December 2009
Hi, today my Polo failed it's MOT on the lambda reading. The test sheet says it needs to be between 0.97 and 1.03, and the reading was 1.13.
The mechanic said that the CO2 was "all over the place" too, but the emissions passed all other tests.
He's going to have a look at it tomorrow for me, but has anyone got any ideas what the cause could be and how much I could expect to lay out to get it sorted?
He confirmed that the Cat is working ok, which is a good job as it's only 6 months old!
I've read about the throttle body needing cleaning on these Polos, but the mechanic said that a clogged up throttle body is unlikely to cause the emissions problems, and that if I clean the throttle body out it will make my idle worse.
I really appreciate any help or advice anyone can offer me!
Thanks Read more
In the manual for my car it says it must be 4 C or higher - haven't been able to get the air con to turn on in the past few days. It makes a click sound when I push the button, but the light doesn't come on and neither does the A/C. Read more
Cars do vary in their performance at temperatures around freezing. My 1993 Mondeo was quite bad, and the air con seemed to stop working at about 5-6 degrees, at which point the windscreen would mist over in a flash. That was my first car with air con. The next car, a Vectra, was a little better, though my W Reg V70 was excellent. The air con in that car was not very powerful in that it took ages to make the car cool on a hot day (my boss's Mazda on contrast blew out loads of freezing cold air and got the tem down miles earlier than the Volvo). But it didn't have these misting up problems whatever the temp. I reckon the air con was still doing something, taking the mosture out of the air, even when it was pretty chilly outside.
Since then I've had 3 series. Now say what you like about 3 Series, but they do have excellent air con. It cools the car quickly in summer and keeps the screen demisted well in winter. I leave it on all the time, something you could not do in the winter in the old Mondy (or the vectra) without getting the sudden misting over problem.
Perhaps air con has got better in more recent cars, or maybe some manufacturers have better systems.
Parked my sons Fiesta up on Friday, everything fine, nothing wrong with the car. He jumped in it this morning to go to work and the brake pedal went to the floor, we had a look at it and there is no brakes until the pedal nearly reaches the floor. I went a (gentle!) run in it and the brakes do work but the pedal goes nearly to the floor with little or no feeling of them working. The brakes are good enough to squeal the tyres when they come on but they only work in the last 1/2in before the pedal touches the floor.
I topped up the brake fluid which was well down, and tried again but no improvement.
Any ideas? I cant understand how the car was ok when I parked it up, but now the brakes have no pressure at all.
Trev Read more
Same thing happened to step sons Corsa. Was a leaking rear slave cylinder.
Get the rear drums off and inspect.
Again, I am unable to edit the middle of this message. First and las t sentences - yes. Weird.
Heater blowing cold. Checked water bottle in engine - empty. Filled it up and started the engine. After a minute or two noticed water spluttering up out of the engine at a point on the left. Near to the cam belt I noticed a pipe had detached itself from the engine (block?). Looks like a simple re-attachment but the garage seem to be saying this is going to be much more than that. Are they conning me? Read more
you have not posted your engine code but i will assume that this is a Z12xe engine which is chain drive in which case i assume that the pipe that you are talking about is the one that go's fron the bottle to the water pump if so you will find that the stub that the pipe connects to is plastic, these have a habit of breaking only sollution is a new pump, but if its been run without water what other damage has occured ! However if this is not your engine type then please disregard,Regards TB post your engine code anyway it may help as indeed a better description as to which pipe
Hi
Just dropped my PUG 4007 off at the garage as the clutch has started slipping. Took the tech for a drive and he confirmed so. All good till he told me that PUG have a limit of 20 000 miles warranty on the clutch, and as I have done 23 330 I would most likely be liable for all costs for this repair!!! Cost estimated upward of £1000. I use the car daily on a normal 20 mile commute, no back roads, go through a few towns and a bit of motorway. Get MPG up towards 40 most days as speed cameras etc restrict to 50 mph.
I can't see how I should be liable for all costs for a car that was new March 08, has never been loaded towed a caravan etc.
Anybody have similar issues with this or the 407 2.2HDi, which I think uses the same clutch? Read more
i drive a 55 plate 407 2.0 136 hdi, its now at 130k miles, the first clutch started to slip at about 40k, when i mentioned this to the servicing pug dealer he disappeared and returned with a tech bulletin saying clutch slippage in 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th gears .... replace clutch, warranty only 20k, £850 was the quote, i ran the car to just under 60k like this and mentioned the clutch as the warranty was about to expire, the dealer said he could look at it under warranty as it "may be the flywheel sir" but if it is the clutch i would have to pay £200 for the clutch, he said it was the dmf and the clutch had plenty of meat on it. at 100k the clutch started slipping again, so i just try to drive it below 2k revs, thats not to hard as most of my miles are motorway, all my prev cars have done about 150k and i've never had a clutch before
Hi,
My mates o/s dipped headlamp bulb has blown and I've looked at how to replace it.
