January 2009
Hi,
I've been having trouble starting my Peugeot for a while now and I have all of the indications of glow-plug failure (rough running until warmed up a little etc). One specific glow-plug has been failing consistently on being changed (1 month or so) and has been giving the above indications.
On replacing the glow-plug I've noticed that the cylinder that it serves is very sooty and this soot, coating the plug, is what I suspect is stopping my glow-plug from functioning after around a month of use. I'm not sure what could be causing my glow-plug to fail so regularly but if the sooty cylinder is the culprit I have no idea as to what to do to rectify it.
Any ideas would be gratefully received. Read more
Gents,
Anyone got any info on running costs per mile of
Audi A4 automatic 140bhp v Audi A3 manual 140bhp.
Really like the A4 but need too see if the auto will kill my mileage allowance of 11p for either
Any help appreciated Read more
Considering the A3 has a 55 litre tank and the A4 a 70 litre I'd be interested to know how you worked the 100 mile figure out.
A4 auto fuel figures - 36.2 60.1 48.7
A3 manual - 40.4 62.8 52.3
hello again any help would be greatfull. got a problem with a corolla with a 1,3 8 valve engine (might be 1.4) it keeps blowing the 15 amp fuse for the efi system. not straight away but it doesnt last long. has anyone come across this problem before if so wat could it be.
cheers for reading
andy Read more
8v, 16v, whatever. My money is on a chafed wire in the loom somewhere occasionally shorting to earth. With the engine running gently pull and push on the wiring loom under the bonnet particularly where the wires are unsupported or enter the vehicle and are subject to movement when the engine rocks..
Got my renewal through at £265. Not too bad. However, did the online thing and got the same company quoting £223 for exactly the same cover. Phoned them up, confirmed all the details and just before payment told them I wouldn't be taking up their posted renewal offer. Quite an argument when they told me I had to go through 'certain procedures' and they tried to refuse selling me cover at £223. held my ground, told them they may have to go through certain procedures, but that I was not compelled to do so! They have sold me the policy, but I await a letter telling me otherwise. Anyone got any knowledge of my position if they try to cancel?? I guess they have no compulsion to sell at any price, but they have now apparently taken payment. Read more
But all should know that not all appear on comparison websites.
Alternator replaced today. Idle is 600/700 rpm. However, when pulling up at junctions and pushing clutch in the revs drop very quickly and car cuts out or revs drop to 100 rpm and then return to normal.
The car was left with the battery disconected for 5 days while waiting for part to arrive (problem with Courier) and was driven by the wife for about 10 miles after the original alternator failed so battery would have been drained a bit.
Any idea why the idle has gone wrong?
The car starts up normally turning over quickly. I have just given it a 15 mile run but revs still drop when pulling to a halt.
Would leaving the battery disconected affected the ECU?
Read more
The Sony 6006 unit in my ST Mondeo makes a continuous low level random sizzling noise even when the volume is zero regardless of source. It doesn't come up with the volume but is loud enough to be heard if listening to quiet stuff when parked up/engine-off. It seems to be internal interference because it changes according to the digital display.
Maybe a little petty I know, but disapointing for a so-called 'premium sound system'.
Is this 'normal' for this unit and do other owners find that, although CD sound is reasonable, the FM is decidedly muddy?
Thanks in advance. Read more
I had a Mondeo III Ghia with the Sony 6006 unit - never happened to me. Go to a dealer under warranty?
I hope the useful 3.5" aux line in jack is still in these at the back of the glovebox.
Just a few lines concerning a recent fault on the "B" car, this fault can affect any vehicle fitted with the L series turbo diesel engine.
The L series is fitted with a vacuum pump on the end of the alternator to provide vacuum servo to the master cylinder. Lubrication comes via a steel pipe from the top front of the engine block directly into the top of the pump. The return comes out of the bottom of the hose, first as a steel pipe, then the return from the pump as a moulded plastic hose to the sump. The steel and plastic sides are connected by a 3" length of 10mm inside bore neoprene hose held together with those nasty circular pipe spring clips. A phos bronze insert is fitted to the plastic tube to stop the spring clip collapsing the bore, the plastic hose slides over the insert right up to the rounded pipe end, the neoprene connector pushes over and the clip added to hold it all together. The whole connection sits directly below the alternator.
