August 2004
I have problems when accelerating over 70mph, driving with a load, or with less than 1/4 tank of diesel. Car hesitates, looses power and goes into limp mode. Occasionally ECU light comes on but no fault codes are showing. Local dealer changed the MAF but problem is still there.
I think it may be the fuel pump as my MPG is also getting worse. Usually a tank will do 530 but struggled to get 510 miles out of it this time with same driving conditions. Car had done 73,000 miles.
Anyone else had this problem? Read more
Vx omega 2.0L 16v ecotec-auto box- 95k L-reg
Hi all, lost lots of coolant from radiator top hose last night,where the hose fits onto the rad. The rad is ok & the hose is only 3 months old. It's as if there's too much pressure & that's where it blows. I tested the thermostat 3 months ago & it was fine.(the pan of water test). I've had concerns for a while of a suspect head-gasket,but there's really no power loss nor emulsion nor oil in expansion tank.
Is this also a known symptom of gasket failure?
By the way, is £350 dear for the head job on this car? Seems dear to me.
Thanks, Pete Read more
What's the best way of adjusting the headlights for driving on the continent?
My new (last of the old-style) Scenic has twin headlights with no obvious area to cover to remove the kerbside bit of the dipped beam.
Previous cars had a moulding in the lens to cover with black tape or a ridged deflecting lens.
Thanks guys Read more
Get one of the headlamp deflector kits from halfords, Contains a thing you stick on the headlamp glass. It has the location for the scenic 1 (facelift) I remember seeing it on the sheet.
I'm STILL really please with my 115,000 mile 1996 Mercedes S280.
One bizarre thing though. EVERY day when I start the car and take off, theres a very quiet noise, and I can feel a vibration in the brake pedal for a second or so. It's as if it's checking something.
Just intrigued. Out of interest.
PS I recommend Andy Gayle in Birmingham to all Mercedes owners. Full major service £240! Not Mercedes £700 plus.
Thanks in advance.
rojer@lycos.co.uk
Astra, Renault 18, Renault 25 TXi, Astra Est, Passat Est, Mercedes 190E, Mercedes Read more
"Ignition problems due to HT tracking" --- Er .. I give
up. What's that?
Shimmy --- The car DOES have a steering wobble about 63-69
mph but I thought that was due to tracking (MASSIVE front
left tyre wear on last set of tyres! Four new tyres
fitted and balanced) that Mr Gayle is gonna fix. What does
shimmying entail? Why's it happen. How do I spot it?
I had the condensor replaced in Year one as it happens
cos it had a leak. Mr Gayle of course. Other than
avoiding gravel and snow and using the air con in the
winter, any other precautions to take?
rojer@lycos.co.uk
Astra, Renault 18, Renault 25 TXi, Astra Est, Passat Est, Mercedes
190E, Mercedes
HT is 'High Tension' - i.e. the high voltage part of the ignition system. 'Tracking' is when the voltage doesn't go where it should and results in misfiring, which can have all sorts of nasty consequences. Basically its a case of keeping an eye on the condition of all of the HT parts of the ignition system and keeping is all very clean (wipe over with a rag with some silicone on it). Replace any parts that look deteriorated straight away.
Front-end shimmy is an oscillation from the front of the car as you describe. It is due, in part, to a design flaw in the car and was especially bad on the earler W140's. In fact I think in the US there was a 'class action' against MB on the part of a group of W140 owners. It is supposed to be less of a problem on later cars thanks to some modifications.
I wouldn't have thought that a tracking error would have caused your 'wobble' (this would more likely be a wheel balance problem) but keep an eye on the front end components and have it all checked out. I would be surprised if the front tracking is wildly out because the W140 steering linkage is massively strong and it would take quite a bang to know it out of alignment. It could be that you have a worn component (bush/balljoint).
I was refering to the air-con evaporator - not condensor. One way I've heard of making the evap corrode less is to switch the aircon off about 10 mins before the end of a journey - that way it can dry off. Don't know if it works or not long term.
As to the condensor, you could give a blast of wax at the front bottom (Waxoyl, Ankor Wax or similar). Might help??
There's too many pictures of this for it to be a photoshop job, but the result is pretty cool!
forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=848531&page=1
--
Lee
MINI adventure in progress Read more
Covered here before, back in May last year!
In that case, I'll lock this thread. DD.
Does anyone else have problems getting comfortable in a Mondeo? I can get a perfect driving position in my 53 reg TDCi 130LX, but after an hour or two I start aching, shifting about and feeling generally uncomfortable, particularly around the lower back area. I haven't any back trouble, and never have had. The seats are much firmer than in my previous generation Mondeo, but seem well shaped etc. I'd appreciate any thoughts, please. Graham
Read more
In similar vein:-
Vauxhall VX220 - dreadful seat
Maybe. Might agree if I could get IN the thing!
I take your point, but VX220's really do have the worst seats I have ever sat in. They are all concave and don't seem to give eny support at all (to me).
Right ! I\'m getting a new car and I\'ve narrowed it down to a Seat Leon Cupra or a Honda Civic Type R , but I\'m flummoxed! Could anyone advise me please?!!! Read more
There is a way to stop the Impreza looking ugly.
Just specify the gold alloy wheels. Then it looks ridiculous, instead.
The front tyres on my Passat have worn right down, on the innermost edges only, in 8,000 miles, indicating a tracking problem. The previous front tyres, of exactly the same type, had done 23,000 miles and were transferred to the rear where they\'ve done another 8,000, making a total of 31,000 miles.
I queried this with the tyre retail chain involved, and the response was that I\'d probably hit a pot-hole and in any case tracking should be checked every 3 months. OK, for 100% precision, maybe - but surely adjusting the steering so frequently could in itself lead to problems with locknuts and threads.
I thought steering linkages are the one item that\'s always over-engineered for safety reasons - I can\'t believe it could be so delicate.
The fitter used a blowtorch to free the locknut when he did the tracking - I\'ve since learned that this should never be done. The tracking equipment gave the correct reading, but if the linkage was hot at the time, would the components contract sufficiently when cold to give toe-out bad enough for this level of wear?
Any opinions?
Cheers, Sofa Spud Read more
SS,
On my old polo (and may other VW motors), both the camber and toe in are adjustable. In one instance the tracking (toe) was spot on, but the camber was out.
Not many fast fit places have the kit to check this, but most VAG places do. Prices vary, but its worth doing (I get it checked every inspection service).
Joe
Has anybody brought a mazda 6 (or any other car) sold my
www.new-car-discount.com/
If so how did you find the service etc... mazda dealers seem to think they cannot sell the mazda for 1.8 ts for the advertised price!
Would like any feedback on this and generally the mazda 6, road noise etc... Read more
What Car? magazine details the best discount price you can expect for virtually any model on the market and, if no one will match it, offers to find out who will for you.
My colleage at work has a problem. On saturday a mountain bike rider crashed into his staionary vehicle which is a Mitubishi FTO. The cyclist ran away leaving his passenger wing severly dented. His compusory excess is £250 but his insurance company are saying it wil be £450. Is this right. Can you help or advise
Read more
If he is to get it repaired does anyone know where he can get a Mitubishi FTO N/S front wing. He lives in Leicester
Browse
I don't think it will be the cap, these aren't the old metal ones with springs and seals etc.. I have never seen test kits for sale, only at garages who use them.