The new news 24 thread

[Noel Tidybeard]

Oh, and a forgotten pic from yesterday. Nissan Vanette towing a Citroen Dyane. Living the dream or what?

 

or is the shitroen pushing the datsun?

[Lacquer Peel]

2 people test, put a jump lead straight to the glow plugs for 20 seconds, second person turns key once cable holder yells clear, takes too long to do it on your own

No need for two people.

 

[dave21478]

I put my winter tyres on the Escort today. Being lazy I jacked it in the middle of the sill to do front and rear at the same time. Sills are crusty as fuck. She will certainly be getting weighed in at the end of winter.

[reb]

Update!!!

The golf is no longer turning over, all the lights come on but nothing happens.

 

I can however confirm it is bloody freezing.

 

 

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[Lacquer Peel]

What does it need? I can nick the starter off my dormant Skoda if that's the issue.

[alcyonecorporation]

 

 

Axminster y0! Briefly got to see the SVX before it was packed off to the gearbox place.

Trailer bloke was puzzled when it fired and drove happily on to the trailer; explained it appeared fine but would throw a wobbler 300 yards down the road and pop out of drive.

 

Had a set of new tyres fitted just before the 4EAT crapped itself and the fitting place did an utterly shite job balancing the wheels - the car was shaking itself to bits over 40 mph.

 

I've already got people telling me that my plans to fit an external oil cooler is 'a bodge'. No, it isn't. Built in radiator/autobox coolers are a stupid idea and doomed to fail when the radiator ages; while you're replacing the rad, you might as well spend thrice as much money again and drain coolant out of the torque convertor! GENIUS.

[Lacquer Peel]

Not tempted to stick a third pedal in?

Anything that improves the life of the notorious auto box in these is not a bodge.

[alcyonecorporation]

Not tempted to stick a third pedal in?

Anything that improves the life of the notorious auto box in these is not a bodge.

I like it as an auto.

 

Plus, you're into stupid, stupid money converting one to manual - pretty much double what sorting the 4EAT would set you back. People put six speed Impreza and Legacy manuals in them, but they're all the coin before you've even chopped the shell up.

 

They're also....not that quick as standard - to make the most of the manual box you'd need to spend money on the engine as well. 230bhp and 1670kg aren't recipes for neck snapping go; a 2.5 V6 75 would be half a car length ahead of an SVX to 60. I'd be going faster flat out, and I'd be a damn sight quicker when it rained, but we're losing sight of what the car was built to do: sit silently on motorway at between NSL and a ton all day, with the occasional B road thrap to get to a posh hotel.

 

Don't get me wrong, I haven't discounted it. I've driven a manual Alcyone and they're a laugh, but it changes the character of the car. I want the SVX to be lazy; if I wanted to swap cogs and rag about, I'd sell more of my fleet and buy a GF8 Impreza instead. I might still do that.

 

Right now, I haven't got the money to convert it to a manual and laying it up while I saved wouldn't do it any good.

I am not a rich man: most of my stupid projects are funded by selling other cars, other parts, joint projects with work or occasional forays into overdrafts.

 

I might slowly gather the parts to do it as I'm friendly with a few specialists now.

 

Right now, I want it back on the road.

[reb]

What does it need? I can nick the starter off my dormant Skoda if that's the issue.

Bad connection on the solenoid, probably caused by a fucked starter. Fixed now, definitely a new starter very soon though.

 

 

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[drum]

Had an email from gumtree thanking me for posting an ad.

I logged into my gumtree account and sure enough, I'm selling a vw Tiguan in London.

Contact was John(me) on a mobile number (not mine).

 

The only way to contact gumtree is via live chat.

After waiting in a queue, I chat to Mike, who likes music and art and a few cold ones with free thinking friends.

Don't worry, he didnt tell me this personally, he has a blurb. It failed to mention his poor spelling and grammar.

 

Anyway, Mike claims I've been duped by a fake email and given my gumtree login to a con artist. Said con artist won't have a Tiguan and will be hoping to rob someone of a deposit.

 

I definitely haven't given my gumtree login to anyone. I suggested to Mike that maybe their security could have been compromised.

 

The ad has been deleted and I have a new password.

[Lacquer Peel]

Bad connection on the solenoid, probably caused by a fucked starter. Fixed now, definitely a new starter very soon though.

