The new news 24 thread

[philibusmo]

Love the GT stickers on the Demio. Wasn't that one of the first cars you win on the original 1997 version?

 

It's the car you win from the 'sunday cup' pretty much the first set of races on the game. A championship comprising of three races, first Autumn Ring Mini, then High Speed Ring and finally Grand Valley East Section.

I just have so many memories of being 7-8 years old, having bought a Toyota Supra as my first car on GT and trying to win this championship, against Mazda Demios, Mitsubishi Mirage Cyborgs and Toyota Corolla Levins, finally managing to not spin off on every corner and winning a Mazda Demio A-spec.

[gearoil]

Vectra SRi - showing signs of HGF, guzzling a header tanks worth of coolant every 4 -5 days, mayo'd up etc, temp up & down like a yo-yo. Due a timing belt and the stem seals are showing their age, Its the V6 so two heads to skim. Price of parts is pretty much what a tider example would cost. I think I will chuck it through cartakeback.com claim my £240 and cash whats left of the tax in.

 

Car cost £400, serviced it, new disc's & drop links on the front, 4 part worn Michelin Pilots and 2.5 years of fault free service.

 

Its been a good budget banger.

[trigger]

Those GT stickers on the Demio are excellent!

[vulgalour]

Inidicator relay clicking on the Maestro is very likely damp related. Removed the sacrificial kitchen roll from the car today which resembled more a roll of papier maché so I shall assume that has done its task. Put a fresh kitchen roll in (dirt cheap stuff, not quilted pockety multilayered paper towelling) to see how much more it attracts. When the car gets properly warm in the cabin, the clicking stops apart from when the indicator is used, which is more normal.

 

Just a couple more days before the Princess is moved and I'm pretty excited about that because there's a plan to get the front end sorted out when we have a break in the weather. I'm fully expecting to jam the bonnet shut by accident too, because that's the way these things go.

 

Had a sad when putting stuff in and on the Polo ready for his collection. Had the car so long I never thought I'd end up parting with it and doing any amount of work on him now is just depressing, even though it's necessary for his removal. I think parting ways with the Polo will be a big motoring regret for me, but circumstances dictate that's how it should be, and I'd regret parting with the Princess far more. Who knows, in a couple of months I might have the Princess road legal again, it really won't need much to make another MoT attempt.

[Cavcraft]

Boring stuff but put a new battery on my lad's Corsa so I could have his old one for the Cavalier. Switched snazzy alloys from Cav to Corsa, lobbed about £2.00's worth of pez in the Cavalier and it fired straight up.

Sadly, it looks like the Cavalier is heading for scrap: I've had a decent go at selling it and pretty much all I've had is chancers, pisspots and fucking idiots. I really do understand why people don't bother trying to sell old cars and take them straight to scrap, rather than deal with morons.

 

Last job on today's list is to cop for the nearly new CD player out of lad's car as he's purchased some right fancy thing with a slide out screen and said I can have his other one. Then I just need to copy, sorry I mean buy a copy of Carter USM's excelsior Straw Donkey and I'm laughing.

[phil_lihp]

Why not bung it on ebay, start it at scrap price and see where it goes? That of course carries the risk of more chancers, pisspots and fucking idiots but you never know your luck. Seems a shame to scrap a perfectly good car but I can see why people do it.

 

I get the impression this is a very bad time of year to be selling a car, you'd think with everyone being broke that cheap cars would being selling like hotcakes but it would seem not. I have not had so much as a sniff of interest in mine and it's now on ebay, I'm starting to worry it won't sell even at the much lower price I've started it at and then I'm into serious loss-making territory, particularly as soon I'll have to start paying to store it.

[phil_lihp]

Ah, well fair enough I guess.

 

I have to say my previous experience of selling vehicles on ebay is limited but I auctioned my ropey Kangoo van about a year ago and despite only getting one bid (fair enough as I started the auction at the same price I'd bought it for a few months prior) it was pretty much the perfect transaction - he came and drove it before bidding, picked it up the next day and paid in cash, so I know it can happen.

[Cavcraft]

..and The Beatles and Maggie Thatcher.

 

 

I have someone local interested in it but if it falls through then ebay may be the answer. It is as you said the wrong time of year and also because it has one different coloured door it does look toss which won't help it's cause.

[Cavcraft]

Cav sold! Best of all the lads who bought it run a car bodywork place and are going to respray it!

[phil_lihp]

Winnah!

[HillmanImp]

Cav sold! Best of all the lads who bought it run a car bodywork place and are going to respray it!

 

[trigger]

[dollywobbler]

I'm bloody hopeless. I've had enough of trying to break the BX estate, deciding to repair the BX estate, then trying to sell the BX estate, then failing. So, I've made a firm commitment to saving it. A friend has offered to start welding it up, teaching me as he goes, so I can finish the job (then hopefully test the skills on the 2CV). I've ordered new discs and pads for the back end (hideously knackered) and asked a nearby-ish Citroen specialist for a quote for clutch replacement (c£300 I reckon). I may even get brave and decide to tackle that myself.

 

I reckon I still need a good load lugger. Yes, the hatchback is still very capacious, but it's also really nice and clean inside and I hate putting mucky stuff in it. The estate is larger and filthy from being used as a log store.

 

It also rather urgently needs a battery, as it can't hold a charge even overnight anymore. Would like to beat the £59 price I've found so far, though I must concede that that's pretty good for a battery with decent cranking oomph - rather essential for a diesel. It'll need a front caliper before long (because I pinched the recon one I'd fitted to it for the newer BX) and the timing belt is due, but not an immediate concern.

