February 2009
Guys/gals. is it possible/feasible to swap out my existing DCI ECU for the larger ECU from the Traffic range? I carry goods almost to the allowed weight limit and the van is poor in performance and economy. Any help would be much appreciated. Thx
I have posted prior to this in relation to poor performance below 2200rpm, alas I had no replies. Was told it could be the EGR valve and Ive had it looked at. It appears to be carbon-free and working ok Read more
Well yesterday My son and I had our combined christmas pressie. 1/2 day land rover experience at The Land Rover Experience - Chilterns
www.landroverdriving.co.uk/
The weather was absolutly superb and perfect for an event like this. The snow, water and slush and mud, and perfect blue skies made it so much better.
We were given a briefing and run down on how lazy diffs are, how to use diff locks to counteract this, hill descent, stability control, traction control etc.
Then we got outside to be given a brand new Disco3 TDV6 HSE. This came in hideous orange but was fully kitted out, as it was one of the team cars produced for the now cancelled 2009 landrover g4 challenge.
We were given 30 minutes of a tution drive by the instructor, then with him as passenger we were then let loose to drive this thing round the off road course, which we did for about 90 minutes each. Over the log piles, up the big hump, into the stream (now a river) everywhere. It was fabulous fun.
The car. Well what can one say. this is the car clarkson drove up the mountain in scotland. you can see how it did it. It has full automatic traction control (using abs to brake individual spinning wheels with no grip) fully automatic front, centre and rear diff locks, fully automatic hill descent, auto gearbox (locked in low range). This all comes with a vdu display of the drive train showing which wheels are driving, braking or free wheeling, which diffs are locking or unlocking, even which way the fron wheels are pointing. (this can be seen in the photos)
One slight sadness tho. With everything automatic, in your heated leather seat, with climate control its all a bit too simple, all too remote.
pictures here
s606.photobucket.com/albums/tt148/know_wun/
Read more
Got invited to a Range Rover experience but I asked if I could go out in a Defender.Excellent,a group of other people all went out in one Range Rover while I and an instructor had a Defender to ourselves.
Hi, I've been driving my saxo for about 2-3 months never had any problems, today i arrived at work and the key wouldnt turn or come out, i took it to the local garage and they said they dont deal with this sort of job but give me a number of a guy that deals with locks/igntions, he is away on holiday so not much luck atm, i called the AA, stalled the car as i waited and he couldnt get it out either so he started it back up from the bonnet, thats when i went to the garage and they told me to try contact the guy above and told me to take it home, stall it and disconnect the wires under the sterring wheel so the batterys dont drain, the key is stuck in position 2 or whichiver , as the battery was still on.
ive been told because its not in position 1 it is going to be hard to get it out, can anyone explain alittle further how and why it is harder and if theres anything i can resort to get it in position one or any ideas at all?
also is there any systems that could of locked it? like it thought the car was getting stolen? apparantly the auto door locking as been quite annoying in the past locking whenever it feels like, or whenever you hit a kirb or a pot hole or speed or something? i was in traffic so i definatly didnt speed or anything but i travel over alot of speed bumps each day, it also has powersteering and this morning when i was reversing out of my parking space at work it felt like driving a tank, (about 4-5 revers and forward moves to get out of the space when normally it turn enough to only reverse once.
im a little bit dyslexic so hope this is understandable
Any help will be appreciated, Thanks. Read more
Seems fairly common on Saxo's: letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=key+stuck+in+ignition...o prob a new or second hand barrel's in order, prob have to get the key re-programmed for your car too.
Why do HGV's have air brakes and cars/large 4x4's have discs?
Is there a mechanical advantage?
Read more
Most buses and coaches use air brakes too where coupling / articulated body is not a factor.
My dad drove buses for a living when I was a kid, and I was always a lot more impressed by the air operated semi automatic transmissions with a manual shifter, but no clutch pedal. I know the principles are different, but they still can't make clutchless manuals work reliably in cars today, and these buses were racking up starship mileages in the 70's with these gearboxes. Really seemed like science fiction to me back then.
I also remember when they'd start the buses up from cold and have to sit there for a couple of minutes on increased revs to build up air pressure before the brakes and transmission would operate. This was always accompanied by a shrill, ear splitting buzz from the warning panel on the dash.
Brother's corsa 1.2 8 valve R reg.
