Astra Mk1 in glorious poo-brown. SOLD

[Louise2cv]

Quick update, because this is the most boring shitter of EVAH! I haven't touched it since the last post and nothing has gone wrong for ages...hmm what a coincidence.

 

 

AND it passed the MOT first time with just one advisory for a deteriorating headlamp.

 

Who'da thunk it?

 

Next update Feb '14.

[Rocket88]

Quick update, because this is the most boring shitter of EVAH! I haven't touched it since the last post and nothing has gone wrong for ages...hmm what a coincidence.

 

 

That's the kiss of death then..................

 

 

]

[HillmanImp]

All Vauxhalls aren't shit shocker!

[chaseracer]

Sod the DisAstra! - how's the new halfling doing?

[Lankytim]

Hey the Wife's Disastra passed it's MOT yesterday too. ASTRAS FOREVA!

[e287yba]

And HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY to this thread...

[Louise2cv]

Why thank you!

 

Huw is fine ta, Chaseracer. Growing and changing all the time! Megan adores him so we've had a great few months really. Plus he sleeps all night which would be ace if Megan would do the same!!

 

Actually I fibbed about the car, I found the headlamp glass wedged down the back of the front bumper a little while ago so I sellotaped that back on, but that really has been the only trouble in the last 6 months, its not bad little runabout really.

[Louise2cv]

I thought while I was visiting I'd update the astra thread... not much to say really, except the headlamp glass that was considered fine at the mot and not sellotaped on fell off, so a pair of NOS headlights were found on ebay and put on with the help of 2 year old Megan. That was her first bit of car fixing and she was so proud! Matt couldn't believe the difference in the output and the man in the garage was complimentary on how well i'd set them up (I hadn't, it was just fluke) so all in all a success!

 

Apart from that I haven't touched it and the only problem is bad condensation, I think it lets in water round the boot as the panel gaps are all to cock after a bump in the distant past.

 

So at the mo it continues to be an un-shit Vauxhall. 

 

Lets see what happens in feb.

[Lord Sterling]

Good to hear Louise. Welcome back!

[Louise2cv]

With less than a week before our second anniversary with this old crock disaster has struck! Matt filled it up with diesel. He drove it for less than a mile before it conked out.

 

Am I right in thinking I can just drain the tank and fill with petrol and run it? What can I do with the petrol tainted diesel? 

 

I am trying to search but I can't seem to make it work. Poss my tablet being an asshole but it takes about a minute for each letter to appear in the search bar as I type them. Typing this post as normal.

 

[warren t claim]

1, Clean the plugs.

2, Sell diesel to Cavette.

3, Job done.

[MrDuke]

Even better, sell the diesel to me - I'm in Groeslon next week 

[stuboy]

any new pics?

[vulgalour]

Addendum to Warren's list:  Put Matt on child/housework/tea brewing/menial task duties as penance.

 

From what I understand if you flush the system of diesel and refill with unleaded you should be fine, the Astra is old enough for it not to cause too much of a serious issue though it might be a bit grumbly for a short while after refilling it with the correct fuel.

[skattrd]

Petrol tainted diesel - as suggested by Warren, most mingebags that run their cars on veg would welcome some petrol tainted diesel. Some of use petrol to thin out veg in colder weather.

[Louise2cv]

Even better, sell the diesel to me - I'm in Groeslon next week 

 

 

Really? Do you want it?

[Louise2cv]

No new pics, it has been a bit neglected this year. It is still full of goat poo containers.

 

The biggest problem will be find the time to drain it. Matt is on days then we have to take Huw to hospital in Liverpool (for something kind of routine-ish).  Then the MOT is due at the end of the week.

 

Looks like faffing about with this in the rain and possibly dark will be my valentines treat this year! 

[Ratdat]

Some years ago, I nearly brimmed my Datsun 100a estate with diseasel early one morning when I was half asleep. Luckily I realised just before it was full and managed to squeeze about a fivers worth of petrol in the tank as well. It actually ran okay on this mixture (about 5:1 - diesel:petrol) albeit a bit gutlessly and with a hilarious amount of smoke. When I got home I drained the tank and chucked some fresh petrol in and it was good as gold. Smoked a bit for a few days but after that there were no ill effects.

