May 2009
Hi I bought some spark plugs for the fiesta the other day from halfords using their ref guide. They are champion EON3 (703). I've measured the gap using feeler blades and reckon it's about 0.95mm (although it's very tight when pushing the blades in). However the user manual and spark-plugs.co.uk say it should be 1.0mm and RS9PYP4 OE131 champion spark plugs. Why is there a difference and what should I do? What is the difference between these two types? Read more
Well, well. After years of nagging me about changing cars too often and generally banging on about what I'm going to have next, my dear wife has taken a fit in her head and dropped here usual mantra of "be sensible".
She's gorn out and bought a Smart Roadster as a fun car for the summer, to go alongside her sensbile VW Touran Mummy wagon.
It's a 2005 example with 19000 on the clock, and in very nice condition. Dark blue at the moment, but I don't doubt that a change of panels will be on the cards once she gets bored with that.
How does it go? Well, I'm really pretty impressed with it. For a car with only 0.7 litres under the bonnet, it really flies, and it handles very nicely too. It's a bit like being back in my old MG Midget, without the RAC patrol as a constant companion hopefully. An absolute joy to wind the roof and windows down on beautiful days like those which have just passed this weekend, and my 4-year old boy is utterly in love with it and just wants to be taken out driving all the time. Perhaps I'll make a car addict out of him after all.
I took the car straight down to our local main dealer after buying it for a thorough service and check over, nothing major to worry about so the signs are good that we haven't bought a lemon. They advised us that the top mounts look like they might go soon, but I guess that's what happens on cars like this.
The gearbox is a bit of a funny one though. In auto mode it's a bit hesitant on gear changes, but I understand from HJ's appraisal that this is normal. The dealer did adjust the clutch actuator, which they said was a common thing to need doing to keep the gear changes as smooth as possible. My solution? Stick it in manual mode, it's much more rewarding and really makes it a fun drive.
The car has a wonderful engine note too, better than anything I've driven since my Alfa 33s years back, and to have the engine in the back is a bit of a novelty since my VW Beetle 1303 student days.
Altogether a great little buy. Does anyone else on here have any experience of the model, or any tips / things to look out for? Read more
You could give 'em a try with the Mazda when the time comes.
Wouldn't think that would break the terms of the warranty.
Worth finding out what you have to do service-wise to maintain that, anyway.
I know that a vehicle registration number plate carries information relating to the month and year of manufacture but is anything else 'encoded' within those number and lettering structures? Read more
Any information on MPs' expenses regarding number plates for cars?? I'd guess at everything from a couple of pop rivets to 5 or 6 figure sums for vanity plates of questionable taste. (Likely to have been "flipped" for second and third cars just like homes!)
Local MP in my home town, to his credit, turned down an offer to buy J1MMP but I don't know if another MP called Jim took it up.
Anyone know what can be making my son's 1.4 TDCi's gear change to become very stiff when the engine/gearbox are hot but OK when cold? It's not a dragging clutch because the problem remains when the car is stationary and the engine is turned off. The clutch bites about half way through its travel. The gear change eases up when the engine and gearbox are cold again. However he notices the problem has worsened on his last two journeys.
Phil W
{year corrected from 2007 to 2006 - DD} Read more
I have exactly the same car with the same problem. When it had done 20,000 miles I took it to a main dealer who said there was no problem with it, now at 94,000 the problem is back. My local garage said it could have been greece which had clogged in the cable linking the gearlever to the gear box, but they now have confirmed that the lever which connects the cable to the ger box almost seems as though it has siezed. The lever is free when the engine is cold though. I dont know if I have any come back having reported this to Ford before.
My wipers will often start working for no reason and cannot be switched off except by operating the right or left direction indicators; two sweeps after the indicators are switched on the wipers will turn off and remain switched off as long as the indicators are left running. While the indicators are running all functions of the wiper control work normally. Operation of the brake light will also temporarily switch off the wipers when the fault is present. The rear wiper is not affected. The car is a basic model and does not have rain sensors. (unless you know otherwise)
The presence of water may have some bearing as operating the screen washers will often but not always provoke the fault; it also seems to be more likely to happen in damp/wet weather.
The fault is intermittent but annoying enough to need fixing. The car is a fairly recent purchase and has only covered 6,500m from new and is otherwise fine.
Electrical problems are not my strong suit so I would much appreciate any advice, guidance or a pointer in the right direction. Read more
Looks like it may be caused by the washer pump motor.
www.micra.org.uk/showthread.php?t=30509
Hi there,
I have a problem when reversing my Golf, it makes a loud clicking noise every time, which sounds mechanical and can be heard outside the car and inside. Is there a problem with my reverse gear? What can be done to resolve this?
Many thanks in advance for any help
Ian Read more
Peter, yes you are right it does only make the noise when in reverse and is fine changing gears going forwards. If there are missing teeth on the reverse idler, what's needed to repair and is it pricey?
