May 2004
Scenic 51 reg dci 28000 miles
When driving in a straight line, there is a noise coming from the rear, driver's side wheel. Hard to describe, sort of cross between rattle and squeak.
It disappears when i turn, either left or right.
Tyre recently had a puncture fixed.
Any thoughts?
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National Tyres are currently advertising oil and filter changes for £15 using semi-synthetic. Unfortunately we don't have one around here. Does anybody know any other chain that does a similar thing? (Too many phone calls involved to ring them all-at least that's my excuse). Read more
The Ormskirk branch of National Tyres do seem to be very good. My sister dropped her car in for a £15 oil change, and the fitter kindly pointed out that a clip was missing on one sides CV joint gaiter and there was some grease leaking out.
They didn't have one on the shelf, but they ordered one up and fitted it FOC a couple of days later, saving a potentially very costly repair.
Better service than I've ever had from the local Ford dealer, and they charge £55+VAT an hour for the privilege.
A recent experience (in France) prompts this query to you experts out there. The vehicle (a VW motor home, 2.5 tdi) is 6 years old; had its original battery; electrolyte level was regularly and frequently checked (I'm of that generation!); vehicle normally taken for a 50+ mile run every 3 weeks (minimum) if not otherwise used. Never a problem with starting. Go on hols; drive 300 miles. Stop in rural layby. Try to restart: total death! Fortunately local garage comes out to jump start; alternator ok (phew!); battery replaced. Easy.
But some questions asrise, on which I'd welcome comments:
1. Bar chat suggests that modern batteries give no death rattles (such as hestitant starting etc, as used to happen with earlier generation batteries) but are simply fine one moment yet utterly dead the next. Is this really now the case, or was I unlucky?
2. If it is the case, then surely as consumers we need to press manufacturers for a warning? If it is the case, then it's retrograde (and can be mighty inconvenient) to have a battery conk out with zero warning. It can't be beyond the wit of man to devise some indicator of the onset of terminal [no pun intended] battery weakness?
Comments welcome!
Thanks. Read more
In the last 20 years I've had two batteries just die - one minute ok, the next dead as the proverbial dodo. Both were manufacturers original equipment, one citroen and the other rover, and both went at about 5 years. The first one I investigated, and found that the internal connection between two cells had fractured. Of course there was acid spray in the gap, so a low current could flow, but any attempt to use the starter or even headlights and the connection blew out with a PHUUUT! I didn't cut into the second, but the symptoms and sound effects were similar so I believe the same had happened. The bad circuit might have contributed to the imminent self destruct of the electronic ignition system on both cars. I don't see how any predictive gadget could foresee this type of failure. As a general point, modern cars with alternators are much better at keeping a battery near full charge, so as the capacity falls no problems till there is less than the 200 or so ampere-seconds needed for a start, then all the charging in the world isn't much use. In "the good old days" the problem would probably be a flat battery, rather than one that couldn't take a charge.
I need to change the spark plugs on my wife's 1.2 Clio. I've read all the advertising blurb about multi electrode types such as Bosch but wonder if there is really any benefit in fitting such items or whether they might actually cause inferior combustion as some people claim. Does anyone have experience of this type of plug or have any thoughts on them ? The "standard " plugs are a simple NGK or Champion item.
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Thanks I'll probably go for the NGK's and change them evey 10,000 miles - I do an oil + filter change every 5000 and a full service every 10,000 on all my cars.
any one know of a dealer who offers nitrogen tyre inflation in the west midlands.
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Plane and race tyres are filled and purged, then finally charge with dry nitrogen to reduce the hot/cold pressure difference and to avoid water vapaout in the type as with an aircraft this vapour will condense out and freeze at altitude and can cause serious wheel inbalance on landing particularly noticeable on small aircraft nose wheels. It was first introduced in the aircraft industry as a safty issue to avoid any, at pressure, combustion supporting gases and the dry aspect reduces the hot/cold pressure problems. These are the two main resons F1 and others use nitrogen. I always use dry air, never use a gagage airline as they are very high in water content and when I go a tyre place to have new tyres fitted I take a dive bottle and regulator with me. That get some strange looks, but at least my rims do not corrode from the inside. Regards Peter
1.8 LX fiesta diesel 1993
I need to drain the fuel tank. Whats the best way of doing this ?
Should there be a drain plug on the tank, i can't seem to find one ?
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There is no drain;disconnect the return line and run the engine till it stops.
I've seen two of these on the streets of London this week.
They sound as though they're powered with a 2 stroke; traditional push & stand on it sort of scooter - except motorised.
I've seen them driven on roads; pavements.
Are they a new craze? (crazy?) or old. Read more
Not a DIY job, as pulley nut done up to several hundred lbft.
This is the AAR engine.
So I've rung a few places for a quotation - which is pushing towards what I paid for the car at about 300-500. So a few questions:
1. The tensioner. Nobody seems to do these, so it has to be original Audi at £120 or so. How necessary is it to replace the tensioner as well. One mechanic said 'only if it's making a noise'.
2. The waterpump. One garage quoted for its replacement, another didn't and didn't seem to think it necessary. Necessary? Or not?
Thanks!
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Yep, Quinton Hazel do a belt and tensioner kit - QBK290 IIRC....
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
All the better for some new plugs & leads, but still think it could go better (or rather, idle more smoothly). Had a little tug at the rotor arm with a view to buying a new one, and it didn't seem to shift - is there a knack to this? AAR engine.
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Thanks, David.
Oh bliss. Nothing more or less than I would have expected. If I ever meet the man who designed this engine...
For years now I have grown accustomed to treating the MOT as a kind of free check-up. If the car fails the first attempt, I go and fix it and then get the retest free. The examiner glances at the offending item, now replaced or whatever, and then writes out the pass certificate.
Suddenly last week the rules seem to have changed. The examiner did a full repeat test, even down to pulling out the extra child seat belts in the boot to see if they might have been worn out over the weekend, and measuring the tyres to see how much wear had occured in 50 miles.
Is this a new rule, or have I just been lucky in finding sensible examiners in the past who knew how to bend the rules? Read more
Actually, 9 people! My brother's Rover 100 failed on the same point, but he took it to another garage and they passed it first time.
No noise today.......... so far!