March 2002
I have a Vectra DI which when the engine is turned off, there is a fairly prominent metallic rattling type noise from under the bonnet somewhere. I am guessing it is perhaps the exhaust. However, when I start the engine from cold, there is a light metallic rattle when the engine is idling, but this stops as soon as the clutch is pressed. When the engine is warm and idling, this light rattle dissapears! I will get Vauxhall to have a quick look at this at its 30K service. I am just wondering if anyone has had any similar noises like this and what cured them. Thanks Read more
Over the last week or so I have noticed the engine management light briefly light up on several occasions. It stays on for about 2 seconds, then goes off again. I looked in the handbook which states something like' if the light temporarily shows then this is of no significance'. The car runs great and consistantly returns about 49 mpg. I am not concerned about this, but why does the light come on? Is the ecu making some adjustments? I have a tuning box fitted btw, which I guess could be to blame! Any general experiences of this? Thanks Read more
There is more to the effects of the Tuning Box than just more poke when you floor the accelerator! The car picks up very well from even 900rpm in high gears just by touching the accelerator! I can make excellent progress without going over 3000 rpm if I want, and the slight surge actually seems to come in 'at the right time' just when you need it. I have had this box fitted for about 10K miles with no problems whatsoever. It does not just 'kick in' when the turbo is spooled up. This car actually is one of the turbo diesels I have driven which suffers form virtually no turbo lag whatsoever. A happy 'tuning box' user!
Hi All
quick question
I want to clean up the window electrics components in my VW Passat, my local garage said this is a good job for enthusiasts to do themselves as it is very labour intensive. Apparently, faulty window action and switch failure is classic of dirty resistors and capacitors that just need a good clean off. Am i right in going ahead and doing this, do i have to take off practically all the door paneling to do so? And will i get myself into tricky water as i do not know the car very well and do not have a Haynes manual?
cheers
martin Read more
Hi Martin,
Do you have any specific problems with the window operation?
Apart from lubricating the guide channels, if it isn't broken don't fix it!
If you do take off all the trim panels off the doors, you will most likely need to breach the plastic skin to get at the components inside - bad news if you don't repair it, as it helps to keep the water out of the car!
Martin.
Whilst enjoying a late lunch today watched a programme, Bumper to Bumper on Discovery H&L. Interesting article about TRL, especially the bit about the development of external airbags to protect the "6 year old boys typically involved in pedestrian accidents " and a somewhat different spin on a road test where they tested a 206cc along with a Great Drive (in Suffolk) where there was more emphasis on the scenery than the car, refreshing change really, felt a bit like Phil Llewellyn's style, one time scribe in Car magazine, where the cars were sometimes secondary to the envioroment (note small E) they were used in, always made for an entertaining read.
One nice stat, gleaned from BtoB, for the number crunchers amongst you. In 193? there were 2.3million cars on the UK roads and 7,600 deaths. in 2001 there were 23m cars and 3,600 deaths. Read more
It gets my thumbs up, I wonder who they get to use the fancy simulator to evaluate new road layouts, I would fancy a go myself!
As stated this week,1 in 15 car owners have no insurance,therefore no road tax and if necessary no M O T. any comments on how it can be stopped. Read more
who is going to pay for the machine that reads these holograms/bar codes?
Could anyone tell me if the headlights on the '90 Honda Civic are adjustable, and if so, how one tackles it - I had a close look this morning, and the units appear to be bolted very solidly to the bodywork, with no means of movement.
Thanks,
Peter. Read more
Don't know the answer, but they must be adjustable. Haynes manual I suppose.
The Sunday Times has a report that Ministers could save over £6000 in personal tax because their gas guzzlers will not be liable to the new tax regime which penalises users of bigger cars.
Nothing new there, then. Read more
Parliament did someone mention Parliament,Whats that!
not a question about cars but someone who has imported an american car might be able to help me.
