Car questions
 

I figured since I keep making new threads about my car wich could probably be merged into one that it would be a good Idea to make one new thread wich everybody can post questions about the inner workings of thier cars in.

I'll open the thread with a question.
I had never thought that there was a problem with my car but several friends have recently commented on how worn and old my engine looks for the age of the car (see pic attatched). As I said I had never noticed it before, what do you lot think? does it look bad or are my friends talking out of thier poop hoops?

Is there any essential maintenance you would suggest I carry out on my car since it was bought second hand with no service history?
I have allready had all my tyres replaced aswel as the alternator belt and I will be getting the cambelt done sometime this month, but is there anything else?

Its an L reg 1.2 Corsa by the way.

Re: Car questions
 

That engine does look a bit knackered......what year is an L reg? :dunce:

edit--how are the brakes and the tracking?

Re: Car questions
 

brakes are very sharp, when we had the new tyres done we took a look at the disks etc and it looks like they had been replaced just weeks/months before it was sold.
I was only finally able to test my tracking after having the new tyres done as my car was a little unbalanced previously due to my slow puncture, its spot on now :)

This is a late 93 L reg.

Re: Car questions
 

Engine looks ok to me, considering it's age (approx 15 years). My car is a late 97, and the engine doesn't look an awful lot better than yours. But it has done 150000 miles, never failed an MOT, nor (touch wood) has it ever had anything wrong with it... I wouldn't worry if I were you.:shrug:

Have you had it serviced and MOTd since you bought it?

Always make sure all your fluids are topped up (brake, steering column if you have PS, Oil, Radiator etc....). There's not much more you can do really apart from cross your fingers... :)

Re: Car questions
 

I'm by no means a mechanic but the engine does look a little worst for ware.

Re: Car questions
 

The engine looks ok then :tu:


edit--you can always get it steam cleaned......
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Check the oil and perhaps put some anti-freeze screen clean in the water........

Re: Car questions
 

It's just the cylinder head cover could do with a bit of TLC - the leads, clips & hoses look in pretty good nick.:)

Re: Car questions
 

Women - know your limits :D ;)

Re: Car questions
 

:knock: :D

Re: Car questions
 

??:confused: ?

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And what exactly is meant by that?

Re: Car questions
 

I know, but you're in a thread about cars.....

Re: Car questions
 

Oi! Cars, I do know lots about! :mad: ;)

Re: Car questions
 

Tread carefully Russ........ :disturbd:

These women are very protective about their driving...... :p:

Re: Car questions
 

I'm the only person who's given him any tips so far! :rolleyes:

Re: Car questions
 

Yeah - well women aren't supposed to know about anything useful, are they?

Re: Car questions
 

ermmm :erm: :D

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Yes because we'd rather give him relevant tips...you know, tips that blokes can use :p:

Re: Car questions
 

How deep a hole are you looking to dig yourself into Russ?

Re: Car questions
 

Looks fine for a 12 year old engine. The manifold (bit right at the front) has rusted a little and the steel shows signs of many cycles of heating and cooling. The aluminium of the cylinder head is tarnished, but that will not have affected the inner workings.

All I would recommend is next time you clean the car, clean the bodywork inside the engine bay. It will help you notice any leaks etc.

Cars thesedays are covered with lots of plastic vanity plates so you can't see most of what you are looking at.

Re: Car questions
 

Oh, right! Like - Never use a map or ask for directions?

Re: Car questions
 

Mine has done 173,000 wich is a little worrying but its showing no signs of wear or engine failre etc.
It hasnt been serviced but it has been through an MOT recently, took a little effort to get it through but in the end it was just because the Catalytic converter was knackered and we had no way of testing it without booking it into a garrage, wich we reluctantly did in the end.
When it got through the MOT the only thing they had to say about my car was that there is some corrosion in the drivers side chasis arm, he said its not bad but it could become a problem in the next MOT or the one after if left untreated.
Ive just checked all my fluids today as I was taking that picture, the car has used virtually no oil wich I take is good and all my other fluid levels look good too.

Thanks for your advice :)

Think I might get it steam cleaned then, obviously it will only be an asthetic improvement but it will make my car look a little less worn when it comes to going under the hood so to speak. Can you think of anywhere that I could get that done or is it just a standard service garages offer or something?
The oil filter looked a little old when we got the car so we where going to do an oil change but on further inspection the oil seemed to be getting filtered properly so we have left it for now, were going to do an oild change during the summer when the weather is nicer.


