The new news 24 thread

[purplebargeken]

What is an AX?

[anonymous user]

What is an AX?

In some dialects it's a question, as in can I ax you something? Often it's an axe with a bit missing, or it could be the most sought after car that Citroen ever made, especially if it's a blue one.

[gm]

spotted this lovely old Citroen on the way in to work

 

[Richard]

What is an AX?

 

[barrett]

The BX is dead, long live the £100 XANTIA BASE

[r.welfare]

Chevrons in the centre of the grille or on the bonnet?

[Richard]

It's not on the deck so I'd say grille.

[barrett]

It's a '97 so the DULL later grille but not the horrid facelift. I didn't even know they did a BASE, it's proper grim. Keep fit windows, no sun roof etc. Does have a radio at least, but I don't have the code to unlock it.

[Ghosty]

Had a man come around and re-gas the aircon on the Bini because it's probably never been done in the car's 6 years/20k (probably 80/90% of that mileage was done in Manchester!). Was booked for 9am tomorrow but the bloke randomly showed up this evening to reschedule, or do it there and then seeing as he was there. Turns out the system was completely empty, so we'll see how good it is tomorrow. 

Don't think we've ever had a car with properly working a/c.

 

A4's needs doing too but I bet Old Man never bothers. He's not even in the country at the moment.

[Jon]

Just had a quick look on the MOT History website and it's ACCESS DENIED for me - blocked by the security rules, apparently. Is this because I'm accessing the page outside of the UK, or is it an issue for everyone else? 

 

In other news, I'm going to actually attempt to affix the shock absorbers to the 205 today, due to a potential southern hemisphere shite gathering on Sunday I've just found out about. It'd be a bit embarrassing turning up in a 2006 Mondeo, although the Commodore is a back-up vehicle, I suppose. Still no 5th gear but also critically, no V8, either. Straight 6 diesel power* and 4 speeds will have to suffice, if it comes to that. 

 

I'm suffering from the First World Problem of a fleet of shite so permanently not-fixed that I forget about their existence......

[beko1987]

Amys aunt just popped round to drop my carpet shampooer off, and the battery in her m reg 1.2 clip died.

 

Fair enough, ill give you a jump to get home, but then I find threaded connectors on the ancient battery, and big ring terminals off the car wiring.

 

Never seen this before, and it made live jumping impossible so I just disconnected the battery, hooked it up to the meriva for 10 mins, which put enough juice in it to fire it up, and told them to call me if it died during the 4 miles home.

 

Had a look on ecp and couldn't find any batteries with that connector on, would it be easier to just buy a normal clamp terminal battery and 2 cable terminals and chop/rewire? Or do adapters exist?

 

I even looked for caps on the battery to top it up with de ionised water but there were none, it looked fooking old. If it had had normal terminals I'd have swapped it with the zx battery on Saturday night and limped mine to deans on Sunday, but its completely different!

 

I also had to deal with her flapperyness, she was scared to turn it on incase it caught fire ffs. I also hooked my multimeter up to it when it was running and the voltage was all over the shop, is that normal or is it the alternator?

 

They have a long drive tomorrow, I advised against it! I'd have lent them the zx and worked from home tomorrow but I don't trust them not to put it in a ditch due to the stiff then soft steering!

[Kiltox]

Threaded terminals are usually metal caps on top of the normal ones - tight fit but WD40 and a screwdriver will have them off

[beko1987]

Ah cool. Didnt look that closely tbh.

 

So if they come off, I presume they would just refit onto a. N. Other battery without having to chop the terminals off car side?

[Kiltox]

Yep should be a standard battery underneath the caps

[Kiltox]

Like this?

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f68/craigy_87/21022010522.jpg

[beko1987]

If they have grief getting it fixed tomorrow I'll chip in then. Apparently her husbands brother is a mechanic so he should be able to fix it, otherwise I'll go over with my smug face on and have a go

[beko1987]

Like this?

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f68/craigy_87/21022010522.jpg

I want to say no, I couldn't see the join at the bottom, it looked like the whole thing was one thread, but I didn't look that closely tbh

 

Was some old varta, I peeled the sticker off and there was no way to add water, which would have been my first port of call to try and revive it, it got us a week out of amys battery before ruffgeezer kindly bought us one!

