June 2003
I would welcome the backroom's advice over the following dilemma...
I like to over-service my '96 Civic by doing 4-5k oil changes instead of Honda's recommended 6k.
I was away from home at the weekend and popped the car in to one of those wonderful fast-fit garages for a quick semi-synth & filter change on saturday. I was in a hurry and "didn't have time" to stick my head under the bonnet and inspect their handiwork until I returned home last night. Upon doing so, oil looks fine, filled up to max level. However, i have a sneaking suspicion that the filter has not been changed, due to the markings I remember on the old one, although it's possible they've replaced the filter with the exact same make. I have no proof either way, and it's too late to do anything about it as the garage is 250 miles away.
What should I do? I'm tempted to just leave it as is. Filter had only been on 4,700 miles and I would be surprised if 9k miles on one filter would be a problem.
I figure next time an oil change is due, I'll either spend the time and do it myself, or I'll be marking the old filter before taking car to garage, and asking to see it once it has been removed and replaced.
cheers,
Ed Read more
My 405 estate gets very hot in the sun (all the windows I guess, started using sun blinds) and it takes a long time to get it cool again. The thing I don't understand is that after the car's been parked a while in the shade after using the AC the screen mists up just above the screen vents if I don't put the AC on. Is this normal or is it possible that some kind of drain is blocked. Do other cars do this?
Thanks.
Steve. Read more
Many thanks for all the replies. Sorry for the delay, been caught up with other things. The mist is on the inside, but having read the replies I now realise that everythings OK, I was just a bit worried - it's my first car with aircon.
Thanks again!
Steve.
Hi Gang - this might sound odd but I can't find the alarm/immobiliser master switch on Mrs V's 1996 Felicia. The manual simply shows a close up/ exploded diagram and states it's in the engine bay but on the side of the warning system but can I locate it ???
Can anyone shed any light on this please? Read more
Thanks again AJH - will ask the dealer when I take it for its next service.
As for the rear washer pipe - I think it may have been my fault as when we looked at the car prior to purchase I saw tha pipe and pulled it out a little before I realised what it was. I guess I freed too much and that's what made it get caught in the tailgate seal. Still it's not damaged and all's fine now. Cheers for the info.
Hello
The ignition lock on my 1995 Fiesta has given up the ghost. Ford will sell me a new one but insist that I get the code extracted from the immobiliser at a cost of £50. Do I need to have the code extracted can't I just reprogramme the new black key with my original red key. Any advise would be appreciated!
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tac,
My 95 Fiesta Azura has a problem you might know someting about. I bought it with only the red key. I got a new black key and the locksmith did what you said, ie red on off followed by black on off within 5 seconds. It worked but only for about an hour. then the black key no longer worked. Drove back to locksmith on red one. He cut a new black key with a new chip. Exactly the same thing happened. As the car is not worth much, can I tape the red key next to the lock and just use black keys from then on?
2 questions, is the clio still scheduled for a 2003 release as i'm considering buying a new one in august and don't want to end up with the old model?
any one thoughts on the new corsa in comparison to the new micra for instance, as the corase (sxi) looks a ton better but has less features. any one have a new corsa or new micra? Read more
bought a new Clio from dealers name deleted last month and it broke down after 3 weeks, having to be towed back to the dealers, who have been absolutely appalling in how they are handling this - I am rejecting the car, which also came with the interior trim partially incorrectly fitted.
Naming and shaming is not permitted. Sorry. DD
Been down to the dealers for a service - clocked one of these for the first time in the flesh. Must say it looks a monster but in a nicely understated way.
Slightly more agressive stance, merest suggestion of a boot spoiler, nice wheels and a little "R" on the grille are about the only visible differences. Smart sports seats with a high quality interior.
The one I saw was in the showroom and they are due to start demos soon.
Anyone had a play in one yet? What about HJ? Read more
www.vvspy.com/
Take a look here.
I\'m not sure if its any good, I found it once looking for something else, saved it to favorites to look at later, but have never got around to it.
