March 2001
My son in law has a Mondeo diesel which simply will not pull away from rest with any speed. From what he tells me it sounds as if the turbo is not coming in from low revs but this is only a guess.
His job is driving Texaco fuel tankers on regular nights and he was telling me today about meeting a chap the other night who is one of Fords leading training engineers who travels all over the continent training mechanics on diesel engines etc.
John explained his problem and the fella said this was a fairly common one on Mondeo'sand had something to do with a split on a plastic pipe possibly to the pump, and described in detail what was happening.
Despite Johns great experience as an HGV driver he has no more idea what goes on under the bonnet of a car (or a lorry for that matter) than the garage cat and by the time he got back he couldn't remember what he had been told.
He says that when he pulls away from a road junction he has to slip the clutch to get the speed up. Once its up to normal running it runs normally. He bought the car new about two years ago.
I told him I was sure one of you gang will come up with something.
regards
Alvin Booth Read more
I have as a second car a peugeot 106 1.0 Litre 1991 Petrol engined car. It came to me 6 years ago after being owned from new by an elderly couple, since then it has covered 40,000 miles but has recently had some problems with starting after being left for more than 24 hours without use.
Eventually it will start but requires incredible persuasion and patience!! It has passed its MOT with no problem is regularly serviced, travels at least 10-20miles. The problem seems worse when damp outside but happens in all weather. Once warm it starts instantly and never gives any other problems. Can anyone suggest what the problem could be and of course how I can fix it. Read more
I have had similar problems on other cars and one area I find at fault is the battery earth lead where it attaches to the engine and chassis. Remove the earth lead and polish the attachment points, lead, washers and any attached terminals. One other point to consider is the low amp wire that goes onto the starter motor, this often corrodes and introduces a high resistance assuming it hasn't fallen off. Remove gently, clean and refit.
I'm thinking of buying a vw t4 transporter van secondhand for conversion into a campervan. Does anyone have any advice regarding the choice of engines available - i'm thinking of a 2.5 tdi or 2.4 diesel with approx 80-100k mls (is the 1.9td underpowerded, considering i'll be doing a fair bit of motorway miles?). Are there any realiabilty issues with these engines/vans apart from regular oil&filter changes and cam belt replacement.
Thanks,
Steve Read more
I have a 2.5 TDI van, and with all the spares and equipment carried in the course of Tune-Up business it is right on the max weight limit. Best van I have ever owned, and performance surprises a few would-be boy racers!! Now four years but only 40,000 miles - dealer serviced annually, plus I change the oil and filter every 6 months. TOTALLY reliable, but with all that weight front brake pads only last 17,000 to 20,000 rear pads 25,000. I get 28-30 mpg all day, up to 42 mpg during fuel crisis!! Be careful when parking on grass - traction is not great when wet.
We also have several 1.9Turbos in the fleet, and they ARE a bit under-powered; disabling the spring 'damper' in the throttle cable, disconnecting and blanking the vacuum line to the EGR valve, and about a 1/4 turn on the metering pump volume screw works wonders for torque/response. Whichever engine you go for use Millers Diesel Treatment at every fill, and Forte Diesel Conditioner evry 6 months.
the petrol guage on my 'T' reg fails to work properly
and on brimming the tank, will show half full after running
about ninety miles. Cpomplaints to Dealer, elicits that due to 'flat
tank' configuration, all models show the same symptom
True or false ?? any others suffer the same complaint
also, after 21 months life, the fuel lines have benn changed
because they became'porous' BEWARE Read more
hi Richard
just to ack I saw your reply on the notice board
Im generally pleased with our Scenic, because, playing Gold
frequently, it accepts two trolleys, and bags without demur
find the ride quality poor for a French car,but what can you ay
about suburban road surfaces
Take care.
Jeff Martin
I have a VW Golf 1.9 diesel estate which came to me with 5 - 185.60 Pirelli P.6000 tyres. Only one Pirelli remains, as spare, after six punctures in eight months and about 9000 miles.
A local tyre specialist suggests that these tyres have a known poor record in this respect.
