May 2002
I have a 98 Laguna 1.6 16valve due a new cambelt and looks like the exhaust will need replacing before too long.
Has anyone used french garages and found them cheaper?
As we're going there on holiday would it pay to get them done when out there? Renault bits are expensive here as is labour - Is it be fair to assume that as every other car in france is a renault, then parts/labour would be cheaper. Read more
I've had my Xantia 2.0 16v for nearly 3 years and yesterday it started making a short, strangulated beep when I used the deadlocks. It now does it every time, and last night the alarm went off for no obvious reason.
The rear nearside door has always made a groaning noise when the deadlocks are used, so my brother in law thinks that maybe it's given up the ghost and leaving an open circuit.
Any ideas? Read more
This confirms what I suspected, but I'll try deadlocking with the key in the door to check. I've found that my motorcycle shackle lock goes through the handle on the inside of the drivers door, and through the steering wheel. It means I have to get into the passenger side to unlock it in the morning, but it's a small price for peace of mind.
A few years ago there was conjecture that the engine of the future for cars would be the 2 stroke.
If I remember correctly Ford converted a fleet of Fiestas which they gave to members of the public for an extended trial.
Does anyone know the results of the trial? Presumably a failure?
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I owned a couple of 3 cylinder 2 stroke cars (D.K.W and later Auto Union) in the sixties. They had excellent turbine smooth power delivery and approx 90 m.p.h performance from their 1000 cc motors, but only about 22 m.p.g and plenty of blue smoke. I actually fitted a copper rear exhaust system to one of them with the rear pipe flattened like a fish tail and the exhaust note was absolutely amazing - it could be heard from approx 1/2 mile away.
I have often wondered with a modern fuel injection system along with electronic engine management these engines could not be built to meet modern emission regulations as their potential power delivery per cc is far greater than a 4 stroke motor.
Good advice for everyone buying secondhand - make sure all the key number info comes with the car (and radio code) and check that both remotes work.
Make sure you know wether the car you are looking at should have more than one remote.
Make sure you try both remotes. If one does not work, do not accept "oh, must just need new batteries" - swop the batteries from the good remote and try again. If it still does not work, insist on a replacement being obtained or negotiate a price reduction (then use it to buy a replacement).
With many cars nowadays, if you find yourself without a working remote you may have no way of being able to drive the car. Rover 800s (with superlocking) and 94 on Range Rovers have a system whereby you can input a code via the drivers door lock in just such an eventuality - but again, you need to know the correct code!! It should be on a card with the car. Don't know if other makes have this facility. Read more
i had a problem with the remote on my 96 diesel
laguna and had to press the immobiliser flasher to key in
a code for 2 weeks -and that every time i started
the car , adding 30 seconds at least to start up
time but only if you got it right -one flash too
many and it's time to start again!. Luckily these remotes are
replaceable on recall free so check if they have been already.
the remote system in this model is annoying and at times
dangerous. I have found myself with the key switched off and
the engine still running -have had to stall it to stop
the engine. Also i have been able to start the engine
without realising the immobiliser is on only for the engine to
stop after a short distance -very very dangerous in the wrong
place -always check that the immobiliser light is not flashing before
driving off just in case.
I have recently purchased a P reg Laguna Petrol and one of the key fobs has stopped working. I have read about the recall of key fobs but is there a way of telling whether the key fobs I have are the original or whether they have been replaced? If I cannot tell from looking, how will I be able to find out?
Thanks for any help available!
A friend is selling a 97 Ibiza 1.4SXE and I am thinking of putting them in touch with another friend who asked me at the weekend what she should buy.
The Seller's car is 1 lady owner, FSH, met paint, PS, remote locking etc and she wants £3750, which I suspect is too much.
The Buyer wants a newish, small (must be small)car which is easy to park, mostly for lots of city driving and the odd longer trip. She has a budget of £5000. Primarily wants something hassle free but is young and doesn't want a Micra. I had suggested the predictable Fiesta or Polo.
