March 2009
Anyone out there have any idea what my problem might be? It's a 1993 Mk3 Astra 'Cesaro' 1.4MPI. It's done 128,000 miles(!) but still drives exceptionally well. It's still on its original clutch. There is no sign of any clutch slip, but it's become difficult to engage 1st and 2nd gears when moving. When stationary (with or without the engine running) all gears engage without difficulty. When drivng however, the symptom appears. Strangely, once the engine has warmed up the fault gradually gets much less severe, but doesn't disappear entirely. Is it the clutch, or the gearbox? Any ideas would be gratefully received!! Read more
Please help! I have a 1.6 8v club 2002 - cig lighter would not work so i changed the relay 15amp - then next day battery dies - no lights nothing - put new battery in - recoded radio ok - but when i put the rear heater on engine stalls, air conditioning - engine stalls - also no illumination of dashboard - dimmer for dash board illumination does not do anything - no rear fog lights - and engine feels likes its gonna stall when first starting - had oil and air filter change. Checked all relays under bonnet and inside by the steering wheel all ok - only cig lighter one had fused.
Please help - i live in wolverhampton - any good garages with good equipment to reccommend? An honest garage please.
Car needs to be fixed asap - any ideas?
checked alternator that reads ok and so does new battery Read more
Thank you both for the reply, yes i did mean the fuse - silly me.
I think what happened was that the cig lighter was not heating up enough so i used to hold it in manually - not clever - then it stopped working - altogether. I took the car home switched it off - and the next day the central locking would not work but after i put the key in the ignition it re-sync ok, and I replaced the fuse as i thought it might have blown - interestingly after i placed the fuse the cig lighter worked. I noticed another fuse above the cig lighter one which the manual says is only for astra convertible - mine is hatch - but as the manual states some circuits are protected by multiple fuses i thought it was probably for something else besides its always been there for the last 4 years no problem.
Then the next day the car would not start - no central locking again - so i tried to start the engine - red warning lights on dash where dimly lit - nothing made a noise at stage 3 ignition. No interior lights - nothing - so i replaced the battery - and my remote re-sync - ok.
I checked the battery with an alternator tester i bought from Aldi - at rest new batt is +13.5v (replaced batt 5v) - with engine on new batt reads +14volts ("strong" LED).
I thought it was fixed - and thanked myself for a good job. Drove the car home at night from petrol station and noticed the dashboard illumination was not lit - the lever at the side for dimming it did not do anything, also heating controls back light is also not working. But radio is ok.
As for the engine - when you start it in neutral with the clutch pressed down - its ok - idles at 800rpm - but in neutral with the clutch out - it makes a chugging sound and the rev counter goes below 700rpm - you need to apply accelerator pedal to start. Once started idles ok - a little rev counter movement but ok. Then when i put the rear heater on it goes below 700rpm again - same for air recirculation and air con.
As a side - no rear fogs - the button on the dash - when you press it does not show the illumination icon on the dashboard to tell you its on - also at the rear of car - nothing - ordinary brake lights are ok. Its dark when i come home from work - so may have to wait for the weekend - to check fuses again - but yes - i did check the bank of fuses under the hood and they look ok - i did not pull them out to check as i thought maybe they control the air bags - and i do not want them to go faulty.
i read somewhere that when you change the battery the caR has to re-learn its electrical load for idle - but i do not want to stress the new battery as i need to get to work mon-fri, i'll try more things on sat.
Thanks mfarrow - will check that fuse by pulling it out physically - tomorrow - do you know what it controls?
Please be aware that i checked the engine fuses by shinning a LED light on the top of them and i saw thick metal inside - i know this is a stupid way to check but the manual said " if there are any fuses broken consult your dealer" and that scared me a little.
