I don’t know about you, but I’m a bit of an eco-fan myself, and I get really mad reading these constant reports that suggest world leaders won’t come up with a satisfactory way forward at the Copenhagen conference in early December.

It’s great to see world leaders making pledges before the conference, but nobody seems to be taking the size of step that scientists are saying we need to… it all seems politically driven, leaders striving to look good within their country, and within the wider community. Already it seems to be clear that they’re going to come away from the negotiations with a non-legal agreement at best.

I’d really like to see a country have the guts to stand up and signup to cuts of at least the size estimated by scientists, and be done with it. Sod the wider world, and trying to get the agreement of every leader in the world to tidy up their own acts… just take the step forward and lead by example. There seems to be far too much worry about some countries not pulling their weight, and then getting a commercial advantage over greener countries. Well at least from an imports perspective, there’s a very simple answer… bring back trade barriers. They were abolished in most countries to allow for “free” trade, but in my view, if some countries aren’t pulling their weight, this is an easy answer… add a trade barrier to imports of goods from countiries based on their “population per head” type of stats. Fair enough, this doesn’t help exports, but there are a lot of countries that want to make positive change; such a bold step would give a commercial benefit to countries who bought into large scale change.

Here’s hoping the EU, US, or another big player takes such a large step, to put pressure on others to follow suit.

Why the heck is it that ISP’s feel the need to dictate to us the ports we should and shouldn’t make use of?

I say this having just spent near-on a week of frustration wondering why the BeachyUK server hated me and refused to send my mails! After finally finding some time to sit down and diagnose the issue, I’m really irritated that it seems my wonderful new Broadband provider (O2) have taken it upon themselves to block Port 25, to encourage me to send mail via their servers.

Quite apart from the fact that the choice of server I send my mail through is my own decision, I fail to see the benefit here to O2, they’re actually encouraging me to put more load on their SMTP server rather than use my own… hmm, maybe they have an interest in the mails I’m sending

So for anyone out there with the same issue with O2 Broadband (or another overly obsessive ISP), if you have control of your server, just change your mail sending port to an alternative port (and do the same on the server that’s receiving the mail, and hey presto, you’re back in business, despite the efforts of your ISP!)… otherwise, you’ll need to use your ISP’s relaying SMTP mail server to send mails, or you can use your mail servers SSL port, and send using SSL.

One finally thing actually… searching the Internet, I found a lot of sites (in fact, even O2′s help section), saying to use “smtp.o2.co.uk” for outgoing mail if you’re an O2 Broadband customer, this however is wrong for this use. The afore-named domain is for O2 mail users. If you’re looking to relay mail on behalf of your own domain you need to use “relay.o2broadband.co.uk” (no authetication required, and the mail will be seen to come from your domain name).

I have just found out how to hard code change the way virtuemart lists its payment methods:

Locate the file:

components/com_virtuemart/themes/default/templates/checkout/list_payment_methods.tpl.php

Locate the code:

$ps_payment_method->list_nocheck($payment_method_id,  false);
$ps_payment_method->list_bank($payment_method_id,  false)
$ps_payment_method->list_paypalrelated($payment_method_id,  false);

You can then copy and paste the lines in order to change the order of t payment method category list. Changes within the category can be done in the payment method options list!

Hope this helps! Took me ages to find!

As with all older cars they often come with noises which start off small but eventually get so bad you have to do something about it. I had the exact case when I bought my A3. The power steering pump and rack was making a small whining noise when the steering was turned. My initial check was on the hydraulic fluid resivoir. As i suspected just below the minimum level. Top it up and off I go !

This worked for the first 10,000 miles but gradually the top ups became more and more frequent. Eventually I was pouring in a litre in a day, something was clearly wrong!

A local garage put the car on a ramp and could not find a fault apart from the fact that it was drinking fluid at a rate of knots. Initial inspection revealed fluid coming out the top of the resivoir. However, after locking the wheels from side to side the entire resivoir of power steering fluid poured out of the rack.

Problem solved ! Replace the rack refill with hydraulic fluid and off we go ! 3 days after replacing the rack the noise was back ! I could not believe it the power steering pump this time !

A word of advice, for anyone who has power steering problems as soon as you replace the power steering rack or pump replace both at the sametime. It is a common problem when one goes the other is not far out either. And trust me its alot cheaper to do it all at the same time than doing it in two seperate runs !

I have just been looking for new insurance. As I am a young driver with no, no claims I am the worst type of driver an insurance company wanted on their books. To make the matter worse the car I wanted to insure was not the best either – Audi A3 sport.

