For Sale Phil's Automotive Activities

[mk2_craig]

We've had a fleet of Peugeot Ions at work for five years now. They feel flimsy and shite, been back for endless recalls and generally just a bit crappy in terms of spec for a modern car, even still got a DIN size head unit for goodness sake. I love them!

 

Best bit is being able to put the window down and listen for approaching traffic when edging out of a country lane onto a main road, most such junctions here have rubbish visibility. That really does make such a difference.

 

Agree that range is the downside. They've never shown anything less than 72 miles after a full charge in the whole time we've had them, but switching on ancillaries reduces that alarmingly - wipers, lights, heater and aircon on a manky day and the display is immediately at 48 miles. Not a problem where I am to be fair, but rather restrictive elsewhere. Unless someone can come up with ultra quick 5min charge facilities while you go for a cack at a motorway services or whatever, I reckon there's gonna have to be some sort of standardised battery hot-swap network at filling stations.

[phil_lihp]

I'd like to think that in a few years, once the technology has evolved, you could bring your older Leaf/Ion/i3 etc. to a workshop where they can swap out the batteries for new, higher capacity/more efficient ones at a reasonable cost, warrantied for x years and extending the range/reducing charging times significantly.  

[SiC]

The biggest problem with range on the cheaper electric cars is the lack of batteries. Right now the batteries are very expensive and so they limit the amount they put in. However the Chinese are gearing up massively to produce them in even bigger quantity. I saw that they're building 5 of some of the largest battery factories in the world. This should push cost down and thus they can pack loads of batteries in even cheap cars.

[dollywobbler]

Prices have already been tumbling. I was told a 40% drop during 2017. The energy density is going up too, so it seems likely you'll be able to take a first-gen LEAF and replace the cells with better ones, so you get more range for no more space. Or a Mitsubishi i-miev or its siblings. The pitiful range does put me off on those.

[phil_lihp]

 

Hurrah!  Charade shenanigans can commence - nav scat on Friday evening, a bit of fettling at the weekend and then probably up for sale fairly soon.

[phil_lihp]

Daihatsoup Charade 1.3 16v G102 Auto retro JDM stanced not Fiesta,Nova,dog,turnip

 

Well, it's now MOT'd, taxed, temporarily insured and now it's back home.  Hurrah!  Have some photos to celebrate - it's a novelty to see it in daylight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It drives really, really well.  Very lively, seems happy to get up to 60mph without too much fuss and is eager to kick down.

 

It developed an annoying problem on the drive home - with the choke off, it stalls at idle which isn't ideal in an auto that won't let you start the engine unless it's in park!  I pulled in on a (fortunately very quiet) country road to let a car past and had a couple of minutes of bewildered confusion until I realised why it wasn't turning over.  With a bit of throttle it starts instantly and runs well but at idle is grumpy.  After a few more miles it now idles sometimes but not always.

 

As it's barely been used for several months I suspect it's pulled some dirt through into the carb - if I get a chance at the weekend I will investigate.  

 

Other than that, it's not half bad really, shame there's various bits of trim missing inside (I have a rear view mirror which will be fitted shortly) and the NS door/wing are bashed up.  I will see about trying to straighten them out a bit if I get a chance but it will never be pretty.  Brake pads are needed quite urgently so I'm told, despite it only being an advisory on the MOT, so I have ordered some new ones which will be fitted before it goes anywhere else.  It is minus a power steering pump so the steering is a little heavy but perfectly acceptable in a car this small and light, had I not been told by the previous owner I'd just have assumed it never had it in the first place.

 

Despite the cosmetic issues, it has zero rust - really, I can't find a spot anywhere - and hasn't quite reached 35,000 miles on the clock.  Feels like that's correct, too, no baggy suspension or wear on the interior to suggest otherwise, anyway.  MOT history suggests it has done very few miles for the last few years.

 

The main issue with this car really is that it needs to not be here.  I have bills to pay and no spare time as usual, so it must find a new home ASAP.  

