The new news 24 thread

[EyesWeldedShut]

6 minutes ago, HillmanImp said:

So once it was sorted, drove the Volvo down to the garage where the Nissan is getting it's MOT tomorrow. Then popped into the Mazda that Mrs Imp had followed me down in and got taken back home. Once home, I hopped into the Audi, drove to where the Nissan is kept, parked the Audi up, jumped in the Nissan leaving the Audi in its place, drove the Nissan back to the garage, left the it there and then drove home in the Volvo.

We used to get logic puzzles like that in school?

"Mr Imp has four cars. Currently they are in the following locations......
He wants them to end up in these locations .......
To assist him he has Mrs Imp but she is only allowed to make one trip starting, and finishing, at location ..... however, she can visit the other locations en route but, importantly, is not allowed to cross her own tracks at any point.

This question is in two parts:
1) Design a flow chart that will fulfil Mr Imp's wishes in less than six steps.
2) If four star petrol is 75p a gallon and DERV is 90p a gallon - how much will your solution cost Mr Imp? Round up to the nearest penny."

[HillmanImp]

I wonder if there was a more efficient way of doing it. I was crap at stuff like that at school, I was probably inadvertently making my life difficult somehow. 😂

[EyesWeldedShut]

I couldn't tell you if there was a more efficient way of doing it - I'm crap at planning stuff like that in a logical order. (My wife, on the other hand, can glance at one of my SNAFUs and just fix it, click, like that. Galling)

[Spottedlaurel]

Some car stuff I've been playing with:

Vaguely assisted with swapping exhausts (as in I just assisted with the dumb bits where an extra pair of hands was required).

And a need for 1x centre cap ended up in purchasing 2x NOS wheels. Caps blanked out, who can guess what they're for? A clue (or not) is that they're Italian-made....

[richardmorris]

On 03/11/2025 at 20:16, EyesWeldedShut said:

We used to get logic puzzles like that in school?

"Mr Imp has four cars. Currently they are in the following locations......
He wants them to end up in these locations .......
To assist him he has Mrs Imp but she is only allowed to make one trip starting, and finishing, at location ..... however, she can visit the other locations en route but, importantly, is not allowed to cross her own tracks at any point.

This question is in two parts:
1) Design a flow chart that will fulfil Mr Imp's wishes in less than six steps.
2) If four star petrol is 75p a gallon and DERV is 90p a gallon - how much will your solution cost Mr Imp? Round up to the nearest penny."

I’ve a similar issue on Friday . Modern TIPO is booked for a dealer service from 8.30 and x1/9 a mot 15 miles away at 10.30. I am currently 210 miles from both appointments.

[auntiemaryscanary]

 

Spotted in a Devon car park. 3 of the 4 arches had tape expertly* applied.

[EspenO]

3 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

 

And a need for 1x centre cap ended up in purchasing 2x NOS wheels. Caps blanked out, who can guess what they're for? A clue (or not) is that they're Italian-made....

They remind me a bit of Carlsson Mercedes wheels, but they’re not. The japanese Mercedes, maybe? 🙂

 

[hairnet]

lexoooooose

[davehedgehog31]

10 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Some car stuff I've been playing with:

Vaguely assisted with swapping exhausts (as in I just assisted with the dumb bits where an extra pair of hands was required).

And a need for 1x centre cap ended up in purchasing 2x NOS wheels. Caps blanked out, who can guess what they're for? A clue (or not) is that they're Italian-made....

They look the same as the wheels I had on my "DHP" LS400.

[tooSavvy]

Something for our Chevron Lickers...

Cool

🚙💨

[wuvvum]

13 hours ago, richardmorris said:

I’ve a similar issue on Friday . Modern TIPO is booked for a dealer service from 8.30 and x1/9 a mot 15 miles away at 10.30. I am currently 210 miles from both appointments.

Sounds like you need to get yourself a Mrs Imp.

[tooSavvy]

1 hour ago, wuvvum said:

Sounds like you need to get yourself a Mrs Imp.

Nah... Something FAST >> Hillman IMP 😉

🚙💨

[richardmorris]

MOT a prep done.

[richardmorris]

[richardmorris]

[richardmorris]

[richardmorris]

120 miles since the last mot 🙄 . No advisories. 
 

just picked up the TIPO from the main dealer too- 4 year service and £30 +vat a plug! Luckily it’s only got three.

