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[Bal]

Hi,

It's my first time I have owned a ForFour and first time posting! Please be gentle!

2006 Passion 1.5 Petrol

So far my initial impressions are not that great, maybe it's partly my fault for buying a ForFour blind (lockdown prevented me travelling 100+ miles to see the car), however I did get it cheap and it's the trim/ engine I wanted. Then again the mileage is 130,000+ but because I knew it has a japanese engine I wasn't worried that much. That was until I opened the oil filler cap and saw the dreaded mayo build up. Checked the coolant and topped it up slightly, ran the engine and warmed it up, didn't see any bubbles, no smoke from the exhaust. I'm hoping it is just the winter condensation but just to be sure I have ordered a combustion gas tester. Service history shows a coolant change in 2019 but I never trust the paperwork anymore, specifically when it's from a dealership...

The engine had a distinct whine and so quickly got the AUX belt changed this morning, that's sorted. However I'm having weird issues with the RPM. It fluctuates up and down from cold rapidly, then once warm it settles and the randomly fluctuates again. The fluctuation is between 200-400rpm. The fluctuation can happen at idle or with constant acceleration. I haven't driven the car much due to time constraints but I will have a go at cleaning the throttle bottle when it gets a bit warmer but has anyone got any experience of this?

https://youtu.be/5efC3YiwYoc
https://youtu.be/eEXn9eUxS7s

I also want to do a deep clean on the car. For this I would remove the seats and other trim etc, now from reading the forum I get that there is an alarm with a built in battery and also the keys can go out of sync, but does anyone know how long I can disconnect the battery before I should worry? Since I want to shampoo the carpet I would want it disconnected for quite a few days.

I have come from a MK2 Toyota Yaris, I didn't want to change it but circumstances have changed for me. The boot was big in the Yaris but the outside dimensions the same as the ForFour. It has less power and all but it's just so versatile and practical. The keys would never go out of sync and they are both remote keys from factory! I hope I haven't made a mistake with the ForFour as the issues with this car slowly keep cropping up. I just hope I haven't bought a lemon.

Anyway rant over! Any help is appeciated!

[Alex]

Hi and welcome

It's likely condensation in the cap from short drives. How's the oil on the dipstick?

Keys and alarm don't go out of sync and there is no radio code to worry about.

TVA clean will help, and also ensure the battery is at least in decent condition capacity wise, and charged up.

No car is bulletproof, but forfours are pretty reliable if maintained at least semi-regularly. Yours might just need some attention.

Does the check engine light come on with the ignition and go off after start?

[jmariog]

I think you will find the the forfour has lots of room inside. With the seats moving back and forth. The boot is also quite wide I have managed to get some really large things in mine

[mr singh]

welcomes

i managed to get an ikea double bed in the back of my old 1.1, WITH passenger

having had 4 forfours (2 1.1s, 1 brabus and 1 1.5 SB3) i can say that they will handle what ever you throw at them. my 1st 1.1, i doubled the mileage in 5 years that i owned it (bought it with 60k when it was 5 years old and sold it with 133k) and drove it to south germany. my 1.5 SB3 has been somewhat of a lemon, but given that it was a 'tired' car when i bought it 6 years ago, its come a long way in that time.
my 2nd 1.1 was a stop gap when i had an accident in my SB3, and my brabus, thats a whole different kettle of fish.

[Bal]

Thanks for the replies,

Oil on the dipstick looks ok, quite dark but I will change it soon. In fact all the fluids will be changed soon enough as a short overhaul (brake fluid, manual trans fluid, coolant, etc)

Any particular spec or brands recommended for fluids?

The engine light behaves normally as per the manual. Although in comparison with the Yaris the manual is very spa*s... for example Toyota write specific coolant ingredients, have the exact belt spec for AUX items, etc.
Anyway I did a code scan and didn't find anything stored. I'm just waiting for the combustion tester to arrive and just confirm it.

jmariog
The Yaris has a sliding rear bench too! With it fully forward it had more than 600L space, the ForFour maxes at 330L fully forward? Boot opening on the Yaris is also wider! I guess I will just have to get used to the ForFour. I think the Yaris was a tall car so I got used to it, the Forfour is a lot more low down.

The left electric mirror is not adjusting now. Right one is fine. When pressing buttons there is no motor sound at all. Any chance it's a switch problem or something else?

[Coverman]

Bal, did you realise that you can fold the rear seats fully forward like on an estate car?

[CrazyG]

Hi and welcome to our little forum...
What he/we mean re the back seats is that you fold/tilt the backrests forwards
and down after releasing the central catches..lift them up...then, using either
the metal crossbar handle under the middle front of the seat base lift that up,
OR... use the large black handle that is to the right side of the base..lift that up
and then tumble the whole seat up so that it rests against the backs of the front
seats.  Be aware that you will have to remove any rear seat headrests first...and
even possibly move the front seats forward a fraction to allow the rear seat to
tumble fully forward.
Oh, and the funny red/orange strap with a hook on the end that you will then see
dangling from what is now the top right corner of the underside of the rear seat...
adjust its length so that the hook can reach and be attached to the outer pillar
of the headrest...tension it as it holds the rear seat in the folded position.

Alex is perfectly correct in what he says in respect of the 'blancmange'/mayo
on the oil filler cap....the distick is the real indicator....and the fluctuating idle is
more or less a 'given' that the TVA needs a clean.  There is a Guide for that if
you look in the Child Board of the Engine section.

And finally...IF you remove the front seats..you MUST disconnect the car battery
before you start...and only then should you remove the seats and carefully unplug
the connectors underneath (by the central transmission hump).  Battery disconnect
is - Earth lead first, then positive second....reconnect is positive first, then earth.

As a 'new' owner, it's worth checking if the gear selection is stiff/hard...if so it's a
swivel pin problem at the gearbox end....there's a Guide in the Child Board
of the Transmission section for that...AND the rear wiper...catch/cure it before it
decides to seize...there's a Guide for that in the Child Board of the Electrics in General
section.

Happy ForFour'ing...

[Bal]

Thanks for the reply CrazyG,

Ironically I have had a go at the rear wiper today. Unfortunately I am stuck at the point where you remove the 22mm Nut, it is fully rusted down. In the process of removing it the black plastic bracket holding the wiper motor in place snapped   

I did apply WD40 before I had a go and did let it soak. Now my problem is I have a stuck nut and free spinning wiper motor on the inside glass.

Tried to get a neighbour to hold the motor with his hands while I break the nut but no joy.

Any ideas what to do guys?

[Coverman]

WD40 us not the correct fluid to use to loosen a rusted nut. Try Plusgas, or if none to hand, Coca- Cola. If all else fails, see if you can get a nut splitter in place without breaking the windscreen.

[454_1.1_55_2004]

Just be patient... soak it for a few days, with what you have at hand. I know a guy who spent 6 days until the nut was loose..
At the end you'll have only 2 results: succes or failure. 
If failure, a new one is waiting or a sh (in wich case, you'll have to desassembly it, clean it and apply grease on it)
If succes, desassembly it, clean it, grease it and mount it.
Here is the topic https://www.forfour.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=2858.msg73107#msg73107

[Problemchild]

Welcome

For a 14yr old car it’s not bad

100% some cola on the nut - wrap a bit of kitchen roll around it as well

Good luck

JJ