Ask a Shiter

[Des]

This tyre is looking a bit iffy,

 

 

That's what I get for running a sick ass low profile, I wonder if I can glue in a gaiter, maybe a piece of leather or seatbelt, and now a front caliper has broken, have I angered the Gods?

[hhhugues]

So I had a go. Went as far as removing the wheel and the protective panel behind it, and swiftly concluded that I had neither the tools or the patience / ability for the task. My local garage reckons they could put a used alternator (if i can find one) for £120. That sounds reasonable enough for labour i would think? 

 

On the other hand, another thing that made it a pain in the arse to work on the car is that the whole engine is incrediby dirty, and i don;t think its oil. If it's fuel, is that an automatic MOT failure? it's been like that for a while now. Given the state of the car, I really have to think twice about investing any money at all in this thing. Any advice on this welcome!

 

My binoculars are not powerful enough to let me see into your engine bay from here.

 

Post photos.

 

So here are some photos of the engine. Sorry it took a while 

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-jdCMTrFR6_YURFVG9GWHduVkE/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-jdCMTrFR6_a3ZJNEI0c3lzWTg

 

Sorry also that I've forgotten how to post photos properly. The engine looks rather shiny from afar actually - not sure if that will be helpful..

[Stanky]

2 and a half year old battery, removed from a car before it was scrapped 18 months ago. not been charged since. Will it be kippered? Its on freecycle currently and I have a trickle charger, is it worth bothering with or will it be stuffed?

[cobblers]

If it was fully charged when removed it'll be ok. If it was left flat it'll be shagged. Depends how lucky you're feeling.

[dave21478]

So here are some photos of the engine. Sorry it took a while 

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-jdCMTrFR6_YURFVG9GWHduVkE/view?usp=sharing

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-jdCMTrFR6_a3ZJNEI0c3lzWTg

 

Sorry also that I've forgotten how to post photos properly. The engine looks rather shiny from afar actually - not sure if that will be helpful..

 

 

Assuming the oil cap itself isnt leaking and assuming its not old oil from previously careless topping up spillages, I would be looking at the injector return lines - the small bore plastic pipes that come from each injector and take excess fuel away....They are probably perished and seeping.

 

Otherwise, buy a couple of cans of brake cleaner and spray them all over the place to clean that crud off - dont do this on your immaculate block paved driveway - then once its dry dust it lightly with talcum powder and drive for a while to see if new traces are visible.

[Stanky]

If it was fully charged when removed it'll be ok. If it was left flat it'll be shagged. Depends how lucky you're feeling.

 

Since its free I shall give it a shot, worst case scenario is that its had it and I take it to the dump (where I'll be going anyway) - best case scenario I have a spare car battery.

[Tickman]

Since its free I shall give it a shot, worst case scenario is that its had it and I take it to get weighed in - best case scenario I have a spare car battery.

EFA

[scaryoldcortina]

Assuming the oil cap itself isnt leaking and assuming its not old oil from previously careless topping up spillages, I would be looking at the injector return lines - the small bore plastic pipes that come from each injector and take excess fuel away....They are probably perished and seeping.

 

Otherwise, buy a couple of cans of brake cleaner and spray them all over the place to clean that crud off - dont do this on your immaculate block paved driveway - then once its dry dust it lightly with talcum powder and drive for a while to see if new traces are visible.

Looks more like leaky injector seals to me, look at all the crap pooling around the injectors themselves, and the black carbon from blowby. You get a high pressure misting too which settles everywhere as a greasy film.

[hhhugues]

Looks more like leaky injector seals to me, look at all the crap pooling around the injectors themselves, and the black carbon from blowby. You get a high pressure misting too which settles everywhere as a greasy film.

Thanks both, that's all useful advice. I'm pretty certain it's not oil, so some sort leaky injector issue is more likely. I'll try the clean + talcum technique and see what it tells me anyway, assuming i can get the car started after a good charge.

 

In the case of either leaky pipes or seals, do you reckon it means a) MOT failure, b ) lots of money to put right? I have literally no idea, and that's really the two main things that will inform my decision to either throw more money at the car or weight it in.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[scaryoldcortina]

Might fail for fuel leak if there are puddles around the injectors and on the rocker cover, might also fail a smoke test if the seals are badly gone. Leaky injectors are also costing you power and MPG and will get worse. Refurbed injectors and new sealing washers are the fix, but budget for at least £300.

 

Do as dave says first though, because leaky return lines will only cost a few quid to sort.

 

Edit - it's hard to start? It's the injectors.

[Stanky]

Battery collected and been on trickle charge for ~12h now and still going so we shall see what it looks like when i get home from work. Odds are as follows:

 

2/1 - Still charging

4/1 - Charger packed up

11/1 - Shed on fire

35/1 - Finished charging

 

Bet NAO!

[LessThanEqual]

I've got round to buying a cheapo OBD cable for my Ibiza in an attempt to fix the bugger. VCDS lite is giving me these codes:

19464 - Camshaft Position Sensor (G40) - Signal out of range P3008

18027 - Glow Plug Relay (J52): Open or Short to Ground P1619

17932 - Fuel Pump Relay (J17): Open or Short to Ground P1542 - Intermittent

17957 - Boost Pressure Regulation Valve (N75): Open or Short to Ground P1549 -- Intermittent

 

ATD engine code.

 

The car starts fine, glow plug relay can be heard clicking on and off and started fine in cold weather, fuel pump primes fine, all it does is go into limp mode at random (and usually at the worst) times. Sometimes I can chug along up a hill at 50 in 5th without problems, other times it'll go into limp mode just as I'm about to go on the A47 in the outside lane. Any pointers would be appreciated.

[Stanky]

LTE, I'd say clear them all and re-scan in a week or so as they could well be historic codes which were never cleared.

