January 2010
Hi guys,
Anyone who read the Smart ForTwo thread will know I am soon to receive a Smart ForTwo CDi Coupe.
I was just looking at the figures on Parkers and noticed that the Smart's 0.8 diesel engine has better torque than our 1.4 Fiesta petrol.
I'm a bit mystified though how that doesn't relate to better 0-60 times (that probably sounds an incredibly stupid thing to say) and wondered if anyone could explain to a mechanophobe (is that a word?)
For info:
Smart =
Engine Size 799 cc
Cylinders 3
0-60 mph 16.3 s
Power Output 54 bhp
Valves 6
Torque 130 Nm 96 lb-ft
Top Speed 84 mph
Fiesta =
Engine Size 1388 cc
Cylinders 4
0-60 mph 12.3 s
Power Output 78 bhp
Valves 16
Torque 124 Nm 91 lb-ft
Top Speed 103 mph Read more
In most cars I drove, I observed following trend with fuel gauge.
When full tank, the needle moves very slowly from F mark.
Once near half-way mark, it moves much faster.
At a quarter tank full level, it movest to E at a very fast pace!
So, the movement is not linear all the way from F to E.
Nowadays if distance to empty value can be shown, why not the "Litre remaining in tank" not be shown??
PS: Some cars do have a digital fuel gauge now but instead of actual value, it shows digital bars (like mobile phone battery level). Read more
Or you could do what a girl I know did with her bike, she took her girlfriend to the middle of nowhere then just before the return journey she decided to check how much fuel she's got - with her cigarette lighter as a source of light - luckily she only singed a bit of hair - although standing miles from anywhere watching her bike burn probably taught her a lesson - thank goodness she wasn't sitting on it when it went up.
my galaxy has also had probs starting and garage seem to think its an immobiliser problem, I'm not so sure. had probs starting for about a month most days 1st time others not at all, plenty of battery but doesnt seem to catch/ignite. got it serviced to see if that sorted it worked for a week then not 1 afternoon after a short run. then after 300 mile round trip it coughed and spluttered 10 miles from home then cut out completely, started again 2 mins later and got me 300yards from home occassionaly coughin and spluttering again then cuts out wont start and hasnt since. Garage say its showing no electrical faults on their machine and its probably an immobiliser problem. Is this possible/probable. If it is they are telling me its either the wiring or the key 50/50 and which do i want looked at 1st as they both will cost?? Read more
TB, you triggered the swearfilter big time. If it was an innocent word, email me and I'll take a look why.
dave_moderator@honestjohn.co.uk
Our Land Rover Freelander 2 GS Td4-e, registered November 2009 has covered less than 2000 miles and has suffered cold start problems since new. This comprises a serious misfire on 1 or more cylinders, followed by clouds of blue smoke and continuing misfire for up to 10 minutes. We find this to be totally unacceptable and as such we gave a well known LR dealer the opportunity to fix or replace the vehicle. After having the vehicle for 7 days and admitting that it was a fault they were unable to even identify the cause. We therefore escalated to a rejection of the vehicle, as a repair was apparently impossible.
Anyone with an F2, or considering purchasing one, will be interested in the following comments from the dealer and Land Rover. I quote from them "Having spoken to LR UK, they are of the opinion that this is a characteristic of the vehicle - because their diagnostic tool did not detect a fault." Isn't a characteristic something common to all vehicles of a type? Again, I quote from them "They have no other reports of similar symptoms." So you can't have it both ways - is it a 'characteristic' or not?! They are using this tack because a legal precedent was set with a rejected Audi, where pulling to the left was deemed to be a 'characteristic' of that car... (see rejection of a vehicle on Honest John).
Any help gratefully received. Why should the unwitting public be subjected to such contemptible treatment by the motor manufacturers and retailers? If it had been a TV we'd be watching a replacement set by now!
References to the dealer's details removed in accordance with T&C Read more
IF LR had collected the car, gave you a loaner and then made every effort to fix it, and then if they failed, offered a new replacement vehicle, you would have been quite happy and impressed with the service by a world leader of car manufacture and design.
Instead we all know that if we get problems with a LR vehicle we can expect similar treatment.
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... select GetInfo and then on the options tab there will be an option for volume adjustment...
There certainly is.
I was a bit scared of a 'select all' change, but sometimes a man just has to be brave, and I have cranked up the top volume a couple of notches.
Only took about 10 minutes to sync my weedy collection of about 1,400 songs.
I'll continue with the 3.5mm lead for the time being because it's nice and simple.
Any further mods might depend on how long the battery lasts, which I'll not know until I've used the iPod for a week or two.
My mother-in-law's '03, 19,900 mile Getz, six full services behind it, has just been diagnosed with a broken crankshaft. Local main dealer identifies this as "a known fault". Crank part number now superceded with modified type. Oops... Result: that'll be a new short motor madam, two grand please! Read more
Did his parachute work ok?
