HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

[xtriple]

What a result, new plate is better than the 'old' plate the guy wants to retain! 

[Saabnut]

The P3 plate will be what was on it before the NI plate, and will be non transferable

[LightBulbFun]

Looks like P3MFP is what it was issued originally  (ie from the factory or dealership, however it works with private cars, im used to handling Invacars )

however the databases are clearly still updating, as I had to shove XXI7704 into the website I use for it to throw up the Volvo 940

[HMC]

^ Great thanks for looking into it!

[Lord Sterling]

7 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

Looks like P3MFP is what it was issued originally  (ie from the factory or dealership, however it works with private cars..... )

however the databases are clearly still updating, as I had to shove XXI7704 into the website I use for it to throw up the Volvo 940

Not necessarily; I looked up an E46 2004 BMW 318iSE with this reg:

I used the reg finder and source cide as you suggested and it came up that this cars previous reg was; F648 JWD which is a 1989 registration on a 1989 registered 5.0 Mercedes and the site is about find out about the car, not the reg ?

 

[LightBulbFun]

3 minutes ago, Lord Sterling said:

Not necessarily; I looked up an E46 2004 BMW 318iSE with this reg:

I used the reg finder and source cide as yiu suggested and it came up that this cars previous reg was; F468 JWD which is an a 1989 plate. So its either wrong or was wearing another "cherished" plate ?

F648JWD comes up as a 1989 Merc on the DVLA so something screwy is up with that!

I know the website will generally list all the different regs a car has had if its had a few in its life

for example RM999 got plate raped but then got its plate back which you can see here  

so the website will list more then 1 reg change i know that much

[Zelandeth]

Be curious to see what the site makes of my Xantia...think it's on its fourth plate currently...P***OPV, then N2XAN, back to the original plate, then onto XAN71A which it currently wears.  If it can keep up with that we know it's smart...

[LightBulbFun]

9 hours ago, Zelandeth said:

Be curious to see what the site makes of my Xantia...think it's on its fourth plate currently...P***OPV, then N2XAN, back to the original plate, then onto XAN71A which it currently wears.  If it can keep up with that we know it's smart...

the Xantia was actually one of the first cars I shoved into the website just out of curiosity

[Joey spud]

It's all a bit confusing this.

I had a Eunos roadster reg no H623NRD and changed it to KEX56N as her indoors thought the original plate spelt out Nerd.

But when i decided to sell the car and put KEX on to it's replacement the DVLA didn't give me back the original plate or even another H plate instead they issued  J???CDC.

[HMC]

That does sound odd- obviously originally it was given a plate related to its date of manufacture, maybe an admin error?

Harking back to how they used to do it (a long while ago) imported vehicles would be given a plate current to the date of importation. 

19 plate dry state Chevy stepside anyone?

[Skizzer]

4 hours ago, Joey spud said:

It's all a bit confusing this.

I had a Eunos roadster reg no H623NRD and changed it to KEX56N as her indoors thought the original plate spelt out Nerd.

But when i decided to sell the car and put KEX on to it's replacement the DVLA didn't give me back the original plate or even another H plate instead they issued  J???CDC.

And kex is better than nerd?

Kex means underpants in my world.

[Joey spud]

Yep me too as in "get your kex off".

Wife has an odd sense of humour. 

[HMC]

Spent an age cleaning the 940 today - on and off over 4 hours. No snow foam was used (what is that?) in fact I spent all my time on the interior. To be fair to the vendor they said it was filthy inside...... 

They had dogs and it’s fair to say it was probably never vacuumed whilst they had it. Hence 4 hours on and off was spent removing dog hair from every possible nook and cranny. Stickers need not state the outdoorsy credentials- there was plenty of the outdoors smeared on the carpets.

End result Quite demoralising as it looks tidy but not 4 hours worth of tidy; it looks no different on the outside. Probably the dirtiest interior of any car I’ve bought. Why no before pics? I’m embarrassed to admit I drove it around for a week in that state so avoided taking the pics. Reading this back I sound like a clean freak; not in the slightest it was just grim.

[Steve79]

On 8/17/2019 at 4:57 PM, LightBulbFun said:

Looks like P3MFP is what it was issued originally  (ie from the factory or dealership, however it works with private cars, im used to handling Invacars )

however the databases are clearly still updating, as I had to shove XXI7704 into the website I use for it to throw up the Volvo 940

What website do you use to get the previous reg details?

[LightBulbFun]

10 minutes ago, Steve79 said:

What website do you use to get the previous reg details?

Page 62 of my Invacar thread  

for those interested in such reg in info out sites I recommend keeping on top of my thread, Im always digging up such sites as I use the information they provide to further my Invacar research  

[Zelandeth]

I'd never even seen the J plate before...every day is a school day.  Guess I don't actually have every bit of paperwork associated with the car.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

18 hours ago, HMC said:

Spent an age cleaning the 940 today....They had dogs and it’s fair to say it was probably never vacuumed whilst they had it. Hence 4 hours on and off was spent removing dog hair from every possible nook and cranny. .....

Pointless exercise trying to hoover a car that carries dogs. The first time I carried a friend's dog in the back of the diesel Borat, we spread towels over the seats. This still wasn't enough, as the dog was constantly shedding. That was in 2015. It is now 2019, the dog is deceased, and I'm still finding dog hairs.

Dunno why I'm giving out about this; both the CX and the Borat interiors have accumulated horsehair, hay and straw so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with hairy upholstery.

[HMC]

Back to the e39, as the car warmed up the car began to lose torque below 3000 and really over the whole rev range. Worse (dangerously so) Lower down. So a bit of internet trawling, parts darts and guessing landed on the the camshaft position sensors.

