The new news 24 thread

[Floatylight]

C4GP failed MOT on diesel leaks from injector seals, garage want £250 to replace the seals on all 4 injectors,  have watched some youtubes and reckon I could do it myself, should I give it a go or isnit the path to madness?

[Jazoli]

*if* you can get the injectors out its quite simple.

 

[tooSavvy]

15 hours ago, stuboy said:

green light means ur economic driving style, and goes amber then red if you cane it

Ahh.... If my auto had one of those, I'd imagine my handbrake was still on!

[wuvvum]

Had an interesting fault with the Skoda last night - went out at about 10pm in sub-zero temperatures and the driver's door wouldn't unlock.  I sprayed deicer at the lock but that made no difference.  Got in via the passenger door, tried unlocking the driver's door from inside, but it still didn't want to play ball.  I was only driving for about 10 minutes, but in that time the (very efficient) heater had got the car nicely warmed up, and when I got back the driver's door unlocked and opened fine.  So it must have been the mechanism inside the door which had frozen up.  Odd.

[Six-cylinder]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Had an interesting fault with the Skoda last night - went out at about 10pm in sub-zero temperatures and the driver's door wouldn't unlock.  I sprayed deicer at the lock but that made no difference.  Got in via the passenger door, tried unlocking the driver's door from inside, but it still didn't want to play ball.  I was only driving for about 10 minutes, but in that time the (very efficient) heater had got the car nicely warmed up, and when I got back the driver's door unlocked and opened fine.  So it must have been the mechanism inside the door which had frozen up.  Odd.

Our ZX goes the other way lets you open the door, then won't let it relatch until it has warmed up.

[Six-cylinder]

Driving the XM 2.0 16v Auto out of Milton Keynes this morning as I accelerated from a roundabout I found a old looking US Ford van was catching me so I pushed harder, then my hardest and it just rushed on past me. I quite liked how this quite large van picked up its skirts and ran.

I caught it at the queue for another roundabout and papped it, says it is an E150 on the back and total car check says it is 4600cc and 2004. Thing is it comes up as taxed but no MOT, how is this?

[Andyrew]

2 hours ago, wuvvum said:

So it must have been the mechanism inside the door which had frozen up.  Odd.

My favorit used to do this aswell, a kettle of hot water over the door lock and handle area used to unfreeze it. 

Its a Common thing, on mother rews felly she finds a car top cover this time of year helps massively. 

 The lock barrels can corrode and become weak aswell. 

[egg]

Scored an OEM rear tailgate seal for the Mondeo, New Old Stock as a reward for selling the Mazda. If I can fit it properly should keep everything a bit drier at the rear. It feels new and flexible!

[wuvvum]

31 minutes ago, Six-cylinder said:

Driving the XM 2.0 16v Auto out of Milton Keynes this morning as I accelerated from a roundabout I found a old looking US Ford van was catching me so I pushed harder, then my hardest and it just rushed on past me. I quite liked how this quite large van picked up its skirts and ran.

I caught it at the queue for another roundabout and papped it, says it is an E150 on the back and total car check says it is 4600cc and 2004. Thing is it comes up as taxed but no MOT, how is this?

If it's over 3.5 tonne gross (which many of those Yank vans are) it'll have a LGV test which doesn't show up on the normal checkers.

[mitsisigma01]

33 minutes ago, egg said:

Scored an OEM rear tailgate seal for the Mondeo, New Old Stock as a reward for selling the Mazda. If I can fit it properly should keep everything a bit drier at the rear. It feels new and flexible!

I was looking for a door seal for the Sigma, found a website OK, alas no Sigma seals but a Maserati one was over 1k!!!!! 

[LightBulbFun]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

If it's over 3.5 tonne gross (which many of those Yank vans are) it'll have a LGV test which doesn't show up on the normal checkers.

just checked on the Governments 1st party checker, no MOT history at all

little bit weird, even truck and bus MOT history  show up in the 1st party MOT checker so I dont think its that

the vehicle shows up but just no history, wonder if someone imported it and just never MOT'ed,

and I wonder if its managing to slip through the system undetected since it would not come up as MOT expired since it has no previous one to expire

(and maybe on top/in combination of this, it is riding on what historic vehicles use, since plenty of those went straight into the 40 year MOT exemption without having had any since digital records began in 2005)

[wuvvum]

Looking at the colour, it may be an ex-USAF vehicle - they probably have some kind of exemption from MOT testing in place which might have carried over somehow when the van was put into civilian use.

[Jmac]

18 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

Looking at the colour, it may be an ex-USAF vehicle - they probably have some kind of exemption from MOT testing in place which might have carried over somehow when the van was put into civilian use.

“Men in black” they are out there 😀

[Arthur Foxhake]

3 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Driving the XM 2.0 16v Auto out of Milton Keynes this morning as I accelerated from a roundabout I found a old looking US Ford van was catching me so I pushed harder, then my hardest and it just rushed on past me. I quite liked how this quite large van picked up its skirts and ran.

I caught it at the queue for another roundabout and papped it, says it is an E150 on the back and total car check says it is 4600cc and 2004. Thing is it comes up as taxed but no MOT, how is this?

It could also be that it actually has no MOT.

