bignev

Hi guys, Anyone else with a 3.3 V6 have their cooling fans come on before it's up to normal operating temperature? Just thought I'd ask, it's always done it. In fact all 3 of my GV's have. It's difficult to notice really, but a bugger on cold days when I notice it. It does it wether it's been driven, or idling on the drive say for oil changes, or just to run it if it's been stood. If I turn the engine off and start it up again they stay off. Cheers, Nev

Excellent! Had to do mine too, but had done water pump, tensioner, and belts before that (water pump was leaking and had a blade broken off!!!). Got one that wasn't quite right, plastic and in theory replaced the correct part, but the Mopar bearing I got from the US wasn't that dear. I think it was part number 04792581AB.

Ah that explains it, seemed very strange!!!

Hi Semmysonic how's it going? Could be a few things, bearing as you suggest, the start of the alternator "grumble", or maybe just the ancillary belt for the steering / water pump / alternator. If it starts when you put it in gear it may possibly point toward the alternator. Mine started just like that, a bit of a rattly sqeak, at any time, then built up to a "wuh wuh" grumble when in gear or air con on - worse with both! When it gets worse it will be easier to find!!!! If it is the alternator don't panic, it's not too bad a job, my other posts on here around September describe it, "noisy engine when in gear" but the belt is a bugger on your own! And when I changed the alt, the bearing on the old one felt fine, but the new one was quiet, so that's what it was. Cheers, Nev (05 GV 3.3)

If I read that right minus 40 c then no it won't kick in. What the outside temp? Not too relevant really. The system and aslo the refigerant gas won't do its job at that cold a temperature If its plus 40 C then you could have lots of differnt problems, simplest is low on AC gas. We are all a bit late on a reply for this, from August!!!!

Cracking that well pleased for you!

Yes I'd def want to keep it too. And if it's on your drive (like ours was) you are in a bit of a better position. Our insurers wanted to move it to "Safe Storage". Having had a motorcycle damaged a lot further by their so call safe storage people we said sod off. So when they asked for all the documents - including service receipts! - to scrap it - it was a good position to be in to tell them to get lost. Hope it works out for you, keep us posted! Cheers Nev

We used to have a Subaru Impreza, similar incident but front end dsamage too. It's a few years ago (2007) so things change, but we were paid out, with a deduction for the value of our car. I repaired it at my leisure, took it for an MOT, and becauswe it was CAT D had to have a VIC - Vehicle Identy Check. Then got on with driving it again. Hope this helps, but someone with more recent experience would be better. Will the insurers tell you what they would want to happen - or are they not being very helpful, as usual! And if you don't keep it what condition of car could you buy?! - if yours is good I'd say better the devil you know.

Sounds brilliant, sadly nothing like that near me.

Hi guys, My GV's are both LPG. But on the diesel subject I have a 9 year old Renault Master van that I've had from new. Long wheel base high roof - big rascal. Weighs in a 3.1 tons with my kit in it, and does 35mpg on a run, 30 round town. (Less in winter) I use Millers diesel enhancer. And it was backed up by unprompted comment from my local diesel injection specialist - who doesn't sell it - how he can tell the difference when they are working on a system that has used it. It's now called diesel power ecomax - branding upgrades!! Engine is slightly smoother with it (no matter who's fuel it's running - supermarket or big brand) and a couple more mpg. When I run out and have been without for as short while it just doesn't feel quite as "nice". A 500ml bottle at around £9 treats 500 litres. And at each MOT test the emissions are very low, never yet a problem on the smoke test, always a long way under the limit, nearly nothing. Yes it does get "an Italian tuneup" on occasion. But however it also does a lot of short work depending where my work is that week. Another bloke I know who runs a specialist black cab maintenance garage suggested "Cataclean" for one off cleans. Made a couple of MPG difference to our newest GV when we first got it and was still on petrol for a while. And if a manufacturer dared to recomend one additive I would guess the others may just have something to say about it, and then of course questions would be raised as to why their engines aren't good enough without it, why are they saying fuel isn't good enough, etc.

Definitely not!! Total bargain price that is. The best I can do is when we need anything that Morrisons supermarkets sell gift vouchers for, including Amazon, Halfords, Currys and loads more, we can save a packet on the next fill up. Just had to buy a new washing machine, got the cheapest deal from Currys, bought £230 gift vouchers. Had already spent £150 on Christmas presents at Toys R Us, so then saved 38p ltr on my next fuel up!! The downside is their gas price is 51p ltr at the moment. But paying 13p ltr made me smile a lot.

