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1336

General Car Chat / Car runs well again after jacking back end up!

« on: 25 August 2009, 15:39:09 »

I have got so used to our Omega running like a tractor and being gutless despite endless months of fruitless efforts to track down the cause. No paperclip codes.

So imagine my surprise when it started working "properly" again after I replaced the rear discs, pads and handbreak shoes. Must have been the action of jacking the back end up that has "cleared" the problem.

Actually I think it is a blocked Cat and am buying two off a forum member so it will be good to see if it clears the problem up permanently! I can hear the ceramic bit loose in the RH side Cat. (not the heatshield). Maybe the jacking up freed it a bit.

Varche

1337

General Car Chat / Cost of a garage Corsa clutch change?

« on: 30 July 2009, 09:33:52 »

can anyone give me a ball park figure for a new clutch on a 2.5 year old Corsa (don't know engine size but 1.1 ish) please?

I am worried that the elderly relative might get rooked as he is thinking it would be £400 or so at an independent not VX dealer.

varche

1338

General Car Chat / Blasted speed ramps!

« on: 30 July 2009, 23:25:34 »

Not been having too good a time recently. I was pressing on on some empty country roads and drove into a hamlet with some big trees. Bright sun into shade and No notice whatsover of a speed hump the size of a blue whale. It had just been installed and tarmacced prior to possibly being painted and a sign installed.

Collected my teeth from the headlining and continued with the mother in law mildly concerned.

Since then the front tyres have started shrieking at the least amount of steering wheel turning. Didn't think too much about it as everyone elses are doing the same and I just put it down to the heat (38 C tonight)

I have had it up in the air and checked for wheel bearings, track rod ends, wishbones but can't see out. This might be another nail in the cars coffin. It is looking pretty big now......
Any thing I can check out apart from my speed?

El rapido Varche

1339

General Car Chat / Fancy a Spanish Omega MV6?

« on: 31 July 2009, 21:35:09 »

On Spanish Ebay.

http://www.ebaycoches.es/opel-omega-mv6/72833

In a nutshell. £2136 for a 1996 3litre MV6 with 143 k miles on the clock. Won't be any rust. When you buy it there will be a registration tax to pay the Spanish governement by the seller and the buyer of around 14% in total of book value.

Varche

1340

General Car Chat / Irmscher front spoiler

« on: 19 July 2009, 16:22:15 »

Came across this on my regular fruitless search of Ebay for an Omega (in Spain) for parts.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/irmscher-omega-b-opel-vauxhall-frontspoiler_W0QQitemZ190321653298QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_186?hash=item2c500df632&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A12%7C66%3A2%7C39%3A1%7C72%3A1683%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

Never seen one on a car but not cheap is it! 500 euros plus transport plus paint

v

1341

General Car Chat / Help with price of a Ford KA

« on: 16 July 2009, 19:38:27 »

89 year old uncle giving up driving, wants to know how much to ask for his Ford KA.
2 Owners, 56,000 miles, 2006, petrol, 2 door + hatch, manual, immaculate inside, few scratches to body and front wing held on with black tape(!). Colour dark blue. Really good runner but need to increase rev slightly to engage reverse (new clutch?).
Maybe three months of MOT left. How much should he ask for it, and how much should he take?

1342

General Car Chat / battery dead again / air con / v hot weather

« on: 03 July 2009, 12:20:57 »

Well it is that time of year again and just for a change the battery on the Omega has died. All cells have the right amount of electrolite. I have had the charging checked every time the battery has failed which has been every two years and two weeks (just outside guarantee in other words) Problem is in all this heat (38 deg C) and short journeys at low speed, lots of tick over at lights and air con on full.

can't jump start it as its an auto. So will wait for a passing vehicle or borrow a battery pack from a neighbour. Fortunately it is at home this time.

Do Omegas in hot climes have a different system from UK cars like mine? Beefier alternator, beefier battery perhaps? calling CEM or Omegadoha!! Anything I can do like the equivalent in olden days of increasing the tickover?

El varche

1343

General Car Chat / Autobox breather pipe flop!

« on: 16 June 2009, 17:53:47 »

So I am driving along yesterday air temp 39 deg C and I "heard" something under the car.

Pulled over to investigate as soon as I could as I could also could smell oil.

There is the gearbox oil breather pipe still attached to the gearbox , rest trailing on the road!! Tied it up out of the way with some plastic string I happened to have with me.

Back home used a "cobra" to pull it back up into the correct location and have put a metal bag tie through it to hold it in place. Most strange as it has been fine since the box was changed a few months ago.

What next?

varche

1344

General Discussion Area / Dale Farm evictions

« on: 03 September 2011, 11:48:55 »

Or not..........

I have been following this with mixed feelings. Sure the planning laws need to be respected and upheld but local authorities have a responsibility in law to provide sites. Here we have a group of travellers willing to "put down roots" have their kids educated at the same school and so on. Half the site is legal.

Maybe it would have been better to spend the ten years worth of taxpayers money, used in persuing the case through umpteen courts, on some screening, better on site facilities etc.

Just a thought

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2032800/Dale-Farm-eviction-Travellers-plan-use-children-human-shields.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

1345

General Discussion Area / When was the last time you wrote a cheque?

« on: 14 September 2011, 13:13:11 »

So when was the last time you wrote a cheque.

I am sending one today and gasp the last time was 9th July 2004!

1346

General Discussion Area / Worlds smallest airport

« on: 02 September 2011, 12:03:53 »

I wonder how long it will be before Ryanair start flying from here? Took six years to build.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz4NcTnQedo

1347

General Discussion Area / Spotify question

« on: 06 September 2011, 15:43:35 »

Just become a convert to this.

As a premium subscriber who now has dozens of albums that can be played "offline", how do they stop you playing them if/when you cease membership. ? Is there something clever they do with your playlists when they no longer get money off you each month? Or do they just take the hit assuming one day you will be back?

1348

General Discussion Area / Could it happen in Britain?

« on: 27 August 2011, 11:31:44 »

I haven't got a link but have it on good authority that the Spanish traffic police get a 20 euro bonus each if they hit or exceed their weekly target of issuing 20 or more penalty points to motorists.

Fantastic. That will stop them drinking coffee in motorway restaurants.

Lets hope the British police never adopt the same targets and bonus system.

I haven't seen any more motorway closures in one direction like we had last year. They looked at each "dodgy looking car" and when they had a tail back of several hours of traffic they let them all go. You would soon hit your monthly target doing that!

1349

General Discussion Area / Libya - a new beginning.

« on: 27 August 2011, 14:44:56 »

With 120 billion euros worth of assets frozen including lots of property in Marbella. 120 tons of gold, no national debt, huge proven oil reserves and only 7 million people it is all looking good for Libyans.

Shouldn't need any financial aid other than advice from other countries. It is to be hoped that those that do give money get free oil in return! I do see the need for immediate humanitarian aid especially medicine.

I wonder how it will actually pan out over the next ten years?