I fitted the exhaust cam sensor first (cheaper, easier job) No dice. Flat as a pancake when warm. Then the inlet cam sensor (not as cheap, more disassembly required) bingo! Car warms up and the torque is still there. 

[J-T]

On 8/18/2019 at 6:42 PM, LightBulbFun said:

Page 62 of my Invacar thread  

for those interested in such reg in info out sites I recommend keeping on top of my thread, Im always digging up such sites as I use the information they provide to further my Invacar research  

How do you get it to show the old plates? I can only see previous MOTs etc?

[Flat4]

17 hours ago, HMC said:

Back to the e39, as the car warmed up the car began to lose torque below 3000 and really over the whole rev range. Worse (dangerously so) Lower down. So a bit of internet trawling, parts darts and guessing landed on the the camshaft position sensors.

I fitted the exhaust cam sensor first (cheaper, easier job) No dice. Flat as a pancake when warm. Then the inlet cam sensor (not as cheap, more disassembly required) bingo! Car warms up and the torque is still there. 

 

How much did the bits cost you if you don't mind me asking?

[HMC]

I think the exhaust cam sensor was 27 quid and the inlet cam sensor 40 from memory. I went for febi as other cheaper  aftermarket brands can play up after a short while apparently.

[Schaefft]

Sensors are one of the things I'll always go OEM with (not directly from the stealer obviously) when possible. Heard plenty of stories where new out of the box parts wouldn't function properly after a short while. Considering most of them are usually a complete pita to access, I rather pay more to make sure they last as long as the original ones.

[HMC]

Having a bit of a mare with this (writes HMC of his banger e39) When bought there was almost nill coolant in the expansion tank. Topped it up. Possibly overly and it shat some out. Bad HGF vibes! However since I’ve bled it according to the internet and all seems well. Watch this space? Any advice or experience appreciated!

Also- Heater was stuck on full and I hopefully bashed the  underbonnet heater valves with a small hammer and fixed it. It’s 5 year lay up seemed to have seized them up. I keep on cycling from hot to cold to give them a work out and annoy passengers. The rear view mirror has just fallen off and is hanging by an electrical connector. This e39 just feels awfully flakey. Dare I risk a 650mile round trip to Leeds at the weekend?

Not convinced. From where I’m sitting, cider in hand, it feels more a job for the 940.

[Marm Toastsmith]

Mmm cider.

[Jamie]

42 minutes ago, HMC said:

Having a bit of a mare with this (writes HMC of his banger e39) When bought there was almost nill coolant in the expansion tank. Topped it up. Possibly overly and it shat some out. Bad HGF vibes! However since I’ve bled it according to the internet and all seems well. Watch this space? Any advice or experience appreciated!

Also- Heater was stuck on full and I hopefully bashed the  underbonnet heater valves with a small hammer and fixed it. It’s 5 year lay up seemed to have seized them up. I keep on cycling from hot to cold to give them a work out and annoy passengers. The rear view mirror has just fallen off and is hanging by an electrical connector. This e39 just feels awfully flakey. Dare I risk a 650mile round trip to Leeds at the weekend?

Not convinced. From where I’m sitting, cider in hand, it feels more a job for the 940.

hi HMC, 

 

Ive probably owned about 45 M52/M54 engined BMW's now and they are notoroious for eating their own cooling systems. The expansion tanks usuall crack under pressure (a very thin hairline crack at the rear, only noticable when warm & Running) and the coolant o rings/hoses leak, its 99% not the HG. Get it pressure tested - my latest M54 engined car the O ring was leaking on the thermostat housing causing it to piss out under pressure . 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

59 minutes ago, jamiechod said:

hi HMC, 

 

Ive probably owned about 45 M52/M54 engined BMW's now and they are notoroious for eating their own cooling systems. The expansion tanks usuall crack under pressure (a very thin hairline crack at the rear, only noticable when warm & Running) and the coolant o rings/hoses leak, its 99% not the HG. Get it pressure tested - my latest M54 engined car the O ring was leaking on the thermostat housing causing it to piss out under pressure . 

Just had to fit a new header tank to my Z4 as it split in exactly the same place as you described. Ended up buying a Mahle OEM one as I didn't want any knockoff shite being the reason why my engine could end up lunched.  Utter bitch of a job to remove the old plastic connections with their bloody o rings and circlips. 

[Flat4]

5 hours ago, HMC said:

I think the exhaust cam sensor was 27 quid and the inlet cam sensor 40 from memory. I went for febi as other cheaper  aftermarket brands can play up after a short while apparently.

Not as expensive as I was expecting!

[RoadworkUK]

My dad's E39 540i header tank split in twain fairly spectacularly on the A12. The cloud of steam that erupted made the whole of Colchester fear that global warming had suddenly arrived to consume them.

[Jamie]

1 hour ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Just had to fit a new header tank to my Z4 as it split in exactly the same place as you described. Ended up buying a Mahle OEM one as I didn't want any knockoff shite being the reason why my engine could end up lunched.  Utter bitch of a job to remove the old plastic connections with their bloody o rings and circlips. 

Good shout on the mahle one! And i feel your pain, they dont give you much confidence when pulling and yanking upwards! 

[Schaefft]

My coolant reservoir/tank in my '96 528i was regularly almost empty before I replaced my thermostat housing. I only managed to figure out where the leak was when it really started to piss out of there. Was only a poorly installed gasket (as everything POs did on the car) so no spectacular cooling system failures or anything. But if it tells you anything, running these cars low on coolant really didnt seem to matter at all in my case.