Scorpiorefugee

Your problem need a bit more of an explanation. Try a picture.

A couple of points on issues raised in some of the posts. The heated screen was fitted to Granada/Scorpios dating back abut 20 years, possibly as far back as '86. The curved wipers are a bit of a menace but they do outlast the totally useless expensive and fancy Bosch things fitted to the facelift models. My old ones have done 80k and still work well. I have had 2 sets of Bosch ones on the facelift one in 10k and they need replacing again.

I agree Bigjeeze on all points. I had a good offer from talk talk but Tiscali matched it when I took into account the limitations of the exchange and would also match the offer onece the exchange was updated. Also, when I did some research I could find no-one with anything good to say about talk talk. I had the Virgin (Telewest) service in Plymouth until this Summer but the Sky package was about

I've been looking at various offers lateley, both for home and for a Student let I have in Plymouth. Basically, believe that they are all competing on price and a target lowest seems to be 12 Megs unlimited, free calls anytime and line rental included for about

I don't want to labour the point but the key thing is to find out what they disturbed. If they are any good they will come clean but you may have to be a bit diplomatic.

From what I understand and, more so from what Insider has said, I think you should ask the garage to tell you exactly what they have done. It was all probably with the best of intentions but it seems that they have upset a few things that could have implications later. I should not criticise the garage, unless it was a Ford dealer as they should know better, because these things are getting complicated. It is really the stage where anything major should only be carried out by properly trained engineers but that is virtually impossible as there just isn't the time to train enough to the required standard and keep them up to date. If you can get them to retrace what they have done without creating ill feeling you may have a way to sort it all out before it all goes wrong. Ron.

Vicky, Part of your problem could well be that your hearing is more acute than the mechanics - not uncommon. My wife is always complaining about noises I cannot hear. Also, you know what it was like before but they do not. It could just be that they have disturbed something which affects the sound insulation but that does not explain the steering fault code. Re the steering being off centre, this is probably because they disconnected the track rods and, if they have not been replaced in exactly the same position, they could have set them for correct tracking but still in the wrong position. Others may disagree but my experience is that the tracking must be readjusted to restore the steering wheel centreing and do not allow them to just reposition the steering wheel as errors here can give tyre wear problems which will only show later and be virtually impossible to diagnose. They will dispute this but, if it were mine, I should insist. This is not a solution to all of your problems but You should pursue the cause of the reported error and I hope that one of the many wise owls on this site can give an explanation as to what the error code means in mechanical terms. Ron.

Why bother? :wacko: It is illegal to use them if it is not foggy and they are only of any value in severe night time fog and at very low speeds as they should be aimed at the road less than 20 yds ahead. Seriously, I have had front fogs as standard equipment on every car I have had for the past 20 years and the only use I have found for them is to flash them at the idiots who use them illegally and they are not even very effective at that. I am sorry if this appears offensive, that is not my intention. :lol:

How do people like that stay in business? As far as tyres go, my approach has always been middle of the road. I started to use Avon Enviros (

I did and it worked! :lol: :) :huh: At least for the moment. It might have been that I accidentally put 3l of unleaded in before topping up with another 63 of the proper stuff. Whatever, after another 400 miles it now runs as well as it ever did. I give up. I don't understand anything any more. I think I shall have to go and lie down.

Spot on SK! I do have a small bubble which comes and goes but I seem to remember (That's a daft expression isn't it. :wacko: ) that there usually is on the very rare occasions I lift the bonnet. I had intended to look at that on the basis that any air getting into the needle lift injector would upset the operation of the sensor and screw up the timing and the way the control loop behaves and the accuracy of the reported figures. Also, the control solenoid acts uses pressure to control the timing so air bubble could cause a whole range of problems. Anyway, as soon as I can get my hands on a filter I shall change it and check the plumbing. Just a thought, how does one purge the air after a change? And another thing, if a few air bubbles is the cause of my problem I wonder how many other similar problems have been caused by such a basic cause. Back to the chase....

OK - Another 1000 miles down and things seem to be improving. After the garage had checked my bottom pulley and certified it OK I ran it for about 10 miles monitoring boost pressure, MAF readings and injection timing. The power was all over the place with the engine note changing at random from a severe rattle to a satisfying buzz and the only thing that was really changing from 'expected' was the timing. I've since done 2 long runs and the thing seems to be settling down and, for the last 500 miles there has been no significant loss of power. :) :wacko: :huh: I can only conclude that the problem is fuel related with the possibility of a problem with the needle lift injector or the injection timing control solenoid. Both at aroud

