HDi Troubles..

[C2K]

Back on topic - Midnight I didn't realise that the HDi was stage 2, but that shouldn't affect starting as the car will only start once rail pressure is achieved. Unless you have known issues with your HP pump, it's likely to be one of a small number of culprits - FPR, rail pressure sensor or LP pump. Either that, or something dicky like a crank sensor or an earth corroding or something daft.

Get it on PP with Poodle and study what the fuel pressure is doing. Though mine had a momentary glitch about 2 years ago where it wouldn't start briefly, despite having just arrived at a friends house, then third time it started and nothing ever has been wrong since. It's French.

Haha, I can't imagine any car I've owned so far hitting 200k, let alone 250!

I think the main problem (as with everything else) is money though. Hopefully this doesn't sound rude, but you seem to have surplus cash to do almost anything to your car, whereas I, and a lot of other people dont. And the small problems turn to larger problems and just keep mounting up until the cars in such a state it might as well just be scrapped. Well that and the fact some people just dont seem to care at all.

I see it so many times where I buy cars that are over 10 years old, have had 5+ owners and are in a real state, and I do wonder how people can leave certain things, the car didn't get that bad overnight lol. Take my seat in the china for example, not a huge fault but the adjuster was broken so it moved constantly which is horrible to drive with - £5 from a scrappy, 5mins to fit it, and the issue was resloved....now if even I can manage to sort it why do other people just ignore these things!

Lol, honestlyno offence taken Tom, but if you knew me you'd realise how far off the mark those kind of comments are. You must apply the shoe to the other foot - i'm older than you, i'm 31 now, but all you see is the product of hard work. I still only buy parts when I need to, and I'm happy to help anybody that needs that kind of help too as i've had to live on the breadline.

I took a loan to buy the HDi many years ago because I needed a reliable car to do lots of miles and my Rover Turbo was costing me a bomb in fuel. I'd just come out of uni and the job market was on its arse - At the time my friends were rolling around in BMWs, R32s, 350zs and there's me shopping for a little French diesel despite having petrol in my veins. I took the decision to live with my now-ex on a very tight budget. Thanks to that and a sticky breakup I've been up to my eyeballs in debt, to the point of actually contemplating topping myself - but i'm lucky to be comfortable now. I've worked hard for a good job and for every penny i've ever earned, nothing has been given to me. How/Why do you think I know so much about cars? Because i've taught myself, because i've had to, because whenever anything broke on any of our cars I couldn't afford to pay anyone to do it let alone a main dealer so I DIY'd it. I used to buy cheap cars to scrap for the parts I needed and small profit, to learn and to keep mine going. When you have a house, two cars, 40k a year household mileage and a girlfriend studying to support on one very average wage, beans on toast is your affordable diet lol - then you'll understand where i'm coming from.

People don't fix little things that break because they may not be able to, either financially or mechanically, or they just don't care as it's only a car. I end up keeping my brothers HDi in good condition because he is completely mechanically inept! When anything makes a noise he calls me. There was stuff I knew was wrong with mine at times but i couldn't afford the parts to solve the issue so I had to live with it whilst I scrimped and saved. I've been there, i've paid my dues, trawling the scrap yards for the cheap £5 parts I need, and I still do as I quite enjoy it. My brothers HDi drivers seat was equally knackered, i had to fix that as most of the bolts had undone and it rocked halfway to the back seat. Frankly, I still get satisfaction from righting those little wrongs you speak of - unless you buy a new car nothing is perfect - even that is no guarantee.

I don't take offence, nor do I intend to be patronising when trying to help people, so i apologise if it sounds like that - i'm only helping out. You must just realise some of us have paid our dues too. Incidentally I chose the HDi over a Mk4 Golf at the time, which was the only other car I had on the shortlist. All I can say is i'm glad I chose the HDi - I made 100% the right choice as my HDi is well behaved.