[Ghosty]

On 05/11/2025 at 00:31, EspenO said:

They remind me a bit of Carlsson Mercedes wheels, but they’re not. The japanese Mercedes, maybe? 🙂

 

 

On 04/11/2025 at 21:23, Spottedlaurel said:

Some car stuff I've been playing with:

Vaguely assisted with swapping exhausts (as in I just assisted with the dumb bits where an extra pair of hands was required).

And a need for 1x centre cap ended up in purchasing 2x NOS wheels. Caps blanked out, who can guess what they're for? A clue (or not) is that they're Italian-made....

LS400 Dynamic Handling Package wheels.

[Markeh]

At a music weekender. Am I intrigued by the music or the drinking?

No, apparently I'm spotting a Hyundai Atoz.

 

[davehedgehog31]

Posting this here as a reminder to myself about shite eBay parts, with each battle I have trying to fit some Chinese monkey metal which only vaguely resembles the factory part I swear "no more", yet here I am. 

The Boxster had a very minor but quite annoying issue. The drivers window didn't do the little "courtesy raise" when closing the door and let in a lot of wind noise as a result. The window also dropped father inside the door than it should and rattled when fully lowered.

This window drop function relies on a needlessly over engineered solution of microswitches, motor pulses and mechanical linkages (I know, I could barely believe it myself). All the correct signals were being sent, so I concluded it could only be a mechanical issue with the regulator. The action is seemingly very sensitive to correct regulator tension.

Uncertain in my diagnosis, I baulked at the £350 cost of a genuine regulator and plumped for £60 of your finest* eBay OEM equivalent*. I didn't even buy the cheapest one, which was a mistake in hindsight, if you're going to do it wrong then you may as well do it cheap too. 

This isn't actually too bad a job in theory, the tricky bit should be getting the glass aligned properly. I got the door card off and old regulator out in jig time.

This is where the fucking regulator shaped object of misery entered. An absolute pile of shite. It's taken me about four hours work to get this in and functioning somewhat like intended. It was so shite that I had to tap new screw threads into it, drill rivets out it and the mechanism itself is so slack from factory I had to add structural cable ties to take this up. It's at the absolute extremes of its adjustment and the glass is still not sitting quite right, it's pushing horizontally into the roof seal harder than it should be, the mounting points on the car allow for adjustment, but like I say no adjustment left.

There's an adjustable bump stop in the regulator which can go in two positions, one for a 986 boxster and one for a 996 911, it was of course in the latter position and the user adjustable part fucking riveted in place, probably because it cost half a penny for a rivet as opposed to a full one for a screw.

I'm not going to be used over winter so it will do for now to keep it dry, it has also worked to an extent so confirmed my diagnosis, but what a needless waste of time. If I had the real McCoy I'd have been satisfied with a job well done within about 90 minutes and it would have probably saw the car out. So many times I should have learned my lesson but I never do.

[BorniteIdentity]

On 02/11/2025 at 23:58, wuvvum said:

I had to climb out through the tailgate.

 

[paulplom]

7 hours ago, davehedgehog31 said:

Posting this here as a reminder to myself about shite eBay parts, with each battle I have trying to fit some Chinese monkey metal which only vaguely resembles the factory part I swear "no more", yet here I am. 

I bought a TRE for my van from ebay and had a garage fit it. It didn't pass the mot only 6 months or so later.

Utter garbage.

[EyesWeldedShut]

8 hours ago, davehedgehog31 said:

if you're going to do it wrong then you may as well do it cheap too.

I bought a Bini radiator from that eBay account which claimed it was a Nissens branded one. When it rocked up - it was cheap, unbranded thing but I (stupidly) fitted it anyway. Leaked at the hose connections from the get go. 
Sent it back and they said only a 50% refund as it had been fitted (!) despite the fact I was arguing it was (i) unfit for the purpose (ii) not as described. Ended up making a claim via credit card company for the full amount including the return postage. The seller hummed and hawed over that until I said I'd be CC claiming for my time (can I actually do that? no idea) and ancillary shite like a gallon of OAT coolant. 
Genuine Nissens one was £130 vs the £80 shite thing - lesson learned (again) there - how long will it stick in my head?

