December 2002
I own a 406 1.9 Diesel. Recently I noted the dipped beam on the passenger side was not working. I replaced the bulb to no effect. My next step was the fuses, which I duly checked and they were all okay. Logic would now suggest either a relay or switch problem. The full beam works okay from the stalk switch.
However driving around I have noticed a number of 406s with the same defect. Is this a common fault? Am I heading down the right road to find it? or am I going to have to give in and take it to a main dealer (grumble)
I would be grateful for any help
cheers Read more
A few days ago the engine cut out on my Punto (4000 miles only) on a busy dual carriageway. The engine completely stopped and the key light came on as though key not being recognised. The car couldn't be restarted by the AA - the immobiliser wasn't accepting either key - and had to be towed to the nearest dealer and awaits a replacement ECU. Has anyone heard of this happening before? I had thought it wasimpossible for an immobilser to cut the engine when the car was going at speed. Can I trust the car not to do it again? Read more
My mother's Punto has just had exactly the same problem after being left standing for over a month (whilst on holiday) - no problems before hand. The car is 2 years old and has little over 3000 miles on the clock. She is awaiting a new ECU, which the Fiat dealer says isn't covered by warrenty.
Was your problem fixed with a new ECU and did you have to pay yourself?
I have a 1999 Laguna that has in intermittant starting problem that only occours in the winter and cooler months of the year. It wants to start but just doesn't quite get there. Sometimes it starts first time, others it starts and then after about 30 seconds just cuts out. There are times when driving along that suddenly you loose power and it feels as though only half of the engine is working and it sounds really rough, this i can cure by turning off the engine and restarting.
Any ideas as to what be responsible for this intermittant problem. I would be grateful for any suggestions as to what may be causing this.
Many thanks Read more
I would expect it to have direct coil ignition? But, still, we see troubles with these types, too.
MG-Rover Questions? forums.mg-rover.org/
A housemate at Uni recently came in swearing and shouting about her b* car that failed to get her home and caused her to miss an Idlewild gig (a popular rock group. :p )
She said that the diagnosis was critically low oil level and something else, the latter - forget what, being the cause of the non-start.
Anyway, point is, can TRACTOR OIL 'which is thinner but still OK' be used in an M reg 130k Polo 1.0???!! Read more
Tesco's sell cheap washing up liquid, its probably better that the cheap B&Q oil! - Well its got detergent in it!!
Its that Golf MK 2 GTD again, 1991 with 180k on the clock. When travelling in a straight line at lowish speeds (0- 20mph)the steering wheel moves from left to right quite noticeably, go faster and it goes off.
Car has original alloys wheels on it, and is not fitted with power steering. Anybody got any ideas on where or what to start looking for?
One idea put forward has been steering rack wear, how does one get this checked and how much to sort it (mega expensive or not)
any constructive advice greatfully recieved. Merry Xmas to all readers
Read more
I know exactly what you are describing as I have driven a customers car that had this problem, when I worked in a garage. I can't tell you what the cause is but I am fairly confident that it is a tyre / wheel balance fault. If I was you I would take the car or just the front wheels to your local tyre fitter and get them to stick it on the balancing machine. If the wheel is out of balance or the tyre has become distorted then the machine will tell straight away. If it is out of balance but not much, they should be able to cure it with balance weights. Bbut if the tyres are distorted then no amount of balance weights will cure it and it will be a case of new tyres.
I bought my Mini One in March and I must say that it is the finest small car that I have ever driven, that is as driving pleasure goes. On the subject of reliability, in my opinion it is appalling. The first problem that I had was when water got into a "control unit" and I found the car in the drive with both windows completely wound down and the alarm de-activated. This was eventually rectified after calling out Mini recovery who removed some fuses and a visit to the supplier a few days later to replace the faulty unit.
Six months on the gear linkage broke at 60 mph and I managed to coax the thing onto the grass. Two hours wait for Mini recovery and a trip home on a flat bed wagon. Mini Recovery came out next day and fixed the thing on the drive.
