March 2001
My ex has a Renault clio that is bad at starting ,it has new plugs etc and is just as bad .She has been told the ecu is faulty and will cost an arm and a legto replace,Is this a common problem with clios or is there another reason for this bad starting.
Regards Andy Bairsto Read more
My 1997 VW Golf TDI has developed an annoying knocking noise.
It appears to be coming from the underneath nearside rear. Occurring when the car is slow moving, travelling on an uneaven surfice.
This has appeared following a recent 40k service by a main dealer.
The dealer have had the vehicle back on two occasions, taking the petrol tank off and apart. They have not found the cause and do not have an answer to the problem.
Can anyone help? Read more
you are not alone!
Is there any prospect of biodiesel coming onto the market and if so in commercial quantities.
I believe that the Chancellor indicated in the recent budget that the tax would be 20p per litre lower than on the fossil fuel version, but will actually be cheaper or will the "saving" be lost in higher production costs. Read more
It's more likely to become a component of existing diesel, so diesels would become gradually more solar powered as the amount of Biodiesel increased. I read somewhere that it is already used to improve lubricity after the removal of sulphur. The reason we don't have it now is because the big oil companies (and the oil producing nations, us included) are afraid of losing their revenues if every agricultural nation suddenly became an oil producing nation. Something for our farmers to think about maybe.
Has any one experience of intermittent fuel cut out problems? Possibly related to tight RH cornering eg Roundabouts or uphill use. It always restarts straight away.
I have tried obvious eg fuel tank level, fuel tank vacuum etc but nothing proven.
My next task is probably float chamber level adjustment but any easier suggestions first?
PS if you have ignition problems with this engine look for camshaft oil leak into distrib cap. I cannot understand why it ever ran at all! The inside of the distrib cap looked like an untouched oil breather separator after 120k miles. Solid Black sludge! I suspect the cap had never been off ever despite a service history. Read more
Suspect the fuel filler cap , if it has a breather that is blocked this could lead to the symptoms you describe
I have a Ford Scorpio 2.0i K plate automatic that will sometimes hesitate when starting off but will then suddenly surge forward. The engine does not increase revs at first but then takes off and is difficult to stop. I have also experienced surging on a high speed motorway run.
Also the cruise control will turn itself on at will. Are the two connected or not and has anyone any ideas what the problem may be. The local dealer didn't.
Thanks Read more
Trevor
Thanks for your reply. Two fuse boxes have been replaced due to wter ingress. Both had better covers than the original. Yes the cruise light stays on until the side lights are turned on. the local dealer says it may be a wiring fault and could cost £400 to sort out!. The surging problem only occurs from cold.
In the last day my low oil pressure light has started occasionally coming on, only for a fraction of a second at a time. It happens at speed so it's rather worrying me. The oil levels fine as I checked that, is there an easy way I can check the oil pumps working alright? Or could it just be a dodgy sensor? I would have thought that if the pump was going/gone that the light would stay on.
Any advice gratefully received as I can't afford to knacker, or be without, my car!
BTW its a Audi 80 4 cylinder carbuerreted 1.8L, 1988
Thanks in advance.
Mark Read more
I've found the sensor (it's under the oil filter on this engine) and noticed a little puddle of oil collected on the engine mount just below it, so looks like a new switch and washer.
Cheers,
Mark
Where can I get a wiring diagram for a 1996 Alfa GTV. The dealers
regard them as their property only. With a reputation of wiring problems and ALFA's you'd expect someone to make them available. Read more
I have an engine wiring diagram if it's any help. email me
HJ I see that you strongly recommend Millers Oil. As a result of your advice I use their Diesel Additive with every fill. Why do you recommend their oil as opposed to other brands? I have recently purchased a 1.9TD 306 Peugot with 40K miles. As with all my cars I shall change oil every 5K. What would you recommend in the Millers range. I have noticed that their prices for semi and synthetic oil would seem good value. Read more
There is only one Mobil 1 for cars in England - Mobil 1 Diesel simply has a different container, not a lot of people know that . I do 'cos Mobil UK told me so.
Have just purchased this car for my wife from a main VW agent - it was their demonstrator. Apart from a corroding wheel, stained and smelly seat belt, mal adjusted tyre pressures, flaking coating on door pulls it is in excellent condition! Most of these are now resolved.
HOWEVER, the main problem is the ride. From 35-65 mph the wheels seem to patter and cornering is almost unnerving. Above or below this speed the ride is fine. The wheels have been balanced and swapped front to back. The dealer had the car for nearly two weeks to check and fix the other problems but having returned the car tells me that the ride is normal. It has the usual Avantgarde 16" wheels and 45 series Dunlop tyres but I just don't believe that this is as VW would have supplied the car. We have owned many VW's, the last being a 1996 MK 3 GTi which we had for three years and no problems. We have also driven a 1997 Golf Cabriolet which is smooth and as expected. Is our problem a design feature/fault or is it the tyres? I note that some Bora's have this same tyre/wheel combination. Any comments would be much appreciated. Read more
Thanks for the comments - I'm going to contact VAG to see what they say - I'll let you know.
Can't start, won't start. I know of one other owner who has reported the same problem of refusing to start. Is this a common problem? It happened at 10,000 miles in my case and diagnostics showed a "small deviation on manufacturer's spec. for the HT." Read more
BBR of Brackley can fix this if Peugeot can't. Alternatively try one of the other ECU/'chipping' specialists in the FAQ answer on this website.
HJ
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Quite Right -
Tell her to buy a new car and offer to take the "scrap" one off her hands, then fix it up, sell it and spend the money on a Holiday to Greece or somewhere similar, imbibe massive amounts of cheap locally produced wines and spirits, then have many exquisite nights of wild passion with a string of teenage temptresses stay up until sunrise - then sleep it off on the beach. that will show her !!!! Just don't hire any mopeds whilst you are there.
Send us your photos !!