The new news 24 thread

[SiC]

Went out to get a few bits of shopping and decided to take the A4. Mrs SiC said, that rear tyre looks a bit flat. I give it a squish with my thumb and it is indeed much squisher than the others. Great. Cross climates too, so not going to be cheap to replace. Will pump it up and see how much air it needs. In for a cambelt on Wednesday, so will get the garage to take a look too. 

So took the Clio instead. A few miles in the STOP light came on with the Gravy Boat light. Aww fuck.

2 seconds later it goes out again. Hmm. 

Point this out to Mrs SiC, "It's not going to blow up is it?" 

I reassured her that while it's an important light to not ignore, you get a brief moment to pull over when it comes on. 

"Run out of oil?" is the next query.

Good point, I'll check. I pulled over, cycled the ignition and looked at the mileometer for the Oil OK message. Except it didn't appear. Tried again and still nothing. Hmm. 

Hopefully it was the oil level sensor freaking out and triggering it? Can't remember if the oil light is tied into that too if it reports low.

Got to our destination and on the next start, I was greated with the Oil OK message. On Renaults, if you push the trip counter reset, it'll tell you what level it actually is at. It reported that it was full. I probably should double check the dipstick though...

So hopefully it's just being a bit French with the electrics and from sitting for weeks!

Other good news is that even though it's been sat, the interior is bone dry. So hopefully have fixed the water ingress issue it had for good now (centre scuttle drain was blocked). 

[Zelandeth]

15 minutes ago, SiC said:

Went out to get a few bits of shopping and decided to take the A4. Mrs SiC said, that rear tyre looks a bit flat. I give it a squish with my thumb and it is indeed much squisher than the others. Great. Cross climates too, so not going to be cheap to replace. Will pump it up and see how much air it needs. In for a cambelt on Wednesday, so will get the garage to take a look too. 

So took the Clio instead. A few miles in the STOP light came on with the Gravy Boat light. Aww fuck.

2 seconds later it goes out again. Hmm. 

Point this out to Mrs SiC, "It's not going to blow up is it?" 

I reassured her that while it's an important light to not ignore, you get a brief moment to pull over when it comes on. 

"Run out of oil?" is the next query.

Good point, I'll check. I pulled over, cycled the ignition and looked at the mileometer for the Oil OK message. Except it didn't appear. Tried again and still nothing. Hmm. 

Hopefully it was the oil level sensor freaking out and triggering it? Can't remember if the oil light is tied into that too if it reports low.

Got to our destination and on the next start, I was greated with the Oil OK message. On Renaults, if you push the trip counter reset, it'll tell you what level it actually is at. It reported that it was full. I probably should double check the dipstick though...

So hopefully it's just being a bit French with the electrics and from sitting for weeks!

Other good news is that even though it's been sat, the interior is bone dry. So hopefully have fixed the water ingress issue it had for good now (centre scuttle drain was blocked). 

Not sure about on Renaults, but the oil level system Citroen use is only able to detect the level before the engine is started.  It doesn't run when the engine is running.

[beko1987]

8 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Not sure about on Renaults, but the oil level system Citroen use is only able to detect the level before the engine is started.  It doesn't run when the engine is running.

And you get a different reading depending what sort of hill your parked on... Had it saying empty once on a steep driveway

I've stopped paying much notice to mine and just check it every now and again, although it's a known engine that doesn't loose oil rather than an engine thays had major work done so I can see why there was panic! 

[SiC]

30 minutes ago, Zelandeth said:

Not sure about on Renaults, but the oil level system Citroen use is only able to detect the level before the engine is started.  It doesn't run when the engine is running.

Our A4 is like that too. No idea on Renault though and I've always wondered. It's wired directly into the dash clocks and they're pretty simple. 

[Six-cylinder]

I had a bit of a fright tonight.

