September 2002
I have a '92 nissan primera which unfortunately has a very small oil leak which is making a bit of a mess of our drive. I have heard of various products which you can add to the oil, has anybody had any experience of these? Also where would I start, when looking for a leak, do nissans have particular places that they leak from? Thanks. Gary. Read more
I am considering buying a rover 220 coupe, preferably the turbo.
I have heard mixed reports about these motors, namely poor handling and "soft" engines.
Advice please Read more
Cheers guys.Wont bother now!
Just fancy something with a bit more grunt.Got a 2.0 16v zx which is good, but not quite right!
This isn't really a question, just a line of discussion.
A few years back I owned a Rover Maestro Clubman D (!!), the one with the old perkins diesel engine. It handled terrible, but I loved it. Anyway, it used to burn a bit of oil so needed regular top-ups, one morning when heading for a day out with some friends, I checked the oil and it needed another litre (which it did about once a month/3000 miles), so I mentioned it to my friend and went to get my stuff ready, came back and put a litre of oil in, little did I know my friend had already topped it up. So off we went down the M62, within a few miles smoke started plumming from the back. So I pulled over then we realised the mixup and that it was overfull with engine oil, so we decided to carry on, thinking the excess would burn off - wrong!!!
As we drove off down the road, the car accelerated - seriously fast for this car, took my foot off the accelerator and still we went faster, panic set in, I dipped the clutch to pull over and the engine just revved and reved, I took the keys out of the ignition and still it revved, with plumes of smoke comming out of the back. This is where logic kicked in, I realised that somehow the engine must be pulling the oil from the overfull sump (through a breather pipe, which is supposed to sit above the oil level I guess??). It was revving flat out-screamming, in a situation like that what are you supposed to do, the ignition was off (though in that car I think it just stops the diesel supply, but of course by now it was running of the engine oil), how can you stop it?
After about 10 mins of continuous revving, and almost shutting off the m62 due to the emmense smoke, it gave one last cough and died, timidly I checked the oil/water levels, the oil was about back to normal, it had used a fair bit of water, so I tried to start it, and it turned over and was fine. Infact it did another 100,000 without any major engine problems before it had to be scrapped due to the bodywork. Were my assumptions about the engine oil being sucked up right? does this kind of thing happen a lot? should I have tried to stall it? Read more
FiF,
Thanks for the additional information - it all helps complete the picture.
The lifeboats I was talking about needed to be capable of launching at 30 degrees off a ship - Big splash! They were not dry-sumped but I think they did have specially shaped sumps with a deep centre well to keep the oil covering the pick-up inlet and away from the breather oil return connection.
It's a long time since I was involved with these marine engines, getting on for 20 years I should think. My job at that time was to obtain engine design approval from Lloyds, Det Norske Veritas, Bureau Veritas, RINA etc., in order for the ship or boat to be insurable.
The most difficult part with the Prima engines was convincing the marine approval authorities that deep-rolling the main and big end journal fillets increased the crankshaft fatigue strength by at least 50% (the crankshafts were SG iron, a 'first' for Perkins). It was difficult for them to understand how an 'undercut' could increase the strength at all, let alone improve it by 50%!
Driving along a dual carriageway near George Green village, in lane 2, and a 4 by 4 tailgating a car in lane 1 indicates and simultaneously moves into lane 2, the rear of his vehicle nearly hitting my front bumper, just as I am about to accelerate. I give a short hoot to warn him of my presence, drop back for safety and flash my lights twice to again indicate my presence. He zooms off then slows to turn right. As I pass he sounds his horn continuously for 10 seconds or more.
I find it all rather depressing. Don't these people have a concept of dangerous driving? Don't they realise that if the car in front has a blow out, or serious engine problem, then they are in deep doo doo?
Roll on compulsory repeat driving tests every few years. Read more
Tom
Sorry for the delayed reply, but you are absolutely right.
The only remedy for poor driving is the mark one eyeball on the road.
Any experienced driver can adjust their driving style over the range from little old lady to boy racer. What counts is what they do in non-test conditions, only one fault which will be picked up by the metal mickeys.
However, anyone held to blame for an accident should have a retest, training or restricted status imposed.
I do think, however, that medical status needs to be regularly checked or certified in some way. Eyesight, diabetis, Parkinsons disease, loss of movement in neck or limbs, and a host of other symptoms need to be picked up and remedied much sooner than at present.
I have decided that life will not be complete without a Porsche, and the 924 appears to be very cheap.
Are there any major problems to look out for?
Are some parts particularly expensive?
Are most jobs practical for the home mechanic?
Any comments gratefully received,
Hugh
Read more
Didn't the last of the 924 models have 944 engines and running gear?
