September 2009
I've got a Alahambra TDiSE 2002, the engine hardly ever heats up which affects fuel economy. It as been to different garages including main agents and the thermostat has been changed 4 times, I've disconnected 1 of the radiator fans and put cardboard in front of the radiator but it still doesn't warm up. The heater only gets warm. I can sit in traffic on a hot day and the water and oil temperature gauges hardly move off the stop. Anybody got any suggestions. Read more
Hello! I have a problem with my Vivaro 1.9 DTI 2002. If I slightly move the gas pedal the engine goes crazy. This happend after a long trip I was on. If I push the gas it will now run on full throttle even if I take the key out of the ignition. Has something like this ever hapent to any one? I am guesing a blown turbo leaking oil into air intake?! Read more
Hi all
can you help this relatively uninformed car buyer. I'm thinking of getting a new car, and would buy a diesel, but have been concerned by stories of common-rail diesels that, when they go wrong, go badly wrong.
Would an older diesel engine be a more reliable bet, esp. if with full service history? i'm thinking of something like the 2.0 dti engines that were in vectras about five years ago. i.e. the kind of engine that's still young at 100 000 miles.
cheers
slt Read more
I think the biggest problem people are liable to run into with modern diesels is DPF issues if they rarely do longer journeys. The rest of the technology is *generally* reliable enough, but the good old DPF can be a nightmare if you don't do a minimum 40mph+ (constantly) for at least 15-20 minutes a week.
In certain areas (e.g. London, small off-shore islands) this can be near impossible. Best not to own such a car if that's the kind of place you do most of your driving. I've even seen VW adverts in magazines mentioning that DPF equipped diesels are not suitable for places like the channel isles with their low speed limits.
Conversely, with the PSA additive system, it may cost a fortune to top-up every 50k miles, but at least you don't get the DPF issues.
Funny how we have to be careful what kind of car we pick for where we drive these days, progress eh!
We've just replaced my gf's Ka with a new Mazda 2. So, we need to sell the Ka privately.
It's in good nick, on a 53 plate and 57k miles, gf owned it from new and it has a full service history. We're going to have it serviced as it's due, and considering having it valeted.
Three questions:
What to ask for it? (I'll be checking Autotrader)
Where to advertise? (Autotrader online only is my first though - I wasn't impressed with eBay last time I was selling a car.
Does anyone on here fancy an honest car? :-)
Oh, and Stu, can you recommend anyone in the Lichfield area that would be good to use for the valet? Ta. Read more
Would not bother with the valet unless it was a mess. At 2k it would make a dent in the price.
With Son's Corsa I invested in a Meguiars clay kit, washed, clayed, polished, vacuumed, put on Autotrader web-site and it sold in hours for asking price of £2500 to a man from Cannock.
It had six months MOT left and I had done the last couple of services so no FDSH.
Must not have asked enough!
Hi all, got an annoying issue with my beloved work-horse
It's approaching 140k so is no spring chicken but runs as smooth as the day i bought it
In a nutshell the problem is starting it:
if I try to restart it after being let for say less than 4 minutes the engine turns over but it doesn't start (to describe it better if it were a petrol i'd say it's not firing)
to get it to start i manually pump the fuel through using the manual pump thing
lock the car
wait for the immobiliser light to go red again
then unlock, input the code and try again
99% of the time this sorts it
PRoblem is it drives me round the bend, especially if i'm filling up with diesel, i ahve to go through this on the forcourt!! :-(
I'm not sure if it's the immobiliser or i've been told maybe the "lift pump" may not be pumping the fuel to the engine properly and all sorts of stuff and i don't know which one is the best to try troubleshootin first (or how to do it). Is it easy yo bypass the immobiliser to eliminate that?
If the lift pump is the issue why does it work fine when the car is left for over 5 minutes?
