July 2013
I'm on my second BMW 118d SE. My current one (40k miles) was inherited after 15k miles from a colleague. I covered 80k trouble free miles in the first vehicle.
Recently and without warning I've been having problems engaging third gear. First it baulked and needed careful handling to get the car into third gear. Now, from time to time, it's impossible to engage third gear. I think this is a reall safety issue - especially in city driving.... Read more
I've just come back from a great holiday in France - however I witnessed a Gendarme sting exercise in a major service station whilst driving south between Calais and Rouen. There were a few blue Gendarme cars/vans and a double decker car transporter full of cars - some with roof boxes etc.. and as far as I could see as I nervously drove past ALL the cars were from the UK. They were also in the process of "dealing" with another car. I suspect lots of ruined holidays.
Speaking to another couple on the camp site I was staying at they were stopped at the large fuel station near to the Eurotunnel. It appears if you have a SatNav attached to you windscreen you were being questioned further. Not sure if this is related to what I witnessed.... Read more
The ECU I have got? In the 2001 1.4 vvti E11 model. Because it may eliminate my rattling sound, which sounds like pinking, but suspect I am not getting enough fuel through at the time and the ECU might need to re-learn something? But is it sufisticated enough to do this?
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which sounds like pinking
That's very unlikely. Modern cars have been using knock sensors to control ignition advance for years now and will retard to avoid pinking well before you hear it....
Hi
Looking for parts and advice please... Read more
Couldn't agree more Ethan, no need to go in shouting ''do you know who i am?'' at the Toyota dealer.
Hi tail gait lock has stopped working and is in locked position meaning we cant open boot. We can sourse new lock but how do we get old one removed since we cant open tail gait? Any help would be great thanks Carie Read more
Is it possible to change the cv joint in situ? I just wondered if while tapping the joint off the driveshaft there is a high possibility of pullingl the shaft out of the inner joint accidently.
I don't really want to remove the driveshaft as that would mean buying a kit for the inner joint as well, at least an oil seal and circlip which probably you can't buy seperately, but will enquire.... Read more
Well that was a big fail. Having undone everything , the lower arm, hub and removing the gaitor I couldn't get at the circlip in the cv joint. so I tried to get the driveshaft out - which woould make it far easier to remove the circlip and replace the joint - but driveshaft was well stuck in the gearbox and wouldn't budge even though I tried to lever it out. Reassembled everything bar the gaitor.
Exhausted now, so garage it is.
I can hear clunking coming from the driver's side, mainly when I reverse out of my driveway and turn into the road after the car has been parked overnight.
It's fine during normal driving, apart from what I can only describe as a very slight wobble / shudder sometimes during braking and acceleration (not felt through the pedal or steering wheel).
I've tried driving slowly in a circle with full lock on in both directions and in reverse, but the clunk is only there when the steering wheel is returning from full lock back to centre.
Any thoughts on what this could be?
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Just incase anyone has a similar problem...
I had the car looked at today and the mechanic said it's a roll bar bush that's in the very early stages of going. Everything else seems good and tight....
i changed the batt on my ford focus and i need the radio code please m411181 Read more
thank you
i changed the batt on my ford focus and i need the radio code please m411181 Read more
hi, my wide's uncle has same issue his serial number is m385630
try 6609
Browse
I've also read that having a GPS speed camera locator (Sat Nav, Smart phone etc....)is now classed as a very serious offence.
I'm not 100% sure that the sting was related to Satnavs other than speaking to other people who had been questioned elsewhere. However the fact remained there was a double decker car transporter next to the Gendarmes full of UK cars - some with roof boxes/bike racks etc.. - unlikely to have been pulled for excessive speeding