Also when i changed the battery a tiny spark came off when connecting the + lead of the new batt between the lead and battery terminal only- could this have done something? or is that "unlikely"
thanks for you help - please offer more guidance if you can. Will update tom evening with details on 60a fuse 3
We have had a modest degree of good fortune and SWMBO suggested I treat myself to a nice car, and make my 114 mile round trip commute a little more pleasant. I always knew there was a good reason for marrying her apart from her ravishing looks, attractive personality and bank balance (I was very young at the time). I posted a while back on a scare I had on the M40 and ended up buying an Octavia 1.9 90bhp diesel hatch. Not the quickest off the line but solid as a rock and after 16k miles it is acceptably comfortable, very reliable, very economic with never less than 50mpg but is a little throaty. So I will need a little convincing to give up a very well sorted and reliable if boring car, but when doing 5/600 miles a week at my own expense boring has its advantages.
So having a little think, I need a car that will take a dog, the Skoda has a very high lip, so perhaps an estate. FWD preferred, we live in the sticks and the recent snow was just not a problem for me unlike when I had my RWD auto Merc. Of course with my mileage economy has to be an issue. So giving it a little thought the Volvo S60 diesel would be good, but only 4 doors. V70 size just too large for the country lanes where I would like a more nimble car. BMW? Well, my chum has had endless trouble with run flat tyres etc and a completely useless dealer which has caused me to hold back there. My heart says a Merc C220 cdi would be very nice, but RWD and probably auto and a lurking rust history. Saab, I dont think so either, elderly products and an uncertain future. So I come down to the Jag X type estate, with the 2.2 diesel engine and 6 speed box. I have read the CBC review and googled around. The pundits dont like the old fashioned interior and gawky retro looks but users seem to rave, I have read some very enthusiastic comments about them. So this is looking interesting, but I am 6' 4" tall and they look a little on the tight side - not taken a close look yet. Not worried about rear leg room but obviously comfort is high on my list. I have seen a 3/4 yr old 2.2ltr SE with 55k for about 9k which seems very reasonable and much less than an equivalent BMW/Merc. I will only trade in the Skoda if I get a sensible deal, I reckon on 10p mile depreciation as a rough guide, and if I can get a good price to change could be tempted.
However, I need a reliable, economic, safe car - would one of these meet these criteria, but also represent a worthwhile leg up from the Skoda? My main reason for ruling out an A4 estate. No rush to buy at the moment, but if I am going to do it nice to make the change before a mid summer fgamily wedding.
All comments welcome! Thanks, MGs Read more
The Jaguar / Ford comparison is rather similar to the Audi / VW decision that I went through in 2007. The oily bits (2.0 TDI in my case) are the same: you have to decide whether the differences (mainly image, badge and interior fittings) are worth several thousand pounds extra. For some people they will be: for me although I am an Audi fan I couldn't justify £5,000 extra so it was a VW. No regrets 30,000 miles on.
Retention of value is sometimes a factor, although not in these cases: both A4 and Golf hold their value well, and both X-type and Mondeo are pretty chronic, according to the What Car tables.
hi my car is a 53reg ford fiesta 1.4tdci. pressure washed my engine and it ran out of diesel put plenty of diesel in it and it wont start it fires some times but not all the time i have pumped the primer until it goes hard and my thumbs are killing now i have tried to tow it and it still wont start has any one had this problem and is it a easy fix please help.???????? Read more
have you got it going yet?
have you have you?
how much was the pump anyway?
please
Well after all the advice not to buy it my sisters grand voyager has finally thrown up a problem. the power steering is slowly leaking, i haven't seen it yet but she's had it into a garage and they've said it needs a new steering rack. does anybody know if it's possible to get replacement seals for a voyager rack? has anyone had to work on a voyager rack is there anything out of the ordinary on them?
cheers
chris Read more
just to finish this thread off for any future reference.
did the job yesterday morning very straight forward to do, managed to source a reconditioned rack from ebay for £130 with old one in exchange, i would recommend using new track rods ends as the old ones tend to seize themselves on.
1, basically jack the car up, remove road wheels, loosen track rod end retaining nuts, 19mm. remove track rod end from hub, mine came out by tapping the hub gently then a sharp hit on the end of the track rod end thread (the thread doesn't run to the end so no need to worry about damaging it.), you could easily use a balljoint splitter if required though.
