October 2009
We bought my wife a Ford Focus some months ago and love the car apart from it's tendancy to stumble and hesitate. This is most noticable when pulling away or when slowing down, dropping into 2nd and then trying to increase speed once more.
Car was still under warranty and had covered 30k miles when we bought it.
Soon after purchase I booked it into Ford to have this issue fixed - no joy, booked in a further 3 times with no fix (also raised a complaint with Ford UK).
I then realised that the mpg was way off the quoted figures (approx. 25%).
Booked car in for this to be investigated and guess what they fixed the hesitating/stalling issue!
I think mpg is now better but not overly concerned as drivability is now as it should be!
and the fix...
Ford dealer checked the chassis plate and found that the final drive ratio of our car is 4.06. They checked the engine management system and found that this was set for a final drive ratio of 3.41. They corrected the setting and all is ok now.
It appears that if you book car in for hesitating they follow one set of procedures, if you book in for poor mpg they follow another set...
I have posted this as I had previously searched for a fix and never found one.
Please post a reply if your car has this problem and is fixed in the same way. Read more
Although since November, 1997, when I bought the first CRV in Passion Orange ( for once both my wife and I agreed on the colour), I have had each of the later models and currently have a CRVIII (Petrol ES Automatic), my original CRV keeps turning up in various local car parks to haunt me!
I live in the Nailsea\Clevedon area and it seems that every few months my old CRV turns up. Some time ago it was in my local car park and I was fondly looking over it, when a very presentable young lady returned to claim it!
We had a chat and she was over the moon with it, as it was just the vehicle to use both for her cleaning business and for leisure.
Some months later I saw it on the forecourt of a local car dealer for sale at what I thought was an exorbitant price.
Yesterday it turned up again in Tesco's car park looking as bright and clean as the day I took delivery. My wife's comment was "look at all the money you could have saved if we had kept it - it looks as good as new!
I guess she has a point.
Has anyone else suffered similarly?
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In the late 80s my sister lived in Edinburgh and drove a horrible yellow Talbot Samba. She eventually sold it.
A couple of years later she moved to Porthcawal in Wales and 2 doors up from her was her old Talbot Samba!
My nearest dealer is quoting £350 for a 4 year service. They tell me it includes change of oil and filter/air filter/spark plugs/brake fluid / fuel filter and inspecting the rest as normal.
The Issue is I also have a noise that can only be described a 'piston slap' in the engine.(more than tappets) I want to get this sorted under the 5 year warranty and as service is slightly overdue and have no other hyundai dealers nearby feel I have to go with this!
Im aware I could save a shed load and get an independent to do it with Hyundai parts but do this may complicate the engine warranty issue (so feel almost obliged to take the hit to save any grief over the warranty issue if its something serious. )
What do you think? Read more
I know it's not very helpful, but the annual service on my BMW M3 used to cost around 250 Euros at the main dealer.
hi,
i've bought a pug but i cant find where to get a cam belt tensi0n testing tool any ideas,
also i've had a good look round and granted i dont really know what im looking for but i cant find any sort of how to for fitting lowering springs, and are they enought to achieve what im going for(40mm drop) or do i need to change dampers and torsion bars and all that malarky.
any help at all would be really appriciated.
Peace. Read more
thanks for the replies everybody,
I think I might just get slightly larger wheels for the car (but this is by no means a priority at the moment it was just an after thought really as i DO like the look of a lowered 306, but i DO also like its handling) before i think about this does any one know, will this upset the dive shaft at all i'm just thinking does putting a bigger wheel on the car change its relationship to the drive shaft at all?
if any of you would be so kind could you also have a look at my more recent post about rounded bolts please as i really need some help there.
cheers :-)
Though the investigation is not complete, a carpet jamming the accelerator pedal is the "official" explanation from Toyota for this accident, in which a Lexus accelerated uncontrollably and killed all four occupants. I don't find this explanation convincing, and I am not alone in that.
I have had throttle jamming incidents in two cars. Both the incidents were easily dealt with, and I am not an expert driver.
The driver of this car was a California Highway Patrol veteran, surely an expert driver, yet he was unable to stop or gain control of the car in the time it took for one of his passengers to make what sounds like quite a long 911 call. (The recording available on the web is apparently 50 seconds long)
This implies that the engine could not be shut off, the gearbox could not be put in neutral, the brakes were not effective, and the emergency brake did not work. Though I am not familiar with the Lexus, it is very hard to see how all these functions could be disabled by a carpet.
