June 2005
Just changed car to a 1.6 litre Fiat Multiwagon. Can't decide whether to run on premium or super unleaded. Old car, 2.4 litre Mitsubishi, ran well on Optimax. Is new engine too small to justify extra cost? Read more
306 pug interior clock works but dim light any advice thanks dave Read more
>..released from the dash to replace the 2 bulbs..<
Not sure this will be possible - may depend on age. Haynes says the bulbs can't be replaced (tho I find this unlikely). My 99T car had a dim clock (left) bulb while the temp (right) one was OK. Dim one came back to life a few months ago and is still OK, probably until the winter.
Hi,
I've just noticed that off-side outer CV gaiter has got sort of groove in it, presumably rubber has started splitting. It doesn't leak, but I wonder how long it could go for before it does split and lets all the grease out and dust in ?
I ask, cause although I will probably replace it now, a friend of mine who's got the same car had had similar condition on a CV gaiter for a year before he replaced it. It never actually split.
I'm going to phone around for quotes, but could anyone give me an idea of how much it should cost ?
Thanks
Kostic Read more
Never heard of a CV boot with a lifetime guarantee. Who makes them, Davey. Looked on the web unsuccessfully. Is it one of those which you stretch over the CV?
Let me start by saying I don't want tis to be apolice bashing thread, would like some constructive feedback, especially from any boys in blue on here.
Brother discovered his S Reg Vectra had a blowing exhaust today. Phoned his pal in the garage and booked it in for 2pm. On driving into the Ind Estate that the garage is in, traffic police pull him over. He tells them if its the exhaust, I am just taking it into the garage which was 200 yds away.
Police check exhaust and serve him with a prohibition order telling him that he cannot drive the car in that condition even though he assures them it is already booked in and to phone them if they don't believe him.
They then check the car out fuller, lifting the bonnet and say that it has a faulty bonnet catch and serve another prohibition notice. Each of these take a while to write up.
They then give him another notice, allowing him to drive the car to the garage under police escort which they do. Police advise him that if it is repaired by 3pm, to phone the policeman (gave him his number) and they will still be in the area and they will come back and check it out. If not ready for 3, he has to get it MOTd and provide this as proof of its roadworthyness.
Garage couldn't get it ready for 3 so he had to pay for an MOT as well, which it failed on , something to do with a rear spring, so he now needs to wait for this to come in tomorrow and then get his car MOTd again before its allowed on the road!
Is this procedure been correct? Read more
So in summary your brother was driving a seriously unroadworthy vehicle
with a bust spring.
You'd have to go some to convince me that it was "seriously unroadworthy". An MOT failure, yes.
There is some pressure from within the road transport industry to introduce 60 tonne MPW, 25.25 metre long double-articulated lorries in the UK
See:
www.tnn.co.uk/IndustryNews/plonearticle.2005-06-08...9
Such vehicles are used in Scandinavia and are being trialled in the Netherlands. Doubles are commonplace in North America and elsewhere.
I would think such vehicles would be a good idea but should be strictly limited to the motorway and trunk dual-carriageway network. A network of depots adjacent to these routes would be necessary, so that these doubles could be split for travel on other roads.
When a large goods vehicle is travelling at 56 mph, a considerable proportion of its energy consumption goes in pushing it through the air. These longer vehicles would have the same frontal shape so the second trailer would travel virtually free, aerodynamically speaking.
I don't think anyone is suggesting these doubles should be allowed on normal single-carriageway roads. Overtaking them would be hazardous because of the extra length, for one thing.
Predictably, Transport 2000 is running a scare story about monster lorries clogging our city streets and country lanes without examining the facts.
Cheers, Sofa Spud Read more
see previous thread
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=30701
My local brake specialist can't fix this one. !!
P reg saloon with ABS. Lucas brake system.
The problem came from 'no ware', ie the system hadn't been touched prior to this.
When braking the foot pedal slowly goes to the floor. Release it and immediately press again and it feels correct / OK.
Servo is OK as pedal depresses when I start up the engine.
After switching off the engine whe vacuum is used up in 2 depressions of the pedal and the pedal feels dead firm then, which I believe is correct.
The servo check valve is working correctly, cannot hear any air leaks. Oil condition is clear & clean.
No hydraulic leaks. Fitted brand new master cylinder - no change.
Brakes have been bled about 8 times now.
Each brake circuit has been isolated in turn, still faulty.
Has anyone any ideas please. The last thing I want to do is go to the Rover main agent !!
Thank you, Vinnie. Read more
Dear Steve, well the garage managed it in the end. They fitted a new master cylinder and that didn,t correct it.
It was all down to air in the system. We pumped a large volume of fluid through, bleeding at each wheel and eventually it was OK.
Everything suggested a fauliy cylinder as you said.
Anyway, thanks for your help Steve. It is kind of you to reply.
Best wishes, Mark.
I've owned a 98 Octavia SLX for over two years now, bought used, current mileage 40,000km. I'm very happy with the performance and comfort, but not impressed with reliability. I've already had to replace the air mass sensor, two front door lock cables and a holed AC coil. An electric quirk since I had the car exists. When a high electric load such as high beams or flash is turned on, the engine hesitates very badly for a second or two, then all is OK. The same cycle is repeated after a little while. Any ideas of what could this be ? Many thanks / Ezz. Read more
Hi,
Sorry for the abbreviation above but I couldn't get evcerything in the heading.
I've owned my C220Cdi Sports Coupe since new in July 2002. Last year on holiday in France I noticed that there was a squeaking noise which appears to come from the front suspension when the car goes over some (not all) bumps. It isn't very loud (well below normal radio level) but is annoying once you spot it. It only occurs in hot weather. It went away when I returned to this country. With the warm weather it is back. As the car has only done about 18k and the warranty is about to expire any clues as to what it could be before I try the dealer, who I hope will sort it out gratis.
Thanks,
Simon
Read more
Hi, I'm looking for some advice please.
I'm thinking of a new Vectra Hatch or Estate and quite fancy the 1.9 CDTi (150bhp)
What esperiences do people have of this engine?
How does this compare to the typical 2.0DTi and 2.2DTi engines in the Vectra.
I'm not buying new .... getting from a supermarket
Are there any problems with the Dti engines noted? Read more
The 1.9 CDTi engines are light years ahead of the DTi engines in performance, economy and particularly refinement, that being said even the 150 is no where near as torquey as the Mondeo TDCi 130 (315 nm v 350 nm) so feels less punchy on the road and has to be revved to produce it's best performance.
Also note Vauxhall have just announced a facelift Vectra so there might be deals to be had on the current model.
Regards.
I have a vectra 2003 which has started showing the brake pad wear warning light on the dash. How reliable is this sensor could it be giving a false reading? The car has done 40k
many thanks for any help
John Jennings
Read more
Generally reliable, but you could always confirm if the pads are worn by taking a look at the front pads through the wheels to see how much meat is left on them.
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Well the point, which has been done to death, is that all crude in to the refinery is within a set specification so is for all intents and purposes identical. All petrol that comes out is within a set specification and so for all intents and purposes identical and as the tanker driver says it comes out of the same tank.
The ONLY difference is these 'detergents' IF you run a high performance car or you do only short start stop journeys maybe you need these 'detergents' and maybe you don't but even if you do a quick shot of an additive like Redex now and again will do the same job much cheaper.
Nearly all my experience was upstream but I had some exposure to downstream with Mobil (and a very nice pay off thank you Exxon). The bottom line is that the oil companies have been trying to brand petrol for decades and have always failed.