The new news 24 thread

[Cord Fourteener]

Neighbour's daughter bought this lovely I30 in bronze, 1.6 diesel. Its a modern I quite like. 75mpg ish combined, 110 ish bhp. Not bad, though pretty standard figures these days.

Neighbour's mother got jealous and bought one almost exactly the same, just a grey not bronze. Daughter is visiting from Uni so here they are lined up.

[Spurious]

6 hours ago, Tim_E said:

 

 

5 minutes ago, Tim_E said:

Neighbour's daughter bought this lovely I30 in bronze, 1.6 diesel. Its a modern I quite like. 75mpg ish combined, 110 ish bhp. Not bad, though pretty standard figures these days.

Neighbour's mother got jealous and bought one almost exactly the same, just a grey not bronze. Daughter is visiting from Uni so here they are lined up.

I rented one of them in Poland, thoroughly nice car. I'd probably have one with more horsepower but it was pretty good. 

We were getting an indicated 70mpg plus too. Makes jumping into a car doing 35 seem like it's robbing you in fuel. 

[Cord Fourteener]

6 minutes ago, Spurious said:

 

I rented one of them in Poland, thoroughly nice car. I'd probably have one with more horsepower but it was pretty good. 

We were getting an indicated 70mpg plus too. Makes jumping into a car doing 35 seem like it's robbing you in fuel. 

I dread to think what my Volvo 740 2.0 gets, I drive it hard on hilly back roads mostly.  I've got a broken odometer so I can't work it out, probably for the best!

The Passat gets 50odd normally and that's hugely* powerful so I can't complain there.

[Mrcento]

Think i've decided to sell the Cinquecento.

I love the little thing, but it's sat off the road for years and i don't realistically see me driving it again as a daily, it'd only ever be a toy and i think i've pretty much done what i want with it and would like a different sort of thing as a project.

[reb]

Mum's nice BROWN 67 plate Dacia Duster on less than 25k is getting traded in against a brand new one in a much less pleasing metallic red. I have to say I don't really understand why as the old one hasn't had any major problems besides the instrument cluster shitting the bed but that got fixed for a not inconsiderable sum. If it were me I'd be keeping it as long as possible and spending the savings on chippy tea.

I think I'm just upset because I'd always hoped it'd stay around long enough that I could buy it, but it's out of my budget and I already have the best car in the world anyway.

[ruffgeezer]

19 hours ago, Fumbler said:

How old is the ignition module on the distributor? They like to fail and make hell break loose.

Many tears ago on my ax 1.1, the plug inside the distributor where the ignition module plugs in had melted slightly and would occasionally kill the engine or make it refuse to start. A second hand dizzy got it up and running again in short order. 

[Ghosty]

38 minutes ago, reb said:

Mum's nice BROWN 67 plate Dacia Duster on less than 25k is getting traded in against a brand new one in a much less pleasing metallic red. I have to say I don't really understand why as the old one hasn't had any major problems besides the instrument cluster shitting the bed but that got fixed for a not inconsiderable sum. If it were me I'd be keeping it as long as possible and spending the savings on chippy tea.

I think I'm just upset because I'd always hoped it'd stay around long enough that I could buy it, but it's out of my budget and I already have the best car in the world anyway.

At SF18 Richard was waxing lyrical about how great that Duster was for quite some time, I had a look around it and it was really quite nice. I'm sort of surprised it's going too, but I think there are good reasons for having a new one too. 

[SiC]

On 6/6/2021 at 7:12 PM, SiC said:

Swapped my toys about. Clio needs an MOT this month, so taxed. Gone up to £330 a year ffs.


I know all my cars are only cheap vehicles and the combined value of all is less than a brand new base spec Golf/1-series/Focus/etc, but I do right now feel very lucky to own and run several cars that I really like.

Took out the Clio earlier to go shopping. Out on the nearest hill it started bucking and misfiring under load...

No EML and I turned right round to use the A4 instead. Ironic that the MGB is more reliable car (I've tempted fate there). Not sure what it is but coils were done only 2 years or so ago. Could be moisture somewhere from sitting I guess. Need to get it to temperature and see if it clears. 

