September 2005
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Today our Renault Scenic 1.9DCI (2001/2) developed a rattling noise on idle which disappears totally when the revs are increased. The car runs perfectly. The noise is coming from the area around the alternator where there is a large belt tensioner. I have applied pressure to the tensioner (using a screwdriver) in an attempt to increase the pressure on the alternator belt and this stops the noise, so I think it may be the tensioner.
However, I have read elsewhere that the alternator on this engine has a clutch which, if faulty, can cause exactly the same noise/rattle/symptoms. The alternator is working fine.
Does anyone please have any comments/ideas on this matter as to weather I should be looking at having either the alternator or the tensioner replaced (or both) ?
Thankyou
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This has happened to 3 of our Kangoo 1.5 dcis at around 70000 miles and also to a customers at 30000 miles whose unfortunately took the cambelt with it. They last approx 70 miles with the rattle then it goes pop.
Get it checked sharpish!
Help,
Back in August during our trip to the South of France, my daughter was sick in the car. I thought I'd managed to clean it up, but noticed at the weekend (during a hoovering stint) that there is still evidence of the event.
The car is a new avensis with the black cloth interior. There is no smell, but a number of 'cream' marks that look terrible and no doubt remind her of the ordeal.
Any ideas on how I car get rid of these without resorting to taking the car in for a valet.....
TIA Read more
Almost forgot this stuff!!
www.luckykazoo.com/media/2005/03/cillit-bang-remix...l
Sound turned on!!
& the other ad, there, with Mr Winner, IS motor related!!
VB
Had the Polo in for a service and MOT on Friday, and it failed on 4 'excessively corroded/deteriorated' brake flexi pipes. Naturally, I had these replaced, and to do this, the brake system was bled.
When I picked the car up at 5pm, all was well apart from the brake pedal now has an 'abnormally' long travel. I put it in inverted commas because I?m not sure if it really is excessive or its just me worrying over nothing again.
Prior to having them done, the pedal would move about 1cm before they kicked in, with all of the remaining effect taking place in another inch or so. After that, the brakes would always lock. Now, the pedal travels about 1.5 inches (or at least that?s what it seems like) before the brakes work properly, retaining the same feels as they did before, just lower down to the floor. You can press them as hard as you like and the pedal is still well away from the floor (about half the pedals entire travel)
That initial 1.5 inches does give some braking effort, just not a lot, and the pedal isn't spongy (which would indicate air in the system).
What do you people thing, anything to worry about?
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Normal in my experience. The vacuum resevoir fills up with air or the vacuum leaks out. According to taste.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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"Since posting, it has occured to me that I can get hold of a copy of the invoice for hiring the equipment they used/need, and that should give me a better idea......"
...and you could talk at length with the copmany that provided the hire of the goods. Then you are talking to an expert as well as keeping it secret.
Hi Guys
I have a 2003 1.8 Petrol Vectra and to be honest the engine on idle (albeit in close surrounds like a block of garages) is really starting to sound like a slightly quieter version of an old pushrod engine from the Mk1 Fiesta! (Very distinct sound)...
Anyway , its done 31k miles,oil last changed at 21k by Vauxhall using 10w40. Next service is due in December coming up.
I can't believe that it sounds so ropey - its a modern multivalve petrol engine for crying out loud.
Oil is on the max level (and checked it according to manf.specs i.e get it to temp then turn off and wait 5 mins then dip/check).It doesn't use any oil that I can see.
Performance etc is unchanged from when I got the car in July 04.
Any advice/comments gratefully received!
Thanks Read more
Oil pumps are known to crack causing loss of oil pressure or insufficent oil pressure at idle when hot! seen a few break on 1800 engines. It may be worth changing the oil & try Mobil 1 if its quieter it will be an oil issue.
I suspect oil pump if it goes quieter if you take the revs up to 2000rpm for a few minuets & it goes quieter & then noisy after a min or so at idle.
My wife has a bit too attached to my C3, so I am facing driving around in her R reg Almera. Which is fine, it does 35mpg and has a CD stacker, so it does the job.
It does lack aircon though. Call me a wuss, but i really do want aircon. I have a vague recollection that aircon was a dealer fit for certain Japanese cars.
Do i stand any chance of getting Aircon retro-fitted for a reasonable cost? I suspect that the answer is a newer car, but we know where this one has been? Read more
I have an 02 VW Golf without a/c and would like it - but the only kits I've seen are over £1000. I'd be very glad to hear if a kit is available for under £500 and reasonable fitting cost.
frmarcus
Advice and opinions sought.
