August 2008
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
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.
Hello,
My sister-in-law has 2000 ish Ibiza TDi (I think a 90) that has done 130k without a cambelft change !!!
Indy want £250, is it straightforward DIY, are special tools needed?
Thanks. Read more
as tools needed just a locking set you can get from euro car parts or
gfs
Thanks, by locking set do you mean to lock the camshaft and crank to maintain timing? It is single cam so marking the old belt, marking the sprocket postions, comparing old belt with new then double checking by counting the teeth would do the job surely?
A twin cam needs to be locked up clearly.
Hi, my Mondeo 2.0 TDi Zetec wouldn't start and a mechanic discovered that the lift pump was missing! A previous owner had the diesel piped direct to the injection pump and it seemed to work fine until it let me down.
I got a new lift pump fitted but now the car starts when the engine's cold but if I turn it off after about 10 mins running then it won't start! I have to leave it for a few hours and then it will start, several times no problem. It runs perfect and tickes over perfect but if turned off after a while running thats it!
Can anyone please help me?
Glen
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Hi Screwloose, cheddar and spikeyhead, thanks for getting back to me.
I left the car into a garage this evening and they will check the codes tomorrow and I'll let you know. My mechanic friend found the casing of the pump attached just to the front of the back wheel, drivers side. When he opened it it was empty. He replaced it and now I have this other problem. The fuel gauge is not working since he did it, we checked all fuses under the bonnet and under the dash (behind the junk pocket) and all seem ok!
I've always been fascinated by the idea of a kit car, though the likelyhood of me ever starting a project is as remote as it gets, time and facilities sadly lacking.
Has anyone got any experience of them, either building, servicing or driving? I would like to know whether these supercar lookalikes that are built for the price of a hatchback are really as good as they look, or if they are mainly rattley old buckets of nails driven round by proud owners who are seriously kidding themselves.
Any experiences?
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How about some 20 inchers with spinners? :-)
For my next company car I'm looking at either A6 or 5 series. Does anyone know when new versions of both cars are expected, to give me an idea for how long I will have the 'current' model?
Cheers Read more
Hi Jusef,
The BM is (depending on the size of engine you are after) the cheaper car to run and is absolutely stuffed with standard equipment.
It seems that the closer to a car's replacement you get, the standard spec of the out going car improves.
As you are to run it as a company car it is worth looking at the current 5 series. On the 520d the co2 emmisions are at just 140g. This means company car tax, even with it's high list price, very very low. If you are paying 40% tax it works out almost £100 a month cheaper in company car tax to you personally to run than the 2.0d Audi. The Audi engine is low power and unrefined whereas the BMW engine is nearly 180hp (about the same as the 2.7TD engine you can also get in the Audi) and as sweet and quiet as can be.
Your employer should be pleased with the claimed 53 mpg too from the BMW.
I bought a 520d SE Touring recently and had thought about waiting for the new BM. What changed my mind was that the standard equipment on the 2.0d SE would probably be less than on the current car, the list price would probably be higher and discounts hard to find for a year or two. Also whilst waiting two years I would have paid the Chancellor a few thousand pounds in personal company car tax on my previous car that was less efficient.
Depending on the broker / dealer you should get circa 10% off list at the moment and there is a cheap upgrade for a 6CD changer and Sat Nav for £350 (should be over £1,600). It seemed a no-brainer to me and I am delighted with the car. 8,000 miles in, averaging nearly 47mpg (not any long trips recently to get this up yet - lots of nasty slow traffic commuting), supreme comfort and a great involving drive when you want it.
I had new front discs and pads fitted to my Ford Focus last November at a main Ford dealer in Devon. However during the MOT in July it was found that the front discs were distorted so the car failed.
As I had 12 months guarantee on the brakes fitted last November I went back to them and said they shouldn't have gone after only 4000 miles. They measured the discs and agreed they were distorted and that was what had caused the brake judder through the steering wheel. They only replaced the discs this time. Now when I drive the car either first thing in the day or initally after it has sat for a while and apply the brakes, I notice some squeaking from the brakes which seems to disappear once I have driven a mile or so.
Do you think this is normal and if not should I go back to the garage again ??
Thanks
ps Do you think the calipers need attention Read more
>>surely if the pads are at fault
You can't say anything so definite about brake squeal. The presence of brake squeal does not necessarily mean that the brake has a problem. A squealing brake is no less efficient than a quiet one.
There has been research into the problem of disc brake squeal dating back to soon after the introduction of disc brakes. The problem is so difficult that there isn't a production line cure which works for all cars. For some cars, the application of copperslip grease to the pad backing contact points will cure the noise, for others, chamfering the leading edge of the pad material helps - in some cases, simply taking the brake apart, and putting it back together, doing nothing! cures the squeal. Th research is still ongoing, and there is no catch all answer (a similar, related problem is clutch judder)
By all means, ask you garage to check that the brake is OK, i.e., there is plenty of material left on the pads, that nothing is sticking, and that all fasteners are good and tight, but, if the brake is fundamentally OK, I wouldn't get too wound up by it.
Does anyone know how to replace a headlamp bulb for a Mazda 6? Read more
After the obvious RTFM (not done on my Mazda6 for a bulb change) then the dealer might be happy to help. Previous marques dealer's have obliged and Mazda seem keen on service....
e.g. book car in for first 12500 mil service and text immediately to remind follwed by a phone call the day before. Then a call after from the dealer to see if all okay. Followed by a call from central person to see if all okay. Followed by a customer satisfaction questionnaire for the service.
Browse
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.