January 2011
There's been a lot of discussion regarding diesel engine remapping affecting engine and longevity, but very little regarding their affect on emissions. Now I understand that most aspiring hotrodders aren't especially concerned with NOx and particulate eissions, but it is something to bear in mind if anyone wonders why factory settings appear 'conservative'. I'm not puritanical on this subject, but it does irritate me that backstreet 'tuners' (kid with a laptop) won't even acknowledge any of the potential downsides of their facile modifications. Diesels, unlike gassers are currently subject to ridiculously lax emissions testing during the MOT. Gassers are subject to rigorous exhaust gas composition analysis, whereas diesels simply have to comply with an opacity test at maximum governed speed. Surprise, surprise, an unloaded engine not smoking-who'd have thought?!
Tuning companies frequently extol the merits of 'optimising' the fuel settings to improve efficiency-free horsepower and better mileage! Fantastic! Er no. There are three things you can do with diesel fuelling; advance the injection, retard the injection timing, or increase the fuelling. Advancing the timing tends to increase peak cylinder pressures and temperatures. This tends to yield slightly better efficiency at the expense of a huge increase in NOx. Other side effects include an increase in bearing loadings and diesel clatter. Perhaps one would prefer to retard the injection settings. The effect is to reduce diesel knock and Nox, but a large increase in soot, CO, HC emissions. At high load, EGTs will increase substantially. Funnily enough, tuning companies never mention EGTs, yet every heavy duty engine operator is taught to keep a close eye on excessive EGTs.... Read more
I notice the offical mpg for the premium model is 48.7 (combined), just out of interest for those who have the 1.7 versions what is your avergage MPG?
Have been to see the car at the dealership and its top of my list.... Read more
Just went 172 mile since getting the car last Wednesday and seen on the trip an average of 58.8mpg. That in my books is a smiley face and I guess it can only get better?
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my vivaro 1.9 cdti 05,it starts ,ticks over for around 2 mins then stalls ,when i try and start again it just stalls , van was running fine a hour befor ,recentley fiitted new turbo ,and last week put a bit of petrol in at garage ,but topped tank up with diesel ,the van ran perfect all week ,does anyone know what it could be ,maybe a clogged up catylick convertor due to turbo going and the petrol that i put in ????????????? Read more
check EGR valve as these block up something terrible (please use gloves as your hands will be filthy for weeks), it is sited to the right hand side at the rear of the engine as your looking at it with 3 10mm bolts holding it on.
also mass airflow sensor, try disconnecting it forst to see if you still have the problem...
Morning,
I purchased a replacement rear wiper motor as it had gone, however when I go to replace it I notice that its attached to the car not by bolts but by something that looks like a domed rivet end with a hole and three small slots.... Read more
If it's anything like my Xsara Estate, the motor is screwed to a plate with damper washers.
That plate is held to the bodywork with large rivets. I suspect that this is what you are referring to. They will have to be drilled out and replaced with large pop rivets or nuts and bolts....
hi all, just wondered if anyone could assist me on fixing my car. before xmas i slid off the road into a ditch on my passenger side,
it got some water inside the car and since it got pulled out the central locking dosent work from the remote but will work with the key.... Read more
I would suggest that you replace the pollen filter gasket before replacing the carpets.
I have looked after 5 Passats in the family over the last few years & all have leaked at this gasket wetting the module & carpets....
I bought a Nissan Note a few months ago but never got the owners manual with it.
Does anyone know where I can download it as I need to change a headlight bulb and it's not like any other car that I have done this too before.... Read more
Plenty on ebay. Regards Peter
Hi
first post!
Today after a short 1.5 hr stop I started the car to find 3 dash warning lights lit up (where before there were none (and never have been)):- the battery discharge light, the low oil level light and the fuel filter light.
I limped home (3 miles in dark - all seemed fine) and consulted the handbook which says:-
battery discharge (??)
check oil level and add oil
purge fuel filter (instructions in there how to do)
Query:- I find it strange that all 3 lit up at same time? what else could it be? and what to do/check? Maybe a multi-connector? or something far worse? :>(((
There's a forum post on RAV4 World from 2008 with the exact same symptoms but apart from two suggestions that the alternator or it's belt was iffy, the trail goes cold....
Any help gratefuly received thanks
Jim Read more
ah - are you referring to the "long life" stuff? that got changed out at 5yrs (I think) for "ordinary life" - but still worth a check/change this coming service time thanksIt's the anti-corrosion in the coolant that deteriorates,not the anti-freeze.
Hi
Could do with some advice, A friend has changed the cambelt on a Passat TDi BMR engine and about a week after the tensioner come off. It had pulled the stud out of head and snapped all the rockers.... Read more
Unfotunately no insurance for this sort of thing.
The car has not been recovered yet as it is in Dover and his workshop is in London. Both times the car was run by costomer for over a week without problem but I think it broke on the motorway both times....
Problem started today. Car has not been used for a couple of days. It was very cold this morning. When i tried to start the car it struggled. It felt like the battery was flat, dashboard lights went off, the engine turned sluggishly, then started. When the engine was started the needles on the speedo and rev dials turned clockwise to read maximum speed/revs then settled back to zero then went back to normal. This is the first time it happened.
Now on the driver's door only the driver's electric window switch works. Other three are dead. The electric window switch on the other doors work, it is just i can't open them using the switches on the driver's door.
The car now starts perfectly, i have checked the fuses and operations of all lights/horn/wipers and no problems there.
The problem with the electric switches is still there.
Any idea what happened? Read more
After fully recharging the battery i had reset the windows as instructed in the manual. Now all four switches on the driver's door work.
Excellent :-)
I live on a slight hill and as soon as a decent fall of snow arrives I have great difficulty getting onto my drive due to tracton loss.
The adaption to the vehicle involves a lowered floor with a spring loaded ramp which is some 500mm behind the rear axile.... Read more
I second BiG above, run your present set through this summer and fit a set of quality all season tyres when the winter arrives, straight replacements.
BiG recommends Goodyears, there are others and Vredestein is well respected in this sector with Quatrac 2 or 3. ...
Browse
True! I was thinking more along the lines of European manufacturers who have a long successful history with building their own.
The Japanese have never been much interested in diesel, and I think they only built them to maintain share in the European market. Still, Honda seemed to make a good job of it. I wonder if Ford decided 'to lend Mazda a hand' in designing a new diesel-Ford and their partners in crime, navistar, have got a pretty chequered history with compression ignition.