December 2008
Does my car have a dual mass flywheel?
slt to include engine fuel type and duplicate post removed
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Is the multiple Utarget.FOXredirect another HJ problem? Read more
No problem, as I know absolutly nothing about the workings of things electronic I am never really sure if it is my end or not.
Is it any wonder some brands are not selling when they have been ripping of customers for years with parts?
On technical now somebody has been quoted £320 from a dealer for a new throttle position sensor, now I am no mechanic but I do know about electronics, and surely all the TPS is a potemeter which changes the resistance according to the position of the cable?
Also if its anything like the one I removed from my old car it is a very simple job to replace.
A 500gb hard drive now costs £40, these are quite complicated, a motherboard costs £40 and is very complex compared to an ECU which is actually a very unpowered simple computer running a fairly simple computer prgram (compared to what we use on our PCs).
So how can they charge £1k for an ECU? £300 for a TPS etc? I understand cats are expensive because they require a lot of metal and a lot of engineering is involved in the manufacturer but I get mad when people are forced to pay £100's for a very simple part on a fairly modern car.
£160 for a clutch and bearings including labour and to it the gearbox needs removing etc, how can a TPS cost £320?
What also gripes me is dealers who charge £50 for an ECU scan which is fair enough if they know what it means, but half the time they seem to be oh it says you need a new TPS, but it turns out to be the wiring to it, surely you're paying £50 not to let a mechanic do some basic work but for a person to actually diagnose the readouts properly?
Another daily rant from HJ's young Victor Meldrew. Read more
>I don't believe for a moment that manufacturers are going to allow a small box of chips to
>gobble up 10% or more the the total cost of producing the vehicle.
A "small box of chips"? A new ASIC can cost millions to design and hundreds of dollars per unit to produce. Your "small box of chips" soon adds up when you consider the total amount of silicon in a modern vehicle.
Engine (and emmissions) management - silicon.
Transmission control - silicon.
ABS and traction control - silicon.
Airbags - silicon.
Security - silicon.
>but I'd be astonished if they are anything other than a standard box fitted to millions of
>cars, just with software settings customised for each application.
Then astonished you should be.
There is no such thing as a generic ECU that will fit millions of cars.
>I'd be very surprised if the unit cost was as much as £100,
Which simply indicates that you don't have a clue about engineering and manufacturing. The casing and connector probably costs £50 before you start filling it with "chips".
Kevin...
Anyone seen the pictures of the SLR Stirling Moss. Phew, its fantastic.
I wont put the link on here as it is a rival website.
Do you think they gave Stirling Moss one for using his name? They are only making 75.
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One of the signs of true greatness is to recognise that quality in others. When Juan Manuel Fangio died, Stirling said simply 'He was the greatest driver who ever lived'.
I wonder how many of today's sportsmen would say that about their rivals. Harry Redknapp probably would, but then he seems to understand that football is about people.
I like to think that Stirling Moss got his knighthood for the man he is, and not just for his achievements.
52 reg 406 2.2 HDI. screwloose gave me some advice a while back. i have finaly got around to trying to fix problem. car starts and runs fine with anti pollution light on. for about 10 miles then lacks power. revs ok, can still cruise at 70mph. (will go faster) slows down on hills. can tuen engine off for a couple of minutes then start up runs fine for 10 miles then loses power. if i do this a couple of times enging management light go's out. on short journeys i can live with the priblem. it's when i go on motorways. cant keep turning engine off. screwloose's advice was MAP sensor, glow plugs and exhaust temp sensor. where on the 2.2HDI engine will i find MAP sensor. haynes manule showes it for petrol model but not diesel. thanks for any help, advice given. steve Read more
Spotted an H-reg Austin 1800 in Reading Station car park yesterday, gentleman driver was waiting to pick someone up I think. It was in petrol blue, which was quite faded and patchy with original white on black standy-out rear number plate. Seemed to be running quite well as it ticked over. A man more concerned with mechanics than looks, it would seem. Good to see. Read more
Mitsubishi i. Can be seen currently on Mitsubishi UK website. Front end looks like a Nano Tata.
Quick question, please excuse my ignorance!
when should you check your oil level - i always thought it was whwn the engine was cold.
Local dealer says thats when you should do it, Cars handbook says to do it when the engine is warm. Have done both and you get unsuprisingly get markedly different reading?.
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I would have thought the critical point with regard to when to check would be after the oil had drained back to the sump (usually 10 mins or so after running). Does oil temperature affect level??
I've been reading "10 ways to avoid making a claim on your car insurance" in the "Fool". These are rather prosaic - there's also this paragraph:
"According to M&S Money, these were the top five reasons for car-insurance claims last December:
1. Drove into third party;
2. Hit in rear while stationary;
3. Hit animal or object;
4. Third party emerged from side road into vehicle; and
5. Third party collided with unattended vehicle." Read more
Yes - Not in this game, that's how you lose your bonus !
In the "Sliplane mimsers" thread people have said that slowing down is sometimes a better option than "flooring it". When I did my various HGV training courses in the dim distant past I was specificly taught accelerator control. ie, Dont accelerate when you can see that you will soon have to slow or stop (smooth progression). I know it is simple and logical but how often do you see people blast away from a hold up only to brake heavily at the obvious one just up the road? I was taught that accelerator control is as important as clutch control, is it taught today in either car or HGV training? Read more
The smooth and appropriate use of controls is a skill that not all can master, I knew someone who failed several HGV tests because he could not steer smoothly and eventually gave up. What is easy for some is not easy for all.he is probably driving his car around roundabouts as if they are square.
My polo diesel gearbox pack in, the code for my> gear box is DCH, I find a gearbox but code is DGH, I don't know> if it fit my current engine Read more
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Yes.