March 2008
fiesta zetec 1.4 tdci 2004 went to start the car this morning it ran for a second or two then cut out now it wont start again its still firing over but wont run does any one have a similar problem or an answer to this thanks
engine and year edited in - you're new so you're forgiven, we do ask three time before you post though ! Read more
Sept 07 the engine of my Sorento 2.5 CRDi XS revved to 400rpm with no acceleration.
New accelerator unit fitted by dealer at £170. December 24th 2007 same problem.
High diagnostic check performed by dealer. No fault found but they reset the multi-function light. Feb 7th 2008 same fault and this one nearly caused a major accident.
Dealer could find no fault, multi function light re-set and returned to me. March 6th 2008 same fault. The car is over 4 years old, has less than 40k on the clock, has been serviced at proper intervals ( two new fuel filters have been fitted by the dealer - just in case!). The Manufacturers Customer Services won't speak/respond to me ( am told to phone the dealer). Any similar situations been experienced. Any suggestions I can make to the dealer about finding/fixing the problem.
Tweak to subject line to include the oft requested detail. "What are they ?"is the question you may be asking, dear reader. Well as it happens engine and year ask quite a difference to
how things work from here on. "how do we know we need to put that detail in ?" you may ask - 'cos you're asked three times before posting that's how ! Read more
Do you use the heater in the car on a high temp or Air con on very cold? I have come across a problem now with some vehicles with electric throttles, overheating because the throttle pedal sensor is near a heater outlet under the dash & the plastic sensor expands & sends the revs sky high. there will never be any fault codes with this fault.I noticed the faults were reported during a very cold spell at Xmas when you may of had heating going full on. May be worth a try fitting a shield around the sensor to defklect the heat. This I suspect is the fault. Quite common now on several make of cars & I belive will become a saftey issue soon!
Doc
Hi
Just taken delivery of a new Focus Zetec Estate and there doesn't appear to be a way of dimming the dash lights?
Is it via the menu somehow?
Cheers Read more
But can you still see paradise by them?
Do you mean the parafluffydise hanging from the mirror? ;-)
***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 2 *****
Budget 2008 announces reform of the vehicle excise duty (VED) structure. From 2009, VED will be restructured with new bands, based on carbon dioxide so that people gain financially by choosing the car with the best environmental performance in a given group. The financial difference between the most and least polluting cars will increase, so that making a small change in car emissions has a greater financial impact. From 2010, there will be a new higher first-year rate based on carbon dioxide emissions, to influence purchasing choices.
Specific changes include:
?? six new VED bands from 2009-10 ? including a new top band (band M) for the
most polluting cars that emit more than 255g CO2 per km;
?? reducing the standard rate of VED, in 2009-10, for all new and existing cars
that emit 150g of CO2 per km or less, and increasing the standard rate of VED
on the most polluting cars to £425;
?? from 2010-11, extending the zero rate of VED, during the first year of
ownership, to all new cars that emit 130g CO2 per km or less ? the EU proposed
target for average new car emissions in 2012;
?? holding the first-year rate for all new cars that emit between 131 and 160g
CO2 per km equal to the standard rate in 2010-11;
?? introducing for the most polluting cars a first-year rate of £950 in 2010-11;
and
?? providing a £15 or £20 discount for alternatively fuelled cars in 2009-10, and
£10 in 2010-11; and aligning the alternative fuel and standard rates of VED
in 2011.
165 posts in this one - now locked and called Volume 1. Read more
There are cases where a pre 2001 car pays higher road tax than an identical post 2001 car.
I have a Vauxhall Astra diesel, with a 1700cc engine which has emissions of 132g/km.
Because it is an X registration car, the current road tax is £185pa, which is due to increase to £200pa.
But had it been a Y registration, or later car, I would be paying £120pa, which would be due to fall to £110pa.
I don't think that this is a vote winner with me!
I have just spent £1700 on repiars for my car but am STILL suffering problems. Having replaced the engine (reconditioned), clutch, manifold and various other pieces. When they were road testing, the car kept stalling when coming to a stop, but then starting first time again. The garage also got a full diagnostic carried out and the engine was set up correctly.
However, the car has started stalling again - when I am driving on the dual carriageway at speed then coming to a stop, the revs drop and I need to rev the engine to keep it live. The car is OK when driving slowly around town, but it is jumping a little when I put my foot down.
This whole saga has been ongoing for almost three months and am starting to loose faith in the garage. I feel like just selling the car buts it only worth about £1500 so would be making a huge loss.
Any advice????
{year added to subject header after a forum search. Would have been easier if you'd added the info yourself though} Read more
I have heard on earlier Mondeos the EGR valve was vacuum controlled and could be
blanked off to improve problems. (Apparently easy to do yourself).
That was certainly true on the mk1/2 TD models, and yes it was a doddle. Pull off the vacuum pipe from the side of the valve, insert a tight fitting ball bearing or similar "obstruction" into the pipe, and reconnect it.
Mine never gave any trouble though, so I can't comment on the effect. It comes highly recommended on the Mondeo Enthusiast's site, however.
Cheers
DP
Hello. What does the law say regarding what has to go on a new number plate for a new car? Does the dealership have to have their details printed on it or can I request just the registration number and nothing else? Read more
Just put insulation tape over the dealership name. I have done this for years.
