Linus Van Pelt

Following a recent 'brown trouser' moment when I had a blowout :shock: and then hitting a kerb, my steering wheel is now at an angle when going in a straight line (as in the horizontal bit, isn't horizontal anymore :wink:) Is it a straight forward exercise to remove it and then re-attach it so that it's straight once again? I've had someone do this for me before, but need to save the pennies and wondered if this is a DIY job for the mechanically challenged... Answers on a postage stamp to the usual address :lol: DtM.

Just a quick question (probably a stoopid one : :silly:) for those that have... ...what's the difference in top speed achieved between using 4th gear and 5th gear? Am I right in saying that you can't reach the redline in 5th? just curious... DtM.

..since we have a number of people on here who are pretty good with photoshop... just post a picture of the rear of your car and I'm sure someone will oblige! DtM.

...since it would be rude not to join in... 30 (until Monday at least) :lol: I only learnt to drive 4 years ago, so the C is only my second car (after a Golf Mk3 1.4 which is now owned by my good lady wife). ...which reminds me, it's my 1st Wedding Anniversary on Sunday :shock: DtM.

Basically it's a Corrado VR6 vs. Fiat 20VT thread, interesting to note how many people on there used to own one... ...then decends into "mine is bigger than yours"... :roll: Still, good for a giggle I guess :lol: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topi ... 5&f=23&h=0 DtM.

I didn't think they did them in this size??? (I have Michelin Pilot's on at the moment...) The trouble with the cheaper tyres (on-line dealer) is that you'll still need to get them fitted/balanced. By the time you work out the extra cost it's not actually that much cheaper :( (unless you know the place that's going to fit them and get 'mates rates' :lol:) DtM.

Most bizarre... mine says 38 psi front and 33 psi rear... surely my engine's lighter :?: (or is that because of different tyres 195/50/15) DtM.

It's not law I'm afraid, just (suggested) best practice (code of conduct) policy type of thing (the same way the highway code says "should" when referring to something not actually specified under traffic law). You could use the best practice measures to argue your case, but they're relying on most people to bend over and take the fine/points... Rude words. DtM.

No problems matey :thumbleft: I seem to remember a similar spate of hoaxes arrived with the arrival of the blue traffic master poles... :roll: I'm sure if we had any conspiracy theorists on board they could have a field day with it Several days later I saw another one of these but with the M4 replaced with the M25 :mad: Like it's not bad enough already! Re: numberplates, did you know you don't get points for failing to display/obstructing display of registration marks... :mrgreen: DtM

minimum of just two bud... DtM.

Sorry Chris, this is a total load of cobblers with bells on... :lol: Here's the offical response from TVP... The Highways Agency has installed new signs between J 12 and J 14 of the M4 as part of a year long pilot project to reduce congestion and collisions. The signs have two CCTV cameras. One which monitors the camera itself to make sure its working and displaying the right message; and another to monitor the congestion to evaluate the effect the sign is having on the traffic. There are NO speed cameras and NO SPECS cameras in the signs! The only involvement Thames Valley Police has is to change the messages on the signs according to the conditions to give up-to-date information. This is done via our control room. The signs are owned by the Highways Agency. There is detailed information about the project on the Highways Agency website. Please follow the link below or call them on 0845 955 6575. http://www.highways.gov.uk/roads/projects/ms4/09.htm Please feel free to pass this e-mail on, as there has been a lot of speculation about this. Kind regards Kate Smith Communications Manager Specialist Operations Thames Valley Police

No mate, that's twaddle :lol: For those interested, here's the actual law... Mobile telephones (1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road if he is using - (a) a hand-held mobile telephone; or (b) a hand-held device of a kind specified in paragraph (4). (2) No person shall cause or permit any other person to drive a motor vehicle on a road while that other person is using - (a) a hand-held mobile telephone; or (b) a hand-held device of a kind specified in paragraph (4). (3) No person shall supervise a holder of a provisional licence if the person supervising is using - (a) a hand-held mobile telephone; or (b) a hand-held device of a kind specified in paragraph (4), at a time when the provisional licence holder is driving a motor vehicle on a road. (4) A device referred to in paragraphs (1)(b), (2)(b) and (3)(b) is a device, other than a two-way radio, which performs an interactive communication function by transmitting and receiving data. (5) A person does not contravene a provision of this regulation if, at the time of the alleged contravention - (a) he is using the telephone or other device to call the police, fire, ambulance or other emergency service on 112 or 999; (b) he is acting in response to a genuine emergency; and © it is unsafe or impracticable for him to cease driving in order to make the call (or, in the case of an alleged contravention of paragraph (3)(b), for the provisional licence holder to cease driving while the call was being made). (6) For the purposes of this regulation - (a) a mobile telephone or other device is to be treated as hand-held if it is, or must be, held at some point during the course of making or receiving a call or performing any other interactive communication function; (b) a person supervises the holder of a provisional licence if he does so pursuant to a condition imposed on that licence holder prescribed under section 97(3)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (grant of provisional licence); © "interactive communication function" includes the following: (i) sending or receiving oral or written messages; (ii) sending or receiving facsimile documents; (iii) sending or receiving still or moving images; and (iv) providing access to the internet; (d) "two-way radio" means any wireless telegraphy apparatus which is designed or adapted - (i) for the purpose of transmitting and receiving spoken messages; and (ii) to operate on any frequency other than 880 MHz to 915 MHz, 925 MHz to 960 MHz, 1710 MHz to 1785 MHz, 1805 MHz to 1880 MHz, 1900 MHz to 1980 MHz or 2110 MHz to 2170 MHz; and (e) "wireless telegraphy" has the same meaning as in section 19(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949[3]." DtM

I appreciate (as you obviously do) that this could be all manner of things, but in my case (where I had similar instances) it turned out to be a combination of a faulty throttle switch and temprature sensor/sender :?: Please note that once my car cut out, I had to wait about 5 mins before I could get it started again (so if this isn't the case for you, I guess it may be something else). It was finally diagnosed just by a visual inspection :?: by my local VAG dealer :shock: I'd already tried the distributor/ISV and related stuff with no sucess as I assumed my problem was idle related. It might not help, but it's worth checking out none-the-less, assuming no-one else has got any more specific VR knowledge for you. I hope you can get it sorted, I know what an pain it is to be in this situation :cry: DtM.

