October 2008
My 2001 Punto has 53,000 miles on the clock and a local mechanic has advised that I should have the cambelt replaced as he diagnosed a high pitched hum on acceleration as the bearing wearing.
I would appreciate it if somebody could offer advice on the following:
1) Does that sound like a sensible diagnoses?
2) How much should I aim to pay for a cambelt replacement?
3) I have heard advice that I should have the water pump replaced at the same time - why is this? Are the timing belt and water pump connected in some way on this model?
Advice on any or all of the above would be much appreciated. Read more
Just out of curiosity, how much do buses and lorries cost?
Are they comparatively cheaper or more expensive than cars?
Do any private individual buy them (for doing business) or they are always bought by hauling/transport companies?
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I'd forgotten that. Range Rover, not good I agree.
I have seen a couple of potential cars, both late 90's Fiestas with the ancient push rod 1.3 Endura engine. My dad has one of these it has done 74k, it is a little it noisy but its a lot quieter than diesels of that era.l
The motoring press all say to avoid them, but they are chain driven etc and are very easy to service.
My question is would you spend £1k on a car with this engine fitted? I really want the 1.25 Zetec but I just can't find any for sale that are in decent nick. Read more
Basically this is the old 1.3 HCS engine that I think has its roots with the Ford Kent engine (although someone is bound to correct me). I learnt to drive in a Fiesta with this engine and found it primitive compared to the 999cc FIRE enine in my own Uno. From memory I found that it gave a good slug of torque low down but really didn't like revving much more than 4k. MY instrucor had to tell me to use more revs at times as mechanical sympathy kicked in. It was a rattly old engine as well but I have never known anyone who has had problems with this engine and several people I know ran them. I think you will find the 1.25 Zetec light years ahead on smoothness and response and I would probably go for one of those.
My car collided with another while in the private car park of my flats. The car park is signed as "private residents only" and warns that wheel clamping is in operation. The person I collided with was not a resident.
The incident happened while I was reversing out of the section of the car park from my garage, and happened as I reversed out from a gap between two walls into the main car park. I had checked that the gap was clear first by reversing with full view of the gap by looking over my shoulder, then the side mirrors, and then the rear view mirror which is the mirror I was looking in when we hit each other.
My car was about three feet out from behind the wall, his car three feet across the exit from my garage area. He was intending to pull right across the exit and park blocking it. I didn't see his car and hit it while I was reversing as the front end of his car was too low to see in the rear view mirror. There could of only been a few seconds between either of us seeing each other. As I didn't see him I don't know how long it took him to break or how fast he was going.
My car received some damage to the bumper. His the wing is dented.
Can either of us claim of each others insurance while on private land...mine being third party? And does he have any right to claim after he's driven onto it without permission? And who do you think is responsible? And also does the highway code still apply? And what way if not by insurance can money be claimed for the damages?
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That is what I thought,not really worth bothering anymore though,he has only ever posted on this thread,I think we of seen the last of him :)
HI
I have been having lots of problems with my Renault Clio 1.5DCI Dynamique recently and wondered whether any one has had similar problems and/or can provide any advice.
About 2 weeks ago the coil light on the dash was sporadically coming on and subsequently I was only able to start the car intermittently. So I took it to a local garage, that I have been using for a number of years who told me the glow plugs needed replacing, so they replaced them for me.
This seemed to solve the problem for a week, after whcih time the problem started again. So i took it back, again. They then couldn't work out what the problem was because it was intermittent and therefore sent it off to a Diesel specialist, who diagnosed (for £200) that it was the relay and that they neeeded replacing.
The car came back fine. But another 2 weeks later and I tried to drive it home last night, got into the car, turned the ignition, all the dash lights came on and then just as I was about to start the ignition, having waited for the coil light to go out, all the dash lights went out and I was therefore unable to start the car. I subsequently tried a number of times to start the car, only to see a select few lights on the dash coming on, but interestingly no CD player or clock would work. This implied to me that perhaps the battery was flat. After sitting for 1/2 hour the car still wouldn't start. I had to be recovered, so it has now gone back to this dealer, AGAIn! The recovery mechanic seemed to think it was an immobiliser problem or ignition, he wasn't sure.
I am obviously not happy having already forked out £300. Is this a common problem? Is it repairable? Any advice would be most appreciated.
Thank you in anticipation. Read more
Hi.
Just read your thread and it reminded me of some problems I had with my Clio last year. Similar intermittant problem with the engine management light and I also went to my local garage and they suggested glow plugs. Had these fitted and still the intermittant problem so took it back and ended up having to go to renault for a proper diagnostic (local garage didnt have full software to do this)
The terrible news was that one of the injectors had failed and so needed to be replaced. (car had 91k miles, i'd only bought it 3 wks before. Looking back I thinks its likely that the previous owner had had a problem and the code had just been "cleared" so the warning light went off and then he Part Xd it ASAP)
The even worse news was that they only sell injectors as a set of 4 and the cost was £600 ish to supply and fit. Tried GSF and the like but only Renault UK sold them. Aurguing, complaining to Renault UK, internet research and picking brains of numerous clio specialists couldn't come up with another option so I had to fork out for the work. Even more annoyingly the warranty I'd paid £170 would only cover one so the payout only covered the cost of the premium. Feel I was totally stung by the previous owner/ garage and Renault. I understand that it is good practice to change all at once but when you've just paid for a new car, the last thing you need is a £600 bill, oh, plus the £120 for glow plugs which probably weren't necessary! It really too the biscuit when the jumped up spiky haired muppet at the Renault delaership told me it was "just like buying half a dozen eggs, you can't only buy one can you?" I think he may still be suffering from hearing loss.. Can you tell it still smarts a year later?!
