September 2007
Information
The Astra key fob design has a built-in failing that can cause premature and unnecessary battery replacement .
After opening the key fob.
The battery module is located on the pcb by spigots into holes alongside which are the contacts, solder pads on the pcb and curled metal contacts on the battery module. The two items, viz., battery module and pcb are pressed together by sponge behind the battery module.
Over time the curled metal contacts lose their springiness, the solder pads become compressed and the contact becomes intermittent and then fails, mimicing battery failure.
Two ways to overcome this are;
1. Build up the solder pads on the pcb by carefully adding more solder
2. Carefully straighten the curl in the metal contact, to restore its length.
Hope this helps
Brian
subject line tweaked to reflect issue - PU
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Where is the best place to get an accurate on line valuation for a car we are expecting to trade in?
Parkers does not let me adjust for options! Read more
According the Radio4 this morning, the EU commission is allowing us (!) to carry on with miles and pints indefinitely. I realise this won't please everyone, but it sure as Hell pleases me! (I like Imperial measurements and am still grinding my teeth about a piece of expensive marine ply that I had cut incorrectly, because the saw was calibrated in cm, and the operator translated my printed length of 1600 mm as 116 cm).
I'm also pretty sure I heard mention that Pounds and Ounces were going to be allowed, too, but no mention of gallons... Read more
Bring back the pound shilling and proper [d] pence too. Enough of this funny decimal
stuff! Foreign rubbish.
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Roger. (Costa del Sol España)
I'm not sure what to make of this remark. Has to be a mickey-take -- someone professing to be living in Spain talking about foreign rubbish.
Anyone who has these kind of views had better be buying British (or British-made at a push) cars and other products wherever possible, or else they run the risk of being dismissed as hypocrites.
I was amused by the advert in Conde Nast Traveller for the Range Rover.
"GO RESPONSIBLY
The Range Rover TDV8 is 30% more fuel efficient than the petrol version it replaced."
The small print for the "Go responsbily' message?
Urban 12.6-19.6mpg
Extra-urban 23.1-30.1mpg
Combined 17.7-25.0 mpg
CO2 299-376 g/km
So that's top CO2 tax band (by a long way), urban fuel consumption barely into double figures, and they are marketing it as a responsible choice? Shurely shome mishtake. Read more
Well a TDV8 has twin TCs, perhaps someone has put a supercharger badge off a petrol one on it or perhaps it is a special of some kind.
Hi
Girlfriend's mother owns a 1995 Sunny with 47k on the clock. On Saturday, it was involved in an accident with another car whose driver bumped the back end and admitted liability verbally (!).
Insurers claim it's an insurance write-off (£800 bodyshop quote). Point of impact is 2/3 along width of car at rear, just before rear light cluster. Damage is as follows:
It looks like the reinforcement took most of the impact. If one of these can be sourced along with a block of wood and a hammer I reckon I could get the 'dent' out.
Owner not sure and is convinced that the guy will admit liability to his insurer. She does not want to get rid of the car. I see several options:
Is it worth sourcing the reinforcement panel now and doing the repair? i.e. can a claim be made against his insurer with a reciept pre-dating his admittance of liability?
Your thoughts please gentlemen.
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Mike Farrow Read more
quote"Now it gets really technical, just like the insurance company promised. Tester lifts up bonnet and takes one look at the VIN before dropping bonnet back down. I'm guessing when this guy looks at cars they appear like on the covers of old Haynes manuals. Clever stuff huh? unquote"
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>>.your not supposed to see the high tech checks these highly qualified vosa inspecters are checking,do you realise this is still treasonable and you could go to the tower for publishing such things?
