August 2004
A colleague has just managed to put £65 of unleaded into a '99 TD5 Discovery. She drove approx 1/4 mile before it ground to a halt, then she proceeded to try and restart it, pouring more petrol through the system.....
I'm aware that with some cars this is worse than with others. Does anyone know if the TD5 can get away with a flush out or are we talking new pumps, injector seals etc? Read more
...not.
My very good friend and fellow rider Jean-Pierre is an unreconstructed Frenchman. Thus he brought to the Philippines (at great expense and considerable under the table payments to the Bureau of Customs) a....you've guessed it....a Megane. Not for him a trustworthy demure and submissive Japanese ready to cater to his every whim at 2/3 the price, but rather a moody unpredictable femme of a car whose seductive overtones belied a basic inability to perform.
There is no Renault dealership in the Philippines. The car, apart from having a feeble Euro a/c, was not tropicalised, i.e. made for the climate and road conditions we encounter. These, combined with the mounting DHL bills for parts from La France and the time spent in la garage, meant that this example of fine Gallic engineering, soon became a general pain in the derriére. Even the forever inventive Filipino mechanics, who can generally raise the automotive dead given a few beers and a bit of head-scratching, were frequently at a loss.
After nearly 4 years this wretched conveyance has finally expired, even JP admits to this. Its fragile suspension and feeble mechanics are beyond salvation.
So what does he do? He orders another one from La France.
J-P I can deal with your liking for snails and eating snake, I realise you chaps are not like us at all. I know that you are a Norman and do not consider yourself part of modern day France and that your countrymen ensured the English Royal Family spoke French for about 3 centuries and to this day our heraldry is still so described, I respect the fact you retired from a fine career in the French Diplomatic service, I think your country has a sleazeball for a President and so does mine but that's not our fault, I like you as a friend, but doesn't your choice of car lack a certain je ne sais quoi in the learning department?
Well, as they say, he who ignores the pasta is doomed to reheat it. (Or was that for Alfa owners?)
Apres ça, la deluge (with apologies to Charles de Gaulle). I can see it coming, "G, mon vieux, (slaps on back) can you get DHL (my old employer) to get me a good price on shipping another cylinder head....." "Well, J-P, us Brits are historically used to getting you guys out of the merde, so I'll do what I can...."
..exits stage left with Gallic shrugs and hands extended palm upwards.....
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"zis car she is a Renault anyway, ne c'est pas?"
But isn't that a reciprocal arrangement? You could equally say that his previous car was a Nissan! At least it might reduce his sang-froid...
I have a 2002 1.4 16V clio this is exhibiting all the problems that I have read about elsewhere in this forum which are resolved by replacing the coolant temperature sensor - namely uneven running for the first few minutes when the engine is totally cold, but thereafter all is well until the engine cools down overnight.
But - where do I find this sensor - what colour are the leads connected to it? I have a Haynes manual covering all models up to 2001, but the layout for this newer engine has changed enough to make this manual useless.
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Thanks - there is a sensor there, difficult to get to the pins to measure the resistance - but I will manage somehow - if the worst comes I will take the sensor out, but that means draining some coolant
During the recent heavy rain I have noticed a leak in the passenger footwell. It's not a huge amount but enough to dampen the carpet. I won't have a chance to explore further until the w/e. Before I start messing around with watering cans and torches can anyone suggest a likely source for the leak.
Initial thoughts were in no particular order:
Windscreen seal, pollen filter (I know a blocked filter can cause leaks on other cars not sure about Hondas though), door membrane.
Many thanks 9000. Read more
I tried to bleed my brakes on my pug 405, but when i tried to loosen the nipple in the front caliper, the nipple just snapped. I don\'t want to try the other side incase i do the same again. I tried to loosen the nipple by the usual fashion of unscrewing anti-clockwise. Does anyone know if you unscrew these anti-clock wise or clockwise, or if someone could give any tips on how to loosen these. Many Thanks Read more
It's a common problem on Bendix braked Peugeots.
Replaceing the caliper with a recon unit for GSF is often the best answer. Not expensive either.
--
groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
Is Nissan still a Japanese owned company?
Clearly there is cooperation between many manufacturers. Nissan and Renault, for example. But is this as far as it goes with Nissan?
