After you've got the hub off the splined shaft on the CV joint, the drive shaft (also splined) is pulled out of the CV joint. The inner end of the driveshaft (the spider) which goes into the gearbox cannot be replaced, it's an integral part of the driveshaft so the whole assembly has to be replaced ...

If you've got an Android phone, you can get a free diagnostic App from Rover Mems https://rovermems.com/ . You'll need the connecting cable to go from the three-pin diagnostic connector to the USB port on your phone. This will tell you several things about the idle. Is the ECU reading the RPM correc...

I've had spark plugs fail, even relatively new ones, they discharge internally rather than at the spark gap. Had a problem with a Bosch sparking plug on my 214 like this, it was however made in Russia ... I've also had a similar problem due to faulty ignition leads, they can go high resistance so th...

Has the car been standing for a long time? Does it run? Sludge in the coolant reservoir is sometimes a sign of head gasket failure - oil getting into the coolant. Does the car have a service record and has it had the head gasket changed in recent times? As a first pass, you could try draining the co...

I looked up the original parts list and got the following: 214 and 414 models GCV1060 RH GCV1059 LH 216 and 416 models (manual) GCV1062 RH GCV1061 LH and GCV1064 RH GCV1063 LH Not sure why there are two options, maybe revision on VIN number For automatic s it gives a number FDU2883 for Auto. Googlin...

Agree, it's less useful than it was. A while back, maybe quite a while back, they listed all the parts on the diagram with original part numbers including bits that are NLA. I guess you can still get that by clicking on one of the parts and see the diagram, but they don't now show NLA stuff. It's a ...

Most likely a fault in the driver door control box (or the lock button position). You can't lock yourself out of the car manually as the drivers door cancels the lock button unless you deliberately hold up the door handle. The central locking on our 1990 214 GSi stopped working after a few years and...

Thanks for pointing us to the YouTube video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az2u3-GLl1o I didn't know any of this or seen this test. I use Momentum as it's the nearest, though occasionally V-Power also quite close. I'd heard that Esso Supreme was low in ethanol but seems to be less good overall. I'...

The K-series should run on either, however I use the more expensive E5 (Tesco Momentum, Esso Synergy, V-Power etc.). The lower ethanol is probably better for the tank and various hoses and seals, and it's likely to absorb less moisture if left for a while. The other factor is that the ethanol adds o...

I expect the Honda engine alternator is an industry-standard type used on several different cars from that era, so spares for it are probably available to fix common faults such as the brushes/regulator or rectifier assembly. Have you been able to find equivalent part numbers from suppliers like Bos...