Need to suggest cars for my dad who is 6'6" and want a new "luxury" car - I have no idea which are good or not ... any ideas welcome! thanks Read more
Sorry - forgot the topic related bit of my post ! :-(
My tall friend ( 6'6" ) currently has a BMW 5 series saloon and finds it very comfortable. His previous Passat was too cramped but the Mondeo he had before that was fine.
For further trivia from me my two Golf GTIs very very uncomfortable but I didn't seem to care at the time ( especially the pre-cat 16v ) too busy keeping it out of ditches to think about the seating position !
Hello All,
Father in law has always liked Rover 75's and has taken a fancy to a yr2000 2.0V6 model stickered at £3400. It has 50k miles. Not sure which model.
Has anyone got any information about this engine? There seems to be more info on the 1.8 (not very positive), the 2.5V6 (better, especially in MG 190BHP form) and the BMW sourced diesel (recommended in the CbyC, with the XPOWER pack). But there's not much chat about this 2.0V6. Is it good or bad? To my mind he should buy either a 2.5 or the diesel, but I'm ready to be corrected.
Also, what is a sensible price to pay for a 50k yr2000 Rover 75?
Any help appreciated
Thanks
Read more
If you think VED is high on bigger cars, just wait.
I expect it to double in 5 years.
Easy target and Government needs the money - it has spent it already.
For the first time in 20 years of having company cars thrust upon me i can now buy one for myself. The question is what experience has anyone out there got of the 520d 177 auto as a 30k+ mpa motorway muncher? Ride and economy important, top speed and acceleration not so. Read more
I picked up my new 520d SE in October 2007, it being one of the first 177 revised models. Previously, I had a Porsche Cayman S which I had run for 18 months. The BMW (spec'd with leather, prof sat nav, dark poplar wood) cost less than half the price of my fully loaded Cayman at £27k (big discount thanks to Drive the Deal-inspired negotiation) but, to be honest, I was also expecting a big come down in every respect, dynamically. 22k miles on, I can honestly say that I don't miss the Porsche. The humble 4 cylinder diesel, whilst obviously failing to raise the hairs on the back of your neck, provides as much power as you need in 98% of situations and works well with the 6 speed auto box. I can count on one hand (okay, maybe two!) the number of times that I have genuinely missed the Porsche's power under day to day driving conditions. The build quality on the BMW is faultless. The tasteful poplar wood and leather give it a sense of occasion that is both surprising and vaguely embarrassing given the price. Passengers have commented on the luxury of the car without knowing whether it was a 520, 525 or 530d (so I did the cheap trick of de-badging). In respect of the question of motorway miles, only yesterday I did a round trip of 490 miles from Harrogate to Newport in South Wales. The computer stats were amazing: average mph of 69 and 51mpg (make sure you reset your computer from the factory US setting - to start with, I thought that I was only getting mid 30's mpg due to the US setting). As for your ride and comfort points, the key thing is to stick to the standard 17 inch wheels. Although it may lack the 19" glamour of the bigger-engined modles, the 520d doesn't look 'under-wheeled' and rides very well. All in all, a complete bargain with incredible quality and all round performance for the money. I just wonder what they can do with the new model due in late 2009...
Why are there neither water nor oil temperature gauges on the 3 series E90?
In my neck of the woods a zero or sub zero start is the norm for up to five months of the year. In that period I try to make very gentle demands of a cold engine. In my Audi I can monitor both the water and oil temperatures and avoid high loads before they indicate that the engine has reached operating temperature.
Is there any form of indicator/warning, perhaps digital, in the BMW ?
Again on the temperature theme, When I read a car manual (only occasionally!) I see that there is often reference to a pre-heating system which can be set to warm the engine before starting in cold climates. In Canada (much colder for much longer, admittedly) few cars are offered without it. Yet I have never seen this offered as an option on any UK car. Why ever not? In Scotland, in particular, this would be a very useful facility.
I grew up in a era of mechanical sympathy being not mere desirable but essential to obtain year round service and economic longevity. Has physics changed? (I know the answer to that!) Can the heavy boots be used at any temperature in modern engines? If so, why? Is it a function of new lubricants?
With interest. Read more
I suspect that the engine temperature is monitored by a computer. If there's a problem, the computer will flash large red lights (or somesuch) on the dashboard.
In my opinion, it's much better and more reliable for the computer to monitor engine temperature and provide a large blatant warning than for the average (less than fully awake) driver to monitor a gauge.
Yes, there may be occasions where the computer misses something - like coolant temperature falling indicating a leak and a lack of water near the sensor; but, in many more cases, the computer will catch a problem that might be missed by a significant proportion of drivers.
Of course, given the perfection of most backroom drivers, who's eyes are rarely far from their speedo, or from their gauges, a temperature gauge might seem tempting, however, for real drivers, who, owing to their poorer driving skills must keep their eyes are on the road, having the computer watch engine temperature is a good thing.
Once you've pu the computer in charge of watching engine temperature, why bother the driver with it anymore? Why fit a dashboard gimmick, which does cost something to fit, and hence for the customer to buy, when its fuction is being duplicated and monitored more frequently, and with greater assiduity by the computer?
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I've had this problem three times (at 40,60 and 90,000 miles) and its almost certainly the diesel leak off pipes that have failed.They have small o rings and these fail allowing air into the fuel system.
If you pump the black flexible fuel valve on the left side of the cam cover 20 times or so until you feel fuel entering the bulb, you will purge air from the system and the car will start. you may need to do this each time you leave the car switched off for a while....