January 2003
Just though anyone with a Renault with this engine might be interested in this:
A friend of mine has a Laguna with this engine and needed new glow plugs fitting. Since his garage is out-of-action at the moment he came to my house to do the job (nice spacious garage with a Clarke space heater for comfort).
The Renault service schedule says that the inlet manifold needs to be removed to change the glow plugs, as does the Haynes manual too. This makes it a biggish job - hence he didn't want to do it outside in the cold. Indeed, around 9 months ago at a major service at a Renault dealers he had paid them for removal of the inlet manifold to change one faulty glow plug.
My friend had a deep, 10mm, 1/4 inch drive socket and 3 inch extension for removal of the glow plugs. I was supplying a 3/8 and 1/2 drive socket set for the rest of the job. A 7mm socket is also required to remove the electrical connection to the glow plugs.
So, there we were, garage warming nicely, heads under bonnet mentally preparing for inlet manifold removal. There was a bell tinkling in the back of my head warning me there was something amiss here. About 3 minutes later it came to me.
"You sure the Haynes says to remove the inlet manifold?" I ask.
"Sure" he replies.
"And you really paid a dealer to remove the manifold to change just one plug?"
"Definately. The service instructions clearly say to remove the manifold. Why?"
"Bet you can get them out no probs if we had a 1/4 inch drive UJ" says I.
So, we sourced a 1/4 inch UJ from Halfords Professional range (£3.99). We already had everything else we needed. The inlet manifold has access between the inlet runs to each plug - couldn't get in there with 3/8 drive sockets. However, using the 1/4 drive stuff we had new glow plugs fitted and working inside an hour WITHOUT removing the manifold. The only "must have" was some blue tac in the 7mm socket so as not to lose the electrical connection nut (a magnetic socket would be much better). Long nose pliers were also required to manipulate the electric leads.
We inspected the inlet manifold and its bolts very carefully and came to the conclusion that it has never been removed.
How many Renault dealers do you think are fully aware of this? How many do you think use 1/4 drive sockets to carry out this job, but charge the customer for removing the inlet manifold?
If you have this engine in your Laguna, Espace or whatever and you need this job carrying out and they tell you the manifold must be removed, take them to task - tell them you know it can be done without manifold removal. If they insist, tell them you'll stay and watch!! Read more
I've just got back from a night out in Camden and, as it was late, took a cab home to Putney.
I agreed a price of £15, before seeing the car... which was a burgundy, J registration Fiesta 1.1 Popular Plus. At least there was no chance whatsoever of Plod stopping the car as an illegal minicab.
Has anyone else found a less likely taxi, excluding possibly those three wheeled rickshaw type things in India and Bangladesh... Read more
When near home, I always use the same cab firm. The problem is that, when near home, I very rarely need a cab. My flatmate does use that firm for airport runs quite a lot (on expenses) but my main need for taxis is to squeeze out an extra hour of sleep when I've already drunk too much.
I have had my xsara 110 hdi sx for 6 weeks now and some of the rattles are getting to me. Chiefly the nearside door pillar rattle which seems to be coming from around the seat belt roller. Also underneath the handbrake something rattles very badly on rough roads. The rear view mirror vibrates which the local citroen garage are going to replace under warranty. Have I any hope getting my rattles sorted under warranty??
To make matters worse some plonker cleaved off my drivers door mirror which is heated, coloured and electric!! Read more
These rattles sound as if they would be pretty simple to fix if your dealer really felt like it. A couple of mechanics inside the car - one driving, one listening should isolate the problems without too much fuss - and yes, this should be done under warranty! Be patiently persistent - I find that's the best ploy!
Graeme
My daughter is hoping to inherit my wife's Fiesta Azura (1994)when she passes her test soon. Of course, she wants a CD/radio rather than the "pants" tape radio that is currently fitted.
Makro have a Goodmans radio/CP/MP3 CD for a good price in this week's Makro Mail offers.
How easy would it be to fit it myself? Would I need any additional wires/harnesses/whatever?
And the speakers... How/where do I run the wires to hide them?
Quick answer would be much appreciated as the offer starts tomorrow...!!!
Oh, and does anyone know what it might cost to get it done? Argos have the same radio for about £70 more but with free fitting (radio only). Had a quick search on the net but couldn't find much.
Thanks Read more
Thanks Blue, Makro here I come...
I wonder how common the exclusion below is??. The link isn't to my insurer, but I think the underwriter may be the same, but for bike not car.
I'm not worried about the MOT bit, but am slightly concerned about providing proof or regular maintainance - which I do myself. I've never bothered to keep receipts for oil, filters, plugs etc.
car.ukinsurancenet.com/highway_policy.htm
(guidance notes)
Your car must have a valid M.O.T.certificate and you may be asked to provide details to show your car was regularly maintained and kept in good condition.