I tried all of the usual places and I assumed that having been insured on other cars as a named driver for the last two and a half years I could use my claim free history to reduce my premium. Unfortunately not! I tried the price comparison websites all coming up with prices from £1600 with Endsleigh. I knew I could do better and quite frankly did not want to spend that sort of money. Instead as everyone does lets go to Google. After randomly searching for young drivers insurance I was put through to a company called Bell Insurance.

Bell Insurance is part of the Admiral group and specialise in drivers with low no claims. Perfect for me with none at all! I was put through to a very very helpful sales person. I was given a quote for just £990 pounds a saving of over £500 from all the other companies!

I would highly recommend giving them a call if you are looking for car insurance their website is http://www.bell.co.uk/

This said, do check at least one of the top comparison sites before agreeing to insurance with Bell, or any other insurer. I recommend the below sites, all of which remember your details going forward, such that you can re-use them year-on-year without reentering your details from scratch!
http://www.confused.com (personal favourite)
http://www.gocompare.com
http://www.MoneySupermarket.com

Many of us suffer with this problem and up until recently I have been reapplying bumper restorer after each time I wash the car. I became frustrated at this process and eventually looked for a new answer to the solution. I came across one talking to my local mechanic.

You need to clean the whole car and then when it is dry get a DIY heat gun and gently heat the bumper up. (the sort of one that you use to remove gloss paint work). DO NOT LEAVE IN ONE PLACE OTHERWISE IT WILL MELT THE BUMPER!, ensure the heat gun is gentle moved across the bumper at all times. Suddenly the white marks and discoloured areas of the bumper will turn black!

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL ADVICE GIVEN IN THIS POST IS USED AT THE OWNERS RISK. NO RESPONSIBILITY WILL BE TAKEN IF IT DAMAGES THE VEHICLE.

I have spent several hours looking across the internet for one source to provide me with a solution to a problem that I have had recently with my rear wiper. However, after many hours searching the best advice I could find was to either replace the whole rear wiper motor or take it to an Audi garage. Well after an expensive visit once before for just an oil service I refuse to go there again.

The rear wiper system in both Audi A3 and VW Golf’s seem to suffer from a variety of common problems, below is a list of the common problems and my suggestion on how to fix them. They might not be the best way to fix them but they have worked for me and I hope that they will work for you.

I am going to add some pictures to this post when I have a replacement part delivered to me so that you can see more easily what needs to be done and what to look for.

Common Problems:

1. The four electric cables which go around the edge of the back door to a rubber component near the hinge are common to snapping or shorting

2. The washer hose comes off the back off the motor

3. A seal or tubing is split and has flooded the motor internally often which cannot be told from the exterior condition of the motor.

Well the list of the problems above are all fairly easy to solve however they can give very unusual symptoms which can be mistaken for something else. My best recommendation is to start at the bottom of the list and work up as that deals with the most common fault first.

How to access and repair the motor

Firstly you need to open the boot of the car and remove two screws which can be found in the grip on the left hand side. Undo those with a Phillips screw driver and put them to one side as you will not need those till right at the end.

You then need to carefully remove the plastic panel which covers the boot of the car. Although this is a plastic component it has metal clips which hold it to the body work. After several attempts to find the best way to remove this is to start at one end and slip a screw driver between the metal work and the panel and lever the it off the metal work! Be careful as the clips will get damaged if you use too much force, but from previous experience I would say you need more force than you think!

After the back plastic panel is off you will be able to see the locking mechanism as well as the rear wiper motor.

Identify the rear wiper motor and carefully remove the plastic pipe which sits of a plastic connector. I have found that these need replacing once you have taken it off once otherwise you can add a little bead of silicon or super glue to seal.

You then need to close the boot and turn your attention to taking the wiper arm off. Firstly take the plastic cover off the washer jet nozzle which should reveal a nut. Carefully undo the nut trying not to twist the mechanism of the rear wiper motor. Once you have removed the nut you need to ease off the wiper arm. On my car it was well bedded seeing as it had been there for nearly 8 years! If it is really tight a good spray of WD40 or GT85 should help!

Once this has been removed you can then re-open the boot and remove the motor. There are three nuts which hold the motor to the bodywork on the car. Carefully take the two edge ones off first and then the centre one off last whilst supporting the motor.

Lift the motor off and lay it onto a work bench with a white sheet underneath it to stop losing any of the internal components.

On first inspection it may be noticeable that around the washer fluid intake off the back of the rear wiper motor there may be a slight rusty residue or rust to the outer casing of the motor. This is probably not a good sign! (But repairable)

You then need to turn the motor so that the shaft is facing away from you. Then identify the hex screws which hold the back plate to the motor one. I think that there are about 5. I forgot to write the number down when taking it apart but it is obvious when you are doing it.