 

I've totted up my expenses thus far and it owes me a few pence shy of £350 so ideally that's what I would like for it.  I would much rather it found a home via this forum so I will try it here before I resort to other means.  12 months MOT, taxed to get you home, mostly present and correct.  It's in Barnstaple, North Devon, I'm right next to the train station and delivery assistance may be possible.

[phil_lihp]

Right, two stupid questions:

 

1. The Accord needs a set of wheel bolts as the thread is chewed up on one and the locking bolts need to go away before I lose the key (again) - do I need a specific bolt to fit the Mk5 Accord/Rover 600 or are they pretty much generic?  I don't fancy trying my local Honda specialist, they're great guys as I know them through my work but very expensive.

 

2. Tomorrow the ex-Sixcylinder MG ZR I sold to my friend is coming back to me...fortunately only for one afternoon as the handbrake needs adjusting plus a couple of other jobs pre-MOT.  The handbrake seems to work pretty well but the lever goes up way too high, about 15 clicks.  As it's otherwise functioning well, is it best just to use the adjuster behind the lever (I have read that about 7-8 clicks is optimal on these) or do I need to get it up in the air and adjust the drums?

[dollywobbler]

Right, two stupid questions:

 

1. The Accord needs a set of wheel bolts as the thread is chewed up on one and the locking bolts need to go away before I lose the key (again) - do I need a specific bolt to fit the Mk5 Accord/Rover 600 or are they pretty much generic?  I don't fancy trying my local Honda specialist, they're great guys as I know them through my work but very expensive.

 

2. Tomorrow the ex-Sixcylinder MG ZR I sold to my friend is coming back to me...fortunately only for one afternoon as the handbrake needs adjusting plus a couple of other jobs pre-MOT.  The handbrake seems to work pretty well but the lever goes up way too high, about 15 clicks.  As it's otherwise functioning well, is it best just to use the adjuster behind the lever (I have read that about 7-8 clicks is optimal on these) or do I need to get it up in the air and adjust the drums?

 

 

Can't help with 1, but on 2, adjustment should always be done at the drums. Cable adjustment is just to ensure there is no slack in the cable at rest position.

[phil_lihp]

Thanks.

 

Oh, and look, it's a nice day, I'm off work to get some DIY done and someone wants to come and look at the Daihatsu off a local Facebook group...he was supposed to come over at 11...only it has now started running like crap and won't idle at all.  I suspect some dirt has been dragged into the carb, I have tried the DW method of blocking off the top of the carb to create a vacuum but it hasn't worked, still runs but only with the choke out and will eventually stall as the revs drop.  Carbs are a new thing to me, so I'm unsure how to proceed now.

 

Also I left the lights on so the battery was flat.

 

Sigh.

[phil_lihp]

I will check that, thanks, I know the square root of nearly nothing about carbs (I don't even know where the magic is stored, for a start).

 

No 11AM deadline, I've told him about the problem and he's understandably no longer interested.  Anyway, no more car tinkering today, got a bathroom to tile!

[Dick Longbridge]

[castros_bro]

You may get some interest from potential buyers is you said where it is located as we are not all clairvoyant​.

[phil_lihp]

You're right, not all of you are.  For those who are not, I have updated the ad - it's in Barnstaple, North Devon.  I thought I'd typed it in but must have imagined it.  

[Lacquer Peel]

Any* 90s designed Honda/Ronda wheel nuts should fit the Accord.

[Noel Tidybeard]

re the stalling issue the diahatsoup should start in Neutral as well as park

[phil_lihp]

I shall experiment, I'd settle for it starting in any gear at the moment!  

 

Thanks LP ref. the bolts, that is useful to know.

[clayts450]

Actually on the handbrake on the ZR, I'd start here :

 

[phil_lihp]

Unfortunately that image doesn't work, what was it?

 

Edit: thank you, now it does.

