2.4 TD Help

[Bonsai]

I posted on here a while ago about the 'check' light on the dash coming on.

Well, since then it has gone to numerous garages, and noone seems to know whats wrong with it. I have spent hundreds of pounds now on having (what appears to be) pointless things done to it.

The trouble seems to be that the car is too old to be rigged up to a diagnostic machine, and although i have explained about the manual method of counting flashes etc ... everyone looks at me with a baffled look on their faces, like im going mad.

Basically my car is a death trap at the moment. I will be driving along quite happily when the red light will come on the dash, and then the car appears to loose power. Now this was happening once a week. Its now every day, 5 times in a 15 min drive. This morning it stayed on permanently, and the car was labouring so badly I thought i would break down.

But, this is the least of my problems.

The other problem is the breaks. It seems that when the light coming on the dash, the breaks are also affected. Sometimes the breaks wont work at all. The pedal is literally stuck in the up position. Sometimes the pedal will move, but not all the way. I get to a certain point, then it cracks (you can hear a crack / pop type sound), the pedal will then move more, and the car will stop.

I had to break suddenly the other night - and nothing would happen !!!

I have had the breaks redone in their entirety lately, including the servo ... and its done nothing.

I had the brake filter changed, the servo changed etc .... and nothing.

I am a stupid female who cant do the diagnosic manual thing herself, because i dont understand the instructions that have been given on here.

I feel confused. I really think i have to scrap the car. I feel like im throwing good money after bad. My mechanic has said he wont touch the car now without a proper diagnostic check done via a machine, as he is guessing all the time and costing me money. But noone has a machine that can attach to my old K reg car.

So - unless anyone here has any ideas - i think i will have to take it to the scrap yard, as i cant sell it on in the state its in.

Sorry to waffle, but i feel a little upset about the whole thing.

[surfenstein]

its not the fact that its to old its the fact that no one has got a machine that will read the japanese codes.you say you have had the brakes done,what exactly have you had changed?????? sounds to me like the master cylinder is playing up.or it could be the vacum pump on the alternator.this will light the red light on your dash.has either been changed???

[Bonsai]

The master cylinder has been done, the servo and the pipe (which was perished apparently).

[POPEYE]

I'm sorry to hear about the problems your haveing, and no you aint stupid, i guess many of us (including me) dont have the faintest idea when it comes to diagnostic checks concerning the engine managemant systems, im', a plugs and points man from way back when, to affect the breaks is it possibly something to do with the vac pump located on the front of the alternator and possibly the alternator itself, has this unit been checked, i know without this pump the breaks are bl00dy hard to push down, drive belt ok?? these trucks have so many sensors fitted it's dam near impossible to trace problems with out a proper diagnostic machine, prehaps a call to TonyN might help, anyway good luck with it, shame to break em but there comes a point when enough's enough,

[surfenstein]

The master cylinder has been done, the servo and the pipe (which was perished apparently).

so just a recap.your brakes are ok until the red light comes on in the dash then they go hard and you cant push them down.is that correct

[Bonsai]

so just a recap.your brakes are ok until the red light comes on in the dash then they go hard and you cant push them down.is that correct

Not always (this is where it gets complicated). The brakes are never good. But they are usable (unless i had to do an emergency stop). But when the light comes on they do seem worse, and completely go. Thats when its dangerous.

So yeah, i do link the light and brakes ..... but it isnt always the case. The brakes are rubbish independantly too.

God - im finding it so hard to explain. I apologise.

[surfenstein]

Not always (this is where it gets complicated). The brakes are never good. But they are usable (unless i had to do an emergency stop). But when the light comes on they do seem worse, and completely go. Thats when its dangerous.

So yeah, i do link the light and brakes ..... but it isnt always the case. The brakes are rubbish independantly too.

God - im finding it so hard to explain. I apologise.

when you say brakes completly go.do you mean the pedal goes to the floor with no effort or does the pedal go hard.???

