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1 hour ago, doobietoo said:

the indicator stalk  is so floppy it often goes from right to left instead of off

Yeah, my diesel C2 does that as well.

Speaking of which, I've been using the thing for essential journeys all week, and so far it's behaving fine, mechanically at least.  It fires straight up, the lights and wipers work and the heater gets warm commendably quickly for a tiny diesel.  The computer is showing 64mpg average from just pottering around locally, which isn't bad.  It's more refined than the petrol C2, despite being a diesel with relatively little soundproofing - that's partly because it's much, much higher geared than the petrol car, with 70mph on the clock corresponding to around 2,400rpm in 5th, rather than 4,000 in the Code.  The ride is a lot better too, due to less sporty suspension and smaller wheels with non-rubber-band tyres, although it's a small car with a tiny wheelbase so it's never going to ride like a CX.  Turning circle is also better than the Code, although the seats aren't as comfy.  I can't compare the handling as none of my essential journeys has yet taken me down my favourite twisty B-roads, but C2s in general handle fairly well.

It has its idiosyncrasies though.  The central locking still doesn't work - the remote doesn't do anything, and pressing the lock button on the centre console results in some solenoid-type noises but nothing else (other than the time when it did - it locked the driver's door and wouldn't unlock it again, so I had to climb out of the window and go and get the other key).  The stereo works but beeps constantly.  Starting the engine results in the tailgate unlatching itself, although it doesn't swing open.  Opening the tailgate using the button works fine, but causes the rear wiper to operate for several seconds - the wiper then stops randomly halfway up the screen, although it works normally when operated from the wiper stalk.  Also the car doesn't always detect that the driver's door has been opened - normally on a C2 the dashboard wakes up when you open the door, this does it sometimes but other times it just sits there until I turn the ignition on, at which point it has an "oh shit!" moment and jumps into life.

I think it's going to need a severe talking to with Lexia, when I can get that sorted (I bought a cheapo downloadable copy off eBay but the installation keeps falling over).  My Delphi software reckons it can talk to the BSI, so I'm going to plug that in at the weekend and see what it comes up with, but I doubt it'll be able to do as much as Lexia would.

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Mondeo is somehow losing coolant slowly again. I really don't understand. The rest of the car is absolutely fine and has given zero issues, but for some reason the cooling system is incapable of not leaking from somewhere at any given point. Frustratingly, it's usually only small leaks and thus very difficult to locate. 

I'll get on top of it one day, or so I keep telling myself...! 

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7 hours ago, N19 said:

Mondeo is somehow losing coolant slowly again. I really don't understand. The rest of the car is absolutely fine and has given zero issues, but for some reason the cooling system is incapable of not leaking from somewhere at any given point. Frustratingly, it's usually only small leaks and thus very difficult to locate. 

I'll get on top of it one day, or so I keep telling myself...! 

Which Mondeo is it?

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The Laguna I bought off SiC  last September has just passed it's MOT. Now it has a new ticket I'll put a couple of new tyres on the rear as they are down to 2.5mm. It's been fairly painless so far with just a few minor problems over the 5000 miles I've done in it. The sensor on the windscreen washer keeps telling me it is low so  I must have a look some time but it's hard to reach and I can't be arsed in this weather. The gearbox has been dropping into limp mode a few times lately, around 5 minutes after leaving home. Stopping and restarting have cleared it each time and I did finally get an error code P0715 which points to a sensor playing up rather than anything mechanical. A replacement sensor is only £20 or so and I'll live with it for the time being until the weather picks up or it decides to fail altogether. I'll buy the sensor and keep it in the boot just in case. The only thing I find annoying about it is the lack of a controllable intermittent wipe. The auto sensor intermittent wipe doesn't react quick enough when getting spray overtaking lorries.

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21 minutes ago, Soundwave said:

Waiting in a Teams lobby for my speed awareness course. Just done the admin stuff, waiting for the course to start at 13:05. Not sure what to expect.

Watch a video of 'skidmarks, after a fatality' and be told [often] "20s Plenty!" &or "30 is a limit, not a target!"

*also.... "Hog in 4th, you will find most moderns will drift you over 30 in 5th"

You'll do fine..... ;)

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Well, I've repaid my debt to society, been fully rehabilitated and am ready to give up my life of crime now. Was quite boring actually, the most exciting bit was when one of the participants got kicked out after ten minutes for acting the cunt (why would you do that?! Now he's probably going to get the points... guess the course being online makes it easier to be a keyboard warrior).

But, I smiled, nodded and held my tongue in all the right places so I get to keep my license clean. :) I did find the stuff about the effects of extra speed on braking distance quite interesting - like doing 80 in a 70 means that in an emergency stop, you'll still be doing 39mph at the point where you'd have stopped if you were doing 70. That's about it.

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Who needs two floppytop Saabs in the depths of Scottish winter? That would be me.  Had been on the lookout for one for a while, the red one has been pinched by the wife as her daily. Local shiter and general badass @Unclefesteroffered it to me in exchange for the Tigra,  I couldn't say no. Few wee odd jobs to sort, but it's in pretty fine condition for its 21st year.  This is the 3rd 9-3 I've had now, love them. 

Only took 15 days for the first incoming vehicle of the year 😂

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11 hours ago, SRi05 said:

Who needs two floppytop Saabs in the depths of Scottish winter? That would be me.  Had been on the lookout for one for a while, the red one has been pinched by the wife as her daily. Local shiter and general badass @Unclefesteroffered it to me in exchange for the Tigra,  I couldn't say no. Few wee odd jobs to sort, but it's in pretty fine condition for its 21st year.  This is the 3rd 9-3 I've had now, love them. 