2, inside the drivers side of the car under the dash remove the 2 trim panels to reveal the steering column. in the middle of the column is a joint with a pinch bolt in, remove the small fail safe locating clip from the end of the pinch bolt, then undo the 13mm nut (the nut is fixed to the column, it turns but doesn't actually come away you take the bolt out) then separate the two parts of the column.
3, then under the car to remove what i assume must be a protection plate of some sort,(can't miss it as you can easily see it stops the rack coming down) undo a series of 21mm bolts, they have nuts on top that need to be held i did it using to sockets, there's about 10 of them, and on 19mm bolt near the centre of the plate. remove the plate from under the car
4, you know have access to the steering rack, i loosened the two 21mm bolts (again nuts on the top) holding the rack in so i had some movement in it to give me better access to the power steering pipes where they join the rack just to the right of where the steering column enters the rack. using an 18mm spanner remove the power steering hoses where they enter the rack, have a bucket handy. to aid with this bit i removed the 15mm nut for the bracket holding one of the power steering pipes to the subframe and the 13mm bolt for the other pipe this gives a bit more movement to get the spanner on the unions.
5, with the power steering pipes removed manoeuvre the rack out from under the car, this can be tricky as there i about 10 inches of steering column to come out of the car with the rack but it's obvious how to do it, a small metal plate will come out too which has plastic brackets for the power steering lines on, i didn't refit this piece as on my new rack the pipes were run differently.
6, with the rack of the car knock out the roll pin that holds the steering column to the rack, note which way it's fitted to the shaft on the rack, refit the column to the new rack and refit the roll pin.
7, refit is literally the reverse of removal, once the rack is all in and bolted up before you drop the car back on the floor refill the power steering fluid, leave the lid off the reservoir, start the car and working the steering from lock to lock 10 times, then recheck the fluid level and top up if necessary and work the steering through another 10 times and recheck the level then replace the lid and put the car back on the ground.
the chrysler manual lists the use of mopar 9206 power steering fluid (1.2 litres for the whole system) which from speaking to the power steering specialist who supplied the rack isn't very good and is difficult to source so he recommended using halfords standard power steering fluid which is about £6 a litre.
chris
I was unfortunate to have a Polish HGV "side-swipe" me today on the M1. I was in lane 2 and he just came into my lane, (from lane 1), his front tractor wheel hitting my rear passenger wheel and damaging the wheel and surrounding bodywork. Two independent witnesses confirmed he was totally at fault (one an off-duty policeman).
I was advised to call the police (by the of-duty copper) and they turned-up quite quickly and were very helpful (the lorry driver didn't speak a word of English).
It would appear I have nothing to worry about! But I would just like to invite any comments (good or bad) from BR's who have had similar encounters with our HGV driving EU cousins from the former Eastern Bloc, i.e. is there a good chance I will get the claim sorted-out by the third party? Read more
I see that this is an old thread but thought I'd add my two pence worth as I too was hit by a non british HGV. I overtook HGV using far right lane while HGV straddled far left and middle lane of roundabout. I stopped at the traffic lights the HGV driver sailed through established red lights from behind me, cut in front of me taking the right exit, his trailer took off the side of my car snapping the steering arm, wrecking the engine control unit, ripping off the wing mirror and part of the panel above the front wheel arch. Caused a massive bang, dragged me about 10 feet around the roundabout with him but drove away totally unaware he'd hit me. I'd be really interested in others opinions especially other HGV drivers.
I started a thread on the pros & cons of differing types of auto transmissions a few weeks back.
The upshot of this is that I bought a new VW Golf, a 1.4 tsi SE with dsg. These are my initial thoughts & random observations.
I?ve had the car now for around a week, I?m greatly impressed by the engine which is smooth & hushed, and by the auto which is also very smooth. The car goes pretty well, as far as I can try it while running in.
Top gear is set at 30mph/1000revs, which gives an easy cruise. Average mpg, in urban & occasional mway conditions is around 40. I have not done any long trips yet.
Top gear ( 7th ) will engage on a light throttle at about 45 mph.