Thats good to hear.

Re: Car questions
 

have a look in Yellow Pages :)

Re: Car questions
 

Would it be worth replacing the cylinder head or would a cleaning sort it since as you say it wont have effected the inner workings?

Thats sounds like good advice thanks.

yeah I noticed that when I was looking in the engine bay of my mates Clio

lol, so true, I hate using maps and getting directions so much that I invested in a gps, though thats also because my sense of direction is awful outisde of my home town and map reading takes too long :) (theres also the fact that im a bit of a gadget freak so I love any excuse to try out some technology :D )

Re: Car questions
 

How can an engine look worn from the outside??? Yes its dirty but who cares about that. It can only be worn where there are moving parts and that would be where you cant see.

If it aint broke dont fix it!

Re: Car questions
 

lol, why didnt I think of that :) thanks.
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Now that sounds like good advice, thanks :D

Re: Car questions
 

you'll probably find that a lot of these car cleaning places that have sprung up over night - you know the ones, 30 different people working there, and they clean the inside and outside of your car? - they tend to do engine steam cleaning as well... might be worth taking a look

Re: Car questions
 

And DONT clean the engine. The grime and oil build up does in fact protect it from the damp and possible oil leaks.

Many a time have i heard of people steam cleaning their engine only to discover that they have created a minor oil leak
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BTW it should use a little bit of oil. The oil that lubricates the cylinder bore gets burnt with each cycle of the engine and as a result the oil level should go down by a very small amount

Re: Car questions
 

Now thats something I really hadnt considdered, would it matter if I cleaned up the cylinder head? I think that alone would change the appearance of the bay.

Re: Car questions
 

By cylinder head in assuming you mean rocker cover as you cant see much of the cyliner head. Cleaning the rocker cover is fine however they do have Cork gaskets that in my experience can leak oil and this then makes a mess of everything else.

If you really really really really (no you DONT!!) want to clean the rocker cover i'd go and get a new rocker cover gasket and take the rocker cover off to clean it.

At the end of the day, it isnt broke so i'd leave it as it is.

Re: Car questions
 

lol, I'll leave it then :)
by the way is the head gasket supposed to be replaced at certain intervals like the cambelt etc or is there anther factor that decides when that gets replaced? Its something ive heard mentioned to me and I was just wondering about it.

Re: Car questions
 

Make sure you do a full oil, oil filter and air filter change every 6 months.

If you've no idea when it last had one, get it done asap.

Also keep an eye on you tire's air pressiure at least once a month and also if you looking to take a long journey.

Re: Car questions
 

Nope.

Only replace it if you start getting water in your oil or you have a water, oil or cylinder leak.

You can tell if you have water in your oil as it emulsifies in the filler cap (White gunge) if there is only a small amount if this emulsified oil and you dont do long journies dont worry about it as its the short journies that cause it too.
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good advice and applicable to this car. Newer cars that use synthetic or semi synthetic oil can go a lot longer between oil changes. Some are up to 20K or 2 years now.

Re: Car questions
 

Thanks, just out of interest are you an actual mechanic or is this more of a hobby for you?

Re: Car questions
 

I hope it aint this Corsa as near where I live totally Chavtastic :rofl:

Even had the stereo which costs more then the car in it :rofl:

Wrong thread I know just ahem its a Corsa L reg and in red, so makes yours look good aside this ermmm thing.

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Re: Car questions
 

I did an apprenticeship with a Diesel engine manufacturer. Have rebuilt a mini engine for (then girlfriend, now wife) when she was at uni. Replaced head gasket on the first car i owned as it leaked water into the oil.

So i guess you could say it used to be an occupation and a hobby but now its neither ;) i prefer to stay ni the warm and keep my hands clean and uncut. But then again i did replace burst flexible brake hoses on my car this year myself to save me £150

Re: Car questions
 

:notopic:Which diesel engine manufacturer was that Gaz? Not the rather big one at Eastfield by any chance?

Re: Car questions
 

Hmm,
See attatched image (notice the considderate builders who decided to do work right next to my car without telling me)


Its nice to have the option of DIY or paying someone isnt it :D I know thats why Im learning as much about my car as possible now. So far im finding im good with some of the more complicated things but dont know some of the really elimentary stuff.

