http://passionate-about-cars.com How to survive the world of modern motoring Fri, 15 Jul 2011 13:40:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 © andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk () andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk() 1440 Just another WordPress weblog andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk No no http://passionate-about-cars.com/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://passionate-about-cars.com 144 144 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/05/13-engine-refits/ http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/05/13-engine-refits/#comments Fri, 07 May 2010 16:21:02 +0000 admin http://passionate-about-cars.com/?p=126 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/05/13-engine-refits/feed/ 0 18:58 Steve talks about engine replacements and the new road widening at Handcross Hill in Sussex, UK. Andy White: Hello Steve, itrsquo;s been a couple of months because ... Steve talks about engine replacements and the new road widening at Handcross Hill in Sussex, UK. Andy White: Hello Steve, itrsquo;s been a couple of months because yoursquo;ve been otherwise occupied the last couple of times Irsquo;ve come to see you. Wersquo;re standing by your big RV. So, yoursquo;ve been out in it? Steve Kennard: Yes, we went out in it last weekend, just to give it a bit of a trial run after its refurb, let's say. We went just along to Chichester way but it was a nice weekend. Andy White: I thought you were going to say for a minute, went to Chichester and then stopped. Steve Kennard: No, no, no. Just went down to Chichester, I mean because of the size of it, we towed a little KA behind. So, we get there, park up on site and then use the KA to run around in locally. Andy White: So, it doesn't fit in the boot like some of those big American ones? Steve Kennard: No, it hasn't quite got the garage, is what you're talking about. I mean a lot of them have what they call the garage in the back of them, which basically sort of goes underneath the bed. The bed is raised up quite high and you've got this large space underneath that you can put small vehicle in. Andy White: How was it, Steve? It wasn't the inaugural trip was it, you've been out in it a few times haven't you? Steve Kennard: No, this was actuallyhellip; Andy White: It was the inaugural trip! Steve Kennard: First trip, yes. The one we were going to go one towards the back end of last year, last October, that occurred - well I had my little attack let's say. Andy White: Yes, your little challenge. Steve Kennard: Yes, the weekend or the week that we were due to go out in it. We went out on it, the idea was just a long weekend, just to give it a run out and see if there were any gremlins, iron out the gremlins. Andy White: Did you find any gremlins? Steve Kennard: The one real annoying thing was the old satellite didnrsquo;t work properly. Couldn't find, it couldn't find the actual satellite itself. Which was a little bit annoying but it wasn't out the way, the DVD player and that lot worked. The most annoying thing was, when we got back after the weekend I switched it on to have a look to see what was wrong with it and it worked fine. Andy White: Isnrsquo;t that always the way? Steve Kennard: Yes, I guess there is a little gremlins in their somewhere, which Irsquo;ll have a look at and get to the bottom of but the bus itself ran absolutely fine, turned a few heads. It gets a few looks where it is at the moment, parked outside the workshop. Andy White: I bet it did. I was going say, itrsquo;s the first time Irsquo;ve seen it actually out in the open because when we saw before it was sort of tucked into your garage at the side, wasn't it? Steve Kennard: Yes, it was tucked in the corner but it's now out in the open. It's all been, as I say, all refurbed inside and it drives absolutely lovely. You just have to make sure you give yourself a little bit of room when you swing it because of the overhang on the back. Andy White: Yes, the back wheels, theyrsquo;re way forward, aren't they? Steve Kennard: Yes, like a lot of these vehicles they have what they call a separate bedroom on the back and that is, it gives you some sort of about a seven foot overhang on the back. Ah, perfect noise in the background at the moment. Andy White: Thatrsquo;s okay, this perfect technology can still pick our voices up despite the road cleaning device coming along. Anyway, let's get on to the shop floor, what's been happening? It's now April, it's nice and sunny, still a bit chilly; what sort of problems are you having at the moment? Steve Kennard: Oh well, where should we start? There are loads of problems. Andy White: You are mentioning a lot of engine changes, actually replacing engines. Steve Kennard: Yes, we've got a high Hyundai, its been here for a little while, sorry not a Hyundai, itrsquo;s a Kia wa... faults,,maintenance andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk no No http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/01/11-driving-in-winter-conditions/ http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/01/11-driving-in-winter-conditions/#comments Wed, 