Hey guys, I've had my magna for a few weeks now, it has a few little things wrong with it, thought I'd ask you for some advice.

1. My brakes squeal a LOT when I'm slowing down. It's worst when I am coming to a complete stop, i.e. the harder I brake the worse the noise is. It's fairly loud too, and embarrassing at fast food drive-thrus :P should I get the brake pads replaced or is it something else?

2. In every other car I've driven, I've been able to pull the handbrake up when I'm driving (moving). I don't mean drifting, but like I've been ABLE to pull it up and you know the car would struggle etc. With the Magna, when I'm driving (even moving like 5km/h) and I pull up the handbrake, I get a loud clunking sound, like the wheels are turning and hitting something. It's quite unnerving, and I was wondering if this has anything to do with my first problem?

3. The car veers HORRIBLY to the left. If I let go of the steering wheel completely I can change lanes in 3 seconds or so. I asked the dealer to do a wheel alignment before I picked up the car, he said he did, I took the car out and it still veers crap. Did he lie to me, or is it something else?

4. I think I have a problem with the electrics. When I have the interior light at the middle position and open the doors to get in, the light flickers as if the wires are barely touching and are connecting/re-connecting. Now all of a sudden, when at night I go to turn off my headlights, I turn the headlights bit off but the lights stay on. All my interior and dash lights have turned off, but my headlights remain on. To solve this I fiddle with the dash light level thing (do you get what I mean?) then turn the headlights on and off. Turns the headlights off and solves the issue.

Any ideas? hahah it sounds like I've bought a lemon... but really I feel that these are little things that have little do with the quality of the car in general... hope you think so too

It sounds like He didn't do a wheel alignment at all to me. Have you had a mechanic look at the car?

What are the tyres like on the front, if you have different brands/treads/level of tread it can steer to one side

hotevo - nah man haven't had anyone look at it. I've had it for about a week, don't have the money yet. I wouldn't be surprised though, curse you car dealer!

peter_pan - not too sure, haven't had a look :redface: I'll definitely take a peek tomorrow though. How much tread difference would there have to be to make a difference?

Hey guys, I've had my magna for a few weeks now, it has a few little things wrong with it, thought I'd ask you for some advice.

1. My brakes squeal a LOT when I'm slowing down. It's worst when I am coming to a complete stop, i.e. the harder I brake the worse the noise is. It's fairly loud too, and embarrassing at fast food drive-thrus :P should I get the brake pads replaced or is it something else?

2. In every other car I've driven, I've been able to pull the handbrake up when I'm driving (moving). I don't mean drifting, but like I've been ABLE to pull it up and you know the car would struggle etc. With the Magna, when I'm driving (even moving like 5km/h) and I pull up the handbrake, I get a loud clunking sound, like the wheels are turning and hitting something. It's quite unnerving, and I was wondering if this has anything to do with my first problem?

3. The car veers HORRIBLY to the left. If I let go of the steering wheel completely I can change lanes in 3 seconds or so. I asked the dealer to do a wheel alignment before I picked up the car, he said he did, I took the car out and it still veers crap. Did he lie to me, or is it something else?

4. I think I have a problem with the electrics. When I have the interior light at the middle position and open the doors to get in, the light flickers as if the wires are barely touching and are connecting/re-connecting. Now all of a sudden, when at night I go to turn off my headlights, I turn the headlights bit off but the lights stay on. All my interior and dash lights have turned off, but my headlights remain on. To solve this I fiddle with the dash light level thing (do you get what I mean?) then turn the headlights on and off. Turns the headlights off and solves the issue.

Any ideas? hahah it sounds like I've bought a lemon... but really I feel that these are little things that have little do with the quality of the car in general... hope you think so too

1. your brakes have just about had it, replace the brake pads and possible get the disc's machined

2. i think its ABS stopping your rear brakes locking up, my old mans car does the same thing

3. either your wheel alignments out or you got some worn out suspension components

4. i have no idea, maybe a loose wire/connection somewhere?

The first of your 3 problems I also have

Breaks are annoying, I got a wheel alignment and my car still pulls to the left

Not a post tohi-jack but I was just about to start a thread similar about the handbrake, generally the handbrake locks the back wheels or at least provides a decent resistance, when I put mine down on the Magna I can let go and it falls (at about 3/4 to half) and also when its up on full position 7 - 9 clicks the car drives and then the car violently shudders as the car keeps moving at uniform speed, is it a matter of readjust?

1. your brakes have just about had it, replace the brake pads and possible get the disc's machined
will do asap

2. i think its ABS stopping your rear brakes locking up, my old mans car does the same thing
didn't think about that actually... don't know why that didn't occur to me. It's like a hitting/clunking noise?

3. either your wheel alignments out or you got some worn out suspension components
if its not the wheel alignment, how much would it cost to replace the suspention components?

4. i have no idea, maybe a loose wire/connection somewhere?
the hell I'm going to search my entire car for a loose wire :P


its cool, it might help my problem ;D

Hey guys, I've had my magna for a few weeks now, it has a few little things wrong with it, thought I'd ask you for some advice.

1. My brakes squeal a LOT when I'm slowing down. It's worst when I am coming to a complete stop, i.e. the harder I brake the worse the noise is. It's fairly loud too, and embarrassing at fast food drive-thrus :P should I get the brake pads replaced or is it something else?

2. In every other car I've driven, I've been able to pull the handbrake up when I'm driving (moving). I don't mean drifting, but like I've been ABLE to pull it up and you know the car would struggle etc. With the Magna, when I'm driving (even moving like 5km/h) and I pull up the handbrake, I get a loud clunking sound, like the wheels are turning and hitting something. It's quite unnerving, and I was wondering if this has anything to do with my first problem?