[83C]

That Charade is lovely, if I wasn't skint I'd be on my way to fix/buy it!

[phil_lihp]

Right then, got a bit of time on this today.  Had another play around with it, it still will not idle but with the choke out it will run at higher revs, albeit it bit rough.  It's hard to tell exactly what revs it will go down to, the rev counter's stuck, but probably around 1000 - 1200.  It stalls immediately if you lift off the throttle or take the choke off.  It was absolutely fine before and only started doing this abruptly on the drive home from the MOT station so I am assuming that mixture/timing etc. is all absolutely fine.

 

My current assumption is that it has sucked up some dirt in the fuel and blocked the idle jet in the carb.  This theory is based on vague understandings of carb-fed motors and I'm willing to be told otherwise.  I am assuming also that if there was a vacuum leak, it would not have started suddenly like this.  Again, I could be wrong.  If it is a vacuum leak, realistically I am not sure where I would start looking for one.

 

In the spirit of investigation, I started investigating.  My first goal was finding the idle jet and this was not a success; I got as far as taking off the air filter housing and starting in horror at the mass of pipes and linkages before I had to have a strong cup of tea and a sit down.  This car is equipped with an Aisan carburettor, something common to Daihatsus and Toyotas from what I have seen online.

 

 

 

 

I have now removed a couple of pipes and the four bolts holding it to the inlet manifold so I can now lift it clear for inspection but frankly I'm already out of knowledge here.  I have never played with a carb before and to me this one looks fiendishly complicated.  For example, I do not know how or why it has wires going into it as I thought it was a purely mechanical device.  What do those wires do?

 

I've watched this:

 

 

Which didn't help other than to make me think I am completely out of my depth.  However, part of me thinks it cannot seriously be this complicated if all I want to do is unblock a jet.  

 

Before I set fire to the whole thing (and yes, for a nod to safety I have removed the battery, it needed charging anyway) can anyone pitch in with advice on where to start looking?  

[phil_lihp]

I forgot to get a photo but the ZR fettling was a success.  Turned out we were fortunate, there was indeed a huge amount of slack on the handbrake cables and winding in the adjuster took the lever down to 8 clicks, it holds very well and feels a lot more reassuring now it doesn't give the impression the lever's about to come off in your hand.

 

Some door and seat trim pieces were variously hammered and glued back into place, a blown taillight bulb was replaced (and I do mean blown, there was no glass left) and a large quantity of dirt and broken glass was removed from the interior - the odd bits of window littered around the interior and boot still provide the occasional reminder that it's had an exciting life in the past.  A small piece of metal bike chain linkage was used to provide a more secure wedge for the positive battery terminal, which is slightly too large to be a snug fit on the battery but also has a jammed nut, hence it tends to come off at inopportune moments. That will get fixed properly at MOT time whilst it's in the garage.

 

The battery cable's habit of coming off the terminal was not helped by the slightly undersized battery not being 100% secure, mainly because the battery clamp was both rusted solid and also had ripped out of the tray.  That has now been 'fixed' with a small piece of wood behind the battery and a ratchet strap - sounds awful, yes, but it works, is safe and looks quite tidy.  It'll do.  Finally, a loose spade terminal on the starter motor was fixed with a quick squeeze of the pliers and aside from needing some front tyres, it's ready for an MOT in a couple of weeks.

 

if it passes, it's next due a service but it does run very well and for all its cosmetic failings it really isn't a bad car.  I never have warmed to it, it's too flimsy, loud and shoddy, but my mate's wife and he both love it so it is in good hands.  There's even talk of replacing the rusty driver's door with a new one if a Trophy Yellow ZR turns up for breaking at the right time.

[phil_lihp]

This thread does seem to be pretty dull reading!  Anyhoo, for what it's worth, it's useful for me to keep a note of what I've been up to. I had a quick bash at the carb today as I had a spare hour, I even got a reasonable way into it, to the point of finding a few bits of dirt in the float bowl.  That's now been cleaned out and there wasn't anything else obviously amiss to my inexpert eye.