[Split_Pin]

Cheap parts are a lottery right enough. When I had the A8 I had the choice of an OEM radiator at £400 or a cheaper one at £150 and it was fine. It was from Autodoc however so perhaps they have some kind of standards.

Absolutely do not fit cheap suspension parts though, the lower arms on the 75 lasted 6 months before knocking and an MOT fail in January (as expected), just like I was warned they would do, by the chaps at Discount MG Rover Spares. I bought their own make and they've been perfect so far. 

[beko1987]

The carpartsdirect cheap wiper motor for the Nissan Qashqai is equally fucking shit. Done 2 in 6 months now, the 2nd lasted the longest as I sealed it up but still died during a heavy rainstorm last weekend 😡

Used genuine motor now fitted and it'll probably get wet again because the qq has a shit design but it's worlds better as a wiper motor!

Reminds me I need to tweak the drivers arm this weekend as it's not sat right 

[Somerset Suffolk]

1 hour ago, paulplom said:

I bought a TRE for my van from ebay and had a garage fit it. It didn't pass the mot only 6 months or so later.

Utter garbage.

Don't know about Porsche but the VW window regulators can be bought bolted to the metal panel - makes the job easier and cheap at £30 - always seem to work - I did try to fit just the regulator which was a fucking nightmare, so sympathies  for davehedgehog31  - parts seem to be getting more shite 

[davehedgehog31]

2 hours ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

I bought a Bini radiator from that eBay account which claimed it was a Nissens branded one. When it rocked up - it was cheap, unbranded thing but I (stupidly) fitted it anyway. Leaked at the hose connections from the get go. 
Sent it back and they said only a 50% refund as it had been fitted (!) despite the fact I was arguing it was (i) unfit for the purpose (ii) not as described. Ended up making a claim via credit card company for the full amount including the return postage. The seller hummed and hawed over that until I said I'd be CC claiming for my time (can I actually do that? no idea) and ancillary shite like a gallon of OAT coolant. 
Genuine Nissens one was £130 vs the £80 shite thing - lesson learned (again) there - how long will it stick in my head?

I've requested a refund. I can tolerate a bit of jiggery pokery with pattern parts, but to describe it as "OE Quality" when it's scarcely even the same shape is a bridge too far... 

I've clearly not learned my lesson because I've bought another aftermarket replacement 😅 From a Porsche specialist this time so hopefully their QC is a bit better, I'll eyeball it before fitting and if in any doubt send it back and pony up for the real one.

[Pat Earrings]

I’ve also had similar from them. NSF door actuator that just didn’t even work out the box.. Spent ages putting it all back together again to send it back for a refund, but time wasted. I ended up buying a genuine second hand one with everything on it already so was a quick swap over. 

[Snake Charmer]

Sold our MkIV Golf to a friend last weekend now the missus has an estate car for Nanny duties. Just before declaring SORN, the front lambda sensor heater circuit packed up so l bought a new sensor, should be a 5 minute job to replace as they point towards the radiator in plain sight.

Oh no it isn't. I had to replace both cats for the Mot two years ago and the aftermarket replacement manifold had the sensor bung 180° out pointing at the EGR valve so despite best efforts the manifold had to come off. One stud is covered by the PAS pump, alternator and aircon pump mounting bracket so the 30 seconds to swap the sensor took a couple hours plus the cost of a downpipe gasket.

Job done, car sold and gone. Car was due a service so l ordered all the kit through work with the intention of doing so later on the ramp at work. Tuesday he sends a text to say "Emissions Workshop" message and EML lit.

I go over that evening and read the codes, all sorts lit up on the dash to do with the brakes etc. Reset and eventually get it down to this:

I changed the plugs anyway as they have done around 30k, of course Euros sent the wrong standard Bosch plugs but also the correct unnecessary Iridium NGKs just in case.......

Reset the codes, did not return and apart from a slightly erratic idle speed the EML light etc has stayed off and he has done a trip to Bristol and back from Heathrow too so fingers crossed it stays that way until l can do the service and check for air leaks.

Her ladyship racked up around 27k miles in this car and apart from the cat replacement and one coil pack failure it has been super reliable. Until l sell it to a friend ffs!

[richardmorris]

50miles this morning.