[Richard]

Let Mr Duke drain it in return for the contents.

[Timewaster]

My mate who works in a backstreet garage used to run his Sierra on diesel/petrol mix drained from hapless motorists tanks, at least a couple of gallons in each tank.

Comedy smoke screens when he booted it (all the time but that's another story) but the car remained unkillable.

Of all his cars, that Sierra lasted by far the longest, none the worse for its diet of derv.

[Louise2cv]

Thanks for the reassurance guys. Hopefully I'll sort it, possibly the lady nextdoor will let us use her drive if we can't get it sorted before the MOT runs out. How long do we think the smoke will be a problem? She let me put 2 2cvs on there once so she can't be too offended by rubbish old cars.

 

Any tips for suitable containers, or am I going to have to buy a billion jerry cans?

[Richard]

Any reasonably sturdy plastic of metal container will do. A friendly garage would probably be happy to give you some empty 20L oil containers, They would have to dispose of them otherwise. I would suggest asking at a chip shop/restaurant too, but they tend to keep their empties for the used oil.

[Lankytim]

Just drain it into anything, 2 litre coke bottles, something like that. Get as much as you can out and fill it up with petrol to dilute what's left as much as possible. It will be a bit smoky depending on how much diesel is left but it will be fine. Check the level of the oil after half a tank as the diesel doesnt burn and will end up past the pistons and in the sump, mixed in with the oil. You'll have to drain it off if the oil level gets too high. Best to give it an oil change after all the diesel has gone from the system as it will thin the oil out.

 

I used to run my Allegro on free contaminated fuel from a local garage. He had a business draining "contam" from diesel cars that had been filled up with petrol and conked out. Usually it was about a 50/50 mix. but often it was mostly petrol. Great stuff! The diesel going into the sump cleaned the inside of the engine and after a few oil changes the innards were immaculate. Unfortunately if there was too much diesel in the tank it would smoke and pink like a bastard- I'd have to top it up with pump petrol to get the mix right.

 

Anyway, in short. don't worry. Just drain it off and refill with petrol. It will be fine. If the tank was empty when it was filled with diesel it will still be OK to use in a diesel powered car.

[Louise2cv]

Thanks. I've remained fairly chilled about the whole thing, whereas Matt was really cross and in a stress last night which is a very strange role reversal. Usually nothing fazes him and I am running around ranting and foaming at the mouth, but I think he just can't believe he managed to do it.

[Lankytim]

I always thought the nozzle on the diesel pump was too big to go into a petrol filler pipe. It is on modern cars anyway.

[Richard]

I believe it's only unleaded nozzles that are smaller so a car made for four star would have a full size filler.

[MrDuke]

I'll deffo have a go at draining it out, can't promise that I'll succeed though 

 

If all else fails, can you not use the car park at the crossroads short-term?

[Louise2cv]

I think I should be okay to do it (or at least I'll give it a good go) once I have found enough containers and I suppose the car park would do but technically it ought to have the MOT. 

 

I am seeing my old boss tonight he might have some ideas/experience.

[scooters]

now THAT is shit!

well done Louise, the only thing that is missing is a coat hanger for the radio!

[Louise2cv]

Urgh. If anyone is considering supplementing their income by partaking in a bit of fuel theft, just don't. What an utterly uncomfortable, unpleasant, smelly, mind numbingly boring way to get excruciating symptoms of Raynauds in your toes.

 

After about TWO HOURS of fannying about in the dark, I reckon I might have got between 10 to15 litres out. I disconnected the fuel line at the tank end, attached a bit of tube and expected it to piss out everywhere. But no. I guess the size of my tube is restricting things a bit (Phnaar, phnaar). I might just open the tank into a much wider open vessel and then pour it into the containers with a funnel. I was just worried that would be a recipe for spillage. 

 

Anyway. Onwards and upwards.