Only took 15 days for the first incoming vehicle of the year 😂

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bloody good swap

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19 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

Who needs two floppytop Saabs in the depths of Scottish winter? That would be me.  Had been on the lookout for one for a while, the red one has been pinched by the wife as her daily. Local shiter and general badass @Unclefesteroffered it to me in exchange for the Tigra,  I couldn't say no. Few wee odd jobs to sort, but it's in pretty fine condition for its 21st year.  This is the 3rd 9-3 I've had now, love them. 

Only took 15 days for the first incoming vehicle of the year 😂

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12 minutes ago, SRi05 said:

Indeed. The Tigra will be used by his Mrs, she didn't like the Saab ! I bought it in the hope of getting mine back but the manual box was a nogo. So a happy swap for all

Yes the Saab was a lovely machine and is in the right hands to make it perfect my wife just didn't like it I loved it though lol but hey Ho the tigra dots the bill and always a pleasure to deal with sri05 a true shitter who like myself is open and honest and you know what your getting from the start 

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1 hour ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

image.thumb.png.da7ebf5d560166397aa07741f961b164.png

Soz if this is a repost. Bears repeating nevertheless

 


I saw a documentary years ago about VIZ ,

the guys behind the comic were into their cars,  I remember one had a couple of very early mini coopers that he’d restored and another one was into old commercial vehicles he had a very old AEC bus among other things 

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Yeah it's the 2.0 Turbo in manual flavour. Stacks of history with it and a years worth of MOT.  The bodywork is fantastic, I can't find a mark on it. Does have a crack on the windscreen on the passenger side that'll need sorting, plus the back box could be doing with being replaced as it's a bit corroded. The "wood" on the dash is cracked but a whole new centre console/dash trim can be had for £60 on eBay. The sid dash display has the usual missing pixels but that's a case of TADTS, can be fixed/replaced. Overall a very nice example, drives very well.

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3 minutes ago, N19 said:

I wouldn't normally take this out in the snow (and salt) but given that I'm getting a significant amount of welding done next year anyway... 

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I love this car. I've said it before, but it's because it's a L model in a solid colour and completely unmolested. Just how I remember them. 

I trust you did 'the inevitable' in that deserted snowy car park!

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2 hours ago, SRi05 said:

Yeah it's the 2.0 Turbo in manual flavour. Stacks of history with it and a years worth of MOT.  The bodywork is fantastic, I can't find a mark on it. Does have a crack on the windscreen on the passenger side that'll need sorting, plus the back box could be doing with being replaced as it's a bit corroded. The "wood" on the dash is cracked but a whole new centre console/dash trim can be had for £60 on eBay. The sid dash display has the usual missing pixels but that's a case of TADTS, can be fixed/replaced. Overall a very nice example, drives very well.

Good swap that, very nice indeed. These would be my choice of soft top if I didn't have the Audi.

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56 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I love this car. I've said it before, but it's because it's a L model in a solid colour and completely unmolested. Just how I remember them. 

I trust you did 'the inevitable' in that deserted snowy car park!

Of course! It's a car park by a playing field and at 7.45 was dead... ideal!

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58 minutes ago, N19 said:

2.0 Zetec petrol. Coolant temp sensor, housing and one hose replaced thus far...

Some of the later ones had a CTS held in with a clip and an o ring, the ring would perish then piss coolant out when pointing down hill. Those aftermarket thermostat housings are wank, the seal to the cylinder head rarely seals properly, I found you had to either use a proper Ford seal or use some blue hylomar. That’s assuming it’s not cracked underneath on the seam. Chuck some K seal in and be done! 

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2 hours ago, sierraman said:

Some of the later ones had a CTS held in with a clip and an o ring, the ring would perish then piss coolant out when pointing down hill. Those aftermarket thermostat housings are wank, the seal to the cylinder head rarely seals properly, I found you had to either use a proper Ford seal or use some blue hylomar. That’s assuming it’s not cracked underneath on the seam. Chuck some K seal in and be done! 

I was wondering about using one of those potions, maybe I'm paranoid... Yeah it's with a clip and is all pattern parts. Shouldn't be cracked as it's a newly fitted part! 

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14 hours ago, SRi05 said:

Who needs two floppytop Saabs in the depths of Scottish winter? That would be me.  Had been on the lookout for one for a while, the red one has been pinched by the wife as her daily. Local shiter and general badass @Unclefesteroffered it to me in exchange for the Tigra,  I couldn't say no. Few wee odd jobs to sort, but it's in pretty fine condition for its 21st year.  This is the 3rd 9-3 I've had now, love them. 

Only took 15 days for the first incoming vehicle of the year 😂

IMG_20210115_104007.jpg

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Looks nice that, I've never got round to owning one of these despite wanting one for years.

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Having got fed up with the lack of power and resistance to revving exhibited by the 406 and having half an hour to spare today I set about a slightly more permanent temporary fix for the broken swirl flap actuator. The cable tie solution used by the previous owner just came off after a few miles which was not ideal. 

After some thought I decided that a paperclip solution would work best and set about the repair with a pair of long nosed pliers. 

Very pleased with the result and happy to report that not only has the repair lasted all day but the car now feels like a 2.2 rather than a milk float. Power from 1500 revs all the way to the 5000 red line where previously it had nothing below 2500 and ran out of steam at 4,000 revs.

Took it for a run round my local B road test track and was pleasantly surprised by both the speed and handling. Even with all my tools in the boot it is a car you can now really travel very quickly in. It will be interesting to see how the fuel consumption goes the last tank was average of 34 miles per gallon at an average speed of 24 miles per hour. Not so bad really. 

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