November 2006
I posted in the Discussion section recently about purchasing a diesel saloon for around £2.5K and a few people suggested the Rover 75. I am looking into these as an option now and wondered if anyone could advise on the timing belt (or chain) situation. I understand that the 2.0 CDT engine is in fact a BMW unit and as such has a timing chain rather than a belt. If so, do these still need to be changed and at what interval? I am looking at a 2002 (52) model that has done 90K miles with full Rover service history but can see no mention of the above work being done. Is there anything else on these cars that I should look out for or be aware of? Many thanks. Read more
After the Ford Ka spark plug debacle (the whole sorry tale is in "Technical"), I really should get around to getting some Plusgas. It has occurred to me though that I have never seen it for sale anywhere on the High Street.
Where do you get it from?
Cheers
DP Read more
Among its other properties, WD40 is a very effective degreasant. It should be used with caution around bearings, drive chains etc.
I use it mostly for its cleaning and rust prevention properties. I find good old fashioned 3 in 1 oil is better for general lubrication.
Cheers
DP
Hi - I have a 98 VW Passat and have yesterday run into a problem with the headlights.
I have no dipped-beam at all. The sidelights are ok, full-beam is ok, but when dipped-beam is selected, it just displays the sidelights. Not much use in these dark-nights!
I fitted a new rear light/stop bulb the other day as it had gone - and all lights worked fine until yesterday evening. Surely it can't be a coincidence, something must have been affected by doing this - but what?
All seems fine at first inspection. Dipped-beam bulbs are tested & ok, all other lights function correctly, all fuses are intact and have power going to them.
A chap at Nationwide suggested it may be a failed relay. Is this likely?
Anyone encountered this problem with their VW/Audi? Read more
Having still got main beam, that rules out the dash switch. The switch position is the same for both main and dip, the collumn switch diverts between dipped / main ;o)
VW are the worst for not using relays, this Passat may have them though.
Reading the thread about torque, there was a post about the best overtaking 'strategy' in a TDI.
I'm interested, as I know flooring it isn't the best way (Although, it spins around to 5000 fair more willingly than my old 306 HDi).
It's a modestly powered 110hp VAG TDI engine, peak torque at the usual 1900rpm I believe. Max BHP probably somewhere around 3000.
So, I'm driving along, and I come to the ubiqitous 40mph crawlers that plague the NSL roads of Surrey. I'm in 4th at 1900rpm already.
What do you suggest I do to get past as quickly as possible? Downshift, or just 'boot it'? Read more
Sorry mk, I missed your post.
I'm not dealing in anything as esoteric as potential!!
m* g * sin (theta) is just the component of the vehicles weight that lines up with the angle of the road, and as such is a force acting to slow the vehicle, so you can just add it to the other components of drag force, namely tyre rolling resistance and aerodynamic drag. There's no velocity term in there at all.
So, taking extremes;
theta = 0, level road, there is no drag force resulting from the gradient.
theta = 90 degrees, the road is vertical, the drag force resulting from the gradient is equal to the weight of the car.
Number_Cruncher
Could anyone tell me if the 1.4 TDCI engine in a 2002 Fiesta is belt driven or has a timing chain? I have looked all over the internet and have not had any luck.
I'll be test driving one tomorrow that has 130,000 miles on it so, naturally enough, I was wondering about the belt/chain situation.
The trader wants £3295 for it and it only has a partial service history. I had a look at it today and my gut feeling was that it was in a fair and honest condition but if anyone can tell me particular things to watch for during the test drive I'd be very grateful for the information.
Patrick Read more
I walked away.
Two stamps in the service book, one at 1008 miles, the next at 54k miles. No indication whatsoever of any other work done. The car was blocked in by other cars at his garage when I turned up at the appointed time for the test drive, and then he started talking about how the tarmac at the front of his premise had just been relaid so he wouldn't be able to get the car out anyway.
