December 2004
Hi,
I've recently had an oil change done at National Tyres & Autocare, and they seem to overfill it slightly. I know what the consequences could be of oil overfill but I just wonder if the amount is enough to cause any problems (I personally think unlikely, but what's your opinion). This is what my dipstick looks like:
--/''\---------\______/-!-----/^\------------------------
The normal range is within the middle notch.
The current oil level is marked with '!' sign. It seems to be just a few mm above the mark. I will probably try to syphon a little bit out, but I just wonder what is the clearance there to the crankshaft ? Surely, something must be allowed for gradients and quick accelerations/stops ?
Thanks
Kostic Read more
I have a 1997 Mark 3 Golf GTi with 71000miles on the clock. Approx every 300-400 miles the engine will cut out completely with no warning. Whether, just started or warmed up, speed, seems to make no difference. Once cut out the engine will spin freely on the starter but will not fire. After waiting 2-3 minutes the engine will then start with no problem. Sometimes it will cut out 3-4 times in a few minutes/miles then does not happen again for several hundred miles.
An independant garage has check the self diagnostics and the only information from the fault code is "Engine shut down without drivers instruction". I have had the relay for the fuel pump replaced as I was told these can "stick" but this has made no difference. Any thoughts would be appreciated to save me replacing all the engine management sensors one by one then finding it is still not fixed. Read more
If you have the AGG engine, the crankshalf sensor wiring perishes where it joins the sensor causing the engine to cut out. Renew the sensor.
Hi i have a Citreon Multispace.
I put the rear seat down and now it will not come back up. It seems as if the centre seat belt is jamed,
Anyone else had this problem.
If so how did you fix it
{Please note. Upper case text amended. Classed as SHOUTING in cyberland. DD} Read more
I have just fixed this in my 2002/3 Berlingo.
The problem happens because the seat belt retracts too far when the seat is folded. It's necessary to unbolt the seat in some way to give extra slack while at the same time having the rear part of the seat upright. This will allow the inertia reel to unlock and give out belt again. I was lucky - my seat still went into the upright position, and so I was able to get enough slack without unbolting the entire seat, as follows:...
I'm not sure if there is much experience of the VW/AUDI 2.5 V6 TDI (150bhp) engine amongst members, but can anyone give me some suggestions for the following cold starting issue:
I have a 1998 Audi A6 Avant 2.5 TDI with nearly 170,000 miles. Since buying the car with 137,000 miles, it has never been particularly good at starting from cold. Now its winter, it takes about 4 seconds of cranking to start firing. In the last second or so of cranking, I can hear that several of of the cylinders are firing, but it takes a bit more cranking to get the engine to start (which is sometimes followed by a cloud of white smoke from the exhaust). The engine also sounds a little bit lumpy until warm (after which it runs fine), so I am not convinced it runs properly on all cylinders during the warming up phase.
I recently replaced all 6 of the glow-plugs as a first stab at fixing it, but it only made a marginal difference to the car's starting performance. I nearly always use Shell branded Diesel and have also tried one of the 3rd party (Redex) fuel additives for cleaning the injectors.
Does anyone have an constructive suggestions as to what other things might be causing this problem? Read more
Correct - tight valve clearances do indeed cause poor cold starting but the Audi motor uses hydraulic tappets.
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn - Pictures say a thousand words.....
HJ,
Havent heard anything locally, minutes of meetings upto middle of November are on West Oxfordshire website, but it can take several weeks to update.
StarGazer Read more
God save us from this bunch of humourless woad daubed neo-Leninist Trotskyite bunny hugging nanny state eco-warriers with chips on their shoulders and class envy in their hearts. I've complained before that TG can sometimes be a bit dull, but I am sure that it is miles better than the proposed Reverse Gear (into the year 1000 AD or earlier).
Who pays for Transport 2000?
HJ
Would that be Stagecoach?
Would that be train companies?
Would that be other groups who like the above obviously have no interest in pursuing a distinctive form of fascism to line their own pockets?
Kind of discredits them doesn't it.
The safety reports in Fifth Gear are rather good and entertaining too. As are the car tests, both fast and day to day. If only the eco-fascists would realise that people can enjoy watching JC hurtling round a track in a fast car, or down a French motorway, at high speed, and not feel the need to do the same. Do children watch Tom and Jerry then rush out and smash a frying pan against their friends heads?
Leif
I recently hit a deep pothole which caused the tyre to deflate (very slowly, rather like a slow puncture after a few hours standing). Assuming the tyre to be damaged, and it was rather worn anyway, I had it replaced.
The alloy wheel itself seemed undamaged, but the new tyre is also deflating at the same slow rate. Balancing showed no problem (work carried out at Micheldever).
Does this mean the wheel has a hairline crack? How does one check this short of x-raying it? unfortunately the car only has a space-saver wheel, so I'm keeping the alloy on the car at the moment, but am concerned about it failing.
Any advice welcome. Read more
"Hey Brill - its bin a while........."
