March 2004

Question Cavalier 16V Ecotec Failed MOT Emissions

howy686 on 30 March 2004

My 2.0 Cavalier SRI 16V (Ecotec X20XEV) just failed the MOT due to high CO reading. The CO reading was 0.59% in the high-revs test (around 4000rpm I think) compared with the pass limit of 0.3%.

On the other hand the CO drops to around 0.3% at tickover.

The guy tried his best by running fast for several minutes to see if the CAT would warm-up - but no good.....

All other gasses were OK including Lambda at 1.02% - I recently changed the oxygen sensor.

Does anyone recognise this pattern - it's done 74000 miles on the original CAT but of cause you want to be sure before spending big money on this part.

I changed the air filter recently and it seems to be running OK but maybe more thirsty in the last 12 months.

Any suggestions most welcome.

Thanks
Howard Read more

howy686 on 1 April 2004

The air filter is new, but it is close to oil-change time.

Thanks for the tip about the O2 sensor test - I'll try that, but it should be OK because I changed it just before Christmas. It's a genuine GM part.

Howard

Forum Nippy Smart Car

Archie on 30 March 2004

Driving home tonight I was following a Smart City car, noticed the wheels were a little wider than usual. When we got to a gap in the traffic it disappeared at a phenomenal speed with a lovely howling exhaust. When I passed it later I saw that it was fitted with a Suzuki GSX-R 1000 engine. No wonder it went so well! I want one! Read more

SjB {P} on 1 April 2004

Holy smoke.
Seen the size of that drive sprocket?!
www.smartsrus.com/images/evil-twin_z-cars/main-pic...g

Forum Vauxhall Astra SXI 1.7 CDTi

reynolds on 30 March 2004

Purchased this car today from trade-sales. 6000 miles on the clock metallic blue paid £8999. I can?t find a price anywhere for this car not even with Glass. Does this sound like a good deal to you lot?? Read more

reynolds on 31 March 2004

Sorry I forgot to put all the info. It’s on a 53 plate with 6,200 miles on the clock. I was just a bit worried as it’s the old Astra model and thought it might start depreciating like mad. The car is 15,000 new so I thought 9 was a reasonable price. It was also 3,000 under the target price in What Car if new so I thought that was pretty good considering only 6,000 miles.

Also had a look at the Polo Twist 1.4 (TDI) which was same price but that was only £1,000 less than What Car recommended price and didn’t even have a CD player

Forum In Car DVD Systems.

Fullchat on 30 March 2004

Has any backroomer any experience of the portable DVD 'in car' systems that are on the market? Any recommendations.?

Thats the silver circular things not our legal wealth of knowledge backroomer!!!!!!!

Fullchat Read more

puntoo on 30 March 2004

I have a centurion system and the kids are mesmerized on long journey's. No whinging (from them and me) and probably the best £399 I ever spent. You can also plug a playstation into the base unit.

The only problems that I have are where to mount the thing without drilling lots of holes and that the speaker is in the back of the screen, so the sounds projects forward (solved by buying some cheap portable speakers).

Forum Honda Civic Type S v. Mercedes A-class

Avant on 30 March 2004

Still searching for my wife's next car - current;y she has a Honda Jazz - excellent but not quite enough oomph.

Anyone got any experience of the Honda Civic S-type (2 litre) or the Mercedes A-class: the A140 wouldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding but the 160 and diesel 170 should be better.

From what I read people seem to be pleased with their Hondas
(as we are) but disappointed with their Mercs.

(I still think the Skoda Fabia vRS is ideal for her needs, but she won't be seen in one. And she's not having my Audi A4 Avant 2.5 TDI - it's the best car of the 15 I've had in 35 years!)

David Duvall
Read more

NowWheels on 31 March 2004

It's the newer term for "steering into the skid".

Thanks for the explanation! That was very clear.

So now I geddit: when you're driving too fast, "opposite lock" is a way of driving into the hedge on the right rather than the one on the left ;-)

I suppose whether this is a good idea it depends on who's in the passenger seat ...

Question Overfilled Oil

Wales Forester on 30 March 2004

I had my 1.8 Mondeo serviced at a Ford main agent 3 weeks ago.
As the car had used some oil in the last few months I decided to check the oil level this evening.

I drove home from work, parked up and left the car for about 10 mins to let the oil drain back into the sump.

I then dipped it and found that the oil level is 5-6 mm above the MAX mark.

I am aware what damage can be caused by overfilling etc, but how far over the MAX mark should I worry about it, is there any acceptable margin for error?

