November 2008
Hi,
New user to this forum.
I have an M plate 1995 2.0 GLS 16v 5dr Cavvy.
Friday nite, most of the warning lights came on, on the dash. Then the headlights when dim, then the engine wouldn't hold a constant rev. Nursed the car home, switched off, tried starting it again, nothing, no lights, dead as, a dead thing!
Having limited auto electrical knowledge, my first course of action was to change the battery. Put it on yesterday, put a multimeter across the terminals with the motor running. The voltage peaked at 18.8 volts!!!!!! Surely that's not right??? Also when I tried to take a reading with the heater, heated rear window, lights etc. Both headlight bulbs blew.
So, if you haven't all knodded off by now! Does anyone have any idea as to whether this engine has regulator/rectifier like a motorbike, or is my alternator knackered, or maybe something much more sinister???!!!!!!
Help me Obi Wan...
Read more
I can't remember when belts came in, I date back to HB Vivas and can't think when I first encountered the aforementioned. My car dosen't have one but SWMBO's does and I don't feel as if I'm missing out. Read more
I followed the HB Viva with the Victor mentioned in the replies and didn't realize it had a cambelt. As with other peoples cars of that period the tin worm menace struck with a vengeance on the victor. Strangely I saw the Viva 4 years ago in good nick with four lads in it in Blandford.
Hi
Started my 52 reg Xsara in gear yesterday, car jolted forward and the imoboliser light came on
got out of the car and tried to reset the locks
Now the light stays on and putting the key in the igination does not clear it
can any one help Read more
Need to conatct the dealer which I did and was told I would have to have it towed to them
Hi I have a misfire now after the alternator/power steering drive belt snapped and chewed up! the car will start everytime but its missing and white smoke from the back.
AA guy said it could be that the belt that broke has somehow caused the cambelt to jump a tooth and altered the timing??
Just wondered if anyone can help in terms of how do I go about checking the timing is correct and the best way of solving it?
Also (being greedy now!!) when the car was running it ran great loads of power good economy BUT there seemed to be what sounded like a cam rattle that would only be there between 1200 - 3000rpm and only while driving and not when stationary??? any ideas
Thanks for your time Read more
Thanks for your reply. Great to have someone who knows what their talking about!
It's time for a 'new' car and am persuaded to go Japanese, for reliability. (An earlier post will show one route I'm considering is a quiet, 'serene-at-seventy' sort of car.)
Or for a more mainstream choice a little homework has pointed me in the way of the Honda Civic. I'd like an automatic. My budget will probably fetch me a 2001 to 2003 example. It'll be used mostly for daily 50-mile m'way round-trips at 70: no speed-merchant, I. Which engine-size is likely to be the quietest (or is there little in it)? Sorry if this seems petty but I have damaged hearing and a noisy car worsens it markedly.
However, my main question stems from an observation borne of many years' bemused-but-not-bitter experience: everything I buy goes wrong immediately thereafter. So please do your Civic duty and warn me what to expect in the way of instantaneous calamity. For instance, I've never owned a car with a catholic converser (as a dear, aged aunt so vividly dubbed it): when do those tend to fail on the Civic and how much do they cost to replace?
All ominous prognostications will be most welcome. (They're going to happen, anyway).
Yours cheerily,
AF. Read more
Make sure the heater works on all 4 speed settings (common failure can leave only high speed working).
Rear suspension parts invariably wear out by this mileage as it has double wishbones - if there are recent receipts for repairs it should be ok, otherwise might be worth getting an MOT tester to look at the links/joints.
Rear exhaust section rots like a fiend just in front of the final silencer.
It should start, run, stop, and change gear with almost no evidence of being a 9yr old car.
At the beginning of August 08, my Ford dealer topped up my coolant level (the orange antifreeze) to the maximum mark.
Since then the level has gone down to about 3/4 full.
I am obviously concerned that I may have a leak and if not how else could the level go down ?
(I have driven about 1700 miles since it was topped up).
Thanks ! Read more
Don't forget that if Ford refilled the system then there will be a slight settleing of the level as any trapped air gets pushed out. As long as it doesn't go below MIN don't panic...
Just getting warmed up from the perishing cold outside today, and yesterday and a bit to do tomorrow.
I did post on technical but i'll give a brief outline here.
My sons 01 Seat toledo 110 tdi started playing up the other day, the temperature would rise and the heater would blow cold.
Well we grabbed a new thermostat to rule that out, it wasn't that, next we thought it could be that daft plastic water pump problem, but no neither of those it started to leak water inside from the heater matrix ...aaarrggh, wish it had been the water pump.
Anyway, he got a heater matrix and new radiator (very slight seepage so do that as well) from one of the 2 very usual good sources and he set about the job on Friday and i joined him in the afternoon, and today, and final reassembly tomorrow.
