TomB

Ah sorry, I didn't realise that as the car was written off about a month after I replaced the switch so it didn't have time to break again :-)

What everyone else has said, it sounds like your ignition switch! I had the same thing happen on my '95 valver last year. IIRC, the part was about £15 delivered from GSF, and it took about 2 hours of contortion and swearing to replace (but only 'cos I was too lazy to take the seats out). I have knack all mechanical knowledge btw, and did it using the 'how-to' guide on the forum. As well as making a direct connection from the battery to the starter motor another check is to keep gently turning the key when it's in the position that should start the car, and see if your needles jump. Cheers, Tom

Gav, yeah the pizza was ok I think, although it might have resembled a Calzone as all the toppings shot forward with the momentum... :-) Still the brakes on the metrot were better than expected, just a shame about the handling, acceleration and top speed :-)

Spotted a Flash Red VR6 yesterday on Holgate Road in York. N450 *** in non-standard script. Anyone?

Lincolnshire Poacher...mmmmm....tasty. There's a couple of very nice red valvers in the for sale section at the moment if you can't stretch to a VR just yet, and the valver isn't slow compared to 90% of things otr at the moment. Good luck, Tom

Will do Gavin, cheers for the advice, I think I'll be printing this page out and taking it with me... :-)

Could you make that 2 PMs please? Time to replace mine I think... Cheers, Tom

Cheers for that, I'll head to the scrappy at the weekend if I get the chance to take some photos/remove them.benji16v, let me know if you're interested. Cheers, Tom

Having read through this, I'm now paranoid about all the new GSF parts in my engine re-build... Anyone know how good quality their tappets, belts and chains are? Cheers, Tom

(Electronic) Hands up who knows that you're supposed to give way to traffic coming from your right at roundabouts? All of you? Good. Could you please inform the old bat in the Poxhaull Corset who didn't even look to the right before pulling out, and was totally oblivious to the squeal of tyres on a Metro locking up desperately trying not to hit her. While your spreading these pearls of wisdom, to the populace of York, could you further inform the stupid woman in the VW Heresy that having observed someone pull an emergency stop to avoid hittting said blind bat in the Corset, you do not then pull out onto the roundabout 'because he's stopped' PUTIN! /rant

I was poking about in the scappy over the weekend, and saw a set of gauges in a high end (2.4?) Audi (mid-90s saloon), that seemed like the right sort of dimensions for a 'rado. I forgot to take a photo, but there were 3 gauges in the console, one for oil pressure (in bars), one for oil temperature and a third. They'll be of no interest to me, but if anyone else thinks they might be of use, then I can investigate further next time I'm down there. Cheers, Tom

Looks nice. I've always had a soft spot Passat estates :-)

Back once again with the ill behaviour, with the ill behaviour, with the ill behaviour... :-)

Henny, 10 points! Sorry, I would have elaborated at the time but I'd been down the pub and was feeling a bit sleepy... Removed the relay after talking to Gavin, and instantly there immobiliser started working again (phew). Cheers, Tom

Nice one! :thumbleft: Cheers once again Gavin, Tom

Gent's despite my earlier coolant problem (now fixed), it's developed a new problem. I had a call from my girlfriend earlier saying that I'd left my lights on, now I was sure that I hadn't after going out for a drive last night. Anyway, she went out to check, and told me that the switch was off, but the lights were on, and when I got home I double checcked and she was right. So, I removed the light switch and the lights stayed on, I looked at the headlight loom (not one of Gav's I don't think) and could see nothing obvious. The car is now sitting on the street locked, but with a flat battery, and the headlights still trying to be on. Any ideas as to what could hve caused this? A fault in the aftermarket loom? Either way, I've got a flat battery and no idea why and I'm supposed to be going to the bodyshop tomorrow so HELP please if you can. Cheers, Tom

I think it might be better with a splash of meths in it (for drinking that is) :-)

It depends how much of a hobby you'd like it to become I think... I'd say either a G60 or a VR6 if it's going to be a second car, although as a rule both of them have a more expensive upkeep than a valver. Would you be looking to do any modifications, tinker yourself etc? If so then the word is that a G60 can be more easily tweaked than the VR although I'm not going to be the one to start THAT debate again :-) Good luck and have fun with whatever you choose, Tom P.S The buying guide is very useful, and once you've made your choice, keep an eye on the Cars for Sale section as members' cars will generally be better looked after than those you might find in the Trader.

Well I could have described the nasty taste and also it looks like I'm a spitter not a swallower, but I thought that might be pushing it :-) Still, after an investigation last night in the daylight, it's airlock free, topped up, and the temp sender and gauge are both working again. Hurrah! Still, a valuable lesson learned I think. Cheers for comments though, it's brightened up an otherwise dull day :-) Tom

The main problem I have is with the speeding in the 30 limit, 84mph is crazy. I don't mind admitting that I speed on 60/70mph roads when conditions allow, but I'm very well behaved in 30 & 40 limits, as you can never tell if someone is going to step out etc. While I respect the fact that the police need to test the limits of their new vehicles, including handling, top speed etc. for when they have to use them in anger so to speak, surely there are airfields/training grounds for this? Do you think the policeman and the judge were both wizards? :-)

I know that my temp sender has played up in the past, but it seemed to have sorted itself out, and the gague was working fine so I didn't replace it. Anyway, last night after about a half hour run, I parked the car on a slope and went for a drink with a friend of mine. Came back to the car after about 40 minutes, only to find that when I started it, the temp warning light was flashing. I drove my mate the mile or so home, and it didn't stop flashing, although the temp was reading about 100 degrees or so. Then I did something stupid. As it was dark, I tried to check the header tank levels with a torch, but couldn't see properly, so I thought I'd open the header tank for a look. I opened the header tank cap a half twist and there was a hiss as it de-pressurised, and so I opened it another half twist, only for the coolant to geyser out into my face. Now, from the feel of it, it certainly wasn't boiling (maybe about 70 degrees?), and I got the car home with the temp not going above about 105-110 and oil temp not more than 100. Do you think that this is a re-occurence of the faulty sender caused by parking the car on a steep slope, or is something actually wrong with the system? Should the coolant fountain out like that, or could that be indicative of an airlock? Should I pack the whole lot in and buy a Lupo? I'm afraid that what I know about engine's could probably be written on the back of a postage stamp, so any advice is gratefully appreciated. Cheers, Tom

In Sheffield on Tuesday at the South Yorkshire Archives, and heard (then saw) a blue 'rado driving down Shoreham Street towards the station about 1pm. Possibly a 4 pot? Cheers, Tom

A chap in a Blue VR6 last night with a dog in the back (possibly a Pointer) going the other way from me in the centre of Harrogate about 19:15. I waved until you saw me and got a rather confused nod in return :-)

hybrid, I've just taken out a policy with Lancaster and would recommend them (so far). £413 fully comp including breakdown cover with exhaust, filter, bhp increase and lowering declared. They started out as the MG owners club specialist, but have diversified. Cheers, Tom

Immobiliser kicking in, in a bus lane in the centre of Edinburgh... Took me 2 hours to travel 1 mile, all the time being tailed by the RAC before he finally found the problem...