.  Who will win in this battle of the
giants?

The excitement mounts as the seconds withdraw.  The opponents stand and face
each other, eyes blazing, muscles flexing, fingers poised at the keyboard...

We hear the bell: round 3!

Gentlemen, let the battle continue...

Excuse me, Mr ::JENKINS, but are we going to let someone with a electronic
address like HUGS::AND_KISSESSPITSPIT butt in on our note ???  

Oh, go and stick your head up a dead bears bottom.

    
    Does anyone know if the current 2.9l V6 lump in Granadas, etc. has 
    
    self-adjusting hydraulic tappets ?
    
    Jeff K.
    

	My question to the panel is this, how do inertia reel seat belts
	operate?  Are they locked by a ball and socket device that moves
	when you decellerate strongly or by a sudden tug on the seat belt
	caused by the passenger being flung forwards as you decellerate
	strongly?

	The reason for asking the question is because of booster seats for
	children.  These (confusingly) give a minimum age and sometimes a
	minimum weight.  I would have thought that a minimum height was also
	important...

	Dave

    The simple answer is yes.
    
    All inertia reel belt will operate by a sudden tug. Many also have an 
    arrangemnt that causes them to lock if the car is tilted or subject to
    sudden accelaration/deceleration. 
    
    Brian 

    Recently in a magazine article, discussing some FWD machine, I read the
    words "An LSD would really help here, but <mumble> wont fit them
    because they make a FWD car harder to drive."
    
    Why does a Limited Slip Differential xmake a FWD car harder to drive ?
    
    
    John

Re .283,

> "An LSD would really help here, but <mumble> wont fit them
>    because they make a FWD car harder to drive."

Pesumably the maneovere being discussed is easier when you're stoned
out of your head on Acid.  However, <muble> sensibly don't fit Tabs in
their car because they actually make cars harder, and more dangerous, to drive.

Sorry, I thought this was the *silly* questions note...

Jon

    Differentials allow the driving wheels to rotate at different(ial)
    speeds, ie. the "outside" wheel moves faster than the "inside" wheel
    when cornering this makes cornering easier.  The down-side is that if a
    wheel connected to a diff' breaks traction all (or is it most ?) of the
    power is transferred to that wheel, the wheel spins and power is lost.
    To limit this effect more powerful cars use limited slip diff'.
    
    In an FWD car the the driving wheels are also the steering wheels and
    any reduction in the capability of the diff' will make steering
    stiffer, I think the wheels will try and go in a straight line although
    I am willing to be proved wrong (as ever !!).
    
    .Stevie.

    Do all the new metros now have K Series engines, or is this engine only
    available in 1.4 litre guise at the moment?  My mum is about to by a
    1.0 Metro...
    
    Ian.

    All the Metro's apart from the automatic now have the K series engine
    fitted.Some of the smaller engines have 8 valve heads and do not have
    fuel injection.
    
      John

    
    All of them have 'K' series engines now, but isn't the smallest engine
    a 1.1 ?
    
    I thought 1.0 went out with the 'A' series.
    
    
    Nigel

    The smallest may well be 1.1 litres.  Apparently the salesman told them
    that the smaller engine was perfectly adequate, and as I knew that the
    1.4 had been the first K-series I wondered whether they all had them
    now.  I am also surprised that they are still using the old body shell
    for automatic cars.  A year on, and they still haven't cracked it!
    
    Thanks chaps.
    
    
    Ian.

    
    re .290 & using the old shell.
    
    If you think that's bad what about Jaguar and the V12! 
    
    How long has the XJ40 been the current XJ6 now?
    
    Mark

    
    I agree that the smallest K-Series is 1100cc and then I wondered
    "does the automatic use the K-Series engine?" I think the automatic
    might still use the 997 A series?

    Richard.
    

    The automatic still uses the A series engine in the old body.The new
    automatic will use CVT and the K series engine.
    
                      John

    
    Reading the road-tests of the the new vs old Metro, i would think that
    the salesman could almost be done for misrepresentation by saying that
    the new and old are as good ! (if that is what he is implying).
    
    I would have severe doubts about buying an old style Metro automatic. I
    think your parents should test drive the new manual 1.1 k series, then
    the old auto model and decide whether it would not be better to wait
    for the new k series auto to arrive.  
    
    
    Nigel

or did  they just make lots of them last spring, before changing the line
for the new model?

After seeing a photo in the paper a couple of weeks ago of *lots and lots*
of "new cars" in a field,  are we back to the "bad old" days of the early
'80s, when a "new" car could have been standing around for a year or more.

I think your parents have made the correct decision!

Peter.

>	Driving home last night two warning lights came on the dashboard,
>	one for the windscreen washer and one for the radiator low level.

I've not come across a warning light for windscreen washer level
before.  There doesn't seem a great deal of point really.  What's wrong
with the 'if nothing comes out when I press the squirt switch, fill
washer bottle' algorithm that is in use on many other cars?

Jon

    
    Re .299
    
    The washer low light tells you you WON'T have any left, not that you
    DON'T have any left!
    
    Mark

>before.  There doesn't seem a great deal of point really.  What's wrong
>with the 'if nothing comes out when I press the squirt switch, fill
>washer bottle' algorithm that is in use on many other cars?

	Well I suppose it does give you some warning that the water is
	*about* to run out. Haven't you ever driven down a motorway in
	the summer and used the windscreen washer to clean off the flies
	etc ? I think that it's quite a good reason for a warning light.

	Why bother having an oil pressure light, or a battery charging
	light ? :^)

	Alex 

    Alex,
    
    Not knowing the gizmo's involved, could it be that either
    one of them (radiator level anyhow) was 'gunged up' ?
    
    Have you/can you check the operation of the warning light
    switch by raising/lowering a float of some sort ?
    If so, perhaps the float did not move until some heat or
    water movement dislodged it from it's possibly mucky home.
    
    J.R.
    
    PS I think a warning for washer bottle level would be quite good
    (when it works) as I certainly curse whenever I [try to] use the
    washers with no result, other than wipers which make the screen
    worse when operated with no liquid (the 'squirter' on an Opel
    automatically turns on the wipers for a while - even when dry).

Could some kind soul list where the following tracks are located? Town/'Shire
should be enough.

Thruxton

Brands Hatch

Silverstone

Castle Coombe

Lydden



signed,

potentially_lost_yank

    
    Thruxton. Andover, Hampshire. Follow M3 from London to A303. About 1.5
    hour's drive from Heathrow.
    
    Brands Hatch. Sevenoaks, Kent. Follow M25 and M20(?) from London. About
    1 hour's drive from Heathrow.
    
    Silverstone. Brackley, Northants. Follow M1 to Milton Keynes and then
    					follow signs. About 1.5 hour's
    					drive from Heathrow.
    
    Castle Coombe. Wiltshire. Follow M4 from London. 2 Hours?
    
    Lydden. Dover, Kent. Don't know route. 2 hours?
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    Mark

	Could anyone tell me where Donnington Race track is and how far it is. 

	Thanks

    
    Have McLaren ACTUALLY purchased it yet? The local authority have given
    the go ahead for the new development, but I believe it has been
    referred to the DOE for further investigation.
    
    As I understand it Lydden is to upgrade as a race circuit under these
    plans, but what will happen to rallycross I don't know.
    
    Mark

    Donnington is at the back end of East midlands airport, Junction 23 on
    the M1
    
    
    
    

          
    Yeap.
    
    Happened to me while driving a big old American V8 7litre engined car.
    I was cruising along when suddenly something went bang under the
    bonnet.  Then the engine seemed to turn over very roughly.
    
    Anyway upon having a look under the bonnet I could see a spark plug
    hanging on the end of its HT lead down the side of the engine.  I
    waited for the plug to cool down and put it back ( finger tight ).  I
    had it tightened up a the nearest garage for free.
    
    I counted myself very lucky it wasn't anything more serious.
    
    Steven

>    waited for the plug to cool down and put it back ( finger tight ).  I

	Nah, the middle of the plug (core) parted company with the outer
	sleeve (screw bit). Most odd !

	Alex

    
    	This reminds me of a story an old friend of mine told me about,
    He was a mechanic ( doing day release at tech college ) when they were
    in the local bar at lunch time, these two very attractive young ladies
    drove up in a Morris Oxford ( this was a long time ago, late 60's I
    think ) anyway, to effect an introduction and to show off thier immense
    knowledge of "engines mechanical", they waited until the girls went inside 
    and then opened up the bonnet and disconnected th HT leads from the spark
    plugs, assuming when they returned and nothing worked they could walk
    over, impress and well .......
    When the girls returned they started the engine and drove off into the
    distance leaving 2 puzzled boys, not wishing for any damage and not
    quite sure what was happening they chased after the moggie and told
    the occupants the story, they lifted up the bonnet, and the spark plugs
    were getting current from the leads with a VERY large distance twixt
    lead and plug.
    
    

    Does any one know off-hand (or has access to a Mini, Morris Minor,
    Sprite, Midget etc.etc. manual) what the head-tightening sequence is
    for an 'A' series?
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

    
    I think you start in the middle, and work your way out, doing a sort of
    zig-zag pattern between front and back bolts, and from right to left, 
    tigthening them a bit at a time until you get the correct torque.
    
    (Or is that totally confusing.... :-)  )  I would try to draw a picture
    but I havn't got time!
    
    Elaine

    RE: -1
    
    Yeah, I knew that Elaine! It's just that there's a set sequence in the
    Haynes manual, and I thought that if someone knew it off-hand, I'd use
    that. It's only for the re-torque after the first 500 miles (now 655)
    on the new engine in the Frogeye.
    
    Laurie.
    
    PS. But thanks anyway, it was just as possible that I didn't know it...

I can look tonight and see.


This is for a 948, correct?

-Al

		6   4   1   3   9

		  8   2   5   7

RE .317 

"948"

Is that a new Porsche?!

    RE: .317
    
    Nope, it's a 1398, but it makes no odds. .318 looks to have it right.
    It's the same for all 'A' series heads, except the Cooper ones, which
    like mine, have two extra studs in the middle at the front and back of
    the head.
    
    RE: .318
    
    Thanks, that's it!
    
    Cheers, Laurie.

Does anyone happen to know what the "unserseal" is that BMW use ???

I've recently bought a 2002 from 1975, and the underseal is pealing off.
It looks to be a rubber base, very thick, and similar to the stuff they
use to paint the front edge of the spoiler to prevent stone chip damage.

ALso, if anyone does know what it is, I would also like to know where
I can get it from, and how to apply it ... brush, spray etc etc. In a
can would be good ...

	Anyone care to explain the most lightly cause for running on ?
	i.e. The engine continuing to turn over after you've stopped and turned
	the ignition off.

	Thanks in advance,

	David

    RE: -1
    
    The timing is out, and/or there are excessive carbon deposits in the
    combustion chamber(s). They get hot and continue to ignite the
    fuel/vapour mixture even after the ignition is switched off.
    
    Laurie

    Does anyone know if there is/are more than one type of dipstick for the
    (BMC) 'A' Series engine?
    
    Laurie.

With the engine running (idling) and gearbox in neutral, and clutch engaged, the
gearbox first motion shaft is turning.

If I depress the clutch suddenly, for how long will the gearbox FM shaft
continue to rotate?  Will it stop (almost) instantaneously, or will it keep
going for a couple of seconds, or longer?

Scott

    
    Re: BMC 'A' series dipsticks
    
    The simple answer is yes there are differences.... 
    
    Richard.

>>            <<< Note 223.325 by HUGS::AND_KISSES "Scott Marshall" >>>
>>               -< Maybe this should be in "Silly Questions"... >-

    		YES!
    
>>With the engine running (idling) and gearbox in neutral, and clutch engaged, the
>>gearbox first motion shaft is turning.

>>If I depress the clutch suddenly, for how long will the gearbox FM shaft
>>continue to rotate?  Will it stop (almost) instantaneously, or will it keep
>>going for a couple of seconds, or longer?
    
    Depends on a load of things
    Design of clutch and gearbox
    clutch drag
    Gearbox fluid viscosity,
    bearing drag
    gear drag
    .....
    
    It WILL continue to turn, for an indeterminite amount of time, maybe it
    will continue if you have a bit of clutch drag). This is why many
    manufactureres advocate depressing clutch and waiting a couple of secs
    before engaging reverse.
    
    

    
    re .last
    
    What size engine do you have in the frog-eye? Is it the 1098cc or
    did you drop in a 1275? Was it a full engine or a short motor?

    I'm a little curious, because if the new engine was the same size
    as the old I would have thought the dipsticks would have been 
    interchangeable. I know that BL used to fit different sumps to
    the 1098 engine to clear cross members in different places, but
    since your engine is in and running, I assume that the thing fits 
    ok and therefore probably has the correct sump. (That said, I don't
    know much about frog-eyes so it's possible several sumps would have
    fitted!)
    
    Richard.

    

    

    1)	Do Car Washes use re-cycled water? I used one at a MOBIL garage
    this weekend and the water looked manky. Now that the car has dried of,
    there are yucky streaks down the side.

    2)	How can I find out if I can use unleaded? I have a G-Reg Ford
    Fiesta 1.6S. Presumably I could phone up Ford, but don't have a clue how to
    get their Customer Relations phone no. Anyone have it?
    
    3)	Where can I get a spare key cut? You know, the new funny looking
    keys which are so popular now. Do I have to go via Ford? I've heard
    that Woolies do them, but I haven't checked this out yet.
    
	Thanks ...

    Dougie
    

    re: .332
    
    2)  Doesn't it tell you in the owner's manual?
    
    Mat.
    *:o)

Re: .332

>    1)	Do Car Washes use re-cycled water? I used one at a MOBIL garage
>    this weekend and the water looked manky. Now that the car has dried of,
>    there are yucky streaks down the side.

Some do.  Where was it located?  If the machine was in an area where there 
are often water shortages it may well recycle the water as it would 
otherwise have to be shut down whenever a drought order was in force.

jb

<<< Note 223.334 by JANUS::BARKER "Jeremy Barker - T&N/CBN Diag. Eng. - Reading, UK" >>>
               -< Recycling the water should be required by law >-

Re: .332

>    1)	Do Car Washes use re-cycled water? I used one at a MOBIL garage
>    this weekend and the water looked manky. Now that the car has dried of,
>    there are yucky streaks down the side.