HI Daz! You did recommend them when we were chatting about me doing my van, but as I've had technical problems with that (bulbs too long - metal shroud in way) not yet got those working so can't compare them yet. The ones on yours do look very white light!! I presume they "pierce" the dark ahead very well indeed! What's really wierd is when I back my GV onto the drive, the way they light up a neighbours front lawn and tree trunk is really very much like daytime. I am very interested to see what my van's like when I finally get it sorted, most likely over the Christmas break. And its blooming cheap enough to get some replacement bulbs hey!!!! Nev

Our 3.3 auto 2005 has seen the heady heights of 24mpg on gas, on a VERY good run, 230 miles of steady eddie up to Scotland! But usually 18 to 19 is good around town! I normally pay 46p ltr in Stockport, but on the autogas site I see it can be a lot (percentage anyway) cheaper around the Midlands in particular. However at 103.9 for petrol its the equivilent of 54 on a run or 40 round town - not so bad hey. I should also say our 2002 on gas gets a whopping 15 to 16 ish round town - its very crap. But still cheap. Still nearly 34 equivilent. And has seen 24 on hols in North Wales.

Hi there, yep ebay is a great place for a new cheap kit. I got my ballasts bolted with the top headlamp mount bolt. I went for 4300k as they say thats closest to the OEM stuff, natural daylight output, as I wanted maximum light on the road. Superb lighting on Scottish unlit fast roads, could only just tell the high beam xenons were on! Haven't used the 6000k so couldn't compare the driving experience between the 2 though. Cheers Nev

Oh yes the gauges are garbage, either of mine go off "full" after about 20 miles. And show it's almost empty at around 100 miles, usually with another 100 to 140 to go!! My older one with single tank fills up fine and slows as the pressure gets close to the filling station presure - which varies depending on how full their tanks are and very much with temperature. But the one with 2 tanks does the same as Semmysonic's, gets quite slow with a fair bit of gas to go in yet.

Hello again, I was quite sure but just been out to check. Our 2002, and 2005 face lift, on both of them the fronts stay on when you go round one further for rear fogs.

At Manchester prices it's £1500. (single tank - as big as he can fit) I had an "LPG TECH" system fitted to our 2002 one at £1200, over 3 years ago now and around 26,000 miles. Early gas leak problems were caused by different hose sizes to the norm, but they sorted it. What is very strange is that the LPG Tech kit warns you when it's out of gas with a few beeps, then when you "gas" it up knows it and switches back again. Yet the superior BRC warns you, has to be silenced, but doesn't automatically switch back over, when filled.

Hi Smiler, All 3 models I've had worked on the light switch, round 1 click for side lights, then pull out for front fogs, round 2 clicks for low beam, 3 for rear fogs. Also had 2 spare switch assemblies and all work the same. Are you lucky like I was with my heated seats and the wiring is already fitted by Chrysler?

Hi guys, Our handbook says / shows the bench should fold too - but it's wrong! Our 2002 LX didn't. the 2002 Ltd didn't, and the new leather set for the LX don't either, bugger! But they do go nearly flat, but not as useful as our new (2005 anyway) stow n go. Yes I agree the rear seats are better in the other models, but 99% of the time it's the kids in the back in their car seats anyhow!

As far as I can think sadly the simple answer is no. Because the digital control uses sensors to automatically adjust the heat / cooling, I'm also guessing yours is the LX model, as my first one was. So I don't think the car has the required other bits. However I could be wrong.... anyone? I was about our heated seats - swapped our cloth seats to leather (2002 LX 3.3), and fitted the switch set, and they worked!!!!!!!!

He is a specialist auto locksmith, but knows his stuff. (Unlike the others with a premises that struggled to cut a poxy key first time, that I had to go to them. They did code the key in easily though.) I don't know where he got the code from - part of his trade work / contacts I suppose. Fairly sure there must be someone similar in your areas guys - but it can be done, and it wasn't hard for him.

Yes bizarely my new car (2005) doesn;t ask for a code on the radio sat nav unit either!

I was quotes £400 by Chrysler. So we got a second hand unit and got it coded in by a mobile specialist (local so called expert said it was dealer only - obvioulsy not). They needed a PIN mumber for £20 and coded it in for £60

I was quoted nearly £400 from a Chrysler dealer for the unit for a 2005 model. So...We had a second hand unit coded into ours, the (mobile) guys needed a PIN number that they got (£20) and charged £60 to do it. Remote came from ebay. However our local specialists reckoned it was a dealer only job, obvioulsy it isn't.

Hi guys, our 2002 3.3 had problems with an ABS light, after my wife drove through lots of puddles for our little girls!!! The ABS was kicking in all the time, low speed braking was dangerous - nearly no brakes! So I pulled the fuse out to get brakes. After cleaning the sensor ring and clearing code it was ok for ages, until corrosion meant replacing that sensor ring on the shaft. Did the stub shaft it was easier. So do check the segmented ring as well as the sensor itself, the car may think it's the sensor if it's not reading properly, with the segments not even. Till she drowned the ABS pump!!!!! While it was like that we had brakes but light on. Eventually it dried out, reset and Ok after that. Nev