The new news 24 thread

[wuvvum]

Thereifixedit.com

It's not quite finished yet - I need to secure the bottom of the bumper a bit better given that the undertray sadly passed away in the accident, and I ideally need to give the paint a polish where I rattle canned over the scuffs.  It's also far from perfect, there are still a few wonky bits and a split in the top of the bumper in the middle which isn't really visible with the tailgate closed.  It looks OK from a distance though, and it means the car looks properly roadworthy for the first time since the accident.

[S2000]

Last week my BMW told me it needed coolant partway through a 120 mile trip, checked it at home and topped up maybe 200 ml. Checked the level 2 days / 10 miles later and it’s back to where it was, no drips on the garage floor, expansion tank not cracked and no signs of residue/fluid near the cap…. Gonna be seriously fucked off if it’s OMGHF at 26K on the clock. Now got the fear to drive it in case it goes pop 🤔

[Split_Pin]

I took the E46 on its inaugural drive after fitting a new idle control valve and it immediately felt like a different car. Revs return to idle when driving and you lift off, like an auto should. Before, they would blip up about 200 rpm before erratically falling. The most annoying thing it used to do (other than bloody limp mode!) was that once you had reached your cruising speed on the motorway, the revs would suddenly rise about 200 rpm and stay there. Now they stay steady and when you lift off they fall smoothly. It feels faster and smoother too. No lights or limp mode.

So far so good then, a few more miles and I'll be comfortable to call it fixed.

One of my old cars that I liked very much has come up for sale so I need to have a bit of a think whether I'm keeping this or not, but at least I now won't have to take a bath on it if I do sell.

[stuboy]

On 17/03/2025 at 20:10, stuboy said:

plans of oil changes, and spark plugs been delayed due to new death 24 hrs in bed 

god sorry all i was still delrious...  i meant 24 near death with this viral illness going around

[SiC]

14 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I took the E46 on its inaugural drive after fitting a new idle control valve and it immediately felt like a different car. Revs return to idle when driving and you lift off, like an auto should. Before, they would blip up about 200 rpm before erratically falling. The most annoying thing it used to do (other than bloody limp mode!) was that once you had reached your cruising speed on the motorway, the revs would suddenly rise about 200 rpm and stay there. Now they stay steady and when you lift off they fall smoothly. It feels faster and smoother too. No lights or limp mode.

So far so good then, a few more miles and I'll be comfortable to call it fixed.

One of my old cars that I liked very much has come up for sale so I need to have a bit of a think whether I'm keeping this or not, but at least I now won't have to take a bath on it if I do sell.

Have the O2 sensor errors come back? I know some have said that resetting the adaptations can sort efficiency errors as they age. (Need INPA for that)

I know these cars are a PIA but once you get them running well then :chefkiss:

There are not many big engined RWD vehicles left in this world that aren't expensive. 

Also right now the parts for stuff like the E46/E9x are still readily available cheap in both second hand and new. Fitting most of them aren't a massive issue for access on this age either. It's just you have to put up with the occasional malaise or de-snagg a bunch of them if enough haven't been sorted by previous owners - problems that are knowingly known and not. Hopefully you've got through the worst of them on your 330Ci. 🤞

[Split_Pin]

46 minutes ago, SiC said:

Have the O2 sensor errors come back? 

Nothing yet! I am hoping that the ICV jamming up has caused some other downstream paraphernalia to do a funny.

I startled myself at lunchtime coming out the petrol station as it is now so responsive!

It does sound nice and handles well even on mixed budgets😂

I'm taking it to College tomorrow which is a decent run with mixed motorway and town driving. If it's still OK then it can stay for now...

[PhilA]

14 hours ago, stuboy said:

god sorry all i was still delrious...  i meant 24 near death with this viral illness going around

I had that. Wasn't nice. Still feeling the effects 2 weeks on.

Speedy recovery

[wuvvum]

I've done the sums for the repair costs to the Ampera and the grand total comes to £61.57.  That's for a secondhand replacement bumper crash bar, a rattle can of colour matched paint, new number plate, new bulbs for the fog and reversing light and a bulb holder for the reversing light, and a lens repair kit for the reversing light lens. 

