VSA warning and Engine Malfunction light

[aaronng]

Careful not to spray any fly spray onto the paint as it might be affected. I read this in Wheels magazine many years ago. You have been warned!

Totally agree! Do not spray anything on the paint, plastics or tyres.

[sameol3]

ahh good thing i searched this thread...i have the same issue..started not 3 days ago and happening every second day when driving at high speeds...Highly unlikely of the ants idea....

Im thinking oil of some sort?...
i recently changed to Mobile 1 0-40w and i duno if that is the reason why or not...
but only happens when engine is hot and driving at high speeds so far...
My engine seems to shunt abit as if no petrol or something but im not low.
I lose alot of power and the engine struggles abit to maitain speed.
Once i turn off the engine and start it again its fine...

im lost...gonna take it to a mechanic this weekend..

any advice...

[Kodak]

Shame there aren't some horses finding there way into the engine ;-)

[Crapdaz]

ahh good thing i searched this thread...i have the same issue..started not 3 days ago and happening every second day when driving at high speeds...Highly unlikely of the ants idea....

Im thinking oil of some sort?...
i recently changed to Mobile 1 0-40w and i duno if that is the reason why or not...
but only happens when engine is hot and driving at high speeds so far...
My engine seems to shunt abit as if no petrol or something but im not low.
I lose alot of power and the engine struggles abit to maitain speed.
Once i turn off the engine and start it again its fine...

im lost...gonna take it to a mechanic this weekend..

any advice...

your engine oil shouldnt have a problem with that as it's within spec.
Also Mobil 1 is a reputable oil.

You sure it's not your fuel pump playing up ?

[pxrnm]

Ants invasion, I made that thread before. Don't know why but I suspect my Maguire detailer spray that attract those b$%#%. Got a Prius parked beside my car, but no ants got into it at all. I didn't stored any food or sweets inside yet they got into the cabin and ran havoc. At that time I just used my portable vacuum and sucked them all.

Now with the wet weather lately they run havoc again, but this time the ants went to the passenger side door and engine bay. What I did was sprayed some raid on the side skirt from front to back (so far not showing any discoloration) once they died I wipe it off with wet chamois. I also sprayed the engine bay area as I saw them running around there as well.... but with the engine bay I didn't wipe them off.

So far I only see 2 to 3 on top of the bonnet which I eagerly pressed with my angry but yeah I'm still keeping watch with my raid handy on my right hand

[aaronng]

Meguiar's quick detailer is actually toxic to insects.

Do you have anything like a VAFC or AFC Neo installed in your car?

[pxrnm]

Meguiar's quick detailer is actually toxic to insects.

Do you have anything like a VAFC or AFC Neo installed in your car?

Well mine currently is purely stock, apart from installing xenon HID once the wet condition is gone.

My Interior detailer looks like this:


I like the sweetly smell and I thought the ants love them too...

Will try to spray it on the pavement this afternoon (if not washed up by the rain later on) and see if the ants gather around it.

[tron07]

Once I park too close to a bush and the leave and branch from one of the plant touch my car, then all the ants from that plant migrated over to my car... maybe you did the same thing too

[pxrnm]

Nope this is not the case, the ants comes from below the pavement/dirt.

[Crapdaz]

were u eating ice cream or something sw33t in the engine bay?

most like some sap or something is stick or attracting them.

[aaronng]

I wonder if the smell attracts insect that well.

[SPQR]

I had an ant problem once: The A/C of my Euro stopped working. I took the car my local Honda dealer and spoke with the chief mechanic. He knew the answer straight away. Ants had got into the main airconditoner circuit breaker under the bonnet and had shorted it. He replaced the circuit breaker and the A/C worked. He then tapped the old circuit breaker on a bench and dead ants fell out.

From Wikipedia:

"Fuel lines are often made from reinforced rubber tubing and may also be susceptible to attack, especially within engine compartments where low levels of ozone are produced from electrical equipment." (The rubber fuel lines are subject to attack from ozone not from ants!)

From Yahoo:

Question
"i left my laptop for just an hour, and when i came back it is swarmed by ants!!! what's up with ants and electronic devices? "

Answer
"Ants are attracted to ozone which is created by electronic devices. Turn it off and get them to leave."

BTW. Ozone is three combined Oxygen atoms (O3). The molecule is very unstable and breaks down to O2 + O. The single Oxygen atom is an extreme oxidant (can cause rusting/corrosion) and if free in a human body it is known as a free radical that can do all sorts of nasty things to other chemicals in the body. Ozone is toxic to humans and is know to cause problems ranging from asthma to cholesterol plaque in arteries leading to cardiovascular disease. Ozone can be detected by smell in even low concentrations around electric motors and during a lightning storm.