Richmond

I had those symptoms (not on a Galaxy) from a blocked fuel tank breather pipe.

Good afternoon. Am I right to assume that removing the alarm fuse (no. 54) will prevent the alarm siren from souding if the alarm is activated? My alarm has for years gone off for no reason, almost always at 3.00am. It never does it when it's at the garage, but usually when it's parked at the other end of the road. We routinely deactivate the alarm on locking up, but it doesn't always work (probably through my carelessness). I could unplug the siren, but removing the fuse seems simpler. Any problem with that?

Sorry to resurrect this old thread, but I haven't been on the forum for months. Have you checked the rear windscreen wassher pipe? It runs fron to back down the left hand side of the passenger compartment (on mine), and there's a join in the front passenger footwell area which can leak or part.

A few days ago, in the middle of a long drive, using the cc, I had to brake; when I clicked the button to reengage the cc, the engine cut out and the EPC light came on. I stopped, restarted the engine and all was well. About an hour later, the same thing happened, so I restarted without stopping. No further problems that day, during the next days' long drive or since. Any suggestions? The thing is going in for a service soon so i'll get it sorted (I hope), but it's a bit odd.

Having soaked the nut/bolt in freeing oil, first (try to) tighten it and then try to undo it. I don't know why that should help, but it usually does.

Were we off topic? Sorry about that. John B80, I thought that MS did bundle Word with Windows until the US FTC or something similar stopped them. In any event, there's no doubt that MS's dominate OS position has helped them dominate word processing with (IMHO) a product inferior to some others. The Tools>Options>formatting>all facility in Word is better than nothing, but it doesn't show all formatting; it is nowhere near as helpful or user friendly as the 'reveal codes' facility in WordPerfect, which is particulary useful if you have to reformat a document prepared elsewhere. Similarly, while of course tables can be done in Word, they are not as user friendly as in WordPerfect and the calculation/formula facility is inferior (perhaps because of MS Excel which includes probably all the functionality missing from Word). Word has always given me the impression that it is cobbled together with less regard for the user than WordPerfect (which is hardly surprising given their relative commercial positions). The fact that my office had to change to Word although we didn't want to suggests that either we are idiots (a possibility) or that Word has an an unjustified dominance of the market (my preferred interpretation). I'm not an expert user of either package, but I have used both extensively, and, without any axe to grind, I have no doubt that for ordinary word processing use, WordPerfect is a better designed, more user friendly package. This is also the view of the (few) other users in our office with whom I have discussed it, including some of our secretaries, who use it all the time. I think that we may have to agree to differ or start our own word processing forum.

Do HID systems have to include an automatic level adjuster?

My criticism of Word was not directed at its users and was not intended personally. Feel free to slag off WordPerfect. I use Word as my office felt that it had to change to Word from WordPerfect because so many people with whom we exchange files use Word, and although WordPerfect can read Word files, the same is not always true in reverse (depending on the version of Word). We originally chose WordPerfect because we felt that it was the best product for our needs, which are straightforward word processing; producing letters, reports and that sort of thing, nothing too fancy. My criticisms of Word are of details, but nevertheless heartfelt. For example, there is no 'reveal codes' function which allows you to see on screen all the formatting commands in a document and to search for such commands (I am told that the next version of Word will have this facility). The Word table facility is badly conceived and difficult to use compared to WordPerfect. The bundling of formatting instructions into templates in the way in which Word uses them is intrusive and unhelpful. I could go on (and on and on and on). I suppose that my criticisms of Word are in the end subjective, but I doubt very much that many people would regard Word as the equal of WordPerfect. (Both make you pay for massive amounts of functionality which most users will never need, which is intenslely annoying). The way in which Microsoft for many years packaged MS Word with Windows is (along with other anticompetitive practices of Microsoft) in large part responsible for its dominance in the word processing market, rather than the quality of the product. Microsoft have consistently refused to make source code available to outside software writers until forced to do so. There is no way in which Word would have dominated the word processing market if MS had not first dominated the OS market. As I said, I don't regard Gates and Microsoft as instruments of the devil, but neither are they saints. Something like Windows was inconceivable 30 years ago and most of the time XP works very well. However, if most suppliers sold goods as flawed as Windows has been they would be out of business (that applies to software suppliers in general).

