The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

@Moogster:  I had what you're describing with the Princess.  Whenever it conked out - usually entirely randomly - after you'd eventually coerced it to fire up you'd have to leave it for a while before you could start it again.  Sometimes it would start with no bother, sometimes it would struggle and when you set off more often than not it would really bog down and refuse to rev enough.

 

Solution was to fit a new condenser which cost all of about £2 or something.

 

Having said all that, if your Pug is a diesel I'm not sure it would be the same problem, but it does seem a bit more ignition/electrical/sparks than fuel from what you're describing.

[The Moog]

Vulg it is diesel so none of that sparking stuff pretty sure it is the veg mix as now starts happily enough thinned downa bit

[scruff]

BAD - Truckshite Canter appears to have turded the starter motor.

 

GOOD - Local farmer neighbour just popped round to ask if I'd be up for some casual harvest work this summer. Should be some nice beer money 

[Lord Sterling]

Not sure about the Sirion not being great on motorways. Mine is far better there than around town. City car FAIL. Yes, it's doing 4000rpm at 80mph, but it's very smooth!

I drove it to work this morning and I must admit, it did have some kick in it at around 50mph. Really surprising. Bought the Skoda home but I've got the Diahatsu back tonight.

[scruff]

They love Sirions round here, the village garage was a Daihatsu dealer (as photosnapped by Dugong). Haven't seen any older ones though.

[dollywobbler]

LS - is the ride hopelessly crap in that Sirion? If it isn't, I fear I might have to unleash some readies on a bit of a refurb for mine - though it rode quite nicely when the rear seat was full of Scotoshiters. An impractical solution.

[richardmorris]

Oh, meant to say that the memorable autoshite moment at the hotel (Le Cheval Blanc in Giffaumont Champeaubert) was a youngish couple arriving in a Lacquer peeling and dented Rover 800 while I was enjoying  a Leffe on the terrace. They walked up, sat down and ordered a bottle of champagne. These French know how to spend their money!

[320touring]

320 now taxed! time forto get it drivings:)

[wuvvum]

Well the petro patch repair on the Spacy was an epic fail.  The oil is now simply leaking around the putty.  It's also definitely leaking from other places as well, including round a couple of the bolts.  I've come to the conclusion that 30-year-old seals simply can't cope with the 5w30 fully synth I've been feeding it on, so next weekend it's going to get drained, the joins plastered with exhaust paste to be on the safe side, the bolts loosened, Hylomared and retightened, then it's getting refilled with good old fashioned 20w50 mineral oil (which the workshop manual says it should be OK on anyway).  Then hopefully I can finally start using the fugging thing properly.

[The Moog]

3rd days running the 405 decided to be an arse. Starts straight away with a bit of the usual smoke and idles okish. It is fine until i try to go up the hill to get on the main road and then it dies. It cuts out and wont restart.

 

Today i discovered if i pump the fuel bulb about 10 times then it will catch.

 

Swapped in a new fuel filter yesterday and diesel leak off pipes today. Also got new air and oil filters at the weekend.

The plastic housing is sealed to within an inch of its life and the other hoses look good.

 

Up to last week it had been merrily chugging away. Then it started developing flat spots, hence the first fuel filter change. Engine has got 240k on it so did wonder if it is the fuel pump being a bugger

 

I can also hear a little hiss from the brake servo so that is going to have to be changed. Only just MOTd and taxed it.

[beko1987]

I got asked to move a collagues hire car that had been delivered at 5.45 last night.

 

Had a brief blazz around the industrial estate and the brakes are on/off, accellerator pedal is tiny, cant see shit all out of it as the windows are tiny, the rear tints are so dark there may as well not be any windows there, all the pillars are 3ft thick and caused me great grief trying to park as I couldnt see anything, suspension is hard over speed bumps at 35mph and the interior is tiny.

 

Verdict - 6.2/10 - looks ok, is an auto and the wheels look nice. I would look forward to buying one in the future, possibly from scotvolvoland but I imagine they will all explode before their 3rd owner!