3. The car veers HORRIBLY to the left. If I let go of the steering wheel completely I can change lanes in 3 seconds or so. I asked the dealer to do a wheel alignment before I picked up the car, he said he did, I took the car out and it still veers crap. Did he lie to me, or is it something else?

4. I think I have a problem with the electrics. When I have the interior light at the middle position and open the doors to get in, the light flickers as if the wires are barely touching and are connecting/re-connecting. Now all of a sudden, when at night I go to turn off my headlights, I turn the headlights bit off but the lights stay on. All my interior and dash lights have turned off, but my headlights remain on. To solve this I fiddle with the dash light level thing (do you get what I mean?) then turn the headlights on and off. Turns the headlights off and solves the issue.

Any ideas? hahah it sounds like I've bought a lemon... but really I feel that these are little things that have little do with the quality of the car in general... hope you think so too


Now for a proper diagnosis
1. could be brake pad wear, glazed rotors, crap pad quality

2. The handbrake is cable operated in both second and third gens, in the third gens there is a common issue with the rear adjusters, this is most likely your issue

3. Wheel allignment, could also be a bent steering part or also rear wheel allignment.

4. Lights, the switch can play up and cause this, is the most common issue. The indicator stalk can be changed on its own without the the whole combination switch being changed.

Now, as this is a third gen post, will move to where it belongs :D

1.
not necessarilly shot some pad material is noisy get your pads and disks checked if ok wash out with water (gets rid of dust build up)
2.
dont know if u have abs although if u do this sounds possible don't magnas have drum handbrakes with single piece shoe???? could be the shoe gripping...
3.
has the car been in an accident??? maybe dodge repair or as said above worn suspension, steering or tyres...
4.
the interier light could just be a dodgy globe holder/contacts maybe just wiggly the globe a bit sometimes helps.
don't know bout the lights could be a dodgy control stalk or bad contacts in the dimmer thing

Now for a proper diagnosis
1. could be brake pad wear, glazed rotors, crap pad quality

2. The handbrake is cable operated in both second and third gens, in the third gens there is a common issue with the rear adjusters, this is most likely your issue

3. Wheel allignment, could also be a bent steering part or also rear wheel allignment.

4. Lights, the switch can play up and cause this, is the most common issue. The indicator stalk can be changed on its own without the the whole combination switch being changed.

Now, as this is a third gen post, will move to where it belongs :D

thanks! didn't know where to put it, thought it was a tech question...:D

thanks for the help, I''ll take note of it all and tell the mechanic

1.
not necessarilly shot some pad material is noisy get your pads and disks checked if ok wash out with water (gets rid of dust build up)
2.
dont know if u have abs although if u do this sounds possible don't magnas have drum handbrakes with single piece shoe???? could be the shoe gripping...
3.
has the car been in an accident??? maybe dodge repair or as said above worn suspension, steering or tyres...
4.
the interier light could just be a dodgy globe holder/contacts maybe just wiggly the globe a bit sometimes helps.
don't know bout the lights could be a dodgy control stalk or bad contacts in the dimmer thing

Above
1. as I said, could also be dust
2. ABS does not make jack difference, is a cable operated handbrake, as I stated they are a common issue
3. Not always an accident issue, could just be a dodgy wheel allignment, tyres or suspension issue
4. Light, dirty door switch. Again is common. Stalk as I stated is common

If you bought this car off a dealer then I pretty sure he has to sell you a roadworthy car, you should be able to take it back and get him to fix the Wheel alignment issue (or whatever is causing it) and also the headlight problem.

You've got nothing to lose by asking him to fix those problems, you can then take it further or get it fixed yourself. I've had plenty of wheel allignments done in my old Laser when the car came out worse than before, took it back and they always fixed it, (apparently the machines had the wrong specs for this car or something).

If you bought this car off a dealer then I pretty sure he has to sell you a roadworthy car, you should be able to take it back and get him to fix the Wheel alignment issue (or whatever is causing it) and also the headlight problem.

You've got nothing to lose by asking him to fix those problems, you can then take it further or get it fixed yourself. I've had plenty of wheel allignments done in my old Laser when the car came out worse than before, took it back and they always fixed it, (apparently the machines had the wrong specs for this car or something).

I think the only thing I can take the car back to the dealer for is if the car isn't driveable, i.e. engine failure... or something along those lines.

I think I'll just get it all fixed in the one go at a mechanic.

just letting everyone know that i found a reason for my 4th point in the OP

in the magna operators manual it says:

"Headlight off delay

Within 15 seconds of turning the ignition off, flash the headlights for less than 5 seconds using the flash lever (pull to position 2) and the headlights will illuminate for 30 seconds."

Obviously before the problem started I flashed my high beams before turning my lights off, i.e. turned the car off with lights still on, flashed high beams to see something down the end of the street (which I always do at night :facejump:), then the headlights stayed on for 30 seconds..

cool!

just letting everyone know that i found a reason for my 4th point in the OP

in the magna operators manual it says:

"Headlight off delay

Within 15 seconds of turning the ignition off, flash the headlights for less than 5 seconds using the flash lever (pull to position 2) and the headlights will illuminate for 30 seconds."

Obviously before the problem started I flashed my high beams before turning my lights off, i.e. turned the car off with lights still on, flashed high beams to see something down the end of the street (which I always do at night :facejump:), then the headlights stayed on for 30 seconds..

cool!

I like this feature, though 30seconds really doesn't give you much time :P 60 seconds would be much more useful.

I like this feature, though 30seconds really doesn't give you much time :P 60 seconds would be much more useful.

i'm not sure what i'd use it for, but im sure the day will come... camping maybe? pitchin a tent? filming a short movie in the dark?

one problem solved!

also im getting a wheel alignment done tomorrow morning so i shall report back on that