 I went out in the Beetle for a take away and was aware the roads were wet and puddled but being local I know where to expect flooding. I approached a bend on the A413 with a local village turn with caution as it is regularly flooded, nothing a bit further up the road I hit standing water so hard that it just about bought the Beetle to a standstill and I thought I had killed the engine. Fortunately the engine revved fine and I put it in first and moved on out of the water and carried on.

 On the way home I snapped a photo but it does not really show how bad going away from home it was and a bit further on the road completely under water.

[Zelandeth]

2 hours ago, beko1987 said:

And you get a different reading depending what sort of hill your parked on... Had it saying empty once on a steep driveway

I've stopped paying much notice to mine and just check it every now and again, although it's a known engine that doesn't loose oil rather than an engine thays had major work done so I can see why there was panic! 

Yep...I get a false positive about once a quarter.

I still immediately check the oil when it pops up though.  It's a warning system I'd always rather have than not, even if there is the occasional false positive.

[beko1987]

I've got the later odo screen one, so I just loose and gain segments rather than a light on... 

Every time I've checked it on the flat its been fine and it's got the mandatory psa weepy rocker cover gaskets too... Must re-ingest it somewhere to keep the level good

[SiC]

Rear tyre has a puncture. Started snowing when I took this picture. Irony is they're crossclimates and this is the first time it's properly snowed to get to use them. 

[SiC]

Oops!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Whatcouldgowrong/comments/l9aekc/using_the_wrong_type_of_fire_extinguisher

Not sure quite what happened there. Presumably the guy is smoking a cigarette, while the other chap is bleeding brakes (blue box) and the brake fluid drips onto his hand. 

Scary though. I have a CO2 and a powder extinguisher in the garage. My go-to default would be CO2, but to be honest powder would be more appropriate.

Also reminds me to always leave the key in the back door of the garage as a secondary escape path!

[Spurious]

9 minutes ago, SiC said:

Oops!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Whatcouldgowrong/comments/l9aekc/using_the_wrong_type_of_fire_extinguisher

Not sure quite what happened there. Presumably the guy is smoking a cigarette, while the other chap is bleeding brakes (blue box) and the brake fluid drips onto his hand. 

Scary though. I have a CO2 and a powder extinguisher in the garage. My go-to default would be CO2, but to be honest powder would be more appropriate.

Also reminds me to always leave the key in the back door of the garage as a secondary escape path!

It's a tiddly little one though like you'd have in a caravan. 

 

I'd expect a workshop to have a big industrial powder job. 

[SiC]

It's a tiddly little one though like you'd have in a caravan. 
 
I'd expect a workshop to have a big industrial powder job. 

My co2 says it's good for fuel fires apparently. That spread so quickly that I don't think any fire extinguisher would have saved that.

[N19]

Depends, chances are the blast of CO2 scattered the fluid far and wide. 

[wuvvum]

So this happened... 

[Split_Pin]

Holy crap!

This is what the elements can do to a Corsa alternator after 3 years.

 

[Cord Fourteener]

1 minute ago, Split_Pin said:

Holy crap!

This is what the elements can do to a Corsa alternator after 3 years.

 

Not sure whether to laugh emoji or cry emoji

[Cord Fourteener]

On 1/30/2021 at 9:58 PM, Six-cylinder said:

I had a bit of a fright tonight.

 I went out in the Beetle for a take away and was aware the roads were wet and puddled but being local I know where to expect flooding. I approached a bend on the A413 with a local village turn with caution as it is regularly flooded, nothing a bit further up the road I hit standing water so hard that it just about bought the Beetle to a standstill and I thought I had killed the engine. Fortunately the engine revved fine and I put it in first and moved on out of the water and carried on.

 On the way home I snapped a photo but it does not really show how bad going away from home it was and a bit further on the road completely under water.

I did that in my E46 BMW, there was dead ground under a bridge filled with water. Scary. Then my crank sensor, which was already applying for retirement, died. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

[Cord Fourteener]

On 1/30/2021 at 10:35 PM, beko1987 said:

I've got the later odo screen one, so I just loose and gain segments rather than a light on... 