Today my son phones from Yorkshire to tell me the same thing is happening to the windows and alarm. Mini recovery won't come out as the car is driveable so he goes 40 miles to Harrogate to have the car fixed. He is on a thre day walking hol, so day one is up the shoot. A new vacuum packed "control unit" is fitted (they were helpful) so he sets off back up the dale. Windows start going up and down again after a few miles so he pulls into a pub car-park and Mini recovery come out again to remove a handful of fuses.
If this is BMW engineering in my opinion they are better off at the bottom of the North Sea and if anyone wants to offer me a 30% premium over the £11,700 I paid for it I'd bite their hand off and buy a Toyota.
Has anyone else had problems? Read more
I've had no problems with my One (touch wood), but it's a more recent build than yours. I believe both the gear linkage and control unit problems are not uncommon amongst earlier builds - and the control unit one at least is being taken care of during routine servicing, iirc.
Have a look at the forums on www.mini2.com - you'll find plenty of information there, and other people with the same problems. I feel obliged to point out that there are plenty of people who have had no problems with the car.
Rob
The clutch on my 94 golf vr6 is worn out. Does anyone know how difficult a job it is to do at home, i have two hydraulic jacks and two axle stands. Can anyone advise please? Read more
Might be worth a try, vw quote about £500 to do the job.
I park in a time-limited area that is heavily policed in the summer, but less so in the winter. Recently, a traffic warden dispensed tickets to the unwary, but apparently not to me, although I'd been there all day (not expecting a visit). It was cold, and I had recently applied Rain-X to my screen, making it relatively non-stick. If I did get a ticket that blew away, what's the form? Read more
Am I right in saying that they must place the ticket on your car though? i.e. If they are writing it and they havent stuck it on the screen you can speed off?
Is a car with it's engine running parked?
I seem to remember a story about parking outside East Croydon station (when you could) and they issued tickets to people dropping people off via CCTV. I thought it was unlawful. I think they had their tickets overturned?
BTW Parking in Croydon everywhere incl yellow lines is prohibited 7am to 12am unlike the usual park on yellow lines after 6. It's tougher than Central London :-( !!
Micky
I had an oil change recently on my BMW diesel,I used Mobil 1 semi synthetic as per past thread recommendations the oil went black quite quickly.Is this usual? Read more
Yes, John - and in the rubber (tyre) industry it is called carbon black.
I had a look at the new Renault Megane the other day and was taken with the concept of the credit card thingy that is available on the top spec models and as an option on the others at a cost of £250.
This is a step up from the normal keycard as found on current Renaults.
You only need to have it on you and as you approach the car the doors,boot and steering unlock and to start you just press the start button,with no need to insert the card into the dash.
The thing is,as you walk away,how can you be sure your pride and joy is really locked ?
Cos,if you go back to check it will have unlocked itself.
Apart from that can anybody see any other drawbacks,because the principle of the thing really does appeal to me ! Read more
You misunderstand old boy,the Laguna is not keyless.You have to press
the button on the credit card to gain entry.With true keyless
as on the Megane it just needs to be on your
person.You can then open the door and press start.
Got IT ??????
>>
I HAVE INDEED. Must go and read me large-type What Car...
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I don't think that Peugeot use two relays for separate sides for the vehicle, and if one side works and the other doesn't then it's not likely to be a fuse or relay problem.
My money would be on a harness/connector fault, especially if it's at the front of the car. You could try tracing the harness back from the headlight in question and, if it disappears behind the front bumper then it's likely that it will go to in-line bullet connectors, and these might be corroded. I had a similar problem with cooling fans not working on a 306. The main dealer bill for diagnosing and fixing (front bumper off and partial re-make of the harness) was about £120.
Also, check the earth at the lamp - but I guess that if the side-light is working then it's probably OK.
Ian Cook