The new news 24 thread

[Mike D]

My 100quid Megane has developed a missfire under load, it was fine til i washed the several years of muck off the damn thing, but now it randomly starts dropping a pot or two - they come back shortly after sometimes though... Any ideas? Coilpacks?

[Rocket88]

My 100quid Megane has developed a missfire under load, it was fine til i washed the several years of muck off the damn thing, but now it randomly starts dropping a pot or two - they come back shortly after sometimes though... Any ideas? Coilpacks?

 

If you used a pressure washer..............French electricty and water are not good bedfellows....

[Tayne]

Try spraying the whole ignition system with WD40.

[wuvvum]

Got a couple of bits done today as it was quite a nice day. I eventually managed to tighten the dodgy track rod end on the Innocenti - attempts to cram the balljoint down with the tools I had in the house were not entirely successful so I went out and bought a big f*** off crowbar, which did the job. It does drive a lot better when the NSF wheel isn't flapping about...

 

Then I took the Ligier round the block as it hadn't been out for ages, and it was struggling to idle. From the smell and the grey smoke coming out the back I reckon it's got itself choked up through not having been moved more than a few yards at a time for the last couple of months. Plus I think it might be running slightly rich anyway. I put it in neutral and gave the engine a good caning, which helped, but I think it needs to be taken on a good long run to clear it out properly.

 

After that I gave the XJS a quick wash as it hadn't had one since long before I bought it and it was looking a bit manky in places. I didn't have time to do a brilliant job as the light was fading by then but it looks like it'll polish up quite well, odd rust scabs notwithstanding.

[Mike D]

No pressure washer, just a bucket and sponge! To be fair, I don't think it's related, googling it seems it's likely to be the coilpacks, and it has had a rough idle for a while... no engine management light though?! A set of 4 new coilpacks are 30quid delivered though, worth a shot i reckon

[Shep Shepherd]

Discovered at 0530 today that I had accidentally left one of TV2's interior lights on since 1900 on Friday. However, the car started up as normal

[dollywobbler]

Had another drive in the BX today. It really is marvellous, though I wish the previous owner hadn't gone to Mr Clutch. The clutch judders horribly. Thankfully you don't really need to slip it.

 

Once moving though, it's a delight. The turbo diesels have firmer suspension, but it's still blissful. The handling of the BX makes a mockery of the recently departed Bluebird. Shove the Nissan through some bends and it has all the composure of an X Factor contestant. The BX just sails around curves beautifully. A bit of body roll, but delicious steering and mid-corner bumps worry it not at all. Roads that unsettled the Bluebird (and feel downright horrendous in the Maverick) seem perfectly smooth (to be fair, the 2CV does this trick as well).

 

I'm not ragging it everywhere either. I try to keep it on-boost between 2000 and 3000rpm and enjoy the shove of torque when required. Revving it more than that just gets noisy. I should be clocking up over 1000 miles this month hurtling around the country. I'm really looking forward to it.

 

It's hard to think of another 1980s car (turbo diesel was launched in 1987) that can be so pleasurable to drive AND be so cheap to run.

[cobblers]

About lunchtime today my mate decided that the best thing to do since he hadn't got a lot of work on would be to buy another VW splitscreen, to go with the other one he's built and never used. Something about doing "wedding hire" and needing two vans, one for the bride and one for the groom (I suggested a third for when one breaks down). Anyway he reckons it's a good idea, and I'm happy to live vicariously through him plus it's a few weeks mates rates work which is better than the alternative "no work". He'd seen a van for sale in Brum that looked OK but has been stood since 2006, so at half 6 we set off down with the A frame, he handed over just under eight...fucking...grand. and we ended up towing this 120 miles back, which went surprisingly without a hitch, just got home about half an hour ago.

It's not tested, doesn't run and it's not even registered in the UK, but it's a solid van and it's a deluxe that's not been raped for parts too hard

 

[Danblez]

The 924 turbo has just passed its first MOT in my ownership without a single advisory!

 

Woooooooooooohoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

Which means the fun I had with this.....

 

 

To get these working was all worth it.

 

[dollywobbler]

To cheer myself up after realising that I DO need to flog the Maverick, I fitted a remote central locking kit to the BX that I bought of Ebay a while ago. Ten pounds well spent!

 

Wiring it couldn't have been more simple. A small improvement but an improvement nonetheless!

[wuvvum]

Just a heads up which might be useful to some on here - just bought three 2-litre cans of Castrol GTX 15W40 from Tesco for £3.23 a pop. Would have bought more but that's all they had in stock. They also had Castrol 5W30 fully synth for £4.49, although that's getting a bit thin for most of my tat (Stagea might be OK on it though), and litre bottles of 2-stroke for (IIRC) £1.92. Bargain.

[vulgalour]

He'd seen a van for sale in Brum that looked OK but has been stood since 2006, so at half 6 we set off down with the A frame, he handed over just under eight...fucking...grand.

 

I wonder how many wobbly Commer PB/Dodge Spacevans I could get for £8k? Probably not as lucrative for wedding hire.

[ProgRocker]

A couple of weeks ago it was a big white Volvo 900 series saloon (more 960 than 940 I think)...