Some do.  Where was it located?  

	In Hendon. i.e. Colne Valley Water. Yes - there is a hose-pipe
	ban there. SO the trick is - use a car wash where there isn't
	a water shortage!

	Dougie

jb

Re:.335

To save on usage of limited resources.

jb

    
    But doesn't water just go back into the drain, sewers, water works, etc
    and then back into the system?
    
    It seems that recycling it at a car wash just results in dirty cars!
    
    Mark

    I had a new style orion on hire for a few days last week, curious I
    looked under the bonnet.
    
    What puzzled me was there apeared to be no distributor. A large square
    transformer shaped coil sat in it's place, but with a visible gap
    between it and the end of the engine. It had four leads coming directly
    off the end to the plugs. 
    
    I know the 2CV's used to switch the coil, and have both plugs fire
    everytime, but that was for 2 cyls, four stroke. Could you get away
    with this for 4 cyls four stroke?. If so why did we ever bother to
    distribute the HT?.
    
    If anyone knows how this really works can they put it in here please?.
    
    Richard

    Richard,
    	You are right, having a double-ended coil, with each end connected
    to a spark plug will cause both plugs to spark every stroke.
    This works fine, no matter how many cyclinders you have.
    The redundant spark has no detrimental effect on the engine.
    I don't think that any motorcycle in recent years (except for some
    oddities that have used car engines) has had a distributor.
    So, you question remains :- why have one ?
    Dunno, sorry ;-)
    
    Rob
    

    re: a couple
    
    I thought the reason for not having "all-fire" systems is that the coil
    is having to split it's charge over many plugs - this has two affects -
    
    1. As the charge is split over all plugs then ach plug is only going to
    get somw of the charge - you need a bigger coil to fire all reialbly at
    the same time.
    
    2. If there is much difference between the resistance in any of the HT
    leads or plugs then a different charge will go to each plug (path of
    least resistance and all that stuff).  This means that the system is
    more likely to fail to deliver enough charge to one or more plugs -
    breakdown time.
    
    Rob

    Write-up in CAR magazine on the new Escort RS mentions that
    it uses a distributor-less system, with two coils.
    
    Each coil fires a pair of plugs, on each revolution, meaning
    no moving parts required for the ignition system - apart from
    the flywheel (or some connected part) containing the trigger(s).
    
    Didn't the RS1600i have this sort of arrangement too ?
    
    
    Not sure of this being more likely to break-down, due to
    previous suggestion of differing resistance in the pair
    of plugs/leads, but I take it that there is not likely to
    be any problem with back-firing due to fuel vapours in the
    'other' cylinder getting ignited, if valve overlap means
    that it has a path from cylinder to intake manifold etc... ?
    
    J.R.

    Surely it is much more likely that a mechanical distributor will cause
    a problem than a difference in impedance of a HT lead. In any case,
    even with a distributor, if one lead gives a higher impedance, then you
    are going to have a smaller spark on that plug.
    
    Having travelled (literaly) hundreds of thousands of miles on vehicles
    with this system, I think I can safely say that it is not a problem :-)
    
    And I can't imagine many cars having wilder cam timing that a two wheel
    Honda...
    
    R
    

Now that the cold weather is upon us, does anyone know why no
manufacturers apart from Ford fit heated windscreens? Do they have
it patented or something, or isn't it very good? I've never actually seen
how effective it is, but it sounds like it would save a lot of scraping and
scratching on windscreens in the morning.


Ian

Re .-1 

I understood when they were introduced that Ford had an agreement with the
manufacturer not to supply anyone else for a period (5 years?) in return for 
their help in developing the screen.

Having said that your statement that 'no manufacturers apart from Ford fit 
heated windscreens' is not quite correct - Caterham Cars do.


Mark.

    
    Re .347
    
    Why does that comment remind me of the joke about Skoda rear windows?
    
    Mark

    
    Mark,
      quite simple really, Skoda drivers are used to going FORWARD so they
    push from the back, Ford Drivers...............so they push from the
    front....
    
    re: original question
     SAAB fit heated front windscreens, but it's probably Ford thought that
    that was the way the industry trend was going to go, after all they
    were right when they advertised that all there hatchbacks/estates have
    rear wash/wipe. How many other makes have introduced this feature since
    ??
    
    Alan.
    

    
    Ha!
    
    I agree with the original note, though. Given how effective heated rear
    windscreens are at clearing frost, it seems strange that more
    manufacturers haven't introduced this feature (I bet Neville wishes
    they had on Volvos!). I echo the original note, though, how effective
    are they? I believe the element doesn't pass through all the screen,
    but only around the perimeter (That's how it works on Marcos cars
    anyway. YES they have 'em too!), so presumably they aren't anything
    like as good as the rear, or do they have some way of getting around
    this?
    
    Mark

    
    Another vote for heated front screens. On cold mornings:
    
    1) Start car, engine on, front and rear heated screen on, and heater
    on full.
    
    2) Scrape side windows
    
    3) Drive away!
    
    Now if they fitted them to the R19 16V, it would be the perfect car!
    
    Steve (Ford leaser!)
    

On cold mornings without heated front screen:

1) Open garage
2) drive out
3) close garage
4) drive away

:^o


Greg

	With a completely flat windscreen (like the Marlin's) scraping it is 
	a doddle, no 'orible curves.  The heated windscreen on the Caterham
	is really to demist it - as the heater (if you fit one) has no vents
	to demist the windscreen.  Without the heated windscreen you're stuck 
	with a mark I demister (ie a cloth).

	Still, they are an excellent idea.

	Dave

    I think personally you should get a Caterham because then you only have
    to sit up a bit and you can look over the windscreen!!
    
    
    MAtt. (Who Mini is frozen solid most of the time)

Ideally you should be able to program in to the cars computer the time that 
you want to use it in the morning, it then detects whether there is frost on the
screen, if so it defrosts it in time for you to just step into the car and
drive away (without getting frozen digits).
Something like this would be so easy to implement and would be really useful.


...art

    The BMWs used to have the option of a pre-programmed heater that you
    told it what time to start heating the car up.
    
    Rob

    
    You think you've got problems - I have to scrape the ice off the seat 
    before I can use my vehicle!
    
    Reminder - there are still a few two wheeled vehicles about - even in
    this weather - so DON'T FORGET TO LOOK OUT FOR US THROUGH THE SQUARE 
    INCH OF CLEARED WINDOWS!!!   (yes I am shouting, some silly *&^% with
    iced windows pulled out on me this morning!)
    
    

    Is there any reason for not leaving the engine running while scraping
    the windows? (apart from the petrol lost). The manuals usually say
    "don't warm the car up by idling it" - and I've never really understood
    why not. 
    
    From my experience the windscreen ices up so quickly after I've scraped
    it unless the car is a wee bit warm. I think it's quite scary to have 
    one's windscreen opaquise (I work for DEC - I can turn anything into a
    verb!) while driving down the road. 
    
    Dougie
    

    
    That can't be true if the car's on private property, can it?
    
    Mark

> On cold mornings without heated front screen:
>
> 1) Open garage
> 2) drive out
> 3) close garage
> 4) drive away
    
    But there is the problem of cold evenings...

    > On cold mornings without heated front screen:
    >
    > 1) Open garage
    > 2) drive out
    > 3) close garage
    > 4) drive away
    And, after a few years:
      5) see your car rusting away....
    
    
    - Jyri -
    
    

> And, after a few years:
>      5) see your car rusting away...


Why?

    Becouse if your car has snow all over (and under) and you take it into
    warm garage, the snow melts and keeps your car wet all the time. So the
    little rust creatures eat the metal of your car all the time. I do not
    know the conditions there in the UK so well, but this a known fact
    here in Finland where the cars are so expensive that you must take good
    care of your car so that you can use it for several years (becouse
    nobody can't afford to buy a new car after every three years).
    
    Of course if your roads are being salted in the winter things get even
    worse...
    
    - Jyri -

    re .361 (Leaving the car engine running while on private property)
    
    Good point. Presumably you can do what you like in your own drive.
    
    Re last two (humid garages)
    
    The solution is in note 943.*
    
    Ian.

    Yes. heated front screen are effective..
    
    On My Sierra it wont come on unless the engine's running. It needs the
    alternator spinning to supply the juice, else the battery'll flatten.
    
    It's also good for demisting,  none of that hassle of waiting for the
    heater to warm up to clear the windscreen.
    
    
    Huw.

No heated front screen

1 double blanket covering all 4 sides overnight.

remove blanket in morning...scrape ice off lights - drive away.

        
    Another vote for heated front screens. As a clearer of frost/ice/mist
    they're great. 
    

    I seem to recall an early owner of a Granada with one of these screens
    complaining of additional scatter from the heating elements at night
    and especially in foggy conditions.
    
    Real or imaginary problem?

    I leave my Belmont's engine running for a few minutes while demisting
    so that the sheer volume of battery juice gets replaced as good it can,
    since it's only about four or five miles to work. It's idling quite
    fast on the choke as well.
    
    Can somebody tell me why it's bad for a car to idle when just started,
    since the manuals never say!
    
    PS. Normally I just drive off straight away, but you can't with a
    Vauxhall Icicle 1.6L !!!
    

    RE: .371 I have a heated front screen on my Escort RST. I think it is
    absolutely fab too. At night you can see some strange reflections from
    streetlights etc. on the heating elements in the front screen, but I
    don't find it particularly distracting. The heating elements themselves
    cover the entire front screen and run virtically up it. They are very
    fine strands of wire about the thickness of a human hair I would guess
    and are spaced a few millimetres apart. They actually zig zag like this
    ...
    
    / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
    \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
    / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
    \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \
    / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ /
    
    I sat in a new Fiesta RS with the heated front screen option and found
    that the elements in it were a lot more noticeable. In fact they are
    greater in diameter and are spread much wider apart than those on my
    Escort. I remember reading a review where the tester said that they
    were very distracting at night. Anyone have any experience of this ?
    
    Gary.

    
    That's interesting.
    
    The elements on a Marcos screen are around the perimeter, like this...
    
    
    	----------------
       /................\	The dots are the element (Hi grade DTP or
      /.                .\	what!!!!! :^))
     /.                  .\
    / .................... \
    ------------------------
    
    I've actually seen similar things on aircraft canopies (is the Caterham
    similar), so I guess it must be FAIRLY effective, or maybe it's
    predominantly for demisting (A problem in Marcii).
    
    Mark

    A small question...
    
    My temperature guage has taken to suddenly firing off into the
    stratoshpere. A check of the physical heat of the engine shows all
    normal. The fan comes on when it should, and it doesn't boil over.
    
    Which is the more likely culprit, the guage, or the sender unit?
    
    I'm going to replace the sender this weekend anyway (cheapest option),
    which should prove things either way, but I wonder what the panel
    thinks. My guess is the sender.
    
    Laurie.

    Another possibility is the instrument voltage regulator. Instruments 
    usually work at a lower voltage, which is supplied by a regulator.
    This is to cope with fluctuations in the main supply, anything from 
    12 to 15V. If the regulator/stabiliser is starting to go you could
    get the symptoms seen.

>>                -< How about the voltage regulator/stabiliser. >-
    
    I had this problem on the dash of my Manta.
    
    Symptom was that both the temp and petrol gauges would mis-read
    by about 1/4 of a scale - optimistically.  This looked as though
    the temperature was always in the red, and that I had much more
    petrol available than I really did (never actually ran out though).
    
    Any other gauges appear to be playing up ?
    
    J.R.

    Nope, no other guages, just the temp. Could be a short.... I suspect
    it's either the guage, or the sender...
    
    Laurie.

    I've had a similar problem recently. Changing the sender fixed it. I'd
    go for the sender first anyway -- it's easier to replace.
    
    /Ben

Sounds like it's an electrical resistance type sender that is going open
circuit (so giving output indicating a *very* high temperature).

Defective wiring or connections are also a possibility though much less
likely on a newish vehicle.

Nigel.

Had a similar problem once. It was the sender. It was caused by not
enough anti-freeze !!! The water around the sender started to freeze,
and damaged it ... just as well it did, otherwise it could have been
the block !!!

    RE: Heated front screens
    
    These were available from Vauxhall at least 15 years ago. Our Vauxhall
    Magnum 2.3 Coupe had one, as did most other Vauxhall Rally Cars.
    
    JK

    		1985 Ford Escort with CVH 1300cc Engine
    
    When I start this car in cold weather it emits a loud whining noise
    which varies in intensity with engine revs. After about 1/2 minute it
    stops. Is this likely to be the alternator or the water pump? They are
    physically close together so it's difficult to detect the source. If
    it is the alternator, are "service kits" generally available or do you
    need to buy a new unit? I hope to buy the wife a new(er) car sometime so
    I don't want to spend vast amounts unnecesarily. One other clue to the
    alternator theory; the battery is not fully charging such that it has
    been difficult to start. I have had to recharge it overnight in the 
    recent cold weather. Maybe this is just coincidental with the cold spell.
    
    Any ideas ?
    

    
    This MAY be a very silly question, but... It's not just your fan
    belt slipping is it? This is more like a squealing sound and is
    usually cured simply by adjusting the fan belt.
    
    Apologies if you know what a slipping fan belt sounds like, but I
    don't know your level of competency.
    
    Mark

    It's a common fault, lots of them do it. Check some water down there
    and it goes away! It seems worse with the cold...
    
    Laurie.

    Ta, I really don't think its the fanbelt since I checked the tension
    (0.5" play) - but it wouldn't be the first time it turned out 2b
    something simple.
    
    Laurie - it's not abundantly clear where I should chuck the water....
    
    Ian
    

>>    Chuck it on the bottom pulley. It doesn't have to be accurate, just
>>    welly a load in there, and the squealing goes.
    
    I've found that water on the pulleys is what starts the squealing.
    
    Perhaps oil would be better still ?      ;-)
    
    Seriously now, if it is the fan belt slipping, maybe that has got
    some 'gunge' on it.  Then it would slip even if at the correct
    tension.  The solution then would be to replace the belt (although
    you may be able to clean it off in the mean time)
    
    J.R.

    John,
    
    It's a common fault, I can't remember exactly what it is that's
    squealing, I think it's the bottom pulley, but it's sod all to do with
    the belts. Of course, this case may be different...
    
    Laurie.