Using a torch, check to see if the spring clips have been correctly fitted, either at factory level or subsequent repairs. In my case one of the clips was not in the correct place and over the course of 9 years the plastic hose "breathed off" and out of the neoprene tube connector ( the plastic hose should be approx 1" inside the neoprene connecting hose) with the result that during the recent cold weather the hose finally popped out and the return oil escaped into the acoustic pan below, rapidly draining the sump at a rate of 1 litre per 15 minutes operation.
The connector can be inspected with a torch by looking in from the drivers side of the car, the connector sits directly below the alternator but above the air con pump. To fix you will need to remove the engine cover, disconnect a sensor plug and earth connection, move the wiring loom out of the way, swinging the alternator on its lower holding bolts towards the front of the car. I removed the spring clips and fitted equal grip jubilee clips for reliability. Overall a pain of a job that cost me £3 to fix vice the price of an arm and leg garage fix or a new engine/ scrapping eventuality if you run out of lube oil. If you need to remove the vacuum pump (as I did due to the poor fitting of the clip) you will need to drop the aux belt and swing the washer bottle filler hose out of the way. I recommend that you also renew the connector clips for the vacuum servo pipe with jubilee clips for piece of mind. Read more
I believe that the L series lump was also used in other non Rover vehicles like the 2 litre Discovery? There are a lot of them out there in the real world.
The engine is generally reliable as such, by todays diesel standards the design is not that refined but for a mid 90s engine it was good for its time. Reasonably easy to maintain although some items on the engine appear to have been shoehorned in as an afterthought. I would be hard pressed to find a suitable modern day replacement car to the same versitility and standard as the 25 diesel.
My 1.4 leon 02 has just started to judder with the engine warning light staying on....can someone give me any advise on what this could be...thanks Read more
Maybe try changing the plugs, they don't usually last 55000 miles.
I would try (if you can);
Read codes
Check plugs, replace as necessary
Check HT leads for cracks
A garage will do this for a reasonable fee if getting hands mucky is not your thing
I too have noticed that cars at the bottom end of the market seem to be quite expensive. Rubbish on eBay is making good money. This is pushing up the prices of what would be a sensible bangernomic motor. Quality however isn't making any money at all so the price for a good car is not that much more than the price for something well past its best.
www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/item.htm?id=5604
So the rules have changed. Shoudl the canny buyer be looking at a massively depreciated 3-5 year old car rather than a completely depreciated 8-10 year old, with a view to hoping it lasts him several years?
Read more
As I've said before, I have a friend who buys £400-£500 diesels and runs them into the ground. The only maintenance they get is barebones essentials to keep them roadworthy and MOT-able until they die or they're not worth spending the money on any more. He got about 2 yrs out of his last £500 Astra (mk3 1.7D), at about 50 mpg, and apart from Tax and MOT, spent £57 on it (new battery). He sold it on Ebay for £100.
I haven't ever known anyone do motoring cheaper.
If that Lexus passes its MOT without too much expense it could be an absolute bargain. If it doesn't though, it could be a complete waste of £500. For the cost and hassle of an MOT test weighed against the appeal that a fresh ticket would have for a potential buyer, you have to wonder why they haven't bothered.
I am currently having problems with the fuel feed on my vehicle. After the vehicle has been stood overnight, and occasionally for shorter periods, I am having to prime the fuel system to start the vehicle. It appears that the fuel is draining back into the fuel tank. Has anybody got any idea what might be causing this, and how do I rectify the problem? Read more
bigtee
Wehad already tried this, but to no avail. We finally sorted the problem by fitting new injector leak off pipes, which were leaking where they joined the injectors thus letting air into the system.
Thanks for your help anyway
mainstlad
Browse
Hi Andy,
Difficult to say really, some people swear by it and others don't. Some say it shouldn't be used too often because it can cause wear to the injector tips - I don't know if that's really the case. I suppose that if it was just deposits in the injector it could work but if the tip is worn it won't.
I guess it's a good, simple and cheap idea to try first before paying out for a proper service on the injectors. Give it a while and see.
Steve.