Engine temp doesn't seem to be a factor either as i ran it to gatwick airport last week and the same thing happened as i filled up when i got there
ANy ideas greatfully received and appreciated
I luv this car, it's done me proud and i keep it serviced and even use the over-priced super-dooper diesel from that garage with the emblem you may find on the beach ;) Read more
SOLVED!!!!!!! on the off chance i connected a battery booster to it and it started on the button every time.
£40 new battery later and i'm no longer afraid to fill up during busy periods.
I've been told that the engine must not have been spinning fast enough on the 2nd and 3rd attempts so the wait was necessary for it to build up charge
Thanks for your suggestions :-)
just got back from a day at the NEC in birmingham at the Recycling and waste management exhibition had a good old look at the new innovation in the world of single operation recovery and relocation units (thats bin lorries to those not in the trade) some really wacky plant machinery too.
on a true motoring point though saw about 30 police motorcycles driving down the M6 on the way back they werent escorting anything it just seemed strange to see so many all together Read more
Very similar behaviour in Soviet Russia - they more equal ones had Volgas.
hi all,
could any1 please advise me as to what may be the cause of the battery in my remote keep going dead very very quickly, by quickly i mean dead from new within 2 days. its not a cheapbattery either it was a expensive pack of 2. im stumped as to what it might be, but knew some guys who would.
thanks guys Read more
Dad's fusion has a problem with drivers window.Won't go all the way up without assistance.He's been to dealer and they're saying window reg but i got my doubts.Used to work for peugeot and they were forever breaking clips that held glass to regulator.Also can't see any screws holding trim card on Read more
have you tried a silicon spray in the felt runners
or even wd40 might help
Just got in after a horrendous journey caused by traffic lights not working at the intersection of the A1 and the North Circular Road. Both roads are tremendously busy at this time of day and the result is chaos.
I heard on the radio traffic reports that the HAD been a problem with the lights, but this had been fixed, so I carried on my usual route, rather than avoid the area. The report was false - thanks Auntie Beeb - and when I got there I encountered (almost) gridlock.
My point is this: The situation must have been going on for at least an hour and yet there was not a Policeman to be seen. Now, I am sure that not so long ago the Police would have been speedily on the scene to direct the traffic while the lights were being fixed (Oh - and there was no sign of that being done either). Has there been some change in policy as part of the general "Make the Motorist Suffer" scheme? Read more
the police have to chase round the country for illegal fox hunters...and arrest Shadow Cabinet Members for alleged possession of stolen papers...
I have been told that I need a new number plate to pass the MOT as it is allegedly worn and does not meet current regulations. The number is standard and considering the number of plates I see with incorrect spacing, screws of the wrong colour or placement mine seems perfectly acceptable to me. Because of tightening up of the rules regarding number plate purchase the mechanic said it would be easiest if I did this myself. He told me that I needed the log book and a utility bill. When I got to the motor factors they said I needed my driving licence as well. Is this correct? It seems a bit OTT to me as does the number of people who seem able to request personal details and proof of ID these days. Read more
>>Same here, always bought off the internet unless you need one 'today'
I've no wish or need to buy plates that don't comply with the law, but it seems that you can order 'legal' plates, with the legal standard font, size, spacing etc and ask the internet supplier to add their name and postcode. In that case, the plates comply with all the regs. But they have not seen the required documents (V5C, photo id etc) before supplying them. They are not breaking the law because they supply them as 'show plates, not for road use'. Am I breaking the law by purchasing them in this way and using them as road plates? If not, it's a heck of a big loophole...
By the way, I've often wondered where people get their plates made up with strange fonts, small lettering, incorrect spacing etc. Doh!
Sounds like the booster heater isn't working. Have a look at the forums on the link below - there is loads on it. The booster heater is a small diesel powered external heater under the nearside rear wing. It comes on when the external temperature drops below circa 10C and the water temp is below 75C IIRC. The most common problem is the glowplug needs replacing - about £50. I have heard that main dealers advise replcement of the whole unit at much mich more, but its is rarely necessary.
www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/
Hope this helps.
FTF