November 2002
I recently bought a 94 BMW 325 TDS SE. Quite happy so far but starting the thing from cold takes about 25 secs of churning. Even the handbook says this is right. Can this really be true?
I thought the Germans had technical things like this sussed.
I reckon my Dad was right all those years ago...
There must be a way round this - with some of the cars I've owned I have an enviable reputation down my road - now the neighbours are going to be folded up laughing behind their net curtains.
I'm a motoring expert - get me out of here!
Regards
Sideways
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From the local paper:
On Saturday (November 1 2002), an almost stock standard diesel car and caravan broke the existing world diesel towing speed record.
The combination (a BMW 330d - Jurgens Fleetline) broke through the 100 mph barrier for the first time, beating the existing record (99.3 mph or 160.8 km/h) by over 5 km/h, setting the new record at 166 km/h.
The event, held at Mafikeng International Airport, also saw two South African records broken - the diesel towing record (also the world record) and the petrol towing record.
The petrol record was set using the same caravan as the diesel attempt but this time being towed by a Mercedes Benz ML500, the powerful V8 4x4 setting the record at a breakneck 174 km/h.
This record is also under investigation as a world normally-aspirated production car towing record. Details of this will be confirmed shortly.
So what\'s the world record for towing a shed?
And, if they can go that fast, why do the old f**** always tootle along at 60 km/h?
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Allegedly a Dodge Viper has taken one up to 167.5 mph (269.5 kph) so your guys must try harder. A bit of research suggests the record I saw set by John Dodd's Merlin-engined special RR was lower than I remember at 'just' 107.5 mph (173 kph) with a CI Sprite at Silverstone in 1974. He had to complete each way runs and I think rain halted play from memory. To answer the last question, I think you must contact Toad who is setting up a production line for Merlin engines based on his spares collection and could presumably produce a desirable range of special caravan tugs to speed the things on their way to oblivion (the caravans not their ancient conductors).
I own a good automatic '90 Vauxhall Carton 2ltr with genuine 48k on the clock. Thought ECU was faulty but jumping diagnostic output plug reveals a stream of code 12s - code for ECU initialisation (with engine running) and code 12s plus 31s with engine off (31 = no crank rpm!)so in theory - ECU seems OK!
But!!! Sport mode light flashes continously, auto box dos'nt function and have to drive manually. Anybody any idea where to start looking for fault? Any help would be appreciated.
Auto box has actualy worked on 3 or 4 occasions but when you switch off its back to manual.
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More very good GM engineering!
madf
I have a BMW 5 series 96 old model, and when I bought the car it had nasty metric wheels, so I contacted the local BMW dealer to get some new alloy wheels. Now I know that the old shape 5 (known as e34) has very slightly smaller wheel hubs than the newer shape (known as e39). Now I have had major problems balancing the wheels, so much so that it went back to the main dealer where I bought the new wheels, but after 3 days of trying a number of different things they failed to find any problems with the car. Today I had the car booked into a different main dealer within 1 hour he told me that he could not go any further with the diagnosis because the wheels are for an e39(new shape) not e34(old shape). As you could imagine, not V happy. I have contacted the main dealer who supplied the wheels, but as you would imagine they are being defensive. Luckily for me I purchased the wheels on Barclaycard so I MAY and pray that they will help me out. Any further advice welcome. Read more
Thanks to everyone for all your help and advice, I have just had a call from the main stealer who have admitted that they have sold the wrong wheels, and will refund the cost of the wheels, and the cost of when they had the car for three days. I still cant believe they had the car for three days and failed to spot something which another garage took about 30 minutes to spot.
Just a long shot but the 'backlight' illumination on the main headlamp selector dial on my 1991 940 se turbo has failed. I'd like to try fixing it myself (if it doesn't mean dis-assembling the entire car !!) so anyone got any ideas how to do it ?
Can't see an obvious way of removing the dial and the coverplate behind it to get at the internal 'gubbins' (another technical term).
As always, any help most gratefully received. Read more
if its the same as my 87 740 turbo heres what you do.....
