Amelia's Automotive Adventures - The car in front is ... faded red and high mileage!

[Amelia]

Meet 'Scarlett' 

A 2008 Volkswagen Fox with the 1.4 engine, with apparently 73 bhp.

 

[Amelia]

Sadly we've had our first falling out due to me leaving the interior light on!

Got jump started by a neighbour but as I went to pull away.....

Oh.

I didn't want to turn it off, so soldiered on with really heavy steering. Turned it off on the A127 and did a rolling bump start and all is well now. 🤦‍♀️

 

 

[outlaw118]

So, is it electrical power steering or something? Battery low, therefore you can FRO?

The best cars fix themselves anyway. 😀

[JJ0063]

4 minutes ago, outlaw118 said:

So, is it electrical power steering or something? Battery low, therefore you can FRO?

The best cars fix themselves anyway. 😀

These are electric I’m sure, PAS pump is only accessible by removing the wing IIRC?

[andyberg]

Totally different car but my wife's panda has electric steering and if it's sat for a week or more it will always start but will throw up the orange steering light. It's a common issue on the panda as the steering likes a fully charged battery. Light goes off after a few miles and stays off if the car is used regularly. If there's a genuine fault the steering light comes on red. Could be the same with the fox??

[New POD]

You say totally different car, but the patent is probably owned by TRW (now ZF ?).  Which came out of a project at Lucas Car Brakes Fen End near Solihull in the 90s. 

[Dobloseven]

Would think there could well be a battery issue.Scarlett,as she is now named,had very little use in recent times and if the battery had been flattened as well.I'd either give the battery a good  charging or just replace it, whichever was most convenient to do.Probably done more miles in the the last couple of days than in the last year! Regarding the steering electric hydraulic steering and electric steering are very different.Should be a good little car for Amelia.Not my place to mention money,but she shouldn't lose out on it if she needs to move it on when circumstances change for the better,ie another company car.

[MrBig]

Is that 'apparently 73bhp' because you don't believe it? 😁

Anyway, following a flat or changed battery, turn the steering from full lock to full lock, that should recalibrate the sensor and switch the light off.

[red5]

Volkswagen
Fox
1.4
KN58RZL
Engine code: BKR
(5Z1)
55 kW (75hp) 5600 rpm
R-Cat (2005-2011)

They hide the 'power' well. 

[Dobloseven]

22 minutes ago, red5 said:

Volkswagen
Fox
1.4
KN58RZL
Engine code: BKR
(5Z1)
55 kW (75hp) 5600 rpm
R-Cat (2005-2011)

They hide the 'power' well. 

Should be very unstressed then.My Zafira has around 140 hp from 1.4 litres.Mind ,I can remember when everyone got excited about the1275 Mini Cooper S with 75 bhp.

[Spiny Norman]

Probably just wanted a slug of juice into the battery, use it regularly and take it for the odd decent run and the steering should be OK. I had the same issue with the E-Pas in a Punto when the battery was dying.
At just over the tonne it's fairly heavy for such a small car so maybe that's why it doesn't feel especially sprightly with only 75bhp.

[kevins]

Most modern cars use some sort of can network for the various modules to communicate, an Epas system will take signals from the brake module (road speed) probably the engine control module (battery voltage) and steering wheel angle. When the car is turned on the modules wake up in a prescribed order such that they see all the signals they are expecting at the right time.  When you have a flat battery the car wakes up fine then when you crank it the voltage drops so low that a module may drop out this causes the others to throw faults.  As yours has they will often clear once they have seen a good signal for a period of time, if not disconnecting the battery, leaving it for 5 minutes then re-connecting (with the ignition off) will usually fix it.

 

 

[Amelia]

We've been on a bit of a drive now, so here's the list of things to sort:

Slight 'eek' from Front nearside brake caliper. Will dismantle and reassemble at some point to see if that helps.

Rattle over bumps from nearside rear - exhaust mount maybe? There was an exhaust rubber in a packet in the boot, hopefully that's the solution.

Boot key sticks. TADTM, it's a VW thing. 

Boot struts knackered - on order

Radio locked. Removal keys on order to get serial number

Random temp warning when cold occasionally. Reset works, but may be a sensor.

Hunting at idle, sometimes. No warning light yet, will get the codes read at some point. 

Electric windows a bit slow, probably lack of use.

 

Other than that, it's functional, ULEZ compliant and decent on fuel. 21 quid a month tax is a bit steep though.

 

[Dobloseven]

Sure the radio code isn't in the handbook or ICE manual? Guessing a lot of issues due to lack of use in recent years.Tax is a bit of a bugger.Try thinking of it as 69p per day for personal mobility!

[kevins]

Tax on our street ka is the same, (well more at £365),  but in the big picture £30 a month doesen't get you much else nowadays.

[Amelia]

Picked up these today, Pontiac Fiero wheels. Just gotta get them balanced and then try fitting them.

[RoverFolkUs]

On 01/02/2024 at 22:52, JJ0063 said:

These are electric I’m sure, PAS pump is only accessible by removing the wing IIRC?

Electro-hydraulic and luckily not, it can be done just by removing the NSF arch liner

The pump/control module assembly does commonly fail, but quite often a flat battery will cause it to throw a one off tantrum

If it keeps happening, power steering randomly cutting out and in, then it will be the pump assembly at fault

[Amelia]

[warren t claim]

9 minutes ago, Amelia said:

I'd rather have the whole Fiero.

[warren t claim]

10 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

I'd rather have the whole Fiero.

https://pontiacmera.com/

Especially one of these.

[warren t claim]

 

14 years ago...

[Amelia]

Hey everyone

I'm currently in Turkey having an operation on my downstairs, but enough about that....

 

[155V6]

Good luck,hope it goes well.

[Sunny Jim]

Some great spots there. All the best for the op.

[Amelia]

Claire went to grab a coffee this morning, and took some pics.

 

[Amelia]

The Fiat Regatta style saloons I saw yesterday are Tofaş Doğans , they are the Turkish Fiat 131 successor. 

[Lacquer Peel]

Any Turkish Cortinas? I remember seeing them as well as Doğans when I visited Northern Cyprus, all RHD just for that market. 

Didn't know the Fiero PCD is 5x100. 

Hope all goes well with your treatment. 

[Dobloseven]

Is Claire your friend from near Leicester?

[Amelia]

9 hours ago, Dobloseven said:

Is Claire your friend from near Leicester?

No, that's Violet.

Claire is my fiancée

10 hours ago, Lacquer Peel said:

Any Turkish Cortinas? I remember seeing them as well as Doğans when I visited Northern Cyprus, all RHD just for that market. 

Didn't know the Fiero PCD is 5x100. 

Hope all goes well with your treatment. 

No cortinas yet.

I didn't know either, I'm glad though

 

More spots

 

[Shep Shepherd]

I hope everything goes well for you ^^