December 2003
I DO hope I've not posted this before; I don't believe I have. Apologies in advance if I have (but nothing matched on the Forum search, so I did try).
If you want a clear and cogent explanation of how an autobox works, you can do no better than to look at
www.allworldknowledge.com/auto_transmission/index....l
It may not be 100% suitable for children.
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*** Moved from previous post (now deleted) ***
Just a few current cars with mph/1000rpm:
Rover 75 2.5 manual 22.9mph/1000rpm (3050RPM @ 70mph)
Alfa 156 2.0 Manual 20.1mph/1000rpm (3500RPM @70mph)
Mazda6 22.5mph/1000rpm (3100RPM @ 70mph)
And an extract from a review of the torquey Alfa 156 1.9JTD
\"The significant benefits for the driver include a very \'relaxed\' and quiet engine (in 5th gear with the engine at 1000 rpm, speed is 44 km/h compared to just 34 km/h for an average 2.0 petrol engine).\"
This last example equates an average 2.0 petrol car to 21.1mph/1000rpm (3300RPM at 70mph) for the average 2.0 petrol engined car.
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At max torque you get max specific economy - so it is the most efficient speed in relation to fuel consumed per kW produced, but you need lots of kW to drive at 120mph, so time or distance based economy looks bad.
I had a thought about this the other day - people often complain that they can get no where near the manufacturers consumption figures (esp in petrols) and I began to wonder if the tests were done by keeping the engine on the max torque peak (and hence min specific consumption)? Whilst this would make for acceptable driving on a diesel where it occurs at about 2000 rpm, no one is going to drive around town in 1st at 4000 rpm in a petrol!
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RichardW
Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
Hi,
I have a 1991 Sterling 827SLi with a flashing 'S3' light. The only info. I can find is that it is an automatic transmission issue. The engine and drive train is basically, if not exactly the same as a 1990 Acura Legend (827 engine, 2675 cc.). I am in the US and the last year they marketed it here was in 1991. Dealers stopped working on it in 1996 and garages are reluctant to work on it. I have friends in England and up to now they have been able to get me misc. parts for smaller repairs. I might be able to get an Acura dealer to help, but I need some info. first. The mileage is 48,000 and after the 'S3', I changed the transmission fluid for the first time. The car and transmission run great. What could the problem be and what could I do about it? Is there an ECU reset process? I also have other, not so potentially damaging, issues, but I just now found this site. It may or may not be relavant, but the speedometer needle has also just started to occasionally jump around.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Art
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Hi All,
Thanks for your responses. I'm relieved to hear I might not need a new transmission, but a transducer instead. I'm looking into that and how to get one as 'we speak'. I'll keep you posted.
Regards,
Art
PS Thanks for the description and location of the transducer.
I found these and wondered whether they might be a good thing to have in the boot of the car during winter apart from a blanket, torch, emergency mars bar etc:
www.spikesspider.com/public_html/whatis.htm
Has anyone else heard of these or used them?
teabelly Read more
They cost over £200 (for the sport version anyway) and are only worth having if you can\'t fit normal snow chains.
I know this because the Alfa 156 with 205/55/16 wheels (most of them in other words) can\'t use normal chains due to the minimal clearance between the suspension and the tyre.
They work by fitting a hub adaptor over your wheelnuts that is left in place for the period you expect to use them (takes about 5 minutes per wheel, although once set up you can cut that to about 2-3 minutes). The \"spider\" is then clipped to the hub when needed and you drive forward about ten yards. This then pulls the chain onto the tyre.
If I could have usual chains or straps (ranging from £30-90 depending on quality and ease of use) I would have, but am stuck with these as the only (and expensive) solution. Had to get them as we drive down to the Alps once or twice each winter for skiing.
That aside, I would recommend that everyone living in parts of the country regularly subject to winter snowfall get a set of basic chains to keep in the car. Would make a huge difference to the hilarity usually witnessed out in the countryside when we have 3 inches of slush.....
can anyone advise the legal situation of fitting amber side marking lights to a non commercial vehicle? Read more
Never have liked these amber lights on the Volvo as due to when they come along side in traffic and they catch your eye you think it is the amber indicator and they are coming across, then you realise it is a Volvo. I would not be deliberately fitting them asa bolt on goodie. Regards PEter
I damaged a front tyre at about 20000 miles, and bought a new one from the local garage. Now, a bit less than a year later the steering wheel developed a wobble, and I took the car in to have the tyres rebalanced. The fitter balanced the newer tyre, but refused to do the older tyre was because it was down to 4mm across the middle, and 1mm at the edges. I could not get a new tyre of the same type because the maker had discontinued the model just after I bought the last. Hence, instead of one new tyre I have had to buy four.