I did say this was a general Car question thread so its not far off topic ;)

Re: Car questions
 

Might well have been ;), but i left 13 years ago! it was an electical apprenticeship though. But you did get to play with engines and BIG ones!!

Only car engine they used to make went in the Maestro and Montego, bit of a shame really as it was a good engine in a C**p car

Re: Car questions
 

Best mecahnics on the market
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It looks OK to me, it's just road dirt. I bet someone has mentioned this but why don't you have it steamed cleaned then tell them to dress the engine with a silicon which will make it look nice and shiny. :D :D :D

Re: Car questions
 

it dont matter what the engine looks like it what it runs like that counts.

things to check once a week

Oil Level
Water level, (and during colder months that there is enough anti freeze in there)
Power steering fluid level if fitted
Brake fluid level
windscreen washer level
tyre pressures
condition of tyres

the head gasket will only need replacing when it has blown, the cambelt should be changed at regular intervals, have seen some pretty nasty results from cam belts snapping and engines locking up all because the cambelt wasnt changed.

check the tightness of the fan belt, but ifyou tighten it dont over tighten it.

the oil should be changed regulary at least once a year minimum, and i would do it as soon as you can, saves any excess ware on the engine. periodicly check the condition of your brakes and if they start to feel like they aren;t performing like they should get them looked at, it dont take much to change a set of brake pads, you can do all 4 wheels in about an hour tops.

when it comes round for it's MOT take a good look round the car and see what you think it is going to fail on and then get the work done before hand, that way when you leave it until the last minute to get the new MOT you wont be trying to get it on the road quite as quick as the work has already been done.

if you look after it properly then it will go on for years and years, mine is 25 years old and still plogs along nicely but it does get looked after. After the head gasket went for a second time in 12 months earlier last year, it got a new head gasket, valves and seals, exhaust manifold, inlet manifold and a whole host of other things, most of which it didnt really need, but i thought well i have the engine in pieces so i may as well replace them now rather than having to take it all apart again to do them. saves a lot of money when ya do all the work yaself as well.

Re: Car questions
 

A friend of mine wants an LPG conversion done on his 2000 renault clio, and I said I'd ask here about it. Basicly we cant find anywhere around here that does it (we havent looked that hard to be honest so im sure we will find something). We would like to know what the basic cost of the conversion is and what it includes. On a small car like a clio how much boot space are you likeley to lose due to the fuel tanks?

Its a 16v 1.2i clio if that makes a difference.

Edit: Ive just remembered my friend with a 1.7D fiat punto would also like it done.

Re: Car questions
 

most of the boot space and about £1500 :erm: :D :D

Re: Car questions
 

I think the tank can take up about the same space as a full size spare wheel, so you generally lose the spare wheel.
Probably won't get any financial assistance to switch so about £1500.
Oh, and the ability to go on the Eurotunnel trains.

Re: Car questions
 

I thought that tank would be bigger, like what paul said above.
Given the fuel efficiency and the cost of the fuel itself that would pay for itself in about 3 years at the most, so £1,500 isnt all that unreasonable.
I never even considdered the Eurotunnel trains, does that mean they arnt allowed on the continent or just not allowed to get there via the train? though thats not likeley to be a problem for any of us anyway.

Re: Car questions
 

Nope
http://www.lpg-vehicles.co.uk/lpg_co...conversion.htm
Shows the donut in place of the wheel on that page, the fuel is compressed to liquid form so takes up less space.
Worth a read about risks of dodgy conversions
http://www.envirogas.co.uk/autogas_report.htm
...and its a tunnel thing, they are thinking of changing it though. YOu can still go on a Ferry.

Re: Car questions
 

thanks for those sites, im going to have a read through in a bit.

Re: Car questions
 

not sure about cars, but i know a few people that have had it fitted to land rovers and they swear by it, saves em a fortune.

an install should cost between £900 - £2000 depending on where you go, there are loads of different typres of tanks you can get that fit in many different places, so you wont necessary loose all your boot space.

dependin on how mechanically minded you are you can buy the kit, fit it yourself, there aint really that much to it, get a plumber or alike to do the pipe work, then you get the system certified and it comes out about half the price.

the one to think of though, is the general opinion seems to be that the tax relief on LPG wont last that much longer so it may prove not to be worth it. and depending on where you have it done your insurance company may not like it so check with them first.

