February 2002
Backroomers! - I hope that you can help me with my problem.
I know you're a busy man, but I'd appreciate some help. I've got a '94 Golf CL 1.4 5dr which goes as well as you expect it except when I'm driving over standing water. It'll stand forever under torrential rain, and still start first time every time, but you drive over any kind of deepish puddle, and within seconds, it'll just fade away. Leave it half an hour, and it's dried out enough to start again.
It's not the leads (replaced) or dist. cap as far as I (or the garage) can tell. I thought perhaps a short in the fuel pump (happened to my Dad's Audi once), but the pump is mounted on top of the tank, and I can't see how it could get wet.
The garage replaced an engine management control switch, and tidied up some frayed wiring, but that didn't work. I've even sprayed water underneath with the car on ramps, but I couldn't get it to stop at all like that.
I'm hoping the knowledgeable members of this group might come up with something - with the weather as it is at the moment, my car's not the most relaxing of drives! What do you think? With thanks in advance. Read more
Listening to radio 5 on way home tonight. There was item about new tax changes to company cars this April. It seems that a lot of drivers of larger engined cars are to be hammered with tax increases of the order of £1200 p.a for something like a 2.5 Mondeo.
This leads me to assume that the lease companies must be inundated with unwanted larger cars such as BMW's, Audis and the like.
Are auction prices and, therefore, retail prices for these cars falling and, if so, by how much ? Any bargains ? Read more
I had one on a 48hour test drive - magic, magic magic. The only thing that put me off was the price of all the extras that come as standard on my Omega!
Getting a great pleasure from most things mechanical, I have just re-read an excellent book I have in by bookcase: NOT MUCH OF AN ENGINEER, author Sir Stanley Hooker, Airlife publishing.
The book is an autobiography, and ranges from the developement of the two stage Merlin supercharger through to the developement of the jet engine from WW2 to the modern fan engines of today.
Interestingly, the RR Vulture engine, originally developed for the twin engined Avro Manchester (later the four engined Merlin powered Lancaster) is briefly discussed. This unit was designed with 24 cylinders configured around its crank in an X. It clearly is not so far removed from the compact VAG W unit of today. RR must of had magnetos, spark plugs and HT leads everywhere!
Regards,
Julian Lindley Read more
I found some more stuff on Napier that makes fascinating reading (4-valves per cylinder in 1916!) on www.ptfnasty.com/ptfDelticHist1.htm
Aero engine design does make one wonder what car engine designers do for a living, although I guess they're contrained by accountants these days.
For more reading, see LJK Setright's 'Some Unusual Engines'. There's some weird and wonderful stuff out there...
corsa cam belt
I have an N reg corsa1.416v
the cam belt snapped leaving me stranded on the a1.it had been fitted by network q 2 years ago and had only done 20,000 miles.
vauxhall have said tough its not there problem im left with a 700quid bill for engine repairs
does enyone know if i have any come back on vauxhall.What about small claims court? your help please.... Read more
Hi,
There is a lot of stuff posted on the site about Vauxhall cam belt failures - just use the search facility.
I had a Corsa 1.4 16v N reg - it was a Nov'95 car. I'm sure there was a recall notice for the cam belt idlers. I'm trying to remember when it was exactly - The car was out of warranty and would have covered almost 20,000 miles when we received the notification.
I don't know if this helps - but I would strongly suggest finding out if your car had this done as this is a highly likely cause of the belt failure.
Regards .......
Robert
VAG recommend changing at 60k miles without a time based alternative. What is recomended for lower mileage cars - ours will reach 60k miles when it is about 8 years old. Read more
Best to play safe and change it every 4 years regardless of low mileage as the belt still 'ages'.
I am considering buying a 9-12 month old either Vectra CDX or Mondeo GhiaX
(probably not the vectra due to the impending model change) I have previously purchaed cars either from the large warehouse type dealers or at a closed trade auction via a broker.