    Come to think of it, it could be the wife squealing at having to go
    to work everyday. Anyway I have my welly poised and will douse the
    offending belt in H20 this weekend. If this turns out to be the cause,
    is there a Ford mod to drip feed the fan belt from the windscreen
    washer bottle ?
    
    Ian
    

    Car:	Fiesta G-Reg 1600S CVH 
    
    I had this mega-serviced in late November. I bought it in August.
    
    Recently I've started to get wierd noises starting the engine. The
    engine starts no problem, but as seen as the engine starts, and I've
    released the key, there is usually a whine/growl/grumble sort of noise.
    This usually lasts about a second, and seems to be worse when the
    engine is warm.  If you imagine the noise you get from 'growling' teddy
    bears, or a sheep baaing, then you get the idea.
    
    It seems to have got very pronounced over the last few weeks, and I'm
    getting a bit concerned about it. Since it is only a recent thing I
    thought perhaps that it was something to do with the timing belt which
    was renewed at the service. My dad reckons it's the alternator not
    disengaging from the flywheel, and that it isn't anything to worry
    about. Haynes says 200 pages of very small writing, and doesn't have
    much to say about engines which sound like sheep.
    
    any ideas anyone?
    
    Dougie
                                                          

    
    re .391,
         Dougie.. If your alternators connected to your flywheel you've got
    mega problems :-).... It's quite possible that the starter motor
    inertier gear is not returning properly. This is easy to fix, allyou
    have to do is remove the starter motor from the gearbox/engine and
    smear the worm gear with grease.
    
    
       Alan.
    

If the starter motor is not disengaging from the flywheel, the engine will not
rev freely and will eventually make *very* strange noises indeed. As this is not
happening to you, it's probably not the problem.

I suggest that you take the car back and get it looked at. Short of actually
attempting to locate the source of the noise by lifting the bonnet and
listening to various points of the motor, there is not a hell of a lot you
can be told through a notes conference. It may be something as simple as a bad
alternator bearing (which would sound worse when it was re-charging the battery),
or may be a bearing-type noise associated with wear and/or failure.

-Dave.

Regarding the earlier reply suggesting that you grease the Helix if the
starter motor is not disengaging, I would most definately advise against
this course of action, in fact I would suggest the opposite.  If an intertia
type of starter is sticking, I would suggest that it be removed and that 
the Helix is then cleaned with an engine cleaner (Gunk or Jizer) and then
replaced.

You must consider that when you lubricate the starter helix it will only
allow clutch dust to stick to it and gum up the works, this is why cleaning
usually solves such a problem, but more common than an inertia starter failing
to disengage would be a failure to engage.

However, I would think it likely that your car is fitted with the pre-engage
variety.  A possible problem here is that the starter has come loose causing 
a bad mesh with the ring gear.

Cheers Ian...

    -1 is correct.
    
    The CVH has a pre-engaged starter. The noise you hear, is the starter
    not dis-engaging from the fly-wheel. There are several reasons for
    this, so I'd take it back and get them to look at it. If you must
    lubricate it, use graphite, not a grease-based lubricant.
    
    Laurie.

    thanks for all your help.
    
    I'll get under the car at the weekend and have a look around. I'll then
    trot back into the house and say, "The Starter is not disengaging from
    the fly-wheel, honey, so I'm taking it back to the garage."
    
    My wife will be so impressed at how clever I am she will then pay for
    the garage bill.
    
    (Has never worked before, but I keep trying!)
    
    Dougie
    
    

While you are under there, you could check that the starter motor is not
coming adrift (bolts coming loose), this used to happen on Escorts...don't
know if Fiestas have similar problem...

    A little question...
    
    I have just bought a set of "go faster" Escort RS 1600i side stripes
    for my RS. Is there any special precautions/methods which I should take
    in order to get them on without any bubbles or creases ?
    
    I know the surface should be clean, so should I clean all the polish
    off with something like tar remover or T-Cut ?
    
    Thanks in advance,
    
    Gary.
                     

    
    Has anybody tried the books which have been recorded onto audio
    cassettes which can then be listened to while commuting ?
    
    
    Regards
    
    Steven

    
    Does anybody want form a Book ( Audio Tape ) Club?
    
    I suppose somebody would have to initially buy a book and then be
    reponsible for hiring it out to other members to spread out the
    expense.  Surplus money would be spent on buying more books.
    
    Any takers ?
    
    
    Steven
    
    P.S. I could be a good way to relax !!!
    
    ( See the "Mellow Men and Women" Note )

    A different small question :-
    
    Can anyone in Belgium, Germany, or perhaps any other Euro-country
    find out the price of the Lancia Delta Integrale 'finale' (16V).
    
    This is the one with the bigger wheels, arches, etc.
    
    UK price is something like 24 grand...  Euro-savings possible ?
    
    J.R.

>>    I know they're getting more expensive with every batch,
    
    Prices in the UK also went up in stages. At the time I bought :-
    
    Original 8v integrale was sold at 17K (pounds)
    Right-hand-drive conversion was another 3K
    Most sold from Lancia dealers 'already converted', but with
    the price tag increased to match.
    
    16v integrale came priced around 21-22K, in l.h.d.
    r.h.d. conversion available again at further cost.
    
    Latest 16v version ('finale') not yet available, but will be
    a couple of grand more expensive.
    
    
    This history of price change is a shame really, because the 8v model
    was most definitely a bargain.  That performance at that price could
    not be beat.  When the 16v came out at over 20K, the Cossie was in a
    similar price band, so at least power/price could be matched, even
    though the Lancia had more grip and better (IMO) handling.
    
    The description of the latest model leaves me hankering for a return
    to Delta performance, so if the price seems more reasonable from
    Europe, I might consider getting one again...
    
    J.R.

    John,
    
    I haven't got time to do this myself, but you might like to try the
    Brussels dealers. Let us know how you get on...
    
    Code from UK is 010-322-<number>
    
    Fiat-Auto Belgio sa-nv 674-4511
    Commando               375-2323
    
    There are at least 10 others in Brussels alone, but these seem the
    biggest. The first one seems to be the main importer.
    
    I'll get more if you draw a blank here. Remember to ask for tax-free,
    and expect import duty, plus car tax, plus VAT to get it into the UK.
    
    Laurie.

>>    I haven't got time to do this myself, but you might like to try the
>>    Brussels dealers. Let us know how you get on...
>>    Code from UK is 010-322-<number>    Fiat-Auto Belgio sa-nv 674-4511
    
    Thanks Laurie
    
    Seeing as how poor my French is, I got John Wardle to phone for me,
    since I couldn't be sure to get an English-speaking person to answer.
    Good job I did really, since the person who answered was an Italian !
    
    Anyway, the conversation was carried out in French, with the answer
    being that the latest model (210 bhp)  costs 976,692 BF tax free.
    
    At a conversion rate of 60 Belgian Francs to the pound, that comes
    out at 16,278 - to which must be added car tax and VAT.
    
    Next question, what rate is car tax ?
    
    Not including the car tax, the addition of VAT puts the price up to 19K,
    so it will break the tax limit for 2-litre company cars/price anyhow.
    That is just one other factor in deciding whether I buy one or not.
    
    
    My previous one was bought in Germany, so any prices from there ?
    
    J.R.

    
    Car Tax is 10% of the ex-works price (before VAT). But if list price is
    discounted car tax is not.
    
    Richard.
    

>>    Car Tax is 10% of the ex-works price (before VAT). But if list price is
>>    discounted car tax is not.
    
    I guess the idea here is that Customs+Excise would wish to charge me
    10% against the price of the model (less VAT) as sold in the UK.
    
    My argument would be that I would be paying 'full price', although in
    a different country, not a discounted price from a UK dealer.
    Anyone know if this would bear out ?
    
    
    J.R.

>>    The C+E will charge you 10% of what you paid for the car and THEN VAT
>>    on the Price you paid PLUS the 10% car tax, They give you an allowance
    
    Is this first ten percent the import duty then ?
    
    I know that VAT is charged ON TOP OF other taxes applied to the price.
    This always seems exceptionally unfair, paying a tax on a tax, but
    that's the way it goes.
    
    Basically, with the Belgian price for this car, there doesn't seem
    to be any real saving to be had in importing the car personally.
    
    Maybe it would be cheaper elsewhere in Europe.
    So, anyone got a price, or a way of finding out the price of the
    integrale in Italy, Germany, France, wherever ?
    
    I would kind of expect it to be at a lower price in the country of
    manufacture, but I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work that way.
    Mind you, the drive back from Italy could be quite good fun...
    
    
>>    You arguing with the C+E, this I would like to see. 
    
    Well, I wouldn't actually like to argue with them.  :-)
    What I would like to know if this particular 'defence' has been
    used before, and if so, is it successful ?
    
    J.R.

>>               -< Sorry ... did the Belgian price include VAT? >-
    
    The price asked for was 'tax free, for export'.
    
    If this wasn't correctly understood, or the incorrect figure supplied,
    then that wouldn't be too surprising.
    
    I would certainly have thought it would be a fair bit cheaper if
    bought in this manner, compared to a normal UK purchase.  Maybe not.
    
    J.R.

    Does anyone know if a set of XR4x4 alloys can fit onto an opel Manta
    Gte and any recommended tyre places that sell fair priced 205 vr/50x15?
    
    Cheers for any info,
       
                        Aron..

>>    Does anyone know if a set of XR4x4 alloys can fit onto an opel Manta
    
    If the XR4x4 uses the same wheel stud p.c.d. as other Fords (which I
    would expect) then the answer will be 'no, they do not fit'.
    
    I seem to recall that the Opel (4 stud) pcd is of 200mm (possibly wrong).
    
>>    Gte and any recommended tyre places that sell fair priced 205 vr/50x15?
    
    Micheldever Tyres often mentioned in this conference.  Local to you ?
    
    I take it you aren't concerned with ride quality.  Fitting 50 series
    to Manta suspension is guaranteed to make this worse - although you
    should gain in grip and looks (depends on your priorities/preferences here).
    
    J.R.

    
    The XR4x4 wheels are supposedly for 195s. Don't know if this matters.
    
    Richard.

    Could someone with a MKII Astra please check in their handbook and
    enter the recommended tyre pressures for the 16V ??
    
    My handbook went missing when the car was stolen, and I dont trust the
    charts on garage forecourts any more than I trust their pressure
    gauges.
    
    Thanks,
    
    
    John
    

    
    Front : 32
    Rear  : 29
    
    Harder for fast driving... (and harder still unless Klebers are
    fitted)
    
    Richard.
    

    Re .418, Thanks Richard
    
    John

    
    	I drive a Nova 1.2L 1983,i've ordered a KNair filter (just the
    element).Does anybody know if it will make any difference,i.e BHP,noise
    etc.
    		Cheers in advance!
    
    
    			Andy...MUFC
    

    
    Why do people say I've bought such and such a car, part or whatever and
    then ask whether anybody knows if it's any good?
    
    Surely it's better to ask for advice first.
    
    Not a direct response to the previous note but to those who spend wads
    on a car and then ask if there are known problems with it.
    
    Chris

    A K&N air filter will improve air-flow (therefore fuel mixture) *into*
    an engine. It will make little different to performance or output,
    unless the potential is there to allow the improved in-flow, out. I
    suspect that you will see a slight improvement, but I doubt the filter
    will reach its full potential. You will notice a considerable increase
    in induction noise.
    
    Laurie.
    
    PS. I second .421, why spend first, and ask later?

    Morning car enthusiasts.
    
    I wonder could you recommend a sloution to the following...
    
    Last night I called on a friend of mine who has been doing a lot of
    work to his newly purchased Mini. He has just fitted a new stereo to it
    with a couple of 50W speakers in the back. The problem is this - when
    he starts the engine and revs it, the engine sound comes through the
    speakers over the top of the music. Is this something to do with a
    poorly supressed engine ? Is there a simple cure ?
    
    I told him I'd put it to you knowledgable lot, after bragging just how
    technically minded you were... So don't let me down please :-)
    
    Gary.
         

    Fit an in line suppresor to the radio.
    
    Although you should have a suppresor on the distributor cap 
    which should eliminate this problem.

    Could also be a supressor required on the alternator, a major source of
    noise.
    
    I think most motorist shops do small capacitors to fit onto the
    alternator.  It slips under a bolt on the alternator to give it a 
    ground and there should be a space tag on the alternator specifically 
    for this.  The capacitor should probably be rated at around 5mf, read
    your Haynes manual if you have one.
    
    Basically this is a nice quick way of curing most charging related
    noise.  Quite large capacitors (over 20k mf) are used by pro installers
    when dealing with complex audio systems and expensive cars.  Porsche and 
    BMW cars are especially bad for this.
    
    Could also be earth related:
    It might also be worth checking the engine block to battery earth, and
    to bodywork ground cable is in good order (you know the mucky braided
    one) and the bolts which it is attached with are not badly corroded.  
    
    Clean them up to fairly bright metal while you have the thing off.  Put 
    some Copperease on the contacts and bolts to stop corrosion and to 
    aid the conductivity.
    
    Could also be due to speaker wires placed close to high current cables,
    but I doubt it.
    
    I know how iritating this interference can be.
    Best regards,
    Robert.

    Thanks for the advice chaps. I will pass this on to my friend who I'm
    sure will be most grateful.
    
    Gary.

	Ok, I give up.  This is the scam.  My car (Marlin) has a squeek on 
	the front left when going around right hand bends.  The last MOT 
	remarked that the left disk was warped (Ford never heat test them, but
	I did).  So, I replaced the front disks and for good measure the front
	nearside lower ball joint.  This was very stiff although the rubber 
	looked only slightly perished.  I still had the squeak.  So, I have
	now replaced the wheel bearings on the front nearside wheel.  The old
	ones didn't look knackered, but the grease had streaks of brown in
	it that looked awfully like rust.  By the way, I replaced the bearings
	and cups, thoroughly cleaned out the hub and re-greased as directed.
	The bearings were obviously not totally good because changing them has
	tightened up the front and removed a vibration.  However, I still have
	my squeek.  So where do I go from here?  Buy some cheese?

	Dave

    
    	Hi all
    		When i get into my Nova 1.2L,and i get up to about 70mph
    i hear this noise,the only way i can describe it is,it sounds like 
    concorde flying overhead.It sounds like a rubbing noise,i can't tell
    if it's coming from the engine or perhaps the wheels.
    