[mercrocker]

Flippin' bumper fell off the Merc today.   Yeah.  Fell. Off.    

 

Actually it was the bumper shroud/cover/plakky whatever, the big steel banger racer beam is perfectly in ordnung.   Must have had a wonky clip one side which I might have noticed if I had cleaned the bastard since Christmas.   S'pose the other clip thought bugger this I ain't doing all the work and just let go. 

 

Chucked it on the back seat and carried on.   After wasting oodles of my time ordering bits from German websites that turned out not to exist (the bits, the websites are real enough) I now have some coming from Polish-land.   Mean-time we have a posh do to go to on Saturday and I can proudly arrive with a ratchet-strapped back bumper.   Might even run some gaffer tape over the webbing for the council house Mondeo look.  

 

On the plus side there was zero corrosion or paint loss anywhere under where the bumper shroud has been for 26 years.....

[Kiltox]

If it's old it might be pretty well corroded so might look like it's all in one i guess

[Tam]

More than twenty for free delivery but less than fifty. Judging on what I brought I'll guess at 43 quid

£33.91 Yours was the only guess though so your definitely closest 

 

[beko1987]

If it's old it might be pretty well corroded so might look like it's all in one i guess

 

Probably, I was too busy annoying amy by shining my head torch in her eyes

 

She's pissed off now as well, as "she never fucking listens". This is in relation to her old Punto that expired in a cloud of OMGHGF 2 weeks ago on the m25 with amys mum in the car. I'd had a look at that the week before, and diagnosed a dead thermostat (car never got 'hot', one rad hose was cold, one boiling and pressurised etc). Said that for a thermostat and coolant, I'd change it for her one afternoon. Never heard anything, until the fateful sunday (that REALLY hot one we had, when the m25 was fucked), amys mum was supposed to have Eva that night, Amy phoned her at 4pm, they were still on the hard shoulder, had been since 11, waiting for the AA. I'm glad we got out of going now...

[xtriple]

KIA is still annoying me with this 'odd' fault: Starts fine hot or cold, drive straight away and all is well, but, if you let it idle when cold for 30 seconds or so, it misfires, the check engine light comes on and it continues to misfire until you stop it, turn it off and start it again, when peace and love once more rule....

 

Check code ( I love my £15 eBay code reader    )  just says: random misfire or some-such . Clear it and again, all is well. It has never done it when sat in traffic once warmed up a bit, though I have not so far had to sit in traffic at a standstill with a cold engine, so who knows.

 

I think this has been a recurring problem as the number two coil has been changed about three times over the years.... always by Halfords!

 

It did get serviced on Wednesday and I watched the entire process. Much to their disgust but I insisted. It now has new filters (boy did it need an air filter!) and more clean, fresh oil and to the correct level. The damage to the light/bumper is 'under discussion' so that means 'fob the twat off until he goes away' so I am in two minds (always.... never alone when you have multiple personality disorder   ) as to continue pestering them to fix it or forget it and move on. I'm not really that bothered but sometimes, when people have pissed me off/pissed me around/tried to have my pants down, I like annoying people even though I KNOW I will get nowhere.

 

Car is as clean as a whistle underneath, which is nice and it continues to be a smooth, pleasant ride. I still like it much to my disgust

[danthecapriman]

we've had the same problems with points, the new ones are made of chocolate. in the end we ended up putting the old ones back in.

 

why, just why is everything these days just made of crap??

Points and condensers I try not to touch anymore. All the time they're working they get left well alone. The ones in my Capri are about 10 years old now, although they are gone now as it's in bits, they worked fine still. Once it's going back together I'm going electronic ignition with it, same as all my cars from now on.

 

Why could people manage to make these parts perfectly well 20+ years ago yet now! with better tech etc etc it's impossible!?

[MarvinsMom]

keep om pestering them, maybe it'll teach them not to be incompetent lying,dick wits.

