August 2009
Hi,
I have a peugeot 306 meridian 1.9 TD it has always been a pretty good starter except when it starts it does chuck out a bit of smelly grey/white smoke though i am not sure if this is a sign of the current problem.
my problem is when i start the car from cold it turns over and fires up it will then rev fine breifly but when the revs drop the engine will stall, it dosent splutter it just sort of fades out. Once this has happened once it takes a while before you can get it to turn over properly again and will eventually fire up after repeated attempts.
any ideas?? Read more
OK, I know it's controvesial but some roads do need speed cameras to stop very high-speed antics. So, even if you think there are too may speed cameras generally, can you think of a road that would benefit from having a camera?
My nomination is the A361 Frome by-pass, which is a single carriageway with a long straight. It seems to be something of a playground for very fast bikers - I mean seriously fast. I heard tell a few years ago that a biker had done over 160 mph along this road. You can hear the bikes travelling at great speed - especially at weekends and at night - you can tell by how the source of the sound moves that these bikes are nowhere near keeping to 60mph.
On one occasion I saw a biker on a powerful bike who was riding back and forth between two roundabouts, presumably timing himself - this was on a busy afternoon. I'm not talking about a kid on a moo-ped but a someone on serious pseudo-racer.
Usually it's assumed that if a biker comes a-cropper through their own recklessness, it's them that suffers. But the two fatal accidents I know of involving speeding bikers on the Frome by-pass have both killed pedal cyclists, not the bikers responsible. Read more
"Get a police officer to deal with them there and then, and the shame of being pulled over and having to explain themselves to an officer of the law might slow them down more than an impersonal ticket generated by a machine"
I wrote a lengthy letter to Surrey police requesting they mount such an operation. I haven't seen them once.
The full story is here: www.volkszone.com/VZi/showthread.php?t=577806
The short story is that the 1.4 Focus, one owner since new, has had repeated visits to the garage to investigate a misfire.
On removing the head they found that a piston was missing, presumably never fitted. Read more
Has to be a wind up. There's no clear explanation of how the bores aren't mashed up, how the engine was able to run at all with zero pressure in that cylinder and most importantly, what happened to all the fuel and oil that would have mixed there too?
I'm sure somebody is wetting themselves with laughter that so many folk are taking this so seriously!
Hello there,
My partners car is a FORD FOCUS SPORT TDCI which is not listed.
When the car is NOT in motion and it happened this morning, when he just went out to start the car there was an audible noise like a tone that is coming from a rear wheel arch??? It happens when the car has stopped and has not been in motion for hours, does anyone at all have any ideas what this could be, its driving us crackers, we can hear it when we are in bed at night and the car hasent been driven for hours???
Any help would be soooo grateful, many thanks xxxx
{header amended} Read more
My 05 1.8 Focus Diesel is doing exactly the same. It makes the soft electronic beep (its halfway between a beep and a whine and last about 5 seconds) At random times in the middle of the night.
It is loud enough to wake me up in the night. But only happens intermittently. ...
For some time now I have had intermittent problems starting this vehicle. The engine cranks over and over but without firing. Often several stabs of the throttle to the floor will eventually get it going & so far it has always started in the end. Thinking this might be fuel related, I undid the fuel filler cap the other day and heard a quite forceful rush of air following which the car started immediately. Since then I have got in to the habit of undoing the filler cap after journeys and find that even after a short 5 mile journey I can hear this rush of air. Should this happen? Should the filler cap be vented and might it be blocked ? Once started the car runs very well.
Thanks Read more
Badly vented filler cap issues (ie a vacuum) usually happen after a period of sustained running. Overnight the vacuum disipates so starting in the morning is usually ok.
Most closed fuel ventilation systems (which yours has) can make an "air" noise when undoing the filler cap.
Your starting problem is probably the crank sensor. A common issue on renault petrol engines, and easily and cheaply fixed.
Three lane motorway, upcoming contraflow.
Do you move to the outside to be in the lane which will cross the central reservation and become the contraflow lane or do you stay in the two (probably narrower) lanes on the original carriageway?
Mixed experiences here, I once got stuck for ages (and I mean ages) behind a broken down or crashed vehicle in the contraflow lane, so I usually avoid them. But it often seems to go quicker, despite only being one lane, which I think is due to narrower lanes on the other two, and all the trucks. Read more
I take the wrong lane in a contraflow, it's more fun:)))
But seriously, I stay on the main bit on the 'correct' carriageway if possible.
This is quite tempting, a brand new car of this size for £7k! Its FIAT Panda money.
How does a car like this compare to a Fiat Panda and other £7k brand new cars? Pretty sure this model had sat nav too. Surely it is just too good to be true? Read more
Had these a few times as rentals - usually convertibles, usually 2.7 or 2.8 - and they feel underpowered. Certainly not exciting cars, but not many are, until you're spending serious dosh.
Hi all
Could someone give me a part-ex price for a Vauxhall Corsa C 1.4 Auto Design.
It's silver and has covered almost 40K miles.
It would be part-ex'd for a new Corsa D of the same spec.
Kind regards
Paul Read more
Thank you for your help Lygonos.
I took delivery of a new camera this morning and decided to take it to a local picturesque village to try it out. I took some pics of some pretty cottages, a church, some hanging baskets, a boot scraper, an old victoria distance sign saying "London 26 miles", etc. Then I drove my car to a country lane, found a nice spot and took some pics of my car. I do that whenever I get a new car to keep in my memories folder. Did I tell you I had a new Golf Mk6?
I was approached by a couple of PCSO's in a Smart Car (there is a joke there somewhere, but I won't go for it)
"What are you up to"
"Taking pictures"
"Why"
"Well, why not"
"We saw you in the village takings pictures"
"Yes, well, it's a pretty village.....for Essex"
"What were you taking pictures of"
"I can show you if you like"
"No thanks, Why are you taking pictures of the car"
"It's mine, it's new ........it's a bit like taking pics of a new grandchild, except this is my baby"
"OK"
I got a distinct "Well, don't do it again" look. Then they drove off.
Being an ex-cop I was rather bemused by the whole episode, mimsing along the high street of a nice village taking pics of nice villagey things and my car.......and I get stopped by a couple of plastics!
Crikey, what must it be like in York or Harrogate? The cops/plastics must be run off their size 11's asking people why they are taking photos.
Now, if I was hanging around a playground taking pics, or on a bench where a group of children were playing, I would understand. But they didn't ask for my details nor did they want to look at my pics.
I laughed like a drain for hours after, it was so bizarre. I phoned everyone in my address book and told them..............they all just tutted in a resigned way. Read more
Last word ! Thank you and locked !
Hi everyone, need some help, my sons car a 420sdi is losng diesel from the pump,
I have looked and it is coming from right in the centre of the pump in the middle of where all the pipes are going to the injectors, there is a bolt in the centre of something, and the leak is from this something, whatever it is, question is, is there a seal in this something and how do you get it out if it needs replacing.
many thanks in advance
steve Read more
I've just had a look at one I have here and it has a sort of triangular thing with an 11mm bolt in the centre, dont know if that's the same as yours, if so, have you tried tightening the bolt?
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I would agree, you have air entering the system somewhere. I think your fuel primer is probably a rubber bulb, looks like the old blood pressure tester inflaters, pump this until it goes hard before you try and start, if its OK then - you have an air leak.