    	Any suggestions welcome.
    
    			Cheers Andy.
    
    	P.s this noise has only just started to occur.
    
    

Wheel-bearing ?

    >>
                        <<< Note 223.428 by REPAIR::ATKINS >>>
                              -< CONCORDE/OR WHAT.????? >-
    
    
    Hi all When i get into my Nova 1.2L,and i get up to about 70mph i hear
    this noise,the only way i can describe it is,it sounds like concorde
    flying overhead.It sounds like a rubbing noise,i can't tell if it's
    coming from the engine or perhaps the wheels.
    
            Any suggestions welcome.
    
                            Cheers Andy.
    
            P.s this noise has only just started to occur.
    
    >>
    
         
    slow down
    
    
    Richard

    He's done the wheel bearings, sounds like brake pads to me. change
    those, and see what happens. Are they Ferodo by any chance?
    
    Laurie.

	I think that they are Ferado.  I didn't change the pads 'cos they looked
	alright.  There was no metal showing through.  Maybe that is the next 
	thing.  A silly question though, how do I force in new (thicker) pads?
	Do I release the pressure by opening the bleed nipple?  When I first
	put the car back together, I didn't have this problem - no brake fluid
	at all!  By the way, can anyone recommend some pads?  The Marlin is 
	well stopped by the current ones, and I certainly do not need softer
	ones, as brake pedal feedback is soft as it is.

	Dave
	
	PS I took me around 1.5 hours to change the disks and ball joint 
	and just under 1 hour to change the bearings.  Is this a record?

>        A silly question though, how do I force in new (thicker) pads?
>	Do I release the pressure by opening the bleed nipple?  

*NO* Gently and carefully lever the pistons back into the cylinders with
a tyre lever or similar.

>       as brake pedal feedback is soft as it is.

This is probably because the brake system needs the air bleeding out.

A serious point, as brakes are pretty closely related to safety be careful when
taking the old pads out not to cause damage or looses any of the flat shims
or 'P' clips which must be refitted.

Nigel.

    I had Ferodo pads on the Frogeye, and they squealed like hell; really,
    really badly. I went to the local motor factors and they said Ferodo
    pads are often like that, aparently because they're cheap. I replaced
    them with Mintex, and all is well again.
    
    .-1 is quite correct, simply lever them back, one at a time. Watch out
    for the brake fluid level in the reservoir, it can spill over..... Work
    fast, as they tend to "spring" back, imperceptibly slowly....
    
    Laurie.

    
    Re .433
    
>        A silly question though, how do I force in new (thicker) pads?
>	Do I release the pressure by opening the bleed nipple?  

>*NO* Gently and carefully lever the pistons back into the cylinders with
>a tyre lever or similar.
    
    I have always found a small vise with rubber jaws very effective at
    this.
    
    I have always throught a tyre lever applies too much pressure at one
    point, and may damage the brake piston face IMHO. 
    
    Steve
    

>>    I have always throught a tyre lever applies too much pressure at one
>>    point, and may damage the brake piston face IMHO. 
    
    I use a pair of tyre levers.
    
    The first is placed flat across the piston, the second is used to
    apply force to the first, in about the centre of the piston area.
    This keeps the piston going straight.  If it tries to go skew, you
    soon find it going nowhere at all...
    
    J.R.

    I'm with John on this one, that's roughly what I do too.
    
    Laurie.

    I tend to use the pad itself to push the piston back. But if a dab hand
    with a hacksaw and welding equipment a small tool can be made. Two
    plates welded to 2 lengths of steel to form something like a pair of
    sheet welding clamps. When you squeeze the handles , the plates push
    out, if inserted into the calliper will push the pistons home. Not a 
    very good description but you get the Idea.
    
    
    Sqweeling pads, put copaslip on the back of the pad.
    
    
    
    Garry
    

    Two other points to remember....
    
    Don't push the brake pedal down with any of the pads out.
    
    If you replace pads one at a time (or in pairs), press the pedal down
    after the new pads are in, will reduce the level of fluid in the
    reservoir. Otherwise the risk is pushing all the pistons back in will
    cause the fluid ot overflow.
    
    JK
    

    A big pair of tin snips or footprints give the same effect as that 
    welded up thingy
    
    
    Ian.

	Actually, I have a spare set of "anti-rattle" plates, clips etc.  So, I
	intend to renew rather than replce.  I'm pretty sure that softness is 
	*not* due to air.  I've driven another Marlin and it felt pretty much
	the same.  The softness is due to the servo and to the extra brake pedal
	length (ie travel) over the original (ie Cortina).

	Anyhow, thanks for the advice, I'll follow it.  As for safety, I am 
	acutely aware of that.  When I built the car I replaced pretty much
	all the brake components (cylinders, pipes, slave cylinders etc).  I
	replaced the master cylinder a couple of years ago (via a note in this
	notes file, actually). 

	Dave

    
    re: squeek...
         have you checked the the suspension arms and springs. If it's got
    the original cortina wish bones and wide tyres then the  springs and
    dampers may have taken a bit of a hammering.
    
    
    Alan, ex cortina iiv, iv and v owner.....
    

	Yes, I have tried the suspension bits (stand on front bumper and jump
	up and down).  The car is somewhat lighter than the original and I
	replaced *all* the bushes and bearings when I built it.  However, the
	wheels are somewhat larger (15"x7"), so they will add more strain 
	(although they alloy and significantly lighter than the original).  Also,
	it corners much quicker than the original.  Another factor is that
	it runs on the original springs minus 2 loops.  This makes the front
	suspension have much less travel (= less wear?).  I've had many 
	interesting discussions on this subject with other kit and Marlin 
	owners - mostly we think that the front wheel bearings take most of
	the hammering.  It's also true to say that kit owners will be quicker
	to spot and fix worn things than the average Clone box driver, so things
	may not wear out faster at all, we're just sensitive to the car.

	Whilst I'm on the subject, does anyone know a garage handy for DECPark
	that can set up the steering geometry on a car with 15" wheels?

	Dave

        Can somebody tell me what engine was in the Sunbeam Tiger?
    
        Ian.

>        Can somebody tell me what engine was in the Sunbeam Tiger?
    
	I think it was a 4.7 litre US Ford V8.

	-John

	Yes, the Windsor 289 cid. I think in the earlier versions had the 260 
	cid V8.

	- Jyri -

    	Thanks for the replies. According to my lunchtime research the 
    	4.7litre engine was fitted in the last few (don't know how many)
    	Tiger II's. The bulk of the 7000 Tigers produced had the 4262cc
        Ford V8 pushrod OHV - developing 168bhp at 4000rpm. It must have
    	been quite a performer.
    
    	The next question: does anyone know what a Tiger is worth, both
     	with and without engine?
    
    	Ian.

A quick glance through the current issue of Hemmings Motor News shows
Tigers from approximately 8.5k to 30k US.

    	Thanks.  Sounds a bit expensive for what they are.  I know of the
    	existence of one, sans engine. I don't think I can afford it even
    	then!
    
    	Ian.

    Does anyone know of a six-seater car readily available in the UK?
    
    Please exclude estate cars. I'm thinking of a 3 in the front, 3 in the
    rear configuration.
    
    JK

    
    The only ones that are being produced today must be in the MPV
    Espace/Previa category I think?
    
    In olden days there were several cars that had bench front seats
    and auto transmissions that would allow you to seat six, for example
    Ford Zephyrs, Vauxhall Victors and Vauxhall Crestas. 

    Richard.

    I knew it was long shot, but I also know that models of this type are
    readily available in the US, plus Japanese manufacturers do variants
    that meet the spec, and there might just be one imported into the UK.
    
    JK

But you didn't need an automatic tranny to get seating for 6 - my father has
a '59 Zephyr convertible with '3 on the three' and you can squish 6 people
in the car, if they're friendly.......

Dave

    One thing I've always wondered -
    
    Who are the guys who stand by roundabouts at motorway junctions that
    hold up red and white trade plates ? Presumably they are waiting for
    a lift.
    
    Roy

Thewy are sent by garages to collect or deliver cars. For example, A vauxhall
dealer in Reading wants to sell a blue astra with x,y and z extras. Exactly this
car exists at a dealers in Oxford. They don't go and get a transporter for one
car, they send their man. The trade plates are used because the car will not be
insured, and may not even be registered, so they cover it with their own plates.

This is particularly common with lauries. (ooops, saurie lorry)

The man that does this is given x quid for an overnight stay and his trainfare
home. Hitching being reasonably easy, he then hitches home and hangs on to the
train fare. They hold up the plates to A) suggest their legit hitch-hikers and
not going to mug you, and b) so other trade drivers will pick them up.

M.

Roy,

when a new car has to be delivered to some distant location that doesn't
justify a car transported, strange men called "car delivery drivers" drive
these cars to the remote garage or whatever using trade plates (the car may
not yet be registered). The get an allowance to get them back home (by train
or whatever) but most prefer to keep the allowance and hitch-hike home.

They wave their trade plates around hoping to attract some other "car delivery
driver" on the outward journey (usually so that they can talk "car delivery
driver talk", like "i managed to get 7500rpm out of this Escort once, and it
wasn't even run in yet", and "phew, those gears don't half make a noise when
you jam it into reverse at 30mph"!!!) :-) :-)

mb

    
    Why do people indicate right when driving down a slip road to join the
    main motorway carriage ??
    
    Yeah I know it's common decency to warn other drivers but
    
    1. Surely they can/ought to see you coming
    2. Where else can you go but except right ??
    
    Rich
    

    
    Re: .455
    
        I knew this one. Honest...
    
    Re: .459
    
        Where else can they go? Switch right to left and then come to
        Brussels to see where else they can go.
    
    I think it's the "I've indicated so it's your responsibility if I cut
    in front of you causing an accident" type mentality.
    
    Chris
    
    

    Why do Pheasants insist on walking across the road why don't they fly?
    Yesterday one of these stupid birds caused chaos on the A339
    Basingstoke to Alton road. It survived the experience but nearly at the
    expense of a major RTA.
    
    Cheers...Norm

    People who cause accidents because of animals or birds should be done
    for dangerous driving.
    
    Laurie.

    
    Hit it. Scrape it off your grille. If it's not too flat have it for tea.
    
    Chris
    

    
    re: last few...
    
    Indicating when joining the motorway..... I do this along with many
    other curteous drivers... the reason is to highlight the vehicle and
    it's movements (same as indicating for lane changes, or don't you do
    that either), also the only thing that generally goes faster than me is
    light.....:-)
    
    re: pheasants....
        they don't care, because they know that if you kill them you have
    to leave them for the driver behind. Logic: you won't bother because
    you won't benefit from the dead birds meat (not they very rarely try it
    late at night when your the only one around.....
    
    
    Alan....
    Alan.

    Don't tell that to the truck drivers family who hit a swan at speed...
    
    Rob

	The pheasant was probably told by its parents that if it
	flew it would get shot.

	-John

    	Getting pheasants to fly these days is a tricky business,
    	they're just too domesticated. At a pheasant shoot, it is
        now often part of the beaters' job to throw the things up in the
        air.
    
        The idea of just running into them, and having them for lunch
        doesn't make sound economic sense. Just try it, you could be amazed
     	at exactly how much damage a pheasant can do to the front of an
    	average tin box at speed.
    
    	Ian.
        

    
    Indicating is exactly what the word implies. To give an indication to
    other road users of your intentions to manoeuvre. If you are going to
    be driving into the path of another driver, as in the previous examples
    of joining a motorway then it is your responsibility to ensure that you
    do so safely. Indicating does not give anybody a right to manoeuvre.
    
    Chris
    
    Yes, I indicate all the time. I will have to learn how to switch the
    things off sooner or later :-)
    

>>    Indicating is exactly what the word implies. To give an indication to
>>    other road users of your intentions to manoeuvre. If you are going to
>>    be driving into the path of another driver, as in the previous examples
>>    of joining a motorway then it is your responsibility to ensure that you
>>    do so safely. Indicating does not give anybody a right to manoeuvre.
    
    So what indication do the pheasants they start their manoeuvre ?
    
    
    Shaun.
    

    
    But surely it's not meant to be serious is it?
    
    Mark

    Indicating also asks the blind g*t in the inside lane to move over to
    the empty middle lane so you can pull out, without slamming on the
    ankers!

    Anyone got any comments on the Top Gear Article last night concerning
    age and driving...
    
    I support what they are trying to acheive, and would have no problems
    with having a compulsary eye test every five years, (I am still 30).
    
    But surely this should have been in place years ago.
    
    One other point, regarding indication....
    
    The misuse (or lack of use) of directional indicators must be, along with
    excessive speed with regard to road conditions, the most dangerous of
    our general bad habits.
    
    I do not think that this is soley due to age as suggested by Top Gear,
    but purely by bad practices.  I have had an accident where the other
    party involved gave a misleading indication, and this was a
    contributing factor to the accident. (I will admit however, that my
    assumtion that the other driver intended to turn where indicated was
    largely to blame for the accident)
    
    Bob

    
    Yep,
    
    It came as a real shock (said in best 'Ray' voice - What a personal
    disaster!) to find out that the old folks on Britain's roads are as 
    bad as the boy-racers about. Experience has shown this to be true in 
    the 12 or 13 years I've been driving.
    
    At the risk of being political (oh why not, every other form of
    communication is at the moment!), I wonder if we would have seen a 
    a compulsory eye test introduced by now under a different hued
    government? My wife is an optician and she has commented many times on 
    how few people (of any age) now have regular eye-tests compared to
    when they were free. Now this may be the average person's problem,
    being too mean to pay when they _can_ afford it, but wouldn't it be
    better to improve the standard of driver's vision by encouraging them
    to get their eye's tested (Not to mention the numerous diseases which
    can be detected through sight tests, but...).
    
    I think they _should_ reintroduce free sight (and dental - why pay for
    pain!?!?) checks for all and make a once every 3 year sight test compulsory
    (should be easy enough to administer - Every 3 years you get a reminder, 
    if within 3 months you haven't returned the ok from the optician you licence
    becomes automatically void). The vast majority of sight defects are
    easily corrected with lenses and if they can't be, what are you doing
    behind the wheel of a ton of 100mph capable steel!
    
    Mark

    
    I agree about compulsory sight tests... If you are not diagnosed as
    needing glasses etc while still at school, there is no reason to visit
    an optician, and sight often de-grades so slowly, that the brain, being
    the wonderfully accommodating machine that it is, will not notice!
    
