What's wrong with my car??? Help!!!

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 3:19pm #1

Hi guys,
The past couple of days the car's gears have felt a bit weird. The engine would be loud in 2nd gear so I would go up into 3rd and the car would kinda slow down! And the engine would still be noisy. I would have to accelerate a lot. Now I didn't think too much of this because the route I take to work has a lot of upward slopes and I know if you go into a higher gear too early on a slope it makes things worse.
I should probably mention that I have a habit of staying in 2nd when I should be in 3rd, if I am going through 2 roundabouts that are say 300m apart I won't bother changing gears. Maybe this has damaged my car?

This morning the car cut out about 7 or 8 times. The traffic was mad and I was stuck on a steep hill for ages and the road was wet. I thought maybe it was my hill starts that were at fault and maybe ti was because the road was so wet. Then I was on the Belgard Rd which only has a very small slope, I rarely need do do a hill start. The car cut out another couple of times. Very frustrating!

I parked the car and when I came out on my lunch break and started reversing it out of the space I heard a squealing noise. Like the noise the kettle makes when it's boiled! I drive to Halfords, I'm going round the car park in 1st and the car is squealing. I move up to 2nd and soon it starts squealing again! I also had to accelerate more than I usually would need to.

I am raging, this is literally the first day this has happened but I am fuming, I don't have the car very long and I'm scared it will cost me a fortune to get fixed!!! What could be wrong??? There not too long ago the car used to make a noise when I accelerated which turned out to just be a couple of loose nuts on the wheel. I am hoping to god this is the same, just something small that is loose, but I am raging! I am also terrified the car will break down on me tonight on the way home, I wouldn't know what to do!!!

mike65 · 10-01-2008 3:26pm

If the car cuts out then you have a fuel or electrics/ignition problem, the screeching belt should be for the alternator (which powers up the battery when engine is running) its loose by the sound of it. loose belt = loss of generation = low battery charge can = engine cuting out.

Mike.

craichoe · 10-01-2008 3:33pm

What cowboy did you buy the car from ?

Loose wheelnuts
Squeeling noises
Cutting out randomly
Doesnt accelerate properly

I'd say quit the raging and bring it to a mechanic, if the car is not fit for the road (which is clearly isn't from the sounds of it) you need to get it checked out asap.

STOP DRIVING IT NOW AND GET A CAB OR BUS TO WORK WHILE YOU GET IT SORTED OUT.

cantdecide · 10-01-2008 3:34pm

...and using the gears correctly is a must- driving involves changing gears constantly. If you have a rev clock, you really shouldn't be up to 3000rpm unless you are in the middle of changing through the gears or climbing a very steep hill.

eringobragh · 10-01-2008 3:39pm

Hmmm...We did give you fair warning here on the perils of owning a Fiat Punto....As i've said before, there's no such thing as a friend in the motor trade. aside from that i agree with above best get the altenator belt checked..How much did you pay for the car in the end.

cormac_byrne · 10-01-2008 3:44pm

Sounds to me like the clutch is slipping.
i.e. increasing engine revs, but wheels not turning any faster.

This would be particularly bad on hills.

Has there been any burning smell on doing hillstarts?

L1011 · 10-01-2008 3:46pm

Off topic, but upward slopes from Maynooth to Tallaght? Either the "Hill Holder" in my car is damn good or you're taking a very strange route over here... Never conciously have a hillstart to do except on the ramp off the N4 at Lucan.

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 3:51pm

eringobragh wrote: »

Hmmm...We did give you fair warning here on the perils of owning a Fiat Punto....As i've said before, there's no such thing as a friend in the motor trade. aside from that i agree with above best get the altenator belt checked..How much did you pay for the car in the end.

I paid €1100 for it.

cormac_byrne wrote: »

Sounds to me like the clutch is slipping.
i.e. increasing engine revs, but wheels not turning any faster.

This would be particularly bad on hills.