This is a pig to start when cold overfueling and a good spark, eventually got it going with lots of cranking ran rough then picked up.
Want to try the cold start valve anyone know where it is?
Found a blue valve inlet mainfold at the bottom?
Read more
Replaced this sensor in 20 mins much easier from underneath the car and runs much better. thank you..
I am at my witts end, I have a ford focus 2002 diesal, I love my car, Its been very reliable, however about a month ago I was driving up the lane and it cut out!! Just like that, It wouldnt start again for love or money. I had it towed home, changed the fuel filter and tryed again.
I turn on the engine and the glow light flashes and it will turn over just and then dies immediatly. My friend then juggled the wires coming out of the box above the accelerator pedal(after seeing somthing on a forum) and it worked again. It has taken us miles over the last month since ,until this week when it did it again twice. Moving wires has not helped so car taken to garage!!! Where it started again and they cannot find a problem!!! they have wired it up to the machine which said fuel pump has problem, However they say that at 33.000 miles it should not be that, and that the wires above the pedal would not make a difference to that. Can anyone help. I havent got £1000 to change a fuel pump at present..
{moves across to Tech Matters} Read more
Why? Why bother to put that yellow/white/black bolt just *there* so that your number plate has your initials, or something that? Why bother to hack the "4" about, so that it's distorted and looks like an A? Change "5" into "S"? This after dropping the boy off at school this morning, & looking at the mummies cars made up like this. A Lard Rover Discovery with an oblong plate decorated with what should have been "NXXX/MXX" changed to "LXXXM/XX" (or something like that). Just to say "I'm handy with a drill and screws!", or "I can stick tape on stuff!", or "I gave someone outside the UK a drink to make these sad 'plates!"? Pshaw! Read more
So just what *are* the rules regarding personalised plates in the UK? Here, the plates on my old Crown Vic read HAPYPBL for a while..."Happy pebble," promoting my hometown!
I rarely use the steptronic option on the auto gearbox, but last week on the snow and ice I switched into low gears a couple of times in the evening.
In the morning pulling away in automatic I heard a loud clunk, and shortly afterwards the gearbox warning light came on. The manual says its gone into 'safety' mode but is OK to drive.
Since then the auto box no longer pulls away from a standing start, so I switch to 2nd in steptronic to pull away.
Selecting 1st in steptronic also produces a clunk, so I don't use that gear.
Once moving I switch back into auto which operates fine once the car is rolling. However, I think the entire gearbox may slowly be failing. I am still driving the car for short distances only (up to 5 miles).
I've taken this to my local garage but he says he can't help and I need an automatic gearbox or BMW specialist.
Can anyone advise how to diagnose the problem, and any possible solutions? Am I ok to carry on driving it? We can do some diy maintenance ourselves, but if you know of a Yorkshire based specialist who might be able to help that would be useful. Many thanks for your advice, I love this car and want to repair it if possible. Read more
Hi Bernie,
I've got a similar problem with my 97 E39 525 tdsse and I'm taking it to my local garage next week to have the fluid drained and renewed, they also said they'll put a new filter in for about £100 all in.
I'll let you know if it cures it as it seams the cheapest option at the moment,
Ray
Hello my Passat's lights-on warning buzzer has stopped working. It usually works if you open your door with eh lights on. Anybody know where it is and how to replace it? Or perhaps the problem is in the door sensor? Any ideas welcome. Thanks. Read more
For anyone else with the same symptoms ~
The problem was dirt in the small switch at the rear door pillar that senses when the door is opened. Not wiring at the hinge.
Hi Guys,
Sorry Im a bit niave when it comes to cars.
So your help would be much appreciated.
I bought a car about a year ago from a car dealer. I got the advert off the internet and it stated there was a full service history.
I have a few problems with the car as the Dashboard has burnt out and needs to be sent back too Renault for repairs.
I went back to the garage and asked about the service history. They said it was given to me at the time and I know it wasnt.
Think they are trying to pull a fast one. Is there anyway I could find out the service history?
I bought the car on finance and still have two years left to pay for a car that doesnt work! Read more
I don't think OP has given us the age of the car or have I missed it? Once it is more than about 5 years old the service history is useful but not essential, unlss it is a Merc or something similar. For me a bunch of original dated invoices with itemised costs of part and labour would mean much more than a book with stamps in it
Browse
farily simple, no it wont work