December 2008
Can anyone tell me where the washer pump fuse is on a '98 Mondeo.
Manual and Haynes are no help at all but surely there is a fuse?
{no need to repeat make/model & year/engine details in the subject header as the drop down menu selection takes care of that! Please read the sticky post up above} Read more
I'm trying to make a decision when buying my next car, if Xenons are actually better than new bright halogen bulbs? New cars these days seem to have better lights.
Does the age of car matter i.e. do Xenons fade over time?
Do bright halogens bulbs light the road better than xenons? 'Yellow' as opposed to 'Blue' light?
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Yes, although my xenons are are aligned perfectly (and the self-levelling working fine) I do find a few oncoming drivers will still flash me because they think my lights are too bright. Not a lot I can do about that.
I can't hope noticing that nearly every thread in technical is about Fords.
Now nearly al my mates have Fords and have never really had any problems with them, my family for the past 8 years have also bought quite a few Fords and generaly have loved them.
My ancient MK4 Firsta feels as good to drive as my old learner MK3 Clio did until the clutch went.
So why are there so many Ford faults? Is it because they are so common faults tend to indexed in Google and people reply to them? Or is it that Fords are actually unreliable? My only personal gripe against Ford is rust proofing. Read more
>>I thought Rover parts were still easy to get hold off as the business which makes parts is was not MG Rover?>>
Just one of many links, apart from X-Part:
tinyurl.com/5fcpjj
A discussion on ?climate change? that was just threatening to get past the usual knee jerk drivel has sadly been canned by the moderators. Although I can?t personally think of a subject more critical to the future survival, or that will have greater influence on the future form of motoring, that?s fair enough.
As a discussion point that will hopefully be seen as more appropriate to this forum, I would like to pose the following question.
Supposing, ignoring your actual views, that we really do need to reduce carbon emissions / fossil fuel use in order for the present society we live in to continue to be recognisable, how do we begin to reconcile that with the convenience, freedom and mobility that most of us take for granted? I?d really like to avoid the boring ?it?s real? ?no it?s not? arguments, as opinions are entrenched. Rather, my question is: what could we do to maintain our current standards of living?
As a start, it seems to me that the very model of car ownership may have to change. An electric car, if coupled with sustainable electricity generation, is a highly practical form of urban transport in less dense settings (I can?t imagine that everyone driving in London is ever going to work). I will grant you that most electric cars to date have been hideous or ludicrously expensive, but for many short journeys they could be highly practical.
Will we have to move to a model where people may own an electric car for short journeys, but use pool cars or some form of shared resource to move greater distances? Or will the model become similar to that using bicycles in Paris, for example, where efficient and clean public transport takes the long distance strain, and shared resources complete the last mile.
I?m genuinely interested in this, at least in part because at the moment I fly about once a month and drive 27k a year as a part of my job. I don?t think that?s sustainable, if only because fossil fuels will run out. What potential solutions can people think of?
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New Zealand's previous Labour Government [ we turfed them out a month ago ] had a dream-sheet that they were pushing to have 80% of our cars electrically driven within 10 years. They also, by legislation, banned any further new fossil-fuelled power generation for 10 years. The electric cars were to be recharged overnight by "renewable" generation. It appears that they have been either badly advised, or have just gone into dreamland, although I guess we have to give then credit for trying.
We have heavy-handed legislation covering management of resources, which makes wind power the only viable alternative. I have done the relatively simple calculation based upon the Citroen Berlingo Electrique, assuming that we can persuade the Mums on the school run to reduce from their SUV's. My enquiries to the Minister of Energy as to where he intends to install 10,625 windmills has not been answered. This assumes that each CBE is recharged only once per 24 hours, giving a limit of 45 miles.
Climate has changed, is changing, and will always in future change [ although NASA-GISS has been caught out too often for me to really trust their numbers]. However, I am on the side of those who search for alternative energy sources. I agree that oil must eventually run out, and that before then, prices will be astronomical, but I just wish that those brandishing the magic solution would provide us with a properly thought-through methodology as well, preferrably one which does not require the repeal of the Laws of Thermodynamics.