Has there been any burning smell on doing hillstarts?

No, but I have the windows closed.

MYOB wrote: »

Off topic, but upward slopes from Maynooth to Tallaght? Either the "Hill Holder" in my car is damn good or you're taking a very strange route over here... Never conciously have a hillstart to do except on the ramp off the N4 at Lucan.

The hill in question was the one beside the funeral home in Lucan, can't think of the name of it now, it is a very steep hill. Aside from that there is another steep enough hill coming up to Newland's Cross.

I go down the back roads, through Laraghcon housing estate, up by the undertaker's in Lucan, down the Balgaddy Rd, down the Fonthill Rd South and then down the Belgard.

L1011 · 10-01-2008 3:56pm

My head hurts even thinking of that route. I go N4 to lucan, ORR to the N7, down the Boot Road and come out just before Staoil on the Fonthill Road South - avoids the queue of traffic up Esker Hill in Lucan (the undertakers), most of the queue down the Fonthill Road, all of Clondalkin.

Why on earth do you come in to Lucan from the Laraghcon side? Those roads are appalling!

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 3:59pm

I tried a few different routes and I liked that one, plus it is familiar by now. I try to avoid Lucan Main St.

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 4:02pm

That is the way I am going home today anyway because it is familiar, I am not in the right frame of mind at all to be trying new routes

L1011 · 10-01-2008 4:08pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

I tried a few different routes and I liked that one, plus it is familiar by now. I try to avoid Lucan Main St.

Coming through Laraghacon brings you down the end of Lucan Main Street. The N4 doesn't...

I'd suggest not going on any backroads with a finicky car, route familiarity or not. Car goes thunk just around a bend and you're got a serious collision pending.

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 4:14pm

The back roads are pretty bendy alright, maybe I should go by the N4. What puts me off it is that it's a dual carriageway, I'm not mad about them.

What route would you recommend?

I'm so scared the car is gonna break down on me. I got some extra strong headlights today which are meant to be good so at least I'll be able to see better, it's so dark when I leave Tallaght.

eringobragh · 10-01-2008 4:25pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

The back roads are pretty bendy alright, maybe I should go by the N4. What puts me off it is that it's a dual carriageway, I'm not mad about them..

In time you'll find there the easiest (and safest) road to drive,

stay in the left lane and its pretty much a straight line, only danger of falling asleep because it gets sooo boring.:)

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 4:28pm

I was going to try the N4 and then M50 eventually but the way I go gives me lots of practise for roundabouts, junctions, etc, I was going to do this route tonight but will go the N4 now.

eringobragh · 10-01-2008 4:29pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

I'm so scared the car is gonna break down on me. I got some extra strong headlights today which are meant to be good so at least I'll be able to see better, it's so dark when I leave Tallaght.

Unless there HIDs (Which i doubt it). the bulbs you got arn't worth squat IMO.what type are they. If there the 100w Junk there life will be a short lived one as those halogen are only meant to be pushing out 50w

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 4:29pm

MYOB wrote: »

ORR to the N7

what does that mean, or is it just a typo?

L1011 · 10-01-2008 4:30pm

ORR is the Outer Ring Road. Its a road that goes from the N7 to the N4 via Lucan, its dual carraigeway most of the way.

Up the Fonthill Road South as always, right at the roundabout, and left at the Grange Castle lights - you'll recognise this as its a major junction, you meet a dual carraigeway.

Then up the Outer Ring Road until you reach the N4. Its signposted all the way, and its a straight road.

Stay in the inside lane of the ORR through the first two roundabouts, on the last one you need to be on the outside lane on exiting as the inside lane rapidly becomes a buslane and its hard to break back in. On the N4 stay in the inside lane in case you need to bail to the hard shoulder if the car dies. You can either (break the law and...) stay on the M4 till Maynooth or leave at the Toyota garage and go through Leixlip on the R148.

