January 2007
Car: 1991 1.6 MkII Driver.
When I turn the key for ignition, the starter doesn't turn and I can hear a fast and regular clicking that sounds like arcing.
Any suggestions as what might be amiss and how I might solve it?
thanks,
GHD
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Well, at long last, Thames Water have lifted the hosepipe ban and so all we keen car owners, who like to wash their own cars regularly, have no excuses whatsoever for driving around with number plates and windows obscured by road dirt - not that I ever did.
I shall look forward this weekend to setting up the hose again with the water-fed brush and washing both our cars with the ease that this method affords.
Of course, you lazy car owners out there will carry on, as usual, proclaiming that once or twice a year is a wash too much - shame on you!
Hip, hip hoorah!
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It's all about cars and water, innit? ;-) Anyway, if we never strayed from the point a little, how would we ever learn anything new?
I wondered if any of our northern posters have seen any real life examples contained in the following (driving related) videos:
www.biertijd.com/mediaplayer/flvplayer.swf?file=ht...r
tijd.com/movies/200610/onderen.flv&autostart=true&fs=true
Darwinian theory in action....
TT
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Top Turkey - the fastest hands in Brum Read more
I read that they had to be removed in the end. Quite right too, if I'm not allowed to prickle burglars fingers!
Morning All,
My 2002 Peugeot 406HDi has an intermittent ?feature? upon starting the engine. If it is really cold outside and the car hasn?t been used for more than a few hours, the engine feels as though it?s about to pop out of the bonnet! It shakes the whole car, but only on the initial start up.
It doesn?t always do this, but when it does you certainly know about it?
I don?t think it?s the engine mounts, as during driving etc there?s no evidence of excessive movement, and as I say this issue is intermittent.
Any ideas from the BR fountain of knowledge?
Cheers,
DB
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Some kind of sensor fault that's effecting the timing or fueling perhaps?
Steve.
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Xantia HDi. - Float on!
I would like to enable the trailer indicator bulb failure warning light on the instrument panel. Is it a new software code (it was with the Alhambra) or is it more involved? The car is an 05 (old shape) 2.2 auto.
Robert Read more
Thanks for your reply. I live in Australia and it is not a legal requirement to have an warning light / buzzer for the trailer indicators here (but I would like one). My Zafira is not pre-wired at the rearlights (the dashboard warning light is present) and I have used a Holden Towbar and wiring kit . The wiring harness in the kit T's into the rearlight clusers using male and female connectors so the original wiring remains intact. The fuse box seems to have separate relays for left and right indicators. If I cannot use the onboard warning light I will have to use a buzzer warning in the boot.
Robert
Passed a transit this morning with a six numeral (no letters) number plate.
Not a J..... just six numbers in a single block.
Anyone know what it is? Read more
This link is pretty comprehensive but I haven't been able to find out this unusual registration number:
www.vrm-group.co.uk/car_registration_numbers.htm
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by
I drove the 405 to Holland and back yesterday....
On the return I had some sporadic, severe steering wheel shake, which came and went twice or three times. As I arrived home I turned the wheel fairly hard left to park, and heard a grinding noise form the left front wheel, as if from the suspension/turret.
Moving it this morning the same noise was evident, and then it lost all drive, apart from some expensive sounding crunching. The gears appear to engage, but all I get is the grinding noise, as if something is not quite engaged and he cogs are jumping over each other. The same in 1st and reverse, which makes me think/hope that it's outside the gear box.
Your thoughts, gentlemen? Read more
A pattern driveshaft at £121 and an hour of labour and we were mobile.
I recently received a £40 fine (+ backtax) for forgetting to tax/SORN my motorbike that has sat in the garage for the last 4 months - it hasn't been on the road. Now my son is renewing the annual SORN notice on his Yamaha 98cc motorbike which hasn't moved out of the garage for 5 years (current annual tax rate £15). We have no immediate plans to put the Yamaha back on the road - so we could be renewing SORN notices ad infinitum.
