October 2004
I have been given a set of spark plugs for my old 405. Powerplugs (www.lectro.com). They suggest improvements in fuel economy of "up to 20%" and "15% more power" from changing to these plugs, with one landrover owner getting 13% more fuel economy. The secret is that the electrodes are "cryogenically treated"
Wow! I can see copper electrodes giveing a wider heat range, and platinum electrodes giving longer life, but how can chilling steel give any effect which lasts longer than the first few seconds?
I suppose if you run a landy for 25 years, and then service it, 13% is easily obtained
The information with the plugs refers to a platinum "catalyst" added to your fuel via the vacuum pipe to the carb as you drive.(www.ctech3000.com) and promises up to 22% increase, guaranteeing 10%. First can lasts 15000 miles, then they send you another can.
Mind you, among the cars which have shown benefits are Austin Princesses and american pick ups
Ah well, the plugs were free!
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Is there any chance someone can help with a bit of an urgent problem?
We have a Seat Toledo (engine is same as VW TDI 110bhp)year 2000. mileage 95k
When starting the engine, as soon as it fires, there's a awful loud metallic graunching type noise causing severe vibration through the car coming from the engine bay which actually stops the engine running as soon as it fires up. This only happens about once in every 12 starts and on trying to start the engine again everything is fine. When this problem occurs, there is a large amount of smoke from the exhaust.
The car runs fine other than this. We're putting on a new starter this week as also when starting, the starter tends to whine on a bit after the engine fires. Hopefully a new starter will sort this. I was rather assuming the starter was somehow jamming in the ring gear and the horrendus noise was the starter cog mashing against the ring gear. But, the cog doesn't seem unduly worn.
Can the starter jam up inside and effectively stop the engine running?
Any other cause for this worrying noise???!!!
Any help and advice much appreciated.
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Good result!
Thanks for posting back here on your progress - it's a shame others don't often do the same!
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
98 Laguna 1.6
Second starter motor failure in less than 6 months, unless there\'s another cause for a \'click\' when turning the ignition.
Do you normally get a warranty on exhange units? I sourced a Hella one from GSF and got the local garage to fit it, but can\'t find a mention of any warranty on the receipt , catalog of web site. Read more
You should have a 12 month/12,000 mile warranty, as with most recon units.
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
Hi everyone,
Last night, returning from the cinema we took the usual short cut along a fairly narrow twisty stretch of road, from Scunthorpe towards the Humber Bridge.
My girlfriend was driving her 1 year old Fiesta.
I noticed a car coming from the opposite direction around a tight bend who still had main beam on.
Suddenly he hit the car, scraping the entire offside of the car.
I jumped into the drivers seat and rushed down the road (the car hadn't stopped) unfortunatley he was long gone.
A quick call to the Police (surely they could keep an eye out for a white mark 4 escort with big scrapes and black paint at midnight!) got us nowhere. They said to come in this morning with our documents and there was nothing they could do.
Such is life I guess, but I will be writing to the Police about their attitude.
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Mark,
As I state in my post WHO TOOK IT AND WHERE IT WAS as in I had personally seem it parked in an open garage.
Yes I do blame the police for not taking action and yes I do think I did the right thing by recovering my own property.
Happy now?
This has been nagging me for ages, but especially since I bought my old Volvo S80 (recently sold) and James May wrote about it in last weeks DTelegraph motoring section.
For years car have been improving is all areas except one - ride quality. Cars now have much wider and lower profile tyres and stiffer suspensions - for what? The whole of Europe is more congested than ever, we drive slower and worse maintained roads than ever. So why do we need cars which are capable of going much faster than ever and therefore need the road holding and handling characteristics to suit the potential speed?
Without getting into details lets think about the cars which buck the trend. Those which do have good handling, but also provide the comfort of an armchair; so that at urban speeds especially, road imperfections, humps and potholes etc are merely noticed slightly rather than really felt. Vehicles made only in the last oohhhh say eight years...
I'll go first.
Subaru Forester Mk1 (not drive Mk2 yet). Father just bought a five year old non turbo model. Incredibly good ride and and handling. Just ignores most surface imperfections, that my Volvo would magnify 100 times.
any others
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Espada III - well if you have a family and need a Lamborghini, what else do you drive? Read more
Second post in thread by Quinny
"Citroen Xantia
Citroen C5
Both handle well and will corner with pretty flat with loads of grip and provide an excellent ride quality."
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Phil
Recently I had to brake heavily and mount the pavement with my front wheel to avoid a collision. After this, the airbag warning light came on and remained on. The next time I turned on the ignition the airbag warning light did not reappear.
How should I interpret this? Have I got a problem or has it rectified itself?