 

last night (or rather: early hours of this morning) I dreamt I bought a 1978 Austin Maxi and I drove it to my parents' house just before a family meal.

 

Do I need to see a shrink?!

[dollywobbler]

Knackers. Driving the 2CV home after a meeting this evening and it started clonking rather alarmingly as I went (rather quickly) around a bend. Limped home but I guess I'll be spending some of tomorrow working out what on earth that was. The contenders are:

 

1) Loose roadwheel. Nuts seemed tight but it's the first thing to check.

2) Inside seam on the wheel corroded enough to catch the bottom of the kingpin. Most likely and easy to sort because you just swap the wheels around (back to front).

3) Kingpin has somehow broken out of its housing and is catching the wheel. That's possible. That kingpin is quite badly worn...

4) Loose driveshafts. A really nasty one. Possible for the driveshaft to come loose at the gearbox end, which means you then have a brake disc smashing around the engine bay at high speeds. Oh, and no brakes. It was this that made me take it VERY easy for the final mile home!

 

My wife will be annoyed because she'll only drive the 2CV out of my cars. Oh, and I'm going away for a few days in the BX. Which leaves the Maverick. Which I'm trying to sell. Maybe I should change my ad to "Will swap/p-ex for small, PAS-free hatchback!"

[dollywobbler]

It was number 2. Fixed with a hammer. Sorted. (for now)

[meshking]

Better start looking for a decent wheel soonish, though?

 

Just replaced the top engine mount on the volvo - all clutch judder gone and gear selection is much more crisp now. What amazes me is how all the bolts just undo. Not used to that at all - with the 2cvs you find a tight nut and it'll either be heat to get it moving, or it'll just shear off. Had to take the engine support bar off to get to the back bolt properly, cos' I'm a wimp and couldn't exert enough torque on it without dismantling to get better access. To my amazement that just undid easily too.

[ruffgeezer]

I am pretty sure we have some 2cv rolling stock at work, I can enquire if you like?

[dollywobbler]

Worry ye not. For some reason I seem to have a massive stock of 2CV wheels, so I'm sure I can find something halfway decent. I might as well get a tyre ripped off and do a proper job of refurbing the 'new' wheel before getting tyres swapped though. The hammer work should give me a bit of time to do that.

[Mike D]

I fitted a new boot release button to the Megane earlier, and gave all the plastic trim a good linseed oiling, it's looking reasonably tidy now! New coilpacks and plugs should be here tomorrow so i'll fit them and hopefully it'll be alright!

[Pete-M]

Central locking solenoid has packed in on Ye Olde Scooby.

 

This has annoyed me muchly. Will sort it tomorrow, but it is irritating when that first thing goes wrong, innit.

[splatthefat]

Clive the C5 has developed another issue, the gearbox now goes into limp mode when going up a steep hill when cold. Only on very steep hills and only when cold. As fluid levels seem ok I suspect that it needs changing because a) It's knackered, it's the wrong fluid, or c) both. This will be done on Sunday as it's my next day off.

Looks like I've got to use the Jaaaaaaag for work again, ho hum.

[Rocket88]

Why is the most modern car in the fleet always the least reliable.........

[Pete-M]

Scooby has fresh mot.

 

Which is nice.

[barefoot]

Mrs barefoot has been doing a bit of running around for work so she's left the 944 in the secure compound & has been whistling about the country in a C4 Grande Picasso.

She is not a happy bunny.

 

It is enormous.

[Shep Shepherd]

Both of the Volvos have had an oil service over the past two days, The Volvo yesterday and TV2 today. Both services were done within an hour and were more or less hassle-free. Shame that Volvo 5-pots (as fitted to the big front-drivers, including TV2) are so messy when it comes to changing their oil and filter, though - a big bit of cardboard or a purpose-made plastic drip tray placed under the engine is always a good idea if you want to keep your driveway, courtyard, workshop, road, hard-standing or whatever free of stray drops/puddles of dirty oil

[Mike D]

The new spark plugs and coil packs arrived for the megane today, fitted them this morning, and replaced the perished exhaust rubber so it no longer clangs on the rear axle, all seems cock on! Also fished the courtesy light switch out the B pillar and cobbled it back in the hole, so now I have no warning lights! On the negative side, I dont think it'll pass another test come the end of feb, it looks like its been under the sea!!!

[panhard65]

Bump

[michael1703]

Broke down today in my van,felt like I was out of fuel, took air filter off, turned it over and gave the throttle a prod, fuel was present.

 

Then there was gurgling noises, fuel was still flowing in to carb and there was about an inch of fuel sat above throttle butterfly.

 

So, I've got no tools with me, took my ignition key off its fob and used it as a screwdriver to remove floatbowl.

 

Wipe floatbowl clean, refit and brum brum

 

Nice quick fix, no AA embarrassment required

[vulgalour]

What is this, I don't even...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281024209333

 

Popped up on my Twitter recently. I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or horrified.

[outlaw118]

Impressed Deffo.

 

It's also on ebay tat, and my watch list....not that i can afford another project, but it means I can look at it whenver I want....