Car mechanics forum - help!

[Mender]

It depends what oil is already in the engine. It is not advisable to mix certain types of oil together. The best bet is to contact your nearest Mercedes dealer and ask them what type of oil is recommended, then give the car an oil change (including a new oil filter!) using the recommended oil type, and you can top it up whenever it is required with the same type.

[Twilight]

Hi first time user, sorry for pushing in, but I was wondering if there was a mechanic out there who could help me. I have a 98 Daewoo Cielo, 1.5, efi. The car keeps cutting out when the motor is cold and also when hot. I am driving along and then all of a sudden the speed drops back and I pull over and it cuts out. The car does start again straight away. I have replaced the plug's, air filter, fuel filter and now the ignition module. I also took it to an auto elect and no fault codes came up. Is there anyone who can help me, please.

[chrislane62]

Fuel blockage? A chip of paint dropped off the inside of the tank cutting of fuel supply to pick up pipe?

[centaur]

Hi first time user, sorry for pushing in, but I was wondering if there was a mechanic out there who could help me. I have a 98 Daewoo Cielo, 1.5, efi. The car keeps cutting out when the motor is cold and also when hot. I am driving along and then all of a sudden the speed drops back and I pull over and it cuts out. The car does start again straight away. I have replaced the plug's, air filter, fuel filter and now the ignition module. I also took it to an auto elect and no fault codes came up. Is there anyone who can help me, please.

Originally Posted by Twilight

I take it you're not in the UK, as the Cielo isn't a model available here ?

Anyway, it might be a number of things, but as it's 11 years old I guess it's done more than 50k miles (80k Kms ) and if so, has the fuel filter ever been renewed ? If not, it's a likely culprit....and cheap to replace !

if this isn't the cause, it's a matter of working methodically through the fuel, air and ignition systems....for example, have you tried the 'wiggle' test on all the ignition/electronic connections ?

If you have removed the sparkplugs, what colour were the 'noses'...the bit with the electrodes ? should be grey or sandy colour but if black or black and wet, it indicates too rich a fuel mixture....has the air filter been changed ?

Generally speaking, electrical faults tend to be either on or off .....rather than hesitant like fuel starvation.

You'll appreciate that long distance diagnosis isn't easy, but I hope some of this will help.

[sig hm]

hi sorry i have a problem with a bmw m3 2002 model 3ltre petrol the engine locked up when i took all of the spark plugs out all 6 cylinders are full of oil so i removed the cylinder head and drained the oil out there is no cracked pistons and the gasket has no sign of where it could of leeked through please help its baffled me

[centaur]

I found this on Google, so it seems there is/was a known problem. Perhaps BMW will contribute to the cost of repair ?

http://www.mbmw.com/e46_m3_engine_failure.htm

[GiantMidget]

Hello there. BMW320i, think it's 1993, petrol, has lost all it's oil, i've put more in but it's leaked almost instantly, it was over heating for a while before the oil got low, can't see where it's leaking from, the sump & pan are fine.
This caused the engine to cut out completely, it's not been moved for a month now. The water level was fine when i checked. Any ideas what it can be?
Thank you.

[GiantMidget]

How do i ask for advice, i made a post here but it's not showing up so i figure this isn't the correct place to do it.
I need car help.

[centaur]

How do i ask for advice, i made a post here but it's not showing up so i figure this isn't the correct place to do it.
I need car help.

Originally Posted by GiantMidget

This isn't specifically a car mechanics forum and consequently there are no accredited 'experts' here, only one or two 'helpful amateurs'.

If a car is losing oil yet there are no visible signs of any leaking onto the road, drive or garage, then it is either being burned in the engine, in which case there MUST be dense clouds of blue smoke coming from the exhaust everywhere you go ! Or, it is leaking and being trapped somewhere, the most likely place being the into the clutch bellhousing.


If neither of these, then I would suggest you Google your problem.

[Mender]

With the engine cold (to avoid getting scalded), drain the radiator and see if you have oil in the water. It is possible that either the head gasket may have blown, or the cylinder head might have cracked.

[chrislane62]

No need to drain it. Oil floats, just take the cap off and look in.

