The new news 24 thread

[Richard]

Got board, decided to change the front pads on the Lexus. Job was a doddle thanks to caliper design, so took it for a test run round the block a few times. Once back, went to check my wheel nuts again & brakes felt a bit hot, decided to touch the disc....they were indeed hot. 

 

Do I win some sort of Darwin award? 

 

You'll have to share the award with me.

 

Lidl/Aldi occasionally do those laser temperature gun things for about £15, they are handy for telling what's going on with your brakes.

[egg]

mondeo has had water pump replaced and new lower rad hose as old one was perished. Seems to now be a very slow leak. I can't see from where - but the connections for  the new rad hose seem generally dry. It looks like the leak is dripping on to the exhaust pipe at front of the engine on drivers side. 1993 1.6 silvertop. Any ideas? Will need to take back to the garage.

 

NB: pressure test of system found no issues (mechanic did this).

[vulgalour]

The gang's all here!  The mad one, the bad one and the one nobody really notices but always just gets shit done.

 

[Bear]

Didn't get a picture, but saw a delightfully shabby-round-the-edges T-plated Tatra 613 mixing it with the morning drag across Nottingham today. Made up for the grimness of Broadmarsh traffic.

[stuboy]

Old boy whom owne the rover said grab an invoice out the motor for him... thought you guys may find this helpfull

[Guest Hooli]

Me & Supernaut went down to Dundee for a big car meet with a few friends, which as expected turned out to be a bunch of 'Yoof' & Barrys (The meet, not our mates...). Was a few cars of interest such as a  MG ZT260, Ratty looking '69 Mercury Cougar with a organismic sound, A Ford Fairlane 500, One of the crazy import spec Suzuki Wagon RR's as well as a T-reg Mondeo saloon! (Which was't part of the event, just parked up) 

 

But the trip was an excuse to test the Lexus in it's "Cross-Continent' spec. CB radio & Cool box plugged in, boot full of crap as well as a full 20Ltr Jerry can, etc. As expected handled it like it was nothing...

 

If you look carefully, you can just see the CB radio antennas on the cars. Supernaut went for the crazy 1.5 meter sized one... 

 

So it's safe to say, the Lexus will just eat up the miles to Shitefest as if it were nothing.

 

 

I once got odd looks walking out of that tescos with a microwave when I was wearing leathers. They fit pillion with enough bungees though

[MarvinsMom]

newly MOT'd Mini (Cocopop), along with the ever reliable Metro (Marvin) covered 400-odd miles without hiccup or incident yesterday going too and from the Mini and Metro show at Gaydon.

we had a good look round all the exhibits, and really like what they have been doing with the redevelopment of the main site, and the new building with the rest of the collection in is ace.

 

i thought the '60s style Corgi Cars "boxes" that the mini coupe concepts were sat on were a nice touch.

[tooSavvy]

You lot are ALL b**t**ds!

I am now grinding my teeth >> Grrr >> cos I WANT a Sandero Access [giant panda spec