    I _know_ I am short sighted, because for 99% of the time I am awake I
    can see properly ! If I'd never had corrected sight, I would probably have
    got used to my uncorrected vision, and wouldn't even know I had a problem!

    
    Re -1
    
     B****CKS........1. Your brain soon lets you know if you have a problem 
     with your vision eg. thumping sore heads and sore dry eyes.......these
     are a couple of symptoms of eye strain..........
                     2. Does this mean that we should get compulsory
     retested at our driving test so that our driving abilities doesn't
     reduce.....?
    
    
    Peter. 

    >>sight often de-grades so slowly... will not notice!
    
    I don't quite agree here. I consider that I still have good vision
    by the fact I can read signposts and car regs from a reasonable
    distance. Wouldn't you notice that your eye sight was getting worse
    by fuzzy sight or headaches.
    
    I was amazed by what they said on TG regarding the motorist that killed
    someone on a crossing when he was found to be blind in one eye and only
    had 20% vision in the other and he claimed he didn't even realise.
    He was later certified blind.
    
    Roy

    
    Re Last two
    
    The brain does adapt to failing eyesight, but only so far. If your
    eyesight was to suddenly get worse, you would be aware of it, but over
    time (as is the case with aging) you probably wouldn't know.
    
    I'd put driving with unchecked eyesight on a par with having a couple
    of pints of beer and then driving (you may be ok, but you'll never know
    until it's too late!). However, people who know they need glasses to
    drive, but don't wear them should be tied down in front of a juggernaut
    driven by a blindfolded bat! :^)
    
    Mark (Mr 20:10)

	Any comments on Top Gears suggestion that your driving license
	should be earned, and not a right. Should we have compulsory
	tests every five years?

	Graham

    
    Maybe, but it'd be an enormous overhead and do we _really_ want a
    nation of people who drive to DOT standard?
    
    Mark

    I think one of the earlier suggestion may well have the answer.
    
    Licencse renewal every 5 years, but optitions certificate necessary.
    
    After all you need a valid MOT to get Road Fund Lic., so if your car
    needs to be "Fit" for the road, how can anyone complain if you need to
    prove your "Fitness" to drive.
    
    Driving with impared vision, should be viewed as no different to
    driving whilst under the influence of drugs or booze.  Both impare your
    ability to drive safely!
    
    Bob (Maybe I am on my high horse today, but am getting sick of "poor"
    driving standards... yes I suppose this is subjective... but so am I)

    
    
    A lot of younger people have bad eyesight too...so is it really
    fair to pick on the older generation.........
    
    
    
    
    Peter.
    

    
    
    re -2
    
    
    Who has tested your driving and makes it so good that you
    can critisize others.......
    
    
    
    Peter.

    re .484
    
    As I said at the bottom of the note... it is subjective, ie. my
    opinion, which I am still entitled to have even if you disagree with
    it.  I do not concider my driving so great as to be beyond criticism,
    but I retain the right to observe and comment on my fellow road users!
    
    Bob

    
    	I'm still at the tender age of 18,and i know for a fact that there
    is no way that i would be able to drive without my glasses.Unfortunatly
    it means that in the summer when i went to put the tinted shades on
    that i've got to balance them on top of my driving glasses.
    
    	ANDY.....MUFC.
    

    
    Peter,
    
    While TG were talking about old people's ability to drive (horribly
    slow reactions, absent mindedness, etc), I doubt they meant to imply
    that only old people need their sight checked. Certainly I didn't 
    intend that implication. The regular eye checks should be compulsory
    for everyone who wants to drive. As someone said, if your car has to be 
    fit, so should you, but having your sight regularly checked has other
    benefits too.
    
    Mark

    
    Testing of older people is probably more relavent than younger
    people... for a start, someone of 18 has/should have been at school
    fairly recently, so would have needed to read from the blackboard, so
    may have noticed poor sight. Also, don't children still have eye tests
    at school?
    
    In Germany it states on your licence if that you should wear glasses,
    and it is an offence if you dont, _and_ I believe you are also required
    to carry spare glasses/lenses in your car; but I don't think there is 
    a requirement to be retested every few years.

    
    
    re -2
    
    I don't honestly believe that it can just be older people
    that have slow reactions and abscent mindedness.....so if 
    you have to be fit to drive should you go for a medical at
    somesort of predetermined time interval? Say when you M.O.T
    your car you should get a medical?.....and if you buy new what 
    happens then?
    
    Peter.     

    I'm not doubting the statistics but I'm saying there are younger
    people that come into this category and believe me i could name a 
    few.........and for the vain there are contact lenses.
    
     And out of curiousity how many times do you look in the mirror
     going down a country lane..........
    
    
    
    Peter.

    One aspect of this that no one is mentioned is that would be 
    politically impossible to implement any scheme that removed driving
    licences from significant numbers of people.
    
    Think about it. Many of these people now live by themselves. Public
    transport has been eroded by the widespread availability of cars, and
    to remove driving licences would be to condemn many people to a life of
    either immobility, or dependancy on relative or friends.
    
    However good the intention, no one would have the guts to implement
    such a scheme.
    
    JfK

    
    Re .492
    
    You're probably right. As usual the retards who 'run' this country are 
    more interested in their own re-election than in making the roads a 
    safer place.
    
    Mark

    
    re: .490
    
    > The biggest 
    > (and really unavoidable) problem is that eyesight DOES deteroiate over the 
    > years and the rate of deterioation is so slow that your eyesight may be 
    > terrible before you realise there is a real problem. Vanity is a big 
    > problem, a lot of people just don't like wearing glasses and would rather 
    > not think about whether their eyesight is failing, but this could be
    > leading to a large number of accidents (although the virtually blind
    > man they spoke of is, I expect, an extreme case).          
    
    First, there IS an age related eye condition which affects very many
    people. This is called 'prestbyopia' and consists of a herdening of the
    material of the lens of the eye, so that being less flexible it reduces
    the eye's ability to 'accomdate' (or change its effective focal
    length).
    This condition typically starts to occur after the age of 40-45 and on
    most normally-sighted people the main effects reduced ability to
    resolve detail close to the eye, especially in low light conditions.
    There is no cure, treatment consists of using reading glasses when
    difficulties are experienced.
    
    Second, there is an eye condition which is much more common in the 
    elderly (though not restricted to them). This condition is a 'Cataract'
    in which the lens becomes partially or even completely opaque.
    The treatment for this condition is surgery, the lens must be removed
    and (usually) replaced with a prosthesis (a plastic lens fitted in
    place of the natural lens). In this case the effect is similar to that
    of severe prestbyopia (see above), normal sight should be good but
    glasses will be required for all close work. The treatment is normally
    very successful.
    
    Third, there are various eye conditions which can cause partial or
    total loss of vision, including 'Macular degeneration (of the retina)',
    'Diabetic retinopathy (a loss of retinal function)', various proplems
    of the optic nerve. The two most common however, are 'Glaucoma' and
    'Retinal detachment'. Glaucoma consists of an increase of intra-ocular
    pressure and is (usually) caused by some blockage of the drainage 
    mechanisms which exists to control the pressure. There are two forms,
    acute and chronic. In the acute form pressure rise can be quite sudden
    and large and can cause rapid loss of vision, often accompanied by
    headache etc., while the chronic form often arises gradually ove r a
    long period with a gradual loss of vision. Both forms are treatable
    either with drugs or surgery to remove blockages from the drainage 
    structures.
    Retinal detachment, means the the (light sensitive) retina becomes
    partly or wholy detached from the back of the eye. It may be a result
    of trauma or it may be spontaneous. Treatment is usually by some form
    of surgery (including laser or cryogenic treatment). Success is
    variable, but in the hands of one of the (rather few) experts in this 
    field are improving with new techniques.
    All these conditions can occur at any age, although most are more
    likely in older patients.
    
    Sorry for the long note, but there is much rubbish talked about eye
    conditions. The source of my knowledge - my wife used to be the ward
    sister on an opthalmic unit.
    
    Mike H.
    
    

    
    Did anyone hear any details about the accident on the A287 near Odiham
    this morning? It looked very bad.
    
    Mark

    
    A mate of mine is going for a job with Snap-On Tools.
    
    All we know is that they make rinky-dink socket sets that have a
    lifetime guarantee, are American and thats about it.
    
    Anybody know any more ??
    
    Cheers in advance
    
    Rich
    

    They're damned good tools, but very expensive.
    
    The vans visit garages and workshops, main dealers included, and sell
    tools to the people that work there. They also visit motor factors and
    accessory shops. Heavily commission-based, I should think.
    
    Laurie.

    A friend of my brother used to have a franchise - but gave up when the
    recession started, as his sales went down. The tools are excellent, but
    you pay a lot for them, so it is one way for garages etc to cut costs
    in the short term. Maybe when/if business picks up again, the sales
    opportunities will increase. 

    I think you have to buy your stock 'up front' - so it's up to you what
    to have in  the van, and then 'special order' anything else, so the
    initial investment is quite high.

    Elaine 

Recently in the US, Snap-On started selling mail order. They have a toll
free number and you just call up and tell them what you want, give a
credit card number and they ship....painless....until the bill comes!

There is a catalog available for $5.00 (refundable on first order). Shows
everything they have...some things are pretty exotic....like front end
alignment machines. All are expensive. They even have Whitworth sizes in
some sockets and spanners!

I have a few Snap-On tools acquired over the years. One thing about them
is that they 'feel' better in use than most other brands. Hard to explain
if you haven't used them.

    Almost all 'professional' engineers use Snap-On tools, take a look in
    any aircraft maintenance facility. They not only 'feel better', they
    are probably the best. They do last, although heavy use of their 3/8"
    drive ratchet will wear it out, though they do (still ?) supply a
    repair kit which is not too expensive. 
    
    I have a lot of Snap-On gear, I use it on aero-engines and airframes (I
    bought it in the days when I ran a small garage repair workshop).
    
    There is a French brand called FACOM which looked to be similar
    quality, I don't have personal experience of it, does anyone else?
    
    Snap-On gets my vote!
    
    Nigel

    Yeh , I've used Facom. They are looked upon in the same light as
    snap-on , but I don't thing the spanners anyway have that feel.
    To be honest they look like any other spanner they don't have the
    finish, if you lined up many different spanners and were asked to 
    pick out a facom from the rest , you might. To me snap-on stand out in
    the crowd.
    
    Garry

I've used Snap-on, Stahwillie and Koken tools. I ended up using the German tools
because they were cheaper and still had the quality. Nothing could compare to
the "fell" of the American tools however. I loved the Snap-on spanners and have
a range of their screwdrivers. They've lasted well, as have the Stahwillie 
tools....

    Yesterday I saw and a classic example of how people try to take the
    mik with snap-on tools. I had popped in to see the man and get some
    odds and ends. Someone turned up with Heeled pry bar ( the sort that
    have a heel one end and a podger the other) The tip of the podger was
    broken off and the shaft of the tool bend. If that had been used for
    the purpose intended I fail to see how you damage it . Needless to say 
    that tool was not changed. The other was a socket with a bulge in the
    middle, no damage at either end. I would love to see someone explain
    how that happened using it for the purpose intended. I suspect it was
    used as a drift in a hydralic press. These are not isolated cases.
    
    
    Garry  
    

    
    RE. 496
    
    Slight white lie - the 'mate' in question is the wife.
    
    She is now the accounts/admin manager for the Southern Reginol Office
    based in Blazingsmoke.
    
    Please form an orderly queue for samples !!
    
    P.s. Apparently there is nothing to stop anyone from simply walking
    into the Blazingsmoke warehouse and buying whatever they want/need.
    It's just not blantantly advertised that you can do so
    
    Cheers for all the info.
    
    Rich
    

	Re: .508

	Could you please explain to a stupid foreigner what is 
	Network Marketing?

	- Jyri -

    Network Marketing, or Networking.
    
    Individual businesses that are insignificant by themselves but which
    collectively attract the attention and services of major corporations.
    In this way individuals, that is you in your own business, can work
    with and obtain the services and backup of professional corporations.
    
    The Network that I am associated with uses Philips, Ford, Sony,
    Nutrilite, Amway Corporation, Coca-Cola, Chevron, BUPA, Swan National,
    Interflora, National Panasonic. Perhaps you have heard of some of these
    corporations?
    
    80% of the population has never heard of Networking (yet) which is
    another reason why it will not saturate in our children's children's
    lifetime. You might want to avail yourself of a book called "Megatrends" 
    by John Naisbett. In that book he outlines three major social revolutions 
    to hit society :-
    
    1. The industrial revolution.
    2. The Information Technology revolution.
    3. A prediction that by the end of this decade between 55%-65% of all
       goods and services will be distributed via Networks rather than by
       traditional outlets.
    
    Ian
    

    I still am not clear......
    
    Could you give an example of the product/business that uses Networking.
    
    Also, what does "uses" mean with regard to the big Corporations
    
    Tnks,
    
    JfK

    Network Marketing is the latest term for Pyramid Selling....
    
    The idea being that you (at the top of the pyramid) get say..2 people
    to sell for you and take a percentage commission of those sales..
    
    They then get say..2 people each and take a commission of their sales and
    you take a commission of that as well...so you are getting commission
    from 6 people already...
    
    The second two then get 2 people each to sell for them...and so you
    have 14 people selling...and you take a % commission...etc etc etc.....
    
    So the person at the top of the pyramid makes loads of money for no effort 
    and the ones at the bottom are out slogging their guts out....
    
    It's a brilliant marketing concept...._IF_ you are high enough up the
    "pyramid".....
    
    

    Most recent users of Network Marketing/Pyramid Selling/Multi Level
    Marketing:
    
    Amway....household cleaning products
    
    L'Arome (Echoes)....perfumes

    But what the hell does all this have to do with Cars.!!!!
    
    
    Hutch

RE: .510;

I've heard some of these stock Network Marketing phrases before.

So if someone says

"..., you'd need a check up from the neck up"

"never assume, you make an ass out of u & me"

"you never fail to plan, you plan to fail"

or other asinine, self confident phrases, you know they work for Amway.

I must admit, I usually get my bottles of Coca Cola from the Supermarket.

Never yet been approached by a Network Marketeer.

Mark.