Every time I've checked it on the flat its been fine and it's got the mandatory psa weepy rocker cover gaskets too... Must re-ingest it somewhere to keep the level good

I've stopped relying on the Christmas tree lights, my e46 oil sensor failed, it tended to drink oil.

My Volvo 740 doesn't know how to guage (verb). Fuel? No. Speed? No. Temperature? Allegedly. Revs? Hope so.

[N19]

8 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Holy crap!

This is what the elements can do to a Corsa alternator after 3 years.

 

New addition to the coral reef? 

[wuvvum]

So yeah, I bought another van this weekend.  It was temptingly cheap and local enough that I could go and get it without taking the piss too much - although I did do more miles on my pushbike on Saturday than I've done in a long time...

It was advertised with a catalogue of issues, the most pressing of which were that almost none of the lights worked.  I got it home in daylight on Saturday (just about) and this morning I went out and started to have a poke around.  The lighting issues were at least partially cured by replacing three blown fuses - I now have sidelights, tail lights and main and dipped beam headlights (the brake and reversing lights were working OK when I bought the van).  The indicators also sort of work, but there are issues with the wiring somewhere - the nearside rear indicator kept cutting out, and when I took it for a drive in the dark this evening I noticed that when indicating right both rear indicators flashed.  So I've removed the bulb from the nearside rear for now, so at least I can indicate right properly... 

The van has a towbar but no plug - looking underneath at the back there are a lot of wires running here there and everywhere so I'd imagine something is shorting out or wrongly connected - which could be why the fuses blew in the first place, although the new ones seem to be holding up OK.  I can't get the rear foglights or the number plate lights to work either, despite the bulbs being all good - I think next weekend I'm going to have to back the van up onto the ramps so I can get underneath and try to work out wtf is going on.  The front indicator lens was broken, and someone had wedged in an amber offset pin bulb to make it flash orange - that took some persuasion to come out, I've fitted a parallel pin bulb and finally got to use the lens repair kit I bought from Poundland about 15 years ago.  The interior light wasn't working but that turned out to be just a bulb.

It also needs a bit of welding - there's a hole in the back of the nearside sill and a pop-riveted repair to the passenger side cab step which will need to be done properly - but from a quick look around it looks in far better shape underneath than the last Trafic I had.  It's tested until June anyway so it's a little while before I have to worry about such things.  It used to be a camper so the load area is all carpeted out on the sides, which helps to reduce the noise level a bit and keep things warmer.  Having windows in the sides helps with the rear 3/4 visibility too.

The other major issue it has is that the throttle takes a long time to return when the pedal is released.  The chap I bought it off reckoned it was a problem with the linkage under the bonnet but I reckon it's the cable itself - when I tried revving the engine using the arm on the pump the revs dropped back to idle as soon as I let go.  I'm going to fit a secondary return spring to the arm to see if that helps - I might try disconnecting the cable as well and seeing if I can get in to drop some oil down there.

Also none of the door locks work at the moment.  I'm not overly worried about that - I don't live in a high crime area - but a pair of pattern locks is 15 quid off eBay so I'll probably go down that route eventually.

Other than that it drives well enough.  It's a 2.5D - same engine as the Iveco in fact, albeit in indirect injection form and with marginally more power - so although it's certainly not a fast van it's definitely a lot quicker than the last two Trafics I've had, which were both 2.1D and rather painful.  This one will at least do 70 on the flat - it sits happily at 65 and doesn't sound like it's about to put a rod through the block at that speed like the Iveco does.  It also has luxury features missing from the Iveco, like power steering and a radio.  It even has what appears to be an OBD2 port in the fuse box, although I don't know how compatible with anything that'll be - I might try plugging the laptop in and seeing if it can talk to anything at all.

I haven't really decided what to do with it yet, but I don't really need two "van" vans so I might make a half-arsed attempt at turning it back into a camper.  We shall see.