I do hope that isn't what is wrong with yours but the symptoms sounded similar. If it helps, I did find someone on the internet who does refurbished injectors but couldnt get one in time and I needed the car. I still have mine languishing in the cupboard and keep meaning to do something useful with them!
Anyways, again, I hope its not the problem but thought it might give you a heads up. The clio has been good ever since (she says quickly touching wood) and regularly turns in 68 - 70 mpg so we're pretty happy now :)
Best regards,
I picked up my car on friday and the electric windows were working okay. Now neither left or right will open or close.have checked fuses and these seem okay. Any ideas for what the problem could be? Read more
sorry - meant fuse 35! Thanks Dynamic dave. First time on this website and very impressed!!
Are all Vauxhall Zafira?s 1.8 petrol gas guzzlers?
A week ago I purchased a one year old Vauxhall Zafira 1.8 VVT petrol, Sri. According to Vauxhall the extra urban mpg is 47.1mpg, town 28.5mpg, combined 38.2mpg.
On my 32 mile commute, driving an gently as I can, I get 33mpg maximum, this is 1 mile urban, 24 miles dual carriageway at a speed of 60 ? 70mph, 1 mile urban. Air conditioning off, sports mode off, no luggage.
In 10 years, about 200 000 miles, and three different cars I have never got less than the combined mpg on this route, and usually got an mpg figure value well above the combined mpg.
The dealer says there is nothing wrong with the car and has refused a Network Q swap. Vauxhall customer service says it is ?within normal parameters? but are unable or unwilling to say what the normal parameters are. The Vauxhall web site says that the test values are representative of real driving conditions but are not guaranteed.
Am I expecting too much? Do they all do this? On this type of commute I would have been quite happy with 38 ? 42mpg, a little more than the combined cycle.
Should I take it for further investigation to try and get a better mpg value? Or is this as good as it going to get for a 1.8 petrol Zafira?
I have to say that I am very disappointed with the whole Vauxhall main dealer Network Q experience. This will be my first and last Vauxhall.
Thanks for any advice.
Mark
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Gearing IS the issue. Personally I believe it's in the differential (why produce another ratio'd gearbox) and that GM dropped a proverbial in the design - expecting it only to be used for urban use, kids or as a load-lugger.
My experience of Zafiras is that they are too low geared. I have had astras, astra estates, astravans and combo's. Having had ones with broken speedo cables, I learned to drive on the rev counter to avoid speeding tickets. All of them whether diesel or petrol have had gearbox speed to rev ratios at 2000 rpm as follows:...
Hi,
I've just moved in to my new home, and it has got a very steep driveway. First night I parked on it, the handbrake on my Mini failed miserably to hold it in place, so I left it in gear which held it.
Being a paranoid kind of guy, I've got visions of my car popping out of gear and rolling into the road. How secure is it to leave a car parked in gear? What are the chances of it slipping out of gear?
When I get the handbrake tightened up, should I park the car, set the handbrake, release the brake pedal and then leave it in gear so that the handbrake takes the strain with the engine as a backup should the handbrake fail? Or should I leave it in gear, release the clutch to let the engine take the strain, and then apply the handbrake as a backup?
Will parking in gear lead to additional wear on the engine?
Thanks in advance!
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I was rather surprised to find out (by accident) that reverse gear is both helically cut and fully synchronised on my Superb (Passat B5.5). Just the thing for impatient inhabitants of its country of mechanical origin, I think.
I've no idea what the ratio is, but my (proper) SAAB had quite a high reverse - also helically cut. You had to leave that car in reverse gear (just as well in view of the Girling disk handbrake) - it never rolled away.
659.
I'm thinking of buying a car at auction via a third party.
Can anyone give me an idea of how much cheaper a car which retails at £6k to £7k would be at auction (I'm looking at mainstream diesel estate cars)?
I'm just trying to work out whether it is worth doing by the time I've paid the fees and gone through the additional hassle of selling my current car rather than p/xing it. Read more
Find the bloke who bought yours PU and make him a silly offer......... would be a bit of a result provided it had been cared for............ Go on you know you want to.....
( Sits on shoulder twirling trident and swishing tail.........)
;-)
Hi, I drive about 1000+ miles per week for my job and have picked up nine points over time. This week I received another notification that I'd been caught over the speed limit and am terrified that if this goes to court and I get another three points I will lose my licence and my job!
Apparently when I was flashed I was doing 48 in a 30 zone but as the road is mainly 50 with stretches of 30 this is possible though I cannot honestly remeber seeing a sign or a speed camera.
Has anyone out there been in this situation? How did it work out? Is there any approach that I should take to get the courts to go easy on me?
I am in my sixties so hardly a boy racer and losing my job at this stage in life I don't fancy my chances of getting another. Should I be preparing for the worst? Read more
Another free-loader.
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Hi,
With regards to the cost of a new cambelt and tensioner kit, I paid approximately £120 for mine ('03 1.2 8v). Got this done at Nationwide Autocentre in July '08 at 62K. I agree, it is important to get both done and not just the belt. The garage didn't mention anything about the water pump, but can't see why they would as it would be more a precautionary thing to get changed (and if you've got the extra cash to spend!).