September 2005
My mum's MGTF 135 2002 overheated about a month back. Now someone has told her that the "head has gone", as there's water in the oil. Is this true?
If so, what are her options?
I'm asking as I don't want my mother to get fobbed off by some garage.
Thanks for your help.
Ema Read more
My engine management light came on in my E200K I have discovered a the cost of £40 that it is the secondary air valve all I need to know is where is it?
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As many would know I am still using my Nissan QX. However, due to
1) constant nagging by my mum that my car does not look presentable at work
2) car being over 10 year old now (1995 N-reg) and
3) hopefully passing my final charter accountant exam and therefore a promotion,
I would hopefully be getting a newer car and pass my QX to my girlfriend :-)
I have limited my choice as follows (I have driven both and I liked the drive of both);
a) 2002 Ford Mondeo TDCI GHIA X manual
b) 2002 BMW 525d SE auto with leather
Both would be 100k miles, ex-company car at auction, probably bought through Joe Dowd. I know this is still early days but what would be the predicted the cost of the two cars? My exam result comes out on 16-Dec so the date of purchase would be on or after 17-Dec. Is it like that I can find such a car before Christmas?
Many thanks, G Read more
Yes, its a manual.
Whilst travelling on the A41 today towards Waddesdon: I noticed a sign by the side of the road that read "Delicious Fuel Here!" written in vinyl on black background.
Surely the garage assistant must of had a heavy night on the tiles or something because i dont think we should be encouraging the public to drink unleaded instead of water or juice should we now??!! That would be a very silly thing to do!!
Has anyone else read any signs that seemed missleading?
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Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-) Read more
Saw this at the Southampton University this week :
"The School of Nursing and Midwifery -
Deliveries to rear"
-- Lee .. A festivus for the rest of us.
HI
Is there any way of telling if a newish engine was not run in correctly? The converse is what problems would the engine be likely to have if it was over revved during the run in period
I am looking at a renault diesel one year old with about 8,000 miles on the clock.
If the enggine has had a hard life early on does changing the oil to fully synthetic make and diffs
Thanks
alan Read more
Go to tinyurl.co.uk/ao9u which is Morris Oils and then to technical and then FAQ "running in of diesel engines"
They give definitive advice on running the engine under load! to prevent future problems.
Does anyone know how indirect injection works, please?
I know that the diesel fuel is injected into a chamber first, but how does it then get into the cylinder?
Also, why do some engines have this set-up rather than direct injection?
Thanks. Read more
>>>> Di has yet to be shown to offer real benefits in respect of petrol engines.
Not really, DI petrol engines have the advantage of 10-15% better fuel consumption. Traditional port fuel injected petrol engines induct an homogenous mixture of fuel and air (usually 14.6:1 or thereabouts). This is because it is not possible to ignite much leaner mixtures using a spark and using this composition of fuel to air allows removal of most exhaust pollutants by the catalyst.
DI petrol engines can ignite a locally (in the region of the spaek plug) rich mixture (rich enough to be ignited by a spark) while keeping the overall fuel air ratio in the cylinder high (20:1 or higher) which lowers fuel consumption. This is achieved by situating the injector close to the spark plug and clever design of inlet passages and the piston crown. Disadvantages are the need to use sulphur free petrol and the requirement to run the engine rich periodically to purge the catalyst of NOx.
>>The old traditional diesels I understand - air is compressed in the cylinder, fuel is injected into the combustion chamber at very high pressure at precisely the right moment, fuel is instantly vapourised and explodes, by product is the well known diesel knock.
No the fuel does not explode and all burn instantaneously. Time is needed for the fuel to heat up, vapourise and mix with air. This is known as the ignition delay period which depends upon the Cetane rating of the fuel used and other factors such as the amount of air turbulence in the engine. For example vegetable oil has a lower Cetane rating than diesel oil is it?s ignition delay period is greater.
>>>So in an indirect injection engine, the air is compressed in the cylinder, and therefore in the interconnected chamber too? But the diesel is injected only into the chamber? So how does the resulting explosion manage to get down the small communicating passage in time to continuing burning in the rest of the air in the combustion chamber itself? Or is that delay the whole point of the exercise?