I am considering buying a new boat which is made in the usa, looking on the internet at the price there is a saving of several thousands.
Has anyone got any information on taxes to be paid and shipping costs etc? Read more
Mike,
I had similar thoughts, but I'm assuming it must be a cruiser and not a yacht. A small cruiser doesn't have the range for an Atlantic crossing and anything with a decent sized keel (and mast) is going to be damn expensive to ship.
The cheapest place to pick up a decent yacht at the moment is New Zealand and sailing back to the UK would be the experience of a lifetime. Might just put everything in storage and do that one day.
Kevin...
I venture to repeat a suggestion, probably lost in an extended string, to those on this site who profoundly object to other people enjoying motoring.
Why don't you campaign for the provision of strips for us to have a go, as was done in parts of the States.
Or for just occasionally declared open days on certain stretches of road, when we could have a blast and you lot could go another way, or stay home? (The nice police could give us the probably very flattering camera readings!)
Goodness knows we pay enough. Read more
Assume this follows from the "year for speeding" thread.
I am genuinely interested to learn why you think that a belief that 160+ is not compatible with the safety of others is equal to profoundly objecting ot other people enjoying motoring.
Yesterday, I test drove the new Toyota Yaris D-4D. Unfortunately I had a salesman with me
so I couldn't really put it through it's paces as I would have liked. The engine is really smooth
and responsive and the noise levels in the cabin are not at all obtrusive. I personally like to
hear the reassuring diesel sound but with the radio on low you can't hear the engine at all.
I found there was plenty of pull throughout the gears and always found there was lots
of power in reserve should I need it. With three up, I drove up quite a steep hill and was
able to keep it in fifth all the way to the top at 60 MPH. In my current car a non turbo
1.8 Escort Diesel I would have needed to change down and it would have run out of puff
quite early on. I found it to be well behaved in traffic and a relaxing car to drive. Although my
driving is mainly in and around town, I do need a car capable of the long haul to Cornwall
on a regular basis. This feels like a much larger car on the road. It was not twitchy and the ride
was superb in comparison to the Honda Jazz which amplified virtually every little dimple in the road.
I think Toyota have got it right with this one. You can't get better than 74 MPG. 10k Oil changes
and a full service every 20k or two years. Superb!
My only reservation is that, as with most cars today, the amount of plumbing and gizzmos surrounding
the engine is going to make DIY for the 'Weekend Mechanic' a thing of the past. Apart from an oil change
I don't think there is an awful lot more that I would be prepared to tackle in this lovely little engine.
Having said that there is always the reassurance of the 3 year warranty.
Well, I don't know about you, but I've earmarked mine, done the deal, and will be picking it up at midday
next Friday. YA YA YARIS! WHOOPEE!
If you see a lovely little Metallic Silver Toyata Yaris D-4D GLS with the Orcadia alloys driving around the
Enfield-Edmonton area, by a smug looking @!#$ grinning from ear to ear, please, don't hoot, because I'll be
listening to that sweet little engine. Read more
Note the note in car be car breakdown: the Yaris D-4D is a chain cam engine, just like the rest of the Yaris range and, inceasingly more of the Toyota range. PSA/Ford is talking of a very long life for the timing belt on its indentical mpg 1.4HDI and it is very well protected with lots of rollers, but as long as you keep the oil clean you can't beat a chain.
HJ
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Thanks for the input, much appreciated. I think the light tapping sound is the gearbox, as a similar noise can be replicated when the car is warm and idling if I move the gear stick to the point of almost engaging gear, without pressing the clutch (not as far as to cause some nasty grinding noises!) When the engine and gearbox is cold, the noise almost stops if I try the same exercise again. The gearbox works fine BTW, no problems at all.
The rather loud rattle when the engine is turned off I think is something else, and is likely to be the exhaust. It has not got any worse in the last 5K miles or so and I will get the garage to give it a quick once over when the car goes for its 30K service. Thanks again!