I don't want to send you off in a wrong direction but I have to ask if you are sure that it is the turbo. The reason I ask is that I have an intermittent loss of power which is very severe, albeit on the 110 AFN engine and, in spite of he fact that it is common practice to blame the turbo for this sort of problem, I am certain that the problem has nothing to do with the turbo. The clue for this is that the repeating fault code is 550 - Injection timing. I have had a look through your posts and cannot see anywhere you have checked the fault codes although I may have missed it. I recommend that you invest in a VAG com for about

I like the sound of the big hammer. I've a 7lb sledge hammer and that could be very therapeutic. As far as the rest, I've been over that ground once but I shall be going over it all again. Part of the problem is the intermittent nature and the fact that it seems to be evolving. At least, thanks to all of the useful input, I can begin to make some sense of it. I think the first priority is to have a closer look at the control valve area again to check it's function and range. I thought I might try a golf trolley controller to give me an open loop way of controlling it. The other item under suspicion is the needle lift injector (c

The saga continues... I have had the bottom pulley checked and it is OK. The garage also whisked the car off to have the timing etc. checked independantly and there were no fault codes and no timing problems. I drove the car home and connected it straight up to the VAG COM. I immediately got a code 550 but the timing seemed about right at somewhere between 0 and 4 deg adv. It had seemed fine on the way home so that was no suprise. Unfortunately, after a few revs, the timing drifted to 8 deg adv. I guess I shall have to start looking for another cause. ;) Since when I opened the control loop the reported timing went to 28 deg adv., I am convinced that the problem is still mechanical but am at a loss to know where to look beyond an unstable shift in the drive to the injection pump or the pump itself. I shall have to monitor the thing over the next few days because it is very intermittent but should be grateful for any suggestions, constructive or otherwise.

It is obviously difficult to get a clear idea of just how noisy yours is and you do not mention anything about power level but I am having problems with mine at the moment which, while variable, do seem to be similar to what you are describing. In my case, the problem seems to be definitely linked to the 'start of injection timing' which seems to be varying between 0 and 20 deg advanced. At 20 deg error the thing sounds like an old taxi and runs rough and weak. It's latest condition is a stable 7 deg error which does not produce an error but it is more noisy and less lively than it should be. You say that the timing is OK and I am offering this just in case you have not looked too closely at this issue and because of the similarity of the symptoms.

Talk about value for money, he only asked how much oil to put in his gearbox and we get advice on how to kill cats and an insight into SK's wide range of interest. :o I doubt if you would get that level of service on other sites. ;)

Not far to go then? :ph34r:

This may be off target but try it with the MAF disconnected. On somemakes/models it can screw up gear changes.

Not sure on this but I think I read somewhere that, on the TDIs at least, if the throttle sender fails the control system advances the revs to allow you to move the vehicle to a service point. Sounds far fetched but possible? <_<

Westie, If yours is like mine, you have to select 'dumb' mode on the test screen. You also have to have the igntion on. Mine only seems to work properly if you select 'engine' and it connects usually on the third try. I nearly gave up but it has helped me get close to my current problem and hopefully saved me a lot of dosh.

It is a bit of a puzzle 'cos mine is the same model and year and has never had a cover over the starter. Possibly that is why the braid (first reply) corroded away. Mine had done 140K when I bought it and is now 220k ish with virtually no problems other than the one that I am currently chasing (with the help of all of the good folks on this site) and the only water problem was down to water sitting below the wiper motor. Mine sits on a 1 in 4 slope so that may have been a part cause but I drilled a couple of drainage holes and had no other problems. BFN

Yes, and far worse if you're unlucky. My starter is down by the radiator with no protection and I have no problems but it does sound as if yours is associated with the starter. The worst thought is that your original problem was not just the starter itself or even the starter at all. I think that you should go back to the bloke that fitted it. Rain does collect in the tray under the wiper mechanism and, from there it can do all sorts of damage to the wiper motor. It all depends on the angle you vehicle is parked at. I think that it's down to you and your garage man to sort this out now. Good luck.

This is personal experience only but it may be useful. I got my VAG COM from a link on the Ford Scorpio site and downloaded a TIS disc free from somewhere. I can't remember where but if I found it anyone can. :lol: It may have been from here somewhere on this site. If you do download one it has to be saved to a cd with a specific label or it won't work. Mine had to be ISEN0401, the 0401 being a date I found on the download somewhere. I already had an earlier version for models up to 1999 but the new one only covers the 2000 + versions. The site for the VAG COM promised a full version of the software and a TIS disc but I only got the shareware version and no disc for

The same reasoning still applies. Rapid heat build up at point of problem then conducts to whatever is burning. If nothing is moving, then it points to something like that. I may well be wide of the mark and, if it has stopped, then the only thing to do is wait and see. It sound like one of those things where you have to hope that next time, you are ready for it with a plan for a quick look round the most likely places. The fact that it now starts ok eliminates the braid possibility unless there was a lot of water/oil on it. Interesting but worrying. I hope it is not too serious.