April 2001
Can anyone tell me how gas struts work (the things that hold up hatchback doors) ?
I have no problem with the basic idea of a piston in a pressurised gas filled cylinder, but it intrigues me how they are so well sealed. They seem to work for years without loosing pressure, which must be difficult to achieve with the sliding seal. Read more
I own a Peugeot 306 Meridian TD, which is just over 2 years old. Yesterday I accelerated (quite hard), I heard a sort of bang like a muffeled back fire. I lost some power a cloud of smoke came out the back. Pulled over had a quick visual check everything seemed still in place and running. Started up the engine again big cloud of white smoke, pulled into a side street, now with blue smoke coming from the exhaust but not in large quantites. Depress the accelerator and I get a big cloud of white smoke the engine ticks over fine. There where no signs of any problems before the bang eg noises and temp OK Does anybody have any suggestions please! Read more
Guy's thanks for all your advice it is greatly appreciated.
The timing belt option I think is an unlikely one as the engine is still ticking over with no problem and was replaced 10K ago.
I am leaning towards the idea of the turbo giving up in some way, it ties up with the bang and sudden drop in power, but not total loss.
The white smoke out the back is almost certainly steam but how this would tie up with a turbo failure I don't know, are they water cooled??
I don't have the correct equipment to check this kind of thing out so it looks like I'll be calling out a diagnostics guy, I'll let you know the outcome.
I totally agree with the comments made by TS and HJ in today's column. There are so many examples of this around that it cannot be just incompetence, can it? At junction 30 westbound on M4, where the A470 goes under the motorway they have set the traffic light sequence to accept the non motorway traffic. This has the effect of making traffic from the M4 exiting at this point back right up onto the inside lane of the M4. At this point the M4 is TWO lanes only so the stationary traffic makes this a ONE lane motorway. If you ever get bored you can always watch the through traffic performing emergency stops, tyre burning braking and swerving, caravans snaking all over the road and LGV six axle lock ups from the relative safety of the overhead. Read more
Milton Keynes is famous for its roundabouts, but around the city centre there are quite a few traffic lights. In the early mornings, the sensors work very well and so long as you approach a red light slowly you hardly ever have to stop. The rest of the time though you have to wait for ages - only one line of traffic at a time gets a green light, which includes a right turners' arrow. For most of the time it seems that nothing at all is moving.
My daughter got her lifetime driving licence in Milton Keynes. All she had to do was drive round a well-rehearsed route for about half an hour. Because she had taken and passed the "Theory Test" she had never had to read the Highway Code.
It was lucky that I was with her the first time she went to Luton - when the traffic light went green she assumed that the oncoming traffic would wait for her while she turned right - and it was me sitting in the passenger seat!
People with driving licences should not assume that they are qualified to drive - the DSA driving test goes nowhere near to establishing that fact. Unless you have had a considerable amount of extra training and submit yourself regularly to a formal third party assessment of your knowledge and skills, you are almost certainly not qualified to make your own decisions about when it is safe to ignore a rule of the road. Many people make such "decisions" all the time (often without even realising it) - that's why so many people die.
I have a 96 model with 60k on the clock. Owned and regularly 10k serviced and oil changed from new, (by me since warranty, using synthetic oil).
Having left it standing for 5 weeks recently I started it and it unfortunately fired and started immediately. Obviously whilst standing, all oil (it is very thin! in oil ways and bearings had drained out and for the first few revs it sounded more like a diesel!
Since it is likely to be used in this way fairly frequently in the future is there an easy way to prevent it firing immediately so that cranking brings up the oil pressure? I am not averse to taking out a fuse eg, but do I run into further problems with petrol contamination of catalyst? or loss of ECU settings which can be even less desirable? The plug leads are not immediately accessible in the dark!
PS For info - Alarm on same car.
Having had intermittent alarm problems I finally traced problem to iffy contact on bonnet switch when closed. The fault could be replicated off car by fully closing (making contact) and wobbling plunger which then showed as only very occasional high resistance. Worth knowing about since on this factory fitted alarm it is impossible to lock car using key with central locking without setting alarm. I was not popular with neighbours particularly since I was away.. Haynes manual has no info on alarm wiring! Read more
The fuel pump inertia switch is the easiest way to go. Look in the handbook for its' location. Then as Adam says, cut one wire and interrupt it wit a good quality toggle or push switch. Either squirrel it away inside the glovebox or closer to hand.
i own a 1987 Pug 205, and it often just loses power, or fails to gain more speed. It feels like the revs are just dropping away, (or not gaining when I put my foot down) I've spoken to my local garage, but they say without giving it a "good look over" they cannot help. Can anyone suggest something which I could try first.
Much Appreciated Read more
Again, we need to know more details about your car
I had a rare night tonight in front of the telly with a few beers and I have a recollection of an advert for a Renault which would tell you if your tyres were soft.
On the Mercedes Actros HGV units you can call up a display which will tell you exactly how much oil you need to add or remove to bring the oil level in the engine to within normal limits.
Why can't cars tell you when the oil level is low? Read more
">but not if there is a brake light missing.<"
10 year old Sierras (Ghia model) have a check routine for the brake lights, do new Mondeos?
Regards
I have just purchased a w-reg Ford Focus 1.8 Zetec. Can anyone tell me if they suffer from intermittent high idle or lack of engine braking when releasing the throttle at approximately 40mph? Read more
Friend of mine has a 2 litre Focus Zetec. This commonly "idled" at 2000 - 2500 RPM. Hancock Ford (Farnborough) were unable to find any fault whatsoever? The Ford dealer in Farnham changed the inlet manifold from the Modeo one fitted to the correct Focus unit and also fitted Focus breather pipes. Problem solved and car also much more responsive.
Any suggestions what to use on soft tops?
Handbook states use a water-based hide cream once a month but using Connolly hide cream, (appears to be water based) leaves white residue that takes ages to remove. Read more
Renovo had a good write up in this months MG owners club magazine, used on an MGF hood ( fabric)
my sister has a fiat 127 from 1982, it has 41.000 miles on the clock, with some history, and the original sales invoice, it is the 903cc engine, and the model is the comfort, its the rare two doors with a boot, it must go to a good home, i was wondering if any body would like to buy it, and how much is it worth, it has some rust on the passenger door, and the fuel gauge doesnt work. Read more
Its low insurance so IF you can get a new MOT some young kid will pay £200 for it.
I have recently started to get a very annoying noisy vibration from the drivers window . It seems the glass is vibrating against the rubbers. Anyone got a proven solution ........please! Read more
It would help to know what car you have Mel. My Audi A4 suffered from an annoying window creak - I simply applied some silicone grease to the door and window seals. working at a Rover dealership, we use this grease (Pt No BAU5812A) to lubricate sunroof seals. It is most useful for many minor trim squeaks and rattles. It dries into the seals and will not mark your clothing etc.
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Alec is right, at least on my car. I've just had a look and it says "Contains high pressure gas. Do not puncture or heat". Maybe they are just good seals.