Re: Car questions
 

Ive had a problem connecting the antenna on my car to my headunit for quite sometime. I thought I had it sussed and I bought what I thought was the appropriate adapter to connect the aerial.
Well the adapter fits the aerial fine but is deffinatley the wrong connection to link it to the headunit. I bought an ISO to DIN adapter, Thats what it says on the ebay description anyway (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...e=STRK:MEWN:IT).
The connector on my antenna is the type that points to the side with a hollow male middle piece. the bit on the head unit is almost the same but with a solid bullet type male piece.

Any ideas what I could get to make it fit?

EDIT: its a sony Standard CD player first bought in 2002. (cant remember the number but I can get it if its important).

Re: Car questions
 

Do you still have the old cable attatches to your antenna? If so you might be able to join the cables together. Just a thought. Otherwise any decent car audio shop should be able to sort you out with an adapter.

Re: Car questions
 

I havent been able to find any suitable adapter at any local autoshop. The only one Ive found wich could be it is a skelleton plug sold at maplins http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?...dID=1&doy=21m2

Re: Car questions
 

ya best bet is to pop down to ya local halfrauds (halfords) and ask one of the chav boy racers that they give money to each week for doing bugger all, sorry employ, am sure they will be able to get the right part for you.

Re: Car questions
 

Ok, new question....
Im halfway through fitting an alarm to my car and I have just got to the bit when I need to mount the siren, The problem im having is chosing placement for the siren. If you have a look at the previous pictures I posted of my engine bay you will see the kind of space I have to put it in, any suggestions? A friend suggested drilling into the top of the wheel arch (black bit near the battery), would this be wise?

The control unit is in the car and functioning, I also have got it to talk to my central locking (wich I fitted a couple of weeks ago) and now the car can be locked by remote, I found this relativeley easy to cable up and I have foun everything so far to be pretty much common sense etc. Though I am confused about the connector for making the indicators flash when the alarm is armed/disarmed. It is one white wire wich splits into two wires about halfway down (I'd say its about 1 meter in length total), does this connect directly to the indicator? does it connect to one of the relays? or am I way off? im a bit stumped.

The alarm is a falcon predator XL and I can scan the wiring diagram if needed.

Thanks again people, and I will be going through this thread when im not so tired to give you all the reps you deserve.

Re: Car questions
 

drilling through a wheel arch is never a good idea. just think of all the water that gets washed around there. If you can id try to mount it on the bulkhead.

Re: Car questions
 

On the right somehwere by the shock turret would be where i would put, it ya drill 2 small holes carefully and use short screws then you should be alright i would think.


as for the indicators, been a while since i done and i cant remember, but post a scan of the wiring diagram and lets have a look.

Re: Car questions
 

Where do you think it will fit though? The base is 3inches in diameter, and its about 4inches in height. I cant really find anywhere with enough clearance from the bonnet where it would fit.

I would have thought getting the bolts on the other side of the screws would be tricky to say the least if I mount it near the shock turret, thats why I was thinking of using the wheel arch as it has very easy access from the underside.

I can't find my scanner right now so cant post the scans yet but I will as soon as I find the damn thing. :)


EDIT: I forgot to ask about this the other day. when chacking my fluid levels last tuesday I noticed Im starting to get a buildup of white stuff on the inside of my oil filler cap. Ive heard different things from different people, some have said its because I only ever do short runs, some have said its a sign of head gasket failure. Are either or both of them right? or are they both wrong?

Re: Car questions
 

Could be a head gasket. I would get it checked out asap.

Re: Car questions
 

Dont drill holes in structural components of a car.

Re: Car questions
 

Where would you reccomend? is the wheel arch still a good idea? I wouldnt have counted the wheel arch as a structural component but im still a novice at this so what do I know :)

Re: Car questions
 

Have a look at a big used car lot for similar cars to yours and see if any of them have alarms fitted and where the siren is mounted. Alternatively go to the main dealer and ask them the question saying you are thinking of having an alarm fitted and asking where they will put the bits.

Re: Car questions
 

Underneath the waterbottle on the bulkhead.

Re: Car questions
 

If it was me, I would make an L shaped bracket and bolt it underneath the large nut on the shock turret, the module could then be easily attached to the bracket with no drilling in to hard to access / structural areas.

