Stalling C4 1.6hdi

[Doo]

If this is for your C4 VIN ending 634, then your RPO is 11113 and this is what you enter after selecting the correct model.

It does indeed end in 634.

Thank you so very much

Next stop, me messing up the whole car

[GiveMeABreak]

No worries - for future ref. the RPO is usually on the tyre inflation pressure sticker on the door pillar in case you forget

[Doo]

No worries - for future ref. the RPO is usually on the tyre inflation pressure sticker on the door pillar in case you forget

Update! I had a battery kicking around... It was originally for a bigger engine'd car, but had never been fitted. I charged it up and fitted it, did some tests and all seemed well.

Following day, wife said a warning message flashed up but the car seemed ok. Said to give it a run and see if anything changed.

The day after I get a message saying the car had broken down outside her work... Of course I thought the worst!!

So I called and she told me the car was driving then the dash lit up then the steering went all funny

She described it as "missing!" So I was like, "Eh? Missing, how?"

It apparently didn't turn when she turned the wheel, so she turned it some more and then it turned (there's a roundabout en route to her work). So she gabbled on about this and that. But at the traffic lights about 10mtrs from her work, she caught a red so decided to switch off and re-start the engine to see if that would work... Windows generation

But the engine refused to start. Now she's pretty good at driving, but with the best will in the world, her explanations aren't based on any mechanical reality so I listened and she said (she's a clever girl all the same) she'd called into work and the manager and two maintenance guys came out and pushed the car into the car park. Good show

I suggested 3 things. Battery, alternator or drive belt. Said I'd get along after lunch. So I rock up, lift the bonnet and found the drive belt was no longer continuous

That was the easy bit. I had decided to use the bike as we (our tiny Biewer terrier and I) could get through traffic quicker, even though some "drivers" don't like seeing bikers filtering

So I get a replacement belt and arrive back to the car and that's when the hilarity started

I had to borrow a crow bar because I hadn't thought to bring along a pry bar! But would that damn belt sit right so I could get it to go on???

Half an hour of messing around in 3 degree's Celcius, bitter rain and using a torch, swear words and jacket off to squeeze my mitt down the smallest gap behind the engine mount left me with cuts and red rash marks but I eventually got it on. Fired it up, checked the voltage and was happy to see that dipped lights and heater blower on I was getting 13.98v and no strange noises.

The car appears to be behaving itself so far despite the freezing temperatures so fingers crossed The only gripe she had was an inability to get in this morning due to frozen door rubbers, so this evening I sprayed them all with PTFE based lubricant.

I still plan to change the oil, but meantime the shenanigans appear to have all but disappeared! I live in hope that it was a mix of a dying battery and a slipping belt. The belt appears to have let go as soon as I replaced the battery so perhaps the load on it got too much with the new battery. I'll never know

Funny how it showed decent voltage all that time though

[GiveMeABreak]

You have electric power steering pump system on this too, so makes sense that low battery voltage is going to affect this, as well as other systems.

I never noticed my accessories belt had snapped until the steering got a little heavier at parking manoeuvre speeds - had a look and it clean snapped off. And the reason why? Because after the Dealer replaced the A/C compressor I did notice afterwards at a later date what looked like a 'nick' in the belt edge - obviously from where they had levered the belt off to do the job and didn't bother replacing it... which they should of done.

Anyway managed to drive a good 20+ miles or more on the battery charge alone and luckily got home before I noticed it.

[Doo]

You have electric power steering pump system on this too, so makes sense that low battery voltage is going to affect this, as well as other systems.

I never noticed my accessories belt had snapped until the steering got a little heavier at parking manoeuvre speeds - had a look and it clean snapped off. And the reason why? Because after the Dealer replaced the A/C compressor I did notice afterwards at a later date what looked like a 'nick' in the belt edge - obviously from where they had levered the belt off to do the job and didn't bother replacing it... which they should of done.

Anyway managed to drive a good 20+ miles or more on the battery charge alone and luckily got home before I noticed it.

I detest when a so called "expert" charges a small fortune to do a detailed engineering job, but end up doing it with a monkey holding a club with a nail through it

While I struggled with our new belt, I only levered the tensioner (that spring could raise the bleedin Titanic ) I checked the belt for damage, but was pleased to see there was none. I "should" have used the correct tools, but like I said, at the time it was freezing and raining & I couldn't be ar5ed going through the rain to get back to my garage, even though I have 15 drawers of specialist tools and 2.5 filing cabinets for the big stuff My favourite is the hydraulic spring compressor The irony isn't lost on me that this £250 piece of kit is no use on my own personal transport because it's is fitted with (factory) air springs

But it came in handy a couple of weeks back when I had to change front coils on a Mercedes C class, our Citroen, our Smart forfour and a friends Ford

So far, no complaints from her indoors who is delighted her beloved C4 is conveying her to & from work & the various shops she peruses for bargains. My brain is no longer bruised and I get to rest my weary bones

[GiveMeABreak]

Indeed!