March 2005
I'm getting a loud knock from my 1991 Polo 1300 engine top end. It is rhythmical, matching the engine speed. Strangely it is not always there and though it happens more when the engine is cold that is not always the case. If I listen with a "stethoscope tube" with the rocker cover off and the engine running it seems to be coming from the region of the cams or hydraulic tappets of cylinder no.1 yet the cams are smooth and intact and I can find no excessive clearance between cam and tappet. In fact I can't find any clearance between cam and tappet on any of the cams with the cylinders at TDC (Haynes says there should be 0.1 mm but I can't find any). There is no blue smoke from the exhaust when I do the MOT type blue smoke test (rev to 2k then release) so I can't think it could be a broken piston ring. The car has done 142k miles. Would a broken valve spring or a burnt valve do this. Has anyone got any clues please?
Philter Read more
Can anyone help please.
A colleague is going to look at a car this weekend. He would like to insure for one day only in case he doesn't buy.
Is this possible- and to throw a spanner in the works he only holds a Turkish license, whilst his girlfriends is Greek.
If this is going to be possible could anyone suggest an insurance company please.
All help gratefully received.
Many thanks.
Pete. Read more
Speak of an INSURANCE BROKER outlining the needs.
DVD
My friend recently purchased a sl55 and when it come to trying out the sat nav it didnt work after a bit of running round it come to his attention that a music cd had been inserted in to the main box now the problem he has is he cant eject the cd from the box to insert the data cd which was supposed to be there in the first place. Read more
Is there a small hole near the drawer - if so push a straightened paper clip in and it should release the drawer mechanism - try it on a PC CD drive first if unsure.
If it doesn't come out easily don't force it.
Currently have nothing on that day so intending to head down to scope out the cars in anticipation of me returning to an 'in funds situation' and leaving the days of bangernomics behind.
Anyone likely to be there and want to meet up for a bacon roll let me know.
Read more
I'm often there (I live about 10 mins away) but won't be on the 23rd as I'll be in Coventry. Have a great day - I went along to the Top Car auction last Monday - they seemed to be having troubles getting a few of them to the reserve.
What sort of life do Backroomers get from front brake pads these days?
Our Fabia tdi has done 76,000 KM, (47,500 miles) and ours are, according to the dealer OK.The first ITV (MOT equivalent) is now due, so I particularly asked for them to be checked. I would have expected no more than 30-35,000 a few years ago - or am I getting slower in my old age?
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Roger. (Costa del Sol, España) Read more
I suspect quality has improved:
OEM Peugeot 106 (2 in family) front pads lasted 20k and 21k respectively. Replacements (Halfords/other) over 20k and 40k and half worn at worst.
Mark 4 Fiesta 1,6 20k miles , 10% wear.
Audi A4 tdi 50k 70% left.
Rover 800 1st set 25kmiles, second 60k and half worn
Very hilly - we live halfway up/down a hill - lots of salt.
Note: we always brake hardish before we turn into drive so brakes are dry when parked: and car wheels are not washed with a hose so disk faces do not go rusty.
I suspect lot of pad wear is due to rsuty disks: car washing.left parked in damp conditions or when wet and not dried out. I think hard but not overused use is good for disk faces: keeeps off rust.
madf
Hi All,
This is probably a bit off topic but I heard good things about this forum...
I'm english, been living in Ireland for five years, and am looking for a new car, personal preference is for a Seat Leon 1.6 lite. The market for these in Ireland is painful, all 1.4's and overpriced. I'm contracting in England, and have an address here, but have an Irish Drivers licence. legally I'm resident in Ireland, work in London for three days of the week, and am back at the weekend, the car would end up in Ireland immediately if I bought it here, dont need a car in London, and have no-where safe to park it. Thing is the vehicle registration tax -estimated at 25 percent of the cars price, which is mandatory for cars imported into ireland. Although if i have owned the car for six months in the uk, i dont have to pay this.
Any savvy punters out there know a good way for me to buy the car here and not pay the VRT? Apologies if this is a bit out of place, but this seems like a likely place to look for answers. I'd have phoned the revenue service in Ireland but its Paddys Day! Read more
sorry, meant to include this link: www.revenue.ie/services/vrt/vrt4.htm
It's on the www.revenue.ie website, but it's a framed site, so if you want to burrow around it you have start from the front page
A certain Mr Brown made great play of announcing free bus travel for senior citizens in a speech to the nation, but did he really play such a blinder?
Merseyside, where I live, has had free bus, train and ferry travel for many, many years for women of 60 and over and men of 65 onwards - three years ago the scheme was rightfully extended to men of 60 and over following extensive protests on equality grounds.
The area covered ranges from the boundary with Lancashire (which has half-price fares IIRC) in the north down through Merseyside and across the Wirral, with train journeys being possible right into Chester.
It's most valuable for short trips, especially into the town centre, as I can leave the car at home as well as save on parking fees.
That saves me 95p each way on a short bus journey and, when used to visit my club, the ticket savings translate into a pint of Guinness...:-)
If I didn't have a car - and I have no intention of giving up the freedom to go where I want, when I want by disposing of its use - I've estimated that if I used public transport on a regular basis, I would be reimbursed with my annual council tax payment and more.
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by Read more
Not a motoring thread. Locked.
hi all, im looking for a fault code reader/light reset tool for my 97.v70 t5 which uses i believe the OBD11 type, any advice on the best buy would be greatly appreciated, there are items available on e bay which are stand alone units which just plug into the diagnostic socket for around 55 quid any thoughts? thanks Read more
Hi
I've just got one for £28 & Pp from ebay. It is an OBDII type which it says will work on any OBDII compatible cars from 2001 and some before. Just type 'diagnostic' in the search field and narrow it on the left hand side of the page to cars etc. There is a company doing all sorts of fault code readers. Have a look there. I will try and find the website of the one I got.
A recent discussion on the Jeremy Vine show about some traffic lights in Carlisle which were to be permanently switched off as when they failed after the floods the traffic flowed more smoothly.
Here in Sunderland the traffic lights are going off by stealth, due to the city council completely ignoring their maintenance.
The wind or vandals turn a light in the wrong direction, just leave it like that. Bulbs fail in the lights, don't bother to replace, even if it means a red light has totally failed.
Of course the local drivers have taken to this, never seen so many people jump red lights as they have been doing recently.
Look out for me, I'm the grumpy old git in the red Terrano! Read more
What a marvellous sequence of conspiracy theories. I prefer a simpler theory, that insufficient study or common sense has gone into these obstructive installations. Or possibly there is a vested interest in selling traffic-light kit to councils (which after all don't have unlimited money) just like there has been a need to build new roads and by-passes to keep all those earth-movers fully occupied.
Seems I am in good company among BRs - so, fellow over 60s, come on, reveal: what car do you drive? Kicking things off, I (aged 62) am constantly rejuvenated by my A3 Tdi 130 quattro.
PS I retired 2 years ago, but 3 months later returned to work and still get a buzz from it - as from the car! Read more
Have a 320td (that's a Compact - await insults!
Nearest I can get is: it goes like stink? ;0)
Oz (as was)
Browse
Thanks to both who have replied. You have explained the mysteries of the hydraulic tappet well. I therefore came to start dismantling the cam and fortunately started at the camshaft sprocket. Instead of being torqued up to the specification 52 ft lb it was actually loose! So I thought I'd try tightening it before going any further, just in case it was the cause, though it seemed highly unlikely. Lo and behold the knock has gone! I shall bear your suggestions in mind in case it returns with the sprocket still tight but meanwhile I'm breathing a big sigh of relief. Thanks gents.