Foton Problems

The indicator lights on the dashboard are blinking fast because there’s not the usual load on the indicator circuit from the exterior globes. This is a great way to know if you have a blown indicator globe, as the light on the dashboard will flash faster on the side of the failed globe.

So you need to look downstream to figure out why none of the indicator lights are getting power to them. This could be a broken wire, a body-computer problem, a poor earth or some other electrical gremlin that is robbing the lights of their power source and signal. An auto electrician would be a good place to tackle the problem.

The most obvious warning light that features a thermometer icon along with what could be described as fumes is the low coolant warning light which is sometimes yellow or orange (as opposed to red). If that's the case, the `fumes' are actually representing the coolant (as little waves). The other warning light that commonly displays gas fumes is the light to tell you there's a problem with the vehicle's diesel particulate filter (DPF). This is also often a yellow or orange light.

Car-makers tend to save red warning lights for the more serious problems such as low oil pressure or high coolant temperature. Even so, a yellow or orange warning light should not be ignored as it can easily develop into a red-light situation pretty quickly.

It sounds simple, but have you checked the owner's manual for the vehicle? There's likely to be a chapter dealing with what warning lights represent what.

These systems often use wireless technology to send the low-pressure warning signal from the sensor inside the tyre to the car’s computer. Which is fine, but think about how many times your wireless internet signal fails or drops out. That could simply be what’s happening here; the computer is getting no signal, so it presumes there’s a problem.

In many cases, the problem can also be a flat battery in one of the tyre sensors. These usually last between five and 10 years, so on that basis, your car is a candidate for flat sensor batteries. Often, the batteries are not replaceable and you’ll have to replace the whole sensor. If that’s the case, replacing all four would make sense.

You might also find there’s a procedure for resetting the sensors so that they talk to the computer in a meaningful way. Your owner’s manual should detail this process, but it’s often a pretty convoluted one with a distinct time limit before the computer times out.

Disconnect the battery and reconnect it again. If it doesn’t take it to a mechanic who should be able to sort it out for you.

It's an unproven brand, which is why they are cheap. It was the same with Great Wall and their resale values reflect the way owners and potential owners feel about them. I wouldn't do it.

Thanks for the tip. It's certainly something worth checking and might provide a simple fix for the owner in question.

It could be as simple as rebooting the computer, but whatever the dealer needs to find out what is causing it and then fix it. If he doesn't know how to do it he should call head office here in Australia, and if they can't fix it they should call the Chinese head office.

Low-sulphur diesel fuel became mandatory from December 31, 2002, under the Federal Government's program to reduce air pollution. Its introduction will allow car makers to sell new diesel engines that have previously been unavailable here because of the high sulphur content of our fuel. The new fuel must contain less than 500 parts per million sulphur, which is about half the level of the old diesel, and brings us closer to US and European fuel standards. Generally there should be no problem in running existing diesel engines on the new fuel, but there are potential issues. The lubricating effect of the new fuel is reduced, which may have an effect on fuel pumps and injectors, and the changed composition and chemical properties of the new fuel may cause some swelling or shrinking of seals and O-rings, particularly in older engines such as yours. It would be wise to check with a diesel specialist and consider changing any seals that may be affected. Herald Sun, Edition 1 - FIRST FRI 13 DEC 2002, Page 068 Q. Can you advise me a fair price to pay for a Dec 1989 VN HSV Berlina manual sedan. It has leather trim, with 10,000km and is in pristine condition. Bryan Fitzgibbon Melbourne A. With so few kilometres, the car is barely run in, so it should be in very good condition. At the same time, a car that has had such little use can still deteriorate quite markedly, and should be checked thoroughly. Seals can dry out and harden when a car is not used, and these can start leaking as soon as its pressed into service again. It's not unusual that a car with little use can need quite a bit spent on it to bring it up to a safe and roadworthy condition. Still it sounds like it's a very nice example of a quite desirable car, and any car with HSV heritage is worth a little more than regular models. Without actually seeing the car, its hard to put a value on it, but it should be worth between $5000 and $7500.