This is my first visit to the A1 Motor Stores home page and I'm very impressed!!!

Anyway May you help me out with 2 puzzling questions?

The first is my girlfriend has a 1991 Ford Escort 1.4 LX. Over the last few months its fuel consumption has rocketed. On a full tank of petrol she's only getting around 170 - 190 miles out of it. She's not being over heavy on the accelerator or thrashing it so I can't understand why. It's been serviced and had a full engine tune but it hasn't been cured and the private garage who carried out the work are baffled. A Ford dealer suggested fitting genuine Ford spark plugs as opposed to Champion or NGK. That hasn't worked, neither has the carburetter being cleaned. On the tune up the only thing the garage found was that the emissions were slightly out, after being set to the correct levels that too hasn't helped the problem. Any ideas?

Finally a quick query about my car. I've got a 1990 Mitsubishi Gallant hatchback 2.0 GLSi and I want to change the orange lensed indicator units on the front of the car, which are UK specification, to white lensed indicator units with orange bulbs inside, which are European spec. Now, the problem is even though I have the part numbers, UK dealers can't order them through the importer, the Colt Car company without a European chassis number, (Colt demand that apparently - even if you pay front!!) My chassis number is a UK one. Any ideas?

I would very much appreciate your help.

Best wishes
Phil

Thanks for your questions, the problem with the Ford Escort is a strange one because, if she was using so much petrol the emissions should be way out, and the exhaust tail pipe should be black and sooty - is it ?

Changing the plugs to Ford Motorcraft from Champion or NGK will make no difference, many dealers fit Champion or NGK in preference to the Ford plugs.

Has she detected any smell of petrol, could there be a leak ? does she have a locking petrol cap could her petrol be being siphoned ?

My advice would be to start again, and I would first take it to a garage that has a Four Gas Analyser, (the sort used by MOT stations), and I would have the gases checked very accurately, with a print out, (it shouldn't cost much more the about Ten Pounds).

I would also carry out a check by filling the tank to the very top and I mean so that the petrol can be seen, take a note of the mileage, I would then do about 100 miles and fill it up to the top again and again note the mileage, then take the miles covered and divide them by the litre's used, this will be a much more reliable and accurate check.

I am not sure of the exact capacity, of the tank but it's about 50 to 60 litres and one expect to do around 340 miles on that not 170.

I hope this has helped.

With regard to your Gallant's Indicator Lens's, you won't find and Mitsubishi dealers who will co-operate because it means a little work which will be a bit different to what they normally do.

Can I suggest you go "On Line" and search the net for a continental dealer who with the use of your credit card would probably be delighted to help you, the amber bulbs are no problem, we have those in stock.

I hope this has helped, tell your friends and colleagues at Capital and Invicta about us, our site at www.okdiy.co.uk is a free site, we will be delighted to do our best help with any motoring problems, check out our site, you might find it interesting, and come and see us at the Motor Show in October at the NEC I will be there supporting our friends at A1 who always have a superb stand ( they take over the whole Retail Pavilion) come and have a drink with us a bring a friend.

Good look.
Regards
Bill@okdiy.co.uk