Question:
We own a new Citroen C3 1.4 HDi 16-valve and it's really quick! The acceleration from standstill to 60mph is much better than my brother's C5 2.2 HDi and so far it has averaged 56mpg.
Answer:
No problems that we know of but most manufacturers are racing to produce high performance 16-valve diesels. So, you may be ahead of the trend!
Question:
I have a Citroen Picasso HDI which, at just nine months old, has developed a peculiar fault when light footing the accelerator. The engine decides this is a signal for a rapid deceleration and the car slows down dramatically. Any ideas?
Answer:
It could be the fuel pump but that would tend to result in consistently poor performance - unless there's an airlock developing when the ambient temperature is very high. But it sounds more like the electronic 'fly-by-wire' throttle, which does the job of the old type accelerator cable. These are not over prone to failure but it seems possible that this could be the culprit.
Question:
Which diesel car would you choose - a Ford Mondeo Ghia X TDCi or an Audi A4 1.9 TDI.
Answer:
The Mondeo Ghia X TDCi is a nice car with a great engine, but offers less impressive economy with the automatic 'box. The Audi A4 1.9TDI Multitronic is an even nicer car, vocal but fine and gutsy engine, best automatic 'box available. There's no economy penalty against the manual version either, meaning 50mpg potential. Build quality is also the very best.
Question:
I took delivery of a BMW 320D Tourer four weeks ago and had a 'Tracker' security system fitted by the dealer. Today the car let me down, absolutely dead flat battery. I had the BMW mechanic call but he could not identify why.
Answer:
The Tracker organization and its agents must have some collective knowledge of such problems, and we would take a hard line with the supplier - even going so far as to suggest that you want a replacement car until it's sorted, and that you may seek legal recompense for the costs.
previous page
Produced with the support of Green Flag