Is this a true assessment? Read more
I go with HJ's remarks.
I also have a personal theory (based also on anecdotal evidence from an insider) that some less scrupulous tyre suppliers chuck handfuls of screws or nails around in car parks near their premises. Anyone using the facility daily is therefore likely to find a flat and go to their nearest fitter. Hey Presto - instant business!
Maybe this would be a good subject on its own!
I also have a problem with these tyres on a BMW 5 series. They wear unevenly with high spots on the tread and pull the car all over the place. BMW acknowledge mechanics acknowledge the fact that these tyres are poor ( and expensive) but i would have to change the wheels on my car ! I have had my car tested with a full geometry test and it's revealed nothing and so one has to conclude these tyres are the problem. It is noticeable that for the first 1000miles the problem is much less. I didn't get anywhere with Dunlop either.
D T Jones Read more
I read your message with interest, I have a BMW 528i which I've always reckoned doesn't quite ride right and suffers from steering shudder and vibration on certain surfaces at certain ambient temperatures.
I've got 225/60R15 SP2000s on the rear and Uniroyal Rallye 440s on the front at the moment.
Anyone else had this problem on a 5 and fixed it by changing tyres or other means?
I own a 96 Vauxhall Omega 2.5 TD. 72K. This is the BMW unit. When the engine gets to full operating temperature tickover becomes lumpy. Otherwise it runs fine. I recently replaced the inlet manifold gaskets as part of a glowplug replacement, so it's not pulling in air. The problem was there prior to this. I use Millers Dieselclean Plus as recommended by HJ. All filters replaced. Vehicle booked in for dealer diagnosis and tickover setup ( its all electronic ), but they can be the "weakest link". Has anyone any experience of the problem or any ideas?
Andrew H. Read more
Harking back to an earlier thread, if I disconnect the egr valve & plug the tube, as advised(to reduce smoking), will it not cause the engine mangement software to go into a spin?
Thanks Read more
I had a Daewoo(espero model) Car. My distributor got packed up. I heard from one of the mechanics that I can replace the distributor with an Vauxhall Cavalier's distributor. Can any one confirm this pl.
I could not get the Daewoo's distributor in the MotorMania or Lucas parts or any other shop. All reffered me to the Daewoo showroom, where they are charging £300. Can any one suggest if I can go with Vauxhall Cavalier's distributor or can get it in some car spare parts shop ??
Many Thanks Read more
As the engine in the Daewoo is a GM unit it is feasible to replace it with a GM distributor. I would need to know any numbers on the distributor plus the Engine and chassis numbers (from the V5 document) The colour of the distributor cap will usually identify whether the unit is Bosch (brown) or Lucas (black). The Bosch distributors are usually repairable. A common fault with both distributors is corrosion of the 3 pin plug arrangement on the side of the distributor. Careful cleaning of the pins and receptacles can effect a cure. Be sure to smear vaseline into the connection to prevent reoccurence.
Im thinking of buying an old shape Supra Turbo (about a H plate), does anyone have any horror stories about these??
Am a being unwise, will it cost me my savings account repairing the thing or can I just dust of my medallion buy one and live happily ever after????
PS What is a sensible price for a Supra turbo?? Read more
Must have full service history. Oil changes on the button are essential as these engines are very fragile. I have personal experience of cylinder head failure which seems to be a common problem. Nice car otherwise.
Browse
Check the throttle cable. It has a spring loaded section about 8" from the pump. This is to stop harsh accelerating in town. It works by slowing down the openning of the pump. But what happens is that instead of openning the pump sligthly after your foot has gone to the floor, it only opens the pump approx 50%. The same happens on VW T4 1.9td .VW will sell you a solid cable. To get round Ford problem, On the righthand end of the spring unit is a small grove, just enough to place a clip, this has the effect of making the cable solid thus openning the pump as you put your foot down giving you much better control. Also on the pump is a small gas strut, remove it, it will damage the pump in the long run. The last thing to do is to put your foot flat to the floor and get someone to check if the pump is being fully opened, if not adjust as required.
Good luck
Stephen