 

You'll then know which ones (if any) re-appear after a week of driving/until it next goes into limp mode.

[LessThanEqual]

LTE, I'd say clear them all and re-scan in a week or so as they could well be historic codes which were never cleared.

 

You'll then know which ones (if any) re-appear after a week of driving/until it next goes into limp mode.

Pretty sure these are the same codes that I've been getting for a year now, a cheap Bluetooth dongle always returned codes P0230 and P0243 after clearing which suggest the same faults as VCDS, albeit not quite accurate.

[sierraman]

Ford mondeo 2.0 tdci on a 54 plate. My dad said it's been a bit stiff going through the box for past couple of days when cold until today when he went to skeg and rang to tell me it had jammed in reverse. Is this going to be linkages or gearbox failure? He's talking of bridging it!

6 speed? Have you checked the oil level? Could be the beginning of the clutch/DMF failing. You can bypass the linkage to see if it's failed, the mechanism sits under the battery on top of the box, see if that allows you to select the gears.

[egg]

can you view french MOT (controle technique) results online?

[twosmoke300]

Id bet the cam timing is out on the ibiza

[5speedracer]

I've got round to buying a cheapo OBD cable for my Ibiza in an attempt to fix the bugger. VCDS lite is giving me these codes:

19464 - Camshaft Position Sensor (G40) - Signal out of range P3008

18027 - Glow Plug Relay (J52): Open or Short to Ground P1619

17932 - Fuel Pump Relay (J17): Open or Short to Ground P1542 - Intermittent

17957 - Boost Pressure Regulation Valve (N75): Open or Short to Ground P1549 -- Intermittent

 

ATD engine code.

 

The car starts fine, glow plug relay can be heard clicking on and off and started fine in cold weather, fuel pump primes fine, all it does is go into limp mode at random (and usually at the worst) times. Sometimes I can chug along up a hill at 50 in 5th without problems, other times it'll go into limp mode just as I'm about to go on the A47 in the outside lane. Any pointers would be appreciated.

Stay away from A47 outside lane seems the answer

 

Sent from my XT890 using Tapatalk

[catsinthewelder]

Does anybody know why this Zafira A might have developed an erratic idle? Me and Lord Sterling are taking it up to Yorkshire tomorrow.

[hhhugues]

Might fail for fuel leak if there are puddles around the injectors and on the rocker cover, might also fail a smoke test if the seals are badly gone. Leaky injectors are also costing you power and MPG and will get worse. Refurbed injectors and new sealing washers are the fix, but budget for at least £300.

 

Do as dave says first though, because leaky return lines will only cost a few quid to sort.

 

Edit - it's hard to start? It's the injectors.

 

Thanks, that's really useful. If i'm looking at £300 to sort it, it's just not worth it. I still need to replace the alternator and will need at least a couple tyres and front brakes and pads to get through MOT in May. Pretty sure i can get a better replacement for the £500+ i'm looking at.

 

I'll still check the return lines though - you never know!

 

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Noel Tidybeard]

Does anybody know why this Zafira A might have developed an erratic idle? Me and Lord Sterling are taking it up to Yorkshire tomorrow.

 

 

icv full of crap if its a petril- two bolts and a blast of carb cleaner may do the job

[LessThanEqual]

Id bet the cam timing is out on the ibiza

I'll see if the cam sensor code comes back today, the other three suggest ECU damage according to my Google-fu. If it comes back I'll get it retimed at a specialist and buy a deimmobilised ECU.

[dave21478]

can you view french MOT (controle technique) results online?

 

No.

 

They only gave up minitel and fax machines a couple of years ago - integrated, public-accessible, useful websites are still probably a decade away.

[Jerzy Woking]

I'm doing my first collection thread tomorrow (losing my virginity so to speak) collecting a £100 Mercedes from 120 miles away (WCPGR).

 

As I want to do it live, I would like to add photos as I go, but try as I might I can't seem to add any, either on the mobile or full site. I'll use a Samsung S5 on Android.

 

Anyone give me easy instructions on how I can do this? Thank you.

[Eddie Honda]

Use full site.

 

You just do what you on a desktop...

[LessThanEqual]

I'm doing my first collection thread tomorrow (losing my virginity so to speak) collecting a £100 Mercedes from 120 miles away (WCPGR).

 

As I want to do it live, I would like to add photos as I go, but try as I might I can't seem to add any, either on the mobile or full site. I'll use a Samsung S5 on Android.

 

Anyone give me easy instructions on how I can do this? Thank you.

Might be easier to upload to Imgur and paste the links in here.

[The Moog]

Tapatalk is easy to upload photos to

[LessThanEqual]

Right, I've taken my Ibiza on a 140 mile run, driven in a spirited manner and it went into limp mode three times. Only threw two codes:

17932 - Fuel Pump Relay (J17): Open or Short to Ground P1542 - Intermittent

17957 - Boost Pressure Regulation Valve (N75): Open or Short to Ground P1549 -- Intermittent

 

Dodgy earth somewhere or ECU malfunction? More searching online does suggest it's a bad ECU especially with the ATD engine.

[cobblers]

The n75 valves are common for failing on that era VAG stuff, I'd look at that before the ECU.

Could be dry joints or an iffy output device in the ECU though, both the fuel pump relay and the n75 valve are fairly high current outputs, they might even come out of the same chip tbh

[panhard65]

Ecu's don't give much trouble so it is more likely to be anything else first. In 30 years in the trade I doubt I have fitted more than half a dozen ecu;s  Has it been read with a decent code reader and checked with live data. A lot of cheap readers will give wrong codes and no live data. If you still think ECU send it to BBA Reman for testing as they have been reconning ecu's for years and know their stuff.