December 2001
We have bought a 2nd hand Galaxy privately - all the paperwork etc in order and pleased with our buy - and as a rule if I buy privately I get the thing dealer serviced asap and if necessary change the cambelt which will see me through my ownership lifetime. At the service I requested that they investigate that the passenger side of the screen doesn't defrost - the only apparent fault. The only report back was 'suspect front screen'. As the service and cambelt change was time consuming I am not convinced that this was properly investigated. I'm a handy chap but can't get hold of a copy of a Haynes manual or similar to help me, I know that the LHS and RHS have 'contacts' in either corner under the dashboard area but can anyone advise either,
1) a source of a workshop manual ( as I don't want to take it to Ford every time I have a small problem ) or
2) can anyone advise wire codes / numbers or where to check on the vehicle.
Many thanks,
Wishing you a Merry Christmas.
Pete Read more
We are all glad to hear it: jolly good show.
Only, this site is sort of related to the Daily Telegraph, not any tabloid, and consequently some of us distinctly regret to see Her Majesty referred to as "Liz".
I am sure this arose from thoughtlessness rather than malice, but could we please avoid such infelicities another time?
Merry Christmas (or whatever your festival may be) and a Happy New Year (whenever you may celebrate that one).
Best regards to everyone.
Tomo Read more
Tomo wrote:
>
>
> Only, this site is sort of related to the Daily Telegraph,
> not any tabloid, and consequently some of us distinctly
> regret to see Her Majesty referred to as "Liz".
>
> I am sure this arose from thoughtlessness rather than malice,
> but could we please avoid such infelicities another time?
Ha! You don't like Her Majesty referred to as Liz, but quite happy to use insulting phrases about Her Majesty's Constabulary.
Gotcha!
During the course of my working day, I am face to face with computers all day long. Listening to my customers and their users describe their PCs, server's and other equipment's little foibles for 8 hours a day, and then trying to sell them more, bigger, better and faster equipment just so they can get into trouble twice as quickly and lose more data. It's hard, but it's a living, it's extremely rewarding when it goes according to plan and it's the only thing I know, so when the opportunity comes to shut up the laptop and do something different, I grab it. That opportunity starts in about 10 minutes.
My irrelevant and irreverent coments will therefore be silenced until 2nd January, and a good thing too you may say.
So, my best wishes for a very happy Christmas and a prosperous 2002 to you all. Thank you all for providing informative, helpful and thought-provoking posts over the last few months.
Have a good one, everyone. Read more
Elucidate!
Has this, or has this not, to do with underwear?
73 de Sandy.
Best wishes from Tomo.
We are running an unconverted Volvo244GLT 2.3ltr.on Lead replacement petrol.We have been advised that the " Broquet Fuel Catalyst" could possibly resolve the problem of using LRP and improve performance /consumption.Does anyone have any experience of this catalyst and would it be worth installing/ using the "in Tank"version..as we are only doing 3000miles per annum?? M Hirons Read more