I've not included the cost of the reversing camera (which hasn't been delivered yet) as the original camera didn't work so that counts as betterment.  I do still need to secure the bottom of the bumper underneath the car, but I should be able to do that with bits I already have.

I just find it odd that the insurers would choose to write off a car for such minimal damage.  OK the back of the boot well has a couple of small dents / scrapes where the bumper crash bar dug into it, but they don't affect anything - once I've sorted the bumper fixings the car will be just as usable as it ever was.  I'm not complaining mind, I'm basically back to where I was before the accident but with a few more quid in my pocket (didn't stay in my pocket for long though, but that's a story for tomorrow).

[JJ0063]

6 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I've done the sums for the repair costs to the Ampera and the grand total comes to £61.57.  That's for a secondhand replacement bumper crash bar, a rattle can of colour matched paint, new number plate, new bulbs for the fog and reversing light and a bulb holder for the reversing light, and a lens repair kit for the reversing light lens. 

I've not included the cost of the reversing camera (which hasn't been delivered yet) as the original camera didn't work so that counts as betterment.  I do still need to secure the bottom of the bumper underneath the car, but I should be able to do that with bits I already have.

I just find it odd that the insurers would choose to write off a car for such minimal damage.  OK the back of the boot well has a couple of small dents / scrapes where the bumper crash bar dug into it, but they don't affect anything - once I've sorted the bumper fixings the car will be just as usable as it ever was.  I'm not complaining mind, I'm basically back to where I was before the accident but with a few more quid in my pocket (didn't stay in my pocket for long though, but that's a story for tomorrow).

It’s mad I know but if you look at it from their POV

Hire car for a week

Brand new insurance approved bumper, crash bar, camera, reverse lense, number plate, reverse camera, good few hours labour, paint etc 

What costs you or I £61.57 to a level we’re happy with, would probably end up being £2000+ to repair ‘properly’ and with the other associated costs 

[SiC]

1 hour ago, JJ0063 said:

It’s mad I know but if you look at it from their POV

Hire car for a week

Brand new insurance approved bumper, crash bar, camera, reverse lense, number plate, reverse camera, good few hours labour, paint etc 

What costs you or I £61.57 to a level we’re happy with, would probably end up being £2000+ to repair ‘properly’ and with the other associated costs 

Plus any other problems found during repair that wasn't picked up by the assessor which could blow the budget even more. 

Then all the staff time costs to process a claim that takes longer. 

[Volksy]

I've probably mentioned this before, when one of my Company Merc A200's got rammed into the assessor missed a load of stuff. It really should have been a total loss, but they went for a repair. 

It was in the bodyshop for about 6 months in the end. As many parts were on back order, they then painted it the wrong colour, plus numerous other issues. 

Throughout this time the Insurers supplied me with a courtesy car. Like for like I got an A200 from Enterprise. 

When I returned it, I asked the chap what rate it had been hired on, turns out it was on a day rate of £62.00 per day. So the total bill just for the hire car was £11,656.00

I could have bought another A class with that. 

[SiC]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I'm taking it to College tomorrow which is a decent run with mixed motorway and town driving. If it's still OK then it can stay for now...

With the nicer dry sunny weather (at least down here), at least owning a nice sounding convertible is a bit more rewarding. 

I did read that the Idle Control Valve on the M54 also isn't just idle and deals with sub 2k rpm throttle control. Which would make sense if you're finding it drives better now. Plus if the old one was sticking open then it'd been effectively having an intake leak. If so then hopefully that's possibly why the O2 sensor cat efficiency codes have tripped and fingers crossed might self fix now. 

[wuvvum]

2 hours ago, JJ0063 said:

It’s mad I know but if you look at it from their POV

Hire car for a week

They did actually offer me a hire car, I turned it down because I was just using the Merc.  I did wonder though whether that was a mistake and whether forking out for a hire car might have focused their minds a bit and avoided the buggering about.  Probably not though, it would probably have just resulted in the management company dragging things out even more to milk the car hire.