    
    Why isn't there a topic 13? Are the moderators superstitious?
    
    Chris
    

>>	Re .511

>>    I still am not clear......
>>    Could you give an example of the product/business that uses Networking.

	As the next reply suggests, Amway and L'Arome are two well known
	examples but there are many others. You sometimes see leaflets for
	burglar alarms, hand barrier creams, water softeners, fizzy drinks
	makers etc in your letter box. Some of these companies are networking
	organisations. I would not recommend dealing with outfits that you
	don't know or don't have a proven successful track record over many
	years. In my network you can only be personally sponsored so you do
	"know" the person. If that person has credibility then you can have
	credibility in the organisation quite quickly. I was sponsored by a
	Senior Manager in Digital.

>>    Also, what does "uses" mean with regard to the big Corporations

	This means that the corporation does the product design and manufac-
	ture, promotion, marketing plans, warehousing, market research and
	product distribution. In a normal company of your own you might have
	to do this on your own (depending on your line of business of course).
	People in Networks use these corporate resources and pass products
	through their personal network. It's like a tying together of amateurs
	(folks like myself with no previous business knowledge) and corporate
	professionals.


>>	Re .512    
>>      Network Marketing is the latest term for Pyramid Selling....

	I know what you mean, I felt the same way when I was first shown the
	plan. The person who showed me the plan had sufficient credibility to
	cause me to properly check it out. The pyramid selling act came into
	effect in 1973 to outlaw the kind of "pyramid selling operations"
	that you allude to. Such organisation cannot and do not survive today.
	You need to differentiate between a pyramidal organisation model eg
	the Church, Digital, The Army, The Government (in fact any company
	over a certain size assumes a "pyramidal" shape) and the kind of
	rip-off that you seem to have in mind. As a matter of side-interest
	Amway was instrumental in bringing in the 1973 legislation and one
	of the founders, Jay van Andel, has been past-president of the US
	Chamber of Commerce. Pyramid operations typically don't have any
	actual products they just deal in junk-bonds or "newsletters" etc.
    
>>     The idea being that you (at the top of the pyramid) get say..2 people
>>     to sell for you and take a percentage commission of those sales..
    
	In a network you are at the top of your own business, not part of some-
	one else's business (or pyramid). Commissions are only paid out by the
	corporate supplier, eg Amway or L'Arome. There are no payments what
	so ever from the people in your network. You are describing a pyramid
	operation not a network. Anyone earning more money than you has simply
	been doing the business longer.

>>    They then get say..2 people each and take a commission of their sales and
>>    you take a commission of that as well...so you are getting commission
>>    from 6 people already...

	In a network you don't get commission from the people in your network,
	you only get paid by the corporate supplier based on the volume of
	products flowing through your network. You are describing a pyramid
	operation not a network.
    
>>    The second two then get 2 people each to sell for them...and so you
>>    have 14 people selling...and you take a % commission...etc etc etc.....

	Becoming tedious now.
    
>>    So the person at the top of the pyramid makes loads of money for no 
>>      effort and the ones at the bottom are out slogging their guts out

	There is no-one at the top since it is not a pyramid except yourself
	in your own business. The problem with your argument here is that you
	have taken a static snapshot. At anyone point in time there will be
	people earning substantial incomes and others (newcomers) who have
	not yet made a penny. Project your picture forward by say 12 months
	and those newcomers will be earning substantial incomes. Did you
	earn a substantial salary the first day you started work ?
    
>>    It's a brilliant marketing concept...._IF_ you are high enough up the
>>    "pyramid".....

	It is a brilliant marketing concept. It's been going since 1959 in
	50 countries around the world and we have 1 million distributors in
	their own networking businesses. Again using Amway as an example they
	are the 5th largest privately owned corporation in the world and have
	won coveted United Nations awards for their environmental care programs
	and quality control. Would a "pyramidal" rip-off last that long?

	Hey guys, this is nothing to do with Motoring. My response was merely
	in response to the note on "snap-on" franchises. I also keep my own
	business completely separate from Digital business. We should therefore
	stop this now. 

	I'm in the book if anyone wants to continue this OFFLINE.

	Ian

    
    Re. 496 .507
    
    Funny old world ain't it ?
    
    The company the wife is leaving to join Snap-On is a network marketing
    company. She works in the Corporate headquarters for want of a better
    description. 
    
    She's had enough over the last year of the lack of ethics, both personal
    and business, to warrant her leaving for a slightly less well paid job. 
    My wife has a well developed sense of whats right and whats wrong and
    finds it impossible to lie. I've had enough of her coming home at night 
    in tears because of work related incidents.
    
    Anyway moderator hat on - can we call this a day and re-focus our
    conversation on those things we all luv, Brrrmmmm-brrmmms
    
    Rich
    

    In the interests of an "orderly" close down of this topic, can you
    tell us who the Network Marketing company was, or mail me privately
    with the name?
    
    In all businesses and all walks of life you get the occasional rogues,
    I'd like to know who to steer clear of.
    
    Ian
    
    

Anyone know what the new toll is for the Severn Bridge?

thanks,


...Art

Anybody know if the following constitues an MOT failure, and/or right-off ...

The cars is an '84 Renault 9. It has has a front end smash. Looking
under the bonnet, there appear to be three box-sections, one on each
side low down, and one across the front, joining the other two together.

The crash has caused the two side box sections to kink VERY slightly.
This is only noticable due to the paint flaking off where the kinks are.

The front suspension on the car appears to be some sort of sub-frame,
attached to the floor of the car near the bulk-head, but I can't make 
out if it is attached to the front box section or not (although it looks
likely).

The car drives strait, and there is no sign of crabbing.

Question: will the kinks in the box-sections be considered to be an MOT
          failure ?

    Does anybody know how to convert Newtons per Metre to Pounds per Foot ?
    
    Shaun (With a confusing handbook !)
    

Don't Hayne's workshop manuals have a conversion table?

Colin.

Anyone got the precise conversion rate between kilometres and miles - somewhat
more accurate than 5/8ths?

Steve

    1 mile = 1.609 km

Re: .526

1 Newton = 0.224809 lbf (Units of force)
1 lbf (pound force) = 4.44822N

The unit Newtons per metre doesn't exist in my Bosch Automotive handbook,  the
only reference is to Newtons/m etc.. is in a unit of pressure rather than unit 
of force ie. 1 N/m2 = 1Pa

_Richard

    If you carry out your own basic servicing; oil change etc, how does
    that effect the service history of a car?
    
    Dougie
    

    Dougs, it doesn't, if you know someone at the local dealership who will
    stamp your service book (and warranty book too). I now service my own
    car and get the books stamped. Very cost effective and you know a good
    job has been done :-)
    
    Gary.

Re: .524

>      Wonder if I'd be better off going M40 or M4 to the Black Mountains 
>    Brecon Beacons area this w/e? (Starting from around M4/M25 junction)
    
It all depends on whether you want the fastest or cheapest journey.

For most of South Wales it makes financial sense to go M4 to Swindon, then
up to Gloucester and whichever direction is than appropriate to your
destination.

jb

    re: .532
    
    This friend at the dealership will have their job on the line
    if they are found out.
    
    If I bought a car with service history and it had a dealer stamp
    for a service, I was expect that dealer to of carried a full service
    _not_ that some bod had just changed the oil (no offense Dougie :-) )
    
    Roy

    Oi I change the oil & oil filter every 3,000 miles and bung in Mobil 1
    synthetic gook. I also replace the spark plugs, air filter and fuel
    filter every 6,000. Not to mention spraying all the electrical
    connections with WD40, greasing the battery terminals. Tightening the
    exhaust/turbo manifold nuts, and all the little jobs dealers don't have
    time for or couldn't be bothered doing.
    
    If you want to pay them vast amounts then you can. Alternativelt you
    can look in your service book, see what is SUPPOSED to be done, do it,
    and then all the other little things besides. If you can't be bothered
    then dump it in the dealers.
    
    People who service their own cars should look after them better (if
    they know what they are doing I suppose).
    
    Gary.

    
    Maybe, but how are we to know that you _really_ do all that?
    
    Personally, I don't doubt it for one minute and maybe the person who
    bought the car from you may be convinced by your enthusiasm and
    sincerity, but what about the person who buys the car from him? How
    will he know that you _really_ did all this work? What if he decides 
    to ring the dealer to check you really had the work done there and they
    bother to check and say 'No, never heard of him!'?
    
    Dealers don't always do a good job and do cost a lot and if you really 
    know what you're doing and take care you can do a better job, but if 
    you're buying a car that you don't know the history of at least you can
    argue the toss, when the manufacturer claims that "That's what you get 
    for not having it serviced by our dealers!".
    
    Mark

Out of interest when you DIY a service, how to you:

Tune the engine
Do the tracking, wheel balancing

and all the other stuff which dealers have fancy machines for!

Cheers,

Greg

    I take it to the BBR technician for tuning and a reputable optical
    equipment using tyre dealer to set the tracking and balance the wheels
    on a computer controlled balancing machine.
    
    Gary.

>    Does anybody know how to convert Newtons per Metre to Pounds per Foot ?
 
	
	A newton per metre is a Joule.

	A foot-pound is the energy required to raise 1 pound up 1 foot.

	any closer?

	Heather-who wonders if you can compare Newtons to pounds, isn't a 
	newton ikg per sec per sec?

RE: .539

I found the following

1pdl (poundal) = 0.138255N = force which accelerates a mass of 1lb by 1 ft/s/s

A Newton meter N.m  (Moment of force) is equal to 1 Joule = 1 W.s = 1 kg.m2/s2

Chinese eh?

_Richard

I found the following

1pdl (poundal) = 0.138255N = force which accelerates a mass of 1lb by 1 ft/s/s

A Newton meter N.m  (Moment of force) is equal to 1 Joule = 1 W.s = 1 kg.m2/s2

Chinese eh?


nope, all explained................

their is a conversion rate for    poundal to Newton

                 ie pound per sec per sec to Kg per sec per sec    1:0.138255

		
their must be one for a foot-pound       to   joule
		ie poundal over a foot   to   Newton over a meter
	

However, the orriginal question was for a newton per meter to pound per foot,
which seems rather odd............should it be to poundal per foot?
		
Heather - bet you wish you didn't ask!!!!!!!!!

    Wow !
    
    All I wanted to do was to compare torque figures in my handbook (quoted
    in newtons per metre) to how it is normally quoted (I thought it was
    pounds per foot !)
    
    Thanks for the help
    
    
    Shaun.
    

    torque is Newton metres or Foot Pounds. This is not the same as Newtons
    per metre  and Pounds per Foot !
    
    Andrew

    
    
    
    1Newton = 9.82Kg
    1Kg = 2.205 Lb
    
    from which: 1Newton = 9.82 x 2.205 = 21.65 Lb
    
    1 Metre = 100 cm
    1 inch = 2.54 cm
    
    from which 1 Metre = 100/12 x 2.54 = 3.28 Ft
    
    therefore 1 Newton Metre = 21.65 x 3.28 = 71 Lb Ft
    
    All from memory. E&OE
    
    John
    

    Andrew,
    
    Re: .544 - you're right.  I realised the error after I'd pushed the
    button and didn't have time to go back to it.  Glad some one spotted
    it.
    
    Regards,
    
    John
    

    There's approximately one order of magnitude between Newtons and Kilos
    which makes things confusing. Very often people talk of DaN (decaNewton
    or 10N) when they mean kilos. 

>>                        -< Buy a metric torque wrench! >-
    
    Question was raised to convert from the figures quoted in Shaun's
    Porsche handbook to those more commonly quoted in the U.K. (lb/ft).
    
    I wonder if he'd like a torque wrench bolted onto his rear wheel ?   ;-)
    
    As for the explanations/conversions listed, have we reached a simple
    and correct formula now - following typos etc. ?
    
    J.R.

    
    	Morning all!
    		Last night when I drove off the motorway,and changed from
    5th to 4th,the car seemed to chug.It also happened when I pulled away
    from the traffic lights at the roundabout(This is J12 of the M4 by the
    way)I accelerated off and changed into second,and the car seemed to
    jurk.It wasn't running extra hot.
    			Any ideas????
    
    
    			Andy.....I'm back again.......
    

    
    Correct me if I'm wrong but I think this problem can occur
    when the engine is very hot and petrol is evaporating while
    passing through the inlet manifold thereby causing fuel
    starvation.
    
    This happens ever so slightly on my Alfa but most of the problem
    is eradicated due to the usage of rubber flanges between the two
    carbs and the cylinder head. The rubber compound even when hot
    does not evaporate the fuel as it passes through.
    
    Any other ideas.?
    
    JN.

>>    I wonder if he'd like a torque wrench bolted onto his rear wheel ?   ;-)
    
    Does anydody have a torque wrench calibrated upto 200+ footals per
    metre cubed per second ?
    
    Shaun.
    
    

    
    
    Does anyone know the MD of Porsche and the head office business
    address ? 
    
    I have Dr Ing. h c. F Porsche, Aktiengesellscaft, Porschestr
    42, 7000 Stuttgart 40. but I thought some one else was now in charge.
    
    Thanks Garry,
    

Yes, the Lada sedan is based on the 124.  The coupe's rear window has
more of a rake to it than the sedan's, but not a hatchback like the 128 3P.

Dave

	I have seen a couple Ladas equipped with Fiat 1800 twin cam engine, and
	even one with a turboed 1800 TC.

	Makes a nice surprice to some BMW driver ;')

	- Jyri -

    
    Wasn't the 124 Coupe radically different in appearance to the saloon?
    
    More like the Peugeot 504 Coupe in appearance, I believe. It was the
    model rallied prior to the Stratos (I think).
    
    Mark

    -1
    
    I think you're right, smaller than the Peugeot and not dissimilar to
    the Lancia Fulvia.
    
    Chris

    the 124 looked like the ORIGINAL Lada, slightly smaller and even more
    boxy than the current. The current Lada's are more or less based on the
    fiat 125's.
    
    Richard (who had an original eon's ago!)

    
    Does anyone have the new Classics and Sportscar magazine (The one with
    the Daimler Dart on the front)?
    
    If you do could you mail me with the telephone number of their back
    orders department? Also could you confirm that it was the Jan '86 issue
    with the Marcos GT article (It says under the picture of each magazine
    what they contain.)
    
    Hopefully,
    
    Mark

    
    Following on from the previous note.
    