[trigger]

Talking of new cars (all modern cars R shit etc) My sister came up from Cornwall with this works demonstrator for the weekend, yesterday i went to Sa'fend as a passenger in it, I must say these new Fiestas are really nice cars, this one's a 1.6 TDCi 95bhp Zetec S, she said it's a bit slow (It still seemed ok to me but shes used to the 1.0 ecoboost 125 model) but it's only done 1200 miles so was running in still but it was returning 48mpg which again i think wasn't bad. Lots of room in the back unlike the old Fiestas, quiet and smooth and this one was a really nice colour with matching instrument dials. 

 

I'm pretty impressed myself and can see them being a good secondhand buy in a few years time.

 

 

[dollywobbler]

Are you sure it's the servo hissing Moog? Just a thought but on the BX, there are fuel lines down the back of the engine that can deteriorate and allow air leaks. That'd certainly cause your issues.

[Honey Badger]

Dropped the coupe off for its MOT tonight, looking forward to hovering near the phone in a slightly nervous manner all day tomorrow.

[The Moog]

Are you sure it's the servo hissing Moog? .

I think so. Would explain the occasionally solid pedal in the morning.

 

I did clean out the in tank filter at the weekend and wonder if i attached the hoses back correctly. Pretty sure i did but will start with the basics again.

 

Strangely once it has been out on a run it starts straight away. It still has flat spots and top end has a loss of power.

[Angrydicky]

The Somerset is back in business, it was just a faulty condenser. To celebrate I collected the A35 from my grandparents and drove it to the paint supplier on Canvey, where I collected 2 litres of finest Champagne Beige and an aerosol of Island Blue, the latter I used to touch in the primered bits on the baby Austin. It looks much better. I also got the front end of the Maestro stripped down, ready for its much-awaited respray. Fingers crossed I can get a sensible insurance quote for it next month, so I can finally drive it.

[EssDeeWon]

Well the trip up north was a waste of time, the car in question was a 1987 Rover 2600VDP with 67k and garaged kept etc...

 

No way I was parting with £1500 for it, all the paperwork, MOTs and history have been chucked away, interior really grubby and cambelt last done in 2006 !! Think I was safer getting the train home, still not a bad day as it was a good train ride and I had a short ride in an SD1.

 

Back to the drawing board, maybe something closer to home..

[tooSavvy]

I have started to get 'Low speed ABS klannking' This - I'm informed - is the ABS ring having rusted through/split and the ABS is getting 'befuzzled' and popping the brakes. Only happens below 10MPH... sure giveaway...

 

SO... I looks on t'web and find only one supplier @ £35.  FleeBay has $hit loads for other cars @ £2.99.....

 

well.... I'm hoping to find someone who might ship for a bit less

 

 

GuttEd

 

TS

[Skoze]

I did a bloody great burnout when I went home and i'm really proud of it.



I also had a guy offer me £6500 for the car at Classic Ford, clearly some people are fucking mental. 

[Lankytim]

I think so. Would explain the occasionally solid pedal in the morning.

 

I did clean out the in tank filter at the weekend and wonder if i attached the hoses back correctly. Pretty sure i did but will start with the basics again.

 

Strangely once it has been out on a run it starts straight away. It still has flat spots and top end has a loss of power.

 

 

My diesel XM was doing similar recently, it was a partially blocked fuel feed line! I blew it out with an air line and a load of paint flakes flew out- i'd refilled it with a gerry can and the paint had flaked off inside. 

 

It sounds like a fuel feed problem anyway.

[cort16]

They're doing some amazing lease deals on the new Fiesta ST, which I bet is a great drive. I'd have gone for it myself but I now need space for the cortmunchkinz prams n shit.

 

http://www.smartlease.co.uk/car-leasing-ford-fiesta-st.html

 

Good deals on the ecoboost too

 

http://www.smartlease.co.uk/car-leasing-ford-fiesta-zetec-s-ecoboost-3door.html

 

As if I've not hae my fill of shit BMW's today I decided to start to change over the rocker cover gasket on my 5 series, which I suspect is the main offender when it comes to oil leaks and also the reason it's like puff the magic dragon at traffic lights. I intended to just go out and remove all the plastic bits (of which there are many) then I got a bit carried away and erm, this happened.