Now looking at an 88k mile 2003 03 Skoda Fabia 1.4 16v Comfort estate, for £3k. It is an ex company car. It drove nicely on the test drive and the air conditioning worked well. 2 small faults, both familiar VW ones, ie, the electric wing mirrors move in unison when trying to adjust the offside mirror and then the nearside mirror won't move at all and remains at an unsuitable angle. Also the fuel filler catch is out of commission. I remember having both these faults when I had a Golf. Just waiting for the trader to check to see if the timing belt has been replaced at the scheduled interval, but I am already much happier with this vehicle.
Still, any opinions would be welcome.
Thanks again for the earlier advice
Having seen the success shared by many of previous "posters" I hope that someone can help me with my Clio starting problem.
I have a 1.2 RL 1994 Clio with single point injection.
It has been laid up for 2 years and has been started every couple of months. Recently after charging the battery and washing the engine bay (why???) it failed to start. I squirted WD40 liberally about (near map sensor) and the fuel pump relay started to fizz & click and it started.
Happy with my achievments I left it assuming all was well. Now it wont start at all. No fuel or spark.
The fuel pump runs if I bridge the relay but I still can't get it to fire. I have replaced the ignition coil and module but to no avail.
I have been offered a replacement ECU but I'm scared to throw good money after bad.
Suggestions warmly received.
Pip Dunlop. Read more
So, this is probs not gonna help anyone but it may be here to help someone maybe sometime that may still have the "Pleasure" to buy an Mk2 Pase1 Renault Clio, In the wiring loom there is 1 power cable that gives power to the ECU. And one cable that gives power to the fuel relay. Now, im my wiring loom over time the wires have broken (inside) and this is due to the way that the wiring loom is put together. Due to the heat from the gearbox they broke and the engine management half of the ECU was not receiving power meaning that it was unable to start, no petrol, no spark, no nothing except for starter. After fixing this the car has run since and it has been great, (a lot of ECU's have been killed due to this so go step by step (cheap [fixing the wiring loom] and expensive switching out the ecu [if you just replace ecu you may kill your ecu again if you have this issue. The easiest way to diagnose is to get a multi meter put it into continuity and unplug the ECU then place on end of the multi meter on the 5A fuse on the fuse box (its the fuse that gives power to the engine management half of the ECU) and one of the corner pins on the ECU plug. It Should be one of the corners where all the cables fly out the side (or if you can see the cables its the red cable flying into the corner)
Best of luck ;D And hope this helps.
P.S. If you replace your ECU only you may move the cables in such a way that they contact again and the car may work fine for some time, but its worth checking before spending cash.
Renault Megane W reg ABS problem.
This is a friends (1.6 petrol) car. The problem started with the ABS light illuminating permanently on a journey. Investigation revealed a blown 5 amp fuse. This was replaced and at first the system seemed ok with the ABS light illuminating initially then extinguishing. However the fuse blew again about 1.5 miles / 5 minutes into the next journey. This happens every journey even though there is no apparent need for the ABS to have functioned. For the time being the fuse has not been replaced, but MOT time approaches!
It has been suggested that this is an electronic module fault rather than a pump fault.
The ABS unit fitted to the car is the Bosch 5.3. According to BBA Reman it is possible to remove the electronics module from the ABS unit for reconditioning. On this particular model of the Megane the access is very poor and the whole ABS unit has to be removed in order to remove the electronics module. Removal means bleeding the braking system of course.
The Haynes manual does not offer a lot of advice on bleeding. Enquiries have been made at the local Bosch Service Centre and appear to have been met with blank looks. There is a rumour that the electronics module has to be put through some sort of computerised routine while the bleeding process is occurring.
The big question is:
Has anybody had experience of bleeding the braking/ABS system of the Megane?
Any thoughts please?
Read more
Problem(s) sorted now.
I say problems because also there had been the brake warning light in the instrument panel flashing on occasionally, usually when the car was accelerating or decelerating.
