January 2003
I bought a Golf 1.6 SE (import) last year and registered it with VW on their system by sending them the data sticker etc. I think it is set up for long life service (20,000 miles)-I've seen the ref QG1 (or CQ1) on the data sticker, the sticker on the side of the door (in German) and the big yellow tag under the bonnet which all say it's on lonlife service.
I've been to my local VW dealer to confrm the above and see when it will need to be serviced - he took a strange amount of pleasure in telling me that as it was an import he could not tell whether it was set up on long life servicing even though he checked VW's database (nice to know the dealers have been feeling the pinch because of imports eh?). All in all he was not very helpful.
My main concern is that I don't want to invalidate the warranty by not taking it for a service at 10,000 miles (or 20,000 miles as the case may be). Can any one help or guide me - I've spoken to VW today who say that all I have to do is to take it for a service when the light tells me to - is this correct? I'd like to believe what they tell me but from my experiences to date I'm concerned (oh and when I asked for the advice to be confirmed in writing there was a lot of sweating and excuses as to why that could not be done) Any help will be appreciated. Read more
Hi all
New to diesel ownership in the form of a 95 Xantia 1.9TD LX (91k). Love the car (dunno why, just do) but its a bit of a pig when cold.
After standing overnight I glow the plugs twice before attempting to start (though glowing once doesn't seem to make much difference). The car will always catch immediately but then runs rough for 15-20 seconds. Pumping the accelerator doesn't have an immediate effect and the engine struggles to rev.
After 20 seconds (without revving) the engine settles down and is fine. Starting after that point is also fine. The car has done 190 miles on just under 1/2 a tank which I'm assuming is on the low side. The oil is black and a change is next on my list of chores. It doesn't appear to burn oil though when it starts from cold a great cloud of smoke (I'd say blue smoke) is thrown out until engine settles. Can't see any sign of head gasket failure (no gunk on oil filler cap).
The glowplugs were apparently changed (according to service history) around 5000 miles ago.
I think the car is a little down on power as well. It pulls well in 1st and 2nd but in the higher gears the turbo kicking in is less noticeable and the most I've had out of it is 85mph (though I think it would do more given a longer run up).
I've thrown some Redex in the tank (single shot as I wasn't sure it would have any effect). Is it worth continuing with this stuff and should I throw more in. I was thinking it might unclog the injectors but I'm not sure if thats true/needs doing/how long it'll take.
From the messages and articles I've read here and on the net I reckon I've got one of three things wrong. Glowplugs, injectors or air leak. (or something major and horrible).
Can anyone narrow it down, or give me some idiot-proof tests I can carry out.
Thanks in advance
Mike Read more
Hey! Dean with the 306. I had that problem with my Xantia last christmas and it took ages to work out what was wrong - it was intermittent, but eventually the only way we could get the car working again was with a new battery. Happily old battery was still in warranty so I got a better battery at a discount price.
Have been messing around with the Xantia today, wondering if I could get some pep back into her (1994 Turbo D with 162k miles!), having previously tried injector cleaning gunk etc, and she gets new oil and filters every 5k or so... Turns out that all the turbo hoses have come a bit loose (hence oily messy air making a sticky engine bay - doh!). Tightened everything up and feels almost as fresh as when I bought her, 5 years ago at 130k.
You might consider AEP direct for parts, the spheres especially are pretty cheap, have 2 year warranty and are the same brand as Citroen use, apparently. The rear ones I got are too soft for 'round these parts, so you might consider getting BX spheres for a slightly firmer ride.
Had an accident last night. Got caught out by a bit of ice. Lost it. Car wrecked. Police had it taken away as it leaked oil and blocked road. Hit a lamp post which sustained some minor damage. Not sure what to do. there are a number of things i want to remove from the car to give/sell to friends. Should i get the car dropped somewhere by the people that removed it from the roadside, strip it, and then scrap it? Just wondering if you know about the implications of damaging council property? Insurance in my dads name, and he isnt to happy about claiming (fully comp policy). I guess i need to get it removed from where it is now preety soon to avoid huge costs?
Any comments appreciated.
If i can get the bits off, i should have some mk.2 goodies for sale at very reasonable prices. Good suspension brakes and a few other bits. So drop me an e-mail if interested.
Ben Chapman.
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The HT leads are 16v specific.
I will try and add an e-mail address to my profile.
Ben
L-reg Nissan Micra has soaking carpets in driver's footwell. I've had the carpet up but there's no obvious point of ingress for the water and no sign of corrosion underneath. Has anyone else encountered this phenomenon?
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Check for detritus (leaves n stuff) in the bottom of the drains for the bulkhead under the bonnet (usually)as everyone says this could be coming in via the heater ducting, also worth considering Sun roof drains if applicable, sometimes these come out via sills and they can block too. Finally and just in case... its not coolant from weeping heater matrix is it?
I have noticed over the past few weeks that the handbrake on my Fiesta (mk4) has slackened, in that it rises higher and higher.
The handbrake still easily hold the car on a steep hill, but I was just wondering possible reasons for the changing tension.
Could someone also advise me on possible symptoms for worn discs/pads, and a likely replacement cost?
Thanks in advance
Moby. Read more
David
Will send it when I can get hold of a pdf version for you.
Regards
Charles
I have been checking past threads on pressure washers with a view to buying one, but they are over a year old now, and was wondering if there is anything currently on the market that B.R`s could recommend that may be superior to the Karcher 520M. Any advice would be much appreciated. Read more
We've had a Karcher for a few years now and it is definately the best that we have owned.
