May 2004
Interesting differences in road usage between us and the States, they can turn right on red lights and overtake on any side on freeways:this greatly reduces the road rage as there cannot be lane hoggers. The roads are usually wide but the downside is the long long wait at lights and the pay for fuel before you fill and then queue again for your change. however at $1.80 I would gladly queue 3 times over here. The road tolls can be a pain as they crop up regularly until you get to know an area. Read more
Car is a Merc C240 auto (fuel injected, of course). Done 104K miles, mostly trouble-free. I do about 58 miles a day, back-and-to to work, virtually all on dual carriageway (50-70mph).
It\'s developed a habit of cutting out unexpectedly. While this rarely happens (only three or four times in the last 3K miles), it\'s irritating. It has only ever happened when I\'m in a queue, and when the engine\'s about three quarters warmed up. Typically, I\'ll be stopped, foot on brake (selector in \'drive\') and the engine just cut out, all dash lights on, and no engine. If I select Park, switch off and restart, the engine starts again instantly. It cut out this morning, but on this occasion the engine was nearly up to temperature and it took about three or four seconds to start. whatever, on every occasion, the car\'s worked fine afterwards - until it happens again.
Last Monday I was stuck on the A2 for about two and a half hours, moving at less than walking pace, but it never cut out once - but of course the engine was at working temperature. There\'s no problem with overheating, by the way. I don\'t use cheap petrol, and never have done.
It has always started instantly after being left, whether from freezing conditions overnight or after the weekly trip to Tesco\'s.
It\'s serviced regularly by a specialist (and before the mileage got so high by a dealer).
Naturally, I don\'t want it to cut out and get stranded because it decides not to re-start! What could be wrong? And should I be worried?
Any ideas would be welcome (apart from buying a new one!)
Cheers
Richard Read more
I have at least one front wheel bearing gone on a 1999 T reg 1.8 focus and have been quoted £180.00 parts and labour and that also include new front brake pads
More than i was expecting so what I would like to know is how difficult a job front wheel bearings are ?
I would use a haynes manual is it a feasible job to undertake for a novice or am I wasting my time
Thanks for any help
Read more
Didn't know that bearings were actually available complete with hub. That would seem a good option for home mechanics because removing the hub is (relatively!) easy with ordinary tools, whereas the 'pressing' of the bearing really needs the proper kit. I know it says in some manuals that you can 'get by' with large vices or suchlike, but really, the chances of damage are just too high. £70 is still much cheaper than paying a garage to do the job and because the bearing itself is properly fitted you could be confident of a job well done.
Graeme
I am looking for a car to replace my 3.1td 1997 trooper I would like to purchase a new shape 3.0doch diesel trooper but have heard some horror stories about that engine. Can any body back this up or put my mind at rest? What is the problem with this engine? Thanks in advance for any replies. Read more
Has nobody any opinions on the new isuzu trooper?
Sometimes experience 'electronic interference' which is again sometimes announced by the red ignition light coming on, then the central locking clicks as well as a small reduction in engine revs. The battery in the key has been replaced and the car is 3 yrs old with 22,000 miles. It has only been happening for approx 3 months and there is nothing else that appears to be wrong . Has anybody got any ideas what this can be or if it will get worse Read more
sounds like alternator probs.
possibly a stuck brush, failing diode, or the pulley momentarily siezing,(are the sides of the belt shiny?).
alternatively, something large may be "cycling" in, taking large current.(air-con?),and if alternator not 100% may be causing the power drop that causes door locks to click.
billy.
[snip]
I have removed this note. Whilst I am sure it was posted with the best of intentions, it is a known hoax.
By popular request I include the following link to this and other urban legends....
urbanlegends.about.com/library/blbyol16.htm
As an aside, any e-mail which contains messages similar to the following are almost always hoaxes....
\"........I would ask that you pass this info on to all your family, friends and colleagues.............\"
Mark Read more
Well i think my fuel system is needing cleaned out. I am sure the tank must have a fair amount of sludge etc.
The car isn't starting and i am 100% sure its to do with the fuel system.
So would i take the fuel tank off and clean it out ?
What about the pipes/lines, how do i clean them out ?
thanks Read more
let us know how it goes
--
(iam not a mechanic)
Martin Winters
I'm after one of the above but don't have any experience in buying them. I was wondering if any of you lot had come accross specialist sourcing companies who'd do the "running around" to get a good one
thanks Read more
If you buy one, budget £2k for repairs in event of things going wrong...
madf
My BIL is an auto electrician and he was telling me recently that most new batteries are fitted to cars in a lowly state of charge. This then puts excessive strain on the alternator, which in many cases results in the unit overheating & prematurely burning itself out. One questions whether some unscrupulous garages are knowingly carrying out this practice with the view that the customer will be back later requiring a new alternator. So if you are a DIYer, it would make sense to ensure your new battery is fully charged before fitting it into your vehicle. Read more
Just a bit of motoring memorabilia of passing interest:
Long, long ago, when people often used to lay up their cars in the winter, one of the procedures was to dry-store the battery. This consisted of charging it, dismantling, drying and storing the individual cells, draining and storing the acid.
In the spring, the casing was cleaned out, the cells inspected, cleaned, replaced as necessary, the acid filtered or renewed, the whole put back together and the top re-sealed with bitumin or wax.
Not now much used by family motorists I suspect, but probably still applicable in industrial, railway or marine use in large installations.
I've had my corsa for 5 years now and just last week I noticed it struggling to set off in first gear, it was as though there was no power, I would put my foot down but it wouldn't go anywhere especially when the engine was warm. The engine management light came on when it was struggling to get up a hill in 3rd gear. My local garage read the code which indicated a problem with the oxygen sensor, this was replaced and was ok for 4 days and then the engine light came on again this morning. Any ideas what the problem could be?
Read more
.jpg)
BazzaBear,
"I get the feeling that these crossings didn't have light controls for the pedestrians, and that they just automatically get priority if they're on the crossing. Can anyone shed light on that?"
I have had exactly the same situation a couple of times and questioned some American friends about this. I understand that all pedestrian crossings(called crosswalks) are controlled by lights at junctions where there are traffic lights. When a motorist turns right at a traffic light he should give way to pedestrians on a crosswalk. When the motorist has a green light to go straight ahead he should not have to give way to pedestrians as(in theory) they would be going against a red light/don't walk indication.
However apparently there have some incidents where pedestrians incorrectly using crosswalks have been hurt and subsequently won damages on the grounds that the motorist could, and should, have avoided hitting them. Case histories involve claims that the pedestrian lights were out of order and that the injured party was physically handicapped and therefore moved slowly. This has led to an(incorrect) assumption by some pedestrians that if they start crossing well before a car arrives they have priority.
I am told by these American friends that this has become quite an issue in some areas and some militant pedestrians deliberately 'take on' motorists. Their advice was very firmly to give way to any pedestrian.