Test
1. What soccer team does Michael Parkinson support?
2. Which character appears in the most Shakespeare plays?
3. Which artist painted 62 self-portraits?
4. What is the name of the bass tuba that wraps around the player?s body?
5. What travels the ?means free path??
6. Proverbially, what kind of dog is a person who does not want something he has, but will not let anybody else have it?
7. What was the title of the 1st pantomime staged at the Lincoln?s Inn Theatre, London?
The following are either makes or models of cars: -
1. Gracie Fields? island home
2. He comes from high places
3. Swiss mountains
4. A light bulb
5. A motorist?s breakpoint
6. This would bring a female sailor to a standstill
7. Toll bridge
8. A lively beat
9. Toulose le Trec was one
10. Top brand of socks
Christmas songs: -
1. RTRNR
2. FTS
3. TBOSM
4. MW
5. POTWS
Historic years (again): -
1. 1552 KSMR
2. 1589 KMIBWL
3. 1620 PFLAM
4. 1635 CFSUEFPPS
5. 1689 INDTLOG
6. 1840 PBIIIB
7. 1849 WHITSP
8. 1866 ANID
9. 1901 FYNPA
10. 1959 FBPCUIN
Weights & Measures: -
1. 1 hogshead (Ale & beer) = ? gallons
2. 1 last (imperial) = ? loads
3. 1 bolt (cloth) = ? ells
Sporting chance: -
1. What is the name given to a 2-person bobsleigh?
2. Who was the 1st black player to play soccer for Germany?
3. Who was the 1st black player to captain Great Britain at rugby league?
4. In rugby league, which was the last team to have a test series victory against Australia?
5. What was the second name of wicketkeeper Leslie Ames?
Rock & Pop: -
1. Who is the oldest female solo singer to top the UK charts?
2. Led Zeppelin chose their name after a comment by who, saying the band would go down like a lead zeppelin?
3. Which was the first CD single?
4. Which was the 1st record to feature a fade-in beginning?
5. Who was the 1st musician to organise a charity concert in aid of third-world poverty?
6. According to Channel 4?s 100 Greatest Songs, which was number one?
7. Which Liverpudlian actor sang the soon to be classic ?Are you looking at me??
8. Name the song: ?I pretend that you?re already mine, that my heart ain?t breaking every time I look into your eyes??
Easy ones to finish: -
1. Which Christian name is applied to a plane?s automatic pilot?
2. which capital city?s name means ?meeting of the muddy waters??
3. How long did Mary Poppins say she would stay with the children?
4. What is the title of the signature tune for the TV programme ?Open All Hours??
5. Which famous English comedy star was born blind, but gained his sight after a coughing fit?
6. In what year was the 1st decimal coin circulated in Britain?
7. which one is missing? ?A quick one? ?Down the hatch? ?The usual? ?Hits the spot? ?One to unwind?
8. In the bible, which two chapters are alike/
9. To what was Sir Walter Scott referring when he wrote: ?Full well I loved thy mixed and massy piles??
10. What was Newcastle University called when it was a college of Durham University? Read more
Better if you walk it, from Kirstenbosch, David!
Get that fresh air in the lungs, and experience nature at its best!
I'm glad you've experienced our landmark, though.
come again!
Yesterday the heater fan switch on SWMBO's fiat Punto ('94/95 75SX) seems to have gone mad - the symptoms are
Doesn't work on position 1 (lowest), doesn't work on position 2, works fine on position 3 (at the expected high speed).
It was working fine in the morning and just seemed to fail later in the day - nothing happened to the car in between. (Just got in the car, started up and noticed that the condensation wasn't shifting.) We normally permanently have the fan on position 1 all year round and only vary the temp/airflow direction and fan speed as necessary.
So we're going round, switching the fan on as required for brief periods because we can put up the racket for too long !
Any idea's ? - main thing is what's it going to cost to put right ?
Chad.R Read more
Andy,
Had the same problem with my wifes Nova a few years ago. I found the resistors where you said, the difference being that I didn't know what to do with them as you did. Managed for the rest of the time she had it with one speed.
Alvin
In last week's Saturday telegraph, HJ said that diesel was relatively expensive at the moment due to the fact that it is similar to domestic heating oil, which always goes up in price in the winter due to increased demand.
So just how similar are diesel and domestic heating oil? :-) Read more
Moosh
That's about right, I haven't got the exact current figures to hand, but around 75 to 80 percent of the UK price is tax.
In fact, the tax element in the UK is about the same as the retail price of diesel in France.
I have noticed a amber warning light on my Citroen Xantia 1.9D.
ITs directly above the parking light and looks like a reservoir with pipes on either side. Any ideas what it means please.
leo Read more
Darcy,
There is a drain on the Xantia filter bowl but I was giving Leo the choice.
