Rover 214Si (P-reg) - SRS warning light

This is either caused by poor connections under the front seats to the seat belt tensioners.......Or a connection problem to the steering wheel airbag via the Rotary Coupler.

Disconnect the battery...leave for at least 10 minutes....disconnect and reconnect the yellow connector under each seat....reconnect battery and hopefully the fault will be cured.

The steering wheel fault neccessitates replacement of the rotary coupler....not worth messing with when it comes to airbags.

As long as the SRS light is on the airbag/restraint system is disabled.....so the bag "shouldn't" fire.

Thanks! You're onto something there. I recently had a squeaky seat fixed (except it started squeaking in a different place!). Maybe the seat belt tensioner was not reconnected properly. I'll take a look tomorrow.

You'd have thought that every Rover 214Si had a dead head gasket. Mine's fine, just keep an eye on the coolent.

--Nick.

Hi Nick. I agree that keeping an eye on the coolant is a rule of thumb for preventing gasket care. I've always checked it regularly, but Jason has a point. My inlet manifold gasket blew last year on the way to a best mate's wedding. This and the head gasket were replaced in the ensuing repair. This car really has given me grief. Touch wood, all the remaining foibles are minor things like trim rattles and a squeaky seat but they really are bloody irritating. I'm not at all impressed by the build quality. On the whole I have to say the engine sounds and feels fine.

In news: snipped-for-privacy@news.greennet.net, Mr Greenstone decided to enlighten our sheltered souls with a rant as follows

Trust us on this. It'll blow like Vesuvius. Sell the Rover.

We all know the inlet gasket goes and like this one I wonder just how many garages have also changed the head-gasket in error. I'm not suggesting that there isn't a problem but it also seems highly likely, there is a serious case of over-diagnosis going on.

E-mail address, hopefully self-explanatory Andy Pandy

Well, I've got the old shape 214Si (N-Reg) for a year now and it's been perfect and started every turn of the key (apart from once, when I needed a new lead set, but it was 6,000 miles late for its service)

- the only thing that has cost me money was changing the cam belt (I picked it up at 60,000 miles) - I didn't service it until 67,000 miles (only changed belt right away when I got it) and it's 60,000 mile service cost me £80 inc VAT.

It's red, and still has excellent paintwork and shine (although red paint, especially when it's 8 years old, needs a bit of looking after

- but it's till perfect) and I've changed the exhaust.

I pop the bonnet once a week to check oil and coolent and stuff and it's still all happy. Plus it only cost me £800 (with an 11 month MOT) so I think it's been pretty good value, does 340 miles on a tank.

If it dies, it dies. It's been a good car since I passed my driving test and binned my 14 year-old Proton and I still haven't bashed into anything(!)

Bah, it's bound to end up being parked up a tree now!

--Nick.

I just spent 4 days without being able to put more than 1/2 a pint of windscreen washer fluid in the tank without it running out, Audis being notorious for the tanks splitting I was going to go the scrapyard to get another but didn't get round to it & decided to take the old one out & weld it up, wherupon reattaching the small rubber hose that had fallen of took about 15 seconds without even removing the tank.

Someone told me the replacement gaskets are more robust. I don't know if this is true, but if so, it's probably the reason the HG is replaced when the head has to be removed for any other reason?

Would be interesting to know if this is true. Whatever, the gasket problem seems to be so common with these Rovers that I'd call it a major design fault. Meanwhile the Rover MG bosses are giving themselves massive pay rises.

Hi again, Nick. Doesn't the old shape have a reliable Honda engine though? Or is that just with the 414 models? What you say about your 214 is true of my mum's L-reg 414. It has needed very little maintenance.

I looked in the service history and couldn't help noticing that various exhaust parts have been replaced. The original radiator didn't seem to last long either.

I'm paranoid about the coolant now, so I check it at least once a week or before any journey of more than half an hour. Never had any oil trouble. In fact, oil retention is amazingly good.

Been trying to contact you on ICQ as I was curious about your 214 after your replied to a previous post of mine.

Cheers,

Paul

I'm not sure if it's Honda or not. It says Rover on it. I've got a pic of it on my website...

I wouldn't say that popping the bonnet once a week is being paranoid. Don't even new car manuals suggest opening it up once a week to make sure everything is still there?

I check the oil once a week, coolent, screenwash (I'm forever using it) and stuff like that. I'd much rather check it once a week than leave it for two months and have to buy a new engine/car.

Ahh, I see. Just ICQ me at 9235201. I get things from people (not even messages) just saying "Add me to your list" - when they don't say who they are or why I would know them or even where they know me from I just click "decline" or "ignore" - If you do want me to add you to my ICQ list them just say who you are and where I know you from in the "Reason" box otherwise it just gets an 'ignore.'

You can always email me at snipped-for-privacy@spamcop.net if ICQ isn't your thing.

--Nick.

I think you'll find the HG is replaced when the head comes off pretty much any car for any reason, unless you're a really really tight git.