October 2005
Hi,
I have a 1995 SPi Rover Mini Cooper, and she has somehow decided that she doesn't want to start.
The battery is fully charged, it turns over but won't fire up.
Have used a voltmeter to check that the full 12v is going to the coil. For some reason, there are no sparks coming from the HT lead from the coil into the distributor cap. I have tried a new HT lead that has not made any difference. The coil has a good earth, so I'm running out of ideas?!
The coil was only replaced 2 years ago. Any suggestions would be great, or does it sound like the coil has failed again? If so, is there a way to test the existing one, I don't really want to buy a new one for no reason!
Thanks in advance
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The off side sidelight (parking light) bulb has blown in my Xtrail headlamp. I do not have the handbook or a workshop manual.
Can anyone offer advice on how to change this bulb? (It is the bulb behind the small round blue coloured lens in the headlamp cluster)
Many thanks. Read more
Really struggling to work out how to change a bulb!! Any advice.
Just received a reminder from my local VW dealer.
On the front it says "YOU'VE PROBABLY FORGOTTEN WHAT AS SERVICE IS ALL ABOUT" and on the back "FORTUNATELY, WE HAVEN'T".
Now I appreciate that the dealer does n't know I've no longer got the Passat, but the suggestion that I don't know what a service is and when it is due really bugs me. All a bit rich from the dealer who left the windows open when putting the car through the car wash a few services back!
Any had similar propaganda through their letter box? Read more
Slightly similar. Last June I bought a £15,000 car (new) which has depreciated about £5,000 since then and I got a letter from the dealer last week offering me £500 off any 2nd hand car in stock!
I currently have an omega estate and I need to swap it for another similar size automatic estate (2 kids at uni means i need a big estate),Daughter wants an astra sized automatic for when she is home from uni, just passed her test. Having 2 kids at uni also means i don't have a lot of spare cash, £10k for both cars.I do about 25k a year in the estate at the moment
Any advice on what I should get? Read more
Or hire/borrow a huge top box for the university trips. Both in halls and in a house-share, we only needed to cart stuff in September/June. Amazing how little was needed for her post-grad year - which was collected by boyfriend this year in an Astra estate!!
In Luton today I followed a taxi, a Toyota Avensis, which had a sign on the roof saying "taxi licensed for 6 passengers". That must include the driver mustn't it? I couldn't fit six people in my car if I wanted to, and certainly not with a belt each.
Made me think of our lift at work which is the size of a large wardrobe but states capacity 12 people. Oh, and it's made by Schindlers Lifts, which always makes me think of the film of the (nearly ) same name...... Read more
In Luton today I followed a taxi, a Toyota Avensis, which
had a sign on the roof saying "taxi licensed for 6
passengers". That must include the driver mustn't it?
I think you will find that "6 passengers", means 6 people PLUS the driver i.e. a total of 7. Unless of course the regs. down here are different from up North.
I bought a 10k mile 2004 Pug 307 1.4 hdi 3 weeks ago.
I am very disappointed with the fuel consumption - it averages around 47mpg. The good book suggests it should be closer to 65mpg for the combined figure. (In cotrast my 270k 1998 1.9 dti Passat would onsistently average 55.7 - so I know it's not mt driving stle that's the problem.
The dealer tells me that the engine is tight and that the book figures are not attainable in real life. Hence my disapointing expereince. (Yeah well - he WOULD say that, wouldn't he - do I look like a dumb blonde?) No offence ladies.
My point is - I selected the vehicle for its claimed fuel economy - 30% below expectation is not acceptable.
Has anyone else suffered similar expereince or got one of these cars? Read more
Has anyone else suffered similar expereince or got one of these cars?
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=4291
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=18557
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=16891
Also, how are you calculating the mpg?
In one of the above threads, I posted this comment:-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=18557&...e
Going through the CBCB, Toyota Celica from 2000 on have been stated as the best handling FWD. I once read in a Far East car mag, in the Far East market, the Celica has a front LSD just like the Focus RS (or even my Nissan QX) and it has the best handling FWD chassis. Is that true for UK car?
The second question is that, I once read the current Mondeo can generate 0.88g for the standard LX model. That is very, very good. How does the Celica compares? Is the Mondeo a better handling FWD car than Celica or not, even though the lighter, smaller Celica should have better handling?
Any views welcome. Many thanks, Gazza Read more
US designation, the GT-S is the 190BHP version, GT being 140 BHP.
I have a VW Polo 1.0L which has a problem which appears to be a leak but does anyone have any idea where I should start looking?
The problem is that the instruments all stop functioning - speedo, petrol guage, clock the lot but come back to life again when it is hot which makes me suspect that it is a water related problem. I can't go on like this but my local garage want to simply replace the instrument unit itself at a cost of £250 + vat and given that it does work - albeit in clement weather conditions only - I am loathe to proceed down this road as I am guessing that this will not be the solution. Does anyone have any experience of a similar problem or have a suggestion for how to try and track down what is causing this problem?
Cheers. Read more
What Peter D said sounds very logical and a good starting point, it could also be a dry solder joint on the dashboard, mostly they get replaced rather than repaired though.
Where is it,and how easy is it to replace?
Ken. Read more
Thanks for that.
As easy as my old Vectra.
Ken.
I have a rover 414 auto 'L' reg.
I pulled the boot release but failed to open boot.
key does not work .
I think the cable is bent.
Any ideas please?
Regards.
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Sorry,release lever to lock is located to passenger side of lock.So a possible water leak may have got into the cable?
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Steve
Browse
OK so we have a good 12v at the coil. Do we have any current though? Hang a 21 watt bulb onto the wire that goes to the plus side of the coil and earth and see if it lights, if it does all well and good, we have sufficient current to run the coil.If not trace the wire back and you may well find a poor/corroded connector not far from the coil. Next test is to move the bulb to the other side of the coil, the - side. Crank the engine and see if the bulb flashes on and off rapidly. If it does then I would suspect the coil. More likely is the output from the ignition amp or the distributor pick-up. Testing these is a little more challenging and depends on the make of the distributor. Try the above simple tests first then come back to us
Andrew
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Simplicate and add lightness!!