First Moan of the Month!

[Dev One]

Back in the 60's travelling up & down the M4 (when it had only 2 lanes each way) into Southall from the Reading area, some people started fitting auxiliary stop lights which I found most useful when in a congested stream of traffic as it gave plenty of warning of a jam up front, but then some ninny decided that they should become Fog lights....so they added another central stop light, which is still useless as there is little contrast when the fog lights are on, when viewed at a reasonable distance, but as everyone here knows is very hard on the eyes at Traffic lights/junctions.....Didn't Brussels have something to do with that ruling?
I'm very bad tempered if the car in front has his/her fog lights on knowing that I'm behind....so my main lamps are on full beam if no one is coming the other way!
Mind you I was once very thankful of them being fog lights, when on the M5 around the Gloucester area well known for VERY dense fogs - so dense in fact that at a car length behind the fog lights on the car in front vanished! Now thats the only time in 60 + years of driving!!! Needless to say that evening I exited the M5 very quickly & at about 5' up the ramp the fog disappeared!
Keith

[Vancouver]

Another annoying factor especially with NA cars, (is this a thing in the UK now) is the lights control. On mine it is convenient to turn the light stalk switch to AUTO. This affords the practicality of the main beam illuminating in low light conditions (tunnels etc) and nighttime. The downside is when stopping at a red light etc it is impractical to set the handbrake as this at night will switch off the lights. Equally putting the drive in N will do the same. Easy option would be to not use the lights AUTO function but then what would be the point of paying the extra for that add on function.

[DaveB]

You can actually do all that stuff with the Sprinter Nige. The Auto box is similar to the DSG gearboxes fitted to some VW's (and Skodas) in that with the gearbox in DRIVE.. should you want to go around a bend in 3rd or even second.. you push the stick to the left. Once for 3rd, another for 2nd. When you want to move up.. pull the stick to the right. All seems a little pointless though really. The only REAL use is when you want to try and move off and the ground is slippery. Throw it into D then pull the stick over a couple of times to select 3rd. Not sure if all AUTO's are like this

ATB
DaveB

[GHD]

I have an "electric" handbrake. When it is on, all one needs to do to move off is put it in gear and de-clutch which automatically disengages the brake.

[PaulC]

Hello,
Going back to your comment Nigel about taking corners in 3rd, try holding it up one more and going with 4th. Obviously every bend is different but a higher gear lessens the forces at work on the car, Both in cornering and acceleration once you've passed the point at which the bend opens and you apply power.

Go round a big roundabout quickly in 3rd and feel the forces at work. Theln do the same in 4th. I bet you'll feel that the car is under less force.

All our work cars were manual until about 5 years ago and we now have autos but with paddle shift. Takes a bit of getting used to but I wouldn't go back now.

Paul

[Vancouver]

I have an "electric" handbrake. When it is on, all one needs to do to move off is put it in gear and de-clutch which automatically disengages the brake.

Don't think I would trust that at all. What would happen if the battery is very low and you parked on a steep hill
Equally there is a hill on the Ayrshire coast called the Electric Brae. Park on there and the car gets dragged uphill. https://youtu.be/BRzwNycQTok
Of course it is an optical illusion.

[Nigel H-J]

You can actually do all that stuff with the Sprinter Nige.

Hi Dave So long since I last drove an automatic I had forgotten about that, one thing about autos though is if you are on stop starts a lot of the time in built up areas it is less tiring. Guess it help no end with your job.

Hi PaulC, I have always used third gear simply through habit from the days of four speed gear boxes and had been taught High Performance driving skills that included the method of toe and heel, what I find is that when in third even with a six speed gearbox is balancing the power with the accelerator then on exiting the corner apply power however that is for front wheel drive as taking off the power the car will tighten up into the bend whereas applying power too early will cause the car to understeer so I was always taught that by using third gear you can achieve much more control over the car.

Having said that, I will try your suggestions next time I do a cross country drive.

Go round a big roundabout quickly in 3rd and feel the forces at work. Theln do the same in 4th. I bet you'll feel that the car is under less force.

I somehow don't think her ladyship would be too impressed if I tried that with her inside!

Thanks for the tip Paul, at 65 you are never too old to learn!

Regards
Nigel.

[Airspeed]

Nigel; some more things to cheer you up.....

1. When we finished looking at the supermoon, we sent it round your side. Hope you saw it through clear skies!

2.The Australian cricket team is now being smashed by Soud Efrika. Looks like it'll be a whitewash.

3. You know how they reckon bad stuff happens when we have a supermoon? Well, they're wrong; Mrs Airspeed was born in 1948.

[Nigel H-J]

Hi Mike and many thank, just about getting back to normal!! ........Must have been the period just before the full moon that got to me, Babs had a look at the moon but could tell no difference in size (of course the experts stated that the human eye would not notice any difference in its' size).

I used to love cricket when I was younger and had a season ticket to the Trent Bridge Cricket ground in Nottingham, when the test cricket was on and I was at school permission was given to spend my lunch hour there which was great.

Unfortunately my passion for cricket was stumped one day when Yorkshire were playing there, I was with a friend and as we walking back to our seats after lunch who did we spot speaking to 2 females....the one and only Freddie Trueman, this was an opportunity not to be missed and walked up to him and asked if I could have his autograph.

He turned towards me and replied f**k off, I was only about 13-14 years old at the time and immediately walked out of the grounds. I did not tell my parents though should have done but never went back to watch the sport. Since then I have always looked upon him as being arrogant!!

Regards
Nigel.