The initial explosion (known as the pre-mixed phase of combustion) occurs in the small pre chamber, the hot gases expand through the narrow passage which limits the rate of pressure rise in the cylinder and hence diesel knock.
Following on from this explosion, fuel is still being injected ( injection duration is controlled by throttle position) and burned depending upon how quickly the fuel can vapourise and mix with the available air (known as the diffusion burning phase). Because of the limited volume of air in the pre-chamber, most of this fuel is burned in the main chamber itself after partial combustion in the pre-chamber.
>>Doesn't the constricting effect of the connecting passageway cause problems at higher speed? Surely the delay will increase with speed?
No it doesn?t because the amount of air turbulence in the engine increases with speed, so the air and fuel mix faster and the ignition delay is reduced.
>>>I read on an earlier thread that you can run an old Mercedes 5-cylinder IDI engine on straight vegetable oil (assuming the weather is warm enough) and that using this in DI engines will damage the injectors.
Is this because the delayed combustion in an IDI engine means that the harmful acids and deposits are produced away from the injectors?
Not entirely, the viscosity of vegetable oil is higher than diesel so it forms relatively large fuel droplets. The high degree of air turbulence in the pre-chamber helps these to break up and burn more quickly and completely reducing diesel knock. DI electronically controlled injectors rely on correct diesel fuel to give correct spray pattern and injection volume which are critical on these engines.
I have an Alfa 156. Paid £2.6k in march from auction. Current value around that if not a little more.
I have a quandry though. Shall i sell it or not?
Reason i'm thinking this is that next april it will require a new cambelt plus major service - talking probably £5-600.
Now based on the value is it worth selling it whilst it has 6 months MOT, is not due a service for 7 months and is about as sellable as its gonna get for a while.
I really like the car but its only a car so not too stuck on it. Thing is what else would i get for £3k that is like it at auction.
Hmm, any ideas? Read more
If you have had depreciation fee motoring for 6+ months, I think you should sell and try and repeat the same. In my book, you have already 'saved' at least £750.
Out of interest, would you mind sharing the exact spec, age, milage, etc. of the car. I am keen to try something like what you seemed to have achieved.
I am having intermittent probs with my CC and the dealer says they cant find anything wrong.
Its a current model Vectra 2.2 petrol on an 04 plate.
I always set the CC with the downward (reduce speed) button but on occassion, after setting it, the car accellerates away - quite rapidly.
Other times the CC just will not engage at all (driving 50 mph plus) unless the car is stopped and turned off and restarted.
It sounds like a software problem.
Has anyone got any ideas please? Read more
Thanks guys you were right. Seems to be a case of read the manual!
my 740 runs perfectly smoothly until i kickdown hard. Engine then does not perform properly. If I switch off and start again then engine runs smoothly. Any suggestions to problem.
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The prob you're having would suggest a glitch in the ECU and/or AIRFLOW METER. Basically ones of these is not informing the fuel regulator that the engine requires more fuel input. Your best bet is to have it wired up to a diagnostics machine. I know that in East Anglia you can get this done for around £40. Hope to have been of some help.
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When The Going Gets Tough,
The Tough Get Going!
Does anyone know how to go about buying ex-lease vehicles? My current car is an ex-lease vehicle which I bought from a dealer, and although it has a high mileage, it has a very high spec and is spotless. I've had a lot of interest from friends and family about getting hold of these type of cars, and rather than buying from someone who has already made a mark up, I was wondering if anyone knows of any lease companies who let you buy their cars.
Hope someone can help! Read more
Back at the beginning of 2003 I expressed to the leasco an interest in buying for my missus the spotless and much enjoyed Vectra GSi Estate I'd had as a company car for three years.
They made a pretty stiff 'take it or leave it' offer with no room for negotiation and which was way above likely auction value. If I didn't like the offer I had to go to the auction and bid with everyone else.
In the end insurance for my wife with one year's UK driving experience was the killer so I never pursued either path.
More than likely H/G,usually if head crack oil is in the water/coolant due to where head cracks.and wont affect the oil.as its the other way round suggests its head gasket.But beware if not done/repaired properly it will come back,so as suggested get repaired then sell asap
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Steve