October 2001
There I was, doing 70 mph on the A12 in the dark, in the outside lane passing a long line of slower moving vehicles. Suddenly, about 50 yards in front, a massive great artic ambles out of a side turning and straight into the inside lane. Mass panic behind it - drivers brake hard, a Peugeot 309 locks up all four wheels and slides sideways into the outer lane straight in front of me.
Many thanks to Yokohama (tyres), German & Swedish (good quality brake disks and pads) and Bosch (anti-lock brakes that still work at 10 years old). My hands are still trembling.... Read more
Hi
Since buying my M Reg Clio from a neighbour, it fails to start first time. I was warned that this was a problem with renaults - and I was wondering if its a problem that gets worse (and expensive!!)
Thanks
Wendy Read more
It always happened when my neighbour had it - but I was worried it was going to get worse!
Thanks everyone!
I'm looking for something with a bit of go, must be rear wheel drive - can't do with front driven stuff! Call me old fashioned (or maybe just old) but I grew up with rear drive mk2 escorts in particular the RS2000 and it was fun!!
Money available is only a couple ish grand, less preferable but I'm trying to be realistic. Thoughs are for something like a Sierra 2.0 GLSi/GT/XR4i etc. which would be cheap to run/service etc. I guess a BMW 3 series is possible but may be more expensive to run? Need back seats too.
Would appreciate any ideas on a suitable gem I may have overlooked!
Thought about a mk2 Golf GTI 8 or 16v but it's fwd.......!! Read more
I'd agree that the advertising is misleading - I've scared myself often enough in my youth to realise that there's a big difference between a good driver in a good car and an average driver in a good car.
The advertising seems to say that you'll be a better driver in a perfectly balanced car - bollards. A good car in capable hands is a powerful combination, the same car in the hands of an advertising enticed middle manager potentially lethal.
I know of a nameless person (not me!) who scared the hell out of themselves by spinning off a roundabout in their shiny MX-5. Luckily there was enough grass to slide into to avoid any damage.
The solution? Not examining the cause (excessive speed, poor judgement) and perhaps taking advanced driving lessons, but booking into a skid pan to learn how to handle skids. Obviously expecting some more then. Seemed to me the best idea would be to learn how to avoid them in the first place.
I am still rambling, aren't I?
Lee
Problem: 1984 1.6 OHC Sierra has been standing for a couple of months and needs to be started to get it for MOT, but wont. Fuel is getting to the carb (pumping ok - pipe removed to confirm) and new/fresh petrol has been put in. No spark when plug is removed and engine turned over. Likewise no spark when HT lead is held (with protection!!) slightly away from coil. Can lead from distributor end be grounded to check for spark or not? So, changed coil - no go. Changed ignition module - no go. Although friendly car parts shop allowed each to be returned and both were tried individually. Leads are all new. Strange but it has run a couple of times for about 10-15 seconds before cutting out and wont restart. Carb has been cleaned out. Thought it may only be running on what's in the float chamber, but dont think that's it or it would go each time it refilled when turned over. 12v approx is present at the LT into the coil but nothing out. Should be the coil, but as I say have replaced that and no joy. Does there need to be a complete circuit out of the HT? There's a small module on the side of the distributor - feeds from loom into dist. I think it is some sort of inductive trigger - what does this do and could this be the fault?
So, anyone any ideas, or can you point me somewhere - anyone know a good web site for problems? I'm getting very naffed off!!!!
Does FORD really mean Fix Or Repair Daily? Read more
Karl,
It seems to definitely be just a connection block. Yes the dizzy can be tested, but best, as I said, with an oscilloscope. You are looking for a switching voltage as dizzy is rotated about 1.5 volts peak to peak. Dizzy is pretty reliable though. Module is the more common failure, but you really do need to check the module earth first - can't quote pin numbers from memory, but it's a fairly safe bet that the brown wire is it. Should be no more than 0.5 ohm resistance.
Sorry this is so late in the day - busy day out and about as usual !!
Regards, Adam
I bought an Audi A4 in June 2001 from a local independant dealer (who has a good reputation). The car has electronic climate control and the a/c blew icy cold air when I test drove it. About a week after I picked it up the air was no longer being refrigerated. I took it back to the dealer who got the system regassed. To cut a long story short here we are in October and it's been to 3 different a/c "specialists" on 7 occasions and none of them can find the leak. They regas it and about 2 weeks later I'm back to square one. (The evaporator is sound)
My patience has run out and I've asked the dealer for a full refund on the grounds that the car was never of satisfactory quality under basic consumer rights. He's reluctant to take the car back (presumably because he'll find it difficult to shift) and says that he'll only refund me the current trade value, not the amount I originally paid back in June. He has offered to find me "another vehicle" but will not be pinned down to a value.
