August 2008
Does anyone know about this please?
I have had to replace 3 tyres this year because of damage caused by debris on the roads - it is now getting expensive - surely cheaper for me to insure and just pay a one off premium? Read more
Hi NC,
Do you know of any links to info on the pros and cons of heavier and lighter flywheels and technical stuff behind these pros and cons.
Thanks. Read more
>>too light causes NVH issues
Yes, there's an element of customer acceptibility here. The Vauxhall 3 cylinder engine, for a modern example, has a heavy flywheel which makes gear changes a little bit slow.
The effect of a flywheel is most keenly felt at tickover, because, say, a 50 rpm difference between the crank speed at its fastest compared its slowest is significant, and easily felt at at 800 rpm, and lost completely at 6000 rpm!
Despite us always looking at the rpm counter and accepting the number, the crank is constantly being accelerated back and forth, by compression and by power strokes - what we see on the clock is some slower moving average.
I am looking to quickly jack in my 2000 MkII 1.8 petrol Mondeo before the clutch finally gives in, but unfortunately as per usual on a budget (circa £2.5k)! The trouble is I'm not quite sure where to look. Despite the credit crunch, fuel prices etc. etc. I enjoy driving too much to be overly sensible and want to upgrade to something possibly bigger, probably upwards of 2litre, that will be comfortable and sensible when I need it to be, but also enjoyable when I want it to be, and something that isn't going to hit me with four figure bills every time a bulb or fuse goes... I don't ask for much :) I have one or two ideas but not enough, so all thoughts positive or negative are welcome :) Read more
Re the 1.8T engine. I had one in a Audi A4 for a while. Nice enough drive but thirstier than you would imagine. No real advantage over some bigger engines in that respect.
Hi all,
Clutch cable on my Espace snapped last week. I replaced it and have struggled a bit to get the adjustment just right, but is now reasonable.
Since replacing I'm getting strange noises and things just don't feel quite right:
- On starting the engine there is a single thump/knock when it actually starts
- First and second gear are noisy, juddery and feels like slipping
- Increased vibration at high speed
Could this be simply not having the cable adjusted properly, or is it more likely that damage has occured to the clutch/transmission when the cable broke? Or maybe the cable breaking was a sympton of something else?
Any help very much appreciated.
maceman
Read more
hi how long did this take you to fit roughly, and was it a very hard job, do you need any prfessonal tools like a ramp or can it be done from jacking up the car. and how much and were did you purchase your cluch cable if thats all it is from as im sure mine is about to go struggle to get it in gear and very slacky cable at engin end.
kind regards luke
Not sure if theis is a general discussion point or if the mods want to move to SatNav specific thread.
Blaupunkt have a new system coming next month which uses a camera on the back of the unit to give a realtime image and overlays the directions.
It also recognises speed limits and provides warnings.
www.blaupunkt.com/de/7612201660_main.asp
Can't help wonder how it will look when driving in a blizzard at 3am. Read more
The £69 unit was advertised on a flyer I picked up in store.
Hi, I got bitten by the bugs on the later shape (2004 on) DCi's with the turbo's and intercoolers failing amongst other things. But now my extended warranty has left than a year to run, and the car looks like its going to have another replacement turbo and intercooler, what do I do now because Nissan obviously have not really fixed the problem? At just over 54K miles is it acceptable for Nissan to just keep changing the items until the warranty runs out without addressing the underying cause?
I drive fairly economically (sometimes get over 40mpg), I fill up with Shell fuel most of the time, I treat the vehicle carefully and I change the oil and filter every 6K miles, not the advised 12K. I also have the air and fuel filter changed ahead of schedule too. I tow small trailers fairly regularly and a large one occasionally.
The intercooler and pipes around it are leaking again, so it sounds like another turbo is on its way out (booked in tomorrow). This is in addition to a whole host of problems with the gearbox (now replaced) but still not selcting smoothly, timing chain changed, timing guides changed and some other more minor items. The car has been into Sturgess at Leicester so many times and for so many weeks at a time (I have to say they have been pretty good & very understanding).
Nissan themselves (or should I say the RAC who are Nissan apparently run UK Customer Service) have been less than understanding, I managed to squeeze a years extended warranty out of them which the dealer and myself topped up to 2 years to try and get these issues sorted out. The thing is, is it acceptable for them to just keep changing these items and not addressing the cause of the problem?
