March 2001

VW Golf - PAS ?

Marcus on 25 March 2001

Both my girlfriend and a mate of mine have 1993 Mk 3 VW golfs, Hers being a 1.4 5 speed 3 door, his being a 4 speed 5 door. Neither have any problems, however in both cases they are looking for a change.

We find that they are both virtually. unsaleable due to not having power steering, dealers just wont touch them.

I know that later models and 1.8 models were fitted as standard with PAS, my question is whether it would be a simple task to fit the pump, rack etc from a damaged vehicle to these cars, would this be economically viable ?

(The steering is on the heavy side)

Any comments would be helpful. Read more

MGF Front Discs

Mike Curtis on 25 March 2001

Our car has done some 44000 miles and the front pads need to be changed. However, during the inspection the discs were badly grooved and need to be replaced. I cannot remove the discs from the hubs they appear to be rusted on!
I have tried a puller but have not applied any heat yet.
Also a note, the cost of discs vary from £15 to £58, and the new green discs are even more. The discs appear to be the same as a GT/MG Metro in some catalogs.

Thanks for your column in the DT./

Regards
Mike Read more

Don Cox on 26 March 2001

Mike
I don't know anything about MGF's, but if the discs are the usual type of fitting, having removed the calipers or pads and any retaining screws, a few sharp taps from behind the disc with a copper hammer whilst rotating it usually produces the desired result. Try a few side-ways blows on the top of the "hat" too if necessary. Refit with copper grease smeared lightly on the mating faces, it might be you that has to do the next ones. If you have to use heat try a hot air gun, I find a cheap B & D one works great for all types of automotive freeing off.

Regards

Don Cox

Thermostat fluctuation

Andrew Tarr on 24 March 2001

My 91H 205 D turbo has just had a third cambelt and a coolant change. I thought I noticed temp. fluctuations before, but it is now obvious that during a long run, once the thermostat opens (after 5-6 miles) the temp. continues to cycle up and down approx. every 40-50 seconds. Does this indicate that the thermostat is on the way out, or is it a quirk in the sender or the gauge? Read more

honestjohn on 25 March 2001

Could be an airlock in the cooling system. Try running the engine to hot with the radiator/expansion chamber cap off and gently squeezing the top and bottom hoses. Be careful not to catch your hands or a shirt cuff on any moving parts.

HJ

Tuning diesel engines

Mike Williams on 24 March 2001

Can anyone help me with how to tune a Ford 2.5 litre Direct Injection Diesel engine without adding a turbo?

If the engine were a petrol motor I would not have a problem, as add-on bits and advice are readily available, but for a diesel..........

Yes I know, if I really wanted more power, I should have got something different, but that's the way it is.

Thanks .......... Mike Read more

Darcy Kitchin on 26 March 2001

Try van Aaken in Crowthorne Berks
www.vanaaken.com
01344 777553

Saxo - Loss of power

David Fawbert on 24 March 2001

When the fuel indicator on my 1.1i Saxo reads below about half (not sure if this is to be trusted!) I experience a loss of power on cornering, as though the petrol is sloshing away from the inlet valve. This can be quite dangerous at times. Any ideas on the cause/solution? Read more

golf tdi

Tim Hirst on 24 March 2001

Just got a Golf tdi 95 85K

Any tips to get the best from it?

Thanks Read more

Mike Humpherson on 28 March 2001

Is this injector wear/bore wear problem specific to VW TDIs, or does it apply to all diesels?

I have a Peugeot 405 turbo diesel which has an indirect injection engine. Should I routinely change the injectors every 85,000 miles, even if they seem to be working well? If so, would having them cleaned or reconditioned be sufficient?

Mike

Mazda Xedos 6 - Jerky drivetrain

david stone on 24 March 2001

I have a Mazda Xedos 6 2.0 V6 Sport. Its a 1996P model with 59,000 miles on the clock.

The problem is that I find that the car is practically impossible to drive smoothly in stop start traffic using 1st and 2nd gears. It's practically impossible to drive in stop start traffic in 1st and 2nd gears without there being a slight lurch in the drivetrain (the only way around this is to ride the clutch which isn't the best thing to do!) The clutch / accelerator / gearbox combo just doesn't seem to be harmony. The Mazda garage says the car is fine and there's no fault.

However, it is no way near as fluid as driving, say a BMW 318is Coupe (my old car), in the same conditions.

Anyone have any ideas or any experience or how to cure this?

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Read more

david stone on 28 March 2001

I'd tried that super unleaded suggestion and the car is a bit less jerky, but not completely bug free. I think I'm going to get it tuned a la Andrew Moorey's suggestion.

Thanks for the all the tips.

Discovery SRS

Phil Wilding on 24 March 2001

The dashboard "SRS" light has just appeared indicating that the air bags on my 1995 Discovery are not working.

My local dealer has carried out the following work in the last year which may have affected the SRS system:

1. Replaced delaminating dashboard
2. 'Recall' work to SRS after the light came on previously

At the time of the recall work they said that if the light came on again they would have to carry out further work at my cost. I think it was a problem "with the loom."

I don't want to pay for work which may be down to Land Rover or the Dealer. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

Many thanks. Read more

Motorway fuel economy

Ian Smallwood on 24 March 2001

I have a changed cars from a 2L car engine to a 1.6L hoping for greater economy. The 1.6L car is much more economical in "general driving" but about 5 mpg worse (35mpg against 40 mpg) on a steady 70-75 mph long run on the motorway. Am I going to have to stick to 55mph on the motorway, or is there something wrong with my new car? (Published figures Urban cold 28.5 mpg, Extra-urban 49.5 mpg, Combined 39.2 mpg) Read more

John Slaughter on 27 March 2001

Gwyn

Yes, the Vectra won Fleet Car awards very regularly, and it's probably because it suits high mileage motorway driving, and is very economical. In my experience they rarely go wrong - my car was always very reliable, having only a couple of minor faults in nearly 80k miles, and it was still tight and rattle free. I don't recall any colleagues having any reliability problems, despite doing up to 40k/year. I was happy to buy it at 67k when I left my last job. I've always wondered about the slating from the press, as fleet managers seem to like them so much. The only downside is the handling - it's not as sharp as some rivals.

I've just traded mine in and got a '99 BMW 323 Coupe. Faster and handles better than the Vectra, but I bet it won't be as cheap to run. Still, got to have some fun!

Regards

John

Imported Vehicle Insurance

John Davis on 23 March 2001

Hello,
Could anyone give me advice, possibly through personal expoerience, on which insurance companies are happy with insuring imported Japanese vehicles
ie, Toyota Townace, Nissan Prairie etc. Many insurance companies don't want to know with imports. even just third part F & T. Can anyone say why ?
Any comments much appreciated Read more

honestjohn on 23 March 2001

Go to a broker. Don't go direct. Direct insurers can't handle anything unusual.

HJ