August 2003
My 1998 1600cc Ford Escort Zetec regularly revs at between 1800-2000 on cold start. Driving before the revs drop to idling (3-4 minutes) is unwise, as revs become very erratic. After a diagnostic check (£96), the main dealer advised that the remedy was a new PCU at £453, but that no engine harm would result if not done. Does this sound correct? Am worried about engine wear, both on the initial high revs and the delay before driving off. Would value any advice. Also is here an alternative to the main dealer fitting a PCU.
Read more
Hi everyone. Has anyone any advice about wheel balancing? My situation is this: I've a 2000 BMW 323i. I had a new set of tyres fitted at the weekend (due to vandalism) and now I find the wheels aren't balanced properly, despite paying to have this done when the new tyres were fitted.
This came as no surprise to me, as I've had loads of problems with wheel balancing in the past. I've no confidence that the fast-fit joint that fitted the tyres will be able to rectify the problem if I took it back as Fast-fit tyre places just don't seem to be able to do it effectively (or care). In fact, the last time I had this trouble, it took several visits to my BMW dealer (and several hundred £££) before they managed to balance the wheels totally. It's got to the stage where I hate anyone touching my wheels at all - each time weights are prised off and new ones fitted just seems to damage the wheels' rims, the problem doesn't go away and I'm left out of pocket.
I've started wondering whether my kind of car is particularly sensitive to wheel balancing and maybe I'm being unrealistic to expect that my wheels can run without any vibration at all at all speeds. The question is this: does anyone know of a specialist who I can be confident can do this work for me a) the first time and b) without carelessly damaging my wheels. I'm in Surrey. Any ideas? Cheers! Read more
If you want to go for off-car balancing, ATS always seem to do a good job for me. The one at Leatherhead will also use stick-on weights so you don't get any rim damage.
What worries me more though is the apprentice who uses the air gun to put the damn things back on - then checks with a torque wrench. Of course, if the air gun over-torques it, the wrench bit is merely window dressing!
Terry
I'm certain most of us are here because we like this place, have made good friends here and gained invaluable advice too. From time to time criticisms pop up and often these are ill considered, unfair and unhelpful.
There's a wealth of talent lurking here which could be harnessed constructively to develop this site - not only to keep HJ in his future retirement :-) and recompense Mark & DD for all their hard work, but to improve this place for all its users.
So, everyone, can we have sensible ideas and suggestions for helping HJ & Co to improve and develop this site. No grand, complex and costly schemes that are going to cause more headaches than they're worth - the simpler and easier the better.
Sometimes great opportunities are staring you in the face yet remain unseen. Likewise good ideas - the simple concepts that occur to us totally out of the blue yet change the way we do things. The sort of ideas that make you think "I wish I'd thought of that!"
Please don't anyone abuse or sidetrack this thread by simply criticising - that will help nobody and just create unnecessary bad feeling. If you have a constructive and hopefully workable idea please post it here.
Note to HJ - my intentions are totally genuine here and I hope something positive will result but if you feel such input is unlikely to be productive please just delete this thread and accept my apologies. Read more
A good idea, but by e-mail please. Not in here.
E-mail to me in the first instance and I will pass on as appropriate.
Thank you for the thought.
Mark.
I'm buying a new car.... finally decided I'm sick of the Rover 25 (got my use out the warranty tho.... not that I'm saying it was unreliable....)
Reading What Car etc, I notice Toyota come out top in a reliability study recently... cool... I was thinking about a Leguna(sp?) but thought I'd go and have a look in the Toyota showroom just up the road...
Now I'm looking for a *reliable* 5 door, with all the trimmings inc SatNav (hey I am a woman!) in about the £18,000 price bracket and I was rather taken by both the Avensis and the Rav4. Although I've never really fancied a SUV the Rav looked rather... ravishing!
SO.... I'm asking for some non-showroom-unbiased opinions on both these vehicles... for example is the RAV just a jumped up jeep? Or is it more than that, is it really a family car?
My main wants? Room for long legs (44inches from hip to toe) in both the front and back, comfortable drive (with power steering obviously) and something relatively stylish....
...all opinions welcome (including better cars in my price range!) Read more
Don't get me wrong about the boot, its a minor problem not a major one and the rest of the car makes up for it.
Its well built, well specced, comfortable and with 150 horses under the petrol bonnet, it's no slouch!
A hairdressers car? - well that's the view of some folk perhaps, but so what! Hey, what's so special about what they are driving! Me - I'm just off to finish that trim and blow dry..........
