January 2004
i have a 1994 2.5 v6 cd omega. is it possable to have cruise control added to it from another omega ???? & if so is it easy to do ??? Read more
I'm not talking about engines and gearboxes etc, but I read in Land Rover Monthly that the rear lights on the Discovery 200 TDi and the V8 up to 1994 (L reg with the smaller headlights) are those used on the Maestro van.
Next time you see a maestro van look at the rear lights. They are identical to those used on the Discos (with indicators incorporated).
As if that wasn't a revelation, look at the headlights from the same Land Rover. Then compare them to the Sherpa (not the LDVs etc). Apperently they are the same as well, though mine do have the Land Rover logo on them.
Apparently, the early Discoveries did make a lot of use of existing OEM parts for other Rover models at the time. The Maestro/Montego style indicator and wiper arms are an obvious clue.
No doubt this is more evidence for the anti Discovery fraternity out there. Quite frankly, I don't care, it just means that, should I ever need a back light, finding a cheap one from a breakers shouldn't pose much of a problem. I'll just tell them its for a Maestro van so the price stays low.
What other bits fit two or more completely different vehicles?
Hugo
"Forever indebted to experience of others" Read more
TVR Griffith:
Side indicator repeaters - Fiat Panda
Driving lights - BMW 3 Series E30
Steering column and rear lights - Vauxhall Cavalier
Door mirrors - Citroen CX
Speedometer base unit (though not the scale on the front obviously) - Tractor
I was considering buying a cheap diesel. I would prefer something easy to work on as I\'ll be changing the oil amongst other stuff myself. My mk3 1.3 fiesta is a delight to work on \'cos there\'s stacks of space under the bonnet. Just really wanted some opinions from a few DIYers. Are the fiesta diesels chain driven by the way ?
The options are:-
Fiesta Mk3/4
Peugeot 306
any others worth considering ?
cheers
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Peugeot 106 diesel..1.4.
Slow very
But you can find low mileage well looked after ones for £1k.. or slightly less good for less.
55-60mpg, no rust, simple , easy cambelt change..
Watch: hoses.. side hose beside cambelt is £35 ish and prone to fail = headgasket = £ss as aluminium.
Glow plugs tend to go.. suspension arm swivels..
But I find very reliable :SWMBO 's now 10 years old.. 4 seater.. still strong..
Or Peugoet 205 Diesel bit older and can be hi mileage clapped..
Fiesta diesel is just HORRIBLE..makes a 1960s Land Rover look sophisticated..
Whatever the Citroen fanatics say, you do not want a car with hydraulic spheres they will be clapped out.
Simple, rugged, no rust.. reliable..
madf
FIAT Punto. Just back from hiring one.
It had a button on the dash marked Town with a symbol like a T inside a circle.
It was for selecting an increased amount of power steering assistance, I guess for use in town and carparks where more steering effort may be required or is useful.
I am aware of variable/ switchable power steering on up market cars but not come accross this switchable type varient on smaller/cheaper cars.
What other varients are around on small cars?
Will it become the norm?
It seemed quite a good idea and I guess is cheaper than the variable alternative.
It was very interesting to switch it on and off and notice the difference between light and little finger steering. Read more
The girlie switch was what they called it in the ads. All Peugeots and Citroens, right across the range, have power steering that varies according to engine speed--low revs=lots of assistance--and it works very well. Everything is levelling out I think and the manufacturers are going to have to think of other ways to justify price differentials: a friend of mine with a four year-old Mercedes was appalled when I told him my Peugeot has a three year warranty. He said I'll need it, but then he didn't make his money as a standup comic.
Traders - which do you use, and why? Read more
On certain cars and certain models, CAP and Glass's can be miles out. On the stuff i have been looking at, Parkers has been slightly more accurate recently. But this has not always been the case.
