The new news 24 thread

[stripped fred]

1 hour ago, Lord Sterling said:

Vectra had a new rad fitted last week. No more leaks so far and header tank level has stayed exactly where it should be.

However, under load. I'm getting a check engine light. It appears and disappears but always at around the same time. Usually when I'm driving to work, it'll appear, then disappear after a shake down, then appear again as I accelerate. 

It could possibly be a loose connection of something. It doesn't go into limp mode or do anything unusual.

It sounds like it could be a loose connection. Maybe it will fix itself...

[Lord Sterling]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

Spanner light or engine light? If it's the latter, the plug for the post cat sensor could have come loose.

Spanner light.

[Popsicle]

1 hour ago, brownnova said:

Scratch that, I decided to jack it up quickly and it was the brake disc backing plate that had shifted and was rubbing on the disc. All sorted. 

Free, easy fixes are the best fixes.

[Split_Pin]

6 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Spanner light.

Have you plugged in a code reader? There will more than likely be something stored.

[Lord Sterling]

54 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Have you plugged in a code reader? There will more than likely be something stored.

Unfortunately it's one those things I've never got around to buying. 

The Jag is due in the garage next week, I'll let them know and pop it in when I pick up the Jag hopefully. 

[barefoot]

10 hours ago, stripped fred said:

Cheers barefoot. I seem to remember you've had a Jag. Was it an XJ? I think you put the idea of a Jag in my mind at Shitefest one time.

I had an XJ8. It was lovely, and every journey was a treat to be relished, but it was absolutely rotten.

[Spottedlaurel]

Used this one for the drive to work today, and attending a meeting:

Good test for the recored radiator and new hoses, seems to be coping OK:

Haven't got a clue how accurate this is:

28-30 deg C? Probably about right in the car.

Had to remember the choke and also what the clutch was for - it's the only one of my fleet that's manual.

[artdjones]

18 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Popped up on a local ( Chester ) FB history page. 

A Crosville Bristol Lodekka

[richardmorris]

Just watched this. Nothing groundbreaking but enjoyable.

 

 

[ETCHY]

2 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Used this one for the drive to work today, and attending a meeting:

Good test for the recored radiator and new hoses, seems to be coping OK:

Haven't got a clue how accurate this is:

28-30 deg C? Probably about right in the car.

Had to remember the choke and also what the clutch was for - it's the only one of my fleet that's manual.

That's lovely

[beko1987]

@Talbot been out this week? 😂

[lesapandre]

14 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

@Talbot been out this week? 😂

 I looked at the original report. 

They don't say if it's a PG9I which can be immediate or a delayed PG9D for something less serious - with a delay of up to 10 days, all depending on the severity of the defects they found.

The remedy is to re-MoT the vehicle.

Possibly rough edges on the body and lights.

The mileage is not so surprising for a Merc or an HGV etc

The average jet does 50M miles.

We seem to live in a throw away age which is not good.

[lesapandre]

As much as people said they wanted a Defender replacement these don't seem to sell much.

[lesapandre]

These are about $13,000 - but not Type Approved for Europe. 

BAW 212.

[captain_70s]

55 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

As much as people said they wanted a Defender replacement these don't seem to sell much.

I see quite a few, but they're all around the posh end of town. The sort of folk who'd buy a G-Wagen etc.

Very much a "lifestyle vehicle".

[Metal Guru]

8 hours ago, lesapandre said:

As much as people said they wanted a Defender replacement these don't seem to sell much.

Probably because the people who wanted a Defender replacement have either bought a new Defender because the Grenadier is no cheaper, or they can’t afford the new one and now have a crew cab of some sort.

[richardmorris]

Having the ac checked over now it's 4 yrs old. 

 

Edit-- Apparently half the gas has disappeared (or was never there to start with). So it needed doing. 5ºC out of the vents now with 28 ºC ambient.

[Joey spud]

I'm doing a rare private job today for a friend of the wife.

Brake/steering check and an alternator change on a cute little Cinquecento. (Using my secret Santa gifted multimeter from a couple of years back and an amp clamp I may have forgotten to return from a previous employer).

Genuine 33k miles the vast majority of that while being towed behind a Campervan.

[richardmorris]

I got fed up trying to stop the rubber window trim fading grey unevenly, so bought some stainless trims from ebay.  Not too bad for £32. Some other tipos have them anyway.