Sparky93, thanks for the articles, gearboxes seems like a common fault! I will examine the code in the photo's to see if mine is the DUU gear box.
thanks again for all the advice
Right then my wifes sportka had a problem where the heater constantly gave out hot air regardless of temp dial position. Now after a bit of digging found it is most likely the heater valve so I purchased one and fitted it. Now I tested both valves when switching them and the old one did nothing but the new one opened so all fine there. Now its still chucking out hot air so I need some help. Now I have found there is a constant 12v supply going to the valve regardless of what position the dial is in(Im fairly sure this is not right) so all I can assume is the valve is open all the time so the hot water is going around heater. Now I have removed the heater control panel and when disconnected the 12v supply goes so Im assuming there is no wiring damage and all I can think of is the control panel is faulty? Can anyone give me some advice if possible? Read more
elekie I tried the lightbulb test and there was no pulsing just a contin light from the bulb regardless of position so I will try and find another control panel and see if this works. Cheers again
Never had any trouble with bulbs in this car, yesterday I asked my dad to move his car up so I could park behind him and noticed one of his rear tail lights was out. My dad the next day went and got a replacement and fitted it himself after showing him what to do the day before. He was very proud of his acheivement until I pointed out the other tail light had gone!
Anyway next day as my dad pulled up I had noticed a brake light had failed, off to petrol station new bulb in. It has been ok since (over 100 miles now) and I have checked the alternator which is reading 14.06v and peaks to around 14.15v when reved so electrical system seems fine? I am thinking its that the bulbs have all been replaced at the same time thus go at the same time?
Has anybody experienced this before? I know on the Lada's replacing bulbs was a weekly maintance routine but on the Fords on average a bulb seem to blow every 10k. Read more
<< "just a coincidence, I think, but might be worth putting the Exorcist theme music on the CD player just in case." >>
'twas 'Tubular Bells' by Mike Oldfield.
John R
Just a quick query.
I'm still trying to buy something nice in the UK to bring back to France as a weekend toy.
I've found a really nice example of what I'm looking for just up the road from family members in Yorkshire and my brother-in-law, with whom I've stolen a few horses in my motoring past, has been for a look and says it's the one.
Snag is, it's on a very valuable personal plate and although the owner has bought his replacement already he hasn't yet transferred the plate. For various reasons I have to be in the UK the week after next and we had hoped to fly over and drive the car back. But when I bring it back it needs to be taxed and tested with current documents that I can show the French authorities when I re-register it.
So the question is, how long does it take to transfer a personal plate off a car and to restore its original registration or replace it with an ordinary 1995 plate?
The guy says sometimes the DVLA has to come out and look at the car with the plate on it - is that right?
Is there any chance that, if the guy contacts his vehicle licensing office on Monday, the transfer can be done by the end of the week?
Read more
hb is spot on by the way
Hi All,
I changed the cabin filter the other day (I didnt break the clips :) ). I didnt take the whole thing off, kinda sqeezed the filter in (one corner got very slightly bent). No more stagnent smell.
However, I heard people talk of leaking water due the seal not re-fitting with the winscreen properly. From what I can tell it wasnt a perfect fit before I took it off anyway, its now little less perfect.
It has been in the rain several times since but I cant feel the wet carpet in the passenger footwell. Does that mean its not leaking or is it that its not leaking enough and water is getting soaked up by all the carpety stuff under the hood?
How do I test for this leak and is it worth spending £13 on the adhesive stuff from Ford?
Its a 2001 Y 1.6L
Thanks
{teleported across to Technical Matters} Read more
When I changed mine last year I did break the clips, so I replaced the whole panel and used the butyl sealing strip from Ford to get a perfect seal with the windscreen. There was no gap at all and it never leaked afterwards.
The sealing strip is only a few pounds and the two together cost around £25 IIRC. The strip is a long piece of foam with paper strips on each side that you remove to reveal the (very) sticky surface.
How much of a gap do you have between the base of the windscreen and the panel ? If there is a gap, the foam butyl strip itself will be the only thing stopping the water getting down into the pollen filter housing (and ultimately into the car), so it's probably only a matter of time before it starts to let water through.
If I was you, I'd be tempted to see if there is enough play on that top edge to fit a new sealing strip without removing the panel. The sticky nature of the strip will make this difficult though, as I doubt you'll have much of a gap to play with. Be aware if you go down this route, that you could risk making the existing seal worse or even breaking the clips if you prise it hard enough.
I have heard of people (and garages !) bodging it with DIY-type sealant - you can get clear stuff so it may not be too noticeable when squeezed into the gap, but you'll have to make sure the surfaces are thoroughly clean and dry (same applies if you use the strip).
If it was me, I'd want to sort it one way or another rather than wait for leaks to become apparent, even if it meant replacing the scuttle panel. I've had old cars with wet carpets before and it's not pleasant.
I figured that it was well worth paying £25 to avoid this and the total cost of my DIY major service was still well under the price I'd pay a garage to do it, even with this extra cost !
Good luck with getting it sorted.
Put them in as they are.The gap is within limits-Ford quote +/-0.05.And they will gradually wear bigger.