April 2003
Hi All,
I'm wondering if any backroomers have any information about the operation of the cooling fans in the 1.7TD Vectra. Haynes briefly mentions the auxillary cooling fan, but that's about it.
Before we go any further, my understanding is that the main fan is behind the radiator, and the aux fan is in front of the radiator. If I'm wrong, then please substitute appropriately throughout my post!
My questions are:
What are the operating parameters for this fan (Is it in:100C, out:95C like the main one - if so, the rest of my questions are academic, really)?
Which under the bonnet relay controls the auxillary fan? (From what I can tell, relay 2 controls the main one)
Which pins on the thermoswitch control the operation of the auxillary fan? In fact, a complete pin-out of the thermoswitch would be really handy!
My reason for asking is that the car seems to be running hot (~100C - well, hotter than other cars I've had) when in slow moving/stationary traffic, and I'm wondering if the failure of this fan is the source of my troubles.
Just for reference, so far, from shorting out various different pins on the thermoswitch, I can make the main fan operate, and then make it operate faster, but I can't get the aux fan to operate at all. I can't get any other relays clicking, so I'm thinking the relay may be the first port of call - if I knew which one it was!
Thanks in advance,
-David L.
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When starting from cold in the morning (not freezing conditions, around 4/5 Degs)After letting the glow plug light extinguish after 4/5 secs. You turn and hold the key, and you hear the starter motor turning the car over, and the engine starts to try and turn. After about 20 secs of holding the key, it doesn't start. So I repeat the process two or three times before it starts. Is this normal? And if not, is it expensive to sort.
Also, the water pump gasket has erroded. And is due to go in the garage in two weeks. Is there a quick, temporary way of holding it till then. I have though of smeering Hermetite aroung the joint until then. Good idea or not ??? Read more
We've had this problem on this forum a few times now. Take a look at www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=4&t=91...9
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
Car - Citroen AX10 Debut, 1995, 95,000 miles. (Yes, that one - I found a straight bonnet and scuttle panel the right colour for £45).
Fault - a regular knocking/rumbling, which sounds as though it is happening once per wheel revolution. Only happens when accelerating out of a corner, easier to provoke on left than right hand bends. Even turning the steering wheel 20 degrees left and accelerating will result in this rumbling sound. Never happens on a trailing throttle or freewheeling through a bend, no matter how tight. Never happens in a straight line either.
My first thought was a failed CV joint. The right hand joint had suffered a split boot (twice) so I reckoned it might have got some grit in it, although it felt fine. I fitted a GKN reconditioned driveshaft - no difference. The driveshaft the other side feels OK with no excess play or rough spots. I have jacked up each corner of the car and checked each wheel bearing - all perfectly smooth with no play.
I have had the car up on ramps and checked that the exhaust is not vibrating against the bodywork or rear axle.
So my thoughts now are:
1. Left hand driveshaft - may be faulty even though it appears OK.
2. Right hand driveshaft - replacement might have the same fault as the original (unlikely)
3. Differential - excess play in bearings allowing the diff assembly to move sideways in the casing under load so that the crownwheel bolts foul the casing - but in this case, wouldn't it happen in a straight line as well? The transmission has a fair amount of play in it - there's a noticeable 'clonk' when letting the clutch out, as the free play is taken up - but it has been like that since new. (I tried to get a new gearbox under warranty, but the dealer's demonstrator had an even worse gearbox than mine, so I accepted his explanation that 'they're all like that, Sir'.)
This one really has me baffled. Anyone come across the same problem on AXs before? I don't want to start changing major components at random, but I'm running out of other ideas...
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com Read more
Amin, I owe you a beer. Driveshaft changed, noise gone. Shame that it blew a hole in the top radiator hose on the test run. First thing I knew about it was when the temperature warning light came on (no gauge on the poverty-spec models). I now wait with fear and trepidation to see whether I have cooked the head gasket....
Richard Hall
bangernomics.tripod.com
Gentlemen, please indulge me.
The following questions can be answered with a Yes or No. Immediately you answer No, thank you for your attention and depart forthwith to other interesting posts.
Is you biological clock at ten to Midnight?
From this no longer as supple as you used to be?
Are you 6ft in height or over?
Are you over 16 stone in weight?
Waist size 40 plus?
Inside leg above 32 inches?
Not into air conditioning/gizmos in vehicles or status vehicles (Merc?s, BMW etc?)
Is SWMBO a pocket Venus?
So all you Yes men that have reached this stage please advise me what you are driving as a family motor vehicle and importantly are you and SWMBO comfortable in it and has it ease of access?
DVD
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DVD,
Try a VW Passat. I am 6' 4", 15 stone and its a really big, comfortable car with firm supportive seats.
The TDI 110, 115 or 130 models are the ones to get.
Alternatively a Skoda Superb is the stretched version, but I think most of the extra length is used for better rear legroom.
Dave
My lovely Vauxhall Omega 2.5 CDxi with all the toys has blown a piston so I have bought a ToyotA Carina while I wait for a replacement engine.
The Toyota is a bit boring but otherwise OK for a cheapy.