Once you have removed the screws you need to prise apart the motor into two components. The way I found easiest was to gently tap the end of the shaft with a hammer until there was enough of a gap to get a screwdriver to prise the back off.

Once you have go into the motor and taken it into two parts it should become obvious whether this is the cause of you problem. When I took mine apart there was masses of liquid and dirt building up in there which had caused the motor to cease up some of the time.

If it is full of liquid you need to clean up the motor and all of the internal components. From there on you have two choices. The first is to make the best of what you have got and hope that none of the components have worn too much or the electrics have got too wet. (this did work for me! so you wont be the only one to try!) Alternatively you can get a repair kit which will give you all new seals and a brand new internal pipe. So far I have found one of these on eBay and I will contact Audi and VW on Monday to see if they do one as well. The cost off eBay is £19.99 + £5.00 delivery.

I used loads and loads of WD40 on my old mechanism and steel wool to clean the metal work up. Once I had done that it is purely a case of doing the reverse of removal.

I hope that this helps many people if it does then please comment or link this to your website blog or forum! I hope to do many more of these solutions in time!

Well I have created this post after I was monitoring the search terms used to come to this blog.

Checking the power steering fluid is very easy on an Audi A3 but I have included a few extra checks just to make sure that everything is working as it should.

Firstly open up the bonnet on your car and as you are looking at the car you should spot (normally on the left hand side) a green gap with a large slot across the top.

Open this carefully ensuring that you don’t have the engine running! You will find attached to the bottom of the cap a little dip stick. This normally has a hot and a cold reading on it so locate the appropriate one and wipe clean the dip stick with a rag.

Carefully reinsert the dip stick and pull it back out cleanly. This will then show the level. It should sit between the min and max mark. It is very important that it is not over the max mark as this will not allow for expansion when the fluid becomes hot.

If the level is ok, take a clean sheet of white paper and put a tiny drop on it to check the colour of the power steering fluid. Check according to your manual the correct colour for the car. I used a Febi in my car as I got it from GSF but I understand that for most VW and Audi’s its green BUT PLEASE CHECK YOUR VEHICLE FIRST!!

If it is not the correct fluid it could be damaging your power steering rack pump and all of the other components such as pipes. My best recommendation is to then flush the power steering system which is not difficult.

Alternatively if it is the correct colour top up if necessary. If it is necessary to top up do not do it more than twice in 12 months. Power steering fluid is not meant to be used up like oil. It is a sealed system and if you are using it, it means you have a problem such as a leak. (Read my other post for more info on power steering problems).

Checking your power steering levels regularly and especially when there is a whining noise when turning the steering wheel can save hundreds of pounds in the long run!

Everyone seems to have one place to sell everything on the net, eBay, but is it really the best place to maximise your profits?

Well this is a much argued topic and I am sure within a few searches on Google you will find over 100 posts on various blogs telling you the best way to make money. Instead from this blog I hope you can learn from what I went through.

The product: I had a really lovely 8 year old caravan to test this theory out. So it was never going to be the easiest sale. But within two weeks the phone would not stop ringing with people interested! Most of them willing to travel over 2 hours just to view the caravan.

The secret: To put a few adverts in the right places!

No matter how many adverts you put in place unless you are putting them in front of people who want to buy that product you will either get low offers for your product or more likely no offers at all.

When I was researching where to sell caravans I stumbled across a poor and basic site called Caravans4U. Ok so on first impressions it is not the most attractive site. But hey thought I would give it ago! The results from this free advert within the site were phenomenal! Just give it a try and see the results for yourself!

The other very successful website to advertise not only caravans but anything else you have for sale is gumtree.

We all have used eBay but when it comes to selling caravans and other more expensive items it often does not maximise our profits. For example I was only offered half the final selling price for the caravan on eBay!

I am sure most users of Firefox have had the same problem I have struggled with over the last few days. When you first visit a website where you have to login to you often say don’t save the password. Then after visiting that website on a more frequent basis you decide that it is a complete pain to keep typing in your login details.

Now normally when you visit a website for the first time this is easy, either a pop up box appears in Firefox 2 or in the new Firefox 3 a bar across the top appears and shows the various options. However, after you have said no this never occurs again. The only way to change this is to go to tools>options>security>exceptions

This will then show a list of all the websites which you have selected not to have login details saved. All you have to do is scroll down the list find the website that you want to have the login details saved.  Click remove. Then next time you visit the website it will bring up an option for you to decide to save or not!

It is as simple as that! More help is available on the Firefox support site!