calvin

I would offer any assistance that I reasonably could to anyone at the side of the road, but wont put myself at any risk, and this includes towing anyone. I would push a car into the side but would never change a wheel or lift the bonnet. I may give them something to get them going, ie water and once I did wire somebody's exhaust up so it wasnt dragging the ground, but that is it. Like I said, not worth the hassle if any one gets iffy at a later date. There was a case which was in court a couple of years ago where there was a breakdown on the hard shoulder, some people stopped to help, a 7/12 tonne truck also stopped but further up the hard shoulder as protection against a rear end smash from a hard shoulder drfter, and they were all killed when a articulated 40 tonner smashed into the smaller truck at god knows what speed and flipped the truck through the air and it landed on all of the people who were helping at the breakdown. The driver of the 40 tonner was convicted of death by dangerous driving and went to jail.

it does sound mean, especially with the current weather, but as I said I just dont carry any recovery type equipment. I will stop and ask if they are okay, or if they have help coming, I will give someone a lift to a place of safety or civilisation and will push or dig out if required.(actually my discovery got pranged as I help push a car during a snow storm, bent the tow hitch and I currently doent even have a hitch ) As for disclaimers, no matter who signs them they are not worth the paper they are written on, it will come down to you to prove you were either competent, not neglegent or didnt cause the damage as claimed. As someone said in that other thread, it can be a real hassle just having to defend yourself against such a claim, justified or otherwise, filling in forms, phone calls etc etc. Not worth even the slightest risk. It was explained to me why disclaimers are worthless in so much in the eyes of the law you cannot have someone sign a disclaimer to say if they are injured or their property damaged due to your actions you are not responsible, this is a licence for cowboys and bad practice and goes against the principle of duty of care. The other problem I would have with any disclaimer is that it could be argued that you had agreed a contract, with all that goes with such a thing. Like I said for people I know, it is not a problem, but for the general public I might happen across I would check to see if they are okay and/or take the people to safety or to civilisation, not their car. I know that 99.9% of them would be grateful and not do anything untowards but it is that hdden 0.1% who can make your life hell. This has been a really interesting thread anyway. :)

I have to agree, it is in the back of your mind, that if you go and pull somebody out of the snow, and the front of the car comes off or the exhaust falls off, then it quickly changes from 'you are a great mate, I am so grateful' to 'I am going to claim off your insurance'. I will only offer a lift, or if i have time to help dig them out, but unless I know them I wouldnt tow them out. In fact I do not even carry a tow rope or strop for that very reason. If I dont have one I cant use it. also if my vehicle gets damaged in the process then I am sure that my insurance company would not agree with using the vehicle to tow and not pay out. so I wont tow out when I am out and about, makes me sound like a right so and so but I just wont risk it.

The stepper motor is at the back of the plenum chamber on the drivers side just above where the fuel lines go to the rail. It looks like a cylinder about 20-30MM long with a big nut on the end. It has a large electric plug with 4 wires coming from it..This plug has a clip which has to be raised to pull the plug off. Just undo the nut , and pull it out. Clean the little cone shaped thing with carby cleaner and put carby cleaner on a cotton bud and clean inside the hole down to the bottom. Do not try to push the little cone in and out. seal the threads when replacing. Be careful with the fibre washer. I have attached a picture of the location in the engine, taken from the drivers (UK) side, and a picture of the stepper motor once it is removed. cheers

Would a duff RST cause the engine to idle too fast intermitently. The latest thing is the engine will start but sometimes after the first few seconds of high revs which is normal it wont settle back down to the proper idle speed but will stay upward of 1500, even when driving. (making engaging drive or driving on snowy, icy roads interesting!!) If not any ideas? cheers

Thanks - of course it is. It is obvious. cheers

This sounds like my V8efi 3.9 auto but excuse my ignorance but what is an RST? cheers

thanks for the replies, I will have a look weather permitting. cheers

I have a 1995 V8 discovery(M reg). (I dont have a fob but I am assuming that it is a one button fob). I have an aftermarket immobiliser fitted, it is a jack plug and flashing LED light on the insturment cowl. It is starting to play up and I want to remove it and was wondering where these aftermarket systems are usually spliced into the loom? any ideas would be appreciated. cheers

we have had lots of snow except the disco died on Saturday night, something horrible has occured in the back axle, I had to walk about 2 miles home and the smug smile I had all day was certainly now gone and I was back to cursing those 4x4 drivers swooshing past me in their warm trucks!!!

As it was a bit of a crisis situation, ie stuck on the road, I cannot be sure when I had tried diff lock and when I didnt. I do know that I had it in low box and some pedestrians told be the front wheels were spinning but the back ones were not. I opened the door to look and when I got a bit of grip the back wheels were only turning really slowly so were dragging, but were turning a bit. FIngers crossed it is the handbrake. cheers

I had it in diff lock and low box.

I was out driving this evening in the snow. I stopped to help someone get moving got back in the disco and the damn thing wouldnt move, it would move a bit in reverse but forward gears were not so good. The front wheels were spinning on the snow. I ended up putting it in low ratio and dragging the car off the road. I thought initially that it might be the rear diff, but it has been suggested that it might be the handbrake has stuck on. (I really hope it is just this) Any ideas, or has anyone had a similar experience?? Cheers in anticipation. (I also didnt feel so smug anymore when I was walking the 3 miles home )

got the job done, for the MOT, at least three of them personally and had to quit on the last one.(drivers side front). Got it down to 20 mins per link. The bolts are 24 mm and the castlated nut on the ball joint is 19mm. The last one at the drivers side it was really tight for space and I couldnt get in with my socket as I did for the others and I only had one 24 mm ring spanner so I had to defer to a garage. (done it for £15) and now passed MOT!!!

My V8 efi 1994 disco has just failed its MOT on the excessive wear on the anti roll bar links, so Ihave ordered some new ones and will be fitting them this week when they arrive. Anything to watch for when removing them etc? Do you have to jack the vehicle up? (as the Haynes manual says). I will be doing it outside when I get home from work this week so the less mucking about the better. Cheers (in anticipation)