 

 

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I can deliver a known good starter tomorrow.

[SiC]

Had an email from gumtree thanking me for posting an ad.

I logged into my gumtree account and sure enough, I'm selling a vw Tiguan in London.

Contact was John(me) on a mobile number (not mine).

 

The only way to contact gumtree is via live chat.

After waiting in a queue, I chat to Mike, who likes music and art and a few cold ones with free thinking friends.

Don't worry, he didnt tell me this personally, he has a blurb. It failed to mention his poor spelling and grammar.

 

Anyway, Mike claims I've been duped by a fake email and given my gumtree login to a con artist. Said con artist won't have a Tiguan and will be hoping to rob someone of a deposit.

 

I definitely haven't given my gumtree login to anyone. I suggested to Mike that maybe their security could have been compromised.

 

The ad has been deleted and I have a new password.

Do you use the same password across different websites? If so, another website you use could have been comprimised, sold details on and your email+password combo used on other sites to see if they work.

 

Can check your email address here: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

[drum]

Do you use the same password across different websites? If so, another website you use could have been comprimised, sold details on and your email+password combo used on other sites to see if they work.Can check your email address here: https://haveibeenpwned.com/

According to that, I've been pwned? on two sites.

[alcyonecorporation]

 

I also visited 'misery corner' this morning - where my dizzler 605 and 960 estate currently live.

 

The 605 is spoken for and I *think* the 960 will be leaving too - but logistics for the bloke interested are a bit difficult ATM.

[bangernomics]

Further investigations into the People's Car's slow cranking from cold that was the reason for the low price tag.

 

First I checked the glow plugs. They are easy enough to remove so I used the crude method of connecting them and seeing if they glow. All four were dead, so were replaced with 80% of the dead V70's plugs, which passed the same test.

 

 

 

 

That made it worse if anything. Next I checked the voltage at the starter, the glow plugs dragged it down and cranking dragged it down even more- and produced quite a lot of heat. I removed the main feed cable and found that the terminal was a bit loose. I tightened it, refitted the main feed cable and all seemed well.

 

 

It's the nut between the terminal and the solenoid that was loose, so full power wasn't getting through, even though the nut holding the terminal itself on was tight. Somebody has suspected problems in this area before because that yellow crimp terminal isn't standard. All that wire does is energise the solenoid so it pretty much either works or doesn't.

 

It was treated to new fuel and air filters. The air filter wasn't too bad but I've a feeling the fuel filter had been there a long time, people don't seem to see them as consumables.

 

 

It'll be getting an oil change soon. I've never dealt with those paper element oil filters they have now. Do I have to use a proper tool to open it or will the tool I use for spin on filters do?

 

Proper tool/socket and watch torque

[drum]

I think some of these VWs need a 36mm socket for the oil filter.

[AMC Rebel]

Collected daughter from exes in crying pumpkin. Ex ridiculed it mercilessly claiming it would soon break down etc.

Drove to Ma's, was parking and it shredded the fan belt

 

[M'coli]

^^^Puma will be pressed into service for the long-distance commute this week, the 106 water pump leak was a job started late in the day due to a job interview and won't be finished in time to head south.

[Lacquer Peel]

I think some of these VWs need a 36mm socket for the oil filter.

Smooth top, no allowance for shifting it with a socket. I shifted mine with a massive set of Stilsons.

 

 

Starter motor retrieved for Reb's people's car.

[reb]

Smooth top, no allowance for shifting it with a socket. I shifted mine with a massive set of Stilsons.

 

 

Starter motor retrieved for Reb's people's car.

Thank you very much! Work are less than amused at my habit of occasionally ending up immobile somewhere. Thankfully tonight one of the shift runners loaned me his car when we couldn't cope without me doing deliveries, the beauty of business insurance! Unfortunately it's a 5 year old Corsa. All Vauxhalls R Shit. Weird indicators, couldn't find the headlight switch and it bonged at me when I opened the door.

 

 

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[Lacquer Peel]

No worries! I know you're reliant on your car, you and your dad are doing me a massive favour with the Polo and I won't need that starter motor for a while.

 

Modern GM indicators are the pits. Not intuitive at all.

[tooSavvy]

...Weird indicators, couldn't find the headlight switch and it bonged at me when I opened the door.