'Tis true, finished the Bentley Type R, now up to my eyes in Aston Martins...busy busy.
I've posted on here before about the misfire that has beset my 1994 Passat 1.9 TDI estate ever since just after I boasted on here how well it was running!!
(see www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=24091 )
At first the suspect problem was the connector for the MAF unit, as the engine had cut to default mode once or twice and been restored to normal by fiddling with the connector.
BUT, seeing bubbles in the fuel line made me think the misfiring had another cause, air in the fuel I could find no fue leaks and so was baffled. Then I thought "airlock in fuel tank? - no, surely it couldn't be that!" I've heard of blocked fuel tank vents bringing vehicles to a stop, but it seemed too simple.
Today, before going to work, I removed the fuel filler cap (which is a Nissan one for some reason - been on the car since I bought it). Placed a strong piece of plastic sheeting tightly over the filler neck, secured in place with an elastic band, and made a small hole in the plastic. Drove to work and back, a distance of 30 miles. MISFIRE CURED! So simple!
The vent valve on the cap must have become blocked, but I can't get it to pieces to unblock it so I must buy a new one.
SAFETY NOTE: I wouldn't have tried this test on a petrol-engined car because of the more volatile nature of the fuel.
Cheers, Sofa Spud Read more
Re. My misfiring Passat TDI:
Today I found that the fuel return hose connection to the tank was not a tight fit. When I removed it to put a new jubilee clip on, no fuel dripped out. If air is drawn into the return hose and the bubbles are dischcarged into the tank, I wonder if some of them are drawn back into the 'live' fuel line back to the engine, given that the return and outlet are close together. If there is a partial vacuum in the tank because of a blocked breather, that might mean more air is drawn in through the loose return hose connection.
Cheers, SS
Some while ago I have replaced a cooling fan. I have also performed an ECU reset as procedure mentioned by another BR. This was for the stepper motor problem I had before.
Somewhile after this my alarm failed to sound when activated.
But the indicators flash when the alarm is triggered. They also flash when arming the alarm correctly.
I initially thought it may be a fuse somewhere. However I found the fuse is shared with other tasks (Please correct me if I am wrong). Therefore it couldn't be a fuse.
However yesterday upon parking up in car park. I opened the passenger door and the alarm siren suddenly burst into life. However the indicators did not flash?!!
Can anyone shed some light on what may be going on and what can I check this weekend?
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet Read more
Thanks for eveyones's help.
I have now managed to get a replacement alarm sounder. I placed an ad on www.findit.co.uk I got reply last w/end and managed to get the same type of sounder for £20!!
I've just finished fitting it and it the alarm now sounds, teh sounder also sounds if you have left the door open and try to trigger the alarm.
To help anyone else with this prob. I have measured the voltage across the outer pins of the working sounder. You should have 60-70mV between these pins. You should also be able to detect some resistance (260 Ohms). On my dud one it was 0V and the resistance was infinity.
I'm gonna chop the old one up to see why I would ever need to pay £136!
Thanks once again
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306 2.0 SE Cabriolet
I have a Corsa which is exactly 2 years old ('52 plate) - how many miles should I do before getting the brake pads, drums, discs changed? Is there a Vauxhall standard? Is a Vauxhall dealer the best place to get this done if its needed? Read more
Presumably they now replace
the pads on say a Vectra at 20,000 miles or whatever
the service intervals are now.
My last Vectra was still on the original pads and discs at 40,000 miles. Lots of stop start driving; it was an auto; and I'm also a late/heavy braker as well. Looking at the pads through the wheels, I would say that they were only about ½ worn.
I do remember the rapid wearing of the brakes on the Cavalier though. Used to get trough a set of front pads in 20-30,000 miles, and discs every 30-40,000 miles. Never had to change the rear ones though. Everytime it went in for a service, the report said there were approx 5,000 miles left on the rear pads. They had been telling me that for the last 40,000 miles or so.
Hi,
I have a new shape vectra, coming up to 2 years old with 45k. Both front and rear pads have been changed and now the brakes are very spongy with excess pedal travel. If the pedal is pumped the travel decreases and bites nearer the top of the pedal movement. Its as if there is air in the system.
The car has been into a vauxhall dealer twice who say this is a characteristic of the new vectra. They have checked the whole braking system (so they say) and have found no problems.
Before the pads were changed the brakes were absolutely fine, i would go as far to say they were excellent.
Does anybody know how changing the pads can cause this problem.
Thanks
Dave
Read more
I had the same problem (1997 vectra, brake pedal slowly sinking + spongy brakes) After trying all the things below (under Warranty ), Vauxhall changed the ABS MODULE & the problem vanished.
Several full system bleeds at 2 different dealers, new aftermarket pads, new OE factory pads, new master cylinder, new brake servo, new calipers.
Browse
I doubt 2-3mm over the top will hurt..if it was cm I would drain some off..also by now it would have been burning oil. Nothing to worry about IMO
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Steve