I'm sure that Gates and Microsoft are not as bad as they are said to be by some. However, Microsoft is a fine example of a company abusing it's monopoly (albeit a monopoly gained by producing a pretty good product and marketing it well); compare the near ubiquitous MS Word (crap) with some of its competitors, such as Corel WordPerfect (not crap).

Here's your answer, taken from this forum. How much would you be happy to pay for that? QUOTE (NikpV @ Dec 29 2004, 12:40:49) IIRC, hold down trip reset when turning ignition on Apparently, you may need to open the bonnet for a while before doing it so that the car thinks that you've done something (not as smart as it looks, you see). This is probably standard Ford mechanic procedure.

Yes, of course they are, aren't I stupid :blink: ? Sorry about that.

They come with the full length rubber mat available from The Roofbox Co (http://www.roofbox.co.uk/). They sell replacement covers and so would presumably let you have some.

That's pathetic. The Michelins on the front (and rear) of mine have done well over 20k and are nowhere near needing replacement.

It's a woman thing as well; my wife would never consider reading instructions.

Mine sometimes refuse to switch off at the switch, although they do so when I have exceeded whatever speed it is (15mph?).

There's another thread on tints on here somewhere with some knowledgeable-sounding stuff about the legal limitations on tinting.

My idea that you can't go fast on winter tyres is obviously balls. Do the local cops accept them insted of chains when chains are mandatory, though? If not, you could be prevented from travelling.

I assumed that is what the wells under the front seats are for.

I thought day time lights are brighter than ordinary dipped beam so that they can be seen in daylight.

Only recommended if you want to enjoy an internal body search and having your car stripped down looking for concealed Class A drugs, I suspect! I don't think that UV reflective film on its own will help, as it isn't UV which heats things up.

I used them on alloys. Have a look at the appropriate bit of The Roofbox Co.'s website for fitting. Briefly, a mounting plate is fitted onto each wheel before you leave UK (I presume you leave them on all winter if you live in a snowy place). This took me about 45 mins and is easy enough; four hands are useful but not essential. The mounting plate clamps onto the wheel nuts (bolt heads, to be accurate), which do not need to be removed. When you need to fit the chains, a boss on the chains clips onto the mounting plate; simple enough using 2 hands and a knee. The chains are 3/4 fitted around the tread; you drive off and hey presto! after a couple of yards the chain is fully fitted. To remove, you unclip the boss from the mounting plate, pull the chains off the tread except under the tyre (obviously), drive a couple of yards and that's it, except for remembering to stop and pick up the chains. The chains come in a bag; they have some rigid bits so they take up more room than ordinary chains. The main advantage for me is that the chains are sufficiently easy to fit that I am not reluctant to fit them in the hope that conditions will improve quickly or that I can do without. They look to be just as effective as any other chains and worked fine for me (although I didn't use them much). I hired them and would do so again. I have no experience of proper winter tyres; I have used 4 season tyres, which would not suffice on steep icy roads, as you say. I understand that winter tyres have a low max speed, which is a pain. PS Any ideas about why the Galaxy has wheel bolts instead of wheel nuts? It makes life a bit more difficult. I had an Audi with wheel bolts, but they gave you a plastic stud which was a push fit into one of the threaded holes on the hub to hang the wheel on to get started, which made life a bit easier. I don't see what's wrong with nuts.

Sorry, you'll have to explain it to me. Be one for what? Buy for what? Before what? Beef or what (on a butcher's van)? Before Watt (seems implausible)? Buy a what? Buy a Watt (on an electricity board van)? I'm quite good at crosswords, but I can't get the hang of these number plates at all.

Spikes Spiders will fit 215 tyres; other chains are advertised as doing so. I think that the problem is with clearance of the running gear; the trick is to use chains which don't extend far down the back sidewall of the tyre. Spikes Spiders and other 'rigid' types sit on the tyre tread and extend hardly at all down the back wall If you hire Spikes Spiders from The Roofbox Co they will refund the hire charge if you buy a set. They are very easy to put on, although as they are the only chains I've used, I've nothing to compre the with. It's hard to see how any others could be simpler, 'though. I don't know whether or not ordinary 4 season tyres will satisfy the local constabulary if chains are compulsory.

Got it, thank you. This number plate business is indeed multilayered. What did the owner of N 15 4 NEW do after a couple of weeks, 'though? O 15 4 OLD was presumably not issued. Perhaps s/he joined the foreign office, was posted abroad and got U 15 4 USE(D) or nipped out and bought the timeless C 15 4 CAR.