July 2003
Are you less likely to stall Diesel cars such as the Yaris D4d, VW, PDi's etc than similar petrol cars? Because they have more Torque, or is diesel harder to stall by the nature of the fuel system. A lot of diesel cars I have been in will allow you to lift the clutch with no use of the gas pedal, whereas some petrol cars kangaroo or stall even if you give them some gas. If this is the case why not make all cars like the Pdi range, ie 200+ lbs of torque.
Also diesel cars require less gear changes and lower revs than petrol, and are more efficient over short journeys from cold.
Anyone got a good diesel car, which fits the above?
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My road is often full of parked cars so visibility to pull out of my driveway is somewhat compromised. This morning it was parked up to such an extent that I was completely unable to see down the road while I pulled out. I usually creep and peep until I can see down the road but by this point I am usually way into the middle of the road and there is only just enough room between the parked cars opposite and my bonnet for cars already on the road to get through the gap. This morning I was nearly winged by a moped as he was following a van which I could just about see over the estate car, transit and other van that had stuck themselves on the road. I couldn't see a thing until I my bonnet was almost level with the white line.
Now if someone hit me while I was pulling out would the owners of the parked vehicles that were totally obscuring my vision be partly responsible a) morally and b) legally? Is there any way of pulling out in this situation which is safer to do than the creep and peep? Alternatively would it be possible to use these dangerousness of this to persuade the council to paint double yellow lines so no vehicles can park within a certain distance so I can see them and they can see me before I present a danger to them?
If the boot is on the other foot when I drive down a road and there are parked cars and I can see driveways then I am extra careful as there could be a car waiting to pull out that I can't see that can't see me. I am not sure that others are so careful.
What do other backroomers think?
teabelly Read more
its all veryy well suggesting yellow lines etc but restricted parking(or none more so) could well affect the value or saleability of the property.that would surely be a bad thing.not only that but those who are unable to park off road have to move elsewhere causing more problems.o for those blissfull black and white photo days of empty streets.......
As I understand it, tractors are not allowed on motorways. However, they are a regular sight on the dual carriageways of Cornwall and Devon where I live.
Now the maximum speed limit is the same on each, and the danger is arguably greater when there are only two lanes instead of three. Combine this with drivers with absolutely no sense of forward planning whatsoever and you get a 20mph moving wall of cars surrounding this ignorant lump.
Other cars approach at 70mph (and higher if they are naughty) and then slam on the anchors very late.
My point is this: tractors and other very slow moving vehicles are a serious hazard on dual carriageways. Is there a case for banning them altogether or restricting their movements to hours when other traffic is lighter.
I haven't seen a serious accident involving or caused by one of these yet (touch wood), but have been involved in so many sudden near misses and stops as people swerve around them that it can't be too long... Read more
I believe this is the first one in the country ... and it has made
incredible improvements on traffic flow on that section of road.
I think the only way to improve the traffic flow on the Western Bypass is to do some serious driver education. This section is a nightmare as you get so many drivers who simply have no idea how to drive in heavy traffic or overtake properly. You usually get both lanes crawling at 40 or 50 because someone has pulled out to overtake a slower car but then refuses to pull back in or speed up to the limit. This section of road really should have been 3 lanes from the outset.
I have had an imported alfa for 2 years now and up to now I have had no problem insuring it, but this year some of the companies seem to be making a point about either not insuring imports (Diamond) or charging ridiculous sums for it (AXA and Churchill).. Should they be able to do this if my car is a full UK spec model as I dont understand what difference this can make to insurance risk??? Especially given all alfas come from same factory independent of market..
I have an IG 16 Renault Clio 172 thats costing me 850 quid a year to insure in my name with 5yrs no claims, and the alfa in my girlfriends name with 6yrs (IG 14) is coming out at minimum 1000 with best insurers.. I just dont understand it!!!!!!!!!!!
Anyone know good insurers for imported cars?
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If the car is full UK spec, there should be no additional cost for insuring. I chnaged insurers several for my wife's imported Zafira and my BMW and never had an issue.
Some of these insurance co dont know the difference between a grey import (usual japanese or US made car) and a parallel import (UK spec from the EU)....
Three months ago I bought a property which has an inspection pit in the garage. It (the pit) has brick walls, and a concrete floor. Following heavy rain a few weeks ago, about 60mm of water collected in the pit. I bought a submersible pump from Argos and pumped out the bulk of the water, but it has not yet dried out completely. The pit was dry when I viewed the property last November. The question is ~ is it inevitable that an inspection pit will accumulate water following heavy or prolonged rain? Has anyone had experience of this problem, and what was their solution?
L'escargot by name, but not by nature. Read more
L'escarcot, a small 'sump' at the lowest end of the pit might help. (Assuming a sloping or imperfect floor) Full width and about a foot deep. Can be pumped out easily.
