January 2009
Help me, my 2003 (52plate) passat has broken down with the same problem 3 times in 6 months each time I get told it is the tensioner?? and it costs me £300-400 to get it fixed, I can't believe it is the same thing each time. When it breaks down it comes up alternator workshop and the power steering goes completely so it is nigh impossible to steer, although the car starts perfectly. Help me please, oh by the way I am female and my mechanical knowledge is limited!! Read more
Long shot. The alternator is fitted with a spragg clutch, a one way clutch, if this has seized then it thrashes the belt and the tensioner. The clutch can be checked in situe. The tensioners are good for 100,000/150,000 but best changes with the second cam belt change as removing the front of the car just for a tensioner makes it very expensive. Regards Peter
when i apply brakes message ;check rear lights ; comes up. checked all bulbs and connecting plug. all ok. any suggestions? Read more
Have you tried cleaning the connectors in the bulb housing?
hi all. Just had car serviced but checking oil level found the oil level is about a millimeter above the max line if even that on dip stick not wanting to kick up a fuss can i get away with this especially given the cold weather should i go back and get the excess drained off as alway many thanks to any replies received much appreciated Read more
The oil would expand that much from cold, when they filled it to hot when you checked it. 1mm is not a problem. Regards Peter
Hi,
As someone who has always had an interest in Japanese eco-boxes (I have a 2004 Daihatsu Charade) and previous cars include a 1987 Starlet 12 valve, I am naturally excited about the imminent arrival of the new Alto from Suzuki.
What seems to set this apart from previous Altos is that Suzuki are actively marketing it (excellent microsite can be accessed via their website) as a cool car, and seem to have got it spot on. With CO2 of 103g, combined mpg in the mid-60s, this promises to be a credit-crunch beater. It will be interesting to see the standard spec. Not sure if Suzuki will be as generous as Hyundai is with the i10. The microsite suggests the all-important mp3 compatibility is standard (though aux input extra) but they're keeping quiet about whether a/c will be included.
It's nice to see some interesting and different colours on offer, too. There is a metallic brown which reminds me of the cars of my childhood, some nice greens and a perky sea blue. Perhaps brown is making a comeback - I always thought it looked good.
Anyway, I recommend you check out the microsite and see what you think. It's nice that Suzuki seems to have got the marketing right and is promoting it as a cool car.
It goes without saying that the i10 will be its arch-rival, and I think Suzuki will struggle to match the standard kit on the i10. However, there is something about the Alto that seems to shout fun and character, which the rather dour i10 lacks. I'm pleased the Alto has a 3-pot (going back to the roots of the late 70s/ early 80s Alto FX - remember those, with the glass hatch and '5 speed' badge?!) as 3 cylinder engines seem to have so much more zest than a 4 cylinder, though the i10's new Kappa 1.2 sounds like a great unit.
As for the new Charade due in Feb... Daihatsu seem to be doing nothing. I think they could learn something from Suzuki. I'm sure the previous Charade would have sold in much greater numbers had it been decently marketed. Perhaps given the current economic climate Daihatsu are pulling the plug on importing it... small car, small profits after all.
Rob. Read more
I don't think I'm going to live long enough for the dedicated website to load - why do all car manufacturers do this? I'm getting a blinding 472Kbps this morning as well. So maybe their marketing people aren't all that clever!
The car is a zetec diesel estate. The car was working satisfactotily when parked overnight. The following morning the car would not start and showed no response when the engine was turning over (the battery is in good order).
We have had a couple of small garages trying to start the car and they have spent many hours testing and adjustments. They have even tried new injectors to no effect.
Have you any advise as to what the problem might be?
Also is there any way that a layman, with many years of experience of earlier petrol engines, can:
1) Test that the injectors are passing fuel, and
2) Check the compression of the cylinders.
I have a pressure test gauge which I have used on petrol engines through the spark plugs.
Regars
ronniethomas Read more
I assume they have tried to start the car with quick start with out effect. A Noid Light fitted to an injector will indicate the injector is being told to fire. If the Immobiliser has failed or the crank/cam position sensor has failed then the Injectors will not fire. The other thing to check is a jump start as this does not use the started and something in the system may have failed and is picking up the starter motor current spikes and fooling the ECU. Of course this could be an ECU failure. Wiithout knowing what the gargages have done then it is difficult to check. Did they come to you or did they take the car away. What diagnostic kit did they have with them. Regards Peter
i have had an absolute nightmare, i'm away on a course in london and my camelt has come off, the recovery man tells me my engine is destroyed. i had a new cambelt put in 6 months ago and since then the same garage has removed my water pump for various cooling problems last time was at the end of november november. the recovery man said that the tensioner was not adjusted properly that is why it came off so the garage is liable for the damages. my question is, should the garage be held responsable for it and replace the engine? at the time when it happened i had just got off the motorway filled the tank at the petrol station and pull out. i'm so thankful it didnt happen 20mins earlier when i was on the motorway, cause the steering went stiff and couldnt turn the wheel. if i had been on the motorway i could have caused a massive accident, my lucky day as well as unlucky. below are the recent activities
july: mot, service cambelt change
september: new thermosat, new rad and drive belts (w.pump removed and checked)
november: new water pump
thank you for taking the time to read this
shouting in subject line changed Read more
hi again
my dad checked the reciepts and i didnt have a new tensioner put on at the same time as the cambelt nor did they recomend one, the cambelt was changed at 110377miles. the waterpump was put in at 116067, they did ask me if i wanted to have my cambelt changed but when i told them it was done on the last service they said that was fine. the car now reads 117218miles
i looked inside the cambelt casing, i can't see any damage to the tensioner it seems to be attached, however the cambelt was half on and half of the top gear sort of on the rim of it and still looked very slack.
my dad is going in there first thing tomorrow to have word with the manager and tell him whats going on as i think he'll explain it better, its going to be towed back friday to them. i will let you know what they say
thanks for all your advice and comments
So at 3pm today I looked out my office in Glasgow and saw some sleet falling. By 5pm there was definitely some sitting on the cars. By time I left at 5.45 it had all stopped and the wipers removed what was on my windscreen with one wipe.
And then I had to put the radio on..........
There have been snow showers in Glasgow and it is now forecast that this may turn to ice over the course of the evening so the advice is..... only make your journey if its essential....... AArrgghhh! Unfortunately I never caught the bit that said WHO was giving that advice!!
Why oh why is this same line trotted out time and time again!!! And then if we ever do have 4 feet snow drifts no one will believe them!!
For goodness sake, it was a bit of sleet!!! Read more
The essential journeys only warning is to try to keep those who cannot cope with wintry conditions off the road. This includes rear-wheel drive cars with fat, summer tyres, no need to mention names.
I use fleet vehicles and I have to pay for my own fuel, am I entitled to a fuel card? Read more
Insufficient information to formulate a meaningful reply.
My SLK is fitted with a standard MB Radio & CD player. In stead of leaving original CD's to float around the car thought I would burn some copies but no matter what application I use they wont play(Windows Media Player, ITunes, Real Player) I burn from a PC . They will play however on home systems and in a new Audi. Any suggestions ? Read more
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Interesting post Smokie. A friend of mine had a last of the line Scirocco 'Scala' of that era in Helios Blue metallic. In places, the lacquer was peeling and bubbling off the base coat - looked very odd.
Lots of new (presume imported) cars are stored at Avonmouth docks near Bristol - these are clearly visible from the M5.