September 2003
I want to put some coutesy lights in the front footwells of my Rover 200. I want them to come on and go off with the doors opening and closing so i believe that I will have to tap in to the coutesy light cicuit, ideally near the fuse box to save an agro.
What I need to know is, what colour wires will i need, does anyone know?
Iv'e read that a purple and purple/grey are the two +ve on the MG ROVER.ORG website for the coutesy light circuit. Do I need two +ve (is one constant and one switched live)?
Any info would be greatly appreciated cause its something i've wanted to do for a long time, but i dont like hacking into wiring looms when im not sure what im doing!!
Thanks in advance. Read more
I received my New XType SE Diesel on the 6th September 2003(Earlier than the launch date of 10th September)
The engine is the same as that fitted to my Ford Mondeo TDCI Zetec S.(Part Exchanged for the Jaguar) The timing cover even has a Ford Stamp on it.
The car has just Broken Down after 8 Days and 297 miles.
The fault is the same as what happens with the Mondeo TDCI and my own Mondeo TDCI.(The Mondeo was fixed with a new ICU) (Ignition Control Unit)
The Jaguar engine turns over, the glowplug light flashes but it does not start. After 3 tries it is OK
The engine has also cutout several times for no reason or will start and run for approx 10 seconds.
What astounds me is why Jaguar are using a Ford Engine/ICU combination that is know to have the above problems !!!
The car is with the dealer awaiting a repair and probably a new ICU
PS the Diesel, when running, is a lot quicker than the 2.5 V6 XType loan car I have been given.
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Don't you just love the way that Ford the the term "customer concern" to cover "serious complaint and really pink fluffy dice off-ed by our poor quality product"!!
I have just seen the most horrific accident.
Basically a large box van went into the back of a Nissan Primera and shunted it accross the road. It doesn\'t sound that bad apart from the fact that there were three small children in the back of the car that weren\'t strapped in.
If you\'ve ever seen a small child lying in a pool of blood by the side of the road it\'s something that you will never want to see again.
I just can\'t believe the stupidity of the person driving. We are constantly bombarded with messages about using seat belts, using them in the back and as parents about the use of proper car seats.
Since becoming a parent it is something I am very aware of but why are some people just so stupid. Does it really need the loss of a young life like this to make people just use some common sense.
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Re. the posts about ignoring the dangers of parking outside schools and unrestrained children, I made the same points (including the bit about low power and the relative likely effects) to a local school who were stirring up opposition to mobile phone masts. I was told that they were entitled to object as it was a matter of personal freedom - the mast puts people in danger without them knowing, but people are free to make the choice to give their kids mobiles to fry their brains with, choose to leave them bouncing about in the back of a car....
Just wish they'd concentrate on education rather than political battles.
Hi,
I've got a J-reg Mk II Golf Driver (135,000 miles). My central locking appears to have finally given up the ghost - I know from this site that it's a known problem for Golfs of this age (11 years).
The petrol flap is also linked to the central locking, so I need to do something about this. I forced the flap open to fill up recently, but would like to do something about it.
The cheapest option would be to ignore it and get a locking petrol cap, but I've also been told that I can fix this by replacing the "central locking pump". I went to my local German & Swedish who said that they only had one of these for a Mk III Golf (at about £70, they said a dealer would be maybe twice the price?). I am loathe to ring up my local VW dealer as they're very expensive and I don't know how much they could do without me taking the car in. Also, it could cost more than it's worth to do it.
Is it worth me trying to fix this, given the age of the car (still mechanically excellent)? If so, does anybody know roughly what it might cost, and is it something I could do at home (I can get some help)? Or should I just opt for the lockable petrol cap? Or is there another solution?
Thanks in advance,
Antony Read more
Antony, my son has a 1990 Golf GTI and recently needed a window winder mechanism, I got in touch with Sniffy Dog on the internet and recieved three phonecalls within the hour offering us the required parts,they arrived as promised in two days. its got to be worth a try good luck, Burman
The old cambelt question again!
My 1999 1.8 Focus is nearing 40k miles/4 years which is about when I would change the cambelt on previous cars. However, I'm getting a big difference in opinion about when this should be done:
Haynes Manual: 40k, 4 years (and change tensioner/pulleys)
Local Mechanics: 100k, 10 years
Ford dealer 'A': 60k, 5 Years
Ford dealer 'B': 100k, 10 years
I know its better to err on the side of caution but I would interested if anyone had a more accurate view! I'm already convinced that the 100k,10 years is unrealistic. Read more
I always used to do my own cambelt changes but this time it will be a local garage. I gather you need a specific length bolt and some camshaft locking tools to do this on the Zetec engines.