[silver]

generally if there's oil in the water you can see looking in the radiator cap if there's like gunk / goo in there it could be a problem

how are you checking oil level, it might sound obvious but oil should be checked when the engine is off and there's been time for it to drain down (like 10-20 minutes after turning off)

[primerasj]

hi, 1st time user, do you have to change a timing chain on nissan primera 2000 more than once, had mine changed at about 25k, now done 90k ??
cars is struggling a bit and seems to be losing power when driving ??

[GiantMidget]

Thank you all for your replys.
There isn't any smoke coming out when it was running, there wasn't any oil build up inside the exhaust pipe.
I have not checked the bell housing & this would not be easy to do right now.
There is no oil in the water, i checked that already.
Can't see or feel a crack round the head but there's places i haven't been able to check so thats possible.
I put cardboard under the car to see where the leak was coming from, it seemed to be in the general area of the sump, but it isn't the sump, no damage there at all, its coming from above there & dripping down, i just can't find from exactly where.
There is not a drop of oil in there now but previous to it all leaking out, i had checked it correctly.

I did think it was the head gasket, but, that wouldn't get rid of all my oil so quickly, would it?
It was overheating for a while before this happened.
Also, there isn't all that gunk under the oil filler cap that you get when the hesd gaskets gone.

[centaur]

hi, 1st time user, do you have to change a timing chain on nissan primera 2000 more than once, had mine changed at about 25k, now done 90k ??
cars is struggling a bit and seems to be losing power when driving ??

Originally Posted by primerasj

25k miles sounds very early to change a timing CHAIN, or did you mean a timing BELT ?

Chains are usually good for about 100k miles, unless starved of lubrication or otherwise damaged.

The car's service manual should tell you when such items should be replaced.

[centaur]

I put cardboard under the car to see where the leak was coming from, it seemed to be in the general area of the sump, but it isn't the sump, no damage there at all, its coming from above there & dripping down, i just can't find from exactly where.
There is not a drop of oil in there now but previous to it all leaking out, i had checked it correctly.

I did think it was the head gasket, but, that wouldn't get rid of all my oil so quickly, would it?
It was overheating for a while before this happened.
Also, there isn't all that gunk under the oil filler cap that you get when the hesd gaskets gone.

Originally Posted by GiantMidget

If it's a high mileage car and the compression is low due to worn bores/piston rings, the oil in the sump becomes pressurised and puts additional strain on the sump gaskets, and particularly the crankshaft bearings at either end. One behind the front pulley and the other end behind the flywheel in the clutch housing.

Additionally, oil is often forced into the 'closed air breathing system' and fed back into the inlet manifold via the air filter box.

It is also possible that the head gasket is damaged and leaking oil down the engine block, which will drip off the sump and maybe other ancillaries like the starter motor.

Obviously, it is important to clean as much muck off the engine fron the cylinder head downwards, to correctly identify the source of the leak/s.

Good luck.

[chrislane62]

Rocker box gasket?

[MegaTsunami]

Hi.

This IS a serious post, excuse the lack of pictures.

About a month ago, I reversed my Ford Fiesta 1.4LX out of the garage and there was a right clanging noise. I jumped out and saw a black metal "half-circle" shaped tube/rod and assumed some loutish kids on this estate has thrown it and it hit the car (it was a right clanging noise).

Thought nothing more, but put the metal tubing in the garage.

Putting the car away last night I noticed another almost identical black, rusty ended metal tube on the garage floor underneath near the front left of the car. The previous one that I assumed someone threw was under the back right of the car......

I really don't know what they are, but they are worrying me as to what they are and how come they have now apparently snapped off.....

Imagine a black metal hoop, then cut in in two, and thats what each piece is, a 1cm thick 'C' shaped curve 'tube' of metal, but now there's two of 'em...

Anyone any idea? Will try and post a photo when my g/friend returns with her digital camera but it's terrifying me!

We just came back from the Lake District and went over lots of really bad, deep potholes (hidden under 2-3 inches of surface water) on country lanes. Don't see how a pothole could make something snap off underneath the car though..... and previously some really bad high speed bumps (slowly) when in Liverpool. Come to think of it, the dashboard really rattles/vibrates when driving.....

Sorry my lack of car knowledge is so embarrassingly non-existant!



.
.
.
.
Edit: they look like the attachment below, only cut in half and without the notches on the outer edge, with jagged "snapped looking" ends
.
.
.