October 2009
hi looking for any info on removing heater matrix from vectra any info would be app.thanks in advance Read more
My new car has auto wipers and auto lights. Clever, certainly....... necessary, probably not.
A thought occurs to me as winter approaches. Already I'm developing the lazy habit of just leaving both of these facilities in the auto position. I really must stop doing that.
I'm just waiting for the cold morning when the wipers are frozen solid to the glass and I start the engine only to jacobs the wiper mechanism. If I manage to avoid that, I'm going to forget that the back wiper will come on in sympathy with the friont ones when I engage reverse gear and I've got my backpack style bike rack on.......
Why can't they keep things simple? Read more
The Light Programme on Long Wave?
JH
my 97 523i touring, (manual, 145k) has developed a problem. It was driving fine but now it overheats and theres a slight tapping noise on idle. I had put a new final stage resistor in, and that has also blown. No way of telling if the air is getting warm inside, so im not sure if it is a w/ or h/g problem. I fear the latter, although it had a recon head fitted 6 months ago by previous owner. The rad boils ove and leaks past rad cap, i tried bleeding it but no water shot through the small hole (isn't it meant to?) Read more
Hi,
This relates to a thumping & clunking when the transmission changes up (but doesn't happen all the time). The tranny also sometimes fails to shift up when cold. The fluid has been topped up and, although the problem has died down a bit, it hasn't disappeared.
Looking for clues and also a good independent service centre near Ashfor in Kent.
Cheers Read more
Thanks very much Will do.
My diesel car starts every time and will idle all day but sometimes hesitates and jerks like a kangaroo under load - especially up hills - so bad that sometimes it won't even pull itself up hill and the Engine Management Light comes on. After I sit idling (perfectly) the light goes out and after a couple of minutes it will pull a little bit, though sometimes I have to slip the clutch, and then starts misbehaving again. Down hill is no problem and along the flat is mostly ok. Stop start in traffic can be bad. This fault is intermittent.
I have taken it to two garages. One replaced the Crank Angle Sensor (166.00) after testing, but the problem came back. The other (Vauxhall Main Agent) carried out a tech test and found P1220 not present (Critical Malfunction 1) and checked vacuum hoses for any split breathers. All ok and reset the code. But the problem is back with a vengeance.
Things I have thought about without a real clue are: Deisel pump, Electronic Control Unit, Intake Air Flaps, Exhaust/ cat blockage, Bosch VP pump, but I got these ideas from looking at other similar posts and would like something to go on. Any ideas? Read more
I would suggest either air mass meter or fuel not getting through - covered on HJ car by car guide - if its this you need a non return valve fitted - very cheap. Unlikely to be diesel pump or ECU.
Hi,
My wifes Fiesta ran out of fuel the other day, even though the gauge said 1/4 full. Mileage remaining was 90. Could this be a one off or is there a fuel tank problem?
Thanks
Pablo Read more
More like a fuel gauge/display/computer problem I'd say.
Very sad to hear of his demise. A fantastic, spectacular driver, fond memories of watching him on the RAC in the Welsh forests. A legend. Read more
Very sad news. Thoroughly nice guy with no heirs and graces. Always happy to chat to spectators and marshals.
Almost exactly 20 years since he won the RAC Rally in a Mitsubishi, too.
Two memories of Pentti. One was when interviewed for a TV programme in the early 90's, and he animatedly explained how it didn't matter what situation you got into in a rally car, if you didn't give up working at the wheel, it wouldn't crash! :-)
The second was disproof of the above statement with the most stylish and comprehensive destruction of a rally car I have ever seen on the RAC Rally in 1990, reducing a Sapphire Cosworth to its component parts in a very comprehensive manner. Still one of the most spectacular crashes I have ever seen in rallying.
It's here at around 4:00
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbXN7kxpTY0
RIP.
I bought an 04 Peugeot 307 1.4 diesel turbo estate, 96k, FSH, 12 months MoT, good tyres/brakes, for £2400.
The thing is I bought it from a small locally owned hire company. I figured that if it had reached 96,000 miles and still drove as solidly as it did it must be ok. Took it for a full service with fingers crossed and there's nothing up with it (phew).
I've put a couple of thousand miles on it and it's very comfortable and great for motorways.
Looking at retail prices for the same car, I could easily have paid £3,500+.
Conclusion: buying an ex-hire car can be a very good idea.
Thankyou.
Long live the glorious English Imperial system of measurements.
Read more
Should be fine, but if you want to worry the bejaysus out of yourself Google (or search this site) for Hdi problems!!!!
