September 2009
Loads of posts seem to worry about engine life on a car, but I got to thinking of the many cars I've owned, many Fiats, Vauxhalls, Volvos, Mercedes, Volkswagens, etc but only two have had engine failure. An HB Viva engine died after a good mileage but I saw the car many years later still going and a Volvo 240 but swmbo came home saying this red light had appeared on the dash but she drove anyway as she didn't know what it meant so that was down to us. in my time cars are changed because I fancy a newer one or a different model or some electrical faults or minor faults make it unreliable. I reckon with regular oil changes and sensible driving the actual engine will go for mega miles. Read more
I need a full set of steel rims (incl winter tyre package if possible)
I need 16 inch rims 108 X 4 PCD with a 25mm Offset and 65.1mm bore
Does anyone know a website which sells new steel rims? The assumption is that evereyone wants alloys and I'm struggling to find a steel rim supplier.
I've tried all the on line breaker yards I can find who have come up with nothing. Unless someone knows where to find a C4 GP SX which is being scrapped :)
Thanks for reading this Read more
I presume you've checked the online auction site for a cheap set of used wheels, steel or alloy, i haven't checked but i would imagine quite a few Pug/Cit wheels would have the same measurements.
Whilst working in a small village today I passed a caravan parked outside a house on the opposite side of the road. I wasn't paying any attention to it till out of the corner of my eye I noticed it was moving slowly backwards. I thought it was rolling down the very gentle slope in the road towards a junction and ran across to the house where the front door was open yelling for the owner to come out quickly. When I got to the other side of the van there stood a one armed man (rather bizzarely) with a remote control unit in his hand and it was only then I heard the gentle hum of an electric motor!
We both ended up nearly wetting ourselves laughing as he reversed and steered the van onto his driveway with the full function remote, no bigger than one for a TV . Apparantly many of the more upmarket vans now come with this facility, though it is the first time I have ever seen or heard of it. Pretty cool idea, I wish they'd fit something similar to washing machines so you didn't have to break your back and skin your knuckles trying to drag them out from under the worktop.
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i saw a clever bit of work the other day. an old guy had put
down a set of small train tracks with a pair of rail dollys.
Reminds me of a small stately home in Knutsford. I used to collect and deliver the odd classic car for the owner. next to his garages he had a helicopter pad on rails. The whole pad and chopper could be pushed in and out of a small hangar.........class !
ted
Diesel model (estate), 160K mileage. Warning light has been coming on occasionally for past month but now on all the time below 3K revs, engine idles erratically and loss of power, no acceleration.
I've not been to the Vauxhall dealership yet for diagnostic, is it worth trying my usual mechanic or is it only the Vauxhall people who can perform the diagnostic?
Only had the car since April and costly so far so loathe to go anywhere near the dealership people!
I appreciate need to read up more fully on the forums but any help or suggestions in meantime would be appreciated.
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Thanks for the suggestions/advice. Turned out to be the crankshaft sensor, couple hrs labour, £140 all in .... relief!
The Master range of which I have a 2.2 version and well documented here, apparently produced for a very short period I believe, a 3.0 version with a Nissan engine with some 150 BHP iirc. Does anyone know of any inherent problems with this lump. I may be able to get hold of a low mileage much loved example and wish to cover all bases.
TIA..........Martin D
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If it's a Nissan engine, why not ask on Nissan forums?
my yaris verso has developed a fault i cant access the radio or the cassette player.the display remains stuck on the trip navigation mode.When it decids to work the radio has to be retuned HELP Veyatie Read more
my 1.3 endura fiesta is running rough change plugs and leads no difference,it misfires on high revs,any help appreciated.
andy Read more
Have you done an ECU scan? It could be the MAF or coil pack or anything really.
car starts and runs for 3/5 second and then stops
the 12v feed from the ecu to the combo relay ? disapeers any ideas Read more
sounds like you may have an immobiliser problem could be the transponder in the key ,do you have a spare key ,if so try that one ,if the key transponder dies some will start but cut out quickly, steve
I want a diesel
The wife needs an automatic
So what do i buy???
I was biggly in the notion of the VW DSG but am now a little apprehensive of it going wrong
So an I30 Hyundai perhaps?
Sommat Golf / Focus sized is plently
What else is out there
And what is real world fuel economy like??????????????????
PS
We will keep the car for 200,000 odd miles ? ten twelve years plus
Like our current motor Read more
Electronic gearboxes are the future but some are better than others and some are horrendous
The one area which I had forgotten about (I have only had to do it once in six months) is manoeuvering into tight spaces. You really do miss the torque converter creep then and it becomes a two footed effort.
2.2 turbo deisel.
engine management light comes on mostly when going uphill or with engine under load. resets by turning engine off then on again.
first came on under warranty 8k but not again till out of warranty. has done it at intervals since(now70k). seems to be getting more regular. twice on one 30 mile trip last week.
had it in twice. once they changed turbo hose.
once, two days after service, they said it was fuel starvation but nothing to do with their service.
have not any codes.
£50 a time to put it on computer is a bit much when they dont fix it. Read more
>>>BMW Boxer? you had me going there for a minute - Motorbike!
I've mentioned this on a past thread ... engine oil holds particles like combustion by products, acids etc. in suspension, so it may APPEAR not to use any oil over a given time.
The test I use with my engine oil, is to keep it translucent (full synth.) obviously I am a 'petrol head'
I quite agree with what you say about successive top ups changing most of the oil over time - especially with the Ford 3ltr V6 and the old Volvo lumps.