 

It was trawling through the service history that did it. I have the entire history of this car in a folder, from when it was a Cowie Interleasing motor, to when the next chap bought it (who lived in the same village that we did until 2010). I just can't bring myself to end that history just yet. Sappy idiot.

[chaseracer]

/\/\

 

Ian, consider how much of the Tiger-Stripey BeeArks's significant history YOU are responsible for. Good decision...

[cobblers]

See if you can blag a battery at trade price from GSF or somewhere, or know someone with a trade card for 'frauds - you should knock £20 or so off that price. Most places still have a lot of profit left in retail batteries.

[TimothyClaypole]

I've had these read then cleared off my Astra.

 

Any idea which would be intermittant and what each one is related to?

 

Car had no light on when my dad picked it up, it came on the day after then went off Christmas Eve then came back on Christmas Day, not come back on since having it cleared yet.

 

[ruffgeezer]

A suitable original engine has been found for my ax vts, so I am going to break it up and rebuild it as a standard car. Ho hum.

[ashmicro]

I've had these read then cleared off my Astra.

 

Any idea which would be intermittant and what each one is related to?

 

Car had no light on when my dad picked it up, it came on the day after then went off Christmas Eve then came back on Christmas Day, not come back on since having it cleared yet.

 

 

What year and model is the car mate, and I'll check.

 

EDIT: Just found my GM 2000 thingie, which has some repair info next to some of the codes.

[Cavcraft]

Ian, if you're passing Chester sometime give me a shout. I've got a Halford's trade card you're more than welcome to borrow to get a few quid off a battery. I got one a few days ago that was marked up at £59.99 and it was reduced to £42 I think with the card. I could probably get one for you if you're stuck and meet up somewhere one day.

[panhard65]

I've had these read then cleared off my Astra.

 

Any idea which would be intermittant and what each one is related to?

 

Car had no light on when my dad picked it up, it came on the day after then went off Christmas Eve then came back on Christmas Day, not come back on since having it cleared yet.

 

Try a google search of the P codes and see what comes up. I am no vauxhall expert but I am sure you will find what ones are linked to common failiures

[dollywobbler]

Thanks Billy but by the time I've got anywhere near you, the discount will have been burnt in fuel. I'll keep looking...

[TimothyClaypole]

The Astra is a 2003 1.7 Diesel.

[scaryoldcortina]

Given the wide spread of seemingly unrelated codes, I would first check the fusebox near the passenger side strut top, and the two relays in the box next to it - It looks to me like the ECU is getting a poor power feed. ECM fuse is the yellow one Also unplug/replug the ECU on top of the engine.

 

Always worth ruling the obvious out first

 

Failing that, I'd guess the EDU (pump unit) is about to die a horrid death because they ALL do.

[ashmicro]

First code is the glowplug relay, fuse, wiring or the glowplugs themselves.

 

The GM TIS is a bit hard to navigate. I'll report back with the others presently.

 

Sorry mate, I shouldn't have opened my big gob. My Vauxhall TIS keeps crashing, and I can find fuck all on it now.

 

I'll borrow my mate's disks tomorrow and let you know.

[TimothyClaypole]

About the only thing I can pick a fault with driving it, is the throttle is jerky when you try to drive smoothly, like it's backing off/on too fast or something and so far looks to be using too much diesel (only one the first tank though so far).

[scaryoldcortina]

About the only thing I can pick a fault with driving it, is the throttle is jerky when you try to drive smoothly, like it's backing off/on too fast or something and so far looks to be using too much diesel (only one the first tank though so far).

 

Those two relays I mentioned? One of them drives the fuel quantity adjuster Also, the whole lot runs through the yellow fuse.

[michael1703]

Just bought a merc 190e cosworth cheap, collect it next wednesday.... whats the worst that could happen?

[morris_ital_lover]

Just bought a merc 190e cosworth cheap, collect it next wednesday.... whats the worst that could happen?

 

{James May Mode} Martin Brundle said it was the best handling saloon car he'd ever driven so nothing could possibly go wrong[/James May Mode] (Obscure Topgear reference...)

 

It's a cheap sporty Merc Saloon... the only question is was it too cheap and is that for a reason. Good luck, you'll be winning the office car park circa 1985.

[Cavcraft]

I don't think you can go wrong with the 190 Cosworth, they are about the only 190 that is really popular and fetch ace money.

[Craig the Princess]

Actually did some work on a car for the first time in an age. Mrs the Princess has a Rover 414 that has been off the road since 2009 that we dedcided to recommission. Pushed the car out (after moving 5 others out of the way) and replaced it in the covered storage witht the red Ambassador. No oil on the ground, all looks good.

 

Oil and water fine, Jump started (eventually) from the Rover coupe then the oil light came on. Stopped engine, no obvious signs no nasty noices to started again and moved back about a yard when I see much arm waving as there is an Exxon Valdez-esq amount of oil on the ground.

 

Turns out the oil filer had rusted and when under pressure pissed out the oil through a pin-hole.

 

Hopefully I haven't cooked the engine (117,000 mile K-series, head has never been off so it much have been a decent one) as it was Grandad Mrs the Princess then Father Mrs the Princess' car from new. New filter fitted but I din't have any 10/40 oil so will fill up tomorrow and see how badly I've messed up. Did manage to do an initial wash of the crap off however so not all bad.