April 2011
The dashboard on my 2003 Xsara has stopped working whilst I was checking the fuel sendor unit due it not reading. Does anybody know if this is supported by a fuse and where it is located before I start stripping the dashboard out?
The Radio & Information panel illuminate with no problems and the swiches on the centre console illuminate when switching on the lights, seems to be confined to the dash panel. Everything else on the car works fine. Read more
Hi. My first visit here and hoping for someone to help me please!!
I have a '54 Peugeot SW petrol 2.0 and the antipollution fault message is showing and the car is juddering. Having scanned through various forums I am confused and need some clarity!... Read more
My Peugoet 306 1995 model has a serious problem with water entering the car from the sunroof, I've read this can be a problem. I've checked the channel are clear, that are meant to channel the water down and out under the car. When I poured some water down the channels to see if they were blocked the water just pouring straight into the car as if no channels were there.
Can it be possible that these channel have a hole in them, or for some reason aren't there?. I'm not sure if the channels are part of the frame or a rubber tube ect, but the problem is very bad and I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas and how to fix it. Read more
I've noticed that secondhand car dealers are almost routinely giving a quick blow-over with the spraygun to the sills, wheelarches and door-bottoms of even quite recent secondhand cars. The problem with this is that this usually leaves an area of matt overspray where the new paint overlaps the original. This rather defeats the object of the exercise, which is to make the cars look smarter!
I can understand this with old bangers or cars that have had repairs done, but on 5 or 6 year-old cars? Read more
A lot of dealers, particularly franchised ones, do the bumpers and front of the bonnet as a matter of course. They don't even look at the cars - they get shipped to their reconditioning people directly as they come in before they reach the dealership.
Every single car which has passed through the hands of my local Ford dealer group for example will have had the front bumper repainted.
Can anyone explain if there is a technique to remove bottom wishbone ball joint. I used a pry bar and too me ages. I jaked the car up at the jacking point at the sill, took the bot out the hub clamp and it just would not budge. Do I have to jack up the hub or anything? Should invest in a ball joint fork? thanks Read more
Hello all, I'm a newbie to both motoring and car maintenace and in need of some assistance with regards to my ZX. I have been faithfuly getting help from both this site, (your good selves!) and a Haynes manual, but have recently come acropper! I have had very spongy brakes on the old ZX with a juddering motion comming form the front nearside, which after some reading leads me to believe that this caliper is sticking and causing the brake fluid to travel back up the pipe, hence the juddering, does this sound like a reasonalbe diagnosis? Any way I tried to initially bleed the brakeds to get rid of some of this spongy brake pedal and you've guessed it, even after soaking the nipples with WD, have managed to snap both of them off!
So I have decided to replace both the font calipers in the hope that I will be able to eradicate this judder and firm up the brakes on this great car! But alas I cannot find a 'how to guide' anywhere, not in the Haynes manual (which seems to refer only to Girling brakes) or via this or any other site on the web! ... Read more
If you can get the pipe unions undone you can bleed them fairly well from there, very often they rust to the pipe so if you see the pipe twisting stop turning. They would only normally go spongy if air got in, and it only usually does that because the reservoir level is low, it could be though if the brakes are binding badly the fluid has boiled.
The calipers are broadly similar, held on with two bolts, the instructions in your Haynes manual should help. If the pipes are siezed to the unions you can if you are lucky unscrew the caliper from the pipe once removed, the pipes will usually bend sufficiently to remove the caliper first but if you kink them they will need replacing.
Hi all,
I have a Citreon C5 estate 2 litre HDI and i have developed a clunking sound on the back wheels, I have taking it to 2 local M.O.T stations and there are unsure of any acurate solution.
(I have been told it could be a sphere, and many many other things)... Read more
What year is your car? There was a bodge involving weights to try to cure the problem on early C5s, then they redesigned the trailing arm set up (2003ish?) it's all documented in the "what's bad" section of HJ's writeup on the C5.
Is it just me , or have others noticed the proliferation of new Audis , mostly in white , and many of those convertibles ?
... Read more
I deliberately paid attention to the subject as I walked through the local Sainsbury's car park this morning. That's as good a barometer of taste as anything. White is definitely the new silver
In 2007 we bought a BMW X5 from a local car dealer we were friends with. Not long after we had it, things started going wrong, battery, electrics, catch on boot, etc......this soon lead to major things like, gas suspension, drives, fuel pumps etc. After investigation we discovered it had been clocked, and that it was an ex police vehicle. All of which we did not know when we bought it. To cut along story short, after attempts to have the car dealer rectify the problem, which he did not, we took our case to trading standards, after just over 3years, our case was heard in court and we won our criminal case against the car dealer.
We now are in the prcocess of taking our civil case for compensation, what exactley are we entitled to claim for????... Read more
Try going for the full cost you paid for the vehicle plus loss of use at £15 a day for any period you were off the road (ie you did not have use of it) .
If you need help bringing your case or wish to discuss further contact me directly at asklucy@honestjohn.co.uk
I can be cruising merrily then pull up at lights. I pull away there is a serious lack of power feels like fuel shortage, push throttle harder and misfire will turn into power surge. frightening!! I have found that if I turn off car and count 3 then fire up again it clears.I am now so frightened of this I feel like selling car. I have been to main dealer they only want to see a light on the dash or a fault code I have neither. Read more
Could be anything, but presuming the engine runs well otherwise, i'd replace the throttle position sensor. See also http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=75416
Browse
Hi mate. Can I ask if you ever got this sorted and if so how? I have exactly the same problem after getting a new fuel pump fitted. Mine is a 2003 Xsara too. Only difference is, is that my radio goes bonkers and bleeps and cuts out. Checked all fuses and tried BSI reboot no no avail.
Cheers...