[Bonsai]

My husband has called the mechanic again with the latest problem (i.e. the light being on all the time now) and he thinks it could now be the 'mechanical pump' which could be causing air leaks. He says the part is expensive.

So again, its a guess. What do you think ? Any idea if his idea could be right, and if so .... what does expensive mean ?

[Bonsai]

when you say brakes completly go.do you mean the pedal goes to the floor with no effort or does the pedal go hard.???

No. The brake can be rock hard, with no movement at all (this has happened twice). Or it will go down slightly, which barely slows the car down. You then have to put more pressure on it, and the car will make a crack / pop noise (which i think comes from the rear).... and then it will go down as normal. But even then, the brakes arent good.

[surfenstein]

My husband has called the mechanic again with the latest problem (i.e. the light being on all the time now) and he thinks it could now be the 'mechanical pump' which could be causing air leaks. He says the part is expensive.

So again, its a guess. What do you think ? Any idea if his idea could be right, and if so .... what does expensive mean ?

it could be a number of things.is your a 2lt engine or a 2lte engine.mechanical pump do you mean fuel pump??? or vac pump on alternator.if you are on about the fuel pump then yes it could be very expensive especially if every one is just stabbing in the dark.what colour exhaust smoke are you getting when the check light comes on.i would say that the brake problem is your vac pump on the alternator.

[surfenstein]

No. The brake can be rock hard, with no movement at all (this has happened twice). Or it will go down slightly, which barely slows the car down. You then have to put more pressure on it, and the car will make a crack / pop noise (which i think comes from the rear).... and then it will go down as normal. But even then, the brakes arent good.

definatly vac pump on alternator.pm bio surf i think he has a new second hand alternator.with vac pump.actually get your mechanic to check there is a vacum from pump first,you can do this by runnin engine and removing pipe from servo.if there is a vacum from pump get mechanic to check load compensator valve on rear.the valve is connected to rear axle via a rod.

[bowella]

Hello,
Could you get the Surf over to me? I live about 3 miles north of Thetford, I will gladly take a look at it for you. I am a mechanic by trade so I have a good idea what I am doing, I would prefer the car to be here so I can have it in the workshop where I have access to all tools and equipment.
I run a 2.4 Surf so we could swap any parts over from mine to yours to prove a point, this would save you spending out on parts you don't need.
At a push I could collect it from you with a transporter trailer depending where you are.
You can email me at carl.gray@tiscali.co.uk if you want as maybe you don't want to publicise your whereabouts to all and sundry !!
Let me know if this would be any help to you.
Best regards, John.

[Bonsai]

When it went to the mechanic he agreed that pressure wasnt getting to the servo and replaced the feed hose. He made a point of saying that its an odd system as it comes off the back of the alternator. So it makes sense that people seem to be agreeing that it is the Vac Pump.

(the above was dictated to me by my husband).

[Bonsai]

Hello,
Could you get the Surf over to me? I live about 3 miles north of Thetford, I will gladly take a look at it for you. I am a mechanic by trade so I have a good idea what I am doing, I would prefer the car to be here so I can have it in the workshop where I have access to all tools and equipment.
I run a 2.4 Surf so we could swap any parts over from mine to yours to prove a point, this would save you spending out on parts you don't need.
At a push I could collect it from you with a transporter trailer depending where you are.
You can email me at carl.gray@tiscali.co.uk if you want as maybe you don't want to publicise your whereabouts to all and sundry !!
Let me know if this would be any help to you.
Best regards, John.

Awwwww, thank you. I would be loathe to travel with my brakes as they are, especially that far.

But - i will bare it mind, and i am really thankful for your offer. Thinking (see my post above) that its the Vac Pump. I think (if everyone agrees) i might give that a whirl, which will be last chance (guess) saloon. If that fails, then i would love to take you up on your offer, and i will be in touch as swapping parts to see if they work makes perfect sense to me.

Thanks again.

[BioHazard]

Is your vac pump on the front or the back of the alternator as i have a front mounted ,nearly new one up for grabs late 2.4..........it's only 12 months old