Need some advice

[G868VMF]

Hi

My name is Tom, I am 20 and I live in London. I have just got my first car and it is a Montego 1.6L Automatic Estate with 96000 on the clock. It is very tatty but I love it to bits. The only problem is I don't know if it is a Rover or Austin it is G reg and only had MONTEGO badges on the front and back. Also does anyone know where to get parts and bits and pieces for it I live in Streatham, South London, it does have a few faults. The Handbreak doesn't hold the car properly and the parking light doesn't come on, the rear wiper and washer doesn't work and the drivers side rear door won't open, also it vibrates a lot when it is idle. It doesn't sound like a great motor but it is a wonderful ride, extreamly comfortable and very economical. I have always liked the Montego and I want to get this one working properly so any help would be warmly received. my uncle bought the car for 50p off a guy who had the car from new so I can't really complain about the wear and tear :laugh:.

EDIT: Sorry I have just realised I have posted in the Maestro section, not a great start (just like my car really :()

[Maria]

Hi,

Firstly, www.montego-and-maestro.co.uk have everything, are very helpful, and do mail order.

Your handbrake probably just needs the cable adjusting - should be easy enough if you get a Haynes manual and follow the steps.
There is no parking light on a Montego.
Rear wiper could be a fuse (check fusebox), or a dead motor, or dead switch. My guess would be one of the first two.
In what way does the door not open? Does it lock/unlock and just not open, or does it not unlock? If the former, does it open from inside, or not at all? Does the handle feel like the others or floppy? Could be a broken handle or just a stiff mechanism. Do you have central locking? If so, it should still unlock manually.
Vibration could be anything, but possibly either an engine not running as smoothly as it could be, or worn engine mount bushes that allow the whole thing to shake too much. Open your bonnet and see what your engine's doing. Your suspension could also be a bit wibbly - could get it checked out, or do the usual test of bouncing the car and seeing how long it takes to come to rest.

Good luck with it :)

[D87 SMW]

Welcome aboard,

It will be a Rover Montego as it is a G reg.

Handbrake is easy to adjust, someone will surely give you some details about that soon....
Rear wiper on my Maestro is :censored: :rage: and still doesn't work with new motor, relays, switches, and god knows what else... :o :mad:
It moves three times, then stops (as it should) and then when it starts off again, it jerks across the screen several times and then stops. :confused: :banghead:

I suppose 50p beats £50, but mine's worth a few hundred more than I bought it for. :eek: :cool: ;)

[Maria]

Hehe, thanks Steve - I forgot to answer the Austin/Rover question.

Could your wiper problem be a relay? That's something else that occurs to me could be a problem.

[D87 SMW]

Originally posted by Maria
Hehe, thanks Steve - I forgot to answer the Austin/Rover question.


;)

[G868VMF]

Originally posted by Maria
[BIn what way does the door not open? Does it lock/unlock and just not open, or does it not unlock? If the former, does it open from inside, or not at all? Does the handle feel like the others or floppy? Could be a broken handle or just a stiff mechanism. Do you have central locking? If so, it should still unlock manually.
[/B]

Well :rolleyes: the outside handle has fallen off and I tried it inside and it wouldn't open. Yes it does have Central locking (which is about the only thing on the car that works properly:o ) and it does open the all the doors but for some reason I can't get it open. I thought the parking light with the exclaimation mark in brackets was the parking light, if not what does this mean.

[D87 SMW]

Originally posted by G868VMF
I thought the parking light with the exclaimation mark in brackets was the parking light, if not what does this mean.

The light which look like this: (!) is the brake fluid level warning light.
The parking light (which comes on when the handbrake is applied), looks like this: ((P)), well you get the idea...... ;)

[Austin-Rover]

Just a thought really...

If the central locking is fully working - is it possible that the rear door has the child lock engaged - hence it cannot be opened from the inside.

:confused:

[H48HPE]

I think the problem with the back door is that someone has moved the little white switch next to the door catch so that the interior handle wont open the door (child saftey), unfortunatly the extrior handle has snapped so you cant open the door to get to the little white switch. the handle can be replaced by removing the door card. and unscrewing it from the inside of the door. how easy this will be with the door shut I dont know?

when the handbrake is applied the brake fluid ((!)) and the Handbrake warning light ((p)) should illuminate and on some cars the brake pad wear light will also come on which is orange and shows a circle with dashed brackets round it.

The wiper at the back may require a new fuse? if so there is a chart to show which one it is on back of the fuse box cover. try that then if its ok you should investigate if the relays and control units are ok. could go into this but it'll take me ages and ive already wrote out a system description for steves maestro special, somewhere elso on this forum so try searching for that, should be very similar.

the vibration at idle may be cured by giving the engine a service and checking there are no vacuum leaks in the vacuum lines. if this doesnt cure go and pay a garage to set up the carb. some may recomend trying to DIY carb setting up, ive been there done that and dont recomend it. If you do get it set up by a garage It'll need a service before hand anyway, easy and cheap to DIY, dont pay a garage to do that.


Good luck

Andy.

[H48HPE]

If you havn't already got one you need to get a haynes manual, they come up on ebay and theres that many of them im sure you would get one for the start price.