I feel like taking a small-claims action against them for the cost of a replacement engine because of there reluctance to address an underlying issue. The inconvenience you go through when it's off the road (try getting a hire car with a tow bar ..?). Banging another turbo on every 8K miles until the warranty runs out & then trying to wash their hands of it surely cannot be right.
I would like to keep the vehicle quite a lot longer (it drives beautifully), if anyone can give me some advice as I don't want to be forking out for huge bills after next April I would appreciate it.
I'm sorry to say we bought the vehicle on Honest John's recommendations, I can see now why he withdrew this. I blame Renault meddling about with Nissan!
Thanks, Peter
Read more
Hi,
Recently bought a Rover 400, and the head gasket went a week later. It's in being fixed just now but mechanic called me to say there's a problem with a switch related to the ECU which means a fan is not being triggered, so he's going to fit a new switch and hopes this will resolve it.
He mentioned if this did not resolve it, I should constantly keep the blower on at setting 1, and constantly have the air con switched on. I told him that the blower didn't work on settings 1 & 2 anyway, and he said that's even better as I won't have to suffer hot or cold air but leaving at setting 1 will still be triggered enough to power the fan constantly.
Never heard of this before, and wondered if this is a practical option? Also, will it cause a severe rise in fuel consumption? Just concerned as total bill is £450 as it is (maybe not too bad considering he's fitting new timing belt, doing a service, and fitting new head gasket).
Thanks in advance Read more
The fan not working is a common problem, there is a resistor behind the glovebox that is easily changed to fix this - I belive one from a similar shaped Honda would fit as well if your getting one from a dealer.
As for the rest - I wouldnt trust the mechanic doing a headgasket if he doesnt know how to get the fan working. It will either be the coolant temp sensor (I think it is the yellow one) that plugs in the fan and near the coolant pipe (next to the exhaust manifold) or it is more likely the fuse that has blown (check both - one in the car and the other in the engine bay). Your handbook will show you where they are. Both are a cheap and quick fix.
This morning I took the Pug to National Tyres to mend a puncture. It took the chap half an hour to find it as it was a tiny hole, but it was duly mended and refitted in 45 minutes.
I was about to pay when the man said 'just buy me a beer next time'.
Although the repair would normally cost £15 he said he wouldn't charge!
I slipped him a fiver, shook his greasy hand and went on my way.
Have you ever had a repair done for free? Read more
yes !! I also cycle and have never seen so many black screws in the gutter . Must be the tyre shops....
my car seems to be killing O2 sensors
cant think why it should...i havent used copper slip or silicone anywhere near the exhaust Read more
My sister-in-laws husband has a genuine Breitling watch. (2K...) Only had it 3 three years and had to be sent away for repair twice.
My £8.00 watch from Argosi still works great after 12 years! So much for genuine quality!
As for VW lambda sensors, I'd only ever fit OE.
I have an idea for an annul mimser pride rally starting spring 2009, it would be limited to England at first, then maybe extended to other parts of the realm.
I could organise the Wessex area, with the rally taking place in Exeter, so we would need organisers in say Birmingham, Maidstone, York, Liverpool.
The entrance fee would be say £5 with the proceeds going to someone like Northern Wreck and the idea would be to drive along in a convoy at 30 MPH.
Lemme know what ya'll think.
Dog Read more
A'ha ... so my friend can't be that educated then, being he spelt Jabberwocky wrong!
The nearest I've come across Re: mimser Lud, is Mimsie the cat ~
The company is also remembered for its mascot, Mimsie the Cat (1968-1988), who was an obvious parody of MGM's Leo the Lion. Mimsie was in real life, Mary Tyler Moore's cat. In each MTM production, Mimsie (also known as "Dick Turpin" and "Dick Marino") would arrive in a different disguise as its closing logo, corresponding to the style and theme of a certain show.
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I managed two in the space of two weeks. Both had loads of life left in them and both could not be repaired.
First was a cut in the sidewall, probably caused by the tyre slipping off the edge of the raised tarmac on a single track road. This has led me to be a bit more careful when trying to pass cars on single track roads but taking the tyres off the tarmac can't always be avoided. The narrow lanes can't easily be avoided either.
Second was a 4" nail stuck in the tyre which I probably picked up on a visit to the local tip. Sadly the length of the nail and the angle meant the tip was rubbing against the inside sidewall, thus gouging a crater in it otherwise it could have been repaired. How a 4" nail stands upright enough to poke into a tyre I don't know.
An expensive two weeks!