March 2007
Hi
Decided to test out the air con yesterday, i know i should do it over the winter anyway but i forget often as i only really use the car at weekends.
When switched on the light comes on but i dont hear the compressor kick in, at idle i do not notice the revs drop when switched on either. Didnt seem to really chill the air so i think something is up. On 206's are there common problems with the air con or where do i start with diagnosing the issue? It worked fine last summer/autumn.
thanks Read more
Hi all,
Greetings from China!
I'm here visiting a friend who has a Citroen Fukang - this is what was, in an earlier life, the ZX. It looks exactly like we remember the ZX, save for a couple of Chinese badges on the boot. Under the bonnet lurks a 16 valve 1.6 litre petrol engine.
Now, she's been having a recurring problem with something on the air intake on the engine. I'm not very technically minded where car engines are concerned, so please bear with me. On the air intake hose, between the air cleaner and the inlet manifold, there is what I suspect is an airflow meter with a mechanical air vane, am I right? I know there's something resembling one of these things on my Vauxhall diesel back home so I'm guessing it does the same job.
This device, whatever it is, has had to be cleaned twice in the past year. The car has suffered poor fuel economy, and when the dealer has connected up the diagnostic machine, this thing has been instantly pinpointed as the culprit. The solution has been to remove the device and clean it in solvent, after which it has worked fine until it clags up again.
Is this something which should have to be done frequently, and above all is it something which we in the UK, or in Europe for that matter, would have to pay for when the car is still under warranty? The dealer tells us that it needs doing every 5000 km.
TIA
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Is this the same TU5J4 lump that we have in the rest of Europe?
Fly by wire throttle set up or the normal cable drive one?
I think I know what you mean but a picture would help a lot.
Quick trawl to see if any Benzers are about....
Clean 1992 W124 reliable up until last thurs......Suddenly sat down.
Fuel Pump not working and no spark either....any quick off the cuff stuff..??? Read more
This could be a fault with the fuel injection system relay .These suffer with dry solder joints on the printed circuit board.Look for a silver tall relay situated behind the battery.It may have a black plastic sleeve over it.Also it will have 1or 2 fuses in the top.hth
www.theregister.co.uk/2007/03/09/car_lovers/
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What\'s for you won\'t pass you by Read more
or autoeroticism
Can anyone tell me why my alarm keeps on going off when set,
{Shouting, ie solely upper case text amended. DD} Read more
Air vents open ?
bought a 306 xs today. either the key pilp doesnt work or the sensor in the car doesnt work. the alarm was disabled, so it wasnt a problem. I then disconnected the battery whilst fitting my stereo. when i re-connected, the alarm had been reset. with out the key fob or sensor not working i cant not disable it, i also do not have the key for the key hole near the battery under the hood. really need some help
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pre light comes on, then off when started. Then if i stop at a junction or in traffic etc. a couple of minutes later, it will come on, then go off again once moving and will stay off
dan
As I was saying on the latest VW thread, I seem to have led a charmed life, having had reliable Renaults and VAGs before their reputation for reliability went downhill, and Mercedes after their apparent recovery.
Thinking particularly about reliability, I have the impression that (looking at Backroom threads rather than JD Power etc) the makes which cause fewest complaints seem to be:
Subaru
Citroen (plenty of ink spilt over French cars, but nearly always Renaults and Peugeots)
Vauxhall
Mazda
Skoda
The national surveys usually put Honda, Toyota and Nissan near the top, but Backroomers seem to have been casting doubts on these reputations recently.
Maybe DD can help as he seems to have an amazing memory for what has been posted here.
For me, I do 20,000 a year so need a diesel (knocks out Subaru) and something that holds its value (Citroen and Vauxhall don't look good on this front). So does my next car need to be a Mazda or a Skoda, or have I missed anything out? Read more
I've personally had great luck with Fords. My current Mondeo mk2 TD is on 130k and although a little sloppy feeling these days (nothing a new set of shocks and some new bushes wouldn't sort), is still reliable enough that I can jump in it and do a 500 mile round trip to a meeting without having to even think about getting there OK. My dad had an early 2.0 petrol Mondy that did 180,000 utterly reliable miles, my old company Focus had one minor fault in 100,000 miles, and my sister has a 90,000 mile Ford Ka which she does a 70 mile a day commute in with no problems at all. That said, I know some Fords are troublesome. I just haven't owned or driven one yet.
I cannot praise Toyota after the experience a good friend had with a Celica 190 VVTLi. It was a disgraceful car. First fault at 600 miles, a major mechanical failure at less than 20,000 miles and then constant build / component quality problems until he got rid of it. Dealer was helpful though.
Honda as I said before seem to be consistently praised. My own experience bears this out with fleet owned Accords which were faultless. An Accord is a leading contender to replace the Mondeo later this year.
Have heard mixed things from BMW. A neighbour has a 2004 318i and has had quite a lot of problems with it, and a work colleague had a turbo go on his 320d at 60,000 miles. Same with Mercedes, some are good, some not so. I think their later models seem to have overcome the iffy quality of the late 90's / early 00's stuff. Our Dutch office chauffeur guys rave about the current E-Class
Cheers
DP
Hi to all for my first post.
My son's W Reg Saxo VTR has developed a pronounced clonk when turning the steering wheel in either direction. It's worse when putting the steering under stress especially at lower speeds or when stationary.
Any advice or likely diagnosis gratefully received. The car has done 71000 miles and recently passed the MOT. Read more
Rumour on the streets in Germany is that DB are to pull out of selling Chrysler in the UK they are certainly pulling out of Germany as sales have plummeted,I notice that they are discounting the whole range at the moment in the UK apparently they are loosing money on every car sold due to the high warranty work.Rumour or fact make up your own mind. Read more
The Ford 150 truck also does well in their tests but its about as safe as a 1959 Mini.
Before anyone jumps down my throat, I know I have asked this before but as it was a considerable time ago and the original thread died out, I would wish to ask again.
On several Fiat cars, over time, some of the black plastic trim and things like the door mirrors, take on a grey powdery appearance which will not clean off. I know that this is due to the plastic used not being ultra violet stable, so this expanation need not be repeated here.
Does anyone know of a chemical treatment ( not Back to Black please ) as I would wish to avoid using any form of abrasive, which would neutralize the grey powdery effect and preferably, return the plastic to something like its original black finish?
Thank you. Read more
Thanks Oldman, I recall your reply from the last time.
Rgds.
Browse
well finally got a man to come around and check it out - There was no gas but also no holes. A vac/lube/and re-gas was £80 all in so not at all bad and now it works better than ever!
thanks all