January 2008
I have just had new tyres fitted to my 97k mile Mazda 626 2.0 petrol, and the fitter brought to my attention that the clutch biting point was very low. I have only had the car a couple of months and accepted this 'as normal' but he was trying to be helpful ( I think!) and as it is a hydraulic clutch (he says) could go at any time without warning. I do not want to be stranded in the back of beyond so is this correct and should I get it replaced as a matter of course in the near future?
Presumably cars with clutch cables give some warning, but that will not happen with mine I will just find myself parked up by the roadside miles from anywhere with no mobile signal!!
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I am currently looking for a fuel efficient tank to haul me about.
These cars seem like a great deal, have seen one with an auto gearbox, anything to worry about on these?
Clutches/Auto Box/Suspension? are they all hardy?
Also does the Auto box really sap 9-10mpg from the fuel economy? :O Read more
Thanks all, sufficiently put off.
Looking at alternatives now :D
Hi, hope someone can help - we have gone out to our yr 2000/X 1.5S Nissan Almera and locked it as usual, and I just happened to check the passenger front door was locked - and to my surprise, it wasn't, despite ALL the other doors having locked using the keyfob remote. I am completely foxed as to how this can have happened, especially on a Nissan?! Have we done something silly like disengage the locking system on that door? Surely it's not possible. Any ideas? Read more
Far more likely that there's a broken wire in the doorshut, or the lock motor has failed.
Hi. I'm new to this forum. I recently purchased a 2002/2003 Vauxhall Vectra 2.2 DTi.
I foolishly overfilled the oil by around 3/4 inch on the dipstick, by getting a mis-read from not leaving it long enough to settle. The excess oil was in the car for about three weeks. I then started getting fairly thick exhaust smoke under heavy acceleration and drained the excess off.
I drained it three days ago now, however the smoke problem remains.
Am I likely to have damaged the engine with the overfiling?
I guess I've probably done about two-three hundred miles with the excess oil in.
Any suggestions please?
Pulled off a 2002 posting into its own post. Read more
I only do short journeys
That'll be the problem then. Take it for a regular good blast. see the last paragraph beginning "After that..." in HJ's FAQ no.14.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/faq/faq.htm?id=32
My ZR (04-reg) has been booked into the dealer's garage to have the exhaust manifold replaced.
I knew something was blowing from the exhaust system, somewhere from the center pipe upwards, but the manifold would be the last thing to go surely?
A local exhaust center in town I went to first told me it was the gasket! Imagine how relieved I felt when i went to the main dealer for the last diagnosis!
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id probably be dubious about it being the manifold,but even if it is would it not be cheaper to have it welded by an indie or is it being covered by warrenty?
chris
I have a fuel stop solenoid fault on my peugeot 306 td 1998 's' reg, Think its XUD type with a lucas pump.
New solenoid costs £300 from peugeot (its the 3 pin type with the immob built into it, can only get a new one as they are a one shot type)
Does anyone know where i can get one cheaper?
Could i use one from a earlier 306 (single wire type) and just put an ignition feed to it?
Any help would be really appreciated.
Many thanks.
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QED changeover the blue socket from XUD to XUD114 QED.
is a 1600 engine a honda unit or a rover?
or how do i tell?
are the dizzy caps opposite sides?
ta Read more
R-plate is a K-Series in a 200.
A compression test would prove it; but, as you say, beyond economic repair.
After a recent 'consultation' the local council has decided to include my house in a controlled parking zone.This will result in much inconvenience and expense and is in my opinion totally unnecessary.They have invited people to write in with complaints but I think it would be a waste of paper,they had already made their minds up before the 'consultation'IMO.Anyone got any experience or advice on this subject? Read more
i've never really understood the mentality of hitting the commuter when they want to park
and travel via public transport........surely we should be encouraging them to do that........build them some
multi storey car parks and get more commuters off the road stop hounding them out
of side streets (if they park badly ticket them)
But in the councils view the whole journey should be by public transport - i.e. bus to the station (even if it is realistically impossible).
I had the same near my work where I used to be able to park on the street for free near Queens Park tube. This meant that I could get train/tube to and from work and leave my car (essential for work) in town. Council brought in residents permit/P&D limited to 4 hours by station, which meant I am now forced to commute by car instead of public transport.
Will we ever get joined up thinking for our politicians on transport issues?
could someone please help i have a 97 Saxo that has suddenly stated to cut out when it feels like, when idling or when accelerating, sometimes its a split second and so restarts by momentum. only seems to start doing it when warm. otherwise no pattern. some times luls you into thinking its gone, then all of a sudden its starts doing it again
anybody any ideas Read more
hi just to let you know all is not well. problem back again. i parked the car for half an hour while shoppping, went back to start it and nothing, engine completeley dead, panel lights lit up but nothing else just a sort of sound of draining electricity. Left it overnight as had no choice, went back and tried it this morning and it started up pefectly first time. back to the drawing board. any sucess with yours yet?
Mainly curiousity driven question. How long is it normal for the radiator cooling fan to stay on during a cooling cycle ? I have noticed that if the ambient temperature is 10C or more and I am crawling in traffic or waiting at lights or something that the fan will come on for about five seconds then go off for about 15 seconds and so on. If the outside temperature is colder, it barely ever comes on but if it does the same sort of pattern is followed. Clearly this is not doing any major harm as it has done it for the last 100k as far as I remember and it does not lose coolant or anything. Of course I can't be sure due to road / engine noise, but I don't think it does it on the move due to the cooling effect of outside air through the radiator. Must cause quite a significant voltage drop though, as can be seen if the car is facing the garage door at night with headlights on. The fan causes the lights to momentarily dim a bit as it kicks in.
Is this normal or should I get something checked ? Read more
Thanks I/Doc ! - Sorry for late reply. Tried a couple of days with AC off and as predicted the cycling stopped. Thanks again to all for very useful advice.
SS
Browse
At that sort of mileage the clutch may well be nearing the end of its life.
However the hydraulic fluid in the clutch system has probably never been changed. It is worth bleeding the system through the slave cylinder, topping up the master cylinder as you go.
I did this with my daughter's Mitsubishi Shogun and it made all the difference in the world. The old fluid was filthy and obviously there will have been water, and very probably air in the system. The fresh fluid firmed up the clutch pedal, and the clutch bite point returned to normal.
People sometimes remember to renew their brake fluid but forget about their hydraulic clutch fluid.
Ron