June 2008
Do "spoilers" on wiper blades really make a difference? I've not noticed my bespoilered right-hand wiper being any better than my unbespoilered left-hand wiper. Read more
I've got a 2002 Focus Zetec with the 1.6 Zetc-SE engine. Over the last few months, the speedo has started randomly drpping to 0mph whilst I'm driving along. At the same time, the lights and stereo also dim down. More recently, the car has started stuttering, almost misfiring, when this happens. If the speedo is at 0mph for a while the odometer also goes blank, leaving a display of "- - - - -". On the plus side, this means the miles covered whilst it is dead do not get added... (it's currently got just under 62,000 miles).
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Does anyone know if this fault is purly the speed sensor, or can it be something else too? The driver's side electric window has just died as well... Great!
Thanks. Read more
i have had very similar problems with my ford focus 1.4 2002 and tried several things short of and engine drop out and rebuild but then through sheer chance i came across a posting that had a 10p yes a 10p fix, heck by this point i was so frustrated i was ready to try anything and it actually worked!!!!!! all you need is a cable tie, on the top of the engine between spark caps 2 and 3 you have a wire going into the egine block (the cylinder head temp sensor) this often touches the casing and causes shorts and surges in the electrcal system, grab your cable tie and lift it up to the fuel line thats on top of the engine running parralel to the spark plugs and zip it into place, job done!! PS when you 1st start let the car run for 10mins so the car and re-adjust it may gurgle and clocks may jump but if its whats causing your problems within 10 mins its sorted. and all for the cost of a fredo bar ;)
I have recently got myself a Halfords trade car. I believe i can get discount on car parts and tools. But with the discount applied, would it be cheaper to go to a local motor factor.
Does anyone have one and whats the discount like? Read more
Erm just wondering how one goes about acquiring one of these cards & what the
eligibility criteria are? Sounds good.
Ta
Alex.
Here is the criteria off Halfords website
Motor Trade Role
Qualifying documents
Qualified Technician City & Guilds in Motor Mechanics Certificate or garage payslips
Self-employed Mechanic High volume of local motor factor invoices from last 3 months
Mobile Mechanic City & Guilds in Motor Mechanics certificate or high volume of local motor factor invoices from last 3 months
Small Independant Garage Mechanic Recognised payslips for employee, high volume of local motor factor invoices from last 3 months or City & Guilds in Motor Mechanics Certificate
High Volume Parts Buyer
(or frequent user of car parts) High volume of local motor factor invoices from last 3 months
I want to clean my engine (planning on doing this every 2000 miles or so mainly for asthetics) but years ago to do this you only had to make sure the engine was running and warm but in todays world, where cars are full of itsy bitsy complicated and delicate sensors and chips and all sorts of hi-tech digiwhatsits whats the best way of going about this.
i dont own a pressure washer so it would be a trip to the nearest jet wash, would a degreaser be
a. damaging to apply at home and then remove at the jet wash
b. would degreaser be likely to render me unconsious halfway there as it heats up on the engine allowing noxious gases to seep into the cabin.
c. be permenantly welded to the engine by the time i got to the jet wash
also what needs masking or will having the engine running be ok
Read more
Surely the oil pressure and heat produced within an engine must be far higher than
the pressure/heat from a pressure washer or hosepipe so i don't think the cleaning process
would have led to any leak.
Sorry, I didn't explain properly. What I meant was that if the engine hadn't been steam cleaned I would have seen that it had a sizeable oil leak and I wouldn't have bought it. I assume it had been steam cleaned to remove the evidence of the oil leak.
1.6 Zetec, 120,000miles. I presume the plastic ratchet device has failed.
I removed the circlip from the pedal shaft on the outside of the pedal bracket on the left
hand side and hoped the shaft would exit toward the right hand side, I then realised that the shaft had a short flat in it at the right hand end and a matching 'D' shaped hole in the pedal bracket which means the shaft will only exit toward the left hand side, it does move a little but then comes to a dead stop.
There is another circlip within the pedal bracket adjacent to the brake pedal which I removed because I couldn't see how the shaft could push through with that in place.
At the pivot (top) end of the clutch pedal there is a 6 mm allen headed bolt, it looks like an adjustment bolt, but can that be so?
I've got the Haynes manual but I don't find it a lot of help.
There's obviously a way, but can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks. Read more
We should start a club for people who've changed an Escort clutch pedal tensioner - no handshake though because it would hurt the skinned knuckles. See my post above - It was a manual adjuster, I did change it, it did take me 4 hours and it is a ridiculous design. Hopefully it won't break for another 90,000 miles...
Dave TD
This follows on from my pain dealer servicing debacle ... I've been reading up on Nissans - especially the Almera which I own and it seems there is a problem with the timing chains on these cars - and that can include the Primera & Micra.
The chain can become stretched & require an expensive (and some !) replacement.
Anyone want further details on this - let me know.
*You must* change that oil EVERY 6 months or 6000m whatever the book sez.
Also, you remember I sed about my car failing the MOT cos the lights were way out man, well, it seems that there is/was a recall on these motors and apparently the mountings can (and do) melt, which would explain why my headlight aim was sooooooo way out.