[Dyslexic Viking]

7 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

I got fed up trying to stop the rubber window trim fading grey unevenly, so bought some stainless trims from ebay.  Not too bad for £32. Some other tipos have them anyway.

That looks much better.

[Pat Earrings]

Gave the Golf an overdue service. Oil/filter, air and pollen. I know the fuel has already been done recently. I’ll probably do the plugs in a couple weeks as I forgot to order them. Sounds smoother too.

also reset the DSG adaptations as I was finding it sometimes getting a bit confused with my relaxed style, and it’s sorted it. 

[artdjones]

7 hours ago, richardmorris said:

Having the ac checked over now it's 4 yrs old. 

 

Edit-- Apparently half the gas has disappeared (or was never there to start with). So it needed doing. 5ºC out of the vents now with 28 ºC ambient.

It does slowly vanish, in fact it goes faster on cars that don't use it regularly. That's why I just leave ours on auto. Out C5 was still icy cold after 5 years with that. Of course that only works in cars with climate.

55 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

I got fed up trying to stop the rubber window trim fading grey unevenly, so bought some stainless trims from ebay.  Not too bad for £32. Some other tipos have them anyway.

Swanky!

[richardmorris]

1 hour ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

That looks much better.

I’d keep the plain black if it stayed that way, the n/s /f is still jet black but the n/s/r was pale grey. Even using the gummy pfledge and black hole stuff. Probably spent more on than than the stainless trims. Doesn’t look too bad as it already has silver sill and roof trim.

[richardmorris]

10 minutes ago, artdjones said:

It does slowly vanish, in fact it goes faster on cars that don't use it regularly. That's why I just leave ours on auto. Out C5 was still icy cold after 5 years with that. Of course that only works in cars with climate.

Swanky!

Yes, I always have the a/c climate on. Stops the windows steaming up too . It was still cold, ( or so I thought) but obviously not perfect.  Quite fun seeing him work outside my window- he must have handed out four or five business cards to neighbours who saw what he was doing.

[artdjones]

3 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

he must have handed out four or five business cards to neighbours who saw what he was doing.

I have often thought that a mobile A/C technician could do quite well.

[richardmorris]

Just now, artdjones said:

I have often thought that a mobile A/C technician could do quite well.

He does a lot of work for maranello Ferrari in egham, several other modern classics places and covers Surrey, berks, East Sussex etc. he was happy to work on the w124 that @Six-cylinder stole from me as well as this modern fiat.  I’m very happy to recommend him to anyone. Not bargain basement but he’s not just doing a top up of the gas and hope for the best.

http://www.air-care-automotive.co.uk
 

[bramz7]

This car is superb. 

Drove it home yesterday, and made the amazing discovery that the air con works. 

Average fuel consumption from Carlisle to Aberfeldy and back again to Carlisle was 41mpg, which given the twisty and fun roads past Crieff and the air con being on, is quite impressive. I haven't worked it out back to Basingstoke from there but seeing as I managed to do 65-70 the whole way to Newbury (roadworks aside) it will probably be very reasonable. 

Nearly 1000 miles in less than a week is certainly helping me trust it. Obviously it cost me a lot to get to this stage but I am so relieved it managed this without any drama. 

[Gaffer]

16 hours ago, artdjones said:

I have often thought that a mobile A/C technician could do quite well.

Can’t complain, currently booking til end of July 😅

[NorthernMonkey]

17 hours ago, Pat Earrings said:

Gave the Golf an overdue service. Oil/filter, air and pollen. I know the fuel has already been done recently. I’ll probably do the plugs in a couple weeks as I forgot to order them. Sounds smoother too.

also reset the DSG adaptations as I was finding it sometimes getting a bit confused with my relaxed style, and it’s sorted it. 

The oil and filters were done around eight weeks ago as mentioned on the thread…

[Asimo]

On 20/06/2025 at 00:13, lesapandre said:

As much as people said they wanted a Defender replacement these don't seem to sell much.

Perhaps it is because it doesn't replace a Defender any more than the new Defender does.

It fails as a utility vehicle by being luxurious, stuffed with trivial features and much too expensive for the utility role.  

But Grenadier can be had with a petrol engine, and has simple live axles.

Both Defender and Grenadier need a downgrade from project-drive!