Mike,
Now remember Leo's not even read the Haynes yet so we don't want to stress him with a hard to bleed system. Actually I find the Xantia one excellent. Try it with my old tractor and it will use most of the battery capacity cranking over before it goes again.
David
Just read Straits Times, Singapore again (211201) which carries a warning of a very naughty virus doing the rounds in the Far East. What is there today is with us tomorrow.
Any message that has "Happy New Year" in the subject line and attachment to note is a programme called "Christmas.exe" is infected.
This virus is reported to delete anti virus and security programmes, disable computers and mail itself on.
Named as W32/Reeezak.A@mm and W32/zacker.C@mmand.W32.
Apologise to BR Martyn it's not a motoring subject but info to stop someones Xmas from being spoilt.
DVD. Read more
DVD
Network Associates name this virus as W32/maldal.c@MM
vil.nai.com/VIL/newly-discovered-viruses.asp for a full descripton of its payload.
Well, with 27,000 miles up on me Vectra (and look peops, despite what our good friend HJ says, I actually quite like it - value for money and all that) I thought it high time to treat it to some new front tyres. Well, the thing was, I had noticed the ride height a bit lower at the front and it's not the suspension. Oh yes, they were a bit on the slick side, too.
Anyway, after phoning around a few places, like you do, I took it into a fairly big tyre place. I expected that they would try and find something else needing to be done (I knew that the tracking was a tad out) so wasn't surprised to be told, "yeah, like, ya tracking's a bit out, shall we fix it?"
So I was ushered into the un-healthily hot waiting room, comfortable in the knowledge that I would soon have a nice new pair of Goodyear's and no more wheel wobble at, well, I better not say what speed.
Tyres on, up went the car on the ramp for the tracking to be done. Shortly after, I handed over the dosh.
But here comes the bit that, on reflection, I wonder whether it was a co-incidence... The fitter took me to the nearside rear tyre and said that he'd noticed the pressure was a bit low, but on closer reflection, suddenly found a nail embedded in the tyre. Unfortunately "it's too near the edge for a repair to be carried out". We agreed that I would think about what to do and ponder.
On the way home, it suddenly occurred to me... how fortunate that the car was parked in just the right parking postition on the ramp for the nail to be seen without having to bend double, squint, etc.
Now, I know we live in OTT days of "Watchdog" etc., but I wondered, just for a moment, could the nail have just appeared then? No, surely not, it is Christmas after all.
Happy Christmas and New Year! Read more
I have a 2K Vectra DI 16v Saloon and I am super impressed with it, and it has been very reliable to date.
Generally exhibits good roadholding, cracking engine (even better after a Bromley 'Kueberl' tuning box! see www.bromleystuning.com) and a good motorway cruiser. I have driven many Mondeos, and the Ford is a little better at faster cornering. The Vectra does have quite a narrow cabin compared to the Mondeo, but there is more kit in the Vectra as standard and it does seem to be a better screwed together.
Anyway I am still using the oem Continental EcoContact tyres after 23K miles, with about 60% of the tread left on the front tyres, and the rears look virtually new! Richard B, what tyres were fitted as standard to your Vectra? Are the new ones the same type?
Also the front tyres are wearing down faster on the outside edges, by about the same amount on both sides. I assume this is just due to cornering? The tracking is ok, the car does drift very slightly to the left however. Did your front tyres wear evenly across?
Sorry for the ramble!
Merry Xmas!
Browse
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Many thanks for all your comments, I will have a look and see if we can sort it out. It's just 'nice to have' it all working OK. The car is 90% garaged so early morning frost is not normally a problem.
It is a diesel, I'll check the tensioner after Christmas break, thanks for the tip.
Merry Christmas everybody.
Brilliant site HJ - I reckon I have saved quite a few pounds this year primarily through asking a few questions to your readers about car insurance and subsequently asking the right questions at the brokers. I hope that I can similarly help somebody in 2002.
Regards,
Pete