Ivor_E_Tower

Any idea what state the plugs are in?

I don't think you will need to remove the door card to investigate and fix broken wires. Good luck.

Both my daughters went to Brownies, the younger one stopped just before Christmas. Monday evenings just don't seem the same any more, no mad rush home from work to take one or both of them there for 6:00pm. More than a few years back, I took a day off work when it was my birthday, and when the little one was at playgroup in the same building as where "her" brownie pack meets. I took her along in the morning and promptly got asked if I would mind digging the ground ouside to fill the bucket with earth for the Christmas Tree! Ah, fond memories indeed.......

Pardon?

Note step-on tool box strapped to the folded seat to stop it moving - and even when standing on it, I can't get a proper "sweep" with the sponge to wash the roof! Nimrod - do you think I needed to join the scouts with lateral-thinking improvisation skills like this??? I still can't tie a proper knot, though.

No prizes for guessing what's under the blanket.

First picture also shows the wider clip-on interior mirror, if you look closely you can also see the "kiddie viewer" mirror below it.

For those who were wondering about fitting a luggage net at reasonable cost, to a vehicle that was not originally bought with the "versastility pack" fitted, my solution is to buy a small-sized trailer cover net, plus some hook things that hikers use, from camping shops (eg Milletts). In my case the hook thingies came from an army surplus store (although they aren't ex-army as it happens) at

No front or rear wipers suggests a problem with the electrics to the rhs stalk to me. Have you tried locating its multi-plug and checking that it is still plugged in correctly? Did all the wiper bits fail at the same time?

Oh no, not another one like this.... Could be fuel pump relay. We're still trying to decide what do do with my parents' Volvo 850 2.5 10-valve which sometimes won't start when warm or hot, but if left for 20 to 30 minutes will start again with no problems. Engine management reports no faults, main dealers have had it twice and cannot find anything wrong. Volvo UK cannot add anything to the investigations either. The fault can occur twice in 2 days, then not at all for a few months. Once it did cut out when they were driving and this turned out to be the fuel pump relay but it hasn't sorted the "non-starting" problem. Nik, are you out there - any ideas???

Yet another case of incompetent dealers. Am I surprised? No.

Just remembered that I have used an old washing-up bottle once - for syringing ears (you must be EXTREMELY careful). Should I work on "Ivor's 100 tips for avoiding having to speak to the Doctor's receptionist" or "101 things to do with an old washing up liquid bottle"?

Don't watch Blue Peter now; when I did it was Val Singleperson (what rumours?), Chris somebody (Trace?) and someone else. Don't use old washing-up bottles but you'd be amazed at what you can fix with lengths of platic tubing! Improvise at all times!

Next idea - you need a bag that can hang from the front seats - just seen one in the Betterware catalogue that dropped through the door earlier today. Then a trip to the DIY store to buy some mdf, shelving board or similar to make a protector for the keyboard part of the laptop so that just the screen protrudes from the hanging bag. board/mdf gives adequate protection from kiddy feet. Is the screen safe though? - maybe an additional investment in some clear perspex for the top part of your custom mount system to guard against cola and fruit juice assaults.

Thanks guys, yes it was really cold (about 2 deg C) outside at the time, and it is possible that the temp in the return pipes had cooled down from the high-speed run that preceeded the stop at traffic lights. I'll have to look at lagging those pipes.....

...so what you need is a program for the laptop that inverts the picture by 180 degrees, then you strap it to the roof, with the screen hanging down.

Maybe he's given his password to his big chicken because he's too busy to visit the site himself?

...and mine seems to be doing the opposite. When stopped at traffic lights towards the end of a 45 mile journey the other day, with temp gauge in "normal" position, I heard th ticking sound and realised that the aux heater was running. Why???

Try using the "search" feature - it's been covered before, with photos too IIRC.

unscrew you carefully the sensor from the housing off Ah, the famed translation using the dictionary rather than someone who speaks both languages. One for Nik here - the Volvo owners book that my parents have and which refers to "manuel gearbox" - the infamous Spaniard who lives under the bonnet, swapping cogs for you.

Start at the bottom and work up. I hope that the clips undo - I had a Rover 820 and had to change the radiator on that some years ago now. One of the stainless steel jubilee clips had rusted solid and I had to cut it off! Fortuantely there was sufficient slack in the hose to enable me to re-use it. Do you have suitable access to lift the Gal to take the undertray off, because I suspect that this will have to be done if you need to replace the lower hose? Bleeding the air can be a nightmare - not sure if there is a bleed valve anywhere. If not, try driving for a while (eg 15 miles) with coolant topped up and no rad cap. Then replace rad cap, continue driving, go home and allow system to cool completely. Release rad cap and replace. Ensure that you keep checking the coolant level every day for a week after changing the hoses. Good luck.

Suspect that it's a seal problem. I've not noticed any wind noise in mine (other than that generated by the occupants!)

Have you tried one of those tidy thingy you hang over the back of the front seats? Similar to the ones that come with the in-car travel DVD's - or wouldn't it be large/strong enough to support a laptop?

Is the DVD drive in a laptop sufficiently ruggedised to work in a moving car? Does the picture break up at all due to vibration etc?

NO!!! First simply unplug the MAF and drive the car. If it drives OK but not quite normally, then the MAF is U/S and needs changing. Don't change it "on spec" - it is expensive and the above substitution will effectively tell you whether or not it is OK.