 

That took up pretty much all my weekend - I was going to have another go at the passenger door on the C2 this afternoon, but then I decided I couldn't be arsed - I don't actually need the door to be working anyway, I'm not going to be carrying any passengers for a while and if I did need to I'd probably choose a more spacious car anyway.  I did get around to taking the steering column surround off - disappointingly there's no sign of any pre-wiring for cruise control, I assume that must be only on later cars.

[chadders]

Is this the start of Norfolk's answer to Amazon, based in the Bure Valley rather than Silicon Valley?

Wuvveron?

[Cord Fourteener]

8 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Also none of the door locks work at the moment.  I'm not overly worried about that -

I'd be more worried about people leaving more old broken vans on your drive...

[davehedgehog31]

11 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Holy crap!

This is what the elements can do to a Corsa alternator after 3 years.

 

 

[SiC]

13 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Holy crap!

This is what Scottish elements can do to a Corsa alternator after 3 years.

 

FTFY

I've seen better condition units that have been sitting outside in scrapyards for years. 

[Craig the Princess]

Dropped the two cylinder heads from the Saab off at the engineering workshop this morning, first time I've been there and it is a proper old fashioned one man in a unit surrounded by loads of metal and machines type place.

Got some pictures of the work from the mechanic, the timing belt had put all it's money, the mortgage and the kids on 0 and the wheel was spinning. The teeth had been stripped away on 5/6 of the width of the belt. Also the head gaskets had properly gone. 

The black mess on the inside of the timing cover isn't oil but rubber from the belt.

Also found another hole behind the wheel arch liner that will need a patch.

[barefoot]

Your nearside front door looks a bit random, does it fit well or does it whistle at speed?

[mitsisigma01]

Urgent collection and drop off needed please..... 

If any shiters are passing through Fareham, I'd recommend Soothills Bakery for the best pasties in the world and their cakes and well everything 😋, 

Whilst you're in here can you pick up my order, I'm in urgent need of pasties, if they could be dropped off in or near Horsham you are welcome to a socially distanced, sanitized cup of tea and look over my collection of shite that needs fixerating. 

Serious about the pasties please help

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[beko1987]

56 minutes ago, Craig the Princess said:

Dropped the two cylinder heads from the Saab off at the engineering workshop this morning, first time I've been there and it is a proper old fashioned one man in a unit surrounded by loads of metal and machines type place.

Got some pictures of the work from the mechanic, the timing belt had put all it's money, the mortgage and the kids on 0 and the wheel was spinning. The teeth had been stripped away on 5/6 of the width of the belt. Also the head gaskets had properly gone. 

The black mess on the inside of the timing cover isn't oil but rubber from the belt.

Also found another hole behind the wheel arch liner that will need a patch.

My most abiding teenage car memory was a 9000 a friend had at 18... It had a blown hg and my mate drove it around for about a year before scrapping it and buying something else. Memories of a hot summer sat in the leather seats with the windows open and heater on furnace... 

We cooked mini pizzas on the rocker cover one time waiting for it to cool down

[Supernaut]

55 minutes ago, beko1987 said:

My most abiding teenage car memory was a 9000 a friend had at 18... It had a blown hg and my mate drove it around for about a year before scrapping it and buying something else. Memories of a hot summer sat in the leather seats with the windows open and heater on furnace... 

We cooked mini pizzas on the rocker cover one time waiting for it to cool down

Noooooo...

[tries to hug Saab 9000, it's too big]

[Saabnut]

No point in buying roffle tickets or lottery tickets. All your luck was used on that timing belt! Worst one still working I have ever seen!

[tommotech]

I started to tackle the LHR dragging brake on the Alfa 147, in case I needed to order a calliper, I will update its thread.

Does anyone have suggestions for best places to use for Alpha parts or relevant specialists please? I’ve got the usual ECP, GSF & AUTODOC but any good suggestions are welcome, TIA. Apologies if this ought to be in wanted but didn’t want to open a new thread for this suggestion.