Adski
Member
I knew this would happen. I sign up here, get great advice and then have to pester you all about the slightest thing. So really, it's YOUR fault that I'm having a problem because you're all too damn helpful!
I have a problem - but then sometimes I don't think I do. I'll try and explain it. I'll warn you now, this is long and I have a horrible feeling that I'm in for a big bill but I've been ripped off so many times, I'd like some advice here first. I hope you can help because I really want to keep this car.
My car seems low on power, sometimes. At first I thought I was imagining it - I'd be driving along at 50-60, kickdown, and it would kickdown, but then the car wouldn't seem to move especially fast - it would seem to have little bursts of power and then nothing. Now I could be imagining this but it seemed to be struggling getting up to speed. My reasons for thinking I was going crazy were because it only seemed to do this after kickdown. Flooring it off the line was still powerful as ever and had that nice growl whereas after kickdown...I dunno - it sounded a bit wheezy.
However, last night, I was in the outside lane of a road that merged into one lane further up. (I'm very impatient). I moved off fairly sharpish and it didn't seem to have that much power - it moved, but the Fiesta on the inside lane beat me which, given by this point I had my foot on the floor, indicated that something was wrong. However, on the way home, seemed nice and powerful again.
Now, here's where it gets a bit trickier. The gearbox has started flaring the changes under hard acceleration. It's possible to drive the car smoothly (read slowly) but as soon as you go for it and take it up to high ish revs, it will flare. It's now started holding a gear for a bit too long too so you need too acclerate more just to get it to change up. I'm mentioning this because on the odd occasion in the last couple of days, when I've gone to kickdown, you know when it revs higher before it selects the lower gear? Well it seemed to take FOREVER to do that. I'm almost convinced that this problem is related. Before you say change the ATF, I did it two weeks ago along with the service. Although I'm convinced that the place that did it are incompetent or con-merchants so it may not have been changed properly. If I could prove anything I'd actively try to but I don't fancy my chances. (They never even stamped the service book and I had to go and chase them up - they're a "specialist Prestige and 4x4" place apparently.)
There's more I'm afraid. I knew my car had a thirst for oil. I drive a lot of miles and before yesterday, I'd had to put 3 litres in over 4 months which for me equates to about 15,000 miles. However, yesterday, in light of my recent problems, I checked the oil and to my abject horror, it was BELOW minimum. Yet it had been serviced just 2 weeks ago which means either the garage cocked up (got distracted maybe?) or it's gone through all that oil in two weeks. Both scenarios are very worrying. It took 2 litres yesterday to put it on max btw. However, the car does not burn oil. It's still smooth, no smoke at all and nice and quiet. I noticed that the underneath the engine cover had a bit of oil on too that seemed to be leaking out of the oil filler cap so whether that's related or not I don't know.
Sorry for waffling on. I'm pretty certain that something bad is wrong but on the drive to work this morning I took it nice and easy and you wouldn't think anything was wrong but when you drop a few gears and accelerate, it revs fine but doesn't seem to move in relation to the revs if that makes any sense. And, last but not least, when driving at a certain (high) speed, the revs seem fine and it's as smooth and quiet and possible. The car actually sits at the high motorway speed it usually does just as well as it always does.
I'm very sorry if I've waffled but I could do with some help guys. I'm 22 and I saved up for ages to get a nice big V6 Merc and insure it and everyone (Mum and Dad included) are really pushing me to get rid; I'm worried this is just the excuse they'll need.
Any help/advice or pointers would be very, very much appreciated.
Cheers,
Adam
I have a problem - but then sometimes I don't think I do. I'll try and explain it. I'll warn you now, this is long and I have a horrible feeling that I'm in for a big bill but I've been ripped off so many times, I'd like some advice here first. I hope you can help because I really want to keep this car.
My car seems low on power, sometimes. At first I thought I was imagining it - I'd be driving along at 50-60, kickdown, and it would kickdown, but then the car wouldn't seem to move especially fast - it would seem to have little bursts of power and then nothing. Now I could be imagining this but it seemed to be struggling getting up to speed. My reasons for thinking I was going crazy were because it only seemed to do this after kickdown. Flooring it off the line was still powerful as ever and had that nice growl whereas after kickdown...I dunno - it sounded a bit wheezy.
However, last night, I was in the outside lane of a road that merged into one lane further up. (I'm very impatient). I moved off fairly sharpish and it didn't seem to have that much power - it moved, but the Fiesta on the inside lane beat me which, given by this point I had my foot on the floor, indicated that something was wrong. However, on the way home, seemed nice and powerful again.
Now, here's where it gets a bit trickier. The gearbox has started flaring the changes under hard acceleration. It's possible to drive the car smoothly (read slowly) but as soon as you go for it and take it up to high ish revs, it will flare. It's now started holding a gear for a bit too long too so you need too acclerate more just to get it to change up. I'm mentioning this because on the odd occasion in the last couple of days, when I've gone to kickdown, you know when it revs higher before it selects the lower gear? Well it seemed to take FOREVER to do that. I'm almost convinced that this problem is related. Before you say change the ATF, I did it two weeks ago along with the service. Although I'm convinced that the place that did it are incompetent or con-merchants so it may not have been changed properly. If I could prove anything I'd actively try to but I don't fancy my chances. (They never even stamped the service book and I had to go and chase them up - they're a "specialist Prestige and 4x4" place apparently.)
There's more I'm afraid. I knew my car had a thirst for oil. I drive a lot of miles and before yesterday, I'd had to put 3 litres in over 4 months which for me equates to about 15,000 miles. However, yesterday, in light of my recent problems, I checked the oil and to my abject horror, it was BELOW minimum. Yet it had been serviced just 2 weeks ago which means either the garage cocked up (got distracted maybe?) or it's gone through all that oil in two weeks. Both scenarios are very worrying. It took 2 litres yesterday to put it on max btw. However, the car does not burn oil. It's still smooth, no smoke at all and nice and quiet. I noticed that the underneath the engine cover had a bit of oil on too that seemed to be leaking out of the oil filler cap so whether that's related or not I don't know.
Sorry for waffling on. I'm pretty certain that something bad is wrong but on the drive to work this morning I took it nice and easy and you wouldn't think anything was wrong but when you drop a few gears and accelerate, it revs fine but doesn't seem to move in relation to the revs if that makes any sense. And, last but not least, when driving at a certain (high) speed, the revs seem fine and it's as smooth and quiet and possible. The car actually sits at the high motorway speed it usually does just as well as it always does.
I'm very sorry if I've waffled but I could do with some help guys. I'm 22 and I saved up for ages to get a nice big V6 Merc and insure it and everyone (Mum and Dad included) are really pushing me to get rid; I'm worried this is just the excuse they'll need.
Any help/advice or pointers would be very, very much appreciated.
Cheers,
Adam