One thing that I have never been able to discover with all these wondrous schemes is the actual "well-to-wheel" energy cost. In our desperation to go "green", are we in truth actually spitting more polution into the atmosphere taken overall? e.g. carbon fibre reduces weight, and therefore fuel consumption, but how long does it take to pay back the energy & pollution cost of processing the oil into resin, and the carbon into fibres, plus the heat and energy of vacuum-packing to get things bonded together, as compared to a steel bodyshell ? I have read recently that the modern solar cell takes 10 years to "pay back" its manufacturing energy and pollution.
Motoring in 2050 ? My guess is that long-distance driving will become untenable for the private individual. Either Governments will forcibly limit travel, or will provide long-haul public transport [ probably high-speed electric trains ] with local travel either by hoof, bicycle, or small ,probably electric, cars and buses.
A really hope not.
It has been the norm around my area, when having the front patch landscaped, to have flush light units installed at knee height, in the pillars at the entrance to ones abode, even if it is a traditional semi.
Now we have a set of pillars in our road with BLUE lights.
Am I missing the latest trendy thing?
Do they have a special significance to a sub set of society?
IMO they are absolutely ***** and I hope they are not destined for your area.
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Henry, would you prefer them to use RED lights?
No previous problems but today I stalled while reversing.
The touch screen audio unit produced some white flashing lines (like an old broken TV) and since then the reversing sensor warning noise stays on continuously.
The audio unit works perfectly so I think that was just a coincidence.
Selecting reverse produces the usual 1 beep which is then followed by a deeper continuous beep and the actual sensors don't work any more.
I found a thread from earlier this year which resulted in the poster removing all sensor connections and re-connecting them which fixed it.
Anyone come across any other fixes?
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OK, it's been on the diagnostics machine and they can't find any errors.
It needs to be stripped down and inspected but surely if there was a problem with a sensor it would have shown up on the diagnostics??
£30 to put the diags machine on to be told they can't find a problem!!!!
My saxo power steering, heater and rear windscreen do not work. I have checked all the fuses and they are all ok. I took it to a garage and was told when you turn the ignition key on it is not sending the correct signal to operate these which is why they are not working and wanted £200 to fix it. Can anyone give me any advice as to what part would be needed. Read more
Cheers Robin Reliant, the last time it was the fuse that went and I've changed that again. Feel like scrapping the thing.
I'm considering a previous generation merc 320cdi. Does anyone know if it has a heater that ensures you get warm air out of the vents in the winter before the engine heats up? I know diesel engines can take an age to warm up and not all cars have an auxilliary heater.
Many thanks,
Duncan Read more
The auxiliary heater was an option on the W203 320CDI. I would be very surprised if you could find one thus equipped. W203s with upgraded A/C have a 'rest' setting which allows residual heat from the engine to keep the cabin warm for 30 mins or so, but this doesn't work before initial start up in the morning. I find heated seats do a pretty good job of warming you up before heat comes from the engine. The demist setting also diverts heat on these cars from the engine to get some warmth into the cabin before the engine warms up.
I have never found the need for a cabin pre-heater, personally, but then I do live in the south-east :-)
I know that many Back Roomers are of the opinion that new tyres give the best grip and insist on replacing them every month :) So the news that a tyre gives 20% shorter stopping distance in the wet after 20,000 miles wear may require some of you to be seated :)
The tyre in question is from GoodYear:
www.mygoodyear.co.uk/pressReleases/optiGrip/
If anyone can find the full TUV report, please post a link. All I could get in search results was news items.
I was a bit concerned about this "maintain wet grip and aquaplaning performance at a high level" - aquaplaning performance? Err, sorry I dont want any aquaplaning and certainly not 'performance' aquaplaning :) Read more
The Goodyear (iirc and it's not another brand) reveals new bits of tread as it gets older, according to their promotional blurb.
My mas 1.9 diesel (non turbo) 206 has started playing up runs fine for days/weeks then some times refuses to start or will start playing up while driving (lumpy / missing)
Ive checked the usual problems when it fails to start - ie removing the fuel line at the filter and priming to check the fuel isnt running back to the tank causing an air lock but it seemed fine. serviced it after this and it run fine for 3 days but now its back.
I left it running in the drive the other day and after 10 mins the idle changed slight surging then come ok then i heard the (diesel knock) as if it had advanced the timing then everything back to normal for a min then it just stopped.
Any ideas?? i was thinking on changing the fuel pump in the tank first
slt Read more
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That's fantastic, thanks. Rear Wiper works fine so looks like I'm attacking the washer pump.
I really appreciate this.