    Does anyone have the Dec '86 issue of Classic and Sportscar magazine,
    either that they'd be prepared to part with (for the price of a current
    issue) or, if you don't want to break up a collection (which I could
    easily understand), that they'd be prepared to photocopy the article
    on Marcos GTs from and send to me?
    
    Unfortunately, my cheque for a back issue was returned yesterday with a
    note that the issue is no longer available.
    
    Thanks, in advance.
    
    Mark

    I could look it out tonight, but I'm not back in until Monday. I'll
    xerox it if you let me know your mailstop.
    
    MAILbus - Steve Rice @OLO
    DECnet  - WARNUT::RICE

    Anyone know of shops/suppliers that may be able to sell me a model
    of a Lancia Stratos or two (plastic, resin, metal, whatever) ?
    
    J.R.

    
    J.R.
    
    Try this chap.
    
    Ed Mcdonough
    9 Green lane
    Wooton
    Northants NN4 0HG
    
    TEL : 0604 766645
    
    This guy is the AROC club chairman but also specialises in Model
    cars either complete or in kit form. Judging by the amount of stuff
    he can get his hands on I expect that he will be able to help you.
    
    Going by the price list I have in front of me it looks expensive
    but then I don't know what I'm talking about.
    
    JN.
    
    P.S. Know anyone who wants to buy an Alfa Romeo Guilietta ??

Tamiya should make a kit for the Stratos.  The one I had didn't go together too
well (which makes me wonder if it was Tamiya, since their stuff is usually
top-notch) so I ended up stuffing the V6/tranny unit in the back of a Fiat
X1/9 model!  Both kits were 1/24th scale and I still have the decal sheet from
the Statros, so from that I can see who made the kit.

Dave

    
    Tamiya made a model of the Group 5 Stratos (with somewhat radical
    bodywork) in 1:24 scale. There was at least one other kit in this scale
    of a more standard Stratos, not sure of the maker.
    
    Amongst the tiny 1:43 scale there are a number of exceedingly expensive
    and detailed models of all kind of Stratii in plastic and metal, both
    in kit form and fully built.
    
    Best bet is to contact one of the specialist model car shops (there
    used to be an excellent one near the castle in Windsor).
    
    Mark

    
    	Hi all,
    		My Astra has decided to start running hot (again).I have a
    suspicion as to what it could be,can any of you knowledgable people
    help justify or critisise my theory.
    		Here goes.
    			I think that it could be my air filter getting old
    and choking the engine,my fuel consumption is also suffering
    slightly.If it's not my air filter,could the problem be blamed upon my
    air-filter cover (which uses a flap that lets in cold-hot air according
    to the amount of throttle  given) the cover makes quite a lot of noise
    (rattling at certain revs),or could it be blamed on petrol???
    
    
    	Open for ideas!
    
    
    		Thanks in advance!
    			Andy.
    

Andy,

Air filter blockage.... Most unlikely, this would cause an over rich mixture due
to lack of air,  this leads to cold and very lumpy running.

Air inlet flap.... Most unlikely,  this only assists with cold weather to allow
exhaust manifold ...

The most probable cause is timing or weak mixture.  Fuel quality can affect
engine temperature,  but I wouldn't have thought it would make large amounts
of difference if you don't buy reallo cheapo fuel.

_Richard

    
    RE.last 2
    	Thanks for the replies.I use BP petrol and i've had no complaints
    for the car,just a running temperature difference.
    
    	Thanks again!
    		Andy.
    

    
    Morning all,
    		Just a thought,if I adjust my mixture and the idling speed
    drops does this mean I have made the mixture weaker or stronger?
    
    	I know i'm troublesome,but i'm only a beginner.
    
    	Andy......L PLATE...
    

    Hi Andy,
    
    	The rattle from the air intake nossle is a very common problem on
    Astra's, but it is not a problem that will in any way effect the air
    flow. The problem is because the bi-metallic plate inside the nossle
    needs to be able to move, and the locating pins that pass through the
    side of the nossle are more often than not to lose, hence the rattle. 
    BEWARNED. Replacing the nossel assembly will not necessarly cure the
    problem, but it will make your wallet lighter. Something I tried to
    lessen the rattle was to place greese between the locator pin heads and
    the nossle.
    
    Neil   

    
    	Cheers Neil,
    		I've noticed on my friends Astra SR that his filter cover
    also rattles.As you've suggested a very common fault.
    
    		Thanks again,i'll try the grease,and then i'll put it on my
    filter cover  ;-)
    
    	Andy.

    Ideling speed down = weaker mixture
    
    Paul 

    RE: last
    
    Idle speed getting lower may not be a weaker mixture.  As a matter
    of a fact its PROBABLY a richer mixture.
    
    If you plot the idle speed (on the X axis) with a varied fuel mixtures,
    (on the y axis) the function looks like this...  As the fuel mixture is
    enriched, the idle speed increases quickly (steep slope) until a flat
    spot is reached (at about 11% fuel to air) the flat spot lasts for a
    while (until about 15% fuel to air) and then the idle speed drops
    again, but the slope is not as steep as on the "lean" end of the graph.
    
    Unless the mixture dropped alot, I would say its too rich.  This could
    be caused by a dirty air filter or other crap getting into the
    carburetter or Fuel Injection system.
    
    For what its worth, most cars have the mixture set to about 12.5% for
    emissions reasons, but the optimal power mixture is closer to 14%.
    
    -Al
    

    Quick question, does it matter if diesel OIL is put into a petrol
    engine, should I drain or will it be ok?
      (dont ask why please)
    

    Why? :^)
    
    Gary.

>    Quick question, does it matter if diesel OIL is put into a petrol
>    engine, should I drain or will it be ok?
>      (dont ask why please)
    
depends on whether you tried to start the vehicle or not.....


if you did, it's expensive (very) engine apart job, if you didn't it's just a
matter of getting the tank cleaned out (steam cleaned is best). 


diesel is very corrosive and petrol engines are not designed to cope with that.

    I should have known someone would say why, but the reason is i have a 
    diesel car and a petrol car and a petrol lawnmower, the one which uses
    oil most is the diesel, so i am accustomed to buying oil for it, as i
    was pre-occupied t thee time with getting milk, lollypops etc and
    keeping the kids inside the car, i picked it up agreed with myself
    "hmm diesel" and bought it. Not much of a reason eh?
    Can anyone answer my question, do I have to drain or will it be ok,
    no guesses please.
        

    It was diesel OIL and not fuel i put into the sump, am i still in
    trouble? BTW i did start it.
    

ah, diesel oil....don't know...probably wouldn't hurt it too much...check the 
relative densities of the oil.


I don't know what, if any, additive diesel oil might have...

    Hmm I'm not certain what it will have done to your engine - if
    anything. But I would drain the oil out and bung in some new petrol ;-)
    
    Maybe you should use some engine flush before draining out the old oil
    and replacing it with new stuff. I used it on my car and the engine is
    very clean on the inside.
    
    Gary.

    Is that not what "Afur Daley" types do to deaden the sound of old
    second hand car Engines ? As the Diesel oil is thicker.
    
    I would guess just an oil+filter change should do the trick.
    
    Paul

I use exactly the same oil for my diesel van and petrol car - they've got the
same SAE requirements, and pose no problems. In fact, here in Switzerland, I
have never seen a special diesel oil.

Cheers

Steve

    
    Can anyone tell me what percentage my CO meter should read.
    	I drive an Astra 1.6 SR.
    
    		Thanks in advance
    
    
    	Andy..
    

    Dunno about an Astra 1.6 SR, but BBR set mine at 1%.
    
    Gary.

    
    I'm thinking of sticking some Redex through my mum's carborettor on her
    Rover 213.According to the instructions it says that you must set the
    carb to fast idle,firstly can anyone tell where the idle speed adjust
    screw is?,and secondly as she doesn't have a tacho how do I judge what
    is fast idle?
    		Thanks!
    			Andy....
          R.E-1
    
    
    P.S. Cheers Gary

    Andy just dig about around the carb and find any screw that looks as
    though it might turn with your fingers and give it a twist while the
    engine is running.  If the revs rise or fall then you know you have
    found it.  Maybe you could just get the engine on choke (which will
    give you a fast idle) and dump in the Redex then? Only prob is that if
    it's an auto-choke, then it will turn itself off when the engine warms
    up :-/
    
    Gary.

Andy,

The fast idle can usually be set with the throttle stop screw and a cam onto which
it normally rests.

The normal method is to pull throttle cable and get engine revving,  then move a cam
onto which the screw normally rests,  hold the cam and then release throttle cable.
This will allow the stop screw to rest in a higher place and keep the engine revving
at something like 1500-2000rpm.  The cam is normally loose and designed to allow it
to fall back to normal place when you next 'blip' the throttle.

At least that is how it was on my old Opel,  I vaguely remember these old archaic
methods of delivering fuel called carburators! ;-)

_Richard

    
    
    God,i'm always in this note.
    
    	Does erratic idling and sudden speed bursts point to a faulty Fuel
    pump? If not can you suggest what might.
    
    	Cheers.
    		Andy..The small question king....
    

    How about a fuel pipe blockage ??
    
    Barry
    

    
    	Is this strange or what?
    		Last night I replaced two HT leads as there were getting
    old.And this morning I stopped at work and had pre-ignition.This
    problem of pre-ignition has reared it's ugly head again,could it be
    because i've got two new HT leads?
    
    
    	Thanks in advance.
    	
    			Andy.....This confuses me....
    

    Whats pre-ignition ??
    
    BArry
    

    
    Barry,
    	Pre-ignition is when you turn the car off,but it continues to run
    on for a short burst.It's apparently caused by petrol igniting in the
    chamber,this is caused by a miss fire.
    		Do you think that the different resistance of the HT leads
    could course this to occur?
    		
    	Andy.
    

Andy,

>    Pre-ignition is when you turn the car off,but it continues to run
>    on for a short burst.It's apparently caused by petrol igniting in the
>    chamber,this is caused by a miss fire.

Sort of!

What you describe is running-on caused by auto-ignition, this is usually 
caused by carbon deposits on the head which are glowing,  and naff
petrol which is low in octane rating.

Pre-ignition/Pinking usually occurs under load and is extremely destructive 
to pistons etc...

With all these problems,  why not get another car? ;-)

_Richard

    If you do have pinking/pre-ignition/running-on problems, I do not
    think that new HT leads are likely to have any effect on this.
    
    If the engine is old, it may be in need of a decoke, or better
    quality petrol - as already suggested.
    
    J.R.

    
    Richard,
    
    	I put Redex through my spark plug points,and all I got for my
    trouble was a lot of white smoke(would I be right in saying that if I
    had a great deal of carbon then the smoke would be grey.?)
    
    	Any idea about the different HT leads?Because up to this morning
    she had been running very well.(even if I did have to reduce the basic
    idling speed to stop pre-ignition)
    
    	Andy..
    

    RE.599
    	The engine is 1987 with 55000 miles on the clock.
    
    >Better quality petrol.
    
    	Can you suggest anything better than BP petrol?
    Andy..
    

    
    	O.K here goes.
    
    		Last night I replaced two of my HT leads,and when I arrived
    at work this morning I had over-run(pre-ignition)I just wondered
    whether it was due to the fact that I had replaced the HT leads,these
    leads are different to the ones I have on at the moment (UNIPART as
    opposed to someother make).I use leaded 4 star by the way.
    
    	I hope this puts you in the picture.
    
    		Andy...Perhaps i'll murder it..
    

Andy,

It sounds like you suffer from a similar problem to me... Fiddling with cars!
If it works,  don't fix it!

....Anyway.

The leads will make NO difference to auto-ignition.
You might have disturbed the distributor whilst changing the leads.

Check that the distributor lock nut is tight and that the distributor cannot
move without it being loosened off.

Check that when the engine is at idle (approx 800/900 rpm) if you suck on the
vacuum hose from distributor,  the engine speed rises slightly.  To do this follow
the hose from the distributor to the inlet manifold and disconnect at the manifold
and suck (oh and watch for a mouth full of oil/petrol)  This will confirm the 
vacuum advance is working.

To check for bob weights is more difficult,  however here goes :-

Disconnect vacuum hose to distributor,  engage strobe timing light and observe
timing mark,  it should be rock steady at idle,  any 'wobblyness' will indicate 
worn bob-weight springs or timing belt flapping around.  Rev the engine to approx 
2000rpm,  you will see the timing mark advance,  if not the bob weights are not
working.

If the problem of auto-ignition still persists,  check cooling circuit for seized
shut thermostat or general blockage, also check for binding brakes etc... These can
cause the engine to work hard and overheat.

How often do you change the oil/filter,  blocked filters and naff oil can upset
things considerably.

As for Redex,  it is cylinder head lubricant,  it helps the valves seal and generally
removes gum,  it will remove carbon,  however the carbon has to be soaked in
Redex for a long time.

_Richard

BTW:  You had the cylinder head done recently?  Was it skimmed or a thinner gasket
fitted?

    
    	Richard,
    
    		A few months ago my oil filler cap came of whille I was
    driving(this was due to me not tightening it up enough)It was after
    that incident that the car started running a bit hotter.Is it possible
    that the oil got some dust and stuff in it and is now causing this
    temperature difference?I say this because in the previous note It was
    mentioned that naff oil could be to blame.
    
    	If you want to speak on the phone or mail i'm on REPAIR::ATKINS.
    Tel 7830 1342.
    
    	Thanks 
    		Andy.
    

    Anyone know the name/phone number/location of authorised Vauxhall
    service peeps in Reading?  Anyone have any opinions on them?
    
    TA!
    
    Mikef

    Great Western Motors isn't it ? On Vastern Rd ?
    
    Clive

    Nope!
    
    Wadham Kenning on Portman Road.
    
    Only one experience with them, when I had to replace my steering rack
    on my Nova.
    
    Fine!  Not especially wonderful, but nothing to complain about!
    
    Steve

Can anyone supply the dates for the Motor Show  - Oct ??
	( and confirm that it is at Birmingham )

Ta.
	

    
    I'll second that last request,as a few of us guys at Winnersh want to
    make the pilgrimage this year.
    
    
    Andy.

Cheers !

( I did not think that the MOTORSHOW 1991 topic would have the
	1992 dates !!)

