The new news 24 thread

[steve_earwig]

My bro has a Zaf, I think it's a later version with the self-blocking diesel engine . I've driven it a couple of times over here and it is quite nice to drive, the only thing I didn't like about it was the huge windscreen pillars, coupled with the quarterlight frames I reckon they could quite easily hide something the size of a motorcycle or woman with a pushchair from view. I'm not sure if it's a RHD car on LHD roads thing but I found it quite annoying.

[cort16]

I'm sorry to hear about your gain. Those wheels are thunderously shite.

 

You should sell it okay though they seem to quite popular old crates. I worry if I owned one I'd keep trying to get into my tumble dryer and drive to work.

[trigger]

It has all the charisma of a Hotpoint i must say! The alloys were on it then they bought it 4 years ago. I thought they looked shit too, even the steel wheels with trims would look smarter IMHO.

[cort16]

I had someone and come and check out my CL at lunchtime. He made me and offer but I turned him down. It wasn't a terrible offer but I think the car's worth more. I wonder how long until I regret doing that?

[Mike D]

I got to work at my normal 8am today, only to be sent home at 9 to go back at 6 this eve to do a nightshift, so I took the opportunity to get rid of the rest of the MX5... my poor reciprocating saw did an incredible job but has now thrown its hand in :'(

 

Halved...

 

 

and quartered, plus the rest of the detritus that came off...

 

 

Weighed in for £25.50

 

I also chopped up all the bumpers and dash etc so I'll take them to the tip when I wake up tomorrow

[trigger]

It's only been on Gumtree an hour and I've already had two scam text messages.

 

 

[Cavcraft]

You do realise we now have to reply on your behalf, don't you?

 

 

Edit: or why don't you email Richy using Jess's email address thanking him for last night and sending a picture of your* tits?

[MrDuke]

Those alloys actually look exactly like pound shop trimz. It's slightly vertigo-inducing when you realise there's no steel rim behind them. Weird.

[bub2006]

Sis in law has a 1.6 zafira on a 2002 plate. The gear lever is low but I think that's down to it being based on a vauxhall astra. It feels underpowered though and road tax is really high. £280 I think unless it's risen.

[Cavcraft]

I think Trig's is the £99/6 months job.

 

You can never call these cars exciting, but they were ground breaking at the time and are still immensely popular. Their best rival* is probably the Shagalahembra 1.9 TDi, though they are bigger cars, of course.   

[mat_the_cat]

I thought they looked shit too, even the steel wheels with trims would look smarter IMHO.

 

Just me who likes 'em then? Still, I've never been known for having conventional taste!

[Angrydicky]

Those things are utterly uninspiring. My mum has one on a 54 plate that bores me whenever I have the misfortune to drive or ride in it. It's amazingly reliable though, and seems to go on and on with very little maintenance. Hers has a factory LPG conversion, so at least it's not a grotty diesel. And sorry Trig, but those wheels look dreadful! I don't envy you trying to sell that.

[Bren]

Two of my friends had zafiras.

 

Both moved them on admitting that they did'nt like them.

 

It's an astra with room for more offspring.

[Jim Bell]

DID THE RENNER PULL START OR NOT!?

 

I AN IN GREAT SUSPENDS!

[barrett]

'Somebody' who shall remain nameless opened the sun roof on my BX earlier and now it won't shut. Anyone know how you manually override these things?

[Volksy]

Sometimes, on the motor there is an allen key hole to manually wind the roof shut, often if you take the interior lamp panel out you can get to it. Not sure on BX's though. 

[Volksy]

Reading on the web, there should be a manual crank for this either in a little clip in the glovebox, or on the reverse of the overhead panel.

[RobT]

'Somebody' who shall remain nameless opened the sun roof on my BX earlier and now it won't shut. Anyone know how you manually override these things?

LoL. Why would Gary want to open the sunroof in the middle of winter? Electric ones can be manually overidden by an allen key or some normally. Is there a blanking plate that can be removed to reveal a hole for the manual wotsit?

[barrett]

Yeah there is an Allen key thing but I can't get any movement out of it! Thought there might be something obvious that I'm missing...

[Volksy]

http://www.frenchcarforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?p=146036

 

Of any help?

[HillmanImp]

Yeah there is an Allen key thing but I can't get any movement out of it! Thought there might be something obvious that I'm missing...

 

Looks like its the time for the heavy duty black bin bags

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqJpvWBQaMU

[barrett]

Fuck's sake. Sounds serious. I would be more inclined to just kick the car to death if I hadn't just spent a grand getting it through an MoT, but now I have no choice but to get it fixored. No doubt at even more great expense. Cars are shit.

[dollywobbler]

As I mentioned on Faceache last night, this happened within minutes of me buying that car. I think I managed to 'cure' it by just jiggling things and pressing the button - as someone else reports on that FCF link. Mind you, I never had another issue with it, and I'm a big sunroof user. 

[derskine]

Did you check the heater plugs for actual operation?

 

With indirect injection you can have much fuel as you like......... it ain't gonna go without heat. Towing and sensible amounts of easy start don't help either (ether?).............

 

Not checked them yet, two are quite difficult to get out, require removal of at least the alternator, which in itself is a bit of a bitch to remove.

I tried bleeding the injectors yesterday but it still wouldn't start, I reckon I'll buy a set of glow plugs.

But in the mean time it's probably best to get it recovered to the unit because I'm definitely not doing it outside in this weather.

[twosmoke300]

You can test the plugs in situ , pull one easy one out and test it with jump leads. Let it cool and measure resistance , usually about 1ohm . Then check the awkward ones to see if they are the same. Not a 100% test but lets you know if they are short circuit .

 

If it wont start even on easy start they are usually fucked tho. Or does it run until the easy start wears off ? Its a fuel issue if thats the case.

[derskine]

Nah it doesn't run at all even with easy start, it almost starts, but never catches.

I'll get it moved to the unit where I can see what I'm doing/not have blue fingers and give that a shot before I buy anything.

I had thought it was a fuel issue, but there is fuel being pumped and the filter was full before I drained it to bleed the fuel lines from the tank to it.

[beko1987]

Operation stack is apparently on, good luck to all the lorryists on here today!

[panhard65]

Nah it doesn't run at all even with easy start, it almost starts, but never catches.

I'll get it moved to the unit where I can see what I'm doing/not have blue fingers and give that a shot before I buy anything.

I had thought it was a fuel issue, but there is fuel being pumped and the filter was full before I drained it to bleed the fuel lines from the tank to it.

If it won't start with easy start then it has a real problem. That is assuming you are giving it enough easy start a good squirt right in the air intake rather than through the air filter. If the engine locks you gave it too much, no need to wait for the glow plug light to go out just squirt and turn easier if there are 2 of you.

[derskine]

Yep took air filter off, sprayed maybe 2 seconds worth in, went to start whilst Nisfan sprayed more in and it was the same.

Will maybe need to try again with more easystart.

We did have the air filter shroud off exposing all the ports, the easystart could have been consumed by the wind I guess, perhaps I'll put the shroud on without the air filter so that it can't escape.

Could a faulty stop solenoid cause this?

Someone on ROC suggested the timing could have slipped a tooth too.

[panhard65]

It is proper bradex easy start you are using rather than wd40 or hairspray ? If that didn't get it to fire or lock up at least, I would be checking compression