November 2008
Hi have a 1996 sri vectra 2000cc spanner light permanatly on.engine changed before i bought it.think its on limp mode ,as doesnt like reving high,but good on petrol.HAD 2 diagnostic checks both would not read anything.is it wrong ECU.No alarm working.TControl light always on.
{correct year put in header} Read more
Hi I have just fitted front fog lights to my 96 Mondeo. All the wiring was in place for them. All I have done is to fit the correct new head light switch and all was working okay but when the head lights were on with front and rear fogs, all the lights have gone off except side lights front and rear. Also not working are the heater fan temp gauge, all ignition lights, heated front screen, air con. Any ideas? I have checked all fuses in the car and under the bonnet.
Quick edit to make it more readable - not perfect, Rob
{year added to header - DD} Read more
What rating is the fuse?
I was driving in some seriously heavy rain today when my glow plug light flashed on and off and eventually stayed on. In the manual it says this is an electrical fault. Everything is working okay. What could this be? Could it just be the wetness or is it implying something else? Is it likely to be something serious and do I need to get it seen to asap? Any advice and help greatly recieved, thank you. Read more
Yes I did. Everything else seems to be working. When I press the button that brings up the on board computer details, it goes through the list as per normal, ie mpg, etc until it comes to the on where it predicts how many gallons left to the next fill up and there it just has a line of flashing dashes. What does this mean, is it something simple like a fuse. I don't want to pay a fortune as I don't have a fortune to pay out, hence the reason for driving an economical car! Thanks for any help. Lisa
Hi. I've not long had this fiesta and I find there is water leaking into the boot quite badly. Also get water in the rear passenger side footwell. How can I find out where the water is getting in? (ps I don't have a sunroof) Thanks Read more
I was just watching Dave on the box and they had an episode of Fifth Gear from 2003 in which they swerved a Discovery at 45mph and it rolled over. Thankfully, it was driven by a stunt guy complete with hemelt & full safety gear and they had added a roll-bar to the Discovery.
Anyhow, at the end of the prog Tiff said that no roll-over tests existed yet to test all 4x4s but that such a test was needed. So, my question is whether five years on whether such a test now exists to test the safety of 4x4s in swerves, etc, for roll-over?
Anyone know?
Thanks,
T. Read more
That sounds like a possibility but the claim being made is not that American SUVs
are safer but that UK SUVs are safer.
Looking back through this thread, the first claim seems to have been that "studies in the US showed HIGHER fatality rates in SUV/4X4s in accidents" and the second that "recent statistics show that 4x4s are less likely to be involved in accidents".
I don't think those two have to be incompatible. If a 4x4 driver is less likely to be involved in an accident than a car driver, but when an accident does happen the 4x4 driver is more likely to be killed, then both those statements could be true.
Not a major problem but every now and again I have some trouble starting it.
When completley cold the glow plug light comes on as you would expect for about a second and goes out but the car doesnt always fire up straight away. I also have a problem when its warm and you wouldnt expect the glow plug light to come on it still doesnt start straight away. It will turn over but not fire up.
Theres only a couple of occasions where it starts and stops straight away.
Im just hoping theres a simple obvious fix rather that the immobiliser or ecu etc.
Are there any obvious faults on these cars with glow plug relays or ignition problems?
Just for additional info the car had a new lift pump and has a good full charged battery
cheers Read more
OK; if the tank pump is working properly and it's predecessor wasn't killed by steel frag, then maybe one injector is cracked and leaking-back excessively.
These won't run with less than 120 bar in the rail; even a tiny injector leak will make it hard work for the pump to build pressure.
An injector leak-off test is probably the next step; but check the terminals on the 15-pin fuelling relay first.
What's the correct answer - yes, little bit, depends on car or not at all?
Couldn't find a definitive answer from web search.
PS: talking of conventional automatics, not semi-manual things. Read more
My astra is the same - 'S'button keeps the revs up for twisty bits and descents.
To another poster, re towing: often the car + towed-load causes the box to hunt bewteen D & 3, especially on uphills.
Best to anticipate when towing, and use the selector to lockdown before the box starts its tricks.
Th story so far, and not an uncommmon one by the look of it.
Whilst driving one day it when into limp mode by with a complete lack of power, which made it undriveable. The garage found the EGR valve completely block and they cleaned it, all seemed well for about one week. Then on starting the car one day there was a large cloud of blue smoke from the exhaust, I drove the car for about 10 miles when it went into limp mode again, I diped the oil and found it was very low on oil, refiled and all was OK except now wen under hard acceleration the cas behind disapears and the sump empties of oil. Back to the garage who say the EGR valve has failed completely this time and repace it. How ever the car still uses oil (about 2 ltr per 80 mile) and smokes under moderate to hard acceleration. There is also some black oil on top of the engine by the breather pipe near the injectors.
So people, any ideas as I am no far from the gallon of petrol and a match option, but I like the car (I know some of us are mad) and would like to sort this problem but after £800 and no resolution a trade in looks the best option.
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Given that both of us came up with the same warning; it should have been plain to any competent garage that the risk of a runaway was high.
Why didn't they check the breathers first before revving the engine? You may have a good case against the garage for negligence.
Tried starting my car, wouldnt turn over. Dash read 'Engine high Temperature'. Only on the 3rd attempt would it start. Drove it 60 miles home, no problems. Any ideas what the problem might be? Thanks Read more
When it wouldn't turn over, was there a clicking from the starter - or any other sound?
Maybe in the Sun, but I'd have expected better from the Telegraph :-(
tinyurl.com/5fqr7b
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Not an urban myth!
Up until the mid 60's it was illegal to drive a three-wheeler (under 8cwt) on a motorcycle licence if it was fitted with a reverse gear. Probably something to do with motorbikes not having a reverse gear, and therefore not trusting motorcyclists to play with one.
Some got away with a blanking plate preventing reverse from being selected, but it was arguable if this met the wording of the law.
By the time I was driving a bubble car around '67, the law had changed.
Browse
Does it have aftermarket (non GM) audio in it?
If it does, unplug the head unit before running the diagnostics check, as I believe the factory unit is also checked for faults, and if the diagnostic machine gets a response from the head unit it doesnt understand gives up checking........
I found this on an Omega I had, no fault codes shown, until I pulled the head unit out, expected codes then appeared (in my case O2 sensor - plus was waterlogged!)