Sorry to go on so long....to get to the heater matrix he had to virtually dismantle the whole interior, upper and lower dash board, all instruments and heater/climate controls, glovebox, passenger airbag, all panels, lower steering column and loosen the massive cross member that goes across the dash which forms a strong structure for everything to bolt to. EDIT, and of course remove the centre consol to enable dash removal.
Wipers off, bulkhead underbonnet extras off to get to the various mounting points, separate the 2 systems, aircon and heating and eventually remove the cowling that held the matrix.
To get to the radiator, the whole front of the car had to come off, bumper, front panel, headlights etc, as the rad is clamped between the fans and the aircon radiator.
To say the job has been hell is the understatement of the year, and i dread to think how much this would have cost at the dealership, probably scrapping the car.
I promise i haven't in the least exaggerated things, i'm just dumbstruck at quite how difficult a relatively simple job as this could be, a rad change was so simple a few years ago apart from BL FWD's when one had to be a contortionist.
The PD engine may be a fine motor, but he's no longer sure he would replace with another.
Are all cars now so difficult to work on, we wondered for example how quickly we could have done the same jobs on his Subaru or my old MB W124.
Read more
My TR7 failed its 25th MoT - no braking n/s rear and iffy light switch.
Hammer and pan scourer [plastic not metal] to seized drum brake pistons. Side/headlight switch easily removed and dismantled. [beautifully designed - I wonder by whom] Corrosion removed and copper terminals cleaned - good as new. Partial retest passed.
SWMBO X reg Yaris 1.3SR is now due for renewal - so I spent this last week looking around and being a long term Mazda man - we ( I ) decided on Mazda 3 auto - ran down autotrader etc and gleaned prices of 06-07 -08 cars and prices - fine -- today we went to local Ford/Mazda dealer to look and in showroom was a unregistered 1.4 Fiesta Ghia petrol on offer for £9999 (pre facelift)- £3k off list (Yea) this car has everything but auto and heated seats but doing the sums it seems more practical to go for manual than auto and it's cheaper to run than Mazda. Not being a Ford man what are the 1.4 engines like for reliability in fact what is the whole car like to own -- We only cover about 7k miles a year so diesel really doesn't make economic sense unless I could get one for same price - I asked and salesman said no diesels left -- As a cash buyer with no partX would I be able to bargain on price that is asked - I know it can't hurt to ask but realistically would a main Ford dealer move on sticker price. - if I wait till next weekend would the salesmen be jumping. Read more
£200 would go a long way towards the towbar which we unfortunately need for small trailer -- anyway it's getting worse -- once you start looking at cars - something I haven't done for over five years you see all different ones you fancy - The Corsa SXi or something was tempting but "towbar"
Lud
I would love a dream - any dream as it would mean I managed to get a nights sleep- something that has eluded me for years.
Saw one yesterday and had a good look around. The IQ is smaller than the Aygo - it still seats 4, but the boot will just about fit a phone book - stood on it's end.
The yes/no are what our mid spec Aygo has compared to the IQ - our Aygo also has 5 doors.
Full spec:
1. 15" alloy wheels - No
2. privacy glass - No
3. heated, electric door mirrors - No
4. colour keyed door mirrors - Yes
5. side turn indicators on outer door mirrors - No
6. colour keyed bumpers - Yes
7. LED stop lamp - No
8. manual air con - Yes
9. radio, cd, 6 speakers incl MP3 readability & aux in - Yes
10. leather steering wheel with audio switches - No
11. leather gear shift knob - No
12. tilt and power steering - No tilt but PAS
13. 9 airbags - no 4
14. ABS with brake assist - ABS yes
15. EBD(electronic brake force distribution) - No
16. VSC/TRC - No
17. power door lock - Yes
18. keyless entry - No
19. power windows - Yes
20. toneau cover - Yes
On the premium addition
1. automatic air condition - No
2. smart entry (boot and doors) - No
3. push start - No
4. rain sensors - No
5. dusk sensors - No
6. electric retractable, heated door mirrors - No
7. electrochromatic rear view mirror - No
8. front fog lamps - No
9. high gloss 15" alloys - No
10. darkned bi-halogen headlamps - No
11. chrome rear light clusters - No
What really scared me were the rear seats - no boot therefore no crumple zone and the rear seats didn't look to be constructed in a manner which makes you safer in a rear end smash (unlike the smart seats) - rear seats almost touch the rear window. I was fobbed off with an answer that the car has NCAP 5* - it may have but that doesn't test rear end shunts.
Entry IQ is £9,500, premium £10,500.
Our Aygo was £7000.
Worth it? You decide!
Read more
Nope. It would not help much in that instance. but they do call it a "curtain shield".
Hi guys can anybody tell me what a category 4 right off is.
cheers slack Read more
Hi everybody,can you tell me does the category d rightoff have to be noted on the log book.
cheers slack
Browse
.jpg)
That will be the alternator faulty.the voltage reg is internal with the unit.Best to replace with an exchange unit.hth