PP Read more

659FBE on 31 March 2004

An overfill of this order probably won't matter, especially if the level is soon lowered by the engine burning oil. The only exception to this I have found is the small PSA IDI diesel, which wets its timing belt if filled to max. (7/8 full is OK).

The best way to relieve an engine of a little oil is to unscrew the filter with a bowl underneath. Screw it back up when enough has come out, unless the engine is so overfull that you have to run the engine with the filter tight to refill it.

659.

Question Renault Scenic Noise from Drivetrain

toneB on 30 March 2004

Hi to Forum
bought a scenic last night with 34k on clock - private owners who appeared honest and said it had been superb for her. FSH 12months MOT etc., £4000 cash. Took it to work today and it drives superb - drove superb. After 140miles a noise has appeared in fourth and fifth and poss lower gears but noise appears speed related, coming from left hand front corner. Noise disappears when you put your clutch in or pop it into neutral and coast at 70mph (so cant be tyres,wheelbearings or driveshaft presumably ?). I have heard Scenics have weak boxes - am I the worlds unluckiest (and now skint) car buyer ?. Any advice would be greatly appreciated (especially as we are booked on a ferry to France in 10 weeks) Thanks Read more

Aprilia on 1 April 2004

Have a look around the gearbox for any 'wet' areas. Look around the drive shafts and the oil pan gasket. Noticed any drips on the drive? The oil must have gone somewhere - gearboxes don't naturally 'use' oil.

Forum Meet at the Motorshow?

top turkey on 30 March 2004

As suggested in another thread, is there any interest in a meet at the '04 Motorshow in Birmingham?

I'd be there - that makes....1

TT Read more

madf on 31 March 2004

Yes : almost any day except yoga day (tuesday)

madf

Question Rover T-Series Camshaft Oil Seal leak

MarkSmith on 30 March 2004

Hi folks,

Car is a Rover 220 Turbo coupe with the T-series engine. Oil is leaking from the seal around the rear end of the exhaust camshaft, under the distributor cap. Not pouring out, but definitely leaking.

This seal was recently replaced as part of a head overhaul.

Garage's line is that the cause is worn piston rings causing blow-by, hence increased crank-case pressure, hence increased head pressure pushing oil past the seal.

There is a tiny smear of oil in the breather by the inlet cam on the same side, but I mean a smear.

Does the diagnosis (bad piston rings blowing out head oil seals) sound reasonable? Personally I would have thought the breathers would be a much easier route to relieve excess pressure, but I'd like an exper opinion.

Or does it sound like a poorly fitted / defective oil seal?

None of the others appear to be leaking - but they're also not as easy to see so don't take this as gospel.

Any tests I can do to move the investigation along?

Thanks!
Mark

Read more

MarkSmith on 1 April 2004

Thanks all for the advice.

I have also asked some enthusiasts and the AA tech support people. Unanimous opinion is that they are talking from their bottoms.

They have agreed to have another look at it, and they split an air-con pipe when they were doing the head so it has to go back for that to be fixed anyway. If they don't come up with the goods I'll do the seal myself. To be honest if it had sprung the leak of its own accord I'd have just got on with it and replaced the seal. But I feel agrieved at paying £643 and then having to put the job right myself.

Oil comes out after 5k almost the same colour it went in, by the way.

As for changing my garage - I think I will be doing this too. Their method of diagnosing the piston ring problem (water on top of the pistons - see if it soaks past) has left everyone completely flabberghasted. Finding good garages is extremely hard though. One of the HJ recommended ones (Hilton) is about half a mile from my house so perhaps I'll try them next.

Or perhaps I'll just buy a skateboard.

Thanks again!
-Mark

Forum To Mondeo or not to Mondeo.......

Ellis on 30 March 2004

Hello all,

Anticipating a replacement for my trusty Cavalier sometime in next 6 months. Keeping it shortish, after research on this forum and others I have come to the conclusion that the new shape Mondeo 1.8 will easily handle in comfort my 300 mile weekly commute and accommodate the breadknife & two kids and associated gubbins, good handling, cheap to repair, good mpg 45+ m'ways, depreciation will have levelled out on the +/-60k "Y" reg I'm looking for.

I have researched Avensis, Legend, Mondeo TDCI and Vectra as direct competitors, and discounted all, what I would like to know is am I missing something?, either on the opinion I have on the mondeo or a car I have not thought of.

Budget 5k looking at purchase from auction
Cheap to insure, repair, get pattern parts for and DIY jobs on
Hold the family kit
Reliable.

Comments and opinions welcome,

Thanks

Ellis

Read more