Nissan *used* to be a fairly reliable brand name - not quite up to Toyota or Mitsubishi etc., but it seems thet are now French owned ... say no more ! Read more
Collos, what is the point of a post like that? If you disagree with Engineer Andy, who is always polite and knowledgeable on here, (a) do so politely, (b) explain to the rest of us what you think the correct position is on the issue.
People are being discouraged from posting by your continuing rudeness and arrogance....
hi all does anybody know where the fuse is for a radio on a ka its not in the fuse box just beneath the steering wheel i think there must be another fuse box somewhere thanks.
craig Read more
The relays are above the fuses and the rest of the fuses are above the relays.
You may have to drop the box down to see them - there are at least three different fuseboxes used in '99 alone.
In the thread on cam belts and chains Screwloose was very pessimistic about CVT suggesting you could go through two gearboxes in 30k miles
I said
Bit surprised to hear what Screwloose has to say about CVT. I thought the Merc A and B class autos were Autotronic CVT's and don't recall negative feedback.
Also hear that the Nissan owned JATCO plant in Mexico is tooling up to produce 800,000 CVT boxes this year.
Where's the problem or weakness?
Cheers. >>
Any takers? Read more
CVT's are more efficient than torque converter boxes, which compensates for their problems.
I wanted a C-Max - the auto choices were 2 litre petrol torque converter - 25mpg on urban cycle - or CVT diesel - 40mpg on urban cycle. Over 40,000 miles that's 600 gallons less - or £2000 plus at current prices. The diesel car tax will be £200 a year cheaper than the petrol next year too.
I've got an aftermarket warranty that includes the gearbox - that costs £300 a year. I'll keep the car a long time and look after it - changing the oil more frequently than Ford recommends. And I'll go on enjoying the super smooth power delivery and near-manual performance advantages of CVT.
My 53 reg Primera 1.8 petrol has a loss of engine power when indicating (right only!) e.g I'm on a dual carriageway, go to overtake, indicate right, put the foot down/pull out, and I get this intermittent loss of pull from the engine - in time with the indicator!
I had previously noticed when I was indicating right that the small fog lamp symbol on the dash was flickering, so I removed the fog lamp bulb (which is in the rear right side light cluster) - this cured the power loss problem, for a while - now it's back (have never replaced the fog lamp bulb).
Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Read more
and my 53reg petrol slow down turnig right, fog lamp signal comes on when braking, if you have any information about problem about the back wireing which could effect the loss of power regards rash
SQ
2005 Fiat Doble 1.9 TD Multijet engine.
Engine managment light recently came on and engine went into limp mode, plugged into Snap On Modus and "Can't remember the code but translated as" Particulate filter resticted flow. Phoned the local dealer and got a quote of 928 + Vat and that was supply only!!!!!!!!!!!
Is there anyway of cleaning them or doing a forced Regeneration?
Would knocking the centre out of the exhaust thus letting the gasses flow through trick it into thinking it was working or would I just get a fault along the lines of "air flow to high" and it'd be back into limp mode.
Would really like screwloose to give me some advise as he seems to be very clued up on this after reading a few of his replies in the Peugeot, Citreon Topics.
Has anyone ever been advised when buying a Fiat or any car that has this system on of the added service costs? This van wasDealer serviced and never had the additive topped up and when enquiring about what it does etc none of the mechanics had a clue didn't even seem to no that the exhaust had this self buring thing in it! Also partsmen gave me a price for a pollen filter to start with and had never heard of a particulate filter also had never sold any additive so how many cars arn't getting the proper servicing!!!!!!!. Seems scandelous. Read more
The problems with the particle filter are common, and VERY expensive.
When you buy the 1.9 diesel multijet engine in any of its body forms, you are not advised how to drive it to avoid problems with the particle filter. Fiat will tell you that to get maximum mpg, you need to keep the revs low, at about 2000, and change up gear asap, keeping the revs at about 2000.
Unfortunately, this forces very little pressure in the exhaust, and does not 'blow out' the system, resulting in a 'blocked' particle filter.
My problems started with an '06' registered doblo 5 months ago. The engine management light came on, and I lost my turbo, making motorway driving dangerous. Lorries were flashing, and swerving to avoid me at my very low speeds on the inside lane. I was unable to get revs above 3000, sometimes below that in 4th and 5th gears.
I went to my local garage first, they got someone 'in' to do a diagnostic check which cost me £50.00, this test told me that there was a turbo problem. I already new that!
Next thing, I went to a turbo specialist about 15 miles away, they confirmed that there was nothing wrong with my turbo, it was the 'particle filter'. That visit cost me £40.00. They referred me to a local fiat dealership, apparently willing to 'clean' the filter. I left the car with them, but all they did was do another diagnostic check, cost £50.00. This showed a 'particle filter' problem, they offered to renew the part for £1214.00!
If you buy any of these fiat vehicles with the multijet engine, sod the
fuel consumption, screw it up to about 4.500 revs away from traffic lights, better pay for fuel than a new particle filter @ £1214!
Dave,
Cardiff Taxi.
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Not necessarily daft; some rear wipers can lift if you are going quick enough, which is when you may want a wash to see.