    
    It's my again,the man with more questions than magnus magnuson.
    	I was just having my sunday afternoon tidy(I check my engine out
    give the interior a clean that sort of thing),when I noticed a plasticy
    pulsing noise.I checked around and i've deduced that it's comming from
    my crankcase ventilation hose.I gently squeezed it and there was air
    pulsing through it.
    		The ventilation hose is used for expelling oil fumes into
    the air filter cover where they are passed back to the engine and burnt
    again!(I only wrote the last parenthese incase there is anyone there
    with even less knowledge than I)
    
    
    My question before you all fall to sleep is,should it be pulsing?If not
    what should it be doing?
    
    	Thanks in advance!
    
    	Andy...
    

    
    Have any of you Astra owners (past or present)found that you get a
    rattling noise when under throttle at 2000-3000 rpm.I originaly 
    suspected "pinking" but after adjusting my timing considerably and
    seeing no difference I can only deduce that it's not timing/pinking.
    
    	Any suggestions?
    
    	Andy...The quiz master..
    

    Hi Andy,
    
    	I had a valve put in to the line from the vacume advance to the
    carb on my Astra to stop the timing advancing to quickly because it
    would not stop pinking. The man at the garage said that this was quite
    a common problem.
    
    Neil

    
    	Hi Neil,
    
    		That sounds just the ticket! Does this item have a name?(or
    is it called a one way valve).Do you think if I phoned my local
    Vauxhall dealer,they would know of it/stock it?
    
    
    	Thanks,it's just possible you could just save my life.
    
    
    	Andy..

    I heard a story at the weekend, that the old DAF variomatic cars can go
    just as fast backwards as they can forwards ! In fact there is/was a
    race series in Germany where they had to be driven backwards !
    
    Any truth in this, or is someone pulling my Pilsner ?
    
    Steve.

    Does anyone have a spare "DIGITAL: Freedom in Computing" sticker handy?
    
    I came up with the idea during the "Call to Action" but didn't get
    a sticker when they were produced :-(
    
    "Stickerless of LDO"

> "DIGITAL: Freedom in Computing" 
    
>    I came up with the idea during the "Call to Action" but didn't get
>    a sticker when they were produced :-(
    

Ah, maybe you can tell us what "Freedom in Computing" means then....

:-)

    I didn't actually come up with the slogan, just the idea, but I know
    what you mean.
    
    BTW, someone has already popped a sticker in the mail, thanks.
    

My car seems to be running too COLD! The temperature gauge seldom gets out
of the white bit. Fiesta 1.6S G-Reg. Should I be worried?

Dougie

    Is the heater warm enough? If so, probably nothing to worry about,
    although a change of thermostat might help. A change of sender unit
    will almost certainly alter the reading, but not the internal
    temperature. I had the same thing on my escort.
    
    Laurie.

    
    Re : The backwards DAF
    
    No idea wether there was a race series or not, but a friend of mine
    had one a long time ago and its backward capabilties were amazing!
    
    Richard.

    Model A Fords could be fun in reverse too.  Drop the rear axle, rotate
    it 180 degs around the drive shaft and re-install.  You now have 1
    forward gear and 3 reverse gears!
    
    Dave

	How many cars have those wires through the front screen?

	I had a rented car the other day, and the screen had those wires, I 
	found it very distracting, and would never want to drive a car with 
	them again.

	Does anyone have a list so I can specify what cars NOT to have next time
	I hire one.

	Thanks,
	Heather

    
    Only Fords, I think, if you mean heated front windscreens.
    
    Now you'll tell me you rented a Rover!
    
    Mark

	Range Rovers have them as well.

	JJ.

    I've hired many fords with heated windscreens and wasn't put off by
    these elements. They're so thin and your eye is usually focused on a
    more distant object that you can't see them. 

    I never notice them on my Ford.

    
    I used to have one of those h.f.w. jobs. When the car was new I
    really didn't notice it, but I had to have a new windscreen at
    about 20,000 and the one that Autoglass fitted was much more
    annoying.
    
    Richard.

    
>    Only Fords, I think, if you mean heated front windscreens.
>    
>    Now you'll tell me you rented a Rover!
 
	Nope it was a ford...............do they all have them or is it an
	optional extra?

	My passenger said that he didn't notice, but I found it realy bad, it
	definately distracted me from driving, I'm thankful I only had to do 
	200 miles in it.

	Flashing lights (fluorescent tubes), going past bollards, those yellow 
	"slowdown" lines on the raod etc., give me migraines, and upset my 
	vision, although I have never experienced this with static lines.

	I wonder if this also makes me particularly sensitive to lines across 
	my line of sight, so I'd notice them more thn most?

	Heather

    
    Its an optional extra I believe.

    I really hated it at night as well Heather, when I had a Escort hire
    car.
    
    
    Greg

    
    Migraines, distorted vision et cetera. If these are the problems
    you experience when driving you should go and have your eyes
    examined.
    
    JN.

Re: .637

And you think Heather hasn't ??????


Not all migranes (etc.) are caused by uncorrected eyesight.

    
>    Migraines, distorted vision et cetera. If these are the problems
>    you experience when driving you should go and have your eyes
>    examined.
 
	I have my eyes examined every year.

	The problem is that flashing lights cause me migraines. The speed that
	flourecent lights flicker at is just the speed.

	This speed of flickering also comes about by driving past roadworks 
	cones, by the yellow stopping markes on the road, and by headlights
	coming through the crash barrier.

	- and maybe I notcice those metal lines, because I am sensitive to the
	efgect they cause.

	Two years ago the government sponsored a university to look into
	this effect on drivers and lights, yellow stopping lines, cones, and
	crash barriers.
	They confirmed this does happen with some people, there is no remedy.

	About the same time tests have been underway using tinted lenses, rose
	and blue, with people who get migraines from flashing lights.
	It has been discovered that tinted lenses can help, however the tint is
	specific to each person, and caould be any shade from rose to blue.

	Last time I went to the optician, he said this was still experimental, 
	not to expect anything for at least 5 years, and even then, I should
	not wear any type of tint at night, as it would reduce my night
	vision to an unacceptable level.

	My vision is excellent with lenses to correct slight short-sightedness, 
	my sensitivity to flashing lights is nothing to do with my eyesight.

	So, I need no additional test thank you, I'll go in another 6 months
	when my year is up.

	Which brings me back to...............I wonder if some people notice 
	these lines in the screen more than others........maybe, as my eysight
	is excellent with my glasses, and they are special driving glasses
	which cut glare, that I can see them better than people who don't
	have corrective glasses?

	Heather

    
    I wear contact lenses and I have noticed that headlights et 
    cetera tend to be brighter than what they are if I wear my 
    glasses.
    
    I have a pair of amber tinted glasses for night driving which
    I find helpful especially when driving in the rain.
    
    My previous note was out of concern more than anything else.
    
    JN.

	re -1 that's interesting, I've just started wearing contact
	lenses and I find night driving much better.  There's a lot
	less stray reflections (my glasses have every coating known
	to man).

	As for the heating elements in the windscreen, I've driven
	cars with those in (Fords) and they don't bother me.  I'd
	rather like such a windscreen for the Marlin.

	Dave

    Still to do with vision....
    
    My windscreen washers have stopped working (although they do work
    for the back window). On pushing the lever, there isn't even a buzzing
    noise. My car's a Ford Escort Mark IV.
    
    Can anyone point me in the right direction (all I know is that it isn't
    the fuse), as I have to do a lot of travelling next week and this has
    become quite urgent.
    
    Dave.

      RE -1
    
>>    My car's a Ford Escort Mark IV.
    
      I'm sorry to have to tell you this but you have answered your
      own question.
    
      Couldn't resist.
     
      JN. :-)

The heated front sdcreen in Fords is brilliant for demisting/defrosting the 
screen. One thing I'll miss when I get my new car next week. Come to think
of it, it's probably the only thing I'll miss!

Steve.

    
    Just one small question.
    		Does the small plate at the front of my engine bay with
    lots of numbers and letters,contain my engine number?
    
    
    	Andy.

    The engine number on my Astra was stamped in to the engine block. It is
    located on the right hand side of the block on the top, just below
    where the distributor is mounted.
    
    Neil 

    recently I once again found myself following some large gas guxzzling
    american imported car. It turned right and once again I had to re-learn
    that American cars don't seem to have dedicated indicator lights. They
    appear to flash the brake lights on the side of the direction that they
    are turning. this causes me 2 problems :-
    
    1) It's a bl**dy silly system anyway as it's far to subtle.They also
    seem to flash to slowly.
    
    2) As a EUROPEAN driver of 9 years experience I'm totally acclimatised
    to little yellow lights which flash.
    
    My small question is 'How come these cars are legal ?' 
    I know from bitter experience that you can fail an MOT if you're yellow
    indicators flash at the wrong speed (i.e too fast or too slow)
    
    this sounds like I'm a fanatical american-hater which could'nt be
    further from the truth. I just don't like their indicator system.
    
    Could someone clarify the law on these cars ?

    The car would be subject to the same MoT regulations as any other.
    
    Certainly the rate of indicator 'flash' would have to be within certain
    limits. However, I don't think that the MoT worries about whether the
    indicator is amber or red. 
    
    I have seen several UK registered yank mobiles with red brake light
    indicators, so I assume they are accepted.
    
    I guess its down to the boys in blue to enforce any legalities in this
    area.
    
    Roy

    It would be my guess that American cars using this indicator system do
    not fail the MOT for the rate of flash for the same reason, as any car
    older than (is it?) D-reg,  does not fail its MOT for not having rear
    seat belts fitted.
    
    For the record, 92/93 US models have nearly all adopted the separate
    amber indicator on the rear of the vehicles.
    
    Reargards,
    
    Stephen

    I don't quite agree here Stephen.
    
    The required rate of indicator flash must surely be the same no matter
    how old the car is.
    
    There are allowances for older cars with regard seat belts (as you
    mention) and exhaust emmissions, but I can't see this extending to the
    rate that an indicator flashes.
    
    Roy

>    The required rate of indicator flash must surely be the same no matter
>    how old the car is.
    The requirement is 2 flashes per sec I believe.

    
    Re: Flashing indicators.
    
    What about cars with semaphore indicators? 
    
    Mark
    

    
    Did anyone see the program called (something like) 'Dial In' on 
    Saturday night in which they (seriously) had a short piece on a well
    known car manufacturers crash tests on animals ?
    
    Just wondered.
    
    -Tony

	I'm over in the States for 5 weeks (1 down and 4 to go) and
	I've noticed a large proportion of cars with amber turn lights.
	Also, they're starting to switch over to standard signs (saves
	them having to duplicate signs in Spanish?).  Oh, and round
	Cape Cod, there's loads of roundabouts (sorry, rotaries).

	Dave

	The speed of indicator flashing is set by law, so as not to set off
	epilectic fits in people who are sensative to this.
	- there is a "fast" AND a "slow" limit.

	(I am also pleased, as the speed which sets off epilectic fits, also
	set off my migraines)

	Heather

        
     I reckon it's about time I got to grips with the wonderful world 
     of auto-electrics (i.e I'm a Citroen owner). Can anybody recommend a 
     book/publication that gives a reasonable grounding on the subject ....
      

RE: -.1
        
>>     I reckon it's about time I got to grips with the wonderful world 
>>     of auto-electrics (i.e I'm a Citroen owner). Can anybody recommend a 
>>     book/publication that gives a reasonable grounding on the subject ....
                                                =========

So you are looking for a 'down to earth' book then?

Steve ;-)

    
    	Apologies to moderators and such-like but,
    
    
    
    
    	Any HOPE 'n' GROPERS  out there?
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    	Andy..Still-feeling-the-effects..
    

Why are most Rally cars Left hand Drive? Is it because most rally drivers
are European?

	Ian

Why are most Rally cars Left hand Drive? Is it because most rally drivers
are European?
    
    No. It is because most rally drivers are foreigners.
    
    Andrew

    
    
    More likly that most cars are european/Japanese where left had drive is
    the norm. On the other hand some cars like the BMW M3 are designed to
    be left hand drive and the conversion ,although possible ,hits
    performance hard.
    
    
    	GARRY

    In Japan they drive on the left, just as in Britain.
    
    Laurie.

I believe that in order for rally cars to qualify for certain groups a
certain number ( 400 + ) of the cars have to be made. Therefore as LHD is 
more common within europe is seams more logical to make them in LHD

It just surprised me to see the Sierra Cosworth Rally car in LHD when the
roadgoing model is RHD. And isn't the Subaru Turbo (like McCrae's) 
available in RHD?

Ian

    Surely for homologation purposes it doesn't matter whether they are
    LHD, RHD or a mixture of both? 

    I don't know if the reason is the same, but in drag racing the pro
    stock cars are almost always LHD.  This is so that the drivers weight
    can counteract the effect of the Torque from an in-line engine
    configuration.
    
    If you look at some serious launches, you will see either just the left
    front wheel in the air, or both wheels in the air with the left one
    being much higher that the right.
    
    Bye
    
    Ian...

    Many of the rally cars have transverse engines (e.g. the subaru) so I
    think it more likely that the racing works are either usually based on
    the continent, or the pre-release models are from the origin factory
    (e.g. the ford being German and therefore LHD).
    
    However Note that the Japanese are RHD by default, so in the case of
    the Subaru I would expect it to be because of the racing base.
    
    Richard
    
    Interesting aside, most European cars these days are designed on the
    continent (even the fords) so they're layout favours the clutch housing
    in front of the driver for LHD's (i.e. on the nearside in this
    country). However my Rover has the Honda engine gearbox which is
    obvious as the clutch housing is located in front of the driver on a
    RHD setup. (like the old mini/1100's)
    

    Not due to torque effect - there is a co-driver in there too !
    
    LHD/RHD *does* matter for homologation purposes.  Some cars have
    not been homolgated in both forms, in which case you are not permitted
    to compete using a version that has had the steering wheel 'moved'.
    
    As for the Ford being used in LHD, that seems a bit unusual, but I
    guess has been homologated in both forms (probably only need 10% done
    'the other way round').  One consideration may be that of the exhaust,
    if on the other side to the steering column, a better manifold can be
    made to go in there.  Other reasons, I dunno ?
    
    J.R.

    
    John,
    
    LHD vs RHD didn't USED to be an issue for homologation.
    
    Mark

    
    How much is the annual road tax in UK now ?