April 2011
Hello all. Have been away a while but am back with a problem new car.
After 8 years of driving Lexuses (IS200 / IS250) last year I ordered 325i (3.0 litre).
Although in many ways a better drive than the Lexuses I'm really struggling with just how noisy it is at idle and low revs - especially (but not only) when cold. It sounds like a diesel and I HATE the sound of diesel engines.
It went to the dealer a few months ago after the amber engine warning light came on and they replaced the ignition coil and spark plugs. It was OK for a while but has since got noisier and noisier. I took it back to my local dealer a week ago and they said the coil was OK but gave it a software upgrade which has made no difference. Not sure if this is relevant, but as well as being noisy the fuel consumption is pretty poor - I realise any 3.0 litre petrol 6 pot will have a bit of a drink problem but this averages less than 20 mpg around town (my 6 cyl IS250 was more like 25).
Any advice on the noisy idle? Surely a fairly expensive 6 cylinder petrol engine should be quiet? It's a company car so I can't even get rid.... Read more
Hi,
I was recently in my girlfriends Nissan micra and noticed a whirring/rumbling noise coming i think from the rear of the car. It seems to become noticeable at above 30mph and from what i could tell, the pitch of the sound increased with speed until it wasn't that noticeable over general cabin noise at about 70mph. I know next to nothing about cars but my first thought was that maybe it was a problem in the exhaust system. However the noise persists if while driving i asked her to take the car out of gear and free wheel for a while. If it where linked to the exhaust system wouldn't i expect it to go away once the accelerator is depressed?... Read more
Looks like it was a wheel bearing problem, thanks again for the heads up.
Hi have 307 sw estate and anti pollution fault coming on when i ever start the car but nothing seems wrong with on loss or restriction of power
code check done... Read more
Usual top analysis Andy! Hadn't though of that myself!
I own a Citroen Berlingo and when I use the central locking it locks then unlocks itself right away, tried locking manually which works for a few minutes then it unlocks itself again.
Anyone come across this before and forund a solution?... Read more
Ye Auld Blingo problem...mines been like that for years, it does it for a week, then stops doing it for months before starting off again for another week, been to the main dealers who cant find the problem. mine does it in cities rather than urban, maybe its microwave interference...dunno
I've purchased tyres online on a few occasions, but always gone 'fully fitted'. There is about a £15 price difference between 'delivered' and 'fully fitted' and I assumed that tyre places would charge about the same if I turned up with my own tyres for fitting. What's the cheapest way to get your own tyres fitted to make the 'delivered' option worthwhile? Kwik Fit type places or back street cash in hand establishments. How much should I aim for for fitting, balance, valve and disposal? Read more
mytyres.co.uk used to be cheap and to buy and fit myself saved £25.00 per tyre but prices have crept up and there's not much saving anymore.
Shop around is all you can do & id rather fit my own while i still can this machine is old but still works.:-)
I'm no mechanic but I've had a go at taking the cylinder head off for a possible repair.
Woulld anyone be good enough to advise whether it's worth me spending £200 for a skim and parts etc, or is it for the scrapper.... Read more
Classic diesel runaway-engine begins to run on its own oil-probably from a leaking oil seal in the turbo. The only way to 'kill a runaway' is to stuff a rag/shirt into the air intake to starve it of air-you'll know for next time!
I need a bit of advice, dealers are all closed over the holidays. I have an excellent car with 123K miles. Serviced to schedule by main dealer. Mainly motorway miles. Today just a few miles from home the display gave an audible warning and flahed up Engine! Workshop! and the glowplug light started to flash. I arrived home and resolved to contact my dealer. Later, when it was darker I noticed the brake lights were stuck on. After some pedal waggling they went off. Presumably a faulty micro switch. I wondered if the two are connected or just a coincidence. Could a faulty brake light switch cause the display to issue a warning? Also if the dealer cannot fit me in immediately and the glow plugs are not working is it alright to run the car? I need to work on Wednesday and do a long trip of some 300 miles, would faulty glow plugs cause any damage if the car was used? Knowledgable comments would be welcome. PS the car starts fine and the oil, water etc are fine and the engine sounds fine. Thanks Concrete Read more
Thanks again 659. You have put my mind at rest. There is VW dealer across the road from my Skoda dealer so if needed I will source the part myself. All the lights work and the brake lights do come on when the pedal is depressed. But they seem to stay afterwards until the pedal is pulled right back up deliberately. So I should not fall foul of the law or cause a problem with other motorists. Many thanks. Concrete
My vectra diesel 1.9 CDTi suffers from a slight hesitation at 1500rpm. It happens in every gear but its most noticeable in 2nd and 4th around 20-40mph.
If I cruise along and let the revs settle around the 1500rpm mark and keep it steady then slowly press the accelerator I can get the car to hesitate, if I hold it just at the right spot the hesitation grows and it kangaroos. One aropun 1800 to 2100 rpm the problem has gone away.
Its really annoying when navigating roundabouts...
Apart from my glow plugs needing replacing I have no other engine issues or engine error codes. Read more
Thanks for the reply. I did replace the EGR and clean out the egr pipes and clean the throttle valve. Bought some wynns egr cleaner.
I also put in a semi restricting gasket (from FIAT, as its the same engine) between the EGR and the throttle valve. I...
The water started in the passenger footwell and now it is in all footwells. It isn't the pollen filter or heater matrix. Vauxhall are quoting £500 for repairs which I can't afford, anybody have any ideas?? Read more
Over on the Corsa C forums they suggest first checking all drains at either end of scuttle panel where battery and washer bottle are fitted are clear and all leaves and other debris completely removed. There is some suggestion that the panel where the pedals are fixed to bulkhead can leak around its edges so worth investigating there as well.
Hello.
Just tried to open my bonnet on my car and it won't. The release leaver under the steering wheel is just loose and does not seem to be connected to anything.... Read more
If you can't pop it open like jamie says, remove the front grill and then use a screwdriver to release it.
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Hi, I have a 2008 3.0 litre 325i M sport coupe with 19inch RFTs, I'm averaging only between 17-18mpg, driving mainly to work and back (2.5 miles each journey). Quite a lot of start./stop, and short cuts through neighbourhood roads. I'm wondering is this normal? However, on a long run in a motorway, the car's average mpg is between 38 to 40mpg.
I'm thinking of checking the car out a local dealer, as it is still under the approved car warranty. What would you advise?...