SCOOBY DON'T
My Subaru Impreza WRX runs badly in damp weather, but fine when warm and dry. In the damp it has almost no power until after a few miles of running, but on warmer days it seems to run okay right from start-up. Posted by: scottinnes
This can only be related to the engine management electrics. If it bucks and misfires when power is down, it's most likely poor insulation of the high-tension ignition circuit. If not it could be that a management sensor is under-performing in the damp, in which case a diagnostic test is needed.
LIGHT NOT-SO FANTASTIC
When I drove my M-reg Rover 214i the other night the steering wheel suddenly went extremely light - as if in an arcade game - although the wheels still turned okay. Have you come across this sort of thing before? Posted by: stewartyboy
No, except where the front tyres suddenly contact ice or wet mud, or they aquaplane in shallow water. There's nothing in the power steering (if you have it) that could suddenly drastically increase the available assistance. It must have been the road surface.
SOOTY COMBI
I have a Vauxhall Combi 1.7 diesel that has done 37,000 miles and produces lots of black smoke when moving off from a standstill. A main dealer has fitted new air and fuel filters and applied a fuel additive, but it's no better. Posted by: tonyealamb
Without knowing the age of the Combi we don't know if it has mechanical or electronic injection. In the latter case an electronic diagnostic session with a dealer should pinpoint the fault, and in the former, look for a malfunctioning injector or incorrect injection timing.
SHORT-LEGGED GOLF
My 1996 1.8-litre Golf automatic is very expensive on petrol, and I've noticed that when driving at 70mph it's revving at a giddy 3500rpm - abnormally high. Do you have any idea what I can do about this? Posted by: Vivienne
Yes, swap it for another, less frenzied car. This overall gearing is not overly high for a 1.8-litre petrol car of this vintage. The bad news is there's nothing you can do to fundamentally change it, but if high revs annoy you, your next car should be a long-legged turbodiesel.
PUNGENT FORD
Our year-2005 Ford Focus Ghia 2.0 (150bhp) is a beautiful car, except for the awful smell it makes around its front end - which often spreads into the cabin when driving. Ford has done a diagnostic check-over and all is apparently okay. Can you suggest what the smell might be? Posted by: gregmb
It would help if you described the smell! Is it the acrid smell of overheated brake linings? Apart from the odours of escaping fuel, or rubber that has become too hot (drive belts, tyres) there's little at the front of the car to smell bad. Unless there's roadkill stuck in the engine compartment.
UNTRUSTWORTHY PUG
Over the past two weeks the engine of my 160,000-mile Peugeot 309 1.9 diesel has been cutting out 3-4 times a day when driving, although when left for 5-10 minutes it goes fine again. It's not overheating, and there's plenty of fuel in the line. Posted by: evil_ellie45
This could well be down to the injection pump fuel shutoff solenoid, which may have an intermittent electrical connection to it. A continuous 12V supply is needed to it all the while the engine is running, to allow fuel flow through the pump.
UNDER PRESSURE
My 1999 Citroen Xsara 1.9D pressurises its radiator even when cold. One garage says the head gasket or head has cracked, while another says that while the symptoms point to a head problem, testing it 10 times revealed nothing. Any thoughts? Posted by: Matthew
It may well be an air lock in the cooling system, although it does have the hallmark of a cracked head or leaking head gasket. You can eliminate that possibility by having a coolant chemical test carried out. Otherwise, it's just down to careful air-bleeding of the system, ensuring the heater valve is open.
THE CHEAPER COOLING CHOICE
Which is more fuel-efficient: using air conditioning or having a window open? A friend says the former is more economical, but I always understood the opposite. Please clarify. Posted by: tom-charlie2
There aren't any statistics on this, but it's possibly a case of 'six of one and half a dozen of the other'. The AC pump places a load on the engine, and you overcome it by pressing harder on the throttle. Similarly an open window causes air turbulence that drags on the car, and again you (subconsciously) press the throttle further. Use the AC - it's what it's there for.
