October 2009

ronsam

i am going to change my halogen head light bulbs for Xenon type bulbs, the driver side lokks straight forwaed but on thpassenger side there seems to be no room to get to the back of the headlight connections, there is a black box between the battery and the back of the headlight unit, can you advise me as to how i can access the back of the unit

Thanks Read more

Dynamic Dave

The bash comes later when you put the black box back onto its mounting bracket.

jimmyjoe 1986 307

i was driving in the rain and my 307 hdi lost power.it now wont go over 10,000rpm.it wont rev up even when not moving just putting black smoke out.i was wondering has a sensor got wet or blocked.i have read about these pef sensors and fap filters on your site.could this be my problem?many thanks Read more

jimmyjoe 1986 307

ive tried this but it is dry.it wont rev up atll at the minute.and just coughs black smoke.

maz64

...tonight on ITV1 - not sure if it's national or regional.

'Morland Sanders examines the pros and cons of the government's car scrappage scheme, and reveals how motorists can often get a better deal if they shop around. He also speaks to critics of the scheme who say that it has been a huge boost for the foreign car industry but does not do much for UK car makers.' Read more

v8man

Also, the very cars that need to be taken off the road are still driving around. This scheme does nothing to remove the enviromentally un-friendly sheds as the type of people driving them do not have the funds to add to the £2k to buy a new car.

The supposed 'bangers' that are being scrapped are generally owned by people who can afford a new car and are well maintained. How else can they be taxed and MOT'd?

The scheme is madness and is just a politcal move to help the powerful car manufacturers. Why is there not a similar scheme for other manufacturing industries?

Doc




I am trying to check the accuracy of my odometer which I think is reading fast.
How accurately are the phones on a motorway spaced?
What other method could I use to check the mileage reading?


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Dynamic Dave

What other method could I use to check the mileage reading?


Do the exact same journey in a couple of other cars and compare the readings with your car.
Robin Reliant

Called into a local Citroen dealer today to get a replacement weather strip for the sunroof on Mrs RR's Saxo as it has started to leak. £48.95 + VAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If Wilkinsons sold them they would turn a profit on £1.99.

My local spares shop sold me some Tiger Seal @ £7.95.
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Harleyman

A variation on this theme was used by a mate of mine who used one of those early Honda Acty pick-up trucks. He found out that the engine was basically half a Gold Wing motorcycle engine and saved himself a good deal of money when the beast blew up and needed new valves, pistons and rings.

Regarding Volvo, I wouldn't be at all surprised; certainly the switchgear in the old FL6 bore a striking resemblence to that in my old 340 hatchback.

Giggles

To put it simply:

2001 Audi A6 2.5TDi (AKN engine).
Handbook reads:
A- High Lubricity Multigrade Oils meeting specitications:
- VW 505 00 AND VW 500 00
- VW 505 01

Basically, what oil do I need to buy in normal terms? ie, 5W30, 10W40, 0W30, etc?

Thanks. Read more

Giggles

Cheers folks.
I would normally do the oil and 3 filters every 6000 miles anyway once a car gets over 60,000 miles (80,000 on the car currently).
I know on the face of it 6k would seem better than 10k for a service interval but I'm not too up on the internals of engines, so would a 10k interval be optimum then?

Also, would an additive such as Lucas Oil Stabiliser or ZX1 be beneficial with the oil change or are additives in these engines a big no-no?

Thanks.

bintang

What exactly are these, from the point of view of a car insurer? Probably every driver has some infirmity, such as deafness, need for glasses, migraine (can affect vision), regular sneezing fits (badly affect vision) etc. Very large numbers must be on regular medication. I imagine any of these in a proposal form would be an excuse to raise the premium. Or does the term just refer to more serious conditions such as diabetes or heart disease? A good many elderly drivers must suffer from these. Read more

tack

If in doubt, call your insurance company. I rang mine regarding my Parkinsons. They weren't in the least interested, as long as I was passed fit to drive by my GP/Specialist.

Travelbuddy

Just read Honest John's assessment of the A4 B6 and seek clarification of the following point.

In the Recall Section he mentions that December 2005 - The "Dealer TSB to replace current 6 plate clutch of the 2.5 V6 TDI mulitronic with a 7 plate clutch" as their is a known problem with a failing due to torque stress.

Not sure what Dealer TSB means ..... should I have received a recall notice from Audi?????

Cheers
Travelbuddy Read more

rtj70

A clutch is a wear item anyway. So most are only covered for a few thousand miles and then there are conditions on whether it is repaired under warranty or not. I think the best coverage is by Mazda with a 9500 mile limit for a warranty replacement even if it was driver's fault.

So you'll be long past the mileage when the clutch was ever covered. Sorry.

ydbc

In May we had a major service (120,000 Kms - we live in France = 75,000miles), and at the same time, had our cam belt replaced - expensively.

Last week, just 6,000 Kms later, the alternator pulley somehow stopped turning fully, shredded the V belt, which jammed the cam belt, resulting in bill totalling over 2,100 euros, or around £1,900.

Question. Would the alternator and pulley normally be checked routinely according to the Renault maintenance schedule at 75,000 miles. I can't find it in my handbook (but I am not fluent in French), but if they should have been checked, then it is surprising for them to have failed only 6,000 Kms later.

Does anyone have access to the detailed Renault schedule of items to be checked?

Thanks in advance. Read more

Altea Ego

The alternator V belt is checked for condition (cracks wear etc) but the pulley and alternator is not as its not a wear component. It failed. YOu cant lay the blame for this at the door of the garage servicing the car.

Travelbuddy

Hi and would very much appreciate any feedback on the following problem.

The car has 18k on the clock since new (Dec 2004) and is mainly used on long trips (say min 50 miles, max 1500 miles), but on an in frequent basis say 2 or 3 times a month.

No problems occurred at all until 15 months ago when the EGR "soot'ed" up and was replaced at a cosy of £320 by an independent. Now the Turbo has become cake'd up with sooty deposits and needs replacing at a cost of £900, again by the same independent.

When I compare this to my wife's car (Mitsubishi Colt DID 1.5 auto) bought also from new Dec 2004, which has done 15K mainly short 3 mile journeys, the Colt has not missed a beat.

Any thoughts on what could be the cause of the A4 soot'ing up ..... or is it just I should use the car more frequently?

Cheers,
Travelbuddy. Read more

Hamsafar

This turbo contains a ring of concentric static vanes whose angle of incidence is altered by rotating a ring a few degrees upon which they are all mounted. Sometimes gentle driving means that they become jammed with carbon deposits due to not getting hot enough and not moving back and forth enough. Sometimes they can be freed up in situ and the car driven enthusiastically at higher rpms will clean it.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgVrpiFfp8U&NR=1