I?ve seen speculation on the internet that this was a general failure of an integrated drive-by-wire electronic control system, and (though I don?t know the Lexus systems) on the face of it this seems a much more convincing explanation. Since that could be a public relations disaster for Toyota, and perhaps for the industry in general, its perhaps not surprising they would prefer to blame a carpet.
I?ve seen no reports in the ?official? media questioning Toyota?s explanation. I guess Woodward and Birnstein have retired.
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There is a recent discussion on this - this thread will be moved there shortly.
Small feet? long arms - very long left arm? no problem! Ssshhh - no names please..
But just returned from a showroom.
Three new small cars in the marque.
1) The newest model.
Left (size 11 broad fitting) shoe, just about clears clutch pedal. Push seat back - then lower seat to get required leg room. It`s then like sitting in the bottom of a bucket trying to look out over the rim - gear lever - very forward and over to the left, at extreme reach of a long left arm. Crank seat up. Knees bent double.
2) The other small model.
Left foot jams at side of pedal - you would need a slim fitting size two to drive it comfortably. Clutch pedal also raised well above other two pedals. Why?
3) The next car size up.
Sitting in the bottom of the bucket again to get leg room.
If you put a chimpanzee in there would be no problem with any of them. A message from the maker?
Best not to name the marque of course Read more
20 odd years ago my mate used to drive a fiat 500 and I had the original Panda. He was well over 6ft (drum major) at a well known military camp. Now he could find a good driving position in his 500 but the larger Panda didn't suit at all.
OK
from a wheen of years ago
We were travelling from oop North down to Sailsbury plain
As part of a TA regiment
So our designated route took us down the M1 and anticlockwise on the M25 and off on the M4
Our intrepid Battery Captain left first with his packet
Me next with my packet and Capt A 15 min later
I fell alseep and missed the M25, & the driver kept on driving
& So I had the pleasure of negotiating the North Circular of a Friday afternoon
Capt A went clockwise via the Dartford tunnel, well it was a more senic route
Both more than a little apprehensive at arriving at our destination hours late , but as it appened within a few minutes of other
Asked for the BK =Batt Capt
Hes not here yet, we were told
When he turned up he was spitting blood about the road works on the M25.
Roadworks? we said in Unison.
oops
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He made a bit of a boob there !
Ted
Hello all.
This is my first post.
I am having a huge problem with my car.
I have a 1.2 Polo (2002).
It's failed its MOT due to high emissions.
The car is with the VW garage and has been there for a week. They think they've fixed the emissions problem, but they cannot stabalise the throttle to do an emissions test.
They do not have a clue what it is. They say it's driveable but I need it to pass the MOT otherwise I'll get done for it.
They cleaned out the throttle body and the pipes etc, lambda sensors are both OK, they've replced the breather pipe as well. Since then they haven't got a clue at what to do..
Does anyone have a clue, an idea what it could be? Read more
There are some issues with certain VW models regarding maintaining a steady fast idle speed for the emission test.One possible solution is to jack up one of the front wheels while the test is in progress so that there is freewheel motion and a road speed signal is sent to the engine management control unit,so stabilising the fast idle condition.Worth a try.hth
Offered a 96L Honda Civic VTi, 83K miles, MOT May. Last test advisories:
N/s outer and o/s outer CV gaiter deteriorated
Needs tyres all round.
Bonnet dented (person fell on it at party)
Bmper needs fixing onto the car (plastic ruivet U/S)
Exhaust U/S.
Scratches along RHS
Sunroof glued shut.
Full S/H.
This sounds like a money pit? £650 OK? Read more
I know what this is all about.
You are about to appear on the Channel 4 programme "Secret Millionaire" and want to drive a worthless wreck of a car, so as not to give away your identity, but feel guilty about paying the true value of the car, ie nil, to its owner due to your immense wealth.
Don't forget that you became a millionaire by knowing the true value of an asset and by not throwing money away.
Can select make (honda) but then no subsequent selection opportunity for model. The think just looks at me. Latest stable Firefox browser with a couple of add-ons. Read more
Same here, FF 3.0.14. No significant CPU activity.
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Also,re-programming the module for an axle change would affect speedo/odometer on this model and take it outside the legally required accuracy!!All sounds a little suspicious about first(?) owner.Is it the correct module? Part number normally shown on door frame.