Martin
Read more
My general interpretation of insurance companies cover -
Here's a 'brolly BUT if/when it rains we want it back!
Steve.
Has anyone got one of these ?
Is it underpowered, or was it just because I was testing a new one and the engine was tight ?
It was ok up to about 60mph and then things just became a struggle, the engine was harsh and there was an unpleasant amount of vibration.
I'm only interested int he diesel because I can get a really good deal on an ex-demo.
Also, has anyone driven the 3.0 V6 Petrol Is that ok ?
As far as I can see the Shogun Sport only comes with those tow engines, although I was dealing wiht a total dipstick at the garage who may well have been on his first day.
The Shogun (not sport) is a different, and somewhat more old-fashioned body shell, I think. Which is the best engine in that one ?
I am not concerned in the slightest with fuel consumption.
M.
p.s. and yes, I have read the CbyC Breakdown. Read more
I now have a 1999 facelift 2.8 TD Shogun LWB, its a lovely car, drives well and is very reliable, but yes it is slightly underpowered. Prior to this I had a 3ltr V6 Petrol, same car.... very nice but much quicker.
The Sports or Challengers done by Mitsy, I think are horrible, each to there own.
After making myself comfortable in front of the TV I suddenly realised that I had to go to work to drop something off. Jumped out of the seat, into the car and then nothing. The engine kept turning over but would not start.
Almost laughing at the fact my 6000mile S60 is not starting (A bit of a pattern in my car buying history) I start to wonder if I had run out of petrol. Surely not, the light only came on about half a mile way from my house last night.
The RAC chap arrives, pours in some petrol and hey presto, the engine comes back to life! How can the red light possibly leave half a mile left in the tank before coming on?? I expected a good 50 miles although 20 would have been plenty, but 0.5!!
Having only had the car a week I did have a sneaky suspicion that the red line wasn't particularly generous, but not that tight fisted.
Is this a feature of Volvo's or is something not quite right?
Cheers
Stuart
Read more
its not only the fuel guage that is not that accurate on the volvo V40 I drive(when tank full the fuel guage reads under the full mark),the average fuel consumption reads approx 4MPG high, the speedometer reads approx 8% high the list is does not end here.
As a rule i do not let the indicated fuel level drop below quarter full,just in case.
chris
Daytime foglamps.
At least, now, day and night, we can spot high risk drivers.
Good, eh?
Read more
Then you have clearly noticed them which, in view of the vulnerability of a cyclist, is surely all to the good. And they are illegal only if they are:-
a) fitted to the bike --if fixed to clothing, they are legal
or
b) are the only lights -- they are not illegal if other (legal) lights are also fitted.
These two exemptions demonstrate that this is another case in which the law is a dog's breakfast, and long overdue for revision. As a cyclist and member of the CTC, I have never heard of a prosecution though.
Whats wrong with me? I have a perfectly good 6 year old BMW with only 40,000 miles but I want a shiny new Accord. Read more
I don't know, but see a doctor immediately :-)
Actually, if you're in the market for a new Accord, what about the 318i ES?
Leather wheel, alloys, air, CD player and sports suspension, all for £19,995. I think it comes with three years' free servicing as well.
I see listed under the latest "drive the deal" News item dated 21st January, that they list the Ford Ka with the latest 1.3 engine. Does anyone know if this model has received a new motor, as I am certainly not aware of any changes ? Read more
I have got this info direct from H.J. which should now finally settle the mis-understanding.
Right, here we go: the definitive answer from Steve Cropley at Autocar. It
is the old iron block Valencia engine that dates back to the Ford Anglia.
But with a new overhead cam alloy head instead of the old pushrods. Thanks
for bringing this up. Now corrected in car by car breakdown.
Browse
Looking carefully at the design I would say it was deliberately designed to enable the plugs to be removed with 1/4 drive sockets. Problem probably is that whoever at Renault wrote the service schedules probably didn't have 1/4 drive, only 3/8 drive which won't fit into the space and so necessitates manifold removal.
How removing the manifold can make the job either easier or quicker is completely beyond me. We were straight in there with our sockets and replacing the plugs was a doddle - the only bugbear was having to use bluetac in the 7mm socket for the electrical connection (a magnetic socket would solve that problem).
It isn't a case of "beating the system". In my job as a design engineer at Land Rover it was part of my responsibility to make sure my designs were servicable as necessary. The method described above is simply the most efficient way of doing the job, given the design. Nor is this design 'stupid', because the plugs are perfectly servicable with the right tools.
IMO one should be paying for the ACTUAL time spent working on the car, not what it says "in the book", especially when there is a perfectly acceptable quicker method.
Also, why would one want to disturb the manifold unnecessarily?
The point here is that Renault dealers are either: 1) doing unnecessary work on customers cars which they then charge for (possibly without realising it if they are blindly following the service instructions), or 2) charging customers for work they haven't done (namely,manifold removal).