Could be bad fuel getting through too but it's only been a few months in storage though. Half a tank, so condensation could have built up but again unlikely given its not been sitting that long. 

My guess is the injectors. As the engine was cold, it'll be injecting more fuel than normal and afaik original to the car. They are a known thing to fail and they've done 150k. Possibly gummed up from sitting too.

Obviously in a strop that it's not been used. MOT at the end of the month too. Bloody thing. 

[Cord Fourteener]

My news in summary: Yesterday got the 740 dirty, today got it clean(ish).

Fun was had.

 

[Split_Pin]

9 hours ago, SiC said:

Took out the Clio earlier to go shopping. Out on the nearest hill it started bucking and misfiring under load...

No EML and I turned right round to use the A4 instead. Ironic that the MGB is more reliable car (I've tempted fate there). Not sure what it is but coils were done only 2 years or so ago. Could be moisture somewhere from sitting I guess. Need to get it to temperature and see if it clears. 

Could be bad fuel getting through too but it's only been a few months in storage though. Half a tank, so condensation could have built up but again unlikely given its not been sitting that long. 

My guess is the injectors. As the engine was cold, it'll be injecting more fuel than normal and afaik original to the car. They are a known thing to fail and they've done 150k. Possibly gummed up from sitting too.

Obviously in a strop that it's not been used. MOT at the end of the month too. Bloody thing. 

Same happened to my 172, no EML but it could barely move under its own power. There's a seller on ebay that retails genuine 172 Magnetti Marelli injectors for about £35 quid each. I just replaced all 4 and it ran great again.

[Split_Pin]

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284220478581

@SiC

[Amishtat]

10 hours ago, Tim_E said:

My news in summary: Yesterday got the 740 dirty, today got it clean(ish).

Fun was had.

 

Same here. Freshly waxed and taxed, a boring supermarket trip was its first journey of more than three miles for about a year. Odometer, speedo and fuel gauge all part timers, I'm guessing at around  25ish mpg. Also encountered this lovely chap at the petrol station, who couldn't entirely grasp why I wanted to photograph his car, but was happy to let me. 

[SiC]

Same happened to my 172, no EML but it could barely move under its own power. There's a seller on ebay that retails genuine 172 Magnetti Marelli injectors for about £35 quid each. I just replaced all 4 and it ran great again.

Yeah I saw them when Googling about. Did yours do it under load or all the time? I'm wondering if mine have just gone a bit sticky. Don't really want to change them if they're not at fault though. Especially if it turns out to be something else like the coil.

[Split_Pin]

36 minutes ago, SiC said:

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

Same happened to my 172, no EML but it could barely move under its own power. There's a seller on ebay that retails genuine 172 Magnetti Marelli injectors for about £35 quid each. I just replaced all 4 and it ran great again.

Yeah I saw them when Googling about. Did yours do it under load or all the time? I'm wondering if mine have just gone a bit sticky. Don't really want to change them if they're not at fault though. Especially if it turns out to be something else like the coil.

Under load was worse, I can't recall what it was like at idle though, it was years ago now.

There's a really steep bit of the M876 near my house and it topped 40mph up there and was passed by an old boy in a Jazz.

[Ghosty]

Rover has suffered a complete electrical failure in a hospital car park. Son of a cunting fuck. 

[Spurious]

1 minute ago, Ghosty said:

Rover has suffered a complete electrical failure in a hospital car park. Son of a cunting fuck. 

If you're in Manchester I can pop out? I've a scan tool and some assorted tools. 

 

Actually I've to pick the cat up from the vet at 3 but before that I'm free. 

[Agila]

5 hours ago, Amishtat said:

Same here. Freshly waxed and taxed, a boring supermarket trip was its first journey of more than three miles for about a year. Odometer, speedo and fuel gauge all part timers, I'm guessing at around  25ish mpg. Also encountered this lovely chap at the petrol station, who couldn't entirely grasp why I wanted to photograph his car, but was happy to let me. 

Don Brennan from Coronation Street is a Saab licker. Nice one. 👍

[Ghosty]

18 minutes ago, Spurious said:

If you're in Manchester I can pop out? I've a scan tool and some assorted tools. 

 

Actually I've to pick the cat up from the vet at 3 but before that I'm free. 