Thanks in advance, backroomers. Read more
Aprilia
Thanks.
Does anyone have any experience with this engine?, particularly when fitted to an Astra?. We've been looking at old shape Astras and the low-spec CDTIs are going for about the same money as higher-spec DTIs. If there is no noticeable difference between the engines (MPG, Power, Noise etc) then choosing between the two would be much easier.
Also, does anyone know if adjustable steering columns were standard on newer Astras?. Our V reg does not have one yet a friend's W reg does. None of the cars I have seen for sale list it and checking Vauxhall's website only shows info on the new shape cars. Read more
I'm currently driving a hired 53 plate (23000 mile) Astravan 1.7CDTI in work and I love it. It's got the usual diesel clatter from cold, but once it's warmed up it sounds fine and goes like stink, for want of a better phrase!
I must admit that after driving a 1.7Di Combo a few weeks ago which had extremely annoying turbo-lag, I wasn't looking forward to another Vauxhall diesel, but this CDTI is a cracking motor.
The only thing I don't like is the complete lack of steering column adjustment.
Can't help on fuel consumption as I'm not paying for it I'm afraid.
PP
I have a Peugeot 405gl ultra 1580cc which will no longer start.There is nothing obvious so we tried a fault finder but due to the vagueries of the manual cannot find the diagnostic socket.Has anyone any ideas? Read more
Hi Steve,
I agree, it is unlikely that all the injectors are blocked, but it isn't impossible, and we can't see the car from here!
I think your suggestion to check for vacuum leaks is a good one.
number_cruncher
All new cars sold in the USA will be required to have a black box fitted. It seems they will be able to check out the way the car is driven, speed, hard braking etc and store it for later viewing.
www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,132056,00.html
How long before it happens here ?
Perhaps the police might use the data for fines ?
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Aprilia said:
>Well, they did, but only a little bit I'm afraid. Since 1994/5
>most US GM airbag ECU's have stored a small amount of data
>which relates to the computations just prior to firing the
>airbag. The airbag ECU looks at a 'moving window' of data, 5
>seconds wide, on which it bases its calculations to fire the
>airbag. After the airbag has fired you can access the past 5
>seconds of data (or you can if you buy the necessary US$3000
>interface unit!).
I think that 5 secs of pre-impact realtime data would cover most, if not all accidents. A driver given more than 5 secs to react to a immediate danger would have to be very unlucky indeed to be unable to avoid impact. Even so, the results of his prior actions will be visible in the data.
There is enough information available publicly to build an OBDII interrogator/monitor for much less than $3K.
>I think some recent US Fords have a similar facility. I don't
>know of any other manufacturers that have this facility. I'm not
>aware of any UK-market cars that have this feature.
www.detnews.com/2004/autosinsider/0409/06/-264474....m
"Mike Vaughn, a technology spokesman for Ford, said all Fords have had data recorders since 2002, but only a few models have advanced capabilities that have been the focus of critics of the technology.
>The amount of data available from the GM ECU is very modest and
>a useful blackbox system would need to store far more data -
>probably needing logitudinal and lateral g-sensors and steering
>angle input, for example,...
The data available from the GM ECU is far from 'modest'. Engine, ABS, traction-control, transmission and emmission sensors are all available. Whilst the addition of inertial data would be very useful for engineers I am not so sure that the data is primarily intended for product improvement.
>plus storing several minutes of pre-accident data.
Why?
Kevin...
Sick of having a sensible car. Budget is £20k+ a bit more for the perfect example. I'll keep it either for a year for the fun of it or three years.
I'm already driving a grp 18 car so the added insurance won't kill me.
I'll do 12k pa max, much of it commuting. I need to to put my nippers in the back once or twice a week (both under 10).
928 - I can get an outstanding example but fuel is a bit scary, irresponsible even. But in my eyes a true beauty. Solid on depreciation
840 - concerned about whistles and bells sarting go a bit funny with less than hilarious consequences for my wallet - depreciation?????
XK8 - ditto and may be fishing in the cheap end of the pool for tired examples
SL - a few dodgy ones around and many with v low miles suggesting mistresses' shopping trips
Comments based on experience most welcome! Read more
Sorry Trancer, a bit too pimp for me
Browse
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I find that after I have washed my car it goes faster and runs smoother with more power, also the wife sits quietly and looks out of the window at the admiring glances of pedestrians and consequently my heart rate slows and I breathe more easily. So overall I think I get an 80% improvement in driving experience. Of course I dont use just water but add a special ingredient which lines up the molecules of the soap so that the whole car becomes polarized in the earths magnetic field removing contaminents and protecting the car and passengers until the following Sunday.