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Starter motor and pre-emptive maintenance? |
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Sevenman
 
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   Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
Now the niggles are sorted on the C6, I think it is time to get a head start on the servicing, and perhaps address a few things before they become issues. I am thinking of an oil and filter change (last done in July, inc. air, fuel and cabin filters), and a check of fluids and seeing if any need changing. 4 units of LDS went in with the new front shocks in Jan of this year, power steering and some coolant done back in 2013. That is where the bill history stops and it is dealer stamps. Getting the air con re-gassed would be good. It is now working since fixing the outside temperature sensor, but I don't know how long it wasn't working when the car thought it was very cold outside, and hence whether much gas may have escaped. Even with the new battery, the start seems a bit slow and laboured. Not like any of the cars I have been driving for the last few years. This is with the new original specification battery and plenty of charge. I will take a video next time I am out and then people more familiar with the car can take a view. It makes sense to check all the earths are sound, but there are a few threads on starter motors losing their capability, e.g. this one with a lot of information from e3steve: - Click Here - The car is coming up to 100k miles, so with winter coming I wonder if a new starter, and a set of glow plugs, would be a good idea. There were links in the above thread to this sort of starter. Also mentioned is the coolant thermostat tank and the risk of it splitting, which cruiserphil mentioned in my introductory thread. There is plenty of advice, e.g. here, which suggests much caution is needed with nearby pipes or the bill goes up rapidly. Not sure how much appetite I will have for that, or the idea of an early timing belt change, after spending money on starter and glow plugs and with my plans for winter wheels and tyres. I would like to do the timing belt earlier than recommended, although maybe next calendar year. Same for the thermostat tank. Ride seems ok (but I don't have many points of comparison) so I won't rush to do anything with the spheres. Any other thoughts on things I should or could be doing? Thanks |
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Cisco
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 Member No: #1429
Location: Glasgow |
My car is a similar age/mileage. Same colour too! I've not had much go wrong over 14k miles, touch wood. With regard to preventative maintenance, I would just keep a close eye out for the common problems flagged on here and then fix them as they occur. Otherwise you will be disappointed when something else breaks  Timing belt replacement is a separate issue as that is potentially a show stopper. The fixed price replacement seems like a no brainer, but I'll probably do that myself as sadly I really don't have confidence in my local Cit Dealer. Good luck with the car. Frank |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
Cisco wrote ... My car is a similar age/mileage. Same colour too! I've not had much go wrong over 14k miles, touch wood. That's what I like to hear  Forums do encourage discussion of the problems (and rightly so), but there are contented owners as well. Probably.Cisco wrote ... Timing belt replacement is a separate issue as that is potentially a show stopper. The fixed price replacement seems like a no brainer, but I'll probably do that myself as sadly I really don't have confidence in my local Cit Dealer. Good luck with the car. Thanks I have good experience thus far with the local (5 mins walk from my house) French car specialist who seems to know his stuff. If he keeps being good, then I am inclined to keep work going his way unless there is a massive price disparity. I understand the engine is fitted to quite a few cars, so hopefully the belt change isn't anything too special. |
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Hattershaun
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  Member No: #320
Location: Bedfordshire, UK |
You might want to leave the glow plugs alone; I've recently heard they have a habit of getting stuck in the head & shearing off when trying to remove. That'll mean a replacement cylinder head to resolve. There's plenty of experience on the Land Rover forums showing this on the 2.7HDi. |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
Hattershaun wrote ... You might want to leave the glow plugs alone; I've recently heard they have a habit of getting stuck in the head & shearing off when trying to remove. That'll mean a replacement cylinder head to resolve. There's plenty of experience on the Land Rover forums showing this on the 2.7HDi. I have taken a look at some more forum posts and you could well be right. It does seem a bit slow to start, but then runs smoothly when it does, not as if one or 2 cylinders aren't catching. There is some debate about whether testing resistance is of any value, a low resistance could still be a faulty plug, although a high resistance should indicate failure. I should get a video of a cold start tomorrow (well, prob +10C) and then I can put a link in this thread - that is something for people to look forward to!
