December 2003
It seems as if I have sick car syndrome at the moment. Just waiting for the third problem to occur (see earlier post about locked door).
Anyway, the heater blower on my 205xld (H plated) has stopped working. This also seems to be a common problem reported on this list.
One of the usual suspect appears to be the transistor based speed controller which I can easily remove but have no idea how to test it to see whether it is OK. Anyone got any suggestions?
Another common suggestion is the blower motor may have packed up. I've followed the various suggestions for removing the motor (head in the passenger foot-well, remove the 3 obvious screws and give a good tug) but without result. Do I really have to dismantle the facia to get at this motor?
As an alternative approach I tried removing the wiring connector to the blower unit and connecting a +12V line and earth line directly to the terminals in the hope that the blower motor would spring to life at full blast - but it didn't. Is it now reasonable for me to assume the blower motor has actually died? Or is my understanding of car electrics a bit naive?
Does anybody know of any other usual suspects for this problem?
If I cant fix this I face a chilly drive to the North of Scotland in a weeks time.
Cheers
Rooster
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The drivers side door on my Peugeot 205 is unopenable. Operating the lock from the outside seems as normal (it turns fully in both directions) but the lock button inside the door doesn't lift. When inside the car I can't fully lift the button, as if something is jamming its full movement. By partially prising off the internal trim (I can't remove it fully as I haven't got a screwdriver of the correct shape for the screws securing the door handle and door pocket) and peering inside, the link rods between lock barrel and lock button, and whatever these actually activate, look and feel OK. There is nothing obvious dangling around or obviously out of place.
I know a few folk have reported similar problems on this list and I've followed most of the suggested hints, but after a significant amount of fiddling and swearing and lubricating oil I am no nearer getting the door open or understanding what has gone wrong.
Anybody got any ideas.
Cheers
Rooster Read more
If the door goes back to its old tricks, it's because the outside handle gets reluctant to return after being pulled up, due to wear.
I faffed for an hour using a mirror and tiny torch trying to suss this same problem.
To solve it, get a spring and attach it to the inside of the door's exterior handle, and the other end to something that doesn't move inside the door. Then, the spring will pull the handle back to its original position after you've pulled it up.
I used an old spring from a drum brake.
Simple request - where abouts in the engine bay is it? I had a good look on Sunday and saw nothing resembling an air filter box, but there's plenty of rubber hose! Polos and Skodas use the same 1.4 TDi engine. Read more
Same situation with my Passat!
Think that on mine you have to remove a cover behind the offside head lamp before all is revealed.Was replaced for the first time , at 40,000 miles, recently.
My old BMC ones were black at 5000 miles. How has the technology changed?
Two examples which are beginning to get me annoyed (as my council tax is ever increasing)
(1) A bus lane which is less than 1 mile long is being put in and the wide pavements being reduced. OK - no problem with that. But work started in September and is not due to finsih until February causing chaos. Cost I hear is over £1m which makes it quite expensive considering it is only about ½ mile.
(2) The council is installing a raised brick crossing at the end of the road (ie it is the same height as the pavement). Workers do one side then the other and then come back to do the first side as it is way way too high. The workers are now on their 3rd week on some useless and no doubt expensive bit of brick work designed to stop cars using it but in reality will have NO affect at all.
Does the average council tax payer have any recourse for such wastes (apart from with the ballot box)?
The council in question - Hammersmith & Fulham Read more
It's the same wherever you go these days...
A friend of mine's daughter is severely disabled. You would not believe the trouble she had getting an electric wheelchair a while ago!
YET...The council took it upon themselves to waste around £200k block paving a sidestreet earlier this year...
Put 'em all against a wall...
Thanks for comments on the Audi TT (previous thread).
I'm looking to trade my FTO in this year for a convertible but I'm really struggling to decide which one. I've got 16-18K to spend and want something with a bit of performance (like the FTO), a bit of class and about 2-3 years old.
Any suggestions? Read more
Nice one carayzee, just what I wanted to hear. Most of my miles are done on the motorway so I thought I might get away with a bigger engine.
Just had a quick look at Autotrader online and trade, forcourt price seems to be between 14 and 16K for lowish miles.
Thanks for your help
Has anybody used this fuel system cleaner? It is three times the price of any other treatment (Wynns, STP etc.) at the local car store - £14.99, but it is "BMW approved" with a BMW part number! I would welcome any feedback on whether it is any good. Forte products are another alternative, but unless you are in the trade these are difficult to get it would seem. Read more
Comma belongs to ExxonMobil (Esso)...so I would imagine it's ok.
