September 2007
First a 5w30 viscosity oil was used by one vauxhall dealer,the 2nd a 10w40 viscosity.
I phoned the previous dealer and spoke to a service engineer there and explained I know have 10w40 in use,was told vauxhall recommend the 5w30 but as long as a synthetic oil is in use can use either without any resulting performance or wear and tear issues so its down to my preference I was told (not that I know a lot)
A third vauxhall dealer likes to use 0w30 I was told when phoning another!
I telephoned one kwikfit garage and they would use a 10w40 mobil semi-synthetic.
Such a lack of consistency.
So question being to people here is the 10w40 ok,
I am presuming so and the only negative information I have found is perhaps a little more fuel consumption.
s Read more
How reliable are the TRUE Ford TDCi engines - namely the 1.8 TDCi used in old and current Focus and the 2.0 TDCi used in old Mondeo? Read more
I've got a Focus 1.8 TDCi which I bought with 50,000 on the clock. It had a full main dealer s/h and I've had it regularly serviced.
What a complete and utter POS. Problem after problem. Broken camshaft, faulty injectors, faulty sensors, clutch and dual mass flywheel, water leaks, dead A/C. How a modern car can be this unreliable amazes me. I've probably spent £3k+ on engine repairs alone....
I recently spent a couple of hours in a Nissan service area reception (don't ask), and was surprised by the number of Navara owners asking when their motors would be ready.
It seems they have a problem around the rear half-shaft area - mentioned in HJ's car-by-car breakdown.
I heard the exasperated staff tell one customer that another owner had been waiting since June for parts to arrive to fix their car.
s Read more
I saw this topic on Google search and thought I would give my side.
I've had a few Navaras, a D22 that covered 220k miles and my current 2009 D40 that has covered 128K miles. Both trouble free with just normal maintenance....
With due apologies for touching on this topic before,I have cut another fuel filter open for examination.
I have suspected for a long time that diesel fuel filters have an easy life using normal pump fuel. Drained and `opened` the canister type fom one car at the service yesterday, it was clean inside and not one drop of water. Wish I had the equipment to measure the flow and back pressure in one, at new and then at extended mileages.
Funny what you develop an interest in ;=) But I last did this about 12 years ago with a Prima in a Maestro and the result was the same.
But has anyone seen a Derv filter run up to an extended mileage without being touched? I actually felt I had gained nothing from the change and that I might as well have left it alone. This one was 50% past its specified change interval based on the empirical evidence of the last 15 years servicing the family diesels.
The way I see it is that the filter medium would gradually become more efficient as the mileage increased and as for water, have found less than half a teaspoon in around 400,000 cumulative mileage in the family fleet.
Regards
NB
I change the *oil* filters at half the normal interval and this is just debate really. I have no serious intention of leaving the Derv filters..but. fact is, they really are VERY clean when you cut one open.
Read more
Ah nivver knowingly purchased "hooky" diesel, choosing to use only reputable local filling stations, OR going to Donegal and buying from big brand name filling stations, BUT, nevertheless with the amount of laundered red diesel about in NI back 10 or so year ago, I did opt to cut the fuel filter open to "look see", just in case, cheers, Marcus
My 1.6 golf engine type BFQ is due for it's first plug change, sounds easy except the plugs are buried beneath the inlet manifold i've always changed plugs myself but these look a bit complicated,any suggestions? Read more
i've had another close look & it,s difficult to even see plugs 3&4 let alone get the leads off & plug spanner on, there,s an air pump bolted onto the plastic inlet manifold as well as the manifold to get out of the way!
I have a 2002 Astra 1.6 with the 8 valve engine. It has done 53,000 miles and the temperature gauge does not move above the first two markers until you reach traffic where it climbs up to 80 degrees, the fan does kick in when it indicates 90 degrees. From the manual it states the thermostat shouldn't open until 92, the fan around 100.
I suspect the thermostat is slightly open or else open fully and needs replacing - however I understand these engines are prone to cool running and creating 'mayo' under the oil filler cap. It does warm up eventually and maintain it's heat, I thought if the stat was open all the time it would never warm up.
The heater does produce warm air after about 3 miles and seems fine even though the gauge isn't near 80. It could be a dodgy temp sender unit or the coolant ecu unit.
To change the stat on these you are advised to remove cambelt, camshaft sprocket and timing belt covers to get to the stat housing, I'm tempted to try it in situ - has anyone done this?
Thanks for any suggestions. Read more
Update - at the weekend decided to grasp the nettle and stripped it all down, renewed the thermostat with brand new 92 degree one, replaced timing belt, tensioner and water pump as per best practice with it all accessible, took about four hours and put it all back. Result - no difference, still tends to take about ten miles to fully warm up especially in the now cold weather. Decent heat out of the vents though after about four miles so I think thermostat is trying it's best. If in traffic it does creep up to halfway (approx 90 degrees) then fan kicks in. I suspect the design is chronically over cooled, as suggested by previous posters.
Approx 85bhp using cooling system capable for the 1.8 engine isn't the best. Deciding to experiment with blanking off part of radiatior to stop wind chilled rad water going round block when thermostat opens, give it a fighting chance. Hopefully will stop the mayo from forming in rocker cover.