 

 

The gasket has the feel of a kipper thats been smoked for 14 years and just fell apart when I peeled it off so well worth changing. The gasket was only £15 too, which is 30 quid less than the BMW one the robbing bastards althought to be fair it's probably less likely to leak.

This thing is definetely getting punted as I hate working on my daily drive I just want them to work!

[cort16]

I also spotted this yesterday, which briefly took my mind off all my BMW woes. What a stunna.

It was totally spotless and had original dalblair of ayr plates on it. I also like the slight drop and BBS wheels being countered by a tartan rug installed on the back seats.

 

I lurked a around a bit so I could bore whoever owned it with stories of my own slightly shitter cortina but I had to leave in the end.

 

[Pillock]

Trigger, i had an Ecoboost Titanium Fiesta as a courtesy car recently.... Epic! Awesome engine and the car itself is really well put together.

 

Don't buy the PSA diesel though, yeah. Headaches.

[320touring]

Spotted this whilst fuelling up the520i (again)

 

 

 

Also got some work done on my brother's e30..

[stuboy]

was it too much to ask..

well i went here and got 2 new track rod ends..

fitted..

also put some paint on suspension legs..

then off to tyre place for tracking..

waited 1hr40 mins then..

 

to be told there ramp too steep to the tracking area and not enough gap in the arch to put the equipment..

 

so i went to here.. tyre web..left it there and was done in 45mins

 

no problem get tracking done bar it was twice the price..

 

and done..

 

[Junkman]

RoD back from tame carb wizard. I had no idea these can run this smooth and sound this good.

Taking off from the workshop in the rain with usual accelerator pressage resulted in wheel spin being had!

[The Moog]

My diesel XM was doing similar recently, it was a partially blocked fuel feed line! I blew it out with an air line and a load of paint flakes flew out- i'd refilled it with a gerry can and the paint had flaked off inside.

 

It sounds like a fuel feed problem anyway.

Tightened and checked all the connections and they seem fine. I agree i think it is fuel related.

 

Did the same today, starts a bit Smokey idles roughly, revs ok, set off up the hill cuts out almost at the top.

 

Strangely once run for about 15 mins it seems ok and starts fine. I have been running it on 100% veg since i got it and do wonder if i have screwed the pump.

 

Currently got 15 l of diesel, 2l petrol and rest is veg in it.

 

My thinking that when cold and veg is thicker pump struggles, once warm can cope except when under load.

 

Would that make sense? Any way to check?

[dollywobbler]

Went for a drive in the Sirion. Pulled over, turned the engine off but left (accidentally) the headlamps on. Five minutes later, flat battery! I was in a short, flat layby with another car in it. Took five attempts, but I just about managed to get enough momentum up to bump start it, without crashing into the other car. That was good, as I'd left my phone at home.

 

It is a tiny battery, but I still thought it'd last a bit longer than a few minutes. Checked it when I got back and the alternator is doing its thing. Will have to see how it goes. Can still leave the car for days and it starts readily, so hopefully just a one-off and lesson learnt!

[Bobthebeard]

Went for a drive in the Sirion. Pulled over, turned the engine off but left (accidentally) the headlamps on. Five minutes later, flat battery! I was in a short, flat layby with another car in it. Took five attempts, but I just about managed to get enough momentum up to bump start it, without crashing into the other car. That was good, as I'd left my phone at home.

 

It is a tiny battery, but I still thought it'd last a bit longer than a few minutes. Checked it when I got back and the alternator is doing its thing. Will have to see how it goes. Can still leave the car for days and it starts readily, so hopefully just a one-off and lesson learnt!

The battery is trying to tell you something.... It is tired and just wants to go to sleep..

Ask me how I know.

[dollywobbler]

Well, tough. It's going to have to wait. Assuming it'll start later when I want to go to the pub. It had better do as it's absolutely pouring down and the 2CV is all cosy in the garage with the roof back. (sunshine tomorrow!)