September 2002
Hi,
I have a Vauxhall Cavalier Mk3 - 1995 & it was broken into at the weekend, i have it recorded on a low quality VHS tape & it took less than 10 seconds to break into the boot, the only damaged caused to plastic surround at top of lock being cracked, i also heared a really loud crack noise when it was opened, followed with the car alarm...
is it this easy to get into the car normally ?
and is there anything i can do to fix the problem ?
i had this on my old car and was able to remove the lock as it had a seperate handle to open the boot...but on this car it's one button for lock and boot release ;(
any help appreciated.
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Currently suffering from a fault, which only arose since garage service and did some work, on a 1.8 Encore Fiesta Diesel.
Basically as you move from 1st to 2nd it stutters with little power (as if too few revs) and spews some black smoke out the back. Similar symptoms as you go through the other gears but less so. Even if you move through the gears at higher revs it stutters a bit and spews. Often it's really hard work as you increase the revs between 2nd and 3rd, and then it suddenly kicks in with power as if it had a Turbo.
Any ideas what it could be? and hence the solution. As a bit of background I took it back to the garage who did an emissions test and cleared a blockage on the air filter outlet (was 4.9+ before, now less than 2.5), but no fixed. They now reckon on using Diesel Fuel ADditive to clean the injectors and to come back in 6 weeks if not better. This sounds like a fob off to me.
All help gratefully received. Read more
This is a very common problem on later Ford diesels caused by a fault on the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system (EGR). The system goes faulty and operates the EGR valve at the inappropriate time causing these symptoms. Simple cure is to disconnect the vacuum pipe from the valve (rear of engine, passenger side) and plug the hose.
Does the emission analyser need to be programmed with the model of the vehicle in order to create a valid result?
Must the emissions test also know the engine speed? Does the oil temperature need to be measured as well?
Thanks
Ben Read more
And another 14 year old thread being brought back to the fore!
The nearly new car that I have bought has got a 10p-sized flaw in the paintwork on the roof, where the lacquer has eroded and some of the metallic green paint has gone.
The garage claims that this is due to bird poo or violent tree sap (grrr) being left on the vehicle and not being washed off. I know that this happens over time, but is this normal or acceptable on a vehicle that was built in March of this year?????
Thanks Read more
Why do birds poo on cars anyway ? Apart from pigeons, they rarely seem to do it on the ground. Probably for the same reason, I suppose, that birds poo on my house windows just after I have cleaned them. Birds must be a perverse lot !!
I don't normally recommend them except on price - but my local Makro has a perfectly decent 12v powerpack on sale for approx £23 once you add in the VAT. No extras like built-in compressors, but very useful if you are:
(1) As daft as me and leave lights, radio etc. occasionally.
(2) Have a project or a temporary non-runner in the garage.
It's a close relative of something that was best budget buy in Car Mechanics when they last tested booster packs, but with slightly shorter leads and no oddments pouch on the back.
I've owned one myself for the last few months without problems, and used it successfully from time to time.
David M
You know Citroens make sense in an up-and-down world...... Read more
Are available at:
www.churchill.com/
Gawd help us... Read more
I would love to show you a Filipino "bulaloy". This is a homemade copy of a small jeep festooned with coloured lights and spotlights. One down my street boasts eighteen, count 'em 18, red spotlights on the roof, the front and the wings plus one each side on a swivel manipulated by the driver and passanger.
FIAT X1/9 BODY SHELL WANTED Read more
I expect the replacement shell has also rotted away by now. Dreadful cars.
Should've bought a TR7 :-))
hi i would like to know what type of radio connectors a rover has and know how to get my radio out so i can put a new one in. Read more
it is just when i have looked a the radio it
looks like non of the holes are there on the side
do i have 2 take anything off to get to the
holes as i have the radio u shape things to take
the radio out, but as i said cannot find the holes
they go in.
What make is the radio? It would make it easier to help you.
If it's a Philips/Grundig/Blaupunk, then the holes are usually plugged with grub screws. You'll need an allen key to remove them.
If it's A.N.Other brand then you'll probably need to remove some kind of cover from the facia of the radio.
Car vectra 2.0Di ('96 diesel) miles: 158,000
Issue: Injector pump (?)
Car all of a sudden stalled at 70mph on a dual carriage way, pulled over, checked all looked ok under the bonnet before restarting. Car started and ticked over but would not rev or give enough power to pull of (kept stalling). Once stopped it had to be left several minutes before it would restart.
AA were called, he thought it was a blockage in the fuel line and towed me home. His reasoning was when unscrewing the bleed on the fuel filter he could hear air rushing into the vacuum formed by the engine trying to draw fuel, and that it started and ran for a short time after he opened the bleed on the filter.
Car would not start after the 30min tow home but 1 week later ran and drove 15 miles to a garage (in safe mode with the management light on) albeit roughly.
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Garage thinks it's the injector pump, have done various tests, yet to speak to the owner to find out what tests.
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A few Q's from me to anyone that can help...
When an injector pump starts failing is it a problem that is easy to pinpoint?
How can I be certain it's the injector pump. Would you expect an injector pump to be failing at this mileage and when they start to do they exhibit any particular characteristics (noises etc). I think this car is the low pressure diesel not the high pressure one.
I've been told it's not possible to get reconditioned ones, are non OEM parts available? Is it wise/possible to have the injector pump tested in isolation to the rest of the car and how can I be certain that it has been replaced if I go ahead with it as I've been told they are £1000+.
Basically if this was happening to you what would you do?!
What should I do!!!!!!
Thanks, Phil Read more
Thanks for the replies. Just been burnt with a second hand pump. Was said to be off a runner, acquired by the garage for a good price but ran worse than the pump on there at the moment. They obvioulsy returned the pump without paying but I'm still left with the bill for labour. Bit cautious of going down that road again as the labour costs could start overtaking the parts costs!
Phil
i have a citroen zx 1.9 diesel can anyone give me any advice on how i can improve the performance? Read more
Rich,
Having owned both a 1.9D and my present Turbo D, I agree with David. We are not spinning you a yarn!!.
The 1.9D is a fine machine and will cruise over 70 mph all day.
However, Throttle response is tardy at this speed. If you are on a motorway and want to pull out from lane 2 to lane 3, you will not be able to do this easily on a busy motorway as the response is slow.
The Turbo D is superb in this respect. The Turbo is really the be all and end all. It transforms it from a workhorse to a warm/hot hatch in the mid-range.
There is nothing you can do with regard to valves, port polishing and pump tweaks. In fact, tweaking the pump will just give you loads of black smoke. The sports air filter will give it induction roar and not much gain (take it from someone who's tried and reverted back. Having been a reader of Diesel Car magazine for 8 years, the tuning subject is a well trodden road.
You can tune a Turbo engine for more power, but you can't do anything with a naturally aspirated engine.
Ther'll always be a buyer for a 1.9D as they are a good workhorse. If you want performance, the Turbo version is your answer. I've had mine 6 years now in Estate form and it's still a cracker.
Take our advice - I hope you seek what you find soon.
Regards - Jon S
Some manufacturers now offer laminated side windows as an option. However, there's concern that if laminated glass were universally used it would cost lives by making it harder to escape from a crashed car, or hindering the fire brigade breaking their way in to get you out. Two sides to every coin.