As this is effectlively the chassis you could also use it as an earth for any wiring.

Hope this helps.

Re: Car questions
 

a build up of 'mayo' on the oil filler cap could well be a result of the engine not getting warmed up properly , the only real way to check is to see if the water level goes down :erm: :)

Re: Car questions
 

There appears to be plenty of room just behind the nearside headlamp, just in front of the HT coil. you could even bolt it to the same bracket.

Re: Car questions
 

my view is any car hat has been steam cleaned is best kept away from, a tatty looking engine means genreally there has been no works undertaken around the engine bay, wheras a clean one could be hiding any number defects.. kinda sounds irish, but think aobut it... :)

Re: Car questions
 

Ive decided im going to mount the siren on the bulkhead behind the battery near the coolant tank (I think someone suggested putting it near there allready).

Ive also noticed that when I checked the gunk on the underside of my oil filler that it seems to be more yellow than white, is that significant?

Re: Car questions
 

yellow or white makes no difference. Still indicates moisture in the oil. Do you ever do long journeys? You can get a build up of moisture in your oil if you only ever do short journeys as your oil is never get hot properly and not drying out. If you do, do long journeys then it would indicate a possible leaking head gasket

or you put water in the wrong hole ;)

Re: Car questions
 

lol, im not that daft, or am I :D :disturbd:

I normally only do a 2 mile journey at the most at a time, the engine normally gets about 3 - 4 hours to cool between journeys so I would considder those short runs.
Though I do have a few long journeys coming up, this thursday I will be doing a 28 mile roundtrip, and in three weeks I will be doing a 120 mile roundrip. would a series of long runs cure this? (at least until I start doing short runs again).

Re: Car questions
 

Try an get a HAYNES car manual, they are invaluable for all users, it will tell you what maintenacne check to do and when.


Also try and see if there is a collecge near you that does basic car maintenance.

I did this a few years ago and doing working on my car helped me get it thru the MOT:D . the minor work that needed doing formed part of the course work. (there were as many women as well as men, they said they did it because they travelled on dodgy roads)

Re: Car questions
 

i'd guess that this build up is as a result of your 2 mile journeys (you have legs you know ;))

if your confident enough, take to rocker cover off and see if there is emulsified oil all along the cover. If there is wipe it out and then check again after the long trips.

If your not confident to do that i would remove the oil filler cap, completely clean it out and keep and eye on it (check it before each trip) certainly a 60 mile trip is going to help but wiping it out first will help more.

Re: Car questions
 

You should try to give it the old 'Italian tune up' at least once a week. 20 to 30 minutes on the nearest motorway is highly recommended for keeping your engine's innards clean.

Re: Car questions
 

good advice that is.

Re: Car questions
 

Think I might start that soon, have easy access to the motorway so its not like I even have to go out of my way. Though I dont think I can afford to give it a full 30mins I guess some is better than none, no?

I know I have legs but that is my trip to work, and I like to leave as late as possible ;)
Dont mind walking home to be honest but then that does make it difficult to get to work again the following day ;)

Probably wouldnt be confident enough to take the rocker cover off but I Do know someone who could help, I might give him a call.

Though in the meantime I'll do the oil filler cap.

I have 2 haynes manuals, one wich seems to be more of a mechanics aid and another for novices like myself (quite helpful so far).
I have also been looking to do a course like what you mentioned but all the ones Ive found seem to be geared towards employment rather then self improving. As such they all seem to require you to do work experience during the course etc (not practical for me), I obviously dont have a problem with doing the actual work (I take it thats part of the coursework/exams) but I really dont have time to do placements and such.

If I could find an alternative I would be more than willing to.

Re: Car questions
 

Haynes manuals can be useful, but dont swear by em they have been known to be wrong quite frequently, and bear the following in mind when using one.

How to read a Haynes manualââ‚Ã⠀šÃ‚¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¦





Haynes: Rotate anticlockwise.

Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer anticlockwise.



Haynes: This is a snug fit.

Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer.



Haynes: This is a tight fit.

Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with a hammer.



Haynes: As described in Chapter 7...

Translation: That'll teach you not to read through before you start. Now you are looking at scary photos of the inside of a gearbox.



Haynes: Pry...

Translation: Hammer a screwdriver into...