Hello guys,
I want to know how much a full Rover 400 service will be.
I need to know because the car should be due for it's service.
Cheers Read more
the car has only done just under 4,000 miles since it was
last serviced. is the service really essential?
You'll find most car manufacturers specify either a mileage or a given time period for when a service is required. Whichever of them comes first is the time to have it done.
i've followed the discussions regarding the astra problems -sorry characteristics, with interest since we've got one and i do all the servicing. the point about the engine oil taking its time to drain to the sump is true (i've seen the evidence with my own eyes and i know more now than the opel mechanic (should that be mechanics?) who told me to pour in more oil instead of saying wait a bit) - result? overfilled of course.
i suppose this means no more quick just warmed up engine drains (unless you want to wait 1 hour for the oil to drain, which isn't so quick!). of course you could do the filters, tyres whatever while waiting but if you put the plug back in after 10 minutes there'll be at least 1/2 litre of old oil still in there. and to top it all, if it's true for me then it's true for all the opel/vx mechanics as well when they do an oil change - mmm, sounds like the customer's paying for the same oil twice!! any thoughts? Read more
I'm trying to get to grips with the variable servicing thing on VWs. Car is a Sept 2001 PD 130 Passat. Basically, when I bought the car, it came with a carton of 5W-50, VW part no. G 052 157 A2 and I was told only to use this oil. At around 9000 miles, the service indicator came on saying it was due a service in 1000 miles (or something like that!) so I took it to the dealer (not the supplying dealer) and said that I thought it was set up for variable servicing (the sticker on the windscreen said 'When indicated or at 10000 miles'). When I picked the car up, the dealer had filled it with 5W-50 oil at £7.87 a litre inc. VAT. and was told the next service was due in 1 year or 10000 miles. My car has the 'QG1' stamp in its book but the dealer said just because it's got that, it doesn't mean it's on variable servicing; that's set up by the supplying dealer. Not knowing the difference between the oils, there was me none the wiser! My colleague has just taken delivery of a Sept 2002 Passat with the same engine: it has 5W-50 oil and the QG1 stamp in book but the service intervals are 2 years, 20000 miles, or when indicated.
Have I been done? Read more
The Octavia diesels on variable servicing use spec VW 506 00 oil except that engines with direct injection use spec VW 506 01 oil. The maximum servicing interval for these engines is 50,000 km. Castrol SLX Longlife II 0W-30 oil sold by Skoda dealers meets specs VW 503 00 (required by variable service petrol engines), VW 506 00 and VW 506 01 - ie the one oil is suitable for petrol and diesel engines.
A few months ago I was offloading the kids in the 'drivers with small children' section of our local supermarket car park when a poser in a new BMW convertible roared into the car park, top down, stereo blasting, wind in hair etc. etc. As he drove round the first row of parked cars and approached us he noticed a space in our section and made straight for it without a care. I was still considering whether or not to say anything as he swung neatly into the space and 'SMACK', straight into a small but very sturdy metal post ! I didn't rub salt into his wound but will never forget the look on his face as he heard the sickening sound of plastic impacting against steel.
Anyone else seen a poser driver get his/her comeuppance ? Read more
Hope nobody minds me butting in :-)
I'm pretty sure Jilly's is on Oxford Road just up from Oxford Road train station and the Palace Theatre. If you are coming from Huddersfield you might be able to get a train directly to Oxford Road train station.
To be honest Rock clubs aren't really my scene so I've never been to Jilly's but I've been told that it is an excellent night out.
whilst out driving yesterday I came up behind a Rover 200 with no visible driver. The headrest was set to its lowest position, but with no sign of the driver's head.Could it be James Bond's latest remote-controlled car?
I eventually overtook, and saw that the driver was an old lady whose eyes were level with the bottom of the driver's window, and thus below the instrument 'binnacle', - she could only have been able to see the roofs of cars ahead.
Later I saw the same thing, this time with a Rover 600 and an aged gentleman.
Comments,anyone?
P. Read more
.......I understand a common response in the S.W. Florida Highway Patrol incident centre when they get a call to say there's been an accident on the nearby interstate is:
"..Jeez, not again. How many more retired Jewish dentists driving 1979 Cadillacs can there BE?"
(I got that from a friend....)
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Should be fairly easy to narrow down where the leak is by looking under the bonnet / underneath, and it should be possible to work out where it's then coming from.
I used the stop leak stuff in my BX TD at around 80,000 miles - it stopped the camshaft oil leak nicely, and no adverse effects on the engine over the next 55,000 miles. It didn't stop the oil pouring out of the knackered head gasket down the back of the engine though!
Richard