GamithUK

It's the .jpg at the end of the filename when your mouse hovers over it that gives it away. A bit like this screensaver image.

Replacing the battery doesn't answer the question of whether there is a drain or not, but it's worth a shot. 13.86v seems rather low, but that could be the battery not having enough charge - I do seem to recall a comment somewhere about the alternator needing a certain level of voltage in order to produce a usable output, ie if the battery voltage is low then so will the alternator battery. It may also be worth checking the alternator after getting the battery recharged.

Or nuke it from orbit - it's the only way to be sure.

well done Julia = you're going to be famous....

I once had an alternator that had one side of he commutator disconnected/broken - it would put out 14v, but only half the time - so the battery effectively wasn't charging enough. Check for damp on the battery - especially from the positive terminal to ground/ earth, that it's not earthing against the bonnet or something, that the glovebox light doesn't stay on - or any other internal light come to that since a failed door switch or similar could also be the culprit. If you think you will be leaving the car for some time without using it you can also get a solar charger to keep the battery topped up (http://www.maplin.co.uk/search?criteria=solar+charger) though you may need to wire it up directly to the battery since most cigarette sockets (are they still called that?) disconnect after a minute or so. How I test with a multimeter is to take a reading across the terminals with the engine off, then start the engine and take another reading - the first should be 12v and the second around 14v. If the static (engine off) reading is gradually going down (12v, 11.9v, 11,8v etc.) try taking each fuse out in turn and see if the drain stops. Go though all the fuses just in case there is more than one drain. Identifying the circuit that is causing the drain is a good start. Good luck.

I have read Sapper Martin and would recommend it as a very good read - a very personal account that covers a whole range of activities.

For the non-racers and non-gamers this might show the obvious differences: I would say that expecting to gain racing experience from a video game is not a good idea - buy some racing days instead if you plan on learning to drive fast. Games are games.

I was thinking that the trap broke it's neck, but I guess it was just recovering from the whack. Why it decided to leap forward is another thing though. Maybe it thought the camera attacked it.

The cheap readers will cover all the common codes, but are very unlikely to do manufacturer-specific codes, so you get what you pay for, I find with my special renault one, for instance, that there is a 'do all tests' button that will run through everything that applies to my make and model and goes far beyond the normal engine and geartrain codes that the cheaper ones cover. compare: cheap - from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CAR-FAULT-READER-DIAGNOSTIC-SCANNER-TOOL-OBD2-RESET-TOOL-ENGINE-LIGHT-SERVICE-/221058856291?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3378227563#ht_4399wt_1159 1.Works with 1996 and newer cars & trucks that are OBD II compliant (including the CAN, VPW, PWM, ISO and KWP 2000 protocols) 2.Reads and clears generic and manufacturer specific Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC) 3.Turns off check engine light 4.Supports multiple trouble code requests: Generic codes, pending codes and manufacturer specific codes 5.Reviews the emission readiness status of OBD monitors 6.Retrieves VIN (Vehicle Identification No. ) on 2002 and newer vehicles that support Mode 9 7.Determines the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) status 8.Free CD software with over 7000 DTC definitions 9.Easy to use with one plug-in 10.Highly reliable and accurate 11.Easy-to-read crystal-clear backlit 2-line LCD display 12.Stand-alone unit with no need for an additional laptop computer to operate 13.Small in size and conveniently fits in your palm 14.Safely communicates with the on-board computer 15.No batteries needed--powered via detachable OBD II cable expensive - from http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ANY-CAR-DIAGNOSTIC-CODE-READER-SCANNER-INTERFACE-ENGINE-ABS-AIRBAG-AUTOBOX-ETC-/270962918626?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item3f16a604e2#ht_3829wt_1159 The Pro database offers a deep OBD2 generic and manufacturer specific coverage of European Cars like MB, BMW,Audi,VW,Porsche,Volvo,SAAB,Jaguar,Land Rover etc,and very good coverage of Japanese and North American Cars.For diagnostics in older pre-OBD2 cars, supplies specific OBD1 cables. - Wireless communication is included in all car diagnostic products. - The user can also add extra options such as repair information,service schedules and electrical diagrams from external suppliers,which can be connected to the program with ready to use links. car diagnostic features - User-friendly and intuitive software for passenger cars,light and heavy commercial vehicles and buses - Fast and safe identification of vehicles and systems with the aid of ISI (Intelligent System Identification) - Intelligent System Scan (ISS) function - automatically scans through all the vehicle's control systems - Bluetooth and USB connectivity are standard - Software available on CD/DVD - Handles all current communications standards for vehicle diagnostics - Help texts for available functions - Reading and erasing fault codes - Reading real-time data - Restoring service messages - Programming capabilities such as injectors, keys, remote controls etc - Unique multiplex technology,which minimises the need for special cables Functions -Manufacture specific serial diagnose -Scan function -EOBD/OBDII communication -Serial Systems -Engine -Ignition -Climate -ABS -Service reset -SRS -Immobilizer -Instrument -Comfort system -Gear-box etc. ALL FUCTION MAY NOT COVER ALL MAKES AND MODELS OR CARS In serial we do following: -Read and erase fault codes -Read live data -Basic settings -Programming -Scan function -Fully compliant to the eOBD/OBDII standard For the cost of the cheap one you can't really go wrong - the very worse case is that it doesn't work at all with your vehicle - so it's a good idea to make sure your car is readable by these things. My scenic for instance uses a specific subpset of the obd standard (KWP 2000 I think) so I know what to look for when I am going to buy one of these things. I found that the simple one worked ok, but I wanted to to see what else might be wrong so i got one of these: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Renault-CAN-Clip-V120-Shipped-from-UK-with-full-aftersales-support-/120973588196?pt=UK_Diagnostic_Tools_Equipment&hash=item1c2a9676e4#ht_702wt_1392 which gies a lot more info, but is only usable on renaults ttfn

