turbocraigy

Well it could still be the same device for the same job, or it could have been used to switch the audio aerial. Or maybe the UK car has had another radio facia fitted at some time from a Jspec car. My JDM car had this feature, I had the unit removed and bumper made good then got a new radio facia panel so I had no disused switch gear.

Some JDM cars had an aerial type device fitted to the front LHS of the car. When that button is pressed the device extends so the little Japanese person knows where the far corner is!! Helps stops him/her bumping the car.

Which RS Focus have you been in? Assume your talking about the 225bhp Mk1 not the latest 300bhp version. The Astra VXR is faster than a Focus RS mk1, certainly in a straight line. A healthy Zed is faster than a VXR (straight line), but it might not feel it! I know my Zed to be faster than my 260bhp GSI only through the stop watch and landmark speed testing..... in 1st and 2nd gear they'd be close, but after 60mph the Zed says bye bye. The 3 litre TT engine is much stronger mid/high range than the smaller 2litre single tub 4pots! Like Si said, not really cars to compare.

I've owned 2 Astra Mk4 GSI turbos (53reg), the 2nd one was running 260bhp. It was a very quick, very reliable, very usable car. That was cheap to repair and cheap(ish) to run. It had 8 airbags, ESP, traction control etc etc so pretty safe too. TBH it was an excellent everyday hothatch. And it kept pace on the bends with my mates RS Focus (early one) and was FASTER on the straights. The brakes were also excellent.

No point at all.

I'm assuming you mean front shock. Call MJP (trader here) for a price for new OEM shocker. Guessing around £80 each for front. £50 for rear. Recommend you change in pairs, don't just change one.

Erm. Get the one you prefer. Test drive plenty and buy the best you can. They are both nice cars if you buy a good to excellent example. Both require expensive maintainence and both can have expensive failures. Both cars are now getting on! I have an excellent example of a Zed TT, well it was...the tubs have started to smoke. Funny, my friend as a GTO and his cambelt recently failed! It cost around £2200 to rebuild his top end! It will probably cost me the same to change my tubs! So like I said, buy your preference. But only buy one if you can afford to keep it and repair it as needed. Parts/labour for both are expensive. Otherwise get an Astra turbo!!

Err, yes, I'm affraid they can be! Make no mistake, these cars are money pits. As long as you accept this and still want one then go for it, but don't expect keeping it to be cheap. I have an excellent all round example, but my turbos have just started smoking and this is going to cost me big! Hey ho!

And the Jap spec cars weren't fitted with a diff cooler, that was just a UK spec thing.... that should answer your question. Bin it.

My car has been converted and filled with the new gas R134a. It works perfectly.....and is now about 2 years since been done. FYI it was Phil at Blackmoor service station (Manchester) that did this job when he changed my compressor.

I thought the other switch was a starter kill switch, to stop a manual car starting up unless the clutch pedal is pressed in?? Just like the auto car wont start in D 1,2, or R only P or N.

Plastic Pig!

I was thinking the same thing!

Happy Birthday Bud:)

Get the 99spec spoiler and perspex strip :) I got a fibreglass copy of the 89-93 spoiler and now regret it. The 99spec spoiler is much more up to date.

Bummer to late!

The switch that is broken is 100% the neutral switch.....HTH:) The car will run without it, but it will idle a little higher than normal because the ECU will alter the timing thinking the car is in gear. Best to wire it in, but I believe there are quite a few not wired in when auto/manual conversions are done.

Agreed 100% - Keep a nice stock interior.

yep, I'm sad enough! Got one for my Birthday:)

Thanks Jeff.

There is no loss of water from the system, no mayo formation on the filler cap. Also the car starts perfectly and runs perfectly. The smoke is more from the drivers side tail pipe and there is no balance pipe in the exhaust. The smoke only occurs at idle and it has to be left idleing for a few minutes before the smoke occurs. It is defininately oil being burn't and the level on the dipstick confirms this. Once the smoke starts at warm idle, when you rev the engine you get loads of smoke for a few moments and then it clears. Then it takes a minute or more to return when left at idle again. The PCV's + hoses were changed around a year ago. Remember, this smoke and occasional pop at the exhaust on blipping the throttle only started when I changed the exhaust. I just wondered if the oil in the exhaust could cause the popping.

Hi Chaps, as some of you may know from an earlier thread, I've recently fitted a Mongoose exhaust and since then I've had the dreaded smoking turbo at idle syndrome. Its thought that the change in exhaust back pressure has highlighted failing turbo oil seals on the exhaust side hence the light blue/grey smoke at idle only. Any how, since then and only since the exhaust change, I get an occasional pop/bang from the exhaust when I blip the throttle at idle. It is very infrequent, but still its a concern. It doesn't do it at high revs or on the move, only occasionally if I blip the thottle at warm idle. Could this be a result of turbo failure and the oil passing into the exhaust?? In every other respect my car performs perfectly, no nasty engine noises, etc... Cheers:)

Cheers Chaps:)

Hi Chaps, just wondering if any body has had quality issues with Mongoose exhausts for the Zed. I recently bought the 6x4 oval exhaust and have had to send it back because the ovals tips were different and it was quite noticable. They agreed to swap, but could only offer the quad exit which I agreed to. Just received the quad exit system to find the quad tips are about 1.5inch longer on one box to the other - poor quality? Or am I expecting to much for £500? I'm hoping I'll be able to line them up OK, but thats not the point. I bet those with a keen eye will notice that one back box is sitting futher in to compensate for the tips.

The stock oil pressure gauge is just fine - why do people say they are rubbish? The problem tends to be that the sender unit breaks down when the engine is hot because the slider mechanism inside it moves to a well used+worn section and so the gauge reads very low. When cold the slider is in a much unused portion of the unit and so reads correctly. My gauge read incorrectly when I first bought the car, but I have since fitted a new OEM sender unit and now the gauge reads perfectly and is quite responsive moving quickly under varying conditions. Costs around £85 for a genuine OEM replacement. This sender failure is very common, but not because they are rubbish, but because most of them are 15-20 years old!