July 2006
Is £250 the norm these days? Read more
I've been driving a new shape Clio since March and apart from the door handles being too far away, I've not had any issues to report.
Until recently that is.
Now I'm finding that the seatbelts are very difficult to put on without them "locking". They also lock when I try and lean forward to see round a corner or whilst going around a roundabout etc.
Has anyone else got this problem, or is it just my car? Is there anything that can be done to ease the problem?
Read more
Hi Wally
You could try apraying the belts with a silicone to improve the action. Its available as a spray from any autoparts shop.
Cheers
JonL
I have repeat of a previous small problem with my '02 Mondeo TDCi Ghia X, that of the high speed fan cycling on and off quickly when in traffic with the the air con / climate switched on. Please see the following thread:
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=31988
This was previously solved via a new fan resistor and has been OK for over a year, could the resistor simply have failed again or should I also check elsewhere?
Many thanks. Read more
Many thanks again.
All seems OK today!
I know, I know, I must have inadvertently sorted it when disconnecting and reconnecting the resistor or removing and replacing the relays! Perhaps it was finger trouble fitting the new resistor though I had double checked the connections. I say "seems OK", it is just that there are so many variables when you account for ambient temp, engine temp, interior temp etc. I will see how it goes.
Neverthless I have measures the voltage across the connector block that is linked directly to the resistor when the fans are running and it show 5.2v against the battery static at 12.5v and at idle 14v.
This is a voltage drop of around 7.3v so perhaps the fan current is nearer 8 amps and the resistance 0.9ohm.
Re the relays I too have a wiring diagram in the Haynes manual, it seems that you are right that they are in parallel. As to why the fans don't run at all with the low speed relay removed, I guess the ECU will "think" it is running the low speed fans and simply cut the compressor if the pressure gets too high, perhaps it will only run the high speed fans at the behest of the CTS, at high ambient temps or if the difference between set (required) and actual interior temp is great thus demanding max cooling.
Thanks again to all, fingers crossed all is well, I will post here to update.
Hi,
I just read John's road test of the Avensis 180 D4D and I liked what I heard. However I was wondering if John, or anyone else can comment .....
I recently drove a new IS220D (absolutly gorgeous car) and I was really impressed apart from 2 niggles.
1) Although the engine was silky smooth and quiet, II found the engine completly lacking in power until it got to about 2200 rpm where it shot off like a rocket
2) I found the gearchange, although not particularly bad, felt quite clunky
Now John's review of the Avensis 180 stated that the engine had loads of low down power with no turbo lag and described the gearbox as "pleasantly precise"
I have not driven the Avensis but assume they are very simular engine/gearbox wies if not the same. Is there a difference as John did not describe what I experienced.
I am torn about the IS220D as I love the car but don't think I could put up with the turbo lag.
At work I drive a variety of VW's (golf and passat in either TDI110/PD100/PD130 flavour) and so this is what I would be comparing with. Although the golf PD105's, for example, are much slower on paper, I found they felt alot quicker as they seemed to pull alot stronger straight from idle, but where the PD100 starts to get flat the IS220d really picked up strong.
My driving sytle rarely takes me over 2000rpm so this would be a dissadvantage to me (I am one of these sad people that always has the trip computer set on real time mpg lol)
Where I most noticed the is220d weakness, was when I rolled up to a give way junction, in second gear and then put my foot down. It felt like the car wasn't doing anything for the first 3 seconds and then..... wooosh.... I feel that the PD100 shines here and pulls away strongly.
Thanks for reading, I would be interested in your comments.
Read more
The IS220d sport has different gear ratios which might help - go to the Lexus Owners Club site for more info. In general, people are a bit peeved that there's not an auto option for the IS220d.
Of course, if you're not worried about company car tax, the answer is the IS250 Auto! Mine has an incredibly smooth engine and gearbox and loads of torque thanks to speed-of-light kickdown. It is even pretty economical on the motorway (but not in town).
I don't really like diesel engines, but the 2.2D in the X-Type was fabulous and even pulled well at low revs (I've not driven the IS220d).
Just thought I'd share something that was recently sent to me.
www.ronpatrickstuff.com/
Fancy doing a road test HJ ;o)
Read more
>>Where does it get 700 amps from to fire the thing up>>
Would it suffer from jet lag if they were not available?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
My wife's car has developed a clonk when driving out of the drive and sometimes over speed bumps or on uneven roads.My mechanic has had a quick look but can find nothing obvious (yet !) .If anyone has any ideas would they kindly let me know. It was fine when MOT'd in early April.
Cheers.
Read more
Hi Aprilia,
Have been away for a couple of weeks and have just got round to having it looked at by a another friend in the car business who has confirmed the problem as anti-roll bar bushes. £12 from local VAG agent who has never been asked for them before.VAG UK had 15, 18mm on stock and 14, 20mm (assume for the 1.6GTI) .Fitted in 15 mins this morning and noises have disappeared.
Colabora.
One of the councils up here are running adverts on the radio saying the usual, how bad it is for the environment etc if you leave your car engine running whilst parked up, so you will now be fined if caught doing this.
But how bad exactly is it? If you are sitting stationery at side of road and a car drives past at 30mph who is polluting the most? If your car is warm surely it is more efficient and less polluting than if you switch it off and let it get cold again?
Will it really make any difference, I mean at any one time how many stationery cars are sitting with their engines running compared to cars that are being driven?
As buses are often the worse polluters should they switch off every time they come into a bus stop?
Read more
Yeah but this isn't about mpg, its about pollution.
In HJ's Saturday Telegraph spot he advises one reader that a detachable tow bar should be fitted in order to be "socially responsible". I may be being terminally dense here but what's socially irresponsible about having a legal fixed tow bar? Are we worried that tactile parking may damage someone's number plate? A dog may bang its head on the way past? People who don't look where they are going might bark their shins? The extra weight and consequent fuel consumption might cause us to run out of oil sooner than we thought?
I use my trailer 2 or 3 days a week in summer in the course of my business so I fall into HJ's exception group, but what of others?
Hawkeye
-----------------------------
Stranger in a strange land Read more
This thread has just reminded me to go outside and put a large dollop of grease on the balls of our towbars, no covers on obviously ;-0
--
2 Dirty VW diesels and a Honda with an 18 inch blade
need some help
have a 6foot 4 friend
been offered a very cheap micra 1.2 s 3 or 5 door - 03 plate (pre face lift)
3 questions.
is there adequate head room in the front?
is there adequate headroom in the back?
does the head room differ between the 3 door and 5 door? Read more
Hi,
I am 6 foot 2 and I still have loads of room in the front in both 3 and 5 door models.
I actually like driving even the basic 1.2 E models...
Regards
Baz
How do you remove a locking wheel stud which has been over tightend? when I tried to remove it the unlocking device has sheared off. Read more
hammer a socket on with a small extension bar, or you can buy some extractors as mentioned ealier, or drill it off which takes ages!! id go for the socket and small extension you have nothing to lose give it a try!
Browse
£300 compolsary
--
Its not what you drive, its how you drive it! :-)