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 4:39pm

MYOB wrote: »

Stay in the inside lane of the ORR through the first two roundabouts, on the last one you need to be on the outside lane on exiting as the inside lane rapidly becomes a buslane and its hard to break back in.

Hi,
Am I going straight through the last roundabout? I usually only go into the outside lane if I am taking the right hand side exit (this is how I was taught) but will happily be bold just this once if it means I am not stuck between buses, I am very nervous of them.

L1011 · 10-01-2008 4:46pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

Hi,
Am I going straight through the last roundabout? I usually only go into the outside lane if I am taking the right hand side exit (this is how I was taught) but will happily be bold just this once if it means I am not stuck between buses, I am very nervous of them.

You're going straight through, its a dual carraigeway roundabout which means loads of people do use the outside lane for straight ahead - wrong or not... I usually stick to the inside lane and you'll get in to the driving lane after the roundabout in the about 4 meters they give you for it... but I've been driving the route for months

Theres very little chance of buses being in that buslane - its more peiople not letting you back in to the correct lane before the next, very close, set of lights.

To tell which rounabout it is in advance, its thje one that signs trucks to turn right for the M50 and N4 and everyone else straight ahead for the N4.

blackbox · 10-01-2008 4:55pm

mike65 wrote: »

If the car cuts out then you have a fuel or electrics/ignition problem, the screeching belt should be for the alternator (which powers up the battery when engine is running) its loose by the sound of it. loose belt = loss of generation = low battery charge can = engine cuting out.

Mike.

...a conclusion too far - If battery charge was so low that it made the car cut out, you would not be able to re-start it.

Problems with gears and loss of power most likely due to slipping clutch. This will be worst in higher gears and going up hills. Clutch wear is usually due to incorrect use (presumably by previous owner).

Holding car in 2nd gear unlikely to do immediate damage unless you are revving to red line, but will waste fuel and eventually cause more wear.

Squealing noise could be due to slipping clutch, but more likely (as Mike says) due to generator belt (aka fanbelt) slipping temporarily, exacerbated by wet conditions. Could also be water pump bearings.

Cutting out most likely ignition or fuel as Mike says. Perhaps you got a lot of water in engine bay from puddles that drenched the electrics when driving on those bad roads.

PS I wouldn't blame manufacturer for loose wheel nuts etc - All cars need to be maintained properly.

I hope you're not too disappointed with new bulbs!

chris85 · 10-01-2008 4:55pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

Hi guys,
The past couple of days the car's gears have felt a bit weird. The engine would be loud in 2nd gear so I would go up into 3rd and the car would kinda slow down! And the engine would still be noisy. I would have to accelerate a lot. Now I didn't think too much of this because the route I take to work has a lot of upward slopes and I know if you go into a higher gear too early on a slope it makes things worse.
I should probably mention that I have a habit of staying in 2nd when I should be in 3rd, if I am going through 2 roundabouts that are say 300m apart I won't bother changing gears. Maybe this has damaged my car?

This morning the car cut out about 7 or 8 times. The traffic was mad and I was stuck on a steep hill for ages and the road was wet. I thought maybe it was my hill starts that were at fault and maybe ti was because the road was so wet. Then I was on the Belgard Rd which only has a very small slope, I rarely need do do a hill start. The car cut out another couple of times. Very frustrating!

I parked the car and when I came out on my lunch break and started reversing it out of the space I heard a squealing noise. Like the noise the kettle makes when it's boiled! I drive to Halfords, I'm going round the car park in 1st and the car is squealing. I move up to 2nd and soon it starts squealing again! I also had to accelerate more than I usually would need to.

I am raging, this is literally the first day this has happened but I am fuming, I don't have the car very long and I'm scared it will cost me a fortune to get fixed!!! What could be wrong??? There not too long ago the car used to make a noise when I accelerated which turned out to just be a couple of loose nuts on the wheel. I am hoping to god this is the same, just something small that is loose, but I am raging! I am also terrified the car will break down on me tonight on the way home, I wouldn't know what to do!!!

