POTTER'S WHEEL
Page 29
Call Sign March 2012
Former fireman Richard Potter and life behind the
sworn or shouted at by fellow drivers who should be a little less suspi-
Taxi driver's etiquette?
cious. We are, after all, taxi drivers not police officers and I think that any
I often hear stories from drivers about taxi dri-
kind of aggressive altercation between drivers should be avoided, espe-
ving etiquette when plying the streets, although as we all know there is
cially in front of the public.
no golden rule. I remember many years ago in Call Sign, this mag's IT
I have even seen two drivers grabbing each other round the throat in
wizard Vince Chin mentioning that there was a bye law requiring taxi
full view of passengers because one picked up too close to the rank in
drivers to let other drivers out of side roads so that they could make
Berkeley Square. It looks terrible and what does it do for our image?
progress! That was probably a driver with a passenger on board letting
out a driver who had his/her light on and is a totally different thing.
Cruciately important!
When things are quiet, etiquette becomes more important if we want
to maintain a level of harmony. None of us want a day that's more diffi-
I'm not usually one to get too involved in party politics, but having
cult to deal with than it has to be.
recently needed an operation on the anterior cruciate ligament in my left
I'm not sure whether it's a new breed of driver or just new drivers in
knee joint, I have nothing but praise for the NHS. At the end of 1996, the
general, but since the recession began biting the number of cases where I
Conservatives had run the NHS down with waiting lists at their longest
have been accused of pushing in front of or taking someone else's job,
and hospitals in their worst state. So let's give Labour some credit in that I
has increased. But I am with the majority of drivers who take great care to
waited the minimum time for my operation and was treated in the brand
do the right thing, but apparently I am not the only one to be suffering.
new Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Pembury. The whole process from seeing
Maybe it's a different interpretation of the rules, or probably as I sus-
my own GP through to the consultant, specialist, operation and recovery
pect just over-zealous drivers who don't know the rules and quickly
has been wonderful and I can't thank the NHS staff enough. I hear that
apportion blame to others rather than want to accept they were not pay-
the 2012 Olympic opening ceremony will have nurses involved as a trib-
ing attention. It wasn't long ago that doing a u-turn and picking up on
ute and rightly so. And hopefully I am now on track to ride the British
the other side of the road was looked upon as being discourteous, but
Heart Foundation London-Brighton bike ride again this year. I must
that seems to be an acceptable act these days. Then again, if you pulled
remember that demonstrating to my children how to do a front somer-
onto a rank to set down a passenger and there was no one immediately
sault into a pool may not be the best thing to do at 46!
behind you, staying on was acceptable. Nowadays, if a driver pulls up
Finally a quick thank you to everyone at DaC and to Nuala for the get
behind you as your punter is paying you off, even if it has been a minute,
well card that arrived a few days after the operation and at about the
they expect you to pull off. (Quite right ...Ed)
same time that the children were getting bored with me being sick, hav-
Has the recession created a more aggressive taxi driver? Have work lev-
ing already lost interest in bombing around the house on my crutches!
els created a new dog eat dog competitor? Are some drivers under so
When you have children, you simply haven't got time to be sick!
much pressure through mortgages and loans that their morals have gone
out the window? Well I hope not, but I for one don't like to see drivers
who have done nothing wrong being boxed in by other drivers, or get
Richard Potter (T51)
Got a TX2 that's difficult to start from cold, has a lack of power and high fuel consumption? Does it expel clouds
of black smoke as you accelerate away? You may have a choked-up EGR Valve. Read on to see what it is...
All blocked up!
The Ford engine, as fitted in the TX2, raises all sorts of emotive issues amongst drivers. One such topic is
the Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve - known as the EGR - that sits on the top of the engine amongst
other pipes and wiring. Tiddly though the valve physically is, its good health - or lack of it - has a direct
bearing on the performance and fuel economy of the engine. Funny how mention of the two words
fuel economy seems to grab taxi driver's attention!
Call Sign has had several enquiries of late from Dial-a-Cab drivers regarding this unit, so we sent an
eager young Call Sign Online hack - keen to prove his mettle and impress the Editor - to investigate...
The Valve works by re-directing partially burned exhaust gases back into the engine to be burned up
yet again as the engine runs, so as to further reduce the emissions that do finally find their way down
through the exhaust system and out into the air that we breathe.
However, by the very nature of its job and dealing with only partially burned fuel mixture, it tends to A blocke
d EGR valve
can lead to
get clogged up with a sticky, black tar-like substance that builds up over time. That process steadily
lack of powe
r and poor fu
reducing its effectiveness as the Valves' internal parts block up, seriously restricting the air flow to the om
el econ-
y among oth
er things
engine - not unlike the arteries of the human body slowly building up fat deposits within, reducing the
blood flow and possibly resulting in heart problems. The results are the same, mega obstruction!
People exercise regularly to keep fit, but the EGR Valve only comes into play below 2000 revs and bubbling along in traffic as most of
the taxi engine work cycle involves, so a gradual build-up of deposits is bound to follow...
Typical symptoms could include difficult starting from cold, a lack of power and that high fuel consumption referred to earlier. Leaving clouds of black
smoke from the rear end of the cab as you accelerate smartly away, putting the engine under load is another possibility of a choked up EGR Valve. In
extreme cases, the Valve can become so blocked that it causes the collapse of the air filter as the engine struggles to suck in the air/fuel mixture simply
in order to run.
The answer? Well you can have the EGR Valve cleaned out thoroughly on a regular basis, possibly as part of the usual maintenance service routine to
ensure optimum performance. Also, it is recommended to occasionally give the cab a good high-speed run when the opportunity permits, if you are
lucky enough to get an airport job for example, or maybe just a longer `thrash' where you can keep going steadily at higher speeds without having to
slow down too often due to traffic conditions. Of course, we don't need to remind you about keeping within the legal speed limits, but Call Sign has
been informed that a `good run' clears out the nasty stuff from the exhaust system, as well as benefitting the EGR Valve itself.
If systematically cleaned along with the routine servicing schedule, the Valve usually continues to function well and does not normally need replacing,
which could otherwise be an expensive job. These tips are also relevant to the TX4.
Many thanks to Tony and Jamie at cab parts dealers JVBright at South Bank Service Station, Gt. Suffolk Street SE1 Tel: 020 7803 0803
for their help and advice...
Jamie Corum
Call Sign Online
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