January 2010
Volvo S40 2001 1.8
My car has been starting fine no problems this winter.
I used my car on Wednesday evening coming home from work and it started fine. Gets home and parks the car there.
Overnight temperatures dropped to minus 14.
Was supposed to go work today but had a burst water pipe so had to clean that up.
Eventually had to go out at 8pm and the car wouldnt start.
Dash board comes on but faintly lit.
Try to turn it over and it click....only way to describe it is like a kids toy mahcine gun clicking noise.
Tried it 3 times and then left it.
Would this just be the battery?
Any help appreciated! Read more
I'm looking for a car as it's started to get cold on a bike. Can't spend more than a grand, got the wife and 2 kids to squeeze in but will mostly be used for the work run. Done a quick search through a few reviews and although I had my heart set on a P reg onwards Golf I'm undecided after Reading other reviews.
Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Golf are the only ones I've cOme up with so far
any recommendations or avoid lke the plague are welcome
cheers Read more
Audi 200 2.2
sold it for more than I paid for it with 164K miles
Excellent engine that 2.2 5 cylinder. Nice sound and long lasting. In the 100 and 200 they produced better economy than the 90 (I had the 90 Quattro), because they were so aerodynamic for the time.
Hi,
What are the new mini's like to drive in the snow and ice.
I had a 1980 1000 mini and it was the best car I have driven in the snow. Never failed to get to work..... if it started.
All mini I have seen over the last few days seems to be stuck in 1st gear. Are they that bad? I know the thin tyres on the my model helped me loads.
Regards
Baz
Read more
I remember our old 1960s Mini being superb in snow. Obviously deep snow was a problem and the front number plate would soon tear off but its light weight, direct steering and minimal length made it so chuckable.
A while ago, there was a "trucking" item in a thread, which mentioned allowing a drink to warm up to a reasonable temperature before drinking it. Someone wondered why one would allow a cold drink to warm up.
I now know the answer to the above. I found some tins of beer in my car's boot, which I'd forgotten about. I can't get all the beer out of the tins. Read more
I picked up a little book on motoring printed by Autocar way back - interesting info on road tax, insurance costs etc. in the 1940's.
I was particularly struck by a statement that at that time (1949) the fine for being drunk in charge of a car was £50, which is not remarkable, but what did seem odd was a note that a life disqualification and 6 months jail had often been added to the fine.
Is there currently any power to disqualify for life, or was there indeed such a power then?
Read more
I have jusy changed the cooling thermostat (not easy had to remove the battery) and now the engine temp gauge stays unrecording though the heater gets hot. It did work ok before!
Where is this sensor and how do I reach it? Read more
That's OK , you probably just disturbed it doing the thermostat.
hi to all
would anyone be able to help identify the problem i have with my 55 reg fiesta st. once i'm in fourth gear approx 30mph to 40mph my car seems to make a strange kind of humming noise or rumble. once into 5th gear it quiets down. its louder when cold but once ran for a while its still there but quieter. be gratefull for any info. i have checked wheel bearings which seem to be fine Read more
any oil in the box?
And I thought £60 was harsh.
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8446545.stm Read more
Already under discussion at :-
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?f=2&t=79...7
Hi all this is my first post although I have read many articles on this forum and find it really usefull...ok here goes I have got myself another xantia 1.9td estate..the heater was not blowing hot or even warm air so I looked first at the control panel to check it was alternating from hot 2 cold via the switch..that was ok..next I put in a new thermostat..gave the radiator a flush clean..drained the whole system and flushed until clean...today filled up with fresh coolant using header tank..I now do have heat its not great but will do BUT when heater is turned up the temp gauge goes through the roof when heater is turned down temp gauge goes down immediately...makes me think it could be an electrical fault as how could the engine cool so quick...its annoying as having sorted out the heater problem now cant use it coz temp gauge goes so high..normally it works the reverse doesnt it!! only other point is twin fans dont come on when gauge shoes high temp which also makes me think this is not the real reading of the engine..anyone got any ideas?? look forward to hearing them. Read more
The normal sequence of events is that the water temperatur drops when you put the heater on, especially in this weather. Is it turning the temperature or the fan up that causes the increased reading, and how long does it take to react?
I know some BRs were trying to find out what had happened to the museum at Donington.
The following link to Autosport quotes the owner, Kevin Wheatcroft, as saying the museum re-opened this week. And they are trying to sort the circuit out as soon as possible.
www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/80753 Read more
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-14 is flippin' cold and will test all but the very best of batteries.
My advise would be, assuming that the terminals are all clean and the cells have enough water in them, to take the battery off at night if you suspect it is going to be that cold and leave it in the warm some where.
As it is, you will need to charge it up or jump start the car to get her going.
Remember that the oil in your car will be quite thick now. This will take more to turn over, putting more strain on the starting system. Also be mind full of the cold oil and allow you car to idle for a while before tearing off in it.
I read this week of a guy in the US who had his tractor plugged in over night to keep the coolant warm. She started on the button straight away, ran for a few minutes, powered down and stopped, seized solid!. The oil was too thick for the oil pump and the drive to it snapped starving the motor of oil. It was a 7.6 litre engine. Not that that is too likely to happen, but be aware that the cold puts strain on your car that you might not have thought of.