I have a total of three readers - a bluetooth one, a USB one and one specifically for renaults. The two general purpose ones are Ok, but you need a laptop for the USB ones, and a mobile phone together with the 'torque' app (and I'm sure there are others) for the bluetooth one. If you are after basic information then something like hms's one, or the free torque app, is ok, but to get more information out of the vehicle your one is a much better bet, though I found my special one for Renaults gave even more information. The key is the software - you have the interface which is a good start, but you may find the software doesn't do all you want, so you may find yourself looking for something like this which gives a lot more information. The software that comes with those readers is pretty good - mine is apparantly able to do remaps of the ecu and the like, but my beast is quite powerful enough as it is thank you :-) I would say that buying that one is a good idea (as long as your car is a 2002+ petrol or a 204+ diesel), and the software will be good enough for now, but you may want to look around to see what other software is available if you want to do anything complicated. ttfn

It's probably not the size but the cutting & fitting to make it look good - an experienced persons time is normally the most expensive part of a job, but it saves you having to learn all the mistakes if you were to try it yourself. ttfn

Evolution in action.

Wow - I wonder how many tries that took ;-)

Yep - security guards and the public have been told to watch out for people taking photos, and until we get out from under this atmosphere of fear which the political parties and media want to foster things will still be likely to continues like that. Education is the best bet, so carrying around copies of documents is the best idea - let people check for themselves. ttfn

Some more videos from Russia here: http://englishrussia.com/2012/08/05/video-selection-part-xiii/#more-106776 I hope the Olympic one isn't true. tttn

Well I guess it does show users should hold the paper by the edges, but even so I don't think that is a good idea.

Or, put another way, space is empty - a balloon needs to operate in a non-empty environment so that it's filling is 'lighter' than it's surroundings. A balloon will rise until its lift equals it's mass. So no - a balloon cannot reach space by definition. It can get a decent way up though, certainly for most people to see the curvature of our planet and say 'wow'. I find this stuff fascinating. ttfn

You can change engines at any time and take your pick to get a good one, so I'm with the others here and will say to get the rest of the car sorted out, MoT'd etc. before doing anything major like changing the engine. One thing to consider is that when you change the engine will you need to re-register the car as something else? If you do then it might be best to do it bit by bit so you're not left with a car that's a real problem to legalise. Obviously if the engine is unfixable then get a new/ replacement engine, but what's the point in swapping one dodgy engine with another dodgy engine? ttfn

I was about to say you could drive it there, but it would probably be more fuel-efficient to put it on a lorry. I could also make a joke about how much of the car you expect to get back from Liverpool, but that would be in poor taste :-) ttfn

I am struggling to understand what you mean here, as philck says gravity carries for a long way. If you're thinking of geosynchronous orbit then he is (still) about 22,000 miles too short (http://www.centennialofflight.gov/essay/Dictionary/GEO_ORBIT/DI146.htm) so in the grand scheme of things he's still on the surface. The balloon is another interesting area - it will keep rising but at some point the balloon will pop. The problem is that at ground level a helium 'filled' balloon has a relatively little amount of helium in it - just enough for it to lift off. As the balloon rises the air pressure decreases and the helium inside expands to fill more of the balloon, as it gets higher the balloon will eventually be 'full', ie where it cannot get physically larger, and since helium is still lighter than the atmosphere it will keep rising - and eventually it pops. (http://www.frars.org.uk/cgi-bin/render.pl?pageid=1385) According to this the atmosphere extends to about 300 miles, so even then I suspect an extreme balloon could go a lot higher. This radio balloon got to almost 26 miles for example. hmm - enough research for now I think, have to empty the dishwasher.. ttfn

So if you have work to do why are you reading this? And would a 3 minute video mean you wouldn't have work to do? I'm confused - again! :-)

> there's also a difference between 140bhp and 300bhp About 10-20mpg I would imagine :-) The problem with any old car is always getting hold of bits, and when your kit car has borrowed bits from goodness only knows how many sources, as well as some custom stuff such as the bodywork then expect some issues to surface. Hopefully a few months of getting over the initial learning curve will get it sorted and working. ttfn

If it's not starting easily you could check out the TDC sensor (a common issue on other renault engines, I don't know if yours will be the same or not) which gets metallic slivers on it and stops it from reading TDC. ttfn

Got it balanced and the geometry checked yet? I can recommend a good place in Chesham, or they have a small branch office in MK if you are in the area. :-)