[Markeh]

My friend managed to luck out when an attempted break-in happened on her 2008 - they'd bent the rear door back and smashed the window to gain access to the inside of the car. If they'd just tried the front door, there was an annoying pre-existing fault with the door wiring we believe that led to the driver's door not locking off the central locking, then they'd have got in without damage. We spent ages trying to find that fault and her garage had replaced modules and all sorts all without luck.

Lo and behold, the central locking was working when the car was back from being repaired!

[SiC]

30 minutes ago, Tayne said:

One of my e46s split the coolant bottle along a seem, it only opened up and leaked when warm so was a bit of effort to trace.

The tank in my Boxster did similar except just a crack that opened up rather than the seam. 

[stuboy]

8 hours ago, PhilA said:

I had that. Wasn't nice. Still feeling the effects 2 weeks on.

Speedy recovery

thank you,  weeks annual leave going too waste, so far

[trigger]

I've agreed to buy a 1982 Vauxhall Cavalier that I don't need or have space for as I can't bare it to just sit in a barn anymore 🙄

[Split_Pin]

29 minutes ago, trigger said:

don't need or have space for

Invalid reason Michael.

30 minutes ago, trigger said:

can't bare it to just sit in a barn anymore

Excellent! Drive and enjoy. Looking forward to some pictures.

[trigger]

Recommission, enjoy for a few months, I'm booked into the Festival of the unexceptional so will take it and then sell it back on afterwards is the plan.

It's still on its original Good Year tyres so they'll need replacing!

[wuvvum]

Yeah, 43 years is pushing it a bit for tyres.  The nearside rear tyre on my Volvo turns 35 next month and that's still going strong, but it spent most of its life as a spare. 

[Datsuncog]

Kinda surprised to see these shite-friendly t-shirts on the racks in Tesco:

Pity the Escort's a US version, but still...

[New POD]

4 hours ago, trigger said:

I've agreed to buy a 1982 Vauxhall Cavalier that I don't need or have space for as I can't bare it to just sit in a barn anymore 🙄

Oh tell @Cavcraft more. 

Please say its a burn orange one with a terracotta interior. Bonus points for a 2 door, a 1.3, and a 3 speed auto. Living the AS dream.  

[New POD]

9 hours ago, Tayne said:

One of my e46s split the coolant bottle along a seem, it only opened up and leaked when warm so was a bit of effort to trace.

I don't want to talk about it but my bAstrad has recently caused me angst.  The coolant reservoir was almost empty (there is no warning level indicator sensor).  I have done 70 miles having filled it back up.  Can not see a leak, when hot or cold. 

[Cavcraft]

4 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

Kinda surprised to see these shite-friendly t-shirts on the racks in Tesco:

Pity the Escort's a US version, but still...

That Cortina one though 😍 

[trigger]

4 hours ago, New POD said:

Oh tell @Cavcraft more. 

Please say its a burn orange one with a terracotta interior. Bonus points for a 2 door, a 1.3, and a 3 speed auto. Living the AS dream.  

It's not that glamorous! Think more smoke blue and 4 door.

I'll post more once it arrives 

[wuvvum]

To misquote Lawrence Oates, I'm just going on a collection mission, and may be some time.

Stage 1: i-Miev in to Norwich to catch a train. 

[mercedade]

11 hours ago, stuboy said:

thank you,  weeks annual leave going too waste, so far

NHS? Cancel the leave and take it as sick instead, 100%

[High Jetter]

12 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

To misquote Lawrence Oates, I'm just going on a collection mission, and may be some time  

Stage 1: i-Miev in to Norwich to catch a train. 

Chodspeed

[320touring]

24 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

To misquote Lawrence Oates, I'm just going on a collection mission, and may be some time  

Stage 1: i-Miev in to Norwich to catch a train. 

Oooh!

Just how daft have you been?

[wuvvum]

19 minutes ago, 320touring said:

Oooh!

Just how daft have you been?

We will find that out soon enough...

Train 1 of 2 achieved. 

This is something I haven't done before and is somewhat outside my comfort zone.  It also breaks one of the cardinal rules of chod buying.  So it should be an interesting mission - probably more interesting than the purchase itself in fact.