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magicands
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  Member No: #1021
Location: Coventry, Warwickshire |
There is an old saying and it goes: "If it aint broke, don't fix it" Sounds like good advice to me, especially on a 6 |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
magicands wrote ... There is an old saying and it goes: "If it aint broke, don't fix it" Sounds like good advice to me, especially on a 6 I can't argue with that, perhaps I am being hasty... I am looking forward to driving it more on some long work trips over the next few weeks, still haven't seen another on the road. Things to spend money on will probably make themselves apparent. |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
This is what everybody has been waiting for, short videos of a C6 starting!  I would be interested in people's views on whether the car is starting as it should, or is a bit laboured. It turns over more than either of the diesel Mondeos we have had before firing but settles into a steady idle. This is the only C6 I have been in, so don't have points of comparison. The battery was well-charged on Saturday, and the car had been sat for 40 hours. Voltage on unlocking was 12.59, rising to 12.65 after a while. Temperature is very mild, +13C. YouTube - Cold(ish) start After dropping the little lad off at nursery, 9 miles and 15 minutes, I recorded a warm start. YouTube - Warm start I have a day off work using up a bit of leave before Christmas, so I have been getting busy with Gliptone on all the leather, I am not sure it has been treated before, and is coming up nicely. Wash and polish planned for later. |
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C6Dave
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  Member No: #1
Location: Northumberland |
magicands wrote ... There is an old saying and it goes: "If it aint broke, don't fix it" And the other one "if it ain't broke, keep fixing it till it is" 
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
Admin Dave wrote ... And the other one "if it ain't broke, keep fixing it till it is" What would I have to worry about if I wasn't messing about with cars? Life would get too boring. |
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Cisco
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Member No: #1429
Location: Glasgow |
I watched your start vids... Comparing to my car, yours is turning over slower and maybe catching a little later. But there is not a world of difference. However my car had a new starter installed just before I bought it. Apparently it gradually turned over more and more slowly.. I have the bill from independent auto electrician....they charged £500 fitted. I would monitor it for a few weeks to see if there is any deterioration. |
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David Hallworth
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  Member No: #90
Location: Glasgow |
It's hard to tell, but in the video it looks as it there's quite a violent shake when your car does catch. Mine doesn't do that. There's a member on here I think, bxzx16v (Leo) who bought a C6 and had to replace the starter motor due to it being very sluggish to start. David. |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
Cisco wrote ... Comparing to my car, yours is turning over slower and maybe catching a little later. But there is not a world of difference. However my car had a new starter installed just before I bought it. Apparently it gradually turned over more and more slowly.. Thanks for providing the comparison. I will keep tabs on it over the next few weeks. 250 miles to drive tomorrow, looking forward to it |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
David Hallworth wrote ... It's hard to tell, but in the video it looks as it there's quite a violent shake when your car does catch. Mine doesn't do that. There's a member on here I think, bxzx16v (Leo) who bought a C6 and had to replace the starter motor due to it being very sluggish to start. That might be my camera work - seems smooth enough from in the car. I don't think it qualifies as very sluggish yet, but reliant on comparison with other cars. Got the cleaning off my to do list today by spending 6 hours doing the leather, interior plastics, glass, then a wash, polish, and wax. Not in a rush to do all of that again. |
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Sevenman
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Member No: #2241
Location: Herefordshire |
Cisco wrote ... Comparing to my car, yours is turning over slower and maybe catching a little later. This morning (Temp = 11C) it probably cranked for 3 times as long as those videos before firing, cranking at the same sort of pace. This is despite being parked for only 12 hours after a 20 mile drive yesterday evening. But I didn't video it, since I assumed it would start just as quickly as yesterday. It then drove the next 120 miles very well, even showing an average mpg for the trip of 47 when I left the M4. |
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