Introductions !!

[Bob India]

Hi All, an introduction and a story from my past !!

My name is Bob, an Avid Wheeler Dealers Fan, and in that vain, I decided on a username of Bob India, in a play on words to Ed China from wheeler Dealers !!

My first car was a Ford Escort Mkii, bought it secondhand in around the 80's. (some are now selling for £6,000!! wish I had kept it !!) It needed a Haynes Manual and alot of TLC !! I had to do the Head Gasket and replaced the gearbox with a secondhand one from the breakers TWICE !! The first replacement turned out to be faulty .. I once serviced the Escort with new plugs and Points. The car worked fine. But after about a week, when the car warmed up, it started spluttering. I took it to a garage, who spent an hour on it, but could not diagnose the problem, BUT, the cheeky Mechanic said, I still have to charge you for my time.. I think I gave him £20 back in the 90's !! The car Broke down again and I got the RAC to come out.. He checked it over, checked the points, coil, leads, but he couldn't find the fault.. All pre OBDII diagnostics.. Towed the car home.

So.. after buying a timing light, removing the carburetor, cleaning the jets, new fuel filter, replacement fuel pump, new leads, distributor cap and rotor, still No Joy. Last option I thought would be the Distributor unit, maybe the weights in the unit were faulty !! As I removed it, and manually spun the rotor, ho and behold, I found the problem !! The new contacts I had put in, were broken at the base, or rather loose !! When the car was cold, the contacts worked fine, and when you checked the gap with a gauge, all seemed OK. as the car warmed up, the base of the contact point would expand and the point would become loose, which changed the timing and made the car JERK like a bronco !!

I was so livid, I wrote to the Manufacturer, Intermotor (remember them?!) I explained all the things I had done and the cost I had incurred and how disappointed I was with their product. I sent them the contacts. They replied and said YES, it was a manufacturing fault and offered me new points, rotor and Cap and leads... I said that won't cut it , I have spent so much money and time, I needed money too. They agreed to give me all the parts and £100 I think ... !! That was one long learning curve.

I now have German Cars and try to do the repairs and servicing myself. The last repair I have done is the classic HPFP and CAM follower wearing out the Camshaft lobe on the VW Golf 1.6FSI 2005. Just changed the camshaft, hydraulic tappets, chain and tensioner. I am now having new issues with the car with New ECU errors, and hence my new membership !! I am sure the members on the forum will be able to help..

Onwards and upwards ..

Bob..

[Scott K]

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