AndyP

150w at 12v is 12.5 amps, so I'm not surprised it blew the fuse ! Can't remember what the fuse rating for that is, but I'm sure it will be 10 or below, so you should only expect to run 5-6 amps off it, or 60-72w.

Hideous !

No, not old news, old guesswork, new confirmation.

http://jalopnik.com/5134338/the-stig-is-ben-collins Seems that he has been tipped as The Stig many times before, just search for his name.

OK, just about to be made redundant, so nice to know I've got the club funds to fall back on ! LOL ;)

Same here. In fact I think the worst thing I've ever done, in terms of bling, is carbon fibre stick-on bits on the Z door frame - and even they look marginally tasteful !!! ;)

Nice to know you're still around Paul.

Doubling the current through that relay may cause problems - beware ! Not saying it will catch fire, but it may burn out the contacts and both headlights will go out at the same time - scary on a country road .....

The 4 speed automatic transmission is a lockup type. When in drive mode, gears change 1-2-3 then 3 lockup, giving the effect of 4 gears. When overdrive (4th) is switched in, the change goes 1-2-3-4 then 4 lockup, giving the effect of 5 forward gears. There is a communications link between the automatic transmission control computer and the engine management computer, and this amongst other things, allows the engine computer to retard ignition, thus momentarily reducing engine power, during auto gear changes. Auto gear changes therefore are very smooth. The automatic transmission fitted to the turbo model is stronger than the one installed in the non turbo. Although the gear ratios are almost identical, there are many minor differences between the two transmissions. The Japanese automatic transmission has many more features than the export models. A "power", "normal" and "hold" switch is fitted to modify transmission shift points. The effect of the "power" setting is to delay upshifting, but does not alter the maximum RPM that change occurs. In order to change at the red line or rev limiter speed, one must operate the shifter manually. The hold setting allows holding prevents downshift into second when the shifter is set to "D", and prevents downshift into first when the shifter is in "2". Another curious feature with the Japanese version is that lock up is also available in second gear.

Would have been about 3:15, approx junction 16 heading south, I went past in the Bimmer ....

So you now have both lights running off the same relay ? Or are you talking about the earth wire ?

The price of glasses frames is a complete and utter rip-off. The profit margins are huge.

I bought some of those Aero things for my Bimmer and they were no use - the blade was too curved and didn't touch the screen in the middle, - sent them back. Just bought a cheap pair in Aldi for £5.40, dunno what they will be like, but seem to fit OK.

It's part of the MicroSoft Office Suite and costs two arms and a leg. Free alternative is OpenOffice from http://www.openoffice.org

Try now.

I can change the forum to allow a .pps format, which is what I presume it is. Gimme a few mins.

Some slick moves there ! ;)

If there is an infinite number of planets, which may be possible unless we can quantify the size of the universe, then statistically there must be life out there.

http://lifehacker.com/5132173/memtest86%252B-boot-cd-checks-system-memory

Sounds too good to be true !

Don't use mine often but it runs fine.

You must have used standard Paypal not the re-sub link as this should happen automatically. I'll fix it now.

Sorry, my fault, had forgotten to update you after I checked the bank account ! Will be done ASAP.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=when-used-cars-are-more-ecofriendly Dear EarthTalk: Is it better to drive an older, well-maintained car that gets about 25 miles per gallon or to buy a new car that gets about 35 miles per gallon? -- Edward Peabody, via e-mail It definitely makes more sense from a green perspective to keep your old car running and well-maintained as long as you can‚ especially if it's getting such good mileage. There are significant environmental costs to both manufacturing a new automobile and adding your old car to the ever-growing collective junk heap. A 2004 analysis by Toyota found that as much as 28 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions generated during the lifecycle of a typical gasoline-powered car can occur during its manufacture and its transportation to the dealer; the remaining emissions occur during driving once its new owner takes possession. An earlier study by Seikei University in Japan put the pre-purchase number at 12 percent. Regardless of which conclusion is closer to the truth, your current car has already passed its manufacture and transport stage, so going forward the relevant comparison has only to do with its remaining footprint against that of a new car's manufacture/transport and driver's footprint‚ not to mention the environmental impact of either disposing of your old car or selling it to a new owner who will continue to drive it. There are environmental impacts, too, even if your old car is junked, dismantled and sold for parts. And don't forget that the new hybrids‚ despite lower emissions and better gas mileage‚ actually have a much larger environmental impact in their manufacture, compared to non-hybrids. The batteries that store energy for the drive train are no friend to the environment‚ and having two engines under one hood increases manufacturing emissions. And all-electric vehicles are only emission-free if the outlet providing the juice is connected to a renewable energy source, not a coal-burning power plant, as is more likely. If you want to assess your current car's fuel efficiency or emissions, there are many services available online. The government website FuelEconomy.gov provides fuel efficiency stats for hundreds of different vehicles dating back to 1985. Websites TrackYourGasMileage.com and MPGTune.com can help you track your mileage and provide ongoing tips to improve fuel efficiency for your specific make and model vehicle. MyMileMarker.com takes it a step further, making projections about annual mileage, fuel costs and fuel efficiency based on your driving habits. If you have an iPhone, you can keep track of your car‚Äôs carbon footprint with the new "Greenmeter App" from Hunter Research and Technologies. The program uses numerous variables to make its calculations on-the-go as you drive, including weather conditions, cost of fuel, vehicle weight, and more. If you simply must change your vehicle, be it for fuel efficiency or any other reason, one option is to simply buy a used car that gets better gas mileage than your existing one. There's much to be said, from many environmental vantage points, about postponing replacement purchases of anything, not just cars, to keep what's already made out of the waste stream and to delay the additional environmental costs of making something new.

You could also try http://www.freebmd.org.uk No charges whatsoever.