5000 Rds Has An Attitude Problem...

[Taliska]

Well, my 5000 RDS is a peculiar beast - as well as its "I'll just change station when I want to" feature, it woke up on Friday with an awkward mood on.

 

There we were trundling down the road when the kids wanted a DVD on - the audio is plumbed into the car system via a tape cassette adapter.

 

So to quieten things down in the front a bit, I press the FADE / BAL button and it skips straight to Balance, missing the Fade out all together. I try again, and no Fade; I flip to CD and try again, no Fade.

 

After a few minutes of listening to the DVD audio, I get bored of it and switch the Radio (etc) off completely, then switch it back on.

 

Bingo, the Fade functionality comes back. I turn the noise down in the front and the journey passes pleasantly.

 

Anyone any explanations?

 

Taliska

[seatkid]

Why not let Ford sort it under warranty...

[Taliska]

Wondered if anyone else had ever noticed it, or had other odd things happen to their radios?

 

If they are known to be temperamental, Ford should know and might replace with less of an argument.

 

Actually, I'm not entirely sure whether the radio is covered under warranty or not as the car is a UK import and I guess was put in by the Belgians? Any thoughts?

 

I suppose that I could go back to the garage I got it from, but they are 150 miles away.

 

If this is a sign of the unit failing gradually, then I would like it to be replaced while it will cost me less.

 

Taliska

[Dave-G]

:( methinks the ford warranty is 2 years,but you wont have the ford uk additional warranty for an extra year...if that makes sense :(

 

:( The fact that you appear to be using a non ford tape adaptor may conflict with the warranty,try the fade function several times to see if it occurs without the DVD player/adaptor in place :huh:

 

best of luck... :o not seen many posts from you lately :o

[Taliska]

Hi Dave,

 

The car's got a standard 2 year European warranty that has different cover to the UK one (somehow).

 

I don't think that the tape adaptor can be the cause, and neither can it really invalidate the warranty, but you never know what Ford might choose to say. The power-cycle was the cure... it's all a bit bizarre really.

 

There are a couple of reasons for the low number of posts - work and the need to bite my tongue about a warranty claim with you-know-who.

 

The Gal has been running fine, though I'm concerned whether the cat has been knackered by the last service. It's a case of do I spend my own cash on an emissions test before the warranty runs out...

 

Again, do I also try to lower the spare tyre and see if the mechanism gets jammed?

 

Cheers,

 

Taliska

[Ivor_E_Tower]

I think you will find that diesel cats work in a different way to those on petrol engines, and that it will be hard to damage the diesel's cat in such a way that it fails an MOT. As to the radio, sounds (no pun intended) like a software glitch in the radio itself - something for which there is no known cure, unfortunately. Fingers crossed that it doesn't re-occur.......

 

However, I'd try to lower the spare wheel if I were you; better safe than sorry.

[Taliska]

The story with the cat is that I believe that the engine was well overfilled with oil at the last service - there was a pool around the filler cap and oil all over the engine cover.

 

5000 miles after the service, the oil levels were 'normal' and 8000 miles after the service, I had to put some oil in - that leads me to think that it was overfilled - it probably explains where most of the 6 litres of oil went.

 

As some concern was expressed on these forums that overfilling with oil can damage the cat, I was naturally concerned.

 

 

I guess that it was some glitch in the radio, don't know if it really warrants whinging about, but if it is an indicator of imminent failure, then it would be nice to know.

 

Think I'll try and find the place to lower the spare tyre - it's a bit silly not knowing where it is.

 

Thanks,

 

Taliska

[Guest stevebm1]

I dare say ford will not touch a modified wiring loom,claiming it invalidates the gaurantee,so be warned

[Gadgetoid]

Taliska

 

Spare wheel is lowered by turning a screw on the boot floor near the tailgate - its under the funny circular plastic insert.

 

I think you are right to be concerned about your Cat - had the wifes Gal serviced by Frauds last month and afterwards it was a good 1cm above the max limit on the dipstick. Went back to the service department and they corrected it without quibble the following day, so obviously they knew that they were at fault and that there was a potential for a damage claim arising. Because they have to remove the engine undertray to get at the sump drain it is not an easy job to drain oil from the Gal. Given the overfilling I also felt I had to ask them if they used the special oil for the VW PD engine - servicing manager actually seemed to know what he was talking about, and assured me they did, but I still worry whether the grease monkey who actually did the service followed the right procedures if he'd already cocked up the oil volume.

 

As for Stevebm1's comment, am I right in thinking he has got hold of the wrong end of the stick - your Gal has no wiring loom modifications, you just use one of those wires with a false cassette tape at the end to transfer sound from your DVD player onto the tape heads and so into the stereo system.

[Taliska]

Hi,

 

Had a go getting the spare tyre down - all went well. It's quite a peculiar mechanism really - best tried in the daylight before you need to do it for real.

 

While the wheel was down, I did notice that there was lots of superficial rust on the suspension arms - surely that's not right !?!

 

As regards the oil, I just wish I could trust Ford, but I can't. I think I'll shop around and find someone who will do an emissions test at a reasonable price - perhaps another branch of the same dealer. :angry:

 

Yes, it's just a plain and simple tape cassette adapter with wires coming out to plug into the DVD (an old laptop!). When the warranty is over I may look into cutting into the CD wires.

 

Funny old thing happened today with the radio - it said that there was no CD player there, then found it a few seconds later...

 

Taliska

[Ivor_E_Tower]

... I did notice that there was lots of superficial rust on the suspension arms - surely that's not right !?!

Unfortunately this is common and won't be put right under warranty unless you are exceptionally lucky !

[Taliska]

... I did notice that there was lots of superficial rust on the suspension arms - surely that's not right !?!

Unfortunately this is common and won't be put right under warranty unless you are exceptionally lucky !

 

Pants really.

 

My ol' Audi had some thick black gunk plastered on the underneath - it lasted 10 years without showing any signs of rust - this looks like a backward step.

 

Anyone got any recommendations as to suggested action - I think that putting it on the wheel ramps and splurging on underseal myself is a bit amateur.

 

Is there anyone out there that will do this professionally?

 

Is is worth doing anything about it at all?

 

Thanks,

 

Taliska