April 2006
I had to jump-start my car using booster cables this morning. The sequence I used was
1 Have donor car running
2. Attach positive cable to donor
3 Positive to donee
4 Then negative as per steps two and three
Was this correct. It started. What are the risks of using an alternative sequence?
Regards
John
Read more
The front continentals on our 2.0DTI Zafira are shot at 15K. It came shod with V rated 205/55/16, if i was to replace these with T or H rated tyres would it cause problems at MOT time having V rated tyres on the rear and lower rated on the front. Quoted top speed is 109MPH, therefore T rated tyres will suffice.
Not impressed with the wear rate of these tyres, it's the Mrs car and gets used for the schoolrun/Tesco majority of the time. To wear them out in 15K is horrific. Read more
Much add, that the biggest concern is the mixing of speed ratings, don,t want to spend £65 a corner only to find mixing of ratings is a MOT failure point.
My other daughter tells me that her 1999 Fiesta 1.25 stalls easily or possibly misfires on a cold engine. I have done a search on the HJ backroom as this is a popular car but found nothing similar. Any ideas? Read more
My daughter has had a new clutch fitted on her Cinquecento 900S. For the clutch to operate properly I have had to adjust the pedal travel to a somewhat greater distance than the Haynes guide advises. Has there been an amendment to this setting or could there be a fault somewhere? Read more
Hello all,
My FIL is looking to get a Lexus RX400h - but doesn't really know if its any good! Have any BRs any experience of them and if so, is it worth getting?
TIA Read more
One of my co-workers got one. I have driven it briefly.
Four things stick in my mind.
HOw quiet and strange it was when on battery power
How many times I nearly crashed - distracted by the moving image thingy of what all the power options were doing.
How seamless the transitions between modes of power were.
HOw many time during the day my co-worker complains about how often the damn thing has to be filled up and how a diesel would have been so much more economical........
------------------------------
TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
SWMBO's new Polo 1.4 SE Petrol was taken for it's first long, but steady round-trip yesterday (120 miles). No apparent problems with it up until the last mile home. I wasn't present for the journey, but got quite a colourful description of the problem when I got home.
Whilst at 30mph on local roads, a repetitive "thud thud thud thud" appeared to emanate from the engine bay - lasted about 10/15 seconds, then stopped. Pulling away at the next junction, the noise resumed, louder than before, lasting for at least the same time - but this time culminating with an almighty "thump" then a lenghty "hiss".
The "thud" couldn't be felt through the steering or pedals, and according to SWMBO, the car was otherwise unaffected. Having had a quick look in the light this morning (ran it for 10 minutes) I could see no obvious sign of trouble (no warning lights; fluids levels, power steering, brakes all seemingly ok).
I appreciate that a diagnosis is practically impossible from descriptions of noises in "quotes", but does anyone have any thoughts or experience of this problem? Is there an immediate cause for concern?
Thanks in advance. Read more
Ran over a python? --- hiss.
Not a good idea to keep driving when something dramatic like that happens. Damage can be minimised if it is safe to stop and inspect.
Sounds like a tyre blow-out to me.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
Hi All
In the back of my father-in-laws Alladin's Cave of a shed I found an alternator in an unmarked box. It looks unused. On the side it says:
Lucas
LRB163 V
R54022453 BTT
50 / 03 Made In The U.K.
I have tried googling it but without much success. Would anybody be able to tell me what vehicle(s) it might have been made for, or perhaps in the spirit of teaching a man to fish, how I could go about finding out myself please?
Many Thanks.
--
www.bayingbasset.com
Read more
Thanks you two. Yep little Lucas Rotating Thing-feel the Fleabay-it is your destiny...
--
www.bayingbasset.com
Having done my fair share of DIY-ing on cars over the years, I can't help thinking that the knowledge gained has helped me become a better driver.
Notwithstanding all the other skills which must be brought to bear whilst on the road, having an understanding of what's going on under the bonnet gives a sense of 'mechanical empathy' - which I think makes for safer, smoother (and probably more pleasurable) progress.
Do other backroomers think that some mechanical knowledge is required to develop one's full potential as a driver? Read more
Knowing that crashing over kerbs is stupid isn't underbonnet knowledge.
It is in a way you know. I wonder how many people there are driving about out there who really don't understand how fragile tyres are, who think they're just rolling cushions and unless visibly flat are probably more or less all right... quite a lot from what I see.
I wonder how many people really understand the simple fact that it does no harm to jump off a kerb at any speed at all, while climbing onto one is a completely different matter?
Do the injectors require changing on my 2.0Hdi Berlingo 2001 model? It's done about 90,000 and seems fine. I was wondering because my previous 1.9d Peugeot needed new ones at around this milage and although seemed fine before the change it was much less smokey and better at cold starts afterwards.
Read more
nocowt
If ever there was a case for the old saying "If it ain't broke - don't fix it;" then this is it.
Apart from the fact that four electronic injectors from the dealer's will cost twice what the van's worth; this engine is a completely different animal to the 1.9's and should be fixed by experts only.
Any help please, as title suggests, I'm getting a rubbing noise over about 30mph and is most prominent when the clutch is pressed in. Before I noticed it was just with the clutch pressed I suspected wheel bearing (as per previous post - thanks for info). Jacked all wheels up but can not reproduce sound and no obvious excessive movement of wheels either
The sound is similiar to the one when you have a stone trapped between brake caliper & disc.
Any help much appreciated..
Thanks Read more
The bearing has to come off before the garage even touch the clutch, so I see no reason to just replace the bearing without the clutch, but then again I'm not a mechanic...
Those prices sound like they came as a bit of a shock, I hope you're bearing up! :-)
--------------
Mike Farrow
Browse
On a similar theme my local mechanic was telling me replaced the ECU on a Toyota(?) the other day, the car had been jump started, but the jump lead momentarily touched the metal ECU casing when being removed- result one dead ECU. An expensive jump start!