December 2008
Bought a dash mount CD changer off ebay for my Passat. On arrival it seems like something has broken loose inside and is rattling around. I realise it's pretty unlikely that this is supposed to happen, but I can't really ask for a refund without testing it.
I'm a bit concerned about plugging it into the car though, since the part sounds a) fairly big and b) metallic so I don't want to take the chance of zapping the radio though an inadvertent short circuit.
Please can someone confirm that these don't make an alarming rattling noise when turned upside down so I can get on with trying to get a refund? [Something I'm not looking forward too since I paid £15 for the postage and want that back too].
Cheers,
David. Read more
Symptoms:
For a month or so my 1995 Nissan Primera 2000cc (model P1) heater has been very slow to warm up even though the engine temperature reaches normal in the usual time. It's winter and so this was a pain but still the car got me the six miles to work and back so what the heck... Also, the engine revs at idle have remained high (1500) for longer than usual. I put this down to the cold spell and the automatic choke remaining on for longer.
On my way home last night, however, the temperature gauge didn't move at all for three miles, then rose to just below the red, and eventually into the red. At the same time, I noticed a loss of power steering and that the engine was reaching revs of 2500.
I got home safe and checked the exhaust. No steam was evident at the exhaust pipe and when I lifted the bonnet (hood) the cylinder head looked ok. The expansion bottle was boiling, though there appeared to be no loss of water from the system.
I turned the engine over and it started straightaway. The engine revs were at a constant alarming 3000.
Any ideas fellahs? Read more
Ok Its a bit of a fudge to keep it motoring but
I am deeply saddened by the death of Oliver Postgate, creator of the wonderful tales of Noggin the Nog ( and my lifestyle hero nogbad the bad ), and of course Ivor the Engine.
I was lucky to have (now lost) some cassettes of:
In the lands of the North, where the Black Rocks stand guard against the cold sea, in the dark night that is very long the Men of the Northlands sit by their great log fires and they tell a tale..
Kept me, the wife and youngish son amused on long journeys.
Read more
Often see "Garfield" mogs spread-eagled on various rear windows, and often "real" Moggys spread-eagled on Radiator Grills!
Billy
Hi,
My first post and it's asking for help....
when I start my 53 reg car from cold there is a strnage noise like running water coming from the bulkhead... We've took it to a garage, straight away I might add, and they've found the water pumps knackered, could the watery noise be caused by the failing water pump or could this be something more serious.
Basically the water pump leaked all over there floor last night (at the garage), until that point I've had no problems... I think the recent cold weather may just have got to the water pump :(
Additionally, you can't hear the watery noise coming fromt he engine, and my engine hasn't had the oppurtunity to overheat yet, but last time this happened to me was in a VW Passat and the head gasket had gone...
Any ideas to put my mind at ease...
{changed header as '53' is the registration mark, not 'Year of manufacture' which is what the box asked for} Read more
Thanks for letting us know the outcome.
This may help a future Focus enquiry
I am writing this message here as I am a big enthusiast of the new Honda Accord.
I am not in a position to buy another car for some time because of the horrible credit crunch.
The new Accord looks lovely in black. Print in "Honda Accord Europe wikimedia commons" in to the Google search. Then click on the heading "Image Honda Accord 2.0 Executive Heck. JPG- Wikimedia Commons". It looks lovely in shiny black!!!!
I take a genuine interest in cars; but I feel the new Honda Accord deserves much more fuss.
Does it have traction control I wonder in the Executive model? That was important to me when driving on the ice the other day. I also like front wheel drive. I was interested in the new Citroen C5 for my next car, but the Honda Accord is much better. I am genuine about this message, as my present car is excellent, but it is old and has very big milleage.The garrage warned me that I may have problems in 6 weeks or 6 months.Something connected to the gearbox is getting warn. Read more
Hi Focusdriver. Thanks for telling me that. I am relieved about the Accord having traction control. The other day I needed everything I had and traction control in my 1999 Seat Toledo came in very handy on icy non gritted country roads. Also I could feel everything through responsive steering. Very important. Goodness I know the people in the UK had it terribly in Scotland and northern England etc etc!!!! Those people need more than winter tyres!! I have respect. Beautiful scenery though!
7am, this morning..
tinyurl.com/6ebstv
There is a sharp bend behind me, as I took this shot, with tyre marks right across the pavement just missing a garden wall. Can you see the frost and ice...