As I said earlier, get an extended test drive on both of them before discarding either out of hand. You'll be pleasantly urprised by the good drive the RAV4 offers
Dear Honest John,
Do you have any recommendation for the above? There are a number on the market and I'd like something under £50 that's accurate and reliable.
Many thanks!
frmarcus Read more
DO NOT buy one of these if its your intention to drink up to the legal limit. The accuracy of all such devices is questionable and need to be calibrated regularly. Even the hand held ones the police use are for indication only and not for prosecution. Use one at your peril. Use your 50 quid for taxis.
My driver's side electric window recently failed to close properly (caught the glass before it fell on the floor!) and on further inspection it appears that the little plastic brackets that hold the window to the closing mechanism have broken. I have tried a glue repair, but this is not going to be an option as it will not hold the weight of the window when closed.
My question is then, does anyone have any idea where I might be able to buy some of these plastic brackets? The other option I was thinking of was getting down to the scrapyard and just getting another driver's side window - would this be an easier option given the need to glue the brackets to the glass?
Thanks in advance to anyone who can help. Read more
Thanks to all those who have helped. On the advice of a mechanic friend of mine I think that a visit to one of Hull's multitudinous scrap yards is in order. A Rover breakers here seems to think that they can sell me a window for 20 quid, which seems to be the best option given that our previous efforts at bonding the materials have fallen flat!
Quick question to all you backroomers, does anyone out there know the details of the a specialist with regard to the fitting of child safety seat, all I know is that he is located in Milton Keynes ????
Thanks Read more
Thank Robin will give them a call.
Can anyone help? I'm confident in haggling a decent price and a competitive APR on a new car, but I feel that dealers can still get one over on me in calculating the Minimum Guaranteed Future Value. Is it better to have a low one (more equity at the end) or a higher one (lower monthly repayments)? Bit stuck on this one... Read more
I would pay most attention to the total cost of the deposit & payments. Whichever gives you the lowest final figure is the one to go for. If you start to wonder about part exchanges in a few years time then it gets tricky as it is hard to tell what the used and new car market will be like. You also may not like the car or the dealer so choosing a deal which some how gives you 'goodwill' with the dealer at some point in the future is a more risky option. Dealers are also very good at moving the terms of the deal to lower monthly payments so it appears to be better than it is because either the deposit is increased or the term has been increased. If you always refer to the total cost then it is harder for them to pull a fast one.
0% deals are usually worth going for unless the the total cost of ownership is more than a discounted car with a different apr.
teabelly
hi
thanks for all of your replies to my question in this forum. A great help. I have started a new thread as the last one went a little \'off subject\'.
Previous thread for reference is:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=15281
To do with the ZX TD cold start...
I checked the glow plug power with my multi meter. It is providing a steady 12V and shuts off after 20-30 secs or so. I have checked the resistance on the old plug behind the pump (that can\'t be removed) and that seems to be ok (offering the same resistance as the other new plugs).
So that doesn\'t sound like the problem.
I have looked at the fuel leak off pipes on the injectors, but can\'t see anything as the intercooler is in the way.
What I can see is that there is an awful lot of what I suspect is old diesel fuel that looks like it is getting blown out of either the rightmost injector / or out of the top of it (as I can see fuel pooled around the base of the injector). I am pretty certain this isn\'t oil as the consistency is all wrong and the fresh stuff around the injector base looks very like diesel.
Is it worth taking the intercooler off to investigate? And if one of my leak off pipes is damaged, can I replace it? where is the best place to look for a replacement, and what should I ask for?
thanks again,
john. Read more
Gonna need a new clutch on my 1991 940 se turbo in the not too distant future methinks. The pedal travel is high and there is a noticeable squeal when pulling away (clutch release bearing ??? - I'm really only guessing 'cos I know nowt about motors!).
My local Volvo dealer will no doubt be happy to 'rob' me of ££££'s to do this job but I'd rather not line their pockets if I don't have to so how do I go about this ? My local indy guy won't be able to do it I'm sure, but will probably just farm it out somewhere. Does anyone know of a reliable and trustworthy outfit who might be able to assist - preferably not too far from Orpington (SE London /N. Kent) ?
I know there are loads of so called drive in clutch centres/clinics but are any of them any good ?
Any advice very gratefully received. Thanks as always guys! Read more
Thanks very much Greenparrot & Steve !
Browse
.jpg)
Thanks Adam. I will give it a try and let you know how I get on
Donny