I am a automotive professional (I deal with car spare parts for a living) and a life-long car enthusiast, doing my own mainteanance and performance mods etc since 1999.
But the Puma has some unusual features and there I hope you guys can help me out...
I know there would probably be answers to some of my questions if I searched the forum thoroughly for a few hours, but... Easier to ask and get opinions for all the right questions right away.
-The heater is acting up, but it's not the usual 'stuck to whatever temp' issue. The temp can be adjusted, but it takes minutes for the heat to change and there's not enough heat even at max setting.
Car has manual air conditioning. Is this the heat control valve or more likely the control unit in the instrument panel?
-The headlights are regrettably bad. I fitted some Osram Night Breakers in there, but I didn't notice much improvement. The full beams are quite OK, but the dipped beams are almost dangerous.
I even gave the headlight plastic covers the 'Turtle treatment' (headlight rejuveniting kit or whatever) and the covers are now clear and look fine. I'm not sure how these lense-style lights work,
are there still regular reflectors inside? I'm wondering because I can't see any, and so I can't tell if it's just the reflectors that have oxidated to cause this problem.
-There is a slight stutter (very small, but noticeable to a trained person) when accelerating between 2000-3000 rpm. It doesn't feel like anything engine-related, so I'm guessing it could be a driveshaft out-of-balance issue. I'm hoping some of
you have the same experience so you can tell me what would be the most likely cause for this.
-The engine mounts also feel a little tired - I'm curious about how twitchy the car is normally with throttle on/off. It is definitely a little jerky as the engine moves along, but the movements are quite small, which leaves this question.
I feel ike I have to be especially careful when coming off the throttle so as not to get the 'jerk' but the movements themselves don't feel that big. Your thoughts? Also, will regular Fiesta mounts work on the Puma or are they supposed
to be a harder compound?
-I have to do a cam belt soon as well - I take it that the tool kit is not available or that it's at least very expensive? Also, what's the thing with valve clearance adjustment - does this engine really not have hydraulic lifters? On the service leaflet
Ford says the valves need adjusting every 150 000 km. What's the deal here?
-The engine has already done 190 000 km (115 000 miles). How much these can normally take? I'm trying to weigh my options about servicing this one as a low-mileage engine costs less than 300 €.
-Can you still get original road springs for the Puma somewhere? I can get shock absorbers where I work, but no springs. And I definitely do not want to get any lowering springs. The front ones are quite rusty so I'm anticipating they
need to be changed some time. Original or good quality after market items, if you know I source, please let me know.
I hope you can help me with these little things. Thank you so much for all your help!
This post has been edited by TurboJ: 04 January 2014 - 11:09 AM