Ha! Same with ToMM© M8

 

Winker Wipers wrong way round (I drive a Partner all day)

1/2 dipped lights come on with sides

BONGS if I take key out with Sunroof open/Lights on

 

25year old ffinn $hite... what can I say

 

 

TS

[dollywobbler]

Going back to Gumtree, that's not the first time I've heard of people having their accounts hacked to sell a car. Like you say, they need to work on their security.

[purplebargeken]

Mr D, such a shame about the big Volvo, it looked bloody solid and the interior would have revived with not much effortings.

[Roverageous]

Why is it that to get from Aylesbury to Fleet (which is 1:30ish in the car) I'd need four trains and 3 hours (not to mention £60).

 

This is the only hurdle left in a potential new purchase but I fear it will be the stumbling block!

 

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[loserone]

Going back to Gumtree, that's not the first time I've heard of people having their accounts hacked to sell a car. Like you say, they need to work on their security.

 

Could be right..

 

 

EDIT: on the other hand, if your credentials have been compromised elsewhere that's the simplest explanation.  Time for a password changing session! 

[Supernaut]

For passwords, I usually make them a sarcastic comment about the site the password is for, with capital letters on each word, plus a number and an exclamation mark on the end. Very strong, and unique for each site.

[Guest Hooli]

I believe most accounts are hacked via the security questions rather than guessing the passwords.

[phil_lihp]

I had a bit of a disaster with the Hiace yesterday, went over to a friend's house as he has a big, flat, level driveway (mine is none of those things and the van won't fit on it) so I could do the oil change it's been needing for some time now.

 

All went quite well, didn't even have to jack it up, oil filter came off easily, old oil out - in fact the only hassle was getting the undertray off due to seized bolts.  New filter on and tightened up, new oil in (7 litres), fired it up...oh, oil pressure warning light's not going out.  Then my friend, who was walking past, shouted at me to turn it off - oil was gushing out of the engine.  In 10 seconds it emptied about 3-4 litres onto his driveway from the oil filter (sump plug was nice and tight and bone dry).  In the end, after putting the old filter back on and the same thing happening and much faffing about in fading daylight, I called out Autoaid as I had to assume there was something amiss with the filter connection on the block and I had to get the van off his driveway.  Turns out, as the slightly surly chap who arrived within 20 minutes found, the seal had come off the new one and had stayed hanging on the filter screw mount, so when the old one was put back, it was pressed against the dangling rubber seal and not the block.  The exhaust manifold is in the way so although the filter itself is very accessible, the mating surface is not visible.

 

Seal reattached to new filter, oil topped back up and all is now OK but he advised to change the filter again anyway, the seal wasn't seating properly for some reason, he got it to stay on but it's not very confidence-inspiring.  Odd, as I made sure I got a decent MANN one which isn't normally a problem.  The old oil was thick and black so a second flush through won't be a terrible thing for it.

 

Quite frustrated with myself, first time I've ever cocked up an oil change like that and of course it had to be the one time I use someone else's driveway.  He's a nice guy and took it very well, said he wasn't overly bothered and it's been cleaned up with copious cat litter but I now have a job next weekend to go and clean it up properly or get a professional company out to do it.  Fortunately it's an old tarmac driveway and not posh brick paving or something similar.

 

I'm getting a bit fed up of the old car malarky at the moment...the Puma's heater's stopped working (the usual heater control valve I suspect) so I'll have to sort that soon, the van's service turned what should have been a quick hour's work into a 4 hour stress-fest and the Rover was just a constant pain in the backside.  Everything I've done on the Skoda's been a pain for one reason or another and I'm not sure I have enough confidence in my own abilities at the moment - I love the economy of getting a good car for a few hundred pounds and when the weather's nice I don't mind tinkering and doing my own servicing but I'm no mechanic and this sort of incident makes me think I should stop mucking about and get the professionals to do it.  I know a couple of good local mechanics I use for bigger jobs and I think sometimes it really isn't worth ruining a precious day off over saving a few quid on a service sometimes.

[dollywobbler]

If it makes you feel better, I absolutely cannot perform an oil change with spillage of some sort. Every single time. Handy tip. I tend to lay sheets of cardboard everywhere now, so spillage doesn't ruin the driveway...