I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas. I had though of buying from the Hire Companies eg Hertz, but I do not know if they sell direct.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
Regards
Tony in Winchmore Hill Read more
I think you'll be better off bidding in a competitive environment, such as the Ford sale at BCA Blackbushe on Thursday (see news on this website).
HJ
Am I the only person who doesn't think that the Focus saloon looks "ugly" or some other critical description? In fact, I think it has a greater "presence".
I'm still not overly keen on the styling of the hatchback so assuming that the saloon handles and rides as well as folk say that the hatch does, it can't all be bad?! Just a thought anyway.
(I'll now standby for a deluge of "are you mad's" and "I've never seen one"!!) Read more
Ford Focus Hatch = Ugly sister of FIAT Punto.
ugh.
Steve ;o)
1990 Lexus, 5 previous owners. That's an average of 1 every 2 years. Seems a lot for such a car. Should I be suspicious? Read more
when I offloaded my old BMW (86 318i), I was dead-honest with the bloke.
Electric windows - only pass. side working
Sunroof - broken
Airco - ditto
Fan - only on stage 3
Rust - exactly where you see it
He was so shocked, he actually paid what I was asking - didn't ask about the 213k kilometers engine at all! (and I'm sure that had been trimmed before I bought it!)
I think I've done this job many years ago, but memory lapses and confidence falls as sciatica kicks in. With your help, I will try it.
Symptoms; before starting engine, gear lever will readily engage all gears;
with engine running gear lever will not select against resistance;
applying force to gear lever engages gear and stalls engine
1. Am I right to infer that the resistance and stalling tells me this is gear linkage/cable and not clutch failure?
2. As I can ( just about) get down on my back and slide under the front (Peugeot/Talbot van) is this a job I should be able to do please?
Any tips will be welcomed and thanks in advance. Read more
Colin,
Possibility 1 is a siezed clutch. There are two ways of doing this - dismantle and repair/replace, or give it a nasty shock and maybe it will break loose. If it doesn`t break lose, or if it tears the friction plate apart, which it can do, then you are no worse off since that`s the part you would have to replace anyway.
Possibility 2 is that the clutch is not being operated properly. The easiest thing to do is to operate the clutch pedal and see if the hydraulic rams or levers or whatever are operating.
If they are, its a siezed clutch. If they`re not [moving] then you have to start chasing through cables or hydraulics.
It is most likely the siezure issue. Breaking it loose can be done in a number of ways;
starting it in gear - simple that amount of banging can free it
starting it with the wheels of the ground, in gear and banging the brakes
bump starting it in gear, go along the road with your foot on the [inoperative] clutch banging the throttle on and off *****
or, as I had to do with a Lancia once, rolling it backwards with the engine running and mashing it into 2nd. And before anybody says anything, I got another 20,000 miles out of that clutch/gearbox and even then lost the car to rust.
There is a risk of gearbox damage with all of them. Its not a particularly high risk, but it exists. ***** is the least risk, but may not work.
If you don`t like the risk, then your only option is to dismantle the clutch.
Do let us know how you get on. Sometimes this clutches can unsieze without any dramatics at all.
I have just taken posession of a 95 VW Passat CLTDI with 144 on clock. General good condition and FSH, only two previous owners. The great advice i have recieved from the Back Room has been no end of help and is essentialy why i now own the motor i do.
Thanks for all the messages and the general high level of mechanical and buyer adivce that has been offered. Particular thanks to David W, at his secret location, Marcus and John M.
Martin
p.s. If you want to know the price i paid then just ask, although it's not all
about money, or is it? Read more
Sent a letter of complaint off to the Chief Executive as I also had the same problem (sodden passenger footwell) with my previous Passat (97 110 tdi).
Received a letter back immediately and VW have since telephoned me with the promise of money off my first service.
Browse
I've managed to track down the problem (I think). After your suggestions, I concentrated on the Oxygen sensor. The problem was with a plastic connector which connects the leads to the sensor to one which, presumably, goes to the ECM chip. A liberal spraying of WD40, a smearing of Vaseline, and a bit of DampStart have meant that, so far, it's given me no further problems. Thanks for your help, chaps.