F**king cars

[Alison]

Sounds like someone might have been 'working' on the steering column. I second Neil's advice, get a quote at least.

The faults you mention, (possibly bar the 'rubber band' but that may also be), are electrical. You could consider a mobile auto electrician, as even garages are often without any real expertise in auto electrics.

What colour does the glowplug warning lamp exhibit, and does it come on when turning the car on cold, and go out as normal after a few seconds? Were you driving along and suddenly the car lost power and that light came on?

This is the first time the glowplug light has gone on, it has been juddering and struggling to accelerate for a week but when I drove it last it was really!! struggling to accelerate, like I said if you run that's fine but if you run and have elastic pulling you back that's how the car felt.

Today going to get my daughters glasses took 3 hours without the car, with it, it would be less than an hour, living in the country sucks when you have no wheels

Alison

 

[raleighrider21]

im not that experienced with cars and im learning mechanics but to me that sounds like a injector issue maybe timing or the plugs?
when was the car last serviced?

 

[highlandsflyer]

Sounds like it may be in limp mode.

 

[Koupe]

This is why I have never bought (and will never buy) a car which required plugging into a computer. Lumps of metal I can deal with, ECUs and multiple sensors I cannot abide. Give me a basic engine over street cred any day.

 

[raleighrider21]

This is why I have never bought (and will never buy) a car which required plugging into a computer. Lumps of metal I can deal with, ECUs and multiple sensors I cannot abide. Give me a basic engine over street cred any day.

the only non sensored/ECU controlled car id ever have is a classic beetle. i think sitting down with a diagnostics machine for 15 mins to find a fault is 9 times out of 10 easier than sitting there stripping things trying to find the fault.

 

[Koupe]

This is why I have never bought (and will never buy) a car which required plugging into a computer. Lumps of metal I can deal with, ECUs and multiple sensors I cannot abide. Give me a basic engine over street cred any day.

the only non sensored/ECU controlled car id ever have is a classic beetle. i think sitting down with a diagnostics machine for 15 mins to find a fault is 9 times out of 10 easier than sitting there stripping things trying to find the fault.

I won't try and argue my case, I totally understand why people prefer the easier option, and I wasn't trying to sound like a smartarse
The problem is, with newer cars you're forced to go to a garage who'll charge you ££ just to plug it in and tell you the fault, then you'll have OEM parts prices and ££/hr labour costs on top.... whereas despite having no mechanic training at all, I'm confident that I could fix almost any fault on my engine simply because it's so basic and easy to locate problems. I certainly wouldn't need to strip it down if it started misbehaving.
I also appreciate that most people don't want to get their hands dirty, or spend a couple of hours under the bonnet - that's fine, but they probably have a lot more disposable income than me

Have you ever owned a classic Beetle? One of the most flawed designs ever put into production, although the engines are bombproof to be fair.

 

[raleighrider21]

This is why I have never bought (and will never buy) a car which required plugging into a computer. Lumps of metal I can deal with, ECUs and multiple sensors I cannot abide. Give me a basic engine over street cred any day.

the only non sensored/ECU controlled car id ever have is a classic beetle. i think sitting down with a diagnostics machine for 15 mins to find a fault is 9 times out of 10 easier than sitting there stripping things trying to find the fault.

I won't try and argue my case, I totally understand why people prefer the easier option, and I wasn't trying to sound like a smartarse
The problem is, with newer cars you're forced to go to a garage who'll charge you ££ just to plug it in and tell you the fault, then you'll have OEM parts prices and ££/hr labour costs on top.... whereas despite having no mechanic training at all, I'm confident that I could fix almost any fault on my engine simply because it's so basic and easy to locate problems. I certainly wouldn't need to strip it down if it started misbehaving.
I also appreciate that most people don't want to get their hands dirty, or spend a couple of hours under the bonnet - that's fine, but they probably have a lot more disposable income than me

Have you ever owned a classic Beetle? One of the most flawed designs ever put into production, although the engines are bombproof to be fair.

im doing motor vehicle maintenance level 3 at college and im on a work placement at a small garage, so if i need to work on my car its a case of be very nice to my college tutor to get it in the workshop and up on the lift. i got my own diagnostic equiptment, i dont really like working on older cars but i do like a carb bike i want to get a few years experience before i eventually go it alone

i cant even drive a beetle legally :facepalm: automatic restricted until i retake my test in a manual after ive learned to drive manual that is :facepalm:

 

[raleighrider21]

typically when a car goes into limp mode isnt it because of something stupid like a blocked injector or weak plug?

 

[highlandsflyer]

Some do it if you, for example, accidentally forced it into the wrong gear at speed and revved the t*** off it. Depends on how the ECU is programmed I guess.

Incidentally what was so flawed about the original Beetle??? I mean, compared to the other cars around at the time.

 

[Alison]

I don't know when cars becane computerized but the only car car I've had not compuerised was a 2CV the N reg Volvo 850 T5 was computerised you have to go quite far back and basic to get no computerisation.
Alison