Couple of theries, perhaps using 5/30 oil would make engine more efficient and warm up better? Also may try the Bosch Super 4 plugs recommended to get more efficiency.
At least cambelt and major items replaced and now good for another 4 years or so. It's a reliable old lump just a bit annoying.
I quite often drive down the A303 and see lorries with a variety of heavy military loads on the back. They always have a sign saying STGO Cat 2 (or 1 or 3). I was wondering what this means? I'm sure someone out there can tell me.
Regards
Integrale Read more
You mentioned that you have images of STGO plates on lorries
...
I have just received a parking ticket for parking on the pavement, ticket states "parked with 1 or more wheels on any part of an urban road other than a carriageway (footway parking)".
The road was very narrow hence the parking on the pavement & there was no parking restriction signs.
I wasn't the only car parked this way (irrelevant really) but given the width of the road pavement parking seemed sensible if only for access for emergency vehicles, I even folded my wing mirrors back to provide additional clearance (I thought I was being a responsible citizen but there you go).
Is it worth contesting the ticket or pay up within 14 days & save half the potential £100 fine.
The road is a cul de sac in Isleworth, west London. Read more
Some of the grass verges near our local hospital have been trashed by people parking in wet weather. It has five car parks, all free, and although well used they often have vacant spaces. I think people turn up late for appointments and abandon their cars as close to the entrance as possible. The councils responce is to erect signs threatening civil action for restoration costs against owners of vehicles parked on verges. We shall see! I think a truck load of big rocks along the verge would be more effective.
Hi there,
Just spoken to my brother who has an 06 ST TDCi Estate and he is having problems with water coming into the passenger footwell. I don't know whether it is when he is parked on flat/slope etc but wondered if there is a known problem with this. The car doesn't have a sunroof if that helps.
The car is booked into the supplying dealer in several weeks time, but I thought I would post in case there was something he could do in the meantime.
Cheers all,
Nick
s Read more
Right I should have updated this a lot sooner! The fault turned out to be a problem with the air con draining into the car due to a broken part deep in the dash.
It was pinpointed only after I insisted that the fault was air con related as only happened when climate was on cooling. Long and short of it was that Ford contributed 800 quid of the 1200 quid bill. Stating that the part that had failed was trim and only covered by the 1 year warranty. The car was off the road for about 1 month in bits waiting for Ford to supply the part during which time the dealership gave me a Ford Ka. I should add that the dealership I used last were brilliant in every respect.
I think that we could have got Ford to pay the whole bill if we had taken them to court as the problem had been there before the car was a year old but annoyingly couldn't be bothered as my wife was heavily pregnant and we had other things on our mind!
I will take comfort in knowing I shall never buy another Ford again and where possible never give them any thing for parts!
The car has in the last few months been leaking again but this time it was the door membrane.
So far it has had 4 EGR valves, 1 water pump, 1 boost hose, shocks, top mount and 1 pulley kit replaced. There is a knocking from the front now when on right lock so it is going in for that! It has now done 122,000 miles at approx 23,000 miles a year.
Has anyone had to have the gearbox replaced on their VW Golf
My son has a Mk4 W reg 1.9sdi golf that has a gearbox problem.
The garage reckons that it will cost around £600 just to buy a second hand one from a breakers yard That's without the labour etc.
How do we know how long the replacement will last?
Apparantly they are a common fault on the Golf thus making them hard to source.
Many Thanks
Read more
Except we had a succession of minor lemons - Golf 2 with an early HG
replaced before failure at 50k also early starter failure. Golf 3 that fell apart fast
albeit at 10 y/o
Don't get me wrong, I know of three unreliable/badly made 2000-2005 Volkswagens, worst being my brother-in-laws former 2001 Passat TDI 130 which cost over £2500 in unscheduled repairs in the year he owned it after the warranty ran out. Clutch and DMF at 65,000 miles, two cases of water ingress, alarm ECU, central locking failure, air-con leak - a huge list. It was a carp car in all honesty despite being inconsiderately driven and well looked after. I had a 1998 Polo which was awful. VW make some nice cars, but I know for a fact they are not better made or more reliable than Ford, Vauxhall or most of the other mainstream brands.
Father in law has quite a good history with VW having owned a mk2 Golf 1.6D which was perfect, a mk3 Golf 1.9TD which was perfect, and his previous mk4 TDI PD 115 (RIP - lost a fight with an artic) which he admitted wasn't as well put together as the mk2 or mk3, and although not exactly a dog, not perfectly reliable either. He also knows all the bad ones that I know, but his loyalty is unwavering. What I don't get is that he won't even look at the Seat/Skoda alternatives which are mechanically identical, but much better value for money. I think a lot of brands, and in fairness,not just VW, rely on people's rigid insistence on what they know. It's his cash and his decision, but sheer weight of odds suggests there's another car out there which will better suit his needs.
But some people can't be told. I did my duty and found the car and he's happy. That's what matters I suppose, but I would have been happier personally in a newer, lower mileage Focus or Megane.
Cheers
DP
--
04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
.jpg)
My 07 Astra has a 1yr/20,000 service interval, like most recent Vauxhalls. 2 year servicing isn't now mentioned and GM-LL-A-025 or GM-LL-B-025 is 'mandatory'. The factory oil is a 5-30 synthetic.
10-40 isn't going to be synthetic.
JS