I've noticed several examples recently of this growing category of motorist, perhaps a symptom of the ageing population.
Yesterday I had to follow for most of my journey home an oldish looking man who at first sight appeared to be another of those ultra-cautious dead to the world types who never go more than 35 mph.
When we went through a village with a 40 limit, he drove at 30. In a 30 limit he went at 20. On the rare occasions he touched 45, he braked whenever a car passed coming the other way.
When we finally got to a derestricted section where he/we could go faster, he slowly accelerated up to about 45, so I pulled out to overtake. He waited until I was alongside, and then suddenly put his foot down. The faster I went, the more he would try to match my speed. I was just at that point of nearly completing the overtake where it is really dangerous to try and abort and drop back, and I sensed that if I had, he would have braked too.
Yet once I was past, I saw at the next village he was back to driving at 20 with a queue behind him.
I have seen other examples of this behaviour. Once I was deliberately baulked by an old man who indicated right whenever I tried to overtake.
I don't mind old men in hats in comparison to this kind. Read more
Clearly a sad individual if this is how he get his kicks.
I have a 95 8v XSI which makes Stephen King's "Christine" look positively mild-mannered....
It's latest trick nearly resulted in me leaving it where it came to rest;
It cut out in traffic & would not turn-over.
All the lights on the dash flickered and there was a very fast "ticking" or "pulsing" sound... I didn't run away thinking this was a bomb as this happened once before and it cost me a £65 call out from the garage to be told "I just tried the key in your door mate". I tried this about 50 times along with wrestling with the neg terminal on the battery to no avail.
anyway Let me explain the foibles on my dearly beloved:
The central locking doesn't work- It pops straight up from the passenger and doesn't come on at all from the drivers side.
Some (I won't bother swearing if it gets edited) cut the cable to the alarm just below the key that is just behind the radiator on the left (peugeot- if you are sat ontop of your battery) or right (haynes- if you are leaning into your bonnet considering taking a sledgehammer to the engine).
Unfortunately all this cut has achieved is making it impossible to use the key that is in my top glove box to reset the alarm. I tried restting the alarm via the ignition and the cute little button just above it within ten seconds a time or twelve too....
The battery isn't the recommended battery; I seem to recall it mentioned something about diesels on the wrapper..........
The pulsing noise actually originates from around the ECU.
when it died on me half the time I couldn't get a response from the immobiliser keypad- when I could, it made no difference.
I noticed that turning the key to "I" only brought on what I have learnt from reading other threads, is the alternator light ( & not the battery light!)
Ok, so here is my list of stupid questions-
Does that light I just mentioned always come on at posistion "I" (as opposed to "II" which is ignition on or "III" which used to be brmmmmm)
can I just reconnect the collection of white wires that were cut, or are they (erm.....) pole sensitive? (like some pos some neg??)
Is my ECU pink fluffy dice?
will spending a paltry sixty quid on a new battery solve my non-turnover woes?
Do I need to be poping down to messrs Ee & bay for an alternator?
I sthere anything simple that can be done about the central locking? (seems from reading on here it may be something gone awry in the doors?)
Is it clear from this post I know chuff-all about cars?
& lastly, what have I got to do to make my Pug go again!?
Please help as it is a lovely red-colour and the radio tunes itself into non-exsitent mid-western rock n roll stations ....... Read more
from digging about on the internet I found that the door wire loom is notoriously bad and it doesn't help that the door return is missing on my drivers side.... it's all starting to add-up in a scooby doo way. I have been trying all the Grannies own recipe cures I could find; pressing various buttons and watching my old man(my father, not my winky) go up in a shower of sparks as he re-connected the neg whilst I was turning the ignition. On the bright side, I know that removing the HS fuse does nothing, ditto fuses 14 and 15 and the random 20amp next to 15. And, I can now remove my seats with ease (as well as tell you that unplugging the two connecting clusters underneath the seat does nothing to affect the alarm (silent but persistent in my case) or the immobiliser.
So I guess it's time to get a new door loom and get round to fitting that door return I got off the scrappy the other week; I'm too stupid to figure voltages and repair wires and I'm guessing a volt-meter won't cost me too much less than the £40-£60 I expect to end up coughing up for the door wiring loom.
If I do get it going I'm sure nice uncle john will jump out from behind my door trim muttering something about getting away with it too if it wasn't for you pesky meddling kids......
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Well no, I'd not be touring the breakers if I could buy a new part for 40 quid either, but obviously different folks have a different viewpoint on the eternal time versus money compromise.