Dave's shonkers - one in

[Dave_Q]

Diesel = shit

 

You raise an interesting point there sir. 

 

 

For these things (156), it's clear that the V6 is the winner's choice, I can't really pretend otherwise.

 

After that though I would argue that the diesels make a better choice than the twin spark petrols.

The TS like a drink of oil, have a hilariously short cambelt interval (36k miles / 3 years) and will trash themselves if the belt is left. 

The 2.0 has 150hp but I'd bet the 2.4JTD (140hp/more torque) is as quick in real life.

 

The JTD engines don't have too many major weaknesses, and those it has are well documented and easily fixed. Cambelt interval is 72k, but the 10v is cambelt roulette approved as they snap rockers not valves, replace, retime, and you're away. 

 

Compared to similar vintage diesels they're really not bad, don't really shit injectors much (Ford 1.8TDCi) or turbos (1.6 Ford/PSA, BMW 320d, etc) or high pressure fuel pumps, the main issues are related to worn vac hoses, clogged EGRs, the odd MAF or MAP sensor, which are relatively cheap and easy to repair (EGR fix yesterday took £0 and about an hour).

 

Clutch + DMF kit is £500 or so though which will write some off.

 

Remember my one has done 207,000 miles, if it was that shit it would have been weighed in years ago due to some unfixable diesel horror.

[SiC]

Are these the same EGRs that are fitted to the Vauxhall 1.9 (Similar engine and all that)? If so, they had be had pretty cheap new now. If so, it's often less hassle, cleaner and quicker than trying to clean the old ones.

[Dave_Q]

Not quite the same but very similar, you can get a new no-brand EGR for £50 or a genuine one for £75-£100.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EGR-VALVE-FOR-ALFA-ROMEO-147-156-166-1-9-JTD-2-4-JTD-71793799-46785766-/152400919669?fits=Model%3A156&epid=1509538807&hash=item237bcd7c75:g:yXYAAOSwTM5Y7ewz

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ALFA-ROMEO-156-MK1-1-9-2-4-JTD-CF3-97-01-OEM-EGR-VALVE-EXHAUST-GAS-/152578228399?epid=897114023&hash=item23865f00af:g:fCYAAOSwA3dYCds3&autorefresh=true

 

Faced with a choice of spending £50 or getting my hands dirty, it's the latter every time for me.

[Dave_Q]

147: MOT success.

 

I put the top wishbones on, and decided to do the discs and pads, seeing as they were an advisory last year as well, and my wife had mentioned (when I took it for test!) that the brakes had been sounding a bit grindy.

 

Not sure how the disc ends up like this:

 

Although it doesn't look like the pads have moved much for a while.

 

With that done and a couple of partworns it was a clean sheet at the retest. It's got no suspension noises for the first time since we owned it and much improved brakes.

 

Next: Berlingo.

 

Objective was to try and make the speedo work, and try and locate a clunk from around the o/s topmount area.

 

Step 1: shear off two wheelbolts

 

Great success.

 

Anyway the speedo was a wiring issue, I had to remove the battery tray and a fair bit of wiring loom and stuff to find the relevant bit. I had seen from a thread elsewhere that the real issue was with an earth somewhere, as I couldn't really be arsed to trace it all the way back I just chopped the relevant wire and put in a new earth direct to the battery terminal. This seems to have worked fine.

 

To fix my own hamfistedness I got a second hand strut off a breaker in Accrington for £30. Wasn't quite a straight swap as the springs were different.

 

 

The offending clonk was traced to the top mount bearing, on the other side from the one that I sheared the bolts on and already had to swap the spring on, naturally.

 

 

I also done the oil and filter and fuel filter.

 

The strut shenanigans weren't too bad other than taking 3x longer than I might have liked due to wrestling with my "I can't believe I haven't injured myself yet" shit spring compressors. You know the kind, like 2 hooks attached to a big bolt.

 

All ready to drive to the Netherlands for holiday, starting tomorrow.

[Dave_Q]

Wow, I've not updated this in a while.

 

Anyway, shortly after the last post the Berlingo did sterling work of taking us on holiday, as usual.

 

A few weeks after that I got notice that I was to lose my rented garage. 

 

I could have gone out and tried to get another one but we're trying to sort our shit out to move house soon, and I'll hopefully have my own garage next year sometime. 

 

I also got a renewal for SIX HUNDRED FLIPPING QUID for the Alfa from Footman James so decided to sell it as per roffle/sale thread you may have seen.

 

In terms of fleet reduction it's gone, well it's actually gone. 

 

 

Vespa - SOLD

 

Rank Bandit - SOLD

 

Alfa - SOLD

 

Piaggio Zip

Bought, rode to work once, then SOLD

 

CBR600 - dismantled, moved to cellar - planning to sell in bits

 

Gilera (currently not a) Runner

Bought, staying for general pootling to work duties

 

That's three out, one in but out again and one in for a net reduction of two. 

 

 

Tomorrow I am going to collect a new car - a DPF'd semi-modern diesel French bus with so many electrical things it makes a Goona II look like a C90. Complete with cambelt roulette and warning light bingo. WCPGW?

 

Berlingo will then be for sale if anyone needs an super reliable and practical but visually unappealing car with 11.5 months MOT.

 

 

Also want to add a big shout out and +1000 shite points for man like barefoot, the Gilera was bought from ebay and was in his neck of the woods and he went out of his way to help me with the most convoluted shiply based collection scheme ever, thanks again Dave you shoeless hero.

[Fabergé Greggs]

Top shuffling. Go on then, what’s the details of the Berlingo?

