October 2008
I have been having trouble with the reversing sensors on the car. I assume they came fitted to the car from new as part of the Zetec Sport spec. They had been intermittent for the last few weeks but have now stopped all together. I guess it is a loose wire somewhere as they should be wired to the reverse lights circuit somewhere. Does anyone know where the sensors are wired to or what the fault is? Read more
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7672617.stm
From the Bubble Car Museum in Lincolnshire. No hills there you see and with an engine that size it's just as well!
JH Read more
I remember going in a bubble car when I was a child. I was intrigued how it could still steer when the steering wheel came out with the door!
Hi,
I have a 2002(51) Volvo S40 1.9 Diesel. The idle is sitting at around 600-700rpm. I need to adjust the idle up. Can anyone give me some info on how to do this?
Many thanks,
Dave Read more
Dave
That's a Bosch common-rail; the idle speed is part of the ECU's programming and not adjustable. On some; the idle setting is anywhere between 700-800, so it may be correct.
Only a software update from the dealer will change it.
Just thought I'd share my experience of buying/running what is increasingly looking like the best value vehicle I've ever had.
It's a 1997 Toyota Camry, 2.2 manual in a nice metallic red.
It was actually my in-laws next door neighbours car from new. He was offerred a derisory £500 trade-in from the local Toyota dealers and decided to look around instead to see if anyone else could give it the love and care he had lavished on it from new.
I picked it up for £600 including 6 months tax, a full tank of petrol, 9 months MOT and a bag full of touch up paints/metallic T-Cuts etc as well as a folder documenting everything the car had ever had done to it and the original Camry floor mats.
Needless to say it had a full service history and a recent cam belt change!
I actually felt a little guilty driving it away.
I've now had it 9 months and upped the mileage from 108K to nearly 130K. It drives like a new car (cliche I know but true!), I'm getting 36 to the gallon taking it easy, digital climate control does the job, sound system is one of the best I've heard, bags of room in the back for the teenagers (that's my own teenagers not any random teenagers I'm in the habit of picking up, just to make that quite clear!) and has a pretty good for the day 4 star EuroNCAP rating. It's quick enough, quiet and actually handles reasonably well on the twisties. On a recent 1100 mile round trip to Suffolk it felt like the most reliable, least likely to ever let you down lump of metal you could be in. It's also a reasonably handsome beast from certain angles!
So far I've bought 2 new front tyres (£50 a corner as they say in the business!) an air filter and set of plugs, an oil and filter change from National and the price of an MOT (passed needing exactly nothing doing to it last month).
The only problem is that in accordance the the bangernomic 'buy it cheap and then throw it away when something major goes wrong with it' maxim, I'm going to be lumbered with this for ever as I can't at the moment see anything going wrong with it! The only 'fault' as such has been a slight knocking coming from the rear over uneven surfaces and that looks likely to be worn bushes on the rear sway bar i.e. nothing to worry about. Everthing else on the car works exactly as it should do...even the lumbar support!
I feel slightly less smug than I would do if I had bought the car from a total stranger i.e. I knew it had been very well looked after without having to do any of the usual checks and homework, but still, it's easily the best £600 I've ever spent.
Has anyone else landed anything as good for the money or even better?
Read more
But personally I find there is a bit more to motoring than just minimising cost. Is there a more boring car on the roads than a Camry? I doubt it!
I bet there is, and you could easily be paying £20k+ for it.
Sounds like a good deal - I'd stay away from the V6 autos, they don't often see 100,000 miles without considerable cost but what you've got sounds ideal.
Enjoy it!
1.5 dCi engine (the one with the lowest bhp).
Noticed at the beginning of the week that when accelerating in 2nd (mainly second, but does happen in 3rd as well) theres a lot of black smoke. The engine stutters a little bit, and then accelerates as normal and smoke stops.
Now the history... this little motor is usually driven 80 miles a day, Mon-Fri mainly motorways. It hasn't been started for a week (on holiday) and since I've been back I've been doing mainly town driving.
Black smoke - unburnt diesel I'm guessing.
Anyway so do you think its a case of needing a blast on the motorway (which it will get on monday), or should I start checking air filters and the such?
Is such smokey behaviour related to the lack of use recently?
Any help appreciated,
R. Read more
EGR faults are common - they usually put the warning light on; but black smoke is indeed an EGR speciality.
It's possible that the head has fallen off the valve and the stem is still moving.