I don?t know quite how my friend found the problem, but here is what he found:
Looking under the bonnet, the accelerator cable passes between the offside of the engine and the inboard side of the offside suspension tower. The cable is held in place by a couple of clips, one of which comes undone easily. So the cable comes loose and gently rubs against part of the ABS cable loom which runs vertically down the aforesaid inboard side of the offside suspension tower. The loom is protected by tape at this point and the metal sheath of the accelerator cable is protected by a rubber sleeve. It had obviously been gnawing a way for a while and eventually became intermittent metal to metal contact; hence the flashing light and occasional blown fuse.
So with some extra protection the problems are now solved.
Thanks for your help Xileno and Elekie on this one.
Hello All,
I have a 1997 Audi A4 2.4 V6 engine code AGA. Just come back from a week away and the thing wont start. It fires up and then cuts out after a couple of seconds. After trying a few times there was some smoke from the exhaust and a smell of unburnt fuel. Also the drivers information system is not working along with fuel gauge. I've tried disconnecting the battery for a while but it made no difference. Could it be the ECU ? or one of the million sensors !!
Any help would be much appreciated,
all the best
a rather peed off Benno Read more
Your best not to gitter around with it because if you dont know what your doing you may cause more damage.Best to get the car pickt up and dropt of at your nearest Dealer if you knacker it more the engineer will now this when he plugs into his machine and something thet might only have cost a few pounds might go into hundreds.Dont think these guys who work on these cars dont know their stuff the do and if you go to your main dealer and not a back street garage you shouldnt get ript of .I have heard off this problem before and am sure it was down to a slack eart h cable in the engine bay check that all your earths are tight if they are and the problem is still their.then you know what to do i hope this has been of help to you.
Should this be on the 'technical matters' {Yep, so has been moved - DD}... I'm not sure... if so appologies but here we go anyway....
I've spoken to a chap about buying an 02 new shape fiesta 1.4LX (AC). Bear in mind that this chap is operating a tinpot used car business from his front room....
He has reduced the asking price from 3500 to 3k on the grounds that the airbag warning sensor/light is faulty. Now, he says that Ford will charge £94 to put right but he is not prepared to wait the 2 weeks waiting time hence reduction in price.
Any thoughts along the lines of actually an airbag sensor could cost hundreds?
thanks in advance. Read more
>>There's a fairly common fault on the Mondeo where the airbag light flashes (4 times IIRC) which turns out to be the plug to the seat belt tensioners, >>
IIRC there are also switches in the seat belt buckles on the front seats, these can get dust etc in them causing the light to flash intermitently, a bit of silcone lub spray in each buckle may well solve it. Otherwise, assuming it has a passenger airbag there is sensor under the passenger seat squab, the system can get confused if this is playing up and the passenger seat belt is buckled.
My Ifor Williams electric tipper works off a 12 volt battery contained within the trailer that needs to be charged up periodically.
Never having had a caravan or even bothered with the 2nd socket on any car could someone please tell me what I would need to do to be able to charge this from the Land Rover.
There is a caravan socket on the tow hitch for this vehicle. I believe all the wiring is there as previous owners used to tow a caravan with it.
Would there normally be a charging relay in the car to prevent the car battery going flat should the trailer battery develop a fault? And if so then I guess I would simply need some heavy gauge cable (live and neutral) going from the 2nd plug to the battery - Am I right.
Thanks in advance Read more
The normal cabling for the 12N plug/socket is 6A with a 8A earth, normal for the 12S is 8A with one 10A earth and another (for the caravan fridge) of 8A.
It shouldn't melt at 8.1A but 8A is the rated limit. A number of caravanners have experienced problems with 12S plugs and/or sockets starting to melt.
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Hi,
Sign up is required , it is free.
It's probably easiest to go on the club forum at the url below (should have put this first time around - doh!) as signing on there gives access to the forum and club website member area (again free)
the75andztclub.co.uk/forum
hth