Lookng on autotrader is all well and good. It can show you how many of a particular type of car are advertised, which you can contrast with what you think the demand for the car is. But what autotrader does not tell you is what the cars actually sell for. You just have to make an educated guess as to what you can get for it, and what you and others you know have sold similar cars for in the past. 12 months of parkers is a lot cheaper than the £300 or whatever Glass's costs. As King Arthur has wisely said in the past if there are a number of similar cars advertised for widely varying prices, it usually means a lot of them are sticking and only the cheapest are selling.
The guides are more accurate for everyday cars, than rarer or more specialist cars. I have even seen traders advertising what i beleive to be perfectly good cars for LESS than some guides quote for a top book trade purchase. Also the book doesnt tell you how much extra people are prepared to pay for certain extras.
I think if you are buying a certian type of car, you would be better keeping your money and buying parkers etc, and recording and remembering prices cars actually make at auction.
I have a weekend of driving ahead of me, about 600 miles, so I thought I might indulge in my new hobby, counting the number of cars on the road with a single working headlight. Seems to have been an explosion of damaged vehicles on the road since the traffic patrols disappeared but the single headlight seems the current fave.
1 point for one car, double if the car has the one working light continously on full beam.
Start Friday 17:00, finish Sunday 24:00.
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Telephone call from Mr. Freud, Telephone call from Mr. Freud...
Oh its for me...
www.channel4.com/apps26/4car/jsp/main.jsp?lnk=211&...0
If those at the met office are to be believed, we're in for a chilly time! Read more
"I don't think that the local councils can afford to buy in the equipment that they need to clear the sort of snow and ice that we get once every 5 years."
Absolutely correct.
A pal of mine had the responsibility for organising gritting and snow clearing for several counties in southern England. There was the understandable reluctance of councils to spend the large capital sums for snow clearing equipment. However the greatest cost would have been employing the labour to operate and maintain the equipment. This involved not only training but also setting up and paying workers on a standby rota system.
Friend has just been told that his crankshaft pulley has worked loose on his 95 2.5 Pajero, evidently this is a common problem, has anyone any experiance of this?
His 4x4 was drivable to the garage and was showing signs of rougth running below 1500rpm but above was OK, eventualy the drive belt came off and all power steering was lost etc.
The garage is saying that the end of the crank is damaged and therefore he would be better getting a replacement engine.
Views anyone to the extent of the damage? Read more
Depends how bad it it,but we repaired one buy welding a new pully onto the crank,2 years and 15000 miles ago.Certainly cheaper and easier than replacing engines.
Following a serious oil leak, Ford are replacing the gearbox under warranty. Is there likely to have been any damage to any other aspect of the transmission, specifically non-warranty items such as clutch, etc? Read more
Depends whether oil leak was internal or external. If clutch plates are contaminated with oil, they will need replacing.
Can anyone please help me with this intractable problem?:
On morning start-up, my 1997 Primera (SLX 2.0i Automatic)stalls sharply when Drive or Reverse is engaged at the initial idling revs of 1400, and will not engage until the revs have decayed to under about 900, which takes about 5 minutes.
Once engaged the revs tend to 'hunt' a little at first, and the engine judders under braking for the first mile or so. Curiously, on later start-ups in the same day the car engages normally even when the initial revs are at 1400.
I have had the thing investigated by dealers, main distributors and Nissan HQ, and also on their advice repalced the ICV without success. It may be that the ECU is next, but diagnosis by component replacement is expensive and is anyway approaching the residual value of the car, which I cannot in honesty sell on while the fault remains.
Has any kind person some experience of this?
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Thany you Aprilia! Even though I am not technically minded, the thought of a sensor avoiding excessive torque is a persuasive one. I will have both those things checked out too (as well as the throttle body and ECU) Yours, Stewtom
Browse
Sorry, I was thinking of traction control! d'oh!
For CC, mechanical on pre 1998 petrol models.....the actuator/control unit assembly is located on the right strut tower, input from the brake pedal sensor and transmission position sensor are provided to the control unit. IThe harness appears to be incorporated into the standard one.
The control unit must be programmed to the model/designation of car upon installation.
Buy a parts CD and technical manual CD off ebay for all the info and interchangability search for "TIS EPC vauxhall"