I'm in the car park at Stepping Hill. 

Its a 30 year old Rover and literally all the electrics are stone dead, a scan tools no use, multimeter maybe but even that might be a stretch. I'm suspicious the ignition switch/barrel is to blame. I know the battery is good. I don't think it's fixable without replacement parts, and most likely not at the roadside. All I can think of is putting 12v to the starter and seeing if it can be convinced to fire. 

I've called the AA. 

[Eyersey1234]

11 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

I'm in the car park at Stepping Hill. 

Its a 30 year old Rover and literally all the electrics are stone dead, a scan tools no use, multimeter maybe but even that might be a stretch. I'm suspicious the ignition switch/barrel is to blame. I know the battery is good. I don't think it's fixable without replacement parts, and most likely not at the roadside. All I can think of is putting 12v to the starter and seeing if it can be convinced to fire. 

I've called the AA. 

Sorry to hear about your breakdown, I hope the AA can sort it for you 

[Spurious]

18 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

I'm in the car park at Stepping Hill. 

Its a 30 year old Rover and literally all the electrics are stone dead, a scan tools no use, multimeter maybe but even that might be a stretch. I'm suspicious the ignition switch/barrel is to blame. I know the battery is good. I don't think it's fixable without replacement parts, and most likely not at the roadside. All I can think of is putting 12v to the starter and seeing if it can be convinced to fire. 

I've called the AA. 

I think the AA man may have a better time of it. I may struggle to get there and back in time, I'm in Bolton this afternoon

I don't have a multimeter anymore even ☹️

perhaps try and short the ignition/Accessory wires to the starter on the ignition barrel and see if that's a go? I did that on an old Clio before and it worked fine. 

 

[Tadhg Tiogar]

On 6/4/2021 at 12:06 PM, loserone said:

 

Wait 'til the fella starts collecting spare cars....

[Ghosty]

Back home. The battery (Lion, go figure) had completely drained to 2V and wouldn't charge, so jumped of the cheerful Brummie AA man's booster pack while chatting about the car, then drove home on the alternator. 
All my spare batteries are too big - it's an 063 and the battery tray is the exact size of the footprint, tucked in next to the airbox so no additional clearance. I'll order an Exide or Yuasa from somewhere. 

 

[Ghosty]

edit: ordered a Varta off eBay. 44 quid delivered next day? That'll do. 

 

[SiC]

13 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

edit: ordered a Varta off eBay. 44 quid delivered next day? That'll do. 

 

063 is one of the cheapest sizes going. 

At least it was a simple and easy fix!

Might be worth checking you don't have any large parasitic drains. Whether radio, immobiliser or even the alternator. 

The fact that it's at 2v suggests that it's not a single cell failure in the pack. I'd expect ~9v or even open circuit if that was the case. 

[reb]

To follow on from Ghosty's battery woes, how do I tell what size of battery I need for my C2? I tried looking up the numbers on it but it just brought up that specific Halfords battery rather than the general type.

[Yoss]

Next door. I guess if you know what you like, why change, but a bit of colour would be nice. 

The one in the road isn't theirs but visits sporadically. His brother lives over the road and has a white 1 series. 

[vulgalour]

I might be the only person ever to have no issues at all with Lion batteries.  Maybe I have the only good one?

[Sunny Jim]

@reb this site might help http://whatbattery.co.uk/

[Stanky]

26 minutes ago, reb said:

To follow on from Ghosty's battery woes, how do I tell what size of battery I need for my C2? I tried looking up the numbers on it but it just brought up that specific Halfords battery rather than the general type.

https://www.tayna.co.uk/car-batteries/

These guys are brilliant, cheap, next day delivery, and a good search function and options too.

[Spurious]

48 minutes ago, Ghosty said:

Back home. The battery (Lion, go figure) had completely drained to 2V and wouldn't charge, so jumped of the cheerful Brummie AA man's booster pack while chatting about the car, then drove home on the alternator. 
All my spare batteries are too big - it's an 063 and the battery tray is the exact size of the footprint, tucked in next to the airbox so no additional clearance. I'll order an Exide or Yuasa from somewhere. 

 

Good job it was something simple. Lion batteries are just not worth it.