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The vehicle owner who does his or her own
maintenance according to the recommended
service schedules should not have to use this
section of the manual very often. Modern
component reliability is such that, provided
those items subject to wear or deterioration
are inspected or renewed at the specified
intervals, sudden failure is comparatively rare.
Faults do not usually just happen as a result of
sudden failure, but develop over a period of
time. Major mechanical failures in particular
are usually preceded by characteristic
symptoms over hundreds or even thousands
of miles. Those components which do
occasionally fail without warning are often
small and easily carried in the vehicle.
With any fault-finding, the first step is to
decide where to begin investigations.
Sometimes this is obvious, but on other
occasions, a little detective work will be
necessary. The owner who makes half a
dozen haphazard adjustments or
replacements may be successful in curing a
fault (or its symptoms), but will be none the
wiser if the fault recurs, and ultimately may
have spent more time and money than was
necessary. A calm and logical approach will
be found to be more satisfactory in the long
run. Always take into account any warning
signs or abnormalities that may have been
noticed in the period preceding the fault -
power loss, high or low gauge readings,
unusual smells, etc - and remember that
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1
ⅥⅥ Engine fails to rotate when attempting to start
ⅥⅥ Engine rotates, but will not start
ⅥⅥ Engine difficult to start when cold
ⅥⅥ Engine difficult to start when hot
ⅥⅥ Starter motor noisy or excessively-rough in engagement
ⅥⅥ Engine starts, but stops immediately
ⅥⅥ Engine idles erratically
ⅥⅥ Engine misfires at idle speed
ⅥⅥ Engine misfires throughout the driving speed range
ⅥⅥ Engine hesitates on acceleration
ⅥⅥ Engine stalls
ⅥⅥ Engine lacks power
ⅥⅥ Engine backfires
ⅥⅥ Oil pressure warning light illuminated with engine running
ⅥⅥ Engine runs-on after switching off
ⅥⅥ Engine noises
Cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2
ⅥⅥ Overheating
ⅥⅥ Overcooling
ⅥⅥ External coolant leakage
ⅥⅥ Internal coolant leakage
ⅥⅥ Corrosion
Fuel and exhaust systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3
ⅥⅥ Excessive fuel consumption
ⅥⅥ Fuel leakage and/or fuel odour
ⅥⅥ Excessive noise or fumes from exhaust system
Clutch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
ⅥⅥ Pedal travels to floor - no pressure or very little resistance
ⅥⅥ Clutch fails to disengage (unable to select gears)
ⅥⅥ Clutch slips (engine speed increases, with no increase in vehicle
speed)
ⅥⅥ Judder as clutch is engaged
ⅥⅥ Noise when depressing or releasing clutch pedal
Manual transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
ⅥⅥ Noisy in neutral with engine running
ⅥⅥ Noisy in one particular gear
ⅥⅥ Difficulty engaging gears
ⅥⅥ Jumps out of gear
ⅥⅥ Vibration
ⅥⅥ Lubricant leaks
Automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
ⅥⅥ Fluid leakage
ⅥⅥ Transmission fluid brown, or has burned smell
ⅥⅥ General gear selection problems
ⅥⅥ Transmission will not downshift (kickdown) with accelerator fully
depressed
ⅥⅥ Engine will not start in any gear, or starts in gears other than Park
or Neutral
ⅥⅥ Transmission slips, shifts roughly, is noisy, or has no drive in
forward or reverse gears
Driveshafts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7
ⅥⅥ Clicking or knocking noise on turns (at slow speed on full-lock)
ⅥⅥ Vibration when accelerating or decelerating
Braking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
ⅥⅥ Vehicle pulls to one side under braking
ⅥⅥ Noise (grinding or high-pitched squeal) when brakes applied
ⅥⅥ Excessive brake pedal travel
ⅥⅥ Brake pedal feels spongy when depressed
ⅥⅥ Excessive brake pedal effort required to stop vehicle
ⅥⅥ Judder felt through brake pedal or steering wheel when braking
ⅥⅥ Brakes binding
ⅥⅥ Rear wheels locking under normal braking
Suspension and steering systems . . . . . . . . . . .9
ⅥⅥ Vehicle pulls to one side
ⅥⅥ Wheel wobble and vibration
ⅥⅥ Excessive pitching and/or rolling around corners, or during
braking
ⅥⅥ Wandering or general instability
ⅥⅥ Excessively-stiff steering
ⅥⅥ Excessive play in steering
ⅥⅥ Lack of power assistance
ⅥⅥ Tyre wear excessive
Electrical system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
ⅥⅥ Battery will not hold a charge for more than a few days
ⅥⅥ Ignition/no-charge warning light remains illuminated with engine
running
ⅥⅥ Ignition/no-charge warning light fails to come on
ⅥⅥ Lights inoperative
ⅥⅥ Instrument readings inaccurate or erratic
ⅥⅥ Horn inoperative, or unsatisfactory in operation
ⅥⅥ Windscreen/tailgate wipers inoperative, or unsatisfactory in
operation
ⅥⅥ Windscreen/tailgate washers inoperative, or unsatisfactory in
operation
ⅥⅥ Electric windows inoperative, or unsatisfactory in operation
ⅥⅥ Central locking system inoperative, or unsatisfactory in operation
REF•12 Fault finding
Introduction