Any chaos will be in Kent ( and other UK lorry parks )

The UK Government  narrative is clear. If there's friction exporting to the EU and it's "all a bit slipshod and disorganised and there's therefore chaos because of failure of the EU to plan" then HMG is going to blame the direct consequences of leaving the Customs Union and Single Market on the EU. We've left the EU and at the end of the year we exit the Withdrawal Agreement's Transition Period that's been in place since the 1st of Feb. During the Transition Period we continued to be in the Customs Union and Single Market although no longer an EU member. That's what's kept our imports and exports flowing freely since then. It means we're yet to feel the practical effects of Brexit. Next year the EU will continue to exist and operate its Customs Union and Single Market. With or without an FTA, as we'll be outside the Customs Union and Single Market and a third country, all our exports to the EU will be subject to checks at the border. Wh
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Mobile Again!

After many months of intermittent starting problems I've finally had the immobiliser replaced by Car & Bike Installations Ltd.

From time to time, sometimes when the car was hot, sometimes when the car was cold, it would not start. I'd turn the alarm and immobiliser off, put the key in and turn it to the crank position. The fuel pump would prime but the engine would not turn over. At first, not knowing the problem I'd lock the car again and repeat the process. Sometimes this would work and sometimes it would not. Typically, if I left the car for 30mins and came back to it, it would start.

After much frustration I discovered that a firm slap to the underside of the passenger dash at the same time as I held the key in the crank position would reliably start the engine. Some investigation and research followed. The only significant component involved in starting the engine in the passenger side of the dash is the immobiliser unit. There's a relay in the immobiliser that's used to close a circuit to energise the starter motor solenoid. It seems that a slap to the dash was enough to encourage the relay to work when it was playing up.

I took my problem to Fernhurst TVR from whom I bought the car over 4 years ago and they agreed and recommended Car & Bike Installations Ltd so I booked a visit.

Today was the day of the visit.

On arriving at Car & Bike Installations Ltd this morning we got on with the important business of tea and a chat about the problem. While not being able to offer a certain diagnosis as it's an intermittent fault they were happy with the theory and set to work on opening the dash. The immobiliser unit was examined and found to be an old unit known for having marginal relays. The alarm unit however was a newer model grafted into the wiring loom. They set to work replacing the immobiliser unit and tidied up my wiring loom.

As the alarm is the newer model and I'd lost the red card with the secret code which might refer to the old alarm anyway and one of my key fobs was on the way out I opted to get the alarm recoded and two new fobs supplied.

All in all, I now have a new immobiliser with much better relays, a recoded alarm with two new fobs and a new red card with the new secret alarm code. Any my wiring loom has had a tidy up and all done for the quoted price!

Car & Bike Installations Ltd sure know their stuff!

Now to drive home in some dodgy weather!

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