Prise out the right hand side of the whole switch panel with a screwdriver(there is a spring clip behind and a lug at the other end .you'll then see a p bulb holder..5 mins tops!
ps good volvo gen site is www.swedishbricks.net/home.html links to a superb 740/940 maintenance archive and lots of links (mostly us based tho)
have fun
According to an article in New Scientist, petrol engines may not be as harmful to the planet as diesels.
A comprehensive climate model shows that the soot produced by diesel engines will warm the climate more over the next century than the extra carbon dioxide emitted by petrol engines.
Black particles of soot can absorb sunlight, warming the air and shielding the ground below and allowing it to cool. They can also affect the humidity of the air by acting as seeds around which water droplets can form. They can even influence how other pollutants accumulate in the air and change weather patterns.
Taking all these factors into account, one gram of carbon is 360,000 to 840,000 times as powerful a global warming agent as one gram of carbon dioxide.
So while diesel engines spew out less carbon dioxide, they spew out 25 to 400 times as much soot, making them much more potent warmers.
In the long term, the picture changes. Soot only stays in the air for weeks, while carbon dioxide will linger for 50 to 200 years. So, while petrol engines will create less global warming over the next hundred years, the cumulative effect means that they will cause more global warming 150 years from now.
I wonder why nobody has looked at this before??
Andy Read more
I think sport mode applies to the auto gearbox as well as the suspension.
I drove a 2.2 HDI auto and loved the engine and gearbox, loads of power, but I didn't try it in sport mode.
Ben
Diesel cars are more economical then petrol but the cars
themselves cost more as well as the fuel. Over what mileage
therefore does a new diesel vehicle become a cost effective buy?
As a further thought , why are diesel more expensive when the
engines are, allegedly, less complicated?
Meldrew
(I just do not believe it!)
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BMW 530iT - list 31395
BMW 530dT - list 31400
Supposed equals but I suppose it comes down to how much
of a premium you think that you are paying for a
diesel.
But,
BMW Compact 320TD SE - list 20865
BMW Compact 318TI SE - list 19345
Difference = £1520
HJ seems to like the diesel version but it does seem
very pricey and there are no three year olds to assess
the depreciation.
G reg Toyota MR2 turbo T bar.
Reportedly dodgy clutch but otherwise fine. Taken as PX by garage that was not interested in it. On at £2,000 but clearly open to offers. Missed it by 10 minutes. Punter who got there ahead of me took it.
Damn, damn, damn. Read more
Any Golf MK2 owners around? I've just bought one & noticed that the heater control area isn't lit up when the lights are turned on - I take it there is bulbs behind this part of the dash? Just wanted to check before i start to pull it to bits! Read more
There is a light fitted.Heater fan knob & control levers pull off,then panel pulls out of dash.Remove plugs from panel & fan switch.I think light is integral with panel,meaning a trip to dealers for new panel:about £15 if memory serves.
Hi All,
I wonder if you can help me with a question about Skoda Felicias (Felici?).
I'm seriously considering buying one after my Citroen ZX's demise. They look a great value little car.
The Felicia comes with three engine sizes: 1.3 and 1.6 petrol and 1.9D. The 1.6 and 1.9 D are all well proven VW units.
What of the 1.3? I know some of them are Skoda-built, but are any of the later 1.3's built by VW? If so, how can you tell?
Is there anything to be worried about about a 1.3 Skoda unit anyway? - I've heard they can suffer from head gasket problems.
Thanks in advance Read more
My wife owns a 1996 Felicia 1.6 GLXi which has a VW-badged (and built?) fuel injected engine. That engine offers ample performance and wonderful flexibility, even pulling well from below 1000 rpm. That's more than my 2002 Octavia 4x4 with a VW 1.8 20 valve turbo engine can manage!
Reviews of the Czech-designed 1.3 litre engine don't exactly praise it. Go for the 1.6 petrol or 1.9 diesel if you can.
Browse
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SAAB 9-3 tdi, with the GM 2.2 litre engine, doesn't have a pre-heater light that comes on, ever, in normal UK temps and it starts very well too. Since it hasn't been really cold for a few winters I have no idea what happens at -10C but I guess the light would then come on for a few seconds. The implication would appear to be that the heater plugs are there but they don't come on at all in normal UK temperatures, even in the winter.