Don't be daft, I wasn't offended :geek: :wink: Driving is one big game of risk management (as is life if you want to get really deep :lol:) sadly with so many numpties holding driving licences, if they're not told "this is a bad idea" they sure as 'ell aren't going to work it out for themselves before its too late :roll: DtM.

Not sure that I agree with the smoking thing... Mobile phones/make-up takes concentration away from driving, I'd argue smoking doesn't :lol: I admit lighting up could be argued about but even then the time it takes is no longer than a cough/sneeze or taking a sip of a drink? Mind you, I usually wait until being stopped at junctions or slow moving traffic before lighting up. Yes, there's also the risk of losing the hot bit into your lap :shock: or dropping it, but I'd say that's not due to loss of concentration, which is what the whole mobile phone thing is about... (it's not just about holding something in your hand :smuttyinnuendo:) 2p DtM.

...thar's nowt wrong with gut instinct (imho)... ...it's saved my butt on more than one occasion :wink: DtM.

No problem Alex! :D As DM says, closer to the ground.. If your C is lowered in anyway it would probably double as a lawnmower :lol: I'd be interested to know if anyone runs their C with a 90mm lower spoiler AND lowered suspension? I'd have thought you get beached on the first speed bump you meet? Although being plastic it would probably give a little. The lower front spolier on my old Golf had a split in the middle (by design), made it easier when you put the front end over a tall kerb... :oops: Good luck finding one! DtM

I can't find any picture to show ya' but basically it lives to the right of the engine block, just above the distributor. It's a black cylinder about 2" in diameter (and about 6" long). It's held in place by a rubber loop. There's an electrical connection (plug) on the end facing the windscreen and there should be two pipes coming out of it... one directly opposite the plug, the other pointing down at 90 deg. to the first one. Simply unplug the connector, remove the two pipes (can take some doing!) and then slide out of the rubber loop (it's heavier than you think!) As for cleaning it, a Corrado owner I used to know cleaned mine for me and he basically got a can of Carb cleaner (aerosol) and sprayed into the holes, let it sit for a minute or two, then shake it out and let it dry out a bit. I've also heard of people soaking it overnight in a bowl of petrol... ? If all else fails (or if you ever need a new one), you can pick them up from somewhere like Euro Car parts for about £100. HTH (a little :lol:) DtM. P.S. if anyone HAS to point out double-entendre's in my post, at least do it with some style, eh? :)

I think you're talking about the front spolier... :?: Over here it came in two flavours: 90mm deep on early models and 50mm deep on later ones... In between the bumper and the spolier is a lower front grille where the tow hooks live... As to where to get them from... Rhode Island huh? That'll be east of Conneticutt... We have some stateside members on here that may be able to point you in the right direction... I know we can get them over here from places like GPC (http://www.gpcvwaudi.com/) They're showing the 90mm as £30 and the 50mm as £60 but I think that might be the wrong way round... :lol: This is assuming the US spec cars had them... Welcome to the forum by the way!!! :cheers: HTH DtM.

what? "The car on front....." :D :roll: Pay attention at the back... :sleeping: "You could love it too much" :lol: DtM.

This one... Bodytec (UK) Ltd 22, Portman Rd Reading Berkshire RG30 1EA Tel: 0118 958 2122 They're by no means the world's cheapest, but they're VAG approved and carry out a lot of work for the main dealers in Reading. Regards, DtM.

Thanks for all the positive comments, I hoped it was going to turn out as well as it did, and it's so nice to be back in a 'real' car... giving the odd stray porker a run for it's money :roll: Would you believe it, but there's no new panels at all in there... that's all repair! Since the cost of replacing the damaged panels would have been astronomical money, I went for the repair option (after head panel beater said he thought he could do it). That's why it took two weeks to do... the guy at the bodyshop said most jobs don't take that long to do :shock: It was quite amusing when I turned up to collect it, they'd forgotten to put the side mouldings on :lol: I must confess, I was really smitten with how much better the C looks without them... but common sense prevailed and after spending the dosh, I figured I'd be mad to invite further unwarranted car-park attention and had them put back on. I think we should 'aquire the tag line from the Toyota advert... You could love it too much :lol: DtM.

pedant mode=on My understanding is that in the UK (I think it might have been different for the US though) the 2.0 16V engine (code 9A) is not the same as the one in the Golf GTi (certainly not the Mk3, as I have the haynes to prove it :lol: not to mention the 14bhp difference... :mad:). The only other car it was used in was the 2.0 16V Passat (GL I think). Here's a source for VW engine codes... http://home.planet.nl/~koni1691/ecodes.html pedant mode=off :wink: DtM.

'ere ya' go... Needless to say I'm really pleased with the results, I think they've done an outstanding job... :mrgreen: DtM.

Just gave the bodyshop a ring.... ...and it should be ready for tommorow! :multi::multi::multi::multi::multi::multi::multi::multi::multi::multi: :silly: DtM. ...just in time for it's MOT... :roll: