Hi guys,

Sorry if this has been discused here before - my partner has a Y-reg Vectra 1.6i 16v Club with the Ecotec engine and its just started misfiring! When idling, the exhaust can be heard to 'pop' and the engine management warning light is permanently illuminated - when driving (under acceleration) the light flickers on and off. This will be going in under warranty but I am interested to know if others have any idea what may be up?
Incidently the car is often run on optimax (otherwise standard shell) and goes like stink for a 1.6 in a large car - even with the air con on!

Thanks in advance Read more

Hello all,

I've just bought an L reg Carlton Diplomat 2.0 auto with 108,000 on the clock and want to know what I should get done on it right first.

There is not much history with it except for several MOT's and I can see it has had a new back box. No idea if the cam belt has been replaced ( can you tell anyway ). The engine sounds ok and it drives nicely except that it sounds like it's running a little rough at idle( exhusty noise ).
Is anyone familiar with these cars, the dash has various switches for stuff like rear defrost and aircon but the LED doesn't light up.. does this mean it doesn't work?

Thanks Read more

I have recently bought a 1991 mk 2 Golf GTD (1600cc 80bhp intercooled Turbo Diesel), its a high miler, 170K, but with only three owners and a FSH, its good, I like it.

Up until recently it started OK, glow plug light came on, went off, depress clutch, turn key, engine fired almost immediately and ran fine.

Can you help with the folowing problem - now when starting the glow plug light comes on constant, then starts to flash, then goes off. Car turns over very well, but only starts reluctantly. Once started the engine runs fine, glow plug light then begins to flash on and off about 6 - 8 times then stays off.

Its not damp and all connections seem tight and OK, there is no Haynes manual for this car, and the Haynes generic Diesel engine manual only covers the VW 1.9 D engines, and says nothing about starting systems anyway, the VW Golf manual with car only says
"if Glow plug light begins to flash call expert assistance"

Any constuctive advice would be helpful, thanks
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Here's something to be alert for this weekend as town hits the country in the middle of harvest. Driving through Byfield in Northants this pm I came up behind a tatty 3-ton type lorry loaded with two layers of big bale silage bulging over the sides and followed him on a minor lane out of the village. It was a 30mph road with houses on one side so I wasn't bothered about passing although I thought it odd he was in the middle of a road with clear grass verges. A motorcycle behind decided to overtake nevertheless and squeeed by this truck. As soon as we left the limit and entered a long clear stretch I pulled to the right, sounded the horn in a short blast to let the driver know I was there and got a two-finger salute while the truck went right over to the right-hand side blocking my way past.

For the next mile-and-a-half he kept this up pulling over to let oncoming cars through and immediately blocking my way past while slowing to 10 mph several times. Clearly he was hoping for a reaction so I hung back a few car lengths and waited. A Mondeo came up behind saw me hanging back and decided he would overtake this timid driver which promptly did and the truck moved over to let him by and then back immediately to blocking me with another salute.

The next oncoming car happened to be a local police car which as I was hanging back saw in enough time to stop the PC driving and explain what was going on. He turned round and overtook me a minute or so later but the truck driver had obviously seen us talking and disappeared up one of three or four side lanes in the next village although the PC did turn back. Unfortunately, the number plate was broken and hanging off so E or F with GWF was the best I could see.

Most farm drivers moving combines or grain trailers at this time of year are usually just not paying attention rather than being deliberately provocative if traffic builds up behind. This was not a typical farm lorry anyway, from what little could be seen, but more of a traveller's type vehicle. I usually give a short blast on the horn when overtaking farm vehicles with cabs, or no mirrors, but maybe that was what upset this person. However, I suspect the real intention was simply to wind someone up, no matter who, and at worst panic them off the road if they tried overtaking.

As it was I was just ambling home in no particular hurry so it was a bizarre irritation to which I had no desire to respond as I knew I could soon turn off on one of the upcoming side roads anyway. I have put it down at some length as a pre-Bank Holiday warning about country roads and some drivers. As a parting side swipe I will also point out that the foot-and-mouth ban on fox hunting made my local roads a lot safer at weekends. Nothing to do with the horse riders or hounds, who are usually well mannered, but it temporarily removed the rolling road blocks and appalling road behaviour of the hunt supporters in their pickups, Reliant Robins and other cars following the chase.

Now I'll retreat behind bolted doors.

David Read more

Any tips on restoring parts of the surface of a leather-covered steering wheel to the still shiny and smooth condition of most of it? A patch has worn into a matt finish that feels uncomfortable and, of course, gathers gunge more quickly. Alternatively, are there any companies that specialize in replacing leather covers on steering wheels? Read more