Haynes manual (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2448810038&category=43734)


Much better than a haynes manual is the official rover Item, this one is on ebay now but It looks like a 1987 eddition to me. some of the info will be the same but the montego was revised about this time so there could be a fair bit different? newer edditions do come up and would be worth getting

Austin Rover Manual (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2448771686&category=43734)

You can still buy new ones from rover but when I got mine for the maestro it cost me 30 odd quid and the ones they are selling are photocoppied versions which are OK but you still feel like you could have burrowd one, took it to work, photocoppied it there for free and saved yourself 30 quid.

Haynes manuals are available new but cost £12 ish

Andy

[G868VMF]

Just took the car on a little run and the vibration comes in fits and bursts sometimes it can be idle and quite civilised but othertimes it is very bad. Tried everything to get the door open but no joy :(. BUT I got the radio working properly.

when the handbrake is applied the brake fluid ((!)) and the Handbrake warning light ((p)) should illuminate and on some cars the brake pad wear light will also come on which is orange and shows a circle with dashed brackets round it.

I had a look at my dashboard and I do not have the parking light or the brake pad light. I do have the brake fluid light but that does not light up when I apply the handbrake.

P.S Thanks for all your help

[tony]

as far as the vibration goes i have had 3 of them(autos)and it seems to be a case of them all doing that,well it was in my case :)

[b466bmf]

the vibration was only there at tickover though:)

[H48HPE]

to sort the door out your only answer as far as I can see is to remove the interior door card, get a new handle and fit it on, at the very least when the door cards off you can open the door by moving the relevent rods and gain access to the child safty switch, then the interior handle will work.

Have you tried to remove the card yet?

All maestros and montegos had similar dashboard instruments, I therefore know that you have the lights, so from this we can tell that its either blown bulbs, broken handbrake switch, or the wires have come off the switch at the handbrake.

The (P) light should come on when the handbrake is applied the other lights come on too as a test(as long as the ignition is switched on), my guess is its a handbrake switch problem. If you want to test the proper sender switch (not the handbrake switch) for brake fluid I think you take the handbrake off, then press the bump in the top of the brake fluid reservoir cap whils depressed the (!) light should glow. The pad wear light doesnt work on mine but it should come on as a test, If this lights not working dont worry cos apparently its a common problem usually traced back to the connections at the brake pad.

I think the handbrake switch is under the plastic covering around the leaver.

It could be blown bulbs but the test using the fluid reservoir should sort that theory out.

Andy

[G Force]

Originally posted by F170 GGT
Rear wiper on my Maestro is :censored: :rage: and still doesn't work with new motor, relays, switches, and god knows what else... :o :mad:
It moves three times, then stops (as it should) and then when it starts off again, it jerks across the screen several times and then stops. :confused: :banghead:

That isn't something silly like the wiper arm worn or loose where it fixes to the motor is it. The front wipers on my old Montego used to do that when the nut that fastens the wiper arm on came loose.

Cheers Gary:)

[BIGLAD]

Hi,
About the handbrake problem.- Get the car jacked up and remove both rear drums. Check to make sure that one of the wheel cylinders isn't leaking onto the shoes and causing a poor handbrake. If they are ok and the shoes have plenty of friction material left on them, slacken the handbrake adjuster off and adjust the shoes up via the mechanism on the shoe. Then re-adjust the hand brake. (if theres loads of slack in the "auto" adjusters on the shoes and you're lucky you may not have to re-adjust the handbrake at all!!)
The rear wiper problem sound like the "old favourite"- the wiring harness splits/breaks where the tailgate opens. Open the tailgate and pull the rubber boots back. Check the wiring- moving out of the Roof and tailgate looking for any damage. Are any of the other tailgate items (ie Heated Rear Screen) not working properly?
Cheers Biglad

[D87 SMW]

Originally posted by BIGLAD
The rear wiper problem sound like the "old favourite"- the wiring harness splits/breaks where the tailgate opens. Open the tailgate and pull the rubber boots back. Check the wiring- moving out of the Roof and tailgate looking for any damage. Are any of the other tailgate items (ie Heated Rear Screen) not working properly?
Cheers Biglad

GGT's rear screen heater appaears to be working at the moment... but there is definitely a problem in the movement of the wiper.

:o :banghead: :rolleyes:

[threelitre]

Hi!

On the rear wiper: On Montego Estates it is quite common that the wires that run from the body of the car into the rear door braek and may leave you without some or all of
-- rear wiper
-- rear window demister
-- boot central locking
-- boot interior lightning
-- number plate lights.
So it is a good idea to check if current is reaching the rear wiper motor at all if you can hear the relay in the dash clicking when pressing the button...

On the instruments: Later Montegos (as my father's Rover 2.0 GTD Estate) do have a single lamp for handbrake on and brake warnings. There are is possible check: unscrew and withdraw the cap from the brake fuild reservoir. The lamp should light up when the cap is pulled out of the fluid. If it doesn't it is quite likely that the bulb has gone. Otherwise I would suspect a defect or badly adjusted handbrake switch.

Regards,

Alexander

[BIGLAD]

Originally posted by F170 GGT
GGT's rear screen heater appaears to be working at the moment... but there is definitely a problem in the movement of the wiper.

:o :banghead: :rolleyes:

Hi Steve,
That problem with the wiring harness only usually affects the Monty Estate. The Maestro Car is usually ok on that score.
Biglad