I am thinking of buying a new car, principally for SWMBO, but I will drive it from time to time.
The choice is between : Toyota Avensis, Ford Mondeo, Mazda 6, with Honda Accord and Nissan Primera as second string.
It MUST have Auto box and cruise control, I would ideally like sat. nav. and diesel - which rules out all of them except the Ford.
Most important, it must be reiable.
What do you think?
Don Read more
I looked at estates 18 months ago but for a company car and test drove several (some for 2 weeks)
Mondeo (Mk1V) was fine if a little too common, can't stand the cream oval clock in the Ghia or the four spoke steering wheel. The cruise switches click when operated and drove SWMBO up the wall. Driving gently (60) on the M1 in December the TDCi 130 would not keep the cabin warm.
Mazda was discounted due to high emissions and poor option availability - do they only do one colour interior?
VW was getting a bit expensive on lease (outgoing model) and dealer service is awful (was getting rid of a Passat)
Don't like the look of the Avensis and the trim spec I wanted was not done in the diesel.
Vectra - dreadful interior and still the 2.0/2.2 diesels then so emissions were awful - too much tax.
Laguna - from our fleet experience I would not have a renault - I like to know that I am going to get home at night.
Honda is nearly as big as the Ford inside, good spec and handling, good emissions (not relevant for a private buy) and still relatively unusual. With that much torque you hardly need the gearbox. 48k miles in 18 months and I love it! Only issues are that with 1/3 of the rear seat folded only one of the seatbelts is usable and the CD does not have a shuffle button.
Our Citroen Berlingo Multispace, purchased March 2002, was, after a while, discovered to have dampness in the front passenger footwell. It was taken in to the supplying garage, which changed what they called the "shower curtain" in the passenger door - and did the job under warranty.
We soon discovered that the carpet in the footwell was wet again. We took it in. They did the job again.
A third time we discovered that the carpet was soaking. By this time the car was out of warranty. The garage said "Hmmm, it will need to go to the body shop for a few days." So it did. They "tried everything" and said they couldn't find the problem. The carpet was still soaking, and they proposed charging us for a couple of hours of labour, which is not exactly peanuts. Is this reasonable? Read more
L'escargot
Thanks for your thoughts. Curing the leak is, indeed, the primary concern. This thread is really about dealing with the garage, and I've posted over in technical about the cause of the leak. However, I notice that one gets a lot more replies in Discussion than in Technical :-)
I admit that I could have done more myself to find the source of the leak. I someone naively imagined that a garage could find that without my help - and (somewhat pessimistically) reckoned that I wouldn't really be able to find much that would help.
No, the carpet isn't rotten and smelling, which is a great relief. Nor has the floor of the footwell rusted through and fallen out!
I?ve recently started trading in cars part-time and purchased a car from auction the other day, which only came the old-style v5, instead of the new document.
(This was not disclosed on the auction house paperwork, so I only found out after payment)
The DVLA website states that these are no longer valid (1 July 2005), and checking with them indicates that the car has been issued with a new-style logbook.
Can anyone confirm whether the car can be taxed and a change of keeper recorded using the old-style logbook (even though the new one has been lost) as the auction house maintain there is no problem and the nice lady at the DVLA thinks its ok for a while yet.
I don?t want to be in the embarrassing position of selling the car, then the new owner not being able to tax it.
Thanks
James Read more
Something worth knowing is that SORN automatically expires on a change of ownership, so if you aquire a car which is already on SORN, then that SORN registration is immediatly invalid. And of course the car is then considered untaxed. This recently happened to my brother.
DVLA told me that the new v5 is/was sent out on change of owner or renewal of tax or SORN. In conversation they advised sending in the old V5 with a letter explaining the circumstances.
You can also register SORN on their web site although some things do take some finding.
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Just before he went off to Madrid Becks treats himself to a new Ferrari, and on his first trip back home, he rings Posh and asks her to meet him at the Airport. As David had hardly had chance to drive the car, she thinks it would be nice if she picked him up in it and he could drive it home. On her way there she gets caught in a heavy Hailstone shower, and as she parks up is horrified to find the car absolutely covered in small dings and dents, knowing David will be furious, she bursts into tears.
Suddenly, she realises that all she has to do when she gets a ?dent? in her plastic ?Aqua-minrale? bottle is to blow into it to pressurize it, decides to try the same principle with the car, so drops to her knees and starts blowing hard up the exhaust pipe. Just as she is doing this, Becks emerges from the terminal, sees her, and asks what she?s doing, Tearfully Posh explains, whereby Becks tells her not to be so stupid, -
she would never build up enough pressure in the car, with the window down!!