If you have a direct debit set up for a vehicle that has a current MOT, when it runs out of MOT, the tax will still be debited and show as taxed but, the MOT isn't valid anymore.

 

[brownnova]

7 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Had an interesting fault with the Skoda last night - went out at about 10pm in sub-zero temperatures and the driver's door wouldn't unlock.  I sprayed deicer at the lock but that made no difference.  Got in via the passenger door, tried unlocking the driver's door from inside, but it still didn't want to play ball.  I was only driving for about 10 minutes, but in that time the (very efficient) heater had got the car nicely warmed up, and when I got back the driver's door unlocked and opened fine.  So it must have been the mechanism inside the door which had frozen up.  Odd.

I had a VW Polo that used to do that. It was indeed the mechanism inside the door, apparently water used to get in. It was OK when the passenger door would open, but once that froze up too and no amount of boiling water or de-icer would touch it.... I got into the boot, but it was a Polo Classic and folding the seats was only possible from inside the car! I had to get a lift to work that day, and left one seat folded at all times for the rest of the winter! 

[wuvvum]

The Skoda's boot won't unlock on the key, so if both door locks freeze up I'm stuffed.

(Well not really, I have another 7 road legal vehicles to choose from, but you know what I mean...)

[HillmanImp]

Legacy nearly passed it's MOT today. Just a droplink and some advisories on tyres. I'll take that.

Because I live in Bradford, I've used some local places recently as I'm not working in Leeds thanks to COVID and it's been pretty shit. I took the 944 to a local place (good reputation as a classic car place, restore Mini's) and they fucking butchered the bottom of the sills. I had been in the sills a few weeks before as I was obviously selling it and they were a bit fucked but after the MOT they weren't there anymore, instead I got a quote for their repair which fucked everything up for me and the buyer who up to that point was getting a bargain and I was planning on getting my sanity back by not owning it.

After that and some other experiences of local places (I took the Legacy down to another garage that does classic rallying and instead of actually repairing the car they condemned it with loads of made up problems, charged me £50 for not doing what I asked them and said I should sell it for spares locally, probably as they were after the parts) I drove into Leeds to the MOT testers I know and love (and probably hate me for all the shit I drag over their ramps) and a MOT test I can trust. They only do MOTs, they don't do repairs so ain't angling for extra work.

It's no wonder people just buy new cars to avoid this kind of shit.

[loserone]

Tyres already?! Bloody hell.  Glad you're still enjoying it.

[stuboy]

Was given this brochure , so thought I'd share it...

[SiC]

7 hours ago, Six-cylinder said:

Driving the XM 2.0 16v Auto out of Milton Keynes this morning as I accelerated from a roundabout I found a old looking US Ford van was catching me so I pushed harder, then my hardest and it just rushed on past me. I quite liked how this quite large van picked up its skirts and ran.

I caught it at the queue for another roundabout and papped it, says it is an E150 on the back and total car check says it is 4600cc and 2004. Thing is it comes up as taxed but no MOT, how is this?

Could be owned by someone in the USAF. 

Saw a LHD X5 yesterday with a rear fog light drilled and attached to the bumper. Also had a US plate on it. So likely the same thing.

[Ghosty]

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

[SiC]

4 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

RX8

I believe @Jamie will be selling one next month

[Ghosty]

God no! 

[egg]

That Crusader is on the beach next to Bamburgh Castle?

[loserone]

16 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

A house?

[Split_Pin]

My 75 has a detachable towbar but I thought that the PO had sold the harness before I bought the car. Turns out that the electrics are just very, very well hidden so I could now tow things.

I have a pre 97 driving licence as well so, a whole new world.......

All I'm really planning is to get a hitch mounted cycle carrier though, towing something would likely end in disaster for me.

[Cord Fourteener]

9 hours ago, Ghosty said:

MX5 is gone. 
What next? 

Porsche 924

[wuvvum]

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

My 75 has a detachable towbar but I thought that the PO had sold the harness before I bought the car. Turns out that the electrics are just very, very well hidden so I could now tow things.

I have a pre 97 driving licence as well so, a whole new world.......

All I'm really planning is to get a hitch mounted cycle carrier though, towing something would likely end in disaster for me.

As long as you don't tow anything bigger than a Mercedes W115 you'll be fine.

[Supernaut]

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

My 75 has a detachable towbar but I thought that the PO had sold the harness before I bought the car. Turns out that the electrics are just very, very well hidden so I could now tow things.

I have a pre 97 driving licence as well so, a whole new world.......

All I'm really planning is to get a hitch mounted cycle carrier though, towing something would likely end in disaster for me.

If I had both the necessity and space for a trailer I'd look at a trailer licence (2005 licence for me).

I spent 10 months working at a certain major telecomms company towing a trailer around behind a van and it was fine. I've towed trailers behind tractors before, and I would get complimented in the yard about how well I reversed it. I actually found it amusing how some other new recruits were almost having kittens at the idea of towing a trailer, yet I just hooked it up and drove off. It's no big deal, really. You can see where it is in your mirrors and you just need to take it easy, and take corners a bit wider.

[Yoss]

That's a fantastic range of trim and colour options. That's what modern cars lack. It's all just grey and black with the occasional tan leather but who wants that when you can have green Chatsworth fabric. Glorious.