I have never used an untaxed vehicle on the highway and have no intention of doing so in the future. What a wasteful bureaucratic nonsense this is!
Rant over! Read more
Sorry Waino the Move on remark wasn't aimed at you in particular. No offence meant.>>
's OK, PU, no offence taken. I was just feeling a bit cheesed off at being caught this way.
I saw a similar sort of thing a couple of months ago when I was surveying in Feering, Essex. I was looking to park my car in a side street to start work when I noticed a sign on a wall. On closer inspection, it said 'No parking between 1000 and 1100'. It dawned on me that this was designed to prevent commuters from dumping their cars for the day and catching the train to London from the local station. A glance at my watch showed that it was a few minutes after 1100, so I was OK to park. A chap then appeared from a house at the side of the road to find a parking ticket on his car. It turned out that he was a digger driver working on the drive of the house and while he was working, both he and house-owner had to put their cars out on the street. They had been caught in a trap not meant for them and were faced with a 'double-fine if not paid by a certain date' clause to discourage any further discussion.
This may initially seem like an odd comparison, but bear with me!
Ideally I'd like a sporty diesel (20k a year ensures this) that looks aggressive whilst having an air of quality and refinement about it. It needs to be 10k or less with a mileage of less than 60k because I feel I will keep it for 2 or 3 years and I don't want to get into "unsellable" mileage. It also has to be German or Japanese. None of the Jap cars really float my boat, so German it is.
I currently drive a 130 TDI Passat - a means to an end, it was £6,000 when I got it, and was a lot of car for the money. Now I want an upgrade!
The Leon is a nice looking car from the front, has 150bhp and a sporty ride. However they were a 16k car when new and this shows in the interior and build quality. Also they seem to have over-inflated residual prices - 10k for a 60k miler that's 2 or 3 years old!
The Audi is a nice car, built well and looks nice, but it just isn't value for money in my opinion - 3 or 4 years old and still asking 11k for what is effectively a small hatch.
The BMW is a nice car, a bit too much on the "older" side for me (I'm 28) but a lot of car for the cash. Refined and RWD is a big plus point, 5 doors and the rear end styling is the negative. The main reason for considering this is the handling. The A4 is FWD and I don't want the expense and lesser mpg of quattro.
So my question is - have I missed anything here? Any recommendations / things to avoid? Which will be worth the most when selling in 3 years? Any other cars out there (not the A4 or Passat thanks)?
Cheers for any pointers! Read more
Alfa 156 2.4 JTD.
This is a hugely impressive car in 6-speed 175 bhp M-Jet guise.
Without a doubt the nicest sounding diesel engine I've ever experienced. Sounds like an Audi ur-Quattro under hard acceleration, and boy does it accelerate!
Obviously there's the reliability / quality issue, but there are good 156's out there. I know someone who has a V6 Sportwagon on a V plate that's done 115k, never broken down, and has had one unscheduled visit to the garage for nothing more dramatic than a squeaky aux belt.
Still goes like stink and feels tight too.
Cheers
DP
hi, my citroen diesel has decided 2 present me with a really annoying warning light which i dont understand.
its on the right hand side under the temp gage. its an orange warning light with what looks like a lower case 'r' with a dripper under it. it also displays 2 small lines at the side of the lower case 'r' in the warning box.
if anyone knows what this is could u plz let me know as it is driving me mad!!!
thank you
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hi,
yep the oil level is just below full but i will top it up a bit see if that helps!! now you have mentioned it it does come on more if i am parked on a left hand kerb. its strange though, ive had the car for 3 years and it's only just started doing it.
thanks for the advice, if topping it up doesnt help i will be on here again for any more welcome advice.
cheers.
Browse
I have a MK2 diesel, this happened to me and the clicking is the soleniod, check the cable that runs from the battery to the Sol, give it a good pull, as mine was broken inside the insulation, it had enough strands to pass a charge to work the Sol, but was sending enough power through. I only discovered this after I had changed the Sol (£65) when £1 of cable would have done it. Let me know how you get on