Hi I wonder if any one could tell me how to bleed a Bosch Diesel pump on a 1994 Peugeot 306 TD as the Haynes manual is a bit sketchy It says about a bleed nipple on the pump but I am unable to find one so any help would be great as I wish to change the fuel filter and will need to bleed the system Thanks Neil
slienced shouting ! - PU Read more
the Haynes manual is not that helpful
No they're utterly useless unless you're after technical info/wiring diagrams. At the beginning of each set of instructions, it'll always say "apply the handbrake and disconnect the negative battery terminal" (even for changing a bulb!)
well! he's at it again!!
tinyurl.com/yvor5m
Billy
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>>But what was it about?
About JM's supposed OCD (true or not?) - JC has a fancy watch with bezels(s) for various functions (time zones etc) - the 'joke' is that JM finds it distressing if the bezel isn't lined-up 'correctly' , much the same as the compulsion not to walk on pavement cracks etc.
The 'funny' bits, as usual, have about as much humourous tension as a Christmas cracker joke - even slapstick can have a bit of sophistication. The Euro-fighter/Veyron contest showed a little more promise - concise & dramatic. The Peel car gag flogged to death after initial promise - why don't they get a good editor? I feel the prgramme is over-long & could be edited to about 40mins to give better impact for the fairly thin material.
On my 1995 passat 8v 1.8 saloon the offside inner cv joint requires a new gaiter. haynes suggests dealer as special tools required to remove inner joint. Looking at it if the outer joint is first removed it seems possible to drag a gaiter over the length of the shaft, from inner to outer. There is a balance weight on the shaft which looks detachable. The original inner gaiter has no clips but appears to be held in place by the last plate on the inner joint. My question is has anyone tried replacing the inner gaiter this way and if so is it easy? thanks in advance for any helpful remarks.
s Read more
I have also completed said job on my wife's 1995 Passat 1.9Tdi.
I've just just changed my oil, and the sump plug had a copper washer, quite surprising I thought for a four-year-old car. It was quite badly mangled. I managed to beat it reasonably flat, and anneal it, and it seems to be holding.
Where can I buy something like that nowadays in small quantities.
Halfords (the dreaded H word) used to have a book on the parts counter with small parts like this laminated in for identification, but no more.
It's about 20mm OD, with a 10mm ID hole. Read more
Once its been used and crushed it looks like an ordinary copper washer
Ah right, fair enough. As long as it's oil-tight I won't be changing it anyway!
I'm looking for a cheap second car as a runabout for the wife. I've seen a mondeo locally - M-reg, 1.8 petrol, hatch, 110k miles for £350. What's to look for? Will the suspension be shot by then and the cambelt due to snap imminently?
I'd love be able to scour autotrader or ebay for something better but I don't have much time and I wouldn't know what faults I was looking for anyway - mechanical novice. Any tips for when you've just got to take a punt on the next convenient car shows up?
TIA :-) Read more
My dad bought an ex-Fleetlease M plate 2.0 at 3yrs old with about 95k on it. Sold it last year with 170,000 miles - a bit tatty but still drove really well. Had never broken down or failed to start. One fault with the alarm, and it ran a bit rough for a while when a vacuum pipe split. Original exhaust lasted 5 yrs!!
Other than that, it had the odd service, and a timing belt. Saw it last month and it's still going.
As craig says, check the clutch carefully as it's ££££'s to have changed. These early Zetec engines were bulletproof if run on the correct oil and changed at the recommended intervals.
Standard Ford alarm is cack, and it plays up. Dad had his disabled by a local indie for "a drink".
Rough running can be caused by a split rubber vacuum hose T-piece. £4 for a genuine part from a Ford dealer.
Other than that, they're good, solidly engineered cars. Way, way better than the disposable fleet image suggests. Parts are cheap and most DIY jobs are straightforward. They are also very good to drive with lovely steering and handling.
I don't know anyone who's owned a mk1 or mk2 Mondeo and been anything other than delighted with it.
Cheers
DP
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04 Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique
00 Mondeo 1.8TD LX
yes vauxhall lets you in to glasses guide, value my car at 4300 took it it to nissan they offered me 3200 but could go up to 3400 as i was walking out. sold it on ebay for 3950 at wkend.