Five minutes to check - the air filter check is even quicker.
My GolfGTI-owning American lady friend is homing in on a Mazda 3 TS with 25,000 miles on it at a South London Mazda dealer. She has always fancied one of these and after driving it says she feels it's just the perfect car for her.
The dealer is asking £6.7k with a year's full manufacturer warranty and all the usual dealer flimflam. She has told the dealer 6 is top whack for her and left him a bit of time to think about it, see if he calls, that sort of thing. She hasn't even mentioned the sound but somewhat sclerotic GTI Mk 1 (or is it a 2? 1 I think) with BBS wheels, which she says dealers won't give more than £500 for in PE, but is toying with the idea of offering it plus £5,500 to see what the dealer will say. She is far better than I am at this sort of thing being an accountant.
Just wondered if any expert had any comment on any of this, or anything to add to HJ's generally very favourable CBCB material on the Mazda 3. I seem to remember someone going on about piston slap in a 3 recently. Read more
I have no doubt at all that she will have sorted herself out legally. She's not the sort of person to neglect something like that.
Somebody please help - I am changing the clutch on my 2000 1.4 polo and the bolts holding the pressure plate to the flywheel are really odd. Can anyone tell me what socket I need to buy
Read more
Hi,
I may be wrong as it's been a while, but the socket you require may be a 9mm multi hex socket. Don't know why but when i saw the question, this size socket immediatley sprang to mind, but as i say, it's been a while since i've done one of these.
Failing that, can you phone/visit a vw garage and speak direct to a technician? If anyone should know, they should.
hth
Which is faster round a track
----- round 1 ----- same driver, track, conditions:
* A 204BHP Porsche Boxster with Porsche sports handling kit fitted (springs, shocks, lowered 10mm)
* A 250BHP Toyota MR2 turbo
---------------------
-----round 2----- same track, conditions
* Me (an experienced road driver but no track experience) in A 204BHP Porsche Boxster with Porsche sports handling kit fitted (springs, shocks, lowered 10mm)
* Stig in a 8 year old Focus 1.8 Zetec
-----I think Stig----- Read more
I suppose Neil Diamond does sound a bit like a four pot diesel if you listen carefully ------------ :)
Sweet Car of mine ----
Just a quick question, does anyone know if a bog standard rear mounted cycle carrier would fit on a C Max Zetec 2005 year?
Reason I am asking is at the top of the boot there seems to be a little black spoiler which, to my eyes, might be a problem with straps. It looks quite flimsy so was just wondering if there were any C Max owners out there who could advise? Read more
tinyurl.com/42mpxw
>>The truth is that the motor industry is in freefall. In the UK, between September 2007 and September 2008, new numberplate registrations fell by 26%. In the US, the market is vanishing; manufacturers are looking to George Bush for a $25bn (£14.25bn) bailout. In Japan, Toyota's September sales fell from 213,042 in 2007 to 144,260 this year. China's car sales, after months of rapid growth, have slumped, and in Brazil, Mexico, France, Germany and India sales also fell: there is almost no one in the world, it seems, who feels that this is the right moment to buy a new car.
To make matters worse, the financial turbulence comes just as restrictions on carbon emissions are finally catching up with car makers. Of all industries, the car sector has been the slackest at reducing its CO2 levels. Attempts at self-regulation have failed and now the authorities are stepping in; the European Commission will shortly ratify new targets that will require car manufacturers to reduce emissions to an average of 130g per km. <<
This will be punitive for most car owners in the UK as no doubt it will result in higher VED for anyone with a car over 130gm per km.
Problem is, these small cars do not have the ability to carry large numbers let alone things like suitcases when off to the airport, a trip of goods back from a DIY shed or a bike or surfboard?
Read more
<< I am going to buy a pre 2002/pre new VED regs CDI or TD Mercedes... ll toys/leather, no rust etc etc... >>
Hmmmm do a google ... you will find 99-03 Mercs rust as you look at them... go for older or newer - but also be careful with CDI's - misfueling as on other threads, and im not sure the V6 is a good engine even without misfueling - ive seen a lot in bits!
Browse
.jpg)
My reversing lights come on so i know there is power to the sensors. I checked the connection (scotchlocks) and they appear to be fine. I am wondering if i have a loose connection on one of the sensors that is causing the circuit to trip. The only other thing i can think of is if the speaker where the beep comes from is faulty. I dont suppose any one knows where it is do they???