Honest John Q&A 11th June 2011

May I draw readers attention to the consultation to allow articulated HGVs to become 7 feet longer The DfT wants everyone to participate in the consultation which is at www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/2011-06/ The Dept seems to think this will not compromise safety, a thought upon which readers may have views

PO, via email

Unfortunately we will be quite close to the closing date of 21 June before I can run this, but that might actually be a benefit and provoke more of a reaction

I was surprised by the fuel consumption claim of 40mpg combined for the new Mercedes CKS 350 petrol model. I think the old model 320CDI was 36mpg combined (37.2mpg on 245 rear tyres). I have a 5-year old 350 petrol, which had a combined claim of 29mpg that is only achievable on long motorway runs. I am aware that much work has been done to improve the economy of petrol engines but is this credible?

PJ, Wendover

No. All it means is that they stuck it on a chassis dynamometer that replicated the EC driving cycle and managed to achieve the equivalent of 40mpg in the EC combined cycle. Whether a real person can really achieve that in real life is another matter entirely. That said, over 692.3 miles in a Jaguar XJL 3.0V6 diesel I recently averaged 41mpg at an average speed of 58mph, and that is better than the official combined figure of 39.2mpg. For a better idea of the true fuel economy of recent cars, consult and participate in the Real Life Fuel Economy Register at: www.honestjohn.co.uk/realmpg

My nephew had his car damaged by a Middle Eastern Gentleman driving a McClaren Mercedes. The incident happened on a Saturday afternoon outside Harrods in Knightsbridge. The MIG reversed into my nephew’s Audi, clipping the wing as my nephew drove past. My nephew stopped, and the MIG left the car and walked into Harrods. The MIG’s flunky was left to deal with my nephew. When my nephew asked for insurance details he was told the MIG does not have car insurance, but he has his own insurance. My nephew was given the address of Coutts Bank and a man’s name to send the car repair bill to. My nephew reported the matter to the police and was told by a senior police officer, that the MIG had in fact posted a bond with Lloyd's of London and was not required to hold conventional motor insurance. The police officer said it was common for very rich foreigners to do this. Have you ever heard of such a thing before? My nephew send a estimate to the bank, as instructed, and the next day a motor cycle courier delivered a package containing the money quoted in the estimate, to my nephew’s home in Surrey.

2010 Ford Escape Transmission Error Code P1783 - Ford Forums ...

I purchased a new Ford Escape 2010 Limited back in August of 2010. Not 6 months had passed when I had to have the transmission rebuilt, as there were many problems with the it. Every time I would accelerate it felt as if the transmission was going to drop. Two weeks ago I was driving to Detroit (Live in Illinois) and about 65 miles out outside of Detroit the little Wrench Icon comes on...and I can feel the car starting to ride very strange. I took it into the dealership in Detroit, and the pulled a P1783 Code (Transmission Overheat). They did not have a transmission tech on hand, so they said I should be able to make it back to Chicago, which luckily I did. We stayed over night in Detroit and when we left the next morning, the icon was gone, however about an hour outside of Chicago it came back on...I took my car to my local dealership the following day, and after having the car for a week, they said that nothing was wrong...they could still see the code in memory, but could not find any issues...I don't know what to do, as this does not seem right...any suggestions...thanks...

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