Defo get the alternator checked. As for the squealing noise if its sounds like a kettle as you say then check the coolant level in your car and get the cooling system checked if needed.
If the squealing is not like that then get the fan belt checked.

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 5:20pm

blackbox wrote: »

Squealing noise could be due to slipping clutch, but more likely (as Mike says) due to generator belt (aka fanbelt) slipping temporarily, exacerbated by wet conditions. Could also be water pump bearings.

Cutting out most likely ignition or fuel as Mike says. Perhaps you got a lot of water in engine bay from puddles that drenched the electrics when driving on those bad roads.

Well there was an awful lot of big puddles this morning, some big splashes.
The tank was full of petrol so it's not fuel anyway.

chris85 wrote: »

Defo get the alternator checked. As for the squealing noise if its sounds like a kettle as you say then check the coolant level in your car and get the cooling system checked if needed.
If the squealing is not like that then get the fan belt checked.

I haven't checked the coolant since I bought the car 2 months ago, I have 2 big bottles of it sitting at home as well. I've been putting it off and off... haven't checked the oil either.

I am bringing it to Halfords after work to get my new bulbs fitted and will ask them to have a look at all these things. I hope to god its just something simple.

I must check the air in the tyres as well.

eringobragh · 10-01-2008 5:27pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

I am bringing it to Halfords after work to get my new bulbs fitted and will ask them to have a look at all these things. I hope to god its just something simple.

.

I wouldn't let that crowd change a fuse in my car TBH. Don't waste your money on those bulbs.

chris85 · 10-01-2008 5:52pm

eringobragh wrote: »

I wouldn't let that crowd change a fuse in my car TBH. Don't waste your money on those bulbs.

Second that. They charge you well for what you get and are also useless.

Went in few weeks ago to get something and was standing trying to get served at the auto parts section but the two lads behind the counter were just arguing about who broke the keyboard. idiots.

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 6:01pm

I dunno, I would like to have the new headlights on for going home cos I'm going a new route and I doubt anywhere else will be open.

L1011 · 10-01-2008 6:02pm

Halfords in Liffey Valley told me my car didn't have an oil filter (clearly it does as I bought it in CPL in Maynooth 30 minutes later). Beat that for ineptitude

LuckyStar - you've got sat nav and the route is lit all the way to Leixlip...

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 6:16pm

OK so, I guess I am better off with the lights I have, than having new ones that aren't fitted properly, my lights coming loose or something is all I need...

I am very nervous about getting home, I have only driven on the N4 once on my own,

My dad wants to have a look at the car and will probably be able to do the bulbs for me.

Thanks for all the help so far guys, please god theres just something small wrong cos I don't get paid for another 2 weeks...

eringobragh · 10-01-2008 6:48pm

Not being bad , but if your this nervous on the road you reallly shouldn't be driving unaccompanied.

Re the bulbs : as useful as an underwater hairdryer. There only a bit brighter and burn out twice as quick. Pure gimmick. I'd say get a HID kit but its not really worth the effort for you, on that note my HID's arrived today

LuckyStar · 10-01-2008 6:52pm

I'm not that nervous, it's just I'm not mad about going a new route when it's so dark.

I don't like buses cos they're huge so I can't see past them if I'm behind them, they're slow, and they're always stopping and starting.

eringobragh · 10-01-2008 7:01pm

LuckyStar wrote: »

I don't like buses cos they're huge so I can't see past them if I'm behind them, they're slow, and they're always stopping and starting.

None of us are fans of buses TBH (Stay out of the bus lane BTW Tut Tut

) You shouldn't really need to see ahead of the bus (Unless you want to overtake them: although i wouldn't advise that with your car at present) concentrate on whats in front any around you

What's wrong with my car??? Help!!!

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