 

 

 

Trouble is I don't know the names for half the bits I fiddled with, I removed what I could and cleaned everything that looked like it'd benefit from it.  The two bits to the left of the float bowel with two screws each were removed and cleaned but I don't think they'd be what I need to get to.

 

I have no real idea where the jets hide and I'm wary of doing more damage.  As it is, there's a rubber seal on a tiny piston attached to the accelerator linkage which was most unhappy at being removed and is now causing the choke to not go quite all the way off as I believe it is not moving freely any more.  The rubber looked pretty manky and the seal was very difficult to place back in the hole.

 

On the plus side, when reassembled it did start back up again and it will run on full choke, albeit with a bit of misfiring although possibly part of that is because it really doesn't need that much choke (it never did before) but it's the only way to keep the engine running.  As soon as the choke is pushed in, the revs drop away and it stalls.  It will not restart unless the choke lever is fully out, even pushing the throttle pedal.

 

I'm in two minds about this one, keep plugging away at it with no idea what I'm doing or limp it the two miles across the river to my tame mechanic for remedial action - he likes old cars and I suspect won't have much trouble sorting this.  The second option is tempting, it'll result in extra cost and feels like taking the easy option but as it is I don't have much time to spare to keep mucking about with it.

 

I am still aiming to change the brake pads when they turn up and I'll have a quick go at bashing the worst of the dent out, anyway.  Can't make it much worse!  

[SiC]

I'd take it to a garage personally. Carbs are the work of the devil in my opinion. The last ones got increasingly more complex to deal with ever stricter emission regulations. Gained many needles, vacuum pipes and other shinangians

[phil_lihp]

I suspect you're right, it looks vastly more complex than the carbs fitted to the CG125 motorbikes I've had in the past! It is interesting to play with these things and I have learned a bit but I am now at the stage where I am likely to create more problems if I keep fiddling.

[SiC]

I see 6 vacuum and fluid pipes, 2 cables (throttle & choke?) and several electrical connections. God knows what half of those pipes and electrical connections actually do...

[phil_lihp]

Well, the idle jet was blocked, my mechanic sorted it in the end but I haven't had a chance to drive it yet.  The Charade is therefore back up for sale pending me picking it up, hopefully tomorrow if he's about.

 

The ex-me, ex-sixcylinder MG ZR passed its MOT with a small spot of welding to the front driver's sill.

 

The Accord passed its MOT yesterday with just a headlight bulb required.  It's very nice but very dull and I can't get on with the leather seats, so it is also up for sale, although there's no major rush to see it gone unless something else takes its place in the mean time.

 

If anyone is interested in the Accord or Charade, best drop me a PM as I'm not on here much at the moment.

[SiC]

The Accord passed its MOT yesterday with just a headlight bulb required.  It's very nice but very dull and I can't get on with the leather seats, so it is also up for sale, although there's no major rush to see it gone unless something else takes its place in the mean time.

Its not dull. Its boringly reliable - like most Honda's. Everyone needs at least a car like that on their fleet - especially if running other stuff that isn't particularly reliable.

[dollywobbler]

I think I'm with you on cow seats. Junkman's influence is spreading! I wonder if you can get velour seat covers for a Lexus? I'd never part with it then!

[twosmoke300]

I was always a big leather seat fan but having the vectra with its heated velour seats this winter I think I've seen the light

[phil_lihp]

Heated velour is the future, the seats were the best feature of my Volvo 940.  Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely car and fulfilled its brief of being not a Rover and being reliable and undemanding, it's just that as a car to enjoy driving and owning it's just not doing it for me.  I have my van for Japanese reliability, I have a hankering for a Subaru Legacy estate but there's no rush.  

 

Charade has been washed and hoovered, some interest has been registered on my local Facebook page so we'll see if it can sell itself before the week is out.