January 2009
Hi,
A couple of weeks before Xmas i was on the M25 when i suddenly lost power, had my foot on the gas but the car just slowed and started lurching forward, managed to limp into a Services Car Park and call the AA. When the AA turned up i mentioned that my central locking had been unlocking itslef while i was driving and also the day before my radio had just turned itself off and wouldn't come back on for about 10mins, he put a jumplead on and the car started first time, he said i had a 'bad earth' and that it wouldn't be expensive to have it repaired.
Got in touch with a mechanic who was a 'friend of a friend', he fitted a new earth cable for me for £90(cable was £30), drove the car home on saturday night and the central locking still unlocked itself, drove the car on Sunday morning and once again lost power, kept my foot on the gas and it kicked back in after about 5secs of lurching.
As the problem hasn't been fixed by fitting a new earth cable, i was wondering if anyone else had heard of this problem or has any thoughts on what it might be?
Cheers guys.
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Hi,
I've been to Tyre fitting centres who make an effort to fit all of the wheel centre caps so they are all 'pointing' the same way (eg, text is right way round to be read).
And I notice used cars in a dealers lot all have the centre caps pointing the same way.
But when a car goes round a corner, dont the wheels turn at different rates? so wont the centre caps point in different directions following a bend?
Or do the caps allow the wheels to turn around them (ie the caps dont turn with the wheel) and so do stay pointing the same way?
Thanks for any info.
Durelli Read more
I have said this before but in many dealerships there are little "Hitlers" in the form of sales managers who go out their way to get things done with car displays just because they can and as a sign of power over the sales team. I would not be surprised if they were asked to jack up cars to turn the wheels.
This would be added to their other habits like lining up cars perfectly equidistant ( I have witnessed one sales manager with a length of string making sure they were), the old favourite one wheel up on a ramp (always convinced me to buy the car as a result), the row of boots open etc etc.
GordonBennett must see a whole load of these displays in his travels, maybe even more so now that the sales folk have got nothing else to occupy their time!
Hi. how do you release the bottom ball joint without destroying it? it is rivetted to the lower arm; there is no room to put on a small seperator due to the drive shaft; I am nervous about driving in a wedge as there is a good chance of wrecking the rubber leading to new lower arm etc. any tips would be gratefully received. The track rod ends don't fit my seperator either. i am about to buy a small gear puller which would fit but again experience is great so a pointer to what works would be great. Read more
No, sorry PU!
An interesting site though - sells things I had happily forgotten all about;
www.southwalesprops.com/carded.htm#BY-PASS%20HOSE%...T
That's definitely one to remind people of when they get all nostalgic about old cars!
Hi Guys, hoping someone can help.
I have a 2000 Nissan Primera P11E 2.0TD which is binding the rear disc brakes. Initially it was only the near-side but has since overheated the offside also. Pads were changed about a year ago and were refitted with shims and copper grease etc. Pads are definetely not tight and the handbrake was loosened off. Is it the calipers that are at fault and how likely is it that both would fail within weeks of each other?
I'm at a loss and any advice greatly appreciated.
Steve. Read more
Hello chaps, haven't looked back since I replaced both rear calipers. No problem with binding issues at all now, as you would expect.
I bought reconditioned calipers from a local motor factors for approximately 75pounds each and chucked a complete set of Ferodo pads on the front and back for good measure.
Jobs a good'un.
I've had this car for about 1.5yrs now and for a long time there's been a leak just above the clutch pedal. I've taken the car to many a mechanic but no-one can find the source of the leak. The water appears to flow more rapidly when I depress the clutch pedal and it's reached the point where the floor is saturated. I just worry the floor will rot.
Was wondering if anyone has had this problem or if anyone would know where the leak originates??
Also,
The orange light on the instrument panel (the one that goes out before you start??) has started flashing intermittently and (as I know nothing about cars) I don't know what this means. Any help is appreciated!!
I am due to take the car to a Mazda centre tomorrow for a 'health check' so maybe this will find some answers. Thanks. Read more
i read with interest, or maybe it's fear, all the FAP issues relating to 307's.
no warning lights yet for me... 6 weeks after purchasing a 307 1.6 (110) HDI 54... and long may it stay so .... :-)
but... i have noticed the regular fan run-on when switching off the engine.
From what been said in various threads this is probaly linked to FAP regen cooling.
Firstly could anyone confirm the 'HZC' in my VIN sentences me to this potential 'minefield' of expensive problems?
secondly the fan (general coolant type, i presume?) seems to be on and off, on a regular basis, both with the engine on and off, long and short trips. Is that normal... what sort of frequency would you expect for FAP regeneration? It doesn't seem to corespond to any particular temp on the guage (that never reaches above 80... so far).
my 307 was serviced by a Pug main dealer at 52k (no details), before i purchased it from a local independant (low knowledge/interest) dealer @ 61k (now @ 62.5k). fuel ecomony is currently avg 55mpg for a variety of use, according to the computer.
unless i get any warnings, it sounds like it will need a new/recon filter @ £72k and re-fill?
... am i reading that correctly... or is the fan issue likely to be another unofficial warning ref that 'wonderful' main dealer profit generating FAP system?
very grateful for any advice Read more
Hello,
Just to clarify that the DPF on the 1.6HDi is directly at the front of the engine and not under the car as it is on both the 2.0l models.
Monday night 8.00pm ITV1, Quentin Willson is hosting a "special" about car prices during the recession. Confusingly its called "Deals on Wheels" Read more
Likewise. I've built up to where I am as regards cars. Factoring in affordable depreciation to what I can then afford to pay the next time I upgrade. An 11 grand loan would not be on my radar. I wonder if that included interest payments because if it didn't the purchase would have been madness? But it was his choice.
I was wondering if anyone could help me - would the anti-roll bar bushes have an affect on the steering / handling?
I've had mine replaced but had been saying to the dealership not long after I got the car that the steering did not feel right and I had a rattling noise at the front of the car. If anyone could help then I would be grateful.
year updated on the basis that they probably didn't import Toyotas in 1954 :-) Read more
I've been driving my IS200 for yonks now and absolutely love it but, with another child on the way, it's going to be too small for the five of us. With a budget of only 10K I'm having real difficulty finding something rear wheel drive that's under 2 litres with decent driving dynamics & the total reliability of the Lexus. (We've owned an e46, e39 & e34 (and test driven the current 5 series) but the missus couldn't get a comfortable driving position in any of them so that rules out BMW Tourings. The Is200 estate isn't much bigger than the saloon - so that's out too). I don't want to give up having fun driving just yet so MPV's are out and I can't justify a second car given we do less that five thousand miles a year. Any suggestions? Read more
There have been a few threads on here about fitting child seats and a Forum Search is well worth while. Depending on the size/type of seat, a lot of cars cannot accomodate three of them. Maybe why cars like the Mondeo are getting a lot wider?
Search to the right: www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/search.htm
Instead of the stupid system that we currently have where most cars are overpriced and a discount has to be negotiated.
When I buy my daily newspaper I don't say to the newsagent "I'll give you 70p" when it's clearly priced at 90p. Read more
"Somebody once wanted to buy 15 ipods for a 10% discount I said no. He looked puzzeled, an hour later I had sold more than 15 ipods at full price."
I forgot to add: if you can sell 15 ipods in one transaction, then this is much more efficient for Curries than 15 seperate transactions by the time that your wages etc are taken into account. If I was your boss, I would have given you a good clip around the ear!
Browse
Something else i forgot to mention, when the mechanic fixed the new earth cable he said the old one snapped when he removed it and i also had a broken earth bolt, which he fixed.