Haynes: Undo...

Translation: Go buy a tin of WD40 (giant economy size).



Haynes: Retain tiny spring...

Translation: PINGGGG - "Where the hell did that go?"



Haynes: Press and rotate to remove bulb...

Translation: OK - that's the glass bit off, now fetch some good pliers to dig out the bayonet part (and maybe a plaster or two).



Haynes: Lightly...

Translation: Start off lightly and build up till the veins on your forehead are throbbing then clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer.



Haynes: Weekly checks...

Translation: If it isn't broken don't fix it.



Haynes: Routine maintenance...

Translation: If it isn't broken, it's about to be. We warned you...



Haynes: One spanner rating.

Translation: An infant could do this... so how did you manage to **** it up?



Haynes: Two spanner rating.

Translation: Now you may think that you can do this because two is a low, teensy weensy number... but you also thought the wiring diagram was a map of the Tokyo underground (in fact that would have been more use to you).



Haynes: Three spanner rating.

Translation: Make sure you won't need your car for a couple of days.



Haynes: Four spanner rating.

Translation: You're not seriously considering this are you?



Haynes: Five spanner rating.

Translation: OK - but don't ever carry your loved ones in it again.



Haynes: If not, you can fabricate your own special tool like this...

Translation: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.



Haynes: Compress...

Translation: Squeeze with all your might, jump up and down on it, throw it at the garage wall, then find some molegrips and a hammer...



Haynes: Inspect...

Translation: Squint at really hard and pretend you know what you are looking at, then declare in a loud knowing voice to your wife "Yep, as I thought, it's going to need a new one"



Haynes: Carefully...

Translation: You are about to suffer deep abrasions.



Haynes: Retaining nut...

Translation: Yes, that's it, that big spherical blob of rust.



Haynes: Get an assistant...

Translation: Prepare to humiliate yourself in front of someone you know.



Haynes: Turning the engine will be easier with the spark plugs removed.

Translation: However, starting the engine afterwards will be much harder. Once that sinking pit of your stomach feeling has subsided, you can start to feel deeply ashamed as you gingerly refit the spark plugs.



Haynes: Refitting is the reverse sequence to removal.

Translation: Yeah, right. But you swear in different places.



Haynes: Prise away plastic locating pegs...

Translation: Snap off...



Haynes: Using a suitable drift...

Translation: Clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer.



Haynes: Everyday toolkit

Translation: RAC Card & Mobile Phone



Haynes: Apply moderate heat...

Translation: Unless you have a blast furnace, don't bother. Alternatively, clamp with molegrips then beat repeatedly with hammer.



Haynes: Index

Translation: List of all the things in the book, bar what you need to do.

Re: Car questions
 

Fantastic, I must remember to get a new set of molegrips and a hammer :D

Re: Car questions
 

PMSL...

Give that man a greenie!!!

Re: Car questions
 

Ah, dear old, deluded Proppinupthebar, he was convinced they were called mouldgrips.:)

Excellent post Acropolis, been there and done most of it, its now filed under experience. :cool:
well worth a rep.:tu:
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That is only going to be couple of £'s worth of petrol, make sure you give it some welly, and if you see a bit of smoke for the first minute or so, then that is all the muck being burnt off.

If it keeps on smoking then take the next exit :)

Re: Car questions
 

:rofl: :rofl:

that is worth a double greenie , its a pity i cant give you one , double greenie that is :D :D :D

Re: Car questions
 

Hello again, it is I the bearer of annoying car questions, I seek all ye sages of the cars wisdom :)

Translation: Its me, the annoying one. I have a question :)

Im trying to work out my cars fuel efficiency and was wondering if anybody knows of any sites that list cars standard fuel efficiency?
I know this is variable based on speed and even the aggressiveness of the driver on the accelerator, and it may not even reflect my vehicles actual MPG but I am curious anyway. Basicly the reason for this is I am going on a trip in about 2 days and im on a bit of a tight budget so Im trying to find out what the bare minimum amount of petrol I should put in for my journey and then I am going to add another £5 ontop.

I have worked out my cars current efficiency to be approx 25MPG~ Does this sound bad? have I even worked it out correctly? I used 4.53 : 1 (Litres : Gallons) is that right?

Again just FYI this is a 93 Crosa B 1.2, I believe this MPG is about average but what do I know :)

I would like the link anyway even if this is correct (If such a site even exists) as I think it would be handy for future refference.

