March 2003
Wonder if any of you BRers can help out.
I have a BMW 530d and it seems that I have a power delivery problem. I have been to the dealer who did a diagnostic check and all seems to be OK but I am not sure.
Firstly, in first gear power seems to be just OK until it hits 3000 rpm, where there is a sudden boost in power. The dealer said that this was normal after he test drove it but I somehow don\'t think that this is the case. In other gears esp 3,4 & 5 the acceleration from about 2-2.5k is very flat and takes a longer time to build up speed than it used to. There is no istantaneous whoosh.
With regards to speed, this does not seem to have been affected but the time getting there has. I suppose it could be the mind playing tricks!
Would appreciate any thoughts that you might have.
C Read more
My elderly parents collected a brand new Megane 4 days ago and have already had 2 minor electrical(bulbs etc) faults and a complete non start resulting in recovery.
AA have commented about interference from external power sources as the car uses radio waves???? any one know of any official/unofficial problems before I approach the dealer, as they feel like they are getting fobbed off!
p.s. It's a Diesel.
Thanks. Read more
'Radio wave interference' is often blamed for unexplained problems with central locking and imobilisers. a recent example that made national news was:
From the BBC...
Ministers introduced yellow cameras last year. It followed concerns that grey cameras actually increased the risks of accidents because drivers tended to break suddenly after seeing them.
Break what? :)
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How about
"Road safety campaigners fight to have visible cameras overturned."
What, so you only get nicked if you are driving upside down? Or by invisible cameras?
Just had the "wallet botherer" serviced at the Peugeot specialist (a savage bill resulted) which included inspection for brake pad wear. Not a day went past but the orange "brake wear" light comes on on the dash (sporadically).
Is this sensor prone to false/conservative readings or should I have a quiet word in the technician's shell-like? Any comments welcomed
A
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Having had the car almost two years, I just noticed something...
On the right hand stalk I have the wiper stalk with the usual positions, and the little wheel to vary the intermittent wipe speed.
On the end of the stalk there are three buttons - a centre one which pushes inwards towards the wheel, then an upper and lower one marked R and S respectively.
It looks suspiciously like cruise control to me (R = RESUME, S - SET, button = ON/OFF), but it doesn't do anything. And the manual shows Cruise Control ("where fitted") on the left hand stalk but nothing on the right hand...
Anyone any idea what this might be? Read more
Company fuel card :-))
how can use a connect a rover k series engine to a sierra type 9 gearbox Read more
I'd suggest you contact Caterham Cars.Westfield Sports Cars may also be able to help as both use the K series mated to 5 and 6 speed Ford gearboxes.
Andrew
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
Anyone read this www.mototuneusa.com/break_in_secrets.htm
It goes against what owners manuals say and I don't know anyone who runs in (break in as they call it in the US) a new engine by driving it hard. Surely, allowing an engine to bed down gradually is the secret to longevity and reduced oil consumption? Comments?
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If anyone is going to get a new MB and plans to do that tell me about it. I'd pay to watch that 45 second full throttle trick too. Might do it on the local garages Demonstrator model.
My company recently updated our Focus fleet cars to new Regs.
I used to drive a (Y Reg) TD Focus Zetec but have now been given a TD LX (02 Reg) instead.
The difference is truly amazing. My old car was great, drove like a demon and handled like a dream. One of the best cars I had ever driven.
The LX is soggy, the brakes seem terrible, the gear change seems lumpy and heavy, the handling is for peanuts and the inside is naaaasty
Add to that the tractor type sound effects and you have a car that is very, very average.
I would rather drive the Astra DTI van we have, better handling, far superior engine and nicer to drive all round. Read more
I agree with the previous comment about the Golf, My Brothers wifes got a new GTI, compaired to the Focus TDCI Ghia i have it sounds like the cabin is made of the same noisey material a 15 year old Passat was built from, creeks, squeaks and moans.
I find the handling also very good on the Focus, its a shame that the ESP program wasnt avaliable on this model. The stopping distance is great and find also that you can recover the car quite easily if you pushing it, and it wants to bite back!!
However, the golf is more reliable than my TDCI. I've been towed in 3 times due to engine problems. It intermittantly flashes the glow plug light at me, goes to "limp home mode".Also its recently lost its injector timing!!
Anyone have problems around 3000 revs?? Mine feels like something is cutting in and out at this rev level???
Ive just done 52000 over the last year....wonder if its going to last me over the next 50000 ??
Dave
Yesterday I suddenly noticed a vibration through the Vauxhall Vectra Tdi at exactly 60mph which made the sun visors vibrate and also through the seats and the rest of the car but not through the steering wheel.
At speeds immediately above and below it is not apparent.
Strangely I hadn?t noticed it before but took it down to my local independent garage to get the wheels balanced. When I told him it didn?t show through the steering wheel he said funnily enough he had had a Mondeo which was a taxi in on Monday with exactly the same problem and he diagnosed it as a faulty drive shaft.
He said he told the owner that while he felt sure this was the problem he couldn?t say which one and they told him to replace both and the problem was cured.
However he balanced my front wheels with no improvement. We both examined underneath and noticed a steel clamp on one drive shaft which we thought may be a balance weight.
He rang the Vauxhall agent for advice and they said the block was a damper and not balance. They also suggested taking the gearbox bottom tray off and checking for any bits of metal which might suggest the vibration emanated from their and then go for the drive shafts.
My suggestions were perhaps the rear wheels were out of balance but he didn?t think these could cause this vibration.
He suggested replacing one drive shaft first (the longest) and take it from there.
A good genuine garage owner who balanced both front wheels and spent another hour on the car all for £10.00 and was interested in finding the problem. His last suggestion was go on the internet and find if anyone else has had the same problem with a Vectra.
Incidentally the vibration at 60mph is irrelevant at which gear the car is in.
Any ideas please....
alvin
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Thanks for your help. It was indeed a rear wheel which was vibrating. The first one which I took off which I replaced with the spare had a bald strip about 8 inches long on the inside.
The vibration which was quite heavy has gone completely.
Another strange but welcome improvement was that the steering wheel was previously not quite straight and is now spot on.
Unusual one that and wouldn't have expected that the rear wheels would alter that.
alvin
Sorry to all those of you who are, like me, fed up with constant foglight threads but couldn't let this one go......
OK so it was a little bit misty but was that R-R driving round with its front fogs on illegally or are those actually the dipped head lights?
If the latter why spend £1/4m quid so you can drive around looking like a duh-brain Nova/reverse baseball cap refugee.
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I am inclined to agree the Phantom looks well, and indeed recalls some of its namesakes of former days; we must remember that it must not conform too much to current fashion, because given the development cost and the low rate of sales the model must last, not seriously changed, for a number of years.
For myself, I'd spend the cash on a top Jap Toyota saloon and a Ferrari, though.
Tomo
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