October 2001
After the failure of the PTV to attract, as discussed on a previous thread, I'm now helping a customer look for a proper people carrier (S/H and Diesel). I'm guiding them to a Synergie because of the Citroen connection but what about the "clones"?
Are the Peugeot 806 and Fiat Ulysee exactly the same for image and reliability? I have some ideas on this but would be interested to hear views from owners and car park image watchers!
David Read more
In a previous thread there were some gloomy prognostications of the premature demise of modern vehicles due to failure of irreparable or unobtainable electronic bits.
It came to me in the night that 16 year old Celica Supra, which has gone to another good home, has quite a bit of electronic gubbins, even to a digital dash display; it all works.
Of course, it was all made in Japan and that helps, but perhaps there is room for optimism. Read more
You would have thought Citroen would have learned something from the XM fiasco. I admire their bloody-minded determination to master the art of car electrics, but fully expect C5s to become as common a sight dumped in laybys as XMs are now.
which back roomers are ready for winter, i know that alot of people think 'i will get ready for winter closer to the time', but alot of us never get ready, so we all rush around in the snow, looking for ice scrapers, and the lock de-icer.
also i was wondering if anybody knows if you can buy a lubricant, to stop the rubbers around the door from sticking to the metal, as i always have the problem of not being able to get into the car due to the ice. Read more
We have heated windows, they work very well thanks
Kev
i was just wondering if anyone knows when the common rail version of the ford mondeo 2litre duratorq engine is set to be introduced to the uk.
cheers Read more
Its not as if the thing even produces any power,is it.
I mean,there is VW and BMW casually talking of 75 bhp per litre and Ford having trouble with 60.And whats wrong with just bolting a Bosch common rail kit onto the side of the head like everyone else does?Diesel combustion chamber shapes are hardly complex,there isnt room,so what else do you have to do?
Whilst I'm on the subject of The Masters of Cynical Marketing is the noise made by the 2.5litre transit diesel REALLY legal?
Have searched through past messages and found a recommendation for GEM, and even found their website.
Another one that looks like excellent value is from Capita, £59 pa for full cover, including in Europe. Anyone out there used them or know anything about them? Read more
Alvin
Thanks for reminding me I ought to have insurance for trip leaving Monday. Bought the Journeywise deal at £51 for family membership for Europe (do they really mean to cover Algeria and Syria!! as countries bordering the Med) after checking a couple of others--one quoting £35 for two weeks although it was more comprehensive than the annual cover.
David
Read in the Daily Telegraph on Monday 15th that Ernst & Young accountants have taken control. There were 90 retail outlets and 300 staff. 40 stores to be closed immediately. Expectations to sell business as a going concern. Read more
David,
When I worked in Halifax, I used to use a place called Halifax Tyre and Exhaust who supplied Toyo tyres to almost all of the people who worked with me. No one ever complained about them and many were on 4 wheel drives etc. I cant speak for the tyres you quote but past experince with Toyo are ok.
This place is now Kwick Fit, the independent guy who had it was really good on customer service and always gave a good deal on branded products. I guess that KF paid for a happy retirement, I hope so anyway.
Bill
Having to replace my second rear silencer box in six years on my Mercedes E200 W124 model. Merc main agent price £260. I have been offered a stainless steel box at around £120. Price not being the main consideration can anyone offer me some opinions on stainless steel boxes or other alternatives.
Thanks. Read more
Be careful. Most stainless backboxes on the market are designed for the boy racer market. Many are very noisy indeed. Check that the whole silencer is constructed from stainless steel.
The main problem i have noted with stainless systems is cracking. Check the garuantee. A know of someone who bought a tubular exhaust manifold which cracked. He tried to get a new one under warranty, but they said his engine mounts were not up to scratch, and told him to go away. If i bought one, i would change the exhaust rubbers every year.
Beware most companies if you are looking for any sort of power gain. Manufacturers spend thousands developing exhaust for their cars to maximise performance and economy. I think it far more likely the enginers who designed the original system know what they are doing, rather than some bloke called Dave is a shed with a welder that spends 80% of his budget on advertising.
In particular, if its an old VAG vehicle, just get a new one from the main dealer. Price/quality is great. A friend of mine has a mostly 13year old exhaust on his Jetta. I have never seen an aftermarket exhaust that offers any power gains, on a reasonably standard engine, over a standard one on a 16v Jetta, or a 205 1.9.