Does anyone have experience of the Ibiza?
Should I recommend the Ibiza to the buyer or steer well clear?
Is there a better sugestion than the Fiesta/Polo I came up with.
Any advice appreciated
Thanks
Andy Read more
The Ibiza would be an ideal choice.
More info can be gained at - www.forums-seatcupra.net - and - www.seatcupra.net - where 1500 members give advice on all topics relating to SEAT's.
Does anyone know whether, on the 1093cc Polo engine (1983 vintage) the valves will hit the pistons if the cambelt breaks? And before everyone says 'change the cambelt', I would point out that (1) the car was free (2) I have inspected the belt and it has no cracks or frayed edges (3) the water pump is seized solidly into the block and unlikely to come out undamaged, so if I changed the cambelt I would have to buy a new pump. Since I only use the car to transport the dogs in, a belt failure would be inconvenient but nothing more, unless it trashes the engine.
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com Read more
No problem Robert, I'll leave it as a pointer towards things that are done, and mostly folks get away with, compared with benchmark advice.
The main problem with that method is the care needed when pulling the belt onto the pulleys with so little slack and the fact you're stuck with the tension setting as it stands.
Thanks,
David
Hello Chaps,
In my quest to make my Omega perfect (!) I\'ve had someone suggest to me that my through wheel vibration (that hasn\'t been fixed by balancing, new wheels/tyres, anti roll bar drop links, new shocks, new springs and all round bushes) may be caused by wear in the steering relay unit (also called steering drop link apparently).
Does anyone have any idea of the complexity of changing this component - i.e. rough time to do job and whether it can be done from underneath or not.
Comments appreciated.
In anticipation.
Robert Read more
Perhaps a technical sage could take a look at this site and tell us if they think it's as revolutionary as it appears.
P.
www.mayflowere3.com/index_flash.html
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Another thought ...
BMW's Valvetronic engine is currently fitted to one of the BMW 3-Series and the new 7-Series, and is sure to be in the new 5-Series due next year. This is the engine that controls air intake into the cylinders by variable opening of the valves, rather than by the usual throttle intake butterfly, the result of which is exceptional economy and torque, and lots more.
Now imagine Valvetronic combined with Unit Valve Operation. That is bound to be with us soon and it will ensure that BMW engines remain the best in the world !!
Can the brand of petrol I use affect the mileage I get out of my car?
I always used to use the same brand of petrol and thought nothing more about it until three fills ago I switched to a different brand and seem to be getting better performance and considerably more MPG from my car. Can this be possible? Someone once told me all petrol is the same as it comes from the same refineries?
Thanks. Read more
OK, if you read between the lines of what I replied, I think you will see that I am sceptical about the relatively enormous increase in mpg you are reporting.
However there is a scenario, as HJ suggested, that if Shell petrol does indeed have a special ingredient designed to keep injectors clean, and your injectors had an inaccurate spray pattern which this ingredient rectified, then this improvement is entirely possible.
My car failed its MOT today and needs the following work doing:
A new brake pipe, 3 brake hoses and handbrake cable to replace.
Could anyone please advise me of a rough estimate for cost of repair as I have not got time to go from garage to garage for quotes. The car is a 94 Citroen ZX.
By the way I recommend that you take your car to the local bus depot for its test, they will give you an honest appraisal of what needs doing because they usually do not have the facility to do the work themselves and therefore are not out to make a profit.
Thanks in advance for any replies.
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can't advise on the costs but must agree on the wisdom of getting your MOT done at any garage that does not also do repairs
for anybody in the wigan area I can recommend Ashton MOT centre - they've passed my cars, and failed them !
CM
Maybe Pug dealers are thicker than Volvo. It was obvious that we were English (the sign language gave it away, or maybe they thought that we were deaf and dumb) and that the car had UK plates, so the garage did not twig that the local version would give the wrong angles.
If I had realised we would have made do until we got back home.
IIRC there wasn't much difference between the French and UK prices on this item, since we had to change it 2 or 3 years later when it got broken again.