WHO'S NICKED ME REVS?
I have a 1993 VW Golf automatic 1.8 that starts well, but if left running for a couple of minutes the engine stalls, and when pressing the accelerator the revs fall away before picking up. It's better when warm, but after stopping at junctions the revs fall away when I try to drive off.
Posted by: tom.morton51
Usually when this happens on a cold engine it's because cold-start fuel enrichment is insufficient, but on a hot engine it tends to be due to a weak mixture or fuel vaporisation. We suggest you have the cold-start mechanism and fuel supply checked.
ALL REVVED UP AND NO PLACE TO GO
Can you suggest why it is that my car engine stays all revved up?
Posted by: leese36
We'd appreciate it if you could be a bit more specific! For instance, what does 'all revved up' mean, and what type of car is it? If you mean that the tickover speed is too high - and we think you do mean this - then it could be simply that the fast-idle or normal idle function is adjusted too high (if it's a carburettor engine, or a diesel) or that the idle speed control valve has a problem (if it's electronic fuel injection).
GHOST IN THE MACHINE
When I turn on my car a screeching noise starts but then quiets down after a couple of seconds. What is it, what needs to be replaced, and how much?
Posted by: velazquezb
If it's related to the action of the starter motor, the most likely cause sis a dry starter motor pinion bush, or a sticky starter motor pre-engagement mechanism. If it's not the starter, then it could be a dry bearing on the alternator, power steering or air conditioning pumps, or on a belt pulley.
TOO SCARED TO COUGH UP
The valve clearances of my N-reg Vauxhall Astra 1.7 diesel are too small, causing poor starting and excessive smoke. It really needs to go to a dealer for sorting out, but how much am I likely to have to pay?
Posted by: lizborland
You shouldn't worry about this, as it's a routine job that won't cost a great deal. You should have plenty of change from £100 if it's a main dealer, and it could be considerabl cheaper at an independent garage. Get it done because its not doing any good.
DIESEL WITH A TASTE FOR WATER
My new Hyundai Tucson 2.0 diesel has done 3000 miles and has been back to the dealer three times due to the coolant level dropping below minimum - without any signs of leakage. Although the temperature gauge reads normal I'm worried I might be doing damage by driving it.
Posted by: john.togher
Maybe the cooling system had trapped air that which has since belched out, dropping the level. Or perhaps coolant is leaking into the sump or cylinders (from a leaking head gasket). Check the dipstick for a beige emulsion (of coolant and oil) and have the coolant chemically tested for combustion products.
LITTLE NISSAN ALL OF A SHAKE
Last week my Micra felt very juddery when reversing, and it later stalled five times. I got it started but it wanted to stall every time I came to a junction. I'll be taking it to a garage but would like to know the cause, and the cost to put it right.
Posted by: sonjamartine
There's clearly a problem with low-speed running, and that's more likely down to fuelling than ignition, so check for disconnected vacuum pipes, an induction air leak. It could actually be any one of a number of things, so don't ask us to cost it!
THIS FORD'S DEAD CHEAP TO RUN
Can you please tell me how I can remove the fuel cap of my Ford Fiesta Mk 3? I have snapped off the key inside it, and although I've bought a replacement cap there's nothing I can do with it.
Posted by:Phillip Tomkinson
The only way to get the old cap off is to drill into the centre of the lock barrel (where the key stub is), drilling an increasingly larger hole until the lock releases and the cap can be unscrewed. You'll need sharp high-speed steel drill bits, and to take care not to drill to deep or you'll dump metal shards in the tank.
CAN'T STEER, CAN'T STOP, NO HOPE
When I approach junctions in my Fiat Stilo 1.6 and change down a gear, the engine cuts out, the power steering goes and the brakes become so hard that I can't stop. A dealer has investigated but can't find anything and has given up on me.
Posted by: balmier666
This is most likely a fuel injection fault, and the only way to find out exactly what is to have a Fiat dealer connect an electronic diagnostic tester to the injection system to interrogate it for fault codes. The reason the brakes and steering become impossible is that they are servo-assisted from the engine, so you're losing assistance.
FRENCH CAR SEEPS GREEN
Can you tell me if any hydraulic suspension pipes on the Citroen Xantia run through the chassis? I ask because I can see green fluid leaking from a channel in the underbody.
Posted by: yaggtek
Yes, some of the hydraulic pipes run through compartments in the underbody, and as the suspension system is the only source of green fluid, you've clearly got a leak that should be investigated promptly as the same system operates the brakes.
THE EAGLE IS GROUNDED...
I have a 142,000-mile 1991 Eagle Premier 3.0 V6 automatic that simply won't drive. The engine works, there's fluid in the transmission, but it won't move! Before this happened, it would take awhile to get some drive going, but now there's nothing. A couple of workshops have suggested the transmission is shot.
Posted by: shuman082490
We'd have to concur with that opinion. Providing the manual selector is actually engaging Drive at the transmission, there's nothing else but a serious internal fault with the transmission unit - such as a failed torque converter or burnt-out brakebands - to cause this.
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LITTLE NISSAN ALL OF A SHAKE
Last week my Micra felt very juddery when reversing, and it later stalled five times. I got it started but it wanted to stall every time I came to a junction. I'll be taking it to a garage but would like to know the cause, and the cost to put it right.
Posted by: sonjamartine
There's clearly a problem with low-speed running, and that's more likely down to fuelling than ignition, so check for disconnected vacuum pipes, an induction air leak. It could actually be any one of a number of things, so don't ask us to cost it!
THIS FORD'S DEAD CHEAP TO RUN
Can you please tell me how I can remove the fuel cap of my Ford Fiesta Mk 3? I have snapped off the key inside it, and although I've bought a replacement cap there's nothing I can do with it.
Posted by:Phillip Tomkinson
The only way to get the old cap off is to drill into the centre of the lock barrel (where the key stub is), drilling an increasingly larger hole until the lock releases and the cap can be unscrewed. You'll need sharp high-speed steel drill bits, and to take care not to drill to deep or you'll dump metal shards in the tank.
CAN'T STEER, CAN'T STOP, NO HOPE
When I approach junctions in my Fiat Stilo 1.6 and change down a gear, the engine cuts out, the power steering goes and the brakes become so hard that I can't stop. A dealer has investigated but can't find anything and has given up on me.
Posted by: balmier666
This is most likely a fuel injection fault, and the only way to find out exactly what is to have a Fiat dealer connect an electronic diagnostic tester to the injection system to interrogate it for fault codes. The reason the brakes and steering become impossible is that they are servo-assisted from the engine, so you're losing assistance.
FRENCH CAR SEEPS GREEN
Can you tell me if any hydraulic suspension pipes on the Citroen Xantia run through the chassis? I ask because I can see green fluid leaking from a channel in the underbody.
Posted by: yaggtek
Yes, some of the hydraulic pipes run through compartments in the underbody, and as the suspension system is the only source of green fluid, you've clearly got a leak that should be investigated promptly as the same system operates the brakes.
THE EAGLE IS GROUNDED...
I have a 142,000-mile 1991 Eagle Premier 3.0 V6 automatic that simply won't drive. The engine works, there's fluid in the transmission, but it won't move! Before this happened, it would take awhile to get some drive going, but now there's nothing. A couple of workshops have suggested the transmission is shot.
Posted by: shuman082490
We'd have to concur with that opinion. Providing the manual selector is actually engaging Drive at the transmission, there's nothing else but a serious internal fault with the transmission unit - such as a failed torque converter or burnt-out brakebands - to cause this.
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