But one thing irritates the cr*p out of me. The Central Locking!!. According to the manual all doors should unlock when I open the drivers door...they dont but do when I close it again . When I am in the car I can press the door lock button and it works fine but of course as soon as I get out again....
Turning the key in the drivers lock locks the driverss door but has no effect on the rest of the doors. To lock the car completely I have to go through a complicated routine of manually locking all the doors by crawling back in the passenger side.
Quite comical really and I have taken to leave the thing open rather than go through the hassle.
Any suggestions ? (apart from rude or amusing ones that is !!)And I have already thought about exiting via the sun roof or boot
Cheers
Mark
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Does the boot lock close all the C/Locking as well? I know my old BMW had a weary C/L switch on the drivers door, so I used to deadlock the boot, thus locking all the doors.
Made more sense as well - if scrote had broken in (as happened) he couldn't access the boot, due to deadlock. 9for some reason, the passenger doors didn't have a deadlock feature.
can anyone help with head bolt torque settings.
I seem to be leaking oil from the rear head gasket joint. (no water leakeage) Before replacing head gasket would like to try and pinch bolts up a shade.
Has anyone else experienced this type of oil leak?
Thanks
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I assume this is the 2E engine ?
1- 29 nm
2-49 nm
3-90 deg.
Not very helpful I know but that's the spec. on re-fitting, I suggest you nip it up a bit.
Hi
I have to trade in my current car for something cheaper to run.
I have £3,500 to spend. I do a 50 mile round trip every day to work so I need something that can cope with that.
Also, would like 40mpg average, low insurance, reliability and less than 1.5 litres so I can get lower road tax.
Any ideas?
I have been looking at a Corsa 1.4 16v Sport. Any good?
Thanks in advance..... Read more
Thanks. Something to consider.
Anyone had any experience of a 1.4 litre Fiesta Ghia or Si (1996 - 1998)?
I am just about to book my Scenic dci in for its first 18,000 mile service. Dealer is quoting £140-£155 for this. Has anyone experience of what they will usually \"find\" as needing done at this service which will be over and above that (the car is still within warranty).
Also, the car has developed a squeak which seems to be coming from the rear somewhere, this happens sporadically, whether you are acc or dec, in gear or freewheeling and doesnt seem to get louder the faster you go! Any thoughts? Read more
The price is about right for a dealer service and should include air oil fuel and cabin filters. Get them to check the rear shocks as they seem to be a weak point especially if the normal driving encounters a lot of speed humps or rough roads.
Andrew
Happiness is a T70 at full chat!
I was nervously waiting for the car to have its MoT, my biggest worry being emission (I did not check it when I bought the car)
Much to my surprised, HC=64ppm, CO=0.00%
39.25 pounds is a ripped-off although they manage to finish all the tests in 20 minutes.
Garrison
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Is that the reason why the test was only 20 minutes? They would need to get through as many cars as possible if they do only MOTs.
I'm just back from a week in France and its amazing how long it takes to read up on all the threads that have happened in the short space of 1 week!!!
Anyway, some observations I would like feedback , thoughts / advice on?
1. I live near Glasgow so obviously had to do a bit of driving to get to the Tunnel. However, I notice that the areas on motorways for "Police Patrol Cars" only seem to be barriered off at the entrance to them once you hit the M6 etc. Did something happen at some point that meant they needed extra protection? I always thought that the ramps were just the right levitation to launch a car into mid air! Reason I am asking is that in Scotland they still have the conventional access / exit route?
2. Whilst in France I occasionally listened to Radio 2 for news etc and was amazed on the road reports the amount of motorways etc that are closed for hours after an RTA. In France, the police will very quickly clear the scene of an RTA without all the investigations we do here. What is the reason for it here, is it some sort of legal thing that it all has to be investigated. A perfect example was a very sad accident on M8 a few weeks back, a 14 year old boy was running across the Motorway and was hit by several cars and killed at the scene. Although very sad, the reason seemed straight forward - but the motorway was still closed for 8 hours - why?
3. Whilst driving on M25 I was amazed at the amount of skid marks on the outside lane and the fact that the inside lane was hardly used. Far be it from me to start a war, but is part of the congestion problem down there the fact that there are a lot of people who don't actually know how to drive properly? Perhaps the only motorway they have ever driven on is the M25?
Maybe this should have been 3 different threads......... Read more
SteveS: I suppose it's more accurate to say "deaths" but major injury rates are lao important. This link sets out a number of intresting comparisons: www.cfit.gov.uk/research/ebp/key/01.htm It says "We have the second lowest number of deaths when measured against total distances driven. On average, one person is killed on British roads for every 8.1 billion kilometres driven, less than half the level of deaths in France." and goes on to discuss some of the other aspects e.g. pedestrian safety which is often omitted from standard journo' comments about the UK having the safest roads.
Browse
Hi Dave,
Sorry, I should have mentioned that in the original post - I don't have air conditioning.
In the haynes manual, it does make reference to the 1.7TD being fitted with an additional cooling fan, it's just something of a passing reference with no details on how it should work.
Thanks for your help though,
-David L.