[Dave_Q]

52 plate Berlingo HDi

177K miles, 25k of which done by me.

Cambelt done around 160k

MOT 2nd November 2018

 

Colour: red, with lacquer peel and dents. 

 

Note - these pics are from July 2016, although I don't think it's got (much) worse.

 

 

Nothing wrong with it really, the 8v HDi is a peachy engine and pretty much unburstable. 

 

It did get advisories on the MOT for a front wishbone and an inner track rod. 

 

These probably want doing as there is the odd minor clunk when steering side to side when parking or whatever. 

 

The other wishbone I did replace for this MOT, with a £25 ebay special, so that will probably want doing within a year.

 

 

Honestly, I'm a twat for replacing it as it's been a faithful servant and given me little grief, but I'm a sucker for gadgets and the new vehicle has REMOTE ELECTRIC DOORS.

 

£400 to a shiter?

[hairnet]

Ask six cylinder about Alfa v6s

[Fabergé Greggs]

Looks like a perfect WBOD. I really want one of these but I reckon I should wait until I actually need something practical. Until which time I’ll continue with various mid life crisis mobiles

[Dave_Q]

ooo Peugeot 1007 coming? will you sitting in the car doing the whole

 

"doors opens...doors closes...doors opens...doors closes"

 

Right country, too small.

[320touring]

407 2.0 hdi station wagon?

[Cleon-Fonte]

I reckon some kind of Eurovan II. 

[320touring]

Also, who are you and what have you done with Dave Q?

 

Fleet reduction indeed!pah

[Dave_Q]

I reckon some kind of Eurovan II. 

 

Ring-a-ding-ding, we have a winner. 

 

 

 

 

I did have "anti-pollution fault" as well but a blat home seems to have made that one go away for now.

 

It's a 2004 C8 Exclusive featuring electric doors, electric heated seats, cruise control, all manner of things too electrical to trust the French with.

 

Some of them even work.

 

Naturellement it's the 2.2HDi, yes that one with the self shredding cambelt and unremovable injectors.

 

Pictures tomorrow in the light.

[hairnet]

insania

[strangeangel]

I can't rehome it, sadly, but that Berlingo represents serious value for money. I'm trying hard to ignore its obvious moped hauling ability, and its capacity for pulling a trailer which would allow it to, er, haul more mopeds.

[Dave_Q]

Can confirm both moped carrying capability and value, when I fetched that Zip I didn't even have to take the seats out, just folded them forward. And if it goes on sale to the general public I will be aiming for a minimum of £500.

 

Cannot confirm towing as I've never used it, obviously the bar is there but no idea on electrics etc.

[Rave]

Which lunatic thought buying a Eurovan II would be a good idea? 

 

Anyway, 13, 22 and 44 please.

[Dave_Q]

Which lunatic thought buying a Eurovan II would be a good idea?

 

Anyway, 13, 22 and 44 please.

No idea, but if I find the guy I'm gonna send him my repair bills

 

Here it is.

 

 

 

Alcantara upholstery you know.

 

 

It says I'm in an Exclusive bunch of mentals who think a car like this is a good idea.

 

But this on its own is worth 550GBP of anyones money:

 

[Dave_Q]

A quick flick through the service history indicates it has had:

 

1 x rebuild engine after timing belt failure @ £2900 in 2009

1 x DMF and clutch kit at £500 in 2015

[strangeangel]

Bet you can fit a lot of mopeds in that!

[320touring]

A quick flick through the service history indicates it has had:

 

1 x rebuild engine after timing belt failure @ £2900 in 2009

1 x DMF and clutch kit at £500 in 2015

We're there any post dated invoices for impending doom?

[Rave]

It looks fantastic   . Captains chairs up front?

[Dave_Q]

We're there any post dated invoices for impending doom?

No, but the cambelt is well into the danger zone on age if not mileage, it's been 8 years / 50k since the last grenadage.

 

Presumably the Citroën dealer fixed it well, and maybe even corrected the design fault meaning that rainwater goes onto the cambelt, although I don't know what to look for to check this.

[Dave_Q]

It looks fantastic . Captains chairs up front?

But of course. Electric, heated and rotating obviously.

[320touring]

No, but the cambelt is well into the danger zone on age if not mileage, it's been 8 years / 50k since the last grenadage.

 

Presumably the Citroën dealer fixed it well, and maybe even corrected the design fault meaning that rainwater goes onto the cambelt, although I don't know what to look for to check this.

A puddle?

[The Moog]

Got any interior pics of Berlingo?

[Dave_Q]

Got any interior pics of Berlingo?

 

Will sort some out soon once I've given it a clean.

 

It's red and green cloth, all OK really although the drivers seat is a tad baggy on the sides.

[hairnet]

Bet you can go dogging and not get caught in that!

[Dave_Q]

#EuroVanLife, day 5:

 

First electrical FTP.

 

 

I can laugh now I've fixed it, but the sequence of events was thus.

 

Want to change non-working stereo for my dab one

Remove stereo from dashboard

Something goes click, display goes mad

Panic slightly, try to start car

Car does not start

"Engine Immobiliser Fault"

Rear wiper is wiping every 5 seconds despite not being turned on

Panic

Further panic

Try a BSI reset

Further panic

Dismantle dashboard to try and check wiring

Wiring is fine

Try a BSI reset

Additional panic

Post on eurovan masochists FB group

Get advised to check stereo fuse

Replace stereo fuse

Start car as normal

Breathe

 

Probably should have checked the fuse first, but on what planet does a blown stereo fuse mean you can't start the car and your rear wiper becomes possessed?