December 2003
I am after a bit of knowledge for a problem that has reared its ugly head.
My 95 Golf 1.8 (SOHC Single point injection *I believe*) is making a worrying noise from the alternater/water pump area. It sounds more towards the engine block (ie waterpump)than the alternater. The noise from cold is a scrunching noise about 3 times a second on tickover, however when warmed it up sounds more like a rattle (eg couple of stones in a tin can). It started yesterday and having driven it home and another mile to the garage this morning it has gotten significantly worse.
Normally I would just send it to the garage to diagnose and fix as although reasonably competent I am nowhere near expert level, however the garage can't do anything until 5th January, unfortunately I need the car as I am on-call for work.
Popped it down the garage just to get an opinion this morning and they were mentioning either waterpump or pretensioner (timing belt pretensioner I assume). Obviously I am currently not driving it anywhere but need to try and diagnose it myself and pray that the local VW garage has the parts I will need. Probably worth mentioning that the water pump was replaced about 16,000 miles ago.
My plan is to:
Remove the belt that goes around the water pump and alternater, start engine. If noise still there then rule out both alternater and water pump, if noise goes then do some further playing with first the waterpump then the alternater.
Is there anything else that this could reasonably be? If it does turn out to be the "pretensioner" is this a relatively simple job or is it best leaving to the pro's? Any advice on diagnosing? Any problems I should be wary of?
Any advice gratefully recieved and I'd like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a very merry Christmas!
Mike Read more
Backroomers
Ford Ka, started OK, engine running but get screaching noise if lights are switched on.
Any ideas? Alternator belt?
Thanks Read more
A squeaky fan belt can often be cured temporarily using water, WD40 etc. A loose, screeching belt won't be. Another point to be aware of is that when the belt screeching, the battery isn't being charged. A simple check with a voltmeter will show this.
Anyone with a recommend for replacements for currently fitted Michelins 185/65 r14.They are wearing well, but that aside offer poor grip at this time of year great when dry and warm.Any positive reports of Avons/Dunlops/Goodyear Avons CR 322 on the rear and for the price they appear to be good just a bit dubious about putting them on the front. Read more
I now have pirelli p6000 on my tdci zetec hatch and have been very pleased with them. Much more feel and response than the bridgestones they replaced. The car feels much more chuckable.
I have also driven cars with continentals- found them prone to tramlining and noisy, a heavy feel to the steering, and goodyear NCT2s which I rated highly, felt very much like the pirellis. But I do believe that you still have to make a choice between handling and tyre life, the softer rubbers giving much better grip especially in the wet but at the expense of tyre life.
I used to buy budget tyres but personally found them to give poor performance and short life.
Hey a final testimony to Pirelli quality- they were balanced with only a single tiny weight on the inside of each rim to balance the valve, no weights at all on the outside of the rim.
Hi,
I have bought a four year old Fiat Brava 1.9 Turbo Diesel. It has very poor acceleration on the motorway so I'm thinking the turbo isn't working. Can anyone sufggest how I can start to track down this problem before a garage takes me for an expensive ride. If it is the turbo what is likely to be the problem? And how much could it cost to put right?
Thanks for any advice,
jez
Read more
hi i just brought a 51 reg fiat brava and mine did the same think when going down the motorway 70 mph flat out i put a new mass air flow sence on and it cured the promble shop round on ebay i paid 28 pounds for new one other place want 60 to 100 pounds hope this helps
Mother had a puncture, local tyre place (not part of the usual chains) said not fixable and sold her a new Michelin tyre, a few weeks passed and I looked at the other front tyre and thought it was worthy of replacement. Thought best to buy same as the new one but after a few phonecalls found it was unobtainable and had been discontinued a long time previously. After some internet research found out that there is a date stamp on the tyre wall of all tyres and this revealed the 'new' tyre was in fact made in March 1997, not illegal but highly inadvisable. After long debate with tyre shop manager he agreed to refund the money and take the 'new' tyre back.
Moral in this story is when buying tyres check the date stamp on the tyre wall to check the tyre is no more than a year or so old... Read more
Interesting, Ian - I'll look at mine out of interest.
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn/problems.msnw?Page=1 - Pictures say a thousand words.....