Thank you ATS in Macclesfield for making me see sense. The car is now stable again, and the weather forecast for Sunday is snow. Read more
I asked the dealer's service engineer who approached Subaru technical for advice. He relayed the message that the tyres should be the same wear on each axle, i.e., the two front should match, and the two rear, but not necessarily be the same. But, on Isuzus it is critical to have all alike. Not being able to get two tyres to match the old I rang Subaru technical myself and asked about two tyres of the new pattern on the front, and retain the old, servicable, ones on the rear. They vetoed that, so I ended up with four new ones; which I don't begrudge, now that the car rides so much better.
No wonder my car insurance has gone up this year, it only takes a few to spoil it for everybody, I wonder how may premiums went to pay for that compensation. One persons lunacy....
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/northamptonshire/33281...m Read more
I've been to Spain three times this year, having never set foot in the country before.
On my visits I've noticed that a huge proportion of cars have been in some sort of minor side collision, especially affecting the passenger side.
This raises the question: do the Spaniards have more prangs or do they just not bother gettting them repaired?
Maybe the insurance system works differently in Spain. I wondered whether the police turn a blind eye to slightly damaged vehicles (I'm sure in the UK they'd take a dim view of sharp edges and missing light covers) and then noticed that even some police cars and vans seem to have been somewhat battered.
The tendency is very marked in Barcelona, but even in the other Spanish cities I've visited (Girona and Palma) there were many, many dented cars.
I should point out that I'm not trying to start an anti-Spanish thread. I didn't witness any prangs (which makes me all the more curious) and saw no real examples of reckless driving. Read more
I have to agree with you about the Italians. I have limited driving experiece of driving in europe. But I have driven
Faro > Lisbon
Faro > Seville
Barcelona > Valencia
Rome > Naples > Foggia > Ancona
I drove on the motorways and straight into the heart of the cities in question.
I found that the Portugueese were crazy drivers, they overtook on blind corners. They did however stick to speed limits as the police is very strict there.
Driving into the heart of Naples was a nightmare. All I could see were battered cars left right and centre. It was a battle to stay in lane. If you drove fast you were ok. I ended up parking the car in the airport for fear of the rental company charging me for damage! This theory was blown out of the water when I seen a Fiat Coupe Turbo parked up at the airport with yards of duct tape holding it all together.
At one point I was blocked in traffic by seven vehicles all beeping their horns and assuming it was their right of way! My chum in the passenger\'s seat was absolutely petrified. I just thought it was hilarious...I can only credit the Italians art of lane discpline on the motorway. They didn\'t hog lanes - If you did you would have a very angry Alfa/Lancia?BMW driver within inches of your tail!! I learnt this whilst being in a Lancia Y10 1.2 (Luxury Fiat Uno)at 110mph The best part on the motorways was flashing lorry drivers out of the way (an illegal practice - or so i\'m told). The lorry drivers always gave the cars priority.
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
but according to the Bolton Evening News, quoting a Sgt Crittenden of Greater Manchester Police, FIFTEEN cars were nicked across the county this morning, having been left unnattended with the engine running whilst 'warming up'
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Bora - what Bora ? Read more
If you really have the urge to have the car sitting ( let's say, in the driveway ) runnning to de-ice etc, why not use the spare key to lock it whilst it's running ?
Don't all rush with a list of things that could go wrong; it's just a suggestion which may deter an opportunist
My Omega is not reaching operating temp very quickly and I thought as a "shot in the dark" I would simply replace the thermostat to see if this corrected the problem.
I have changed a number of thermostats in the past and it has always been very straight forward but nothing on this 180k mile V6 is evey easy and straight forward.
It is not obvious to me exactly where the thermostat is !!. both of the main connections to the rad lead to some very inhospitable places on the engine so much so that I cannot get to or see anything which resembles a thermostat housing.
Does anyone know where I can find this thing and also advise me if I should even attempt this.
Yours hopefully
Shep Read more
Hi Shep, I had problems with my thermostat on my V6 after the "3 way valve" failed (YOU MUST READ EARLIER COMMENTS ON THIS IF NOT AWARE OR CHANGED YOURS) The failure resulted in coolant loss and cooking of stat.As someone used to Viva 2 bolt stats of the 60s I was told the V6 was a nightmare job due to bits that may have you running up and down to the parts dept.I believe the main dealer charged around £450 for the job on top of the service. That did include a lower temp fan cut in switch.BUT does your temp go into the red? Just rising fast would not have worried me, just keeping it down was the problem.
My only comment is I have to pay dearly for a really luxury high performance car, the likes of which Vauxhall have now finnished with for good sadly.
John
Browse
Glad you liked it.
The slightly (only slightly) worrying thing is that a number of American websites are pointing at the Newton's Laws section as being a valid educational resource. And emails keep coming in from Germany and Poland and places saying "Can we use the discussion on fibre optics in our course please?"
Goodness me.