The new news 24 thread

[Guest Hooli]

Had exactly this problem many years ago on a Mark 1 Mini 850.

Replaced the brake master cylinder, all 4 slave cylinders, all 4 flexible hoses and all the metal brake lines, so new hydraulics throughout.

Tried bleeding the brakes the conventional way numerous times but pedal was still spongy and pumped up.

Finally in desperation I topped up the master cylinder reservoir, opened all four wheel cylinder bleed valves at once, pumped the pedal as hard as I could about 6 times then tightened them up again.

Result: one hell of a mess on the garage floor, but brakes were much better.

Left for a day to settle then re-bled normally and finally achieved the desired firm pedal.

 

May be worth a try since all your other efforts seem to have failed?

 

Some years later, when working with a mechanic friend on a Citroen GS, we had the same problem and solved it by opening all the bleed valves and driving it at speed onto the four-post ramp.

Because the suspension and brakes on the GS use the same fluid, pressurising the suspension forced fluid out of all the nipples and solved the problem.

 

If I've got a dry brake system I always open all the nipples & keep filling from the top until it leaks out, much easier than bleeding it all through.

[Ghosty]

How do you bypass alarms easily? Judging by the LED on the steering column flashing like fuck when I lock it on the remote sometimes (or if I lock and leave it for a while) I think the Prelude's alarm is still trying to trigger even though the siren is disconnected, and I'm suspicious it might be draining the battery. 

 

Can I just join the wires that'd go to the alarm/sensors to make a full circuit that thus is impossible to trigger?

 

I still want the central locking to work on the remote if possible.

[cort16]

I’m off on my first semi long distance car pickup in a long time .

It’s modern but high liability the seller having declared it’s got an intermittent misfire.

Good news is I managed to upgrade to first class on the big train from Glasgow for 3 quid .

[320touring]

Good luck Cort!

[cort16]

Cheers, it’s nice just to have a day out and get some peace And quiet

[dean36014]

Forgot to update this yesterday. Collection achieved and the drive home I can only describe as the most relaxed and comfortable i think I've ever had. Few little issues to sort out, need some trim around the radio and the most important is only the passenger door lock works. Its great fun with a knackered spine trying to reach over and open the drivers door. I've a chinese remote locking kit that should sort that out. On the plus side my drive now looks like this.

[320touring]

The 335 has been dug out a hedge, the GSA battery fitted and driven for an MOT...

 

Will update

[320touring]

Scores on the doors.. Oi

 

I knew it'd fail re clamp - need to locate one!

 

Other fails ain't too bad tbh. My bro can do the haunbrake

[cort16]

Someone has gone under the train just outside Glasgow

[HillmanImp]

Someone has gone under the train just outside Glasgow

Not what you needed. Or them for that matter. What a bummer for everyone involved.

[cort16]

indeed . I might need to abort if it’s delayed for a long time .

Not much you can do though.

[mrbenn]

Poor bugger

[SiC]

Poor bugger

Ditto for the train driver. :/

[Tadhg Tiogar]

New plug set for the CX, costing all of £6! Can't remember where my feeler gauge is, but the optimal gap is supposed to be 0.8mm.....

 

[dozeydustman]

I do feel for the train driver and the passengers when this happens. Driver will more than likely be rested for a while then pensioned off the poor sod.

[bramz7]

Took the Xantia for a spin this morning and it's only levelled itself out. Weird. I'm still taking it to the garage though...

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Took the Xantia for a spin this morning and it's only levelled itself out. Weird. I'm still taking it to the garage though...

You're probably waking things up by driving it more often. Can only be a good sign; cars were meant to be driven.

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Went to see the 2cv earlier. It went for MOT and brake attention in mid February and is still there!

 

The brakes turned out to need rebuilding which I could understand as it doesn't get as much use as it should. The main concern was the floors. When they lifted it up, they found the floors and sills utterly rotten. While I could understand rust, the level of bodgery was horrific. The mechanic showed me stainless steel plates that were either riveted or masticed to the floor! These were obviously barely attached, and every repair just led to more work being uncovered . The drivers door was barely attached!

 

If I had been maintaining the car it would be one thing, but I PAID "mechanics" and "specialists" to do this on the understanding that they knew what they were doing and they were making the car better. Perhaps worst of all, it has done only a couple of hundred miles since the last MOT, so how the hell did it pass!

 

Clearly I wont be using my previous mechanic again, and I admit that I thought that this garage was looking for work and ripping me off, having now seen the scale of the rot ,it is terrifying. I took my nieces and nephew in that car!

 

It upsets me that people would do such shoddy repairs to people's cars. I do not have a great deal of money, but have never scrimped on the cars (myself yes, but not the cars) If they need something doing it is done. They could have charged extra and done it properly or just told me that they couldn't do it.

Dude, you are definitely not the first and certainly won't be the last....... sadly. I took a Spitfire in return for movies owed as it had been 'restored' professionally. I noticed a few small things and started a fix, turning on not a full on rebuild once the sill caught fire from grinder action - the entire thing was stuffed with oiled newspaper and wobbed over. I'd had my 3yr old son in there..... I'm still planning a hunting trip involving the specialist involved.

 

Learned my lesson though, now all work (if I farm it out) is with photos taken at every stage - for the vehicle file....... most garages are cool with that request.

[bramz7]

You're probably waking things up by driving it more often. Can only be a good sign; cars were meant to be driven.

Agreed, especially as it's so nice to drive.

[cort16]

Collection aborted. This was the last train before major works on the line the alternative is a bus to Carlisle . By the time I get there the dealer will be shut . Rescheduled for friday.

[Kiltox]

Collection aborted. This was the last train before major works on the line the alternative is a bus to Carlisle . By the time I get there the dealer will be shut . Rescheduled for friday.

Divine intervention?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Divine intervention?

Or "Drat! And double drat!!"

[cort16]

Dunno, it wasn’t to be anyway I hadn’t even taken my jacket off before it stopped.

[cort16]

Seller is now kicking off about it not being picked up .

I can see my 150 deposit going down the stank.

[Tickman]

Seller is now kicking off about it not being picked up .

I can see my 150 deposit going down the stank.

 

Distance selling regulations any use here?

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

 IS THIS THE GOD OF SHITE SPOTTED ON CULEKTSHON RUN?

 

  

 

*Some one I know* had slowed down to take a pic of this event and sent it to me. Just so happens that they have the same coloured shite as me too.

[cort16]

I’m thinking could I drive down, pay for it then stick in a car park until I can go and get it.

[bramz7]

Train station car parks can be quite cheap depending on where they are. I often park in them and get a train (although I get PRIV so cheap) to town/city centres.

 

Might not be of course.

[DodgeRover]

Seller is now kicking off about it not being picked up .

I can see my 150 deposit going down the stank.

They'll have to stay open then won't they?

[cort16]

Tbh I don’t want to spend 5 hours on a bus 4 hours after I left the house.

They’re getting a price for delivery failing that I might just sack it off as a bad omen.