General new panda owner questions

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General new panda owner questions

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Please excuse my very basic questions, but I have just purchased a sisley and need some questions answered and my mind put at ease.

Stupid question 1

What do I have 3 tanks under the bonnet for water, the top one is for coolant but what the other 2 for, I assume for washer fluid - if so why 2 :confused:

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Question 2

What headlight bulbs do they take, I have h4 bulbs here but they dont seem to fit

Question 3

Going over bumps the rear makes a banging and scrapping noise, sounds like something is rubbing together. This normal?

Question 4

Petrol tank looks a little aged - this just surface or terminal? How long will it last?

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Question 5

Will I get used to changing gear - is there a knack to it, gear stick never seems to go into 3/4/5 properly, like it just catching, I have missed 5th a few times :eek:

Question 6

Do pandas blow cold air?, on this it seems either hot or hotter, no real problem as it an excuse to open the sunroof :cool:

These are all I can think of at the moment, tbh there is very little wrong with the car and once at 70mph it can stay there. Temp guage sits at just under 90 on motorway and fan kicks in and goes of when im stuck in traffic.

Sorry for the long post

*Mods- feel free to split this post up if you see fit*

EDIT - Question 7

Expansion cap goes tight but when you turn it a little more it goes back to being loose. I was loosing water through it until i nipped it up.
 
Last edited:
gaz_wrexham said:
Question 6

Do pandas blow cold air?, on this it seems either hot or hotter, no real problem as it an excuse to open the sunroof :cool:

My panda had this problem, until I replaced the heater matrix, the valve that controls the flow into the heater matrix had a big crack in it, have both hot and cold air now :)
 
pidster said:
My panda had this problem, until I replaced the heater matrix, the valve that controls the flow into the heater matrix had a big crack in it, have both hot and cold air now :)

was it not possible just to change the valve? or does it come complete
 
gaz_wrexham said:
was it not possible just to change the valve? or does it come complete

I probably could have done but the heater matrix looked like it was on it's way out anyway so seeing as I had the car in bits seemed to make sense new heater matrix was about £40. Easy job to do just seems that you have to take half the car apart to do it !!
 
pidster said:
I probably could have done but the heater matrix looked like it was on it's way out anyway so seeing as I had the car in bits seemed to make sense new heater matrix was about £40. Easy job to do just seems that you have to take half the car apart to do it !!

ah cool, I had a heater control valve go on my old seicento, that needed half the car taken to bits just to get at it :eek:

thanks
 
1 - The 3 water tanks are - 1: coolant, 2: headlamp washers, 3: windscreen washers.

2 - The headlamps will probably be the old 'golf ball' type.

3 - The banging noise will probably be a badly fitted exhaust.

4 - The petrol tank looks rotten, i would be looking for a replacement plastic tank.

5 - Change the gearbox fluid, and then see if it gets any better :).

6 - You probably need a new heater matrix :(

7 - Get a new cap, as they only cost £2.50 (y)
 
I don't think a 2wd panda's petrol tank will fit on a 4x4 due to the propshaft/ back axle etc.... as I had a pinhole on mine and had to repair it. You could try taking it out and seeing how bad it all is, then repaint and put some tank sealer in to be sure (POR-15 is supposed to be good).

Heater is most likely the valve on the right of the heater box, under the bonnet and behind the soundproofing by the battery, easy to replace if it will undo, otherwise (if its like mine) the heater has to come out, though this isn't too difficult compared to most cars...:)
 
re: Stupid question 1

the front tank on the left is the headlight jets...this gets useed at approximately 3 to 1 compared to the tank on the right (next to the spare wheel). The tank at the left back is the radiator expansion tank... they don't have the bottle thing stuck onto the side of the rad.


Question 2

R2 i think... h4's fit badly and kinda wobble around...

Question 3

hmmm... depends how big the bump is... but generally it's a sign that it needs something tightening. try the exchaust and check the damper bushes have been secured properly.

Question 4

short term waxoil the sucka... long term splash £60 out on a replacement tank.

Question 5

they are a slow gear change box unless you are very lucky... however bushes for the rod connectors may improve things a great deal... they cost 80p and you'll need 3 (eper part number #4259848)

Question 6

cold air... not that i have experienced...
temp sounds about right.

EDIT - Question 7

just screw it on until it stops leaking and don't ask why...
 
the petrol-tanks are metal... and very similar to the mark 1 i believe...
 
Not all petrol tanks are metal, as my selecta has a plastic one. It has a label still on it so i will see if i can find out who the company is and see if they still do panda tanks :)
 
christopher watson said:
Not all petrol tanks are metal, as my selecta has a plastic one. It has a label still on it so i will see if i can find out who the company is and see if they still do panda tanks :)
no not all... but the question was about the one on the 4x4 and those are. there are Marbella/panda petrol tanks advertised on Ebay but i have never seen the dirty end of a Marbella for comparison... anyone can say how similar the part is?
 
To check if the tank is OK, have a good poke at the rusty bits with a screwdriver. If you can easily dent it or the screwdriver goes through then it is scrap. You can be fairly energentic with the screwdriver as a standard tank is quite strong. It is a good idea to have the tank fairly empty and have a tray ready to catch any leakage if you do poke a hole in it.

If the tank is solid, wire brush the loose rust off and brush/spray it with Waxoyl.
 
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