Again thanks in advance people.


EDIT: Just thought I would add that after wiping off the 'Mayo' from the underside of my oil filler cap it hasnt built up again. I wiped it off and I continued doing my short journeys as normal for about a week. I checked it before I did my longish drive the other day and nothing had built up, and I Checked it again when I got back, nothin. I take it thats a good sign then? :)

Re: Car questions
 

25 mpg sounds about right to me , not good but about right , you should get more on a long journey :tu: , the 'mayo' bit is good news though :)

Re: Car questions
 

If the engine is in reasonable condition then you should be getting way above 25 mpg, even on an urban cycle with a 1.2 Corsa. I cannot find any exact data but I would expect nearer 35 mpg. Even my large 2.4 litre petrol estate car does around 22 mpg on an urban cycle that includes lots of short journeys. On a long motorway run this goes up to around 37 mpg +.

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iirc , it has done a shedload of miles though , worn piston rings / valve seats / injection system not top notch and fuel economy suffers , @ ZrByte , can you tell us what the emissions were when it went through its last MOT ????? :)

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My 2l light pressure turbo Saab 9-3 does that on an urban cycle, you should get better, though I remember my old 205 1.4 was at about 30mpg toward the end of my ownership of it.
This so much depends on the driving - heavy accellerating and braking will cause the fuel to be slurped into the engine.
At a steady 65 you should see about 40 mpg though. This will drop past 70 and fall off considerably more if you can get past 80.

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No matter how carefully you work out your cars fuel efficiency you cannot predict what circumstances can occur on a proposed journey. When I lived in Essex and travelled regularly to Derbyshire I met all sorts of situations which threw potential fuel costs for the journey right out of the window. On one occasion the M25 was completely blocked and just after joining the motorway I was in a huge traffic jam that crawled along at less than walking speed for over an hour until we were diverted off the motorway and diverted towards London. Three hours after I set off I was further away from my destination than when I started.

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I sure can

fast Idle test
CO = 0.13%
HC = 25ppm
Funny symbol that I cant write with keyboard but looks kinda like an & = 1.009

Natural Idle test
CO = 0.00%
__________________

Im betting that car isnt 12+ years old with a high mileage though.
Apparently my Dads 12v 1.0i ecotect 99 corsa does about 35mpg - 40mpg now this is one of the more efficient corsas and a very low mileage (19.1K) So looking at that I would have thought 25 would have been right for mine (though again I would like to point out that I know nothing :) )

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if i remember correctly you do a lot of short journeys? less than 5 miles. If thats correct then 25mpg is good as the choke will constantly be operating.

Cheap way of increasing fuel efficiency on a natuarally aspirated engine (non turbo or fuel injected) is to replace the air filter if it looks chokes up. Reason being if it can get air in it will take more fuel and not burn it efficiently

Re: Car questions
 

Yes thats right I mainly do short journeys.
We replaced the Air filter a couple of months back so I dont think replacing that now will make a difference but thats still good to know for future reference.

Are there any other things that could effect my fuel efficiency that would be worth doing to the car? In the last 6 months it has had a new cat, New Lambda, new Airfilter, and its had a fuel additive put in (may have been redex, cant really remember).
Whatever I do really needs to be able to pay for itself in a year to be worth it as I will be getting my Dads Corsa in about 8 - 12months so it would really be a waste of money otherwise.

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there is one other thing you could do, stop pressing the go pedal so hard ;)

Seriously, i wouldnt do anything else. To be honest i wouldnt even put redex through it. The only other thing you can do is get the carb set up properly and maybe the needle and jet replaced but if your only going to have it for less than a year it will never pay for itself so i woulnt bother.

