I have a mondeo tdci nov 03 registered so is just out of warranty. My battery light recently came on and i thought i had an alternator problem but today when i took it to a alternator specialist they had a look and noticed an oil leak. This has leaked onto the belt and made it slack which is why the warning light has been coming on.

The leak seams to be coming from an area on the drivers side and in front of the alternator. The problem is there is quite a lot of oil under there and its hard to see exactly where its coming from. One thing i have noticed is there seems to be some kind of sealant aroung a particular area and was wondering if this is the likely culprit and if so what is it.

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I've got a 1.7cdti vauxhall meriva. The car is fine except for a strange noise, and as the warranty is running out I need to get it sorted.

When accelerating hard in a high gear, from 1400 to 1800rpm there is a load "chirruping" noise from the engine compartment directly in front of the driver.

The engine isn't labouring - it pulls well - but this noise doesn't sound good. Backing off the throttle stops it, and once through the rev range, the problem goes too.

Its done it from new, and vauxhall have just changed the alternator drive belt and tensioner, which seems a reasonable diagnosis.

however, the fault is still there - although much improved.

Is this a common fault? what else does this belt drive ? (the engine bay is so packed that you can't see anything clearly)

Thanks for any advice


Subject line altered to clarify make and type Read more

I am about to get my first car and the decision has come down to the VW Polo SE 1.4 with 5 doors and the Vauxhall Corsa Design 1.4 with 5 doors. I really like both of the cars but would appreciate the views of people who own them/ have experience of them.
In the magazines the Corsa seems to come out very well but its never directly compared with the Polo which makes it quite hard to decide. I am 22 so not exactly a teenager so whilst i dont want something thats really flashy, i still want an attractive car with a bit of sophistication. It would need to have plenty of ooomphh as i do like speed and it would be used to travel between essex and reading on motorways.
Any help from you experts out there would be great - i dont know much about cars other than what looks good appearance wise

{Subject header amended to make less vague, and to also include a follow-up question asked by the OP, which has now been merged into this thread - DD} Read more

Just going around the Mondeo prior to MoT and sale and doing a few jobs to help sell it on, one of which is a noisy CV joint. I've had the part in the shed for months, so thought it was worth doing to avoid a potential headache at sale time.

Done so far:

Hubnut slackened
Jacked and supported.
Anti-roll bar droplink disconnected from strut.
Caliper off and tied up out of the way, and brake disc removed
Track rod end balljoint split.
ABS sensor removed and tied up out of the way.
Strut top mount slackened 5 turns or so.
Bottom balljoint split.
Hubnut removed.
Driveshaft outer joint pressed back through hub (this was SERIOUSLY tight), and free of obstruction. Now supported on an axle stand.
All this took less than two hours. Said to myself it was all going too well, and it seems I was right.

Problem:

I cannot get the inner end of the driveshaft out of the transmission. Access is tight due to the casing making it impossible to get any form of lever in to the "front half" of the shaft circumference. I've tried all manner of levers bracing against bits of wood on the casing, and I cannot get it to shift at all. Haynes manual suggests a tap with the wrist on the end of the lever should be sufficient. It's not! Ran out of light and had to abandon the job, but would like to go back to it tomorrow evening with a clear head and some fresh ideas.

BTW it's a 5 speed manual (MTX75 transmission) and I'm working on the nearside (short) driveshaft.

Any suggestions welcome. Is it just a case of being more brutal with it, or are there any pearls of wisdom anyone would like to share?

Cheers in advance as always.

DP Read more

I have bought a 1275 engine for my Mini that began life in a Metro.
It comes with all ancilleries apart from the carb and manifold.

What I need to know is will the manifold be ok for the bigger engine and are the carbs the same apart from the jet size; ie, can I rejet my existing carb or will I have to source one from a 1275 mini/metro?

All help gratefully received!

Thanks,

Stuart
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