Cars.

[Glam]

I've never driven an automatic, my little sister says they're easy peasy. I just know I'd put my foot on a none existant clutch and move the handle thing like it was a gear stick.

 

[Noah]

I've never driven an automatic, my little sister says they're easy peasy. I just know I'd put my foot on a none existant clutch and move the handle thing like it was a gear stick.

I have this problem with the OH's automatic, put my left foot down on the clutch except it isn't the clutch just the ******* extra wide brake pedal. Why not have a normal width brake pedal?

 

[Gramaisc]

I largely drove an auto for about five years. Little problem other than one or two juddering stops whenever I transferred back to normality.

For anyone who struggles with parking, a car with a torque converter is well worth considering.

 

[Cue]

I just know I'd put my foot on a none existant clutch

Dealer was handing over a Leaf the day I was doing my paperwork, said during the test drive the buyer almost went through the windscreen as they went for the clutch... but there is no clutch, just a parking brake (akin to a handbrake) all the way to the left of the footwell, so you can imagine what happened.

 

[c0tt0nt0p]

Driving an automatic is like driving an arcade game !!!

I do chuckle thinking of a time when I was "given" my brothers old Mk1 Fiat Panda 999cc in 2001....I went up home to Yorkshire from Devon to collect it, happy as anything got set to leave the next morning, drove to the bottom of the hill and filled my pants as I noticed it didn;t brake well....

The brakes were fine but non-servo assisted so you had to pump them up....my god that took some getting used to !! Cracking car mind....

 

[Laurie61]

I'm constantly impressed by the sheer sturdiness and reliability of modern manual gearboxes, clutches and drive-trains.

A lot of modern drivers change gear with a level of violence that would have had them regularly walking a couple of miles back home if they had a Triumph Herald.

There are some tricks they won't put up with. When my sister was learning she persuaded me to take her out for a few extra lessons. She decided on one occasion that using the clutch was not required to engage a gear while stationary. There was a large bang as the car lurched backwards and then stalled.

Fortunately only reverse had disappeared from the box and I was able to drive the car to the garage where they relieved me of £200.

 

[Gramaisc]

There are some tricks they won't put up with. When my sister was learning she persuaded me to take her out for a few extra lessons. She decided on one occasion that using the clutch was not required to engage a gear while stationary. There was a large bang as the car lurched backwards and then stalled.

Fortunately only reverse had disappeared from the box and I was able to drive the car to the garage where they relieved me of £200.

I worked with a Japanese chap who had only ever driven Japanese cars, but work refused to let him drive his own on a job and insisted on a hire-car - he was away for a fortnight and was not too surprised when he found that his Vauxhall wouldn't go into reverse at all. He was just careful where he parked it, so it could be shoved out backwards, if there was no convenient slope backwards, or a drive-through parking spot, etc. He got away with the whole fortnight without having to use reverse, though he did need assistance a couple of times, apparently.

He was most indignant when I showed him the secret trick to selecting reverse by pulling up the gear-stick gaiter collar.

 

[Trumpet]

Bloody foreigners, coming over here and driving our cars forwards everywhere.

 

[Thehooperman]

Bloody foreigners, coming over here and driving our cars forwards everywhere.

They'll be building their own soon, just you see!!!

 

[Gramaisc]

Currently, pre-1960 vehicles don't require to have an MOT certificate - as of May this year, that will apparently change to vehicles that are over 40 years old, i.e., 1978 and before. I may have a look in the garage..

 

[proactive]

Currently, pre-1960 vehicles don't require to have an MOT certificate - as of May this year, that will apparently change to vehicles that are over 40 years old, i.e., 1978 and before. I may have a look in the garage..

They still have to be roadworthy and comply with MOT standards.

It's a minefield that could well end up costing lives.

 

[Gramaisc]

They still have to be roadworthy and comply with MOT standards.

It's a minefield that could well end up costing lives.

It does seem a very strange thing to do. They're not normally bothered about people paying for stuff that they might just stop charging them for..

'They' would be better, if 'they' really care, making MOTs start at four years and then every two until ten years old.

 

[Kickstart]

MOT is only a check on the actual day. With the current system it could be unroadworthy for the next 364 days. Relying on the annual MOT is mad. Needs the drivers to have some checks. With those the MOT becomes a lot less relevant; without them the MOT is utterly insufficient.

A week ago a friend came around so we could try and find a running problem with their bike. I briefly checked the brake pads and found the rears very badly worn. The were surprised given the bike had an MOT about month ago.

Some decent levels of mechanical checks are important. Probably way more important in driver training / testing that 'eco driving'.

Katy

 

[Gramaisc]

Needs the drivers to have some checks.

Mmm, I think that boat may have sailed.

I offered to show someone how to put a plug lead back on, after they were stranded for a couple of hours when one fell off - they didn't know how to open the bonnet.

 

[Kickstart]

Mmm, I think that boat may have sailed.

I offered to show someone how to put a plug lead back on, after they were stranded for a couple of hours when one fell off - they didn't know how to open the bonnet.

Yep, but without it there is probably a good reason to have a weekly MOT

Katy

 

[Tilly]

I've never driven an automatic, my little sister says they're easy peasy. I just know I'd put my foot on a none existant clutch and move the handle thing like it was a gear stick.

Perhaps a petrol fuelled golf cart would suit you? They'r usually automatic. Bit draughty perhaps

 

[proactive]

Mmmm.

My lie in was disturbed by an angry Mrs p who had got into her fully charged and preheated car to find the claimed range remaining was five miles. Not good when you've got to get to work 17 miles away and back with heater on in the freezing cold today.

I demonstrated my extreme concern by telling her it was just a glitch and not to worry about it and rolled back over to my lie in.

Sure enough, a Whatscrap message to say she had arrived safely with the car now claiming to have a range of 80 miles.

Electricity and it's storage is a weird thing!

 

[Cue]

Mmmm.

My lie in was disturbed by an angry Mrs p who had got into her fully charged and preheated car to find the claimed range remaining was five miles. Not good when you've got to get to work 17 miles away and back with heater on in the freezing cold today.

I demonstrated my extreme concern by telling her it was just a glitch and not to worry about it and rolled back over to my lie in.

Sure enough, a Whatscrap message to say she had arrived safely with the car now claiming to have a range of 80 miles.

Electricity and it's storage is a weird thing!

Mine is saying 52 miles at 75% which doesn’t seem awful for -6 degree weather. That does seem like a rather extreme predicted range loss on what I’m going to assume is not a dinky Leaf battery.

 

[proactive]

Mine is saying 52 miles at 75% which doesn’t seem awful for -6 degree weather. That does seem like a rather extreme predicted range loss on what I’m going to assume is not a dinky Leaf battery.

It is apparently a glitch found only in models used in cold climates like Canada. Driving about for a bit restores normality to the computer/display thingy. According to the internet. That must mean it was cold over night then.

 

[Cue]

It is apparently a glitch found only in models used in cold climates like Canada. Driving about for a bit restores normality to the computer/display thingy. According to the internet. That must mean it was cold over night then.

Just a touch.