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Yeah I do have a tendancy to be a little aggressive with the ol 'Go' pedal at times :) guess it couldnt hurt to ease up a lil :)
The car has to last me until either November this year or April next year (My dad hasnt decided when hes getting his new one yet) so yeah like you say it will never pay for itself :)

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put a brick under it :D

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Okay im digging up my old thread to see if you guys can diagnose a problem with my dads car. he has a 1999 corsa envoy 1.0 12v. Basicly the problem is this.
It hasnt been used much recently but Ive been taking it out for a short drive a few times a week to keep it ticking over. Today was the first time my Dad has driven the car since he was ill. The car was dead today when we tried to start it, a quick jump from my car and we where all go, decided to take it on the motorway to juice up the battery as we just assumed it had gone flat due to te small amount of use and the short journeys. On our way off the motorway as we approached the lights at the end of the slip road and my dad eased off the gas the car cut out again, we tried to start it again but it was till asif the battery was flat (was sure it would have built up a small charge by then).
We phoned my uncle and got him to come get us and give us a jump start, the car wouldnt have it at all. Everything came back to life on the dash, the starter motor spun when we turned the ignition but the engine just wouldnt fire up.
A bump start was the only thing that worked to get it going but as soon as you take your foot off the gas the car would stall or at the very most would start to turn over very slowly as if it was about to stall (even when it was out of gear or with the clutch fully down).

We couldnt work out what was wrong with it and the odd thing was that in all the time I had driven it for my dad to keep it running it hadnt even done this once. Infact the only thing I noticed before this that could be related is that occasionally the car would vibrate a lot when the engine was idling.

So, any ideas? anything greatly appreciated.

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Engine management going nuts?

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Oh I hope not, that'll mean replacing the ECU wont it :(

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Vibrating a lot when its idling could suggest it wasnt ticking over fast enough and therefore being stared of fuel or air maybe.

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Change the plugs and give it a service.:tu:
Also get the cold idle valve checked out.
A bit of Damp in the Electrics will also cause this.
Hope this helps.:)

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It could be a few things, first of all how long has the car been sat for?

The fuel could have gone off and caused a small bloackage in the fuel line, more than likely near the tank end, which would mean it is been starved of fuel which would account for the engine not ticking over and running properly when not been revved.

It is worth checking the air flow meter and all the air pipes to make sure that there is no crap in there, leaves or anything like that can cause havok with them. The air flow meter should be in line with the air pipe somewhere, it will have the main air pipe attached either side of it and will have a rectangular black plug coming off the side of it.

It sounds to me like the battery has had it, it can sometimes happen when they are left standing for a while, and there may have been something draw a current from it when the car was left stood, which under normal use wouldnt be a problem, but with prolonged periods may cause a problem. Check the battery voltage with a multimeter and see what it is sat at, it should be somewhere around 12.8-13.2 ideally, but should start the car with anything down to about 10.5v in it, if the battery is flat put it on charge with a proper battery charger, (if you havent got one halfrauds do one for about £20 and always worth having), once it is charged, check the voltage, then leave it over night and check the voltage again in the morning. If the voltage has dropped a then the battery is knackered and should be replaced, shouldnt be too much for a corsa battery depending on where you go, if you need a new one go to a local motor factors, you will get the same if not better as halfrauds at a fraction of the price.

If the voltage doesnt drop over night, reconnect it to the vehicle and start the engine, then using the multimeter make sure that the alternator is charging the battery, as if it isnt then this would cause the battery to go flat as it is having to power all the electrics for the car as well as the engine, not so much a problem on a diesel as the engine doesnt really use much electric but on a petrol the whole engine is based on electric.

It might be worth taking the plugs out (if it is petrol) and making sure that they arent too dirty, heavy sooty deposits would indicate running rich on the mixture.

If none of this proves any use, then take it out for a spin, stop somewhere more than 1/2 a mile from you home and call out The AA or The RAC, and they will more than likely get to the bottom of the problem for you, they might not be able to fix it, but they should at least be able to tell you what the problem is, you can then decide where to go from there, either do it yaself or take it to a garage.

I doubt weather it is anything to serious, and i wouldnt have thought it would be the ECU they are fairly resistant to abuse, i have seen em drowned in water and mud whilst attached to vehicles and keep on working fine afterwards.

Hope that is of some use.

You also have a PM.

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Thanks a lot everyone, Looks like I have my work cut out for me tomorrow then.

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gunged up s.p.i they are well known for it

but if you had to jump start it then one of 2 either battery or alternator the latter being the fave because of the need to rev
start it on a high tick over, turn on all the electrics headlamps ect then take the neg lead of the battery if it dies its the alternator if not then if it wont turn over its the battery if niether break out the gold card :D

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Earth connection on the Alternator?

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no the earth of the battery but not the posative
if the alternator is giving out sufficient power the engine will continue to run with the headlamps on :)