I like the new Subaru Legacy/Outback. I've had several Subaru's in the past and I love them.
Now I can afford to get back into one after a couple of lean business years.
Took my year old X-Trail 2.2 Diesel Sport to my local Subaru garage who I have known for some 10 years and asked them to give me some figures for trading into an ex-demo Legacy Outback (top spec).
Gave me the figure of £6250 to change. Based on the list price of £25,500 less a couple of grand - £23,500, this gives a trade-in on my X-Trail of £17,250.
I paid £17500 for the X-Trail a year ago.
This seems a good deal and I am surprised at the (relatively) high value given on the X-Trail.
Any comments welcome as this would seem to buck the trend of horrendous 1st year depreciation.
JD Read more
Umm as a Scooby Legacy owner for a year or so the thing that frightened me was the servicing costs!
Mine was an R plated 2.5 4 Cam Auto, 7,500 mile intervals and the interim never cost less than £100 mine, was heading towards a 30K one and I reckon needed pads and possibly discs as well!
Also parts availability was not brilliant, mine eeded a new cat at 12K and it took them 3 weeks to get it. Mine had no A/C which was the reason it went.
Jim
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Having just come out of hospital after 4 weeks I tried to start the car,battery flat.Nice man from RAC started it for me.I gave it a stationary run at variable revs for about 45mins,as I cannot drive the car due to shoulder op for a few weeks I have done this every other day now three times,so battery should be ok now.I have one of the older type battery chargers i.e.low & high charge its even has 6&12 volt option,could I still use old chargers on 5yr old car with to-days modern technology? Read more
And Maplins are still selling digi voltmeters for £2.50. Half price in their 'sale', but they often have them on offer at that price.
A pool of water accumulates in the passenger footwell of my 2002 Focus TDCI when the vehicle has been standing duuring heavy rain.
This started about 6 months ago and persists despite investigations by the dealer. They seem however to think that the pollen filter housing is to blame but they have resealed it several times....
Originally I thought water was coming from the heater outlet below the passenger dashboard but now I think it is coming more from the centre (steering column area). Has anyone else had this problem? Read more
Thanks very much DD
Only a minor issue I know but one of the bulbs has gone.
The screws are so corroded that I can\'t get the lens off to replace the bulb.
How do I get at it. If I have to break the lens to get at the bulb can I still buy a lens because it seemed difficult enough to me to buy a part for a 1998 Golf never mind a 1986 one.
Rob Read more
If you're not yet a member of a Golf II owners club, it would probably be worthwhile, especially for such questions as this, including sources of scarce parts. I know from my membership of the Capri (mine is 1984) and M-B clubs that these subs cost only about £30 a year (magazines included), and the value increases as the car gets older and the spares and expertise more difficult to find. You may find one on this site in Directories: Honest John's list of Car Clubs in the UK; alternatively, try Googling it.
A gem from a recent edition of 'The Week', a news digest:
'Roger Bugg's Ford Escort was properly taxed, legally parked outside his ex-wife's house in Somerset and had new tyres.
But when a traffic warden spotted that two windows had been left half-an-inch open, that was reason enough to have it deemed a fire risk.(Open windows, it transpires, allow children to drop matches inside.) After 24 hours, police towed the car away and had it crushed. They said that they had tried to contact Mr Bugg at his registered address in Kent.'
What would Back Roomers' reaction be to this happening to their car?
P. Read more
That's absolutely crazy, in Somerset aswell!
Now where did I park my car earlier? Better go and check the windows......
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groups.msn.com/honestjohn/problems.msnw?Page=1 - Pictures say a thousand words.....
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Use a long screw driver and rest it on the possible offending part, Alternator etc and rest your ear on the handle. This noise could he the belt itself and is stopped by squiring wd40 on the steering pump pulley surface. If it stops get a new belt and change it.
If it turnes out to be the tensioner then ensure line up the pulley markings and mark the belt and sprockets so you are doubley sure the belt has not jumped. Did it have a new belt with the waterpump change. if not and depending on the mileage I would be tempted to change it with the tensioner. You can listen to the tension bearing with a screww driven but be very careful as a slip here could end up with the screw driver stuch in the cam belt Regards Peter