If I remember correctly, you even have to loosen the camshaft sprockets to change the belt which seems a bit over the top!
I'm not sure why none of the Zetec engines simply have markers on the crankshaft pulley and camshafts to allow you to ascertain TDC, but I suspect it is deliberate to make DIY difficult.
Incidentally, the easiest cambelt change I ever did was on a 2.0 Omega. Loads of room and longitudinally mounted engine - Half an hour job at the most!
Why do most van drivers insist on accelerating to the rev limiter before changing gear?
Not only is it excessively noisy to do so and bad for fuel economy, it also slows the rate of acceleration as diesel engines benefit from earlier up shifts.
Also why are they all in their early thirties, stocky build and read The Sun? ;-)
PS: I am not knocking Sun readers, that is what I read most days! Read more
I sympathise with Rob.
I drive a Renault Trafic 2.1 diesel (my own).
The reason I try to change gear at the last possible moment is to accelerate as quicly as I can.
The only reason I accelerate as quicly as I can is because there are usually car drivers behind me thinking 'Why is he revving the guts out of it??'
Seriously, I don't want to hold them up too much.
H
Dear all...I'm new to the site so forgive me is this thread has already been covered (I did search first). I need to fit a rearward-facing newborn baby seat in the front of my Freelander. The vehicle doesnt have a deactivation switch or transponder (a la Mercedes) and Land Rover Dealers have no interest due to liability concerns. So much for the "ideal family car" they advertise....
Does anyone know of a reputable, liability-insured, company that will do the work for me? I live in Surrey
Thanks Read more
Have done, thanks. Reading the latest AA and Which crash tests its amazing how variable the performances are despite common euro standards. Anyone know how to get hold of the German Romer seats? It looks like they were bought out by Britax, but Britax UK wont supply them and their own UK ones are fairly average at best if the tests are to be believed.
just bought my 1 year old focus on saturday and have encoutered a couple of problems. i presume the shaking wheel above 60mph is the wheel balancing as i've encoutered this before.
i'm unaware of the solution to the car veering to the left which at 70mph is quite apparant. i guess tracking?
also the garage state the next serve due is in 6,000 miles or 6 months and the car has just had its first service at a year old 7000k miles.
isn't the ford service interval longer?
(incidently its not a ford garage i bought it from) Read more
Could be a combination of tracking and balance....
But this is just the feel you can get when a tyre is badly chopped out on the inner edge. Often the outer 75% that you mostly see looks fine.
Try jacking up each front wheel in turn then move the steering to full lock so you can see the very inner edge of each tyre. Spin them round slowly looking for excess wear on the junction between tread and sidewall.
This is a wear pattern that is seen more and more on modern vehicles, seemingly even if the tracking is spot on.
M.M
Can any of you professionals tell me what the rough price would be for fitting a recon engine to an AstraVan 2.0Di (2000 model year).
The reason I ask is that we have had an engine fitted by our leasing company at a what appears to be an extortionate costs and I want to check the cost.
Thanks! Read more
Is a recon one available, that's the question....
A new unit is all that might be available, that's my concern.
For a bit of fun I have just bought a hot hatch banger which has its problems but looks OK externally except for the faded red factory plastic bodykit. This has gone the way of many 80s plastic bumpers and is fading into white. A previous owner has done one small part probably with a normal aerosol paint and it looks too bright and tacky. Wisely the rest has been left to fade. What is the best option for brushing some colour back in there without looking naff? The plastic finish is finely stippled/grained and the colour should IMHO be better as a matt finish. Should I be looking at modelmaker's paints in the local craft shop or finding a marina with yacht varnish (too glossy?) or is there a special bumper etc restorative? Read more
My name is David and I am a Visaholic.
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Iv'e done it, I now have illuminated footwells (R 200 Mk III)!!
If anyone else wants to do it, I mounted the lights in the side of the centre consol (I used 2 lights from the rear doors of a MkII 800). I then found the supply and return to the interior light in the form of a plug and socket behind the headlamp adjust switch (Purple and Purple/red wires). I connected my new wires using scotch connectors (recommended by DL). The lights now come on when the doors are unlocked or opened, and go out after time out, when the dorrs are locked / shut and when the engine is started, and they fade in and out!!!