Hello,
Vectra 1999, 2.0 Di.
I\'ve had a number of problems (all minor) recently and they all turned out to be cured with a new airflow sensor (suprise, suprise!). This was fitted a little over a month ago and the car really is 200% better than it was - it\'s amazing what you get used to isn\'t it?
Anyway, recently - the last week or so - I\'ve noticed that during the first mile or so starting from cold, when holding a constant speed (30mph) the engine *sounds* as though it\'s surging once every second or so - not by much, but the change in engine tone is definitely there. I say *sounds* because that\'s the only symptom - the car doesn\'t actually physically surge, or not that I can tell - it just sounds as though it does. At higher speeds the engine seems fine and once warmed up it\'s ok at lower speeds to, so I\'m at a loss.
I\'m not particularly worried at the moment, just interested to find out what may be causing it.
Kind regards,
Cyrill666 Read more
SWMBO is taking her car off the road next month ( 1.3l white Maestro 45K miles) when she goes on maternity leave. We're not planning on putting it back on the road for some time as we won't be able to afford it (she's not planning on getting another job for a while) However she's quite attached to the car and wants to store it in the garage until such time as we can put the car back on the road. Would this be viable for such a quality vehicle and how long would you store it for? I think my main concern is that they'll be a car taking up space in my garage, requiring regular checking and with a chance of it not actually passing its MOT/moving when it comes to put it back on the road.
Any advice on my predicament? Read more
Having at various times stored both classics and old bangers, I think there are two possible approaches here.
1) for a proper classic, or something you really want to preserve. Give it the full works - support on blocks, fresh oil, dehumidifier, etc as others have outlined.
2) Don't do anything special, except an oil change. Keep it in running order, and start it every month. Run it up to full operating temperature, and move it backwards and forwards in the garage or drive to keep the clutch and brakes free .
It might be worth taking it for an MOT beforehand, and getting an opinion on anything looming but not a failure yet. Some testers can be very helpful if you chat to them.
Surprisingly few problems with my motor at the moment ('95 1.9TD LX Xantia).
However, did notice that after about 2 or 3 minutes after setting off from a cold start, the heater fan speed picks up noticably.
My questions are:
Is this normal, or is it a sign that the battery is struggling to produce enough juice (I'm assuming its when the glow plugs switch off)?
How long should a battery be relied on for?
The car always splutters for a few seconds, despite catching immediately when cold starting. Could this be that the battery is low and not giving the glow plugs enough juice to heat up to optimum temperature?
Mike Read more
If your batteries a few years onld and with the slightest doubt over it, I think it's worth changing before it lets you down completely at the least convenient moment - you wouldn't puposefully leave any other part on you car until it leaves you stranded before replacing it.
A diesel will be much happier with a new battery, as cranking speed is a major factor in starting performance.
For info,, the BOSCH batteries are made by Varta - excellent batteries - original fit on many expensive German cars. The Silver ones claim to give an extra 30% cold cranking amps - this will give much less voltage drop when cranking with the glowplugs on etc....
I'm thinking of buying a used Audi TT. Trouble is, their online reliability index is dreadful. Obviously this is a bit worrying as I am thinking of buying one with about 50K on the clock. I'd be interested to hear any views on the reliability of the TT (good or bad) from any source, particularly current/past owners. Is it an unreliable car? Am I unwise to buy one with fairly high miles?
All information gratefully received.
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The latest VW/Audi reliability figures are down to the coil pack problem. The TT is worst simply because of the fact that they all (at the time of the survey) had the 1.8t engine; this is shown by the way that the most/least reliable models in the VW group range is almost entirely related to the percentage of models with that engine and thus the coil packs.
Look for one where the coil packs are either outside the affected dates, or have been changed, and you should have no particular reliability issues.
Of course, the TT is an overpriced, not especially exciting, obvious choice that is the ubiquitous transport of estate agents from Clapham unless they have a company MINI, but none of that makes it unreliable.
Browse
As you say, head in footwell, undo 3 screws, unplug lead - and you may have to work the motor from side to side before it separates from the soft seal. Problems with motor usually start with twittering in cold weather - can be cured by lubricating the bearing inside the square section which takes one of the screws. Never had a failed motor, so can't advise there. Oh - you may have accumulated debris in the fan, which could just make it jam.