August 2003
I have a motor scooter and have found it very difficult to clean the engine. I have tried dry cloths but it doesn?t seem to lift the dirt and oil and is as dirty as before. I have been contemplating the use of some of the products on sale including Autoglym?s engine cleaner but I am afraid that the liquid or water may enter the engine or electrics causing problems.
Can anyone give some sound advice on this? Can these products be used to clean underneath the engine as well. I remember that HJ said not to use a pressure washer since it lifts off the grease which protects the engine from corrosion.
I understand that there has been a thread about car engines, but with bike engines they are a lot smaller with many ?difficult to get to? places. How do other motorcyclists carry out this task without getting water into the electrics?
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where is the isv located?should it make a buzzing noise?if it dosnt what should i do?cheers Read more
e-mail me if you are intersted.
I'm not one to show off ... BUT, I've just returned from a fab holiday in Miami. A couple of motoring things struck me whilst I was there:
1. Even our worst commuter rush hour road manners in Central London cannot compete with the pushing, cutting up and sheer terrifying behaviour that is all to common on the main expressway into 'Downtown Miami'
2. Car Prices - So very much lower, undercutting the UK by about 20 - 30 % across the range. Also lots of finance deals offering 0% APR over many years and 10 year 100k man. warranty.
3. It cost me the equivalent of £12 to fill the tank of a 3.5 Litre Pontiac which was the hire car. These big yank-tanks still onlt come with 4 speed autos on the whole and the cheapest, tackiest interior trim. Oh yes, my hire car also sported 17" CHROME wheels. Must go, I can feel my stomach churning....
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Regarding the tailgating issue, I too noticed this but soon became almost used to it. I wonder whether driving on the cruise control is common practice as the distance between vehicles seemed fairly constant.
Have a 1995 Cavalier , with the 2.0i ecotec engine . My first enqiery is what are the engines like on the reliability stake , and also im a bit concirned over the temp gauge what sort of running temp should they be at when in traffic or even when on a good run ? Hope you guys can help ? please.......? Read more
Pugugly, your coolant level problem is almost certainly the filler bottle (header tank). My 1.8 has used 2 in its life. A factory defect,the plastic expands and contracts on the seam, cost me £1 to fix from a breakers yard.A most annoying fault as not visable.
John
The electric sunroof on my 1991 Citroen ZX has been acting up lately(sometimes opening/sometimes not)but now it and the electric windows have packed in all together.The interior map reading light has also stopped working and upon checking the handbook discovered that all 3 items were on the same fuse.
Easy I thought,the fuse has blown probably due to the original fault on the sunroof,but upon checking found the fuse was OK.I changed it all the same but nothing is still not working. If it is not the fuse,why would all 3 items pack in at the same time.Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Steven Read more
In a previous post I mentioned my electric sunroof and windows had stopped working at the same time on my Citroen ZX.
However they appear to have started working again,but only occassionally.
As I keep hearing a clicking,which I assume is the relay switch,could this be the problem.
Also are the windows and sunroof on the same relay and if so does anybody know the location in the car and how to identify the relevant switch.
Quick question for Dave N, and others too
I have just noticed a water leak, with water dripping onto the steering rack. I could not see where it was coming from, and on removing the fuel filter housing (diesel model), have found water dripping from a small plastic stub pipe passing through the bulkhead
The water is clear and is not coolant, and I therefore assume it to be condensate from the air condtioning.
I am right in assuming that this is an overfill from the ventilation plenum chamber, and it is dripping because the main drain is blocked ???
I have removed the ventilation fan and pollen filter, and the inside of the ductwork is dry as a bone, but the stub falls after the evaporator and I can\'t get to it.
Condenstate usually drips from about the position of the middle of the dashboard under the car, and I assume there is an outlet there. Is it just a question of poking a piece of wire through the outlet until it is clear ??? Read more
Aprilia, you are correct, I swear that there is a lower drain which I noted whilst changing the oil, however I have just been under the car and stand corrected, the stub is the condensate outlet.
Moral of the story, stop worrying and keep on driving !!!
I require technical info on kia sorrento 2.5 Diesel engine
as much as you can supply, ie cam belt change intervals etc. Read more
Dave - This website is populated by people who like, if not love, to help. However, I think your question is a bit too vague - no one is going to be able or willing to type out a whole service manual for you.
Plus you've just spent nearly £20k on a new car and are concerned about saving at best £200 a year on servicing. The possibility of pattern parts on this car is essentially zero for the next few years, and even then they won't be easy to find, so you'll be going to the dealer regardless.
I would save myself the hassle and pay up, although I probably would go for the over frequent oil changes as HJ recommends. Don't forget that at some point you're going to want to sell this car and few purchasers will accept that you know more than Kia's 17 year old Nova driving trainee; the facts here are irrelevant if you want to protect your resale value.
Could anyone advise me if synthetic gearbox oil is fitted to Suzukis as standard?,and if not what would you recommend.I have an 03 plate Jimny which is still giving me problems on the gear change. Read more
Do yourself a favour,dont buy it!if you want any more info,I'll be glad to reply.
my golf had a slight buzzing noise from engine when engine was on stand by,today i noticed the idle was a bit dodgy so i checked the electrics out and noticed there was no buzzing noise any more any ideas? i know it is suppose to buzz but dont know why?cheers Read more
i had similar problem specially when car at standstill i found there are 2 fuel pumps on golf gti 1 in the fuel tank and a 2nd main fuel pump at back offside wheel this was buzzing because the pump in the tank was faulty and the main pump was doing all the work,when moving the main pump was getting cooled but at standstill it started to overheat and buzzing,so look at the puymp in the tank (also is the cheapest pump) £15approx
A Mitsubishi car salesman told me there was no such things as 0% finance on a car. The cost of finance was recovered in other ways, as I would expect, for example via a higher cash price. Yet a Fiat salesman insisted that Fiat's 0% offer was genuine and would not give a discount for cash on the nail. What is the truth of the matter? Read more
Excellent post !
I did exactly the same thing when my father was buying a new Passat.
It boiled down to, "you either match this price and sell me the car, or I will just go with Plan A and buy from a dealer an hour nad a half drive away". I would prefer to buy locally, but I am not going to pay throught he nose to do it !
Browse
I use:
1) Gunk (paraffin with a few other things added) to clean anything oily.
2) Wonder Wheels wheel cleaner to clean the lower engine bare alloy castings and the stainless steel exhaust downpipes. This is dilute hydrochloric acid, so MUST be used with care, (not on a hot engine, in direct sunlight, or allowed to dry), and thoroughly washed off afterwards. Within these constraints, it is superb and does a fantastic job.
3) Autoglym Resin Polish on all painted parts, including lacquered engine casings and wheel rims.
Five years of such careful use later, the Hornet still looks absolutely pristine.