AUDI LACKS FIRE
I've changed the glowplugs in the hope of making my 173,000-mile Audi A6 2.5TDI 140 start-up more easily. It used to start reluctantly when both warm and cold, but now only when it's cold. Even actuating the glowplugs twice doesn't help. I've been told it may be a pump timing problem. Posted by: John Sciberras
This engine doesn't strictly need its glowplugs actuated to fire up, even from cold. The most likely cause is air ingested into the low-pressure (supply) side of the fuel system. Get all unions checked for air leaks.
JAP ON STRIKE
I have a 50,000-mile Mazda 626 that recently went to have its air-con gas recharged and the right front axle replaced. But today, as I was pulling out of a parking place, the car wouldn't move. I've tried all gears and even selected neutral so as to push it by hand, but it won't move! Posted by: bef964
We're guessing the lock-up is related to 'having the right front axle replaced' - whatever that means. The Mazda doesn't have an axle as such, but two independent struts each carrying a short stub-axle. It's possible something at hub level has been misfitted - possibly a brake component.
next page
Produced with the support of Green Flag
UNTRUSTWORTHY PUG
Over the past two weeks the engine of my 160,000-mile Peugeot 309 1.9 diesel has been cutting out 3-4 times a day when driving, although when left for 5-10 minutes it goes fine again. It's not overheating, and there's plenty of fuel in the line. Posted by: evil_ellie45
This could well be down to the injection pump fuel shutoff solenoid, which may have an intermittent electrical connection to it. A continuous 12V supply is needed to it all the while the engine is running, to allow fuel flow through the pump.
UNDER PRESSURE
My 1999 Citroen Xsara 1.9D pressurises its radiator even when cold. One garage says the head gasket or head has cracked, while another says that while the symptoms point to a head problem, testing it 10 times revealed nothing. Any thoughts? Posted by: Matthew
It may well be an air lock in the cooling system, although it does have the hallmark of a cracked head or leaking head gasket. You can eliminate that possibility by having a coolant chemical test carried out. Otherwise, it's just down to careful air-bleeding of the system, ensuring the heater valve is open.
THE CHEAPER COOLING CHOICE
Which is more fuel-efficient: using air conditioning or having a window open? A friend says the former is more economical, but I always understood the opposite. Please clarify. Posted by: tom-charlie2
There aren't any statistics on this, but it's possibly a case of 'six of one and half a dozen of the other'. The AC pump places a load on the engine, and you overcome it by pressing harder on the throttle. Similarly an open window causes air turbulence that drags on the car, and again you (subconsciously) press the throttle further. Use the AC - it's what it's there for.
AUDI LACKS FIRE
I've changed the glowplugs in the hope of making my 173,000-mile Audi A6 2.5TDI 140 start-up more easily. It used to start reluctantly when both warm and cold, but now only when it's cold. Even actuating the glowplugs twice doesn't help. I've been told it may be a pump timing problem. Posted by: John Sciberras
This engine doesn't strictly need its glowplugs actuated to fire up, even from cold. The most likely cause is air ingested into the low-pressure (supply) side of the fuel system. Get all unions checked for air leaks.
JAP ON STRIKE
I have a 50,000-mile Mazda 626 that recently went to have its air-con gas recharged and the right front axle replaced. But today, as I was pulling out of a parking place, the car wouldn't move. I've tried all gears and even selected neutral so as to push it by hand, but it won't move! Posted by: bef964
We're guessing the lock-up is related to 'having the right front axle replaced' - whatever that means. The Mazda doesn't have an axle as such, but two independent struts each carrying a short stub-axle. It's possible something at hub level has been misfitted - possibly a brake component.
next page
Produced with the support of Green Flag
Font size
Mail
My account
Help
Community
Print now
Send to a friend
Related articles
Related products