Crash landed in a field in Ireland with no injuries, this was flying from England so most of the journey had been over water.
He won't fly anything with a single engine now.
My 57,000 mile 2004 Sport Tdi 130 has started to make bearing failure noises at idle. It manifests itself as a rumbling noise. I first noticed it about a month / 1,500 miles ago (normally do about 10,000 pa but just back from long trip) and now my wife has commented, so I guess its getting worse. With an engine stethascope it is not clear whether the noise is coming from the drive belt idler pulley (the plastic one) or the viscous fan one. Neither feels loose when levered with a bar. Local garage advice (I live in South West France) is to leave the noise insulation cover off the engine and closely monitor both components until one is clearly the culprit.
The cambelt and kit of parts were replaced last year, but the garage didn't replace anything to do with the aux drive belt (no reason to I guess and I didn't ask them to).
So, what experience does anyone have with either of these items? Obviously replacement is expensive as the front has to come off the car (again!!). Unless I can clearly identify which is failing, my inclination is to replace both whilst the front is off. Any comments? (I can no longer do jobs like this myself due to arthritis).
Thanks in advance for any help. Read more
Thanks Peter
Hi, hoping someone can help me, I have a 1965 Triumph Herald 12/50 saloon positive earth I am currently restoring.
I have temporary wired the ignition system just to start the engine, it turns over but does not fire, on checking the spark at the plug it only sparks when the ignition is turned on and not when the engine is turned, I have followed the wiring diagrams in the Haynes manual but to no avail. needing help/ideas please. Read more
Assuming fuel delivery is ok and ignition timing is set correctly.
Ignition low tension circuit basics:
Ignition on, test lamp on live side of coil - lamp lit = feed ok
Turn engine over - lamp still lit = cranking feed ok
Move test lamp to distributor side of coil and crank engine - test lamp should flash off and on as points open and close = distributor working
If above is ok, suspect secondary windings in coil (i.e. duff coil) or ignition high tension circuit i.e. distributor cap, rotor arm, leads, plugs, plug caps etc.
As the old Mondeo estate becomes very long in the tooth, I'm looking for a slightly smaller replacement in the next few months; I was thinking chiefly along the lines of a Focus or Octavia. I need it to tide me over for about the next 5 years until Mrs W and I are both fully retired and go to one car - at which point, we'll get something smart that'll see us out.
A friend is due to retire shortly and has been offered his company Astra Club estate with the 1.3 diesel engine. He won't be buying it as he has the use of his son's car - and ultimately, he will want something a bit more powerful. He reckons it's a bit slow to take off but, once it's bowling along, it's fine. It's a 56 reg and I think it's about £5.5k - which I think is about trade price. He has asked me if I'd be interested in buying it.
I just wonder if any of you chaps have had any experience of the 1.3 diesel Astra - has anyone experienced the self-destruct engine extravaganza as described on C by C breakdown? I should add that I am not the sort of chap who flies around like a loon and so I'm not looking for Ferrari performance - anyway, I don't think Ferrari do an estate.
Cheers Waino
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The answer is no and is the reason the Road Fund is £120 and not £35>>
Thanks for your comment, dervdave. I had been following this question up and had seen your enquiry on What Diesel. You're quite famous ;-)
I think what had thrown me was HJ's comment on the C by C about dpf equipped 1.3s self-destructing. But, following the logic through, this could only possibly occur in Twin-top Astras as they are (afaik?) the only Astra variant fitted with dpfs. I was also thrown by references in the handbook to the dpf warning light.
As I said, I'm pretty sure I'll be buying the car to replace the faithful old Mondeo, so I'll no-doubt have more questions as I'm totally unfamiliar with diesels.
I have an 09 KA basic model, had it for 6 months, every month i have a problem where, mid wipe, my wiper blade just gets caught and snaps in half, leaving me doing 70mph on the m25, driving behind a lorry with salt spray and no wiper!!!!
The wiper has snapped 4 times in this way (different senario) and all the stupid ford garage keep doing is replacing the wipers every month!!! Does anyone else have this problem?
To top it off, after my last visit for a wiper replacement, i come home to clean the interior of my car to find ive flooded my mums hoover by sucking up water from the rear passenger foot well. If not already fuming about my 4th visit for a wiper blade, im outraged at this point.
On the phone again, being passed to piller and post, stupid unhelpful ford service ppl tell me to bring my car in and say they have no courtesy cars to give me. Then my jack russel of a mum stepped in and did the shouty bit.
Was finially told that its something to do with the bulkhead and the entire dash board has been stripped!? Whats a bulkhead? and whats wrong with it to make it leak? Read more
hi have you sorted leak out yet in most cases wouldnt have to remove dash i found leaks by bonnet hinges sealing this up nomally works
Browse
No mines more relating to the car itself.
that ones Sha**y on an MGF
Mines the same as having MG** ZST on an MGZS