Also, it has no pencil jet attachment which makes it very good for cleaning the car, it's never stripped paint or polish, I've no doubt that it could do this, but we've never let it. :)
Blue
evening folks,
i bought my first ever car in november, clio 1.4 16v dynamique, delighted with the car and its performance but have noticed tonight a load of small chip marks on the bonnet and have to be honest and say gutted at the moment, only done 500 miles in her,
i guess my query is can i apply any product to the car to stop this from happening? what do i do with the chip marks can any one recommend a good product for fixing them? the car is mettalic black and i truely would appreciate any assistance.
the car is to go in next month to have supaguard applied to it so i was thinking of asking dealer whether he would fix chips for me? anyone know if a dealer would do this?
thanks
Ally Read more
"Two pack resprays are expensive.."
Depends who you go to. We had a wing and nose (front of bonnet area) for £150, and that included making good the damage in the wing that had prompted the whole thing! I imagine a simple rub-down and respray of a clearly defined area like a bonnet should cost half that, and then you can polish it like the rest of the car...
Has anyone fitted a towbar to a new shape Mk.3 Mondeo. I need to fit one soon to mine, but I've been told by two Ford dealers to fit a Ford towbar and electrics and not to let "others" fit it as there is a good chance the car's electrics and ECU will be damaged. Sounds a bit extreme to me. I know Ford will say this to get the job and the cash, but I don't want the warranty invalidating due to someone making a mess of the electrics. Any experiences guys? Read more
Main dealers in my experience are not interested in fitting towbars but are quite happy to sell you a expensive factory fitted one, in the main they simply pickup the phone and get a independent fitter to do the job and put a mark up on the job.
The latest mondeo has been out long enough now for towbar fitters to have sorted any electrical issues.
Is it standard practice for a garage to expect you to insure a courtesy car they provide, and what is a reasonable amount to pay if so? My Yaris is going in tomorrow evening for some warranty work on some rattling trim and I have been offered a courtesy car, but told I have to have it insured FC. I've contacted my insurer to try and get this done, but have been told that it would cost £30 as I would have to add the car to my insurance policy and that is their minimum charge for doing this. As I'll be getting the car back on Friday I'm not going to bother - it'd be cheaper for me to get taxis.
Is this reasonable, or should I be looking for a different dealer or insurer?
TIA! Read more
yep Liverpool and Victoria on mine quote, Any motor car which is loaned or hired to the policyholder under the insurer's motor damage claim service or by a member of the motor trade while the vehicle specified above (ie Reg mark of vehicle) is in the custody of the motor trader for service, repair or MOT. Unquote
Richard Price
I have had my peugeot 306 XLdt for 2 years now, it is a 1994 'm' reg diesel turbo which has done 138000 miles. For the last month it has been plagued with electrical problems, mainly to do with headlights. Here goes....It started with my headlamps turning on all by themselves when I was away from the car, and when they came on, it was impossible to turn them off (although if I put them on main beam, they would usually switch off). This then got worse, they would switch on & off regulary on their own, and I was obviously ending up with a flat battery. Then I had no headlights (or tail lights) for about a week. Everything else worked fine including brake lights,indicators, reverse lights etc, I just had no Side/Dip or main beam & rear lights. I took it to my local garage, who could not find the fault, so I was restricted to driving in daylight hours only. I now have the opposite problem, i.e my headlights/rear lights have now decided to work again (all by themselves!), but again, I cannot switch them off by any means other than disconnecting the battery. I have been through every fuse in the box, and nothing will stop the lights working. I have a reasonable understanding of electrics (but nothing serious!), so I have been through the obvious, i.e checked all fuses (under bonnet ones too), pulled out every relay I can find, they all seem to work fine (they click as they should) and I have even swapped the relays about as there are 3 which are identical), but no change. There is one other factor in this mystery.....the dreaded peugeot Alarm system which has always had a mind of it's own! I recently removed the 'siren' part of the alarm, as it was driving me mad going off everywhere. This was just one polarised plug and I cannot imagine it has affected the light situation (I plugged it back in yesterday to check, but the lights are still stuck on!
If anyone out there can give me any clues, I would be incredibly grateful. I have called a few peugeot dealers, but, not surprisingly they were not keen to help! If anyone could tell me the location of the Alarm 'Brain'CPU I would be grateful!
I look forward to hearing from anyone! Nick. Read more
Yeah, dim-dip is when a percentage of the headlights come on when you use your side-lights, by cutting this unit out completely it can sometimes erase the lights/relay related problems. it is no longer a requirement, apparently it was once required by law, not sure in which country mind- probably the SNIP
Comments like that are not welcome here. Please keep your views of other nations to yourself. DD
Browse
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2 VW main agents were confused about the service intervals for my Mk4 Golf. I settled for 10k & 20k. I also got several opinions about when the cam belt change is due - on a Gti 1.8t. Finally I got someone to show me their service schedule and it is due at 120,000 miles(not Km). The wisdom of leaving it that long has been discussed endlessly in the Backroom, but that is what the manufacturer states on at least one computer program.
There is no doubt that there is a concerted campaign amongst dealers to 'talk down' imports - my VW came from Ireland and SWMBO has a Toyota from Belgium. Both to full UK spec and the VIN shows that they were manufactured in Germany and Japan. So sadly they are imports and not 'genuine UK cars' that are apparently so much superior if the dealers are to be believed.