Car problems

thebrasso · 22 Apr 2006 at 19:08

My car just came home on a recovery truck.

I was heading to Milton Keynes for a mates birthday and the engine just died. Whilst on the M1. The yellow engine management light lit up first though, and according to the manual thats usually something to do with emmissions control.

I seem to have had no luck with my car. Fair enough I've had consumable components replaced (brake pads, discs, tyres etc) but I've had things like a passenger side window explode on the M40, and the fact that the car was mint but three seperate drive offs have left a slight dent, and two scuffs.

I've decided, if its anything major I'm getting rid and getting something cheap to run and insure.

The only thing that brightened up my dad was the recovery bloke telling me he'd got a Cosworth kit'd Orion that was running a 2.0 engine, with 400bhp at the wheels. Non turbo'd. Weber carbs, ported and polished, modified bottom end, stainless system and decat etc.

paradigm · 22 Apr 2006 at 19:11

Ah man, thats a bit of a downer

I really hope you don't have to get rid, I like your car.

thebrasso · 22 Apr 2006 at 19:15

Its a case of I've spent around £800 since owning it (rear bushes, anti-roll bar links, rear discs and pads, front pads, exhaust, tyres, passenger side front window and two services) and it just seems mental for what it is.

Some months I've spent most of my wages.

It was pretty scary when the engine died as well, it felt like the steering lock kicked in but I think it was just loss of PAS. Luckily I was in lane 1 anyway as I hadn't been on the M1 very long.

paradigm · 22 Apr 2006 at 19:16

thebrasso said:
It was pretty scary when the engine died as well, it felt like the steering lock kicked in but I think it was just loss of PAS. Luckily I was in lane 1 anyway as I hadn't been on the M1 very long.

I know that feeling, with the saxo, my PAS died (engine didn't), and basically the steering was useless

Damn scary that.

£800 for the time you have owned it isn't that bad all in all.

thedazman67 · 23 Apr 2006 at 20:58

gutted just after your new exhaust as well, i thought honda's were reliable cars?

thedazman

Firestar_3x · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:09

I wouldn't worry too much, its all bits that need to be replaced during the cars life, now they have been done they should last a while i know ppl don't like spending money on cars but it just a fact imho, most of your stuff is just standard wear and tear.

Don't get too down about it fella, worth it in the longrun

timbob · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:11

Bad luck with the car dude, hope it's nothing serious - what is it you drive again?

And a 400+bhp orion....from a N/A 2.0.... Muahahaha!

agw_01 · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:12

I wouldn't worry about it tbh Andy.

It could be a faulty sensor or knackered coil pack... is your spark wasted or distributed?

Did the oil pressure light come on when the engine died? If not, it won't be anything terminal.

Owning a Rover I've got used to not worrying about problems until I know more about them

Best of luck mate.

I bet if I posted a thread like this, I'd get replies of "it's a Rover what do you expect"

:rolleyes:

@ the people I know would say that.

Skywalker · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:15

hopefully it aint anything to serious for you bud

thebrasso · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:28

Right then, I'm a member of Honda Revolutions and visit their forums. I did some hunting around, found where the service connector was (a 3 pin where they plug a device into and a two pin one) and found by bridging the pins on the 2 pin connector with a paper clip it makes the engine management light flash in a sequence which denotes an error code.

Its telling me that there is a problem with the ignition output. So its a job for Honda I think, but I was hoping it would be something like an oxygen sensor or some other sensor that could be a straight swap.

I'm hoping its just a simple part that needs replacing.

thebrasso · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:30

I'm still thinking about what the recovery guy was saying. He reckoned the bottom end of his Orion had uprated bits from a 2.2 Ford Galaxy and the gearbox in it was mental. He talked about it being good for 165mph

I forgot to ask him how much boost it was running, Ali G style

timbob · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:51

thebrasso said:
I'm still thinking about what the recovery guy was saying. He reckoned the bottom end of his Orion had uprated bits from a 2.2 Ford Galaxy and the gearbox in it was mental. He talked about it being good for 165mph

I forgot to ask him how much boost it was running, Ali G style

I love people who talk absolute rubbish about their cars, I tend to laugh inwardly, and just let them talk themselves around in circles.

I was speaking to a guy at work the other week... Was telling me how he had a new silver Mondeo ST220. Fair enough I say. Apparently, it had had all sorts of engine work done, was pushing twenty bazillion horsepower, was good for 170mph etc....blah blah. Oh, and it has a registration plate ending in "UOK", which meant the plate by itself was worth £2000. But he'd specced new from Ford with steel wheels, so it didn't look too conspicuous.

So I wandered round the back of the building as I left for lunch, found the mondeo with the "UOK" plate. Steel wheels, but looks a little high to be a 220. I walk round the back to have a look, and it's a bog standard 1.8 LX.

Ho ho I thought.

paradigm · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:53

timbob said:
So I wandered round the back of the building as I left for lunch, found the mondeo with the "UOK" plate. Steel wheels, but looks a little high to be a 220. I walk round the back to have a look, and it's a bog standard 1.8 LX.

Ho ho I thought.

Probably had ticked the "make my car inconspicuous by adding low spec badges" option

Acolyte · 23 Apr 2006 at 21:56

Am i the only one thinking 400bhp at the wheels is a bit ambitious, even though it is the godly cosworth engine?

thebrasso · 29 Apr 2006 at 14:47

Just thought I'd post, my car had to have a part fitted, its an ignition ignitor.

Anyway, they also found a hairline crack in the distributor casing. They reckoned that this could have caused the ignitor to deteriorate. Doing some reading round on the internet I think they are right. So now I'm on the lookout for a distributor casing.

Honda's parts dept aren't open until monday now, and from ringing some salvage places breaking 1.8 vti's the cheapest I can get is £125 for a complete distributor

I've emailed a chap from Honda Revolutions who I have had a few bits off, hopefully he can help.

Edit: Found a place in Essex that produces the distributor casings so should only cost £30. The chap at the Honda garage said to find an aftermarket one as well....

Lashout_UK · 29 Apr 2006 at 15:25

running a 2.0 engine, with 400bhp at the wheels. Non turbo'd. Weber carbs

There's some pub talk there going on... The usual "double everything"

Yes, you could get 400BHP from a full race engine...that'd cost you about tens of thousands :cool:

S'like the guy who dropped my car off....was convinced that Sprints came with Webers as standard. I just shut it off and ignored him and nodded cheerfully

thebrasso · 29 Apr 2006 at 15:36

The chap was also saying that now and again he drove at Mallory Park taking people on race car experience rides, driving all sorts from Ferrari's to Caterhams. He said that when he was doing passenger rides, he was allowed to do whatever he wanted. Overtaking rules/procedures didn't apply and anybody else on the track at that time had to give way

-Mike- · 29 Apr 2006 at 15:40

from the bay

Something like that any good to you mate? There are a fair few new ones on there but they are hella expensive.

Clarkey · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:17

in excess of 200bhp/litre from an NA engine, thats comical, almost as comical as 400 at the wheels in a front drive car. I'd have found it hard not to laugh uncontrollably.

Firestar_3x · 29 Apr 2006 at 18:18

thebrasso said:
Edit: Found a place in Essex that produces the distributor casings so should only cost £30. The chap at the Honda garage said to find an aftermarket one as well....

Don't halfords do the case?