Any thoughts, advice etc please ? Read more
Quite simple really. The accumulator contains a desicant that is used to absorb any residual moisture in the system, thereby stopping it from freezing up as it goes around the system. As you've had a leak of gas out, it figures that gas (air) can get in. Air contains massive amounts of moisture, and the desicant can very quickly become saturated. If this happens, the desicant can freeze, stopping the flow of refrigerant, or more worryingly, can break-up and float around the system, contaminating and blocking everything. You then will have a problem.
It is located under the front offside inner wing, accessable by removing the plastic liner from the wheel-well and the front bumper. Cost is usually around £70 for parts. Instructions when fitting, always say that you should only use a sealed new one, and that it must be fitted last and not left open to the atmosphere for more than a few minutes as it will readily start absorbing moisture again.
This is one of the reasons why it is quite an expensive job to do.
Hope it all goes well.
My elderley, and not too agile parents, are looking for an auto hatchback. They seem keen to go for a Renault Clio. A Renault would not be my first choice, but does anyone have any experience of the auto version? Alternatively, would something like a Yaris be a better bet? Read more
Richard Hall wrote:
>
> I believe the Volvo 340 started out as a DAF, with the same
> transmission as the DAF 33, 44 etc (anyone remember those).
Mum used to have a Daf44 , wonderfull little car in its own way, air cooled 850cc? horizontally opposed twin, dire 6v electrics, heater not as bad as a Beetle.
Once one of the belts stranded and twisted itself round the cone shaped gears. AA came along cut it off and on we went driving on one band. Marvellous.
Can anyone help with this specific question?
I am about to fit a (second hand) tow bar to my 1995 Rover 820i and have noticed in the Haynes manual I have, covering 1986 to 1995, that the wiring diagram shows connections to a 'Trailer Socket'
Is such a socket provided in the loom. and where might I actually find it?
I have removed the trim inside the boot to access the rear light wiring but can't find a socket anywhere. Thanks in advance. Read more
We'll be keeping an eye on you both, no working the forum as a team.
;-)
David
In the 1930s some American cars (Nash?) had stainless bodies. Why didn't it catch on? Even the extra expense of the stainess steel must be less than has been spent on achieving decent rust protection on normal steel. I imagine a stainless body with a low drag coefficient could be upgraded with better engines etc. as the years went on, rather than buying a new car.
Chris Read more
Worth remembering that stainless rusts anaerobically,or rather corrodes,it is also susceptible to electrolytic decay when other metals are present.
It is also heavy,expensive,and a swine to work.
Years ago I was taught that there were no bad materials,only bad applications...
we can easily make lightweight,cheap and adequately corrosion resistent structures,we can make them very strong and with excellent deformation characteristics.
Or rather the aero-engineers can,auto engineers apparently havent a clue.
If they spent less time farting about with new door panel designs and competing to see how heavy they can make seats we might see some progress.
In fact,what will happen is that the upcoming CAFE regulations will force them to.
Unless they just stop making those strange mobile garages with big chunky tyres,of course...
I can't claim ownership of this, but I think it's a brilliant idea....a speed limiter connected to the fog lights. When you use them properly (i.e. in fog), it limits your speed. For those idiots who use them all the time, it's a good incentive to turn them off.
Andy Read more
Sorry for the late reply, just got some time to go on-line.
Driving a speed limited scooter scares me silly.
There are two versions.
Firstly 50cc limited to 30 mph. These are deadly in a 40mph or higher limit. You hold up the traffic which tries to overtake with only a few inches clearance, cutting you up and nearly blowing you off.
Secondly, 100cc or 125cc limited to 50 mph. These are fine in 30 or 40mph limits, as they can keep up with the traffic even if it is doing the normal 45mph. However, in a 60 or 70mph limit area the same effect as described above applies.
IMHO, any vehicle which is incapable of matching the speed of the traffic which it is in is a danger.
The idiots who make up these laws should be obliged to drive one for 1000 miles. Those who survived that test would soon change their minds.
Apparently Landrover are recalling over 68,000 Freelanders due to handbrake and wiring loom problems.
That's a lot of parts to change. Models from 1997 to March 2001 are affected.
Colin Read more
Mark,
First ride in one at 6yrs old. Then a gap of 25 years before I experienced one again. Restored three a few years back, noe working on two more.
Given we have a genuine use for them the ultimate classic. A vehicle you could own for the whole of your life. Rust never an issue, either cosmetic or structural. So rugged and everything very simple to DIY.
Do I need more therapy?
David
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Andrew-
Just revisited this thread, saw your answer. I agree - could I state that I was repeating the quote of the Red Arrows pilot, not my own experiences!
However, I could be doing 40 and the other bloke 140!
P.