[MarvinsMom]

Points and condensers I try not to touch anymore. All the time they're working they get left well alone. The ones in my Capri are about 10 years old now, although they are gone now as it's in bits, they worked fine still. Once it's going back together I'm going electronic ignition with it, same as all my cars from now on.

 

Why could people manage to make these parts perfectly well 20+ years ago yet now! with better tech etc etc it's impossible!?

 

the older original ones will have been made in birmingham or somewhere similar, not turkey or bloody china, that is the difference!

 

the one and only time we changed the ones in the metro, the replacement parts were from Unipart, but according to the packaging were made in turkey! they lasted about 24 hours

 

i've got a couple of sets of NOS Lucas "made in UK" ones in the spares stash, though i do keep looking at electronical ones. BUT as i know nothing about these things, i've yet to take the plunge and buy something! ideally i'd want to keep the dizzy looking stock, whether or not that is possible, well i dunno....

[danthecapriman]

the older original ones will have been made in birmingham or somewhere similar, not turkey or bloody china, that is the difference!

 

the one and only time we changed the ones in the metro, the replacement parts were from Unipart, but according to the packaging were made in turkey! they lasted about 24 hours

 

i've got a couple of sets of NOS Lucas "made in UK" ones in the spares stash, though i do keep looking at electronical ones. BUT as i know nothing about these things, i've yet to take the plunge and buy something! ideally i'd want to keep the dizzy looking stock, whether or not that is possible, well i dunno....

First electronic conversion I did was on the Mercury, it's really really easy! Rip out (not literally!) the points and condenser, fit the rotor or whatever the particular kit uses to the shaft of the dizzy inside, then screw the other bit with the wires in place where the points used to be, run wires to coil. That's about all!

Now it's done, looking at it you couldn't tell it's been done unless you remove the dizzy cap. Well worth it in my opinion.

[MarvinsMom]

fitting the electronical ignition will be one of those jobs that i will have to do in the future.

 

there are it seems that many different varieties, i just know i'd end up with some POS that either didn't work, or didn't fit!!

 

now if i could guarantee that i'd get the right one then i'd take the plunge.

 

next time we are in Minispares i'll have to ask one of the staff, only i hope i get someone who knows what an A+ series engine is, and not some spotty saturday youth. 

 

ok so i can wish!!

[dollywobbler]

My 2CV is running a points assisted set up that a mate bought in Maplins. Works really well. I've had two £100 fully electronic units fail - no, three actually, the third one was already fitted. Fair to say, I'm not keen.

[andy18s]

KIA is still annoying me with this 'odd' fault: Starts fine hot or cold, drive straight away and all is well, but, if you let it idle when cold for 30 seconds or so, it misfires, the check engine light comes on and it continues to misfire until you stop it, turn it off and start it again, when peace and love once more rule....

 

Check code ( I love my £15 eBay code reader ) just says: random misfire or some-such . Clear it and again, all is well. It has never done it when sat in traffic once warmed up a bit, though I have not so far had to sit in traffic at a standstill with a cold engine, so who knows.

 

I think this has been a recurring problem as the number two coil has been changed about three times over the years.... always by Halfords!

 

It did get serviced on Wednesday and I watched the entire process. Much to their disgust but I insisted. It now has new filters (boy did it need an air filter!) and more clean, fresh oil and to the correct level. The damage to the light/bumper is 'under discussion' so that means 'fob the twat off until he goes away' so I am in two minds (always.... never alone when you have multiple personality disorder ) as to continue pestering them to fix it or forget it and move on. I'm not really that bothered but sometimes, when people have pissed me off/pissed me around/tried to have my pants down, I like annoying people even though I KNOW I will get nowhere.

 

Car is as clean as a whistle underneath, which is nice and it continues to be a smooth, pleasant ride. I still like it much to my disgust

This sounds like a cold start valve problem,which will probably have its own temperature sensor somewhere.....

[Skizzer]

Sadly Maplin don't do those ignition amplifier kits any more, I just looked.  Maplin isn't much more than a toyshop these days, sadly,

 

(Maplins was the holiday camp in Hi-De-Hi, by the way, as Google just reminded me when I typed it in.)