Sorry if this subject has already been aired.
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Datsun was a nicer name. Looked better spelled in Kanji as well.
IIRC (and I'm back in the '60's here where there were many Japanese cars in Australia) before that it was called Prince Motors.
Goodness, the vino has a left a few brain cells untouched and I'm right:
zhome.com/History/Truth/Prince.htm
Hi,
Today my little AX, which is in great general condition (30000 miles) is suffering.
I notice this morning that my clock stopped, my front headlights do not work, and my radio memory is playing up, and my immobiliser is, well, immobilised.
Now, after consulting the handbook, many of the faults are associated with one particular 20A fuse. I have changed this fuse (which actually looked fine), but the problems are still there!
Does anyone have any ideas?
Would it be a connection, if so, any ideas where?
What may have caused it? The clock didn't stop immediately after starting the car, took about 5 mins.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
My AX may not stimulate very exciting discussion, but i need my lights...
Thanks,
Dave. Read more
The AX is to some extent a derivative of the Cit LNA/Talbot Samba/Pug104. Does it have a multiple earthing point on the nearside by the radiator and vulnerable to roadspray etc?. If so check and clean all connections then, if this clears yr probs thoroughly waterproof.
Hi all. I\'m a new user to this fine website and I\'m hoping that somebody...somewhere(!)can give me some advice with a problem.
I have an N reg auto Rover 114 8v. The problem is with the idle speed: it either ticks over too quickly, or not at all. I have changed the temp sensor to the ECU, but the fault\'s still there.
Any one out there got any suggestions as to what it could be? All ideas are gratefully received.
Many thanks
Clown Doctor.
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The back end of my car has been severely dented by a lorry. I was stopped on the M4 and he ran into me.
The car is seven years old with 140K on the clock, I cannot think that the insurers will sanction a repair, I feel it is not economic. In 2001 I paid £4.5K for the car and after three years I feel I will be lucky to get more than £1.5K from the insurers. If the car is written off, that means I will have to find ~£3k to buy another similar car. Now I understand the insurers will only pay what the car is worth just prior to the crash. Do I, through my Uninsured Losses Policy have any redress ie ask for a sum of money extra to compensate me if I buy a car in a similar condition but costing more than the ~£1.5k.
I shal be claiming for the usual things such as the excess and damaged goods in the boot. Any other legal thoughts. I'm of to see the Dr. to check for whiplash and spinal injuries in the morning.
Many thanks. Read more
& somebody posted a few months ago that you should give your car a *good* valeting before they come to value it (if they come) as this will increase its value. So (if you believe this) polish those alloys, bumper black, tyre black, empty the ashtray, a new Magic Tree etc. etc.
I have just had a few days in Yorkshire and have come across a new confusing traffic signal. At some cross roads the main ahead signal is RED but underneath or at the side is a GREEN signal for the same direction!? This of course put me in great confusion....which do I obey? I sort of slowed down and observed what the state of play was with other traffic and went when I thought it was safe. Any N Yorks folks able to elucidate.? Read more
I'm sure that in a few years temporary traffic lights will have small cameras built in, to catch the drivers going through on red. After all they have the technology to detect if a car is there, and it wouldn't take much to adapt them.
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ND
To answer your original question...
I made exactly thesame mistake in an unregistered Vauxhall Bravo pickup, although I only put £5 worth of petrol into the vhehicle. Yes I was one of those delivery drivers that got it wrong;)
Advice as follows;
Drain the whole contents of the tank (into the V8 as there won't be any diesel in there to contaminate it, or very little)
As someone else said, change the oil. But only for a good flushing oil first that allows you to run the car for a few hours or so. Express factors do these at reasonable prices IIRC
Now petrol is less viscous than diesel so your injectors may be OK. Just to be on the safe side you may try putting a few litres of diesel then adding a good trade supplied injector cleaner first and turning the engine over. Once started run it like cazy for a little while. In the longer term, get the emmisions checked - this will give you some indication as to the injector condition.
Once this is sorted, change the oil again for the correct grade of oil and see how things go.
Alternitively if she wants to sell the car and get another V8 to avoid making the same mistake again, e mail me with the spec, mileage etc and asking price. I may be in the market for a TD5!
Hugo