The car has bulb type running lights.
Wind noise is very low.
Some road noise, but only because the rest of the noises are quiet.
Rear seat backrest only folds for large loads.
The SE model gets no front fogs, which seems a bit mean, but does get cruise, auto lights & wipers.
Overall I?m delighted, particularly since the Golf is not the budget option. ( I got a fair but not vast discount )
Reliability? The engine has a chain cam which is good, but also has a turbo & variable intake timing, which might not be. It also appears to have no sparkplugs, I suspect there is a combined injection / spark thingy to go with the direct injection.
I hope to not be reporting any problems in the future!
Read more
The engine is not an all or nothing screamer, it pulls steadily from low revs, but not quite with the lug of a diesel. ( I'm comparing it with my previous Focus II, 1.6 tdci )
On a smallish throttle it will change up quite early, at about 2500 -3000 rpm.
I would say it feels like an 1800 engine to drive. There is no sudden point at which the turbo can be felt cutting in.
Just completed a 65 mile commute, mostly congested M6 with some urban traffic either end. Car's computer showed 50.5 mpg, of which I'm well pleased. I did not go much above 70 though, since I'm running in and I'm also a "9 point man". The Focus would do 55 mpg on the same run.
I am considering buying a Morris Minor - ideally a convertible - but a saloon would probaly be ok.
I have joined the Morris Minor Owners Club and have been a member of a small motor club in my "village" for a number of years.
Does anyone on the forum run one? What should I look out for? Rust obviously, anything else? I am hoping to buy one that has already been restored and requires little or no work on it, apart from servicing.
I am watching the MMOC website, plus carand classic.co.uk, and classiccarsforsale.co.uk, with occasional dips into Ebay and Auto Trader. Anywhere else I should be looking?
Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated.
Don Read more
Not bad car's, but you really need to know what your looking at before commiting to parting with your hard earned cash. I've been in the trade for 36 years and have done quite a bit of work on Morris Minors. If your buying purely to avoid the high-tech trickery of running a modern car, and think running a classic will save you money! think again.
I've had to deal with many a moggy owners stupidity when their purchase turns out not to be as good as they'd have liked. That shiney paint and retrimmed interiors clinched the deal. The smell of leather or vinyl, and that lovely exhaust note. The underside was the bit that should of been the priority, and this is what cost most of them a small fortune to repair. Do not ignore this on a Morris Minor. It'll cost you dearly in the end if you do. Take someone with you who knows what to look for. ...
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I told you that an invite wasn't necessary any more...:-)
I have just recently purchased a new Kia Rio Diesel (1.5l) and am very impressed with it.
Since this is my first diesel engined car I would imagine that I am driving the car wrong (I.E driving it like a petrol car).
My first tank full worked out at 46mpg and I expect this to increase as I get more used to the turbo (I am a bit heavy footed) and the car racks the miles up.
1st gear is very short but 2nd and 3rd gears are very nice and long.
Would I get better economy if I used 1st gear to just start moving then change almost straight away into 2nd gear ?
30mph is a bit of a pain as in 3rd gear the engine is 2,000 rpm but in 4th its 1,250 rpm, so its sounds like I am labouring the engine in 4th. What gear is best ?
So my question is, what is the best way to drive a diesel engined car ? Read more
just drive it like you stole it
it should still return 40mpg and keep quick fit happy in the tyres dept
toodles pip.....
Browse
Linkage greased. Gearbox/transmission oil changed. There is a noticeable improvement engaging 1st and 2nd gears!!! While I was underneath I removed the steel plate beneath the bellhousing (which I am led to believe is for clutch access). It doesn't expose the clutch plate, and there is no way I can see that you could replace the clutch through this very narrow aperture between the bell-housing and the engine sump! The 'plate' on this car is quite narrow in profile and bolts on to the bell-housing alone, i.e. it doesn't extend to the engine block. Looks like a gearbox-out job on this model, if I ever decide to do the clutch(?). I mention this cos somewhere on this forum someone wrote that if you have a plate underneath, then you can replace a clutch with everything in situ!