Duckboards are a good idea as well, until you drop something.
My MB E320 cdi has Bosch AERO-TWIN blades fitted.
They clear water really well but they make the most horrific scraping sounds on the glass unless there is a lot of water present. If it is just drizziling a bit it is awfull.
I have tried windscreen polish as advised by the garage but this only helps for a few miles. Is there anything I could do to make them less screachy. Would silicone spray on the blades help or will it just smear?
BTW they have been like this since I bought the car in November. Read more
This works a treat. Certainly on a Mondeo you can twist them by hand a bit at a time until they track perfectly.
I have had a problem with my ABS light coming on for no apparent reason.
At first it was very sporadic, initially I could turn the engine off and 5 mins later restart it and it would be fine for a couple of months but lately it is coming on every time I use the car.
The first diagnosis by a VW dealer was that a rogue signal had gone outside of it's parameters and had caused the ABS light to activate.
This week I took it to another VW dealer who recommended after having the problem diagnosed by the computer in the workshop that a hydraulic pump was the problem. To replace this would cost £317 plus VAT plus labour.
Are the wheel sensors known for this type of fault?
My car is a 1996 Mk3 and has done 42K
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MarcoPolo: This site, to which I have no connection, and have just come across, might be useful: www.bba-reman.com/vwfaults.htm
I have a Vectra CDX 2.0 dti 16v 1998 which has low power.I have read all of the other posts on here but none seem to cure my problem. It is very hard to pull away from roundabouts with any speed and it is sluggish in all gears.In have checked all the common faults like the vac system, egr and all the solenoids and piping, the turbo and the waste gate solenoid are working ok. I have stripped the inlet manifiold and cleaned the variable valves.Ihave also cleaned the air flow meter but with no improvment. The car has just passed the mot and when smoke tested it was well under the pass limit which makes me think the fuel pump is not delivering full fuel, is there any way to test these fly by wire pumps without selling my house and using a vauxhall dealer as it seems with these engines they have no idea what is wrong when the ecu light is not on.If anyone can shed some light on the problem please let me know as apart from low power the car is great.
Steve.
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Please can anyone give me any advice... Being a women a lot goes over my head, however my astra twin top has lost all power up to 20revs, then their is power, but my foot is on the floor and the car goes no where. My boyfriend has worked on this car along side the garage for a week, he has been doing cars for 30 years but this has got him.. He has checked sensors and air filters all silly things, it's had a new alternator, egr valve is booked in for a regen tomorrow we have driven it for 50 miles in third gear at 70 tonight to warm it up... We just don't no what to do if this doesn't work, hoping someone else has had this problem and has a solution, as between him and 2 garages and 5 mechanics they dispare... Help!!!!
All
I've just bought a 3 year old Peugeot 406 HDi 90 estate, which seems in excellent condition. However, the clutch 'bite' point seems very high (i.e. the pedal needs to be released a long way). Is this normal? I'm told (rightly or wrongly) that the hydraulic clutch is 'self adjusting' and the bite point cannot be altered; but I'm slightly concerned that maybe this means the clutch is nearing the end of it's life(?) (surprising, as the car has only done 36k). The clutch is NOT slipping. There is also a very slight clutch judder at take up (only really noticeable when in reverse) - is this another clue?
Any comments would be most welcome...
Peter Read more
Hi,
Automatic adjusting clutch cables have been around for some while now (I can remember the 1984 Rover 213/216 having them). After they have been working for some while they can give problems and its far cheaper to change it than to continue running it with a maladjusted one. Many Rovers I've worked on suffered with the cable auto ajuster going wrong and had to be replaced. In some cases the lack of adjustment had resulted in a cluch change as well. For what it takes and the cost of the cable, its by far the easiest and cheapest option to tackle first.
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These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am...
Hi
I have a P reg (Mark 1) Peugeot 306TD and the airbag light is always flashing at me...
It comes on with the ignition, then flashes for a while when the engine is started and eventually just stays on.
Now I've heard that there's something under the seat that can cause this... can anyone tell me what it is, where to find it and what to do with it???
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Jim Read more
Hi,
The advice you have been given is somewhat correct, but there is a problem with 306/406 underseat harness's. A good idea is to unplug the plugs, apply copious quantities of vaseline then re-connect. re-clip it to the underside of the seat and the problem may well be resolved. If not there is a Peugeot fix which entails cutting the plugs off and soldering the wires together (like the plug was never there). I did this on my 406 and on two other 306's and the problem went away.
Hope this helps
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These are the views of Robin the Technician with 35 years in the trade. I fix, therefore I am...
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You need to acquire a certain style to driving a diesel saxo, give it time and you will love it.
Ben
On my 3rd Citroen. Saxo, Xsara, C5.