As always nothing is that simple and the handbook just says take it to a dealer.
Do I:
1.: Undo the single bolt on the bonnet platform and draw the whole headlamp forward to access the back of the healight.
2: Undo the Pump/ filter bracket (not exactly sure what it is) thats directly behind the back of the headlight.
3.: Undo the expansion bottle to access the back of the headlight.
As you can appreciate I don't want to go taking lots of things off the car unnecessarily. There is obviously a way to do it as per the dealer way.
Thanks
Robin the Technician Read more
Well someone had to start the perennial favourite.
ECO tip of the day.;>)
SWMBO found that the warm water from last nights hottie (well it is cold in Derbyshire) could de ice my Skoda windscreen. -3°C today.
Read more
Just a thought, what do our eco-smug friends in their G-Wizz's do for heat?
Presumably an electric heater would drastically reduce the performance/range of the little monstrosity ?
Also can Prius owners run the engine to heat the interior without having to drive somewhere first?
The main metal coolant pipe requires replacing as its cracked. Attached to this pipe is the radiator hose and a smaller hose from the expansion bottle. As the other end of the pipe attaches to the engine and is well hidden under the inlet manifold, I would like to know how accesible is this metal pipe end and how does it attach to the engine? Read more
Hi TOPBLOKE, would like to thank you so much for your advice. I am not worried about being covered with water!!! Thanx for the tip. Been covered with a whole lot worse!!!!! I have enjoyed this car but when it breaks down it kills me. I have never known the likes of it. My 3rd head gasket now since new!!!!!I want to get it going and get rid of it by whatever means. Never want to see it again. Vauxhall never ever again.
Hi,
I'm looking for a decent little 'family car'....for as much under £5k as possible. Have been 'drawn' to scenics etc...but wife thinks they are too big, and I hear far too many reliability issues...so we have finally decided (ie I have been told) that a Nissan Note will be what we are likely to go for. Being in our 30's will be a novelty as all ote drivers seem...older.
These appear to be reliable as they are Nissan...or am I ill informed? They are slightly 'higher' as we both have poor backs so like the ever-so-slight step 'into' rather than step 'down into' (we have test driven a couple and like them). And child seats fit well and easy to adjust etc. The 1.6 manual seems pleasing enough to drive (SE not SVE).
So, we are pretty happy with the car choice (but always happy to hear sob stories...as well as heart warming ones).
Making all this 'do-able' is the stumbling across the website 'Carsite'...where you can buy ex-fleet cars. All one owner, all with FSH. For £75 you reserve the car and get your RAC and HPI checks, you can view it and drive it....if you aren't happy, you get the £75 back. I will also 'check' the car as well as I can - I'm no mechanic, but I'll look for dents/smoke, check the clutch etc myself. Prices around £4500-5000.... unless I hear something dire soon (only the odd posting on the web)....I will pay my £75. The fact I'll have to wait til February...and I'll have to take a day off work to collect it....is worth the fact that from a dealer round Oxfordshire way, I won't get an 07 plated 1.6 SE for less than 6K.
What do people think? There is always a risk when buying any car....off the street or from a dealer.... these people seem to have the most attractive deal.
Many thanks for any advice. Read more
Also consider the Renault Modus. I know it's a Renault but we've had one from new for the past 5 years and never had anything major go wrong. The Note shares the same platform as the Modus so they are quite similar. Modus can be had very cheaply these days. Our 54 plate on 42k miles is probably only worth £3,500 or less now.
Great car and I can recommend it.
Hi, this is my first post and I come here looking for advice please:
Recently the wife was involved in a five car shunt you know the sort of thing.
She's second, but has sustained damage to rear tail gate (unable to open currently) and a bash in the off side door where she crunched another driver.
Anyway we are fully comprehensive, have legal and protected no claims.
My question is this. Because the car is over ten years old, (very low mileage, very well looked after, lots of life in the old car yet), I have this feeling the Insurance company are going to try and write it off.
Has anyone come up against this sort of thing and been able to get it back off the company and get the damage repaired themselves?
TBH the damage to the off side door I can live with, indeed as long as we can open and close the boot, I'm not too bothered about the look of that either.
So advice please or experience on how to proceed.
Cheers Read more
You'd be surprised at how much damage is needed to write off even an old car. When somebody went into the back of my 10 year old car and bent the floor as well as totalling the tailgate I assumed it would be written off but it simply went onto a jig to be straightened and a new tailgate supplied.
Browse
Glad its sorted but |i smell a rat.Normally if the sensor is faulty the co will be drifting high & the HC's will be high as well. lambda is too much oxygen, cause by an air leak in the exhaust or sample hose of the test equipment.