My partners wants a convertible that is fairly new (2/3 years), and not too expensive to insure and run. It must have space for two toddlers. She has £11K to spend. She is very keen on 206cc which I don't think has enough space - but she sits fairly close to the wheel so thinks the two bucket seats in the back will be OK for the short journeys she does. Only other alternative I can think of is a Megane which at least has a proper rear seat. Anyone got any views / suggestions? Read more
If the toddlers are growing, you'll probably need to get rid of the 206CC in just a year or two given the tiny rear seats.
The Vauxhall will probably be more reliable than the Pug, while Renaults tend to score well for safety.
Peter
PS Make sure you cover their heads!
I had both tie rods replaced on Friday, along with the steering idler arm and both front shocks at a garage selected from the "Good garage list". I provided all the parts - sourced from www.autovaux.co.uk.
After everything was fitted the garage noticed that the tie rods were fouling the inside rim of the alloys on "full" lock. (I'm not sure whether it's actual full lock or the limit the new tie rods will allow). My initial thoughts were that the tie rods were fitted to the wrong sides - they did come marked left and right on the packaging. However the garage were adamant that this was not the case and showed me the worn (read non-existent) bump stops on the suspension arms and said that was the reason and that the arms needed replacing to stop the fouling. I knew the arm bushes were knackered and had bought a new set too but accepted that I might as well change the whole arms.
I must have left my brain at home - I blame the heat, as it was only when I got back that it dawned on me that if this is due to the worn bump stops, why wasn't this happening before - now every time I even get near full lock I have to be very careful and "feel" my way to the limit to avoid a horrendous grating which you can clearly feel through the steering wheel and be deaf not to hear! Before (only that morning) I could drive on "full lock" - no grating noises from the front wheels though! (Even I can tell it's full lock because the steering refuses to turn any more and PS pump starts complaining loudly).
Can someone shed some light on this please - fortunately I don't need to use the car this week but want to speak to the garage and would like to be armed with a few facts. Thanks in advance.
Chad.R
P.S. Sorry for the ramble, I'm not angry but just really disappointed, this is the second visit to 2 separate garages, from the GG list, to do relatively straightforward repairs; First time it was to change the rocker cover gaskets due to a small oil leak - went in with a beautifully smooth running, near silent engine, came out with a lumpy idle and a dodgy rattle from the cambelt area. Now this..... It's a shame because it's putting me off what is genuinely a great car due to no fault of it's own.
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Nice outcome Chad and well done Carlos. Another BackRoom success story !
I am sure that I remember car horns sticking on years ago.
It seems to me that more cars lost a wheel, and certainly over-heated more often.
Now the last two are because of improvements, but why don't we hear car horns stuck anymore ?
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No seen but felt....horrible brake fade, but not after the 2nd or 3rd hard braking but during the first moderate braking...all due to brake drums on all four corners and no brake servo!
Ian L.
Good morning!
please, if possible, i would like to ask the help and the brains out there, on why my "y" reg (old Y reg) 1.3l escort has trouble in the mornings...
It starts first time, every time, but, after about 5seconds it starts to splutter, and stall, that is unless you stay in the car and keep your foot on the accelerator. At this point it appears to be running on 3 cylinders, and some black smoke is comming out of the exhaust. After about 5-7 mins of high-ish revs, i get a puff of blackish smoke, the revs increase and the car then runs smoothly!!
I have changed the spark plugs, HT leads, Dist cap and rotar arm, and quite frankly i am at loss as to where the problem lyes?
the car, is ok old, but has got only 37k on the clock, and is in extremely good nick.
Please help
T I A
MSN
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I am assuming that your car is fitted with a Motorcraft VV carb. A brilliant 'design' let down by poor 'engineering'. Bits for these are becoming scarce. The problem will be with the choke unit itself which is a completely separate unit on the side of the carb and may be available from Ford.Dont muck about with it, fit a new one. While you are at it replace the accelerator pump and main diaphragms.
Alternatively fit a Weber conversion, cheap and easy to fit then get it properly tuned.
Andrew.
Simplicate and add lightness!
Browse
pmh, it was dark brownish but not really filthy. I'll check out the capacities tonight. Paranoid i may be, but i'm struggling to believe that even a corner-cutting saturday mechanic would leave a whole filter's worth of mucky oil in a nice clean car like mine? ;-) otoh, judging by some of the stunts these guys have been known to pull, anything is possible...
Ed.