Anyway, this is a test of my new Ubuntu set-up on the laptop - using Fireftp (thanks to Baskeville) and a new Samsung G600 mobile phone for the photo.
1) Comment on the topic header and first paragraph?
2) Do you like photo posts - is it worth it?
3) What do you think of the linux + phone for these pictorial enhancements to my posts - OK?
4) Caption?
Regards to all
oilrag Read more
;)
I`m deleting the pic shortly, to make room for others.
Just spotted this
englishrussia.com/images/new_2107/2.jpg
englishrussia.com/images/new_2107/3.jpg
I actually think it is pretty impressive, it is clearly the same FIAT 124 bodyshell but with the 1980 Lada Riva panals and new light clusters. I think it looks rather smart. I am amazed it still has the old truck style steering wheel so it looks like there is still no rack and pinion :(.
Now us westerners will probably think so what, but the Lada 2107 in many ways is the worlds best selling car, some reports suggest they have sold more than the VW Beatle and the last version was sold unupdated from 1980 to 2008 with only some minor modifications such as fuel injection for western imports.
My dad had a 1987 one and in many ways it was a good car, paid £850 for it at four years old, and it lasted another 6.
In a world when every new car including Kias is perfect, it is refreshing to know that there is still some truly awful cars being made outside of America! Read more
A very good mate of mine has just spent a few years in the town of Samara, where he played for the local football club Krylya Sovetov. ("Soviet Wings").
Guess what the players got as 'company cars'? :)
(Here he drives an X5)
Just had a couple of days in Paris and a few motoring things were noted: -
1. Bearing in mind the Pound/Euro exchange rate, so everything in Paris is crazy expensive, the price of petrol is higher than the UK, by several pence per litre. Diesel is a little cheaper.
2. Taxi drivers (we used three or four) were all polite, with clean cars and all generally listening to a nice mixed Jazz/Classical station, apart from the night Paris St Germain were playing Le Mans (PSG won). All drove sensibly.
3. Around Paris I saw very few prestige cars. Sure a few Merc taxis/limos and one 5-series taxi but otherwise the usual Euromix of small/medium hatches with loads of Smarts, Fiat 500s, Merc A-classes and MINIs. No BMW 1-series (is this a UK only model? - joke). Clearly a large car is a liability in Paris, so why are they so popular in the UK's cities.
4. No Subarus (of any description) were seen - they don't know what they're missing....... Read more
Last week we spent five days in Montreuil (between Boulogne and Le Touquet.) Didn't do a lot of driving but noticed for the first time quite a few Dacia Logan MCVs - bit like a Roomster minus the stylish good looks!
Tried out a tank and a half of Total Excellium diesel in the Legacy (?1.18/litre) but as expected no noticeable difference. I used to fill up before leaving France to save a few bob on a tank fill but no point now with the exchange rate and normal derv at ?1.06/litre.
My Citroen Saxo VTR starts immediately and drive well for some miles - 4/5 - then suddenly the engines dies as if the ignition had been turned off. After a few minutes it can sometimes be restarted and performs as well as ever. I've had AA assistance but they could not diagnose thye problem suggesting it was fuel linked. My garage have checked every circuit etc. using their diagnostic computer and failed to find a fault. The ECU has been checked and found OX. All manner of suggestions have been proposed but their attitude seem to be ' lets replace this' (ie throttle housing' or crankcase sender), and then see if this will solve the problem.
Can anyone diagnose the problem without having to stumble along a trial and error approach?
Ken Read more
Do warning lights come on? what happens to the instrument panel/guages?
Hello,
If the car is in idle and not moving and I depress the clutch, the rpm will rise for about 500. When I release -- they will drop. I found the clutch sensor, though when testing it the rpm doesn't change at all. So does this all relate to a faulty clutch sensor or not?
Thanks! Read more
OK... so when is it faulty then? How do you know when that is the case?
Browse
Ok. Here's an update on my repair.
When I checked the broken belt, it appeared to have snapped rather than worn out. Also, the belt seems very strong, reinforced with wire, and it wouldn't surprise me if one of these belts lasted the life of the car.
I sought advice from an established Nissan dealer and was told to check the water pump.
Good advice, indeed. The pump was seized and not turning. This would explain a few of the symptoms that I had experienced before the catastrophic failure of the belt (see earlier posts) as the impeller had probably been sticking and lethargic.
I will now source the pump and get back to you later.