If you want a stainless system, i have seen exhausts from Hayward and Scott ( www.haywardandscott.co.uk ) that looked great, but they were expensive. However, they will make an exhaust to your exact requirements.
Ben
I've been looking at two cars, both 100k 1998 one company owner vehicles with full main dealer history. Both are £4,000, the details are:
Mondeo 1.8lx, S Reg. 5 Door, Met. dark blue, Air Con
Rover 620 SLD (diesel), R Reg, Met. Charcoal, Air Con
Which would be the best bet for another 30,000 trouble free miles over the next three years??? Read more
I've owned two 600's now. A 94 620 Si Auto and now a 97 623 GSi Auto.
The 2L went like stink, it had a sports box fitted to it :) Huge smiles as it went through the rev bands in each gear. 0-60 came in in around 9 secs. It felt like a sofa on bends but the car was a supreme motorway cruiser.
Nothing major mechanically went wrong. The only thing that did was the driver's door central locking solenoid but it was seven years old, £40 from Rover and 30 mins to replace. I took it from 24K to 60K with not one MOT niggle. It went through front pads every 18,000 as it was an automatic. The main pipe and exhaust silencers will wear out quickly if its used for short journeys (about 2 years at £100 a pop). Cheap insurance, the full 60K cambelt service and all fluids was £275 from a good independent.
The 2.3L, put your foot down and it pulls and pulls and pulls. 0-60 in around 7.5 seconds and around 29-30mpg. GSi means excellent full leather seats, alloys, air-con and a sunroof, ABS, Cruise control, electric driver's seat, electric wing mirrors (with heater) all electric windows, coded alarm system, stereo with CD autochanger. Also at the back, three, three point seat belts. Anything past August 1997 is badge deleted with a plain 600 on the back not that they were even considered nickable ! Good understated looks.
The car has much tighter handling than the 620 and better feedback through the wheel. It glides along at 70mph and it is a lot quieter than the 620. Massive smiles when I left a 320 for dead last week.
They were around £24K brand new, a 4 yo with 60K on the clock around 5-6K with a dealer FSH. I've got a dark blue one which shows up the dirt badly but clean and polish it, it looks beautiful, I don't think the design will age as quickly as the Mondeo.
My two cents anyway.
Hello,
Here is what has happened to me recently. I wonder if anyone agrees?
Bought Fiat Punto 60S 1997 in August 2000 with 38000 miles on it.
Drove it up to July 2001 no problems.
Had about 58000 miles on it by then. I had travelled alot in it.
Started getting the following symptons in August:
Whining noise when starting from cold for about the first ten miles.
This was intermittent so I didnt think much of it any stupidly left it.
September - Car Engine Temperature sensor light starts to come after a longish drive.
Then car starts misfiring when the light comes on.
Take it to Fiat garage.
They say that the problem is my Thermostat and Cooling sensor.
They fit new Thermostat, Cooling Sensor, Spark Plug, Oil etc and say it is sorted.
First 2 days after i get it fixed I notice the sensor light coming on again. I speak to the Fiat garage and they say that the coolant level may not be filled up. (You would have thought they would have checked that).
I check the level and sure enough the coolant level was very low. I fill it up to the max level and do not get any more lights coming on.
Last week I was driving home and my engine starts to make a grinding noise and loses power. I pull over to the hard shoulder and loads of smoke is pouring out of the exhaust.
The engine cuts out, the engine is steaming, smoke everywhere.
Get it towed to a garage.
The guy tells me that the Piston has actually melted, and head is warped and some serious damage has been done and I need a new engine.
Question is, have i got any comeback to Fiat about what has happened.?
Any replies would be helpful. Read more
If the head gasket was leaking coolant into the combustion chamber, that pot would run extremely lean and extremely hot and would melt the piston. It's a problem with VW VR6s which have an unusually wide head gasket.
HJ
Can anyone say how much electronic control is involved with the engine of a 1997/8 Rover 600 Diesel?
Many thanks
PR Read more
As far as I know the L-series Diesel in the 600 (also 200/400) has a standard rotary fuel injection system with full electronic control. This controls the pump with 'drive-by-wire' so there is no mechanical linkage from the throttle pedal to the injection system. The electronic control also governs things such as the exhaust gas recirculation. It is aparently a very reliable
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Toyota Lucida 2.2 TD top reliability,best drive Honda Odyssey/Shuttle 2.2/2.3petrol all the Peugeot,Citroen,Fiat and Renault to fragile and unreliable,Ford,VW, Seat better but still not really up to the mark Merc Very good but still very expensive.