06 Jan 2010 15:01:46 +0000 admin http://passionate-about-cars.com/?p=98 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2010/01/11-driving-in-winter-conditions/feed/ 1 17:57 Steve talks about driving in wintery and snow conditions. Andy: Hello everyone, itrsquo;s Passionate About Cars. We woke up this morning to thick snow, well, ... Steve talks about driving in wintery and snow conditions. Andy: Hello everyone, itrsquo;s Passionate About Cars. We woke up this morning to thick snow, well, I mean, for Brighton, itrsquo;s thick snow, three inches and Irsquo;m sitting in the main lobby, the main area where customers come at First Class Garage and Steversquo;s manning the lobby. Are you short of staff this morning Steve? Steve: Yes, Irsquo;m actually playing secretary as well today. The secretaryrsquo;s on two daysrsquo; holiday, shersquo;s back in on Monday, today being Friday. So Irsquo;m sort of manning the front desk as well as everything else. A general dogsbody, thatrsquo;s me. Wersquo;ve had a fair bit of snow overnight. I live just on the outskirts in Woodingdean and as always out there it does tend to get a little bit worse. Wersquo;ve probably had about sort of five or six inches of snow settling on the ground overnight in Woodingdean which has made it difficult to get out. Public transport, you know, buses not running. I came in from Woodingdean this morning and picked four women up on the way in actually this morning, like all walking to work along the Warren Road and it was still snowing quite heavily. It was a bit breezy out there and all the women said that itrsquo;s a bit of a first, they wouldnrsquo;t normally step into a motor with a stranger. So obviously I couldnrsquo;t sort of encourage people to do that but the conditions were such that, you know, itrsquo;s just Irsquo;m coming that way and Irsquo;ve got the benefit of a four wheel drive for the workshop so it just made sense rather than see them struggling on foot to work. Andy: Did you see any good examples of interesting snow driving on the way Steve? Steve: Yes, theyrsquo;re out there. The sort of people that are really not sure when it comes to these sort of conditions should stay at home. They ought never ever to get behind the wheel. If theyrsquo;re not sure about the conditions, stay away from the wheel. One of the big problems you get is yoursquo;ve got four wheel drive vehicles out there that do find it a lot easier to get through these conditions but then yoursquo;ll always come across the person that doesnrsquo;t understand the conditions, will drive at 2, 3, 4mph and constantly get stuck. Because you just need to keep momentum going, you need to just let the engine take it and you see people, theyrsquo;ll get up to 5mph so theyrsquo;re dabbing the brakes. Not really the thing to do. So if yoursquo;re not really sure, obviously the best advice is to stay at home, stay out of the conditions and you donrsquo;t have to drive, again, stay out of the conditions. Itrsquo;s only if you really have to drive then if you donrsquo;t have a lot of alternative but to venture out then obviously you donrsquo;t have much alternative, itrsquo;s as simple as that. Particularly if yoursquo;re living in the outer areas or if you know a neighbour whorsquo;s got a four wheel drive, you can cadge a lift with someone, then thatrsquo;s definitely the way to go. But, yes, therersquo;s more forecast for the weekend and although itrsquo;s nice and blue sky and bright out there at the moment, it is still hovering around freezing. And Irsquo;ve noticed one of the big problems wersquo;ve got, where the snowrsquo;s packing down and because the temperatures are so low, wersquo;ve got a lot of solid ice forming underneath. So, until the gritters get out there, itrsquo;s not a good idea to be on the road in fairness. Wersquo;ve had two of the guys from the workshop that live in the outer areas, havenrsquo;t made it in this morning. Theyrsquo;ve phoned in, canrsquo;t get in but likewise wersquo;ve had customers that again, whose cars are booked in, are not coming in. Not that wersquo;re expecting too many. We have had some come in and wersquo;ll continue to get people coming in with the non-start problems, the bad starting and then after the weekend wersquo;ll... winter andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk no No http://passionate-about-cars.com/2008/05/5-the-strangeness-of-control-modules/ http://passionate-about-cars.com/2008/05/5-the-strangeness-of-control-modules/#comments Thu, 22 May 2008 20:00:07 +0000 admin http://passionate-about-cars.com/?p=14 http://passionate-about-cars.com/2008/05/5-the-strangeness-of-control-modules/feed/ 0 15:25 Steve tells us about how modern cars can behave very strangely when their controller units go wrong. We hear tales of a Vauxhall Vectra with ... Steve tells us about how modern cars can behave very strangely when their controller units go wrong. We hear tales of a Vauxhall Vectra with a dead indicator switch and gauges, and a Kia Sedona with an accelerator pedal that refused to function, until a completely and apparently unrelated issue was resolved. Strange indeed. faults andy@wireworldmedia.co.uk no No