January 2003
Can anyone tell how to turn off the automatic locking system on a Seat Ibiza TDi? I've checked the manual with no joy Read more
An excellent idea from Graeme (C5_Owner) Read more
THe Bond was diablical. Had a Villiers 9E 197 cc 2-stroke. The front wheel, engine and steering were all in in one. It was literally possible do a 360 deg turn on a sixpence. Kick starting could be done by lifting the bonnet and climbing in the empty space. It ran on scooter tires (4.00 I think) and had rubber suspension at the rear. The early ones had a soft top. Gears were up and down like a motorbike on a column shift. The whole thing was completely horrid, bounced everywhere and managed about 50 mph max.
They did introduce one with the Ciba dynastart with the Villiers 250 twin (I think) which went well but was prone to seizing because of the lack of cooling for what was basically a m/c engine. If there is a more horrible conveyance from that era I have yet to hear of it!
I have recently bought a Xantia 1.9td, 1999 T plate, 1 lady owner, ex motobility car, 31k miles, FSH etc.
I have just had to have a new clutch fitted (£600 !!!!!), luckily covered by my warranty, I have also just been told it needs a new steering rack (excessive play) which again should be covered under the warranty.
Have I just been unlucky, do motobility cars have a harder life than most or are all the failures pointing to the car having actually done 131k miles!!!!!
Thanks
Andy Read more
I can understand sports cars etc sometimes being used, just remembered I used to work with a guy 6 or 7 years ago whose wife (aged under 30 IIRC) had a heart condition that meant she was unable to walk more than a few hundred yards (or take part in any other physical exertion) without suffering serious circulation problems, however she was assessed as medically fit to drive a car. They didn't have any kids, and they lived in a village, so she used her full Mobility allowance, along with some of their own money, to fund a Celica so she could get to work in an office in town. It meant freedom for her with no worries about reliablity or breakdowns.
What a lot of people don't realise is that the full mobility allowance on its own just about stretches to a basic Citroen Saxo (unless the person receives any enhancements for hand-control adaptations or wheelchair accessibility), so most people with a higher-spec car (including my little old lady mentioned in my previous post here) add some of their own money to it. It makes the difference between running a 4-year old car on your own budget and running a brand new one with full warranty and breakdown cover.
Hi there,
I'm having a hard time removing my front bumper of my peugeot 306. (1998).
Could someone help me out?
I searched the net for some pictures but found none.
Thx,
Nicolas (BE) Read more
I gather that technique only works on older french cars HF!
My mum tried it with her Volvo 240 some years ago, and demolished the left hand up&over door runner!
Hello,
a few weeks ago, my left door (living outside uk) didn't open, and close anymore with the central system, so I bought a new one, but last week, as I intend to change it, I realised it's definitively not the same. So I went back to Seat and asked them about, and after long searched, the guy told me the one I have (with 2 connectors) doesn't exist anymore, and the new one is the one with only one connector, but he couldn't (or didn't want) tell me how to connect 2 X 3 pins into a 1 X 4 connector...
So if somebody can help me forward...
Thx
Xavier
Luxembourg
P.S. sorry for my english Read more
A 2 wire door motor from a car alarm/car stereo dealer will fit your Seat. Should cost no more than £25 32 euros (i think)
I have replaced the thermostat in my 1989 Rover Metro (1989) several times over the last year, as they keep jamming closed, causing the engine to overheat.
I have flushed the cooling system and replaced all the coolant with new, thinking that a previous owner could have used Radweld or similar to cure a leak.
What side effects am I likely to have if I just remove the thermostat, and run the car permanently without it. I guess the car will just run cold for longer, and never get up to it's 'optimum efficiency temperature', therefore, being slightly less efficient. Am I right, or horribly wrong?
D7 Read more
Fascinating thread. First visit here, prompted by queries about wax thermostats.
Have some relevant experiences - 'A' series byasses (aargh!) temp sensors around engines, corroded aluminium in Astra, overheating Escort... metallurgy degree.
Now I'm a plumber, sorry Heating Engineer. Some Combi boilers (max 3 bar, so water boils at 156) use wax stats. The one prompting me here operates a diverter valve to direct boiler(radiator) water either to the rads, or to a secondary heat exchanger to heat water for the taps. The valve in question has a shaft with discs and springs along it which open/close waterways when the shaft is moves longitudinally, about the same distance a car stat opens, from what I remember watching car stats in saucepans.
You can (now) only buy the whole valve, retail about £111. Often it's only the wax element which has failed, "cold". I don't suppose for a minute I'll find a Frod bit which fits, but does any one of you who has delved deepest into these things know who makes the waxy bits of thermostats? 100 at £5 each, yes please!
By the way there are those who say that "sealed" heating systems don't need corrosion inhibitors, even though we get copper, steel, aluminium, cast iron & brass all together sometimes. But there is mushrooming activity dealing with boilers and systems sludged-up with corrosion products. "Power flushing" devices can cost around £1000 - glorified pumps in buckets. Mystery surrounds the constituents of corrosion inhibitors and desludging chemicals.
To NOT install and maintain corrosion inhibitors you have to be one of
1)a complete dork
2)a cowboy who doesn't care
3)a cowboy who does care but wants to maximise future work
4)British Gas, plc.
Hi all,
My lady has a G reg (89/90) MkII MR2, one of the early ones with no spoiler and about 30bhp less than standard. She has just paid out £650 for just about every gasket in the engine to be replaced. Exhaust and inlet manifold, rocker cover gaskets, head gasket plus some other gasket l never heard of.
Everything's fine, regained the smoothness and power - except the primary reason she put the car in for in the first place: hesitation/misfire under acceleration. She isn't best pleased that it hasn't been fixed. Normally this seems to happen when you try to nail it in 2nd/3rd i.e. under load.
Initially I figured it could have been a manifold airleak messing the mixture up and a fault code reader agreed, add a bit of a major oil leak and a few old rocker gaskets leaking oil into the sparkplug pits and hey presto £££££££ later.....and it's still er..not right.
I'm thinking that unless the garage is totally inept, they would have checked to see if the fault codes were not reappearing after the work. I'd like to get it sorted for her, so l'm left considering what it could be:
Distributor Cap, Air Flow Meter etc....
Does any of you know what are likely causes given the symptoms? I am not familiar with the eccentricities of MR2s myself, so any help would be greatly appreciated. Shotgun parts approach to be avoided if possible (At the moment Milady would rather heave a fridge through the windscreen than spend any more money on it!)
Many thanks,
Dan
Read more
Hi Dan,
Disappointed yes. Annoyed (if I was the owner) yes. But surprised ? No. Gave up being surprised by such things a long time ago !!
Regards, Adam
Quick help required to save a trip to the dealer (Car is under warranty) Y Reg 1.3 CDX Yaris. Windscreen washer pump not running on demand - cannot positively identify fuse nor can I find a blown fuse (both fuse boxes). No other electrical equipment failing to operate and Oh - the rear wash is working OK.
Its been really warm today so icing not suspected. I have had bonnet open and listened for pump to kick in when SWMBO operated switch. No joy.
Grateful for any advice.
NormanB Read more
Its a good theory but temps have been no where near freezing, the rear washer worked fine and when the windscreen motor was activated no running noise heard!
I use proper wash additive.
I will stick with the annual time switch theory until I can prove otherwise:-)
Litter brother is coming down next week for assistance in changing his picasso brake pads. As there isn't a Haynes manual available yet, are there any "gotchas" on this??. I only ask as he was wittering on about making sure I had some torx drivers available.
I've not had a look yet to see what he's on about.
Dealer wants 80 quid to change pads, he got a set from a factor for 20 - He's a tightfisted yorkshireman like myself.
Cheers
Martin
Read more
Ben - Thanks for that, I'll have a blimp at a Pug haynes manual in the library. Ref the 3 types of pads - that reminds me of my old Renault 5, I think they bought a months worth of brake bits from whoever they could at the time ;-) I've sort of got used to the breaking/striping point of the usual size of bolts and I'll give those that look as though they were locked a dab of loctite.
Dave - thanks for the link, I'll give it the once over.
Thanks all
Martin
Dear users,
The warning light on my S-Reg 21,000 miles Daewoo Lanos has just come on today. The brake fluid is fine -no apparent leak- and was replaced 5 months ago by dealer, although it had not been done before judging by the service guide (when the same guide says it should be done every 2 years- I've had it 16 months.
It also says that the vehicle's brake system operates conventionally without ABS function.
So what could have happened ?
Is this serious ? an urgent matter ? potentially costly ?
Thanks a lot for yr invaluable opinion, Catalyst Read more
I got my sensors from a specialist Rover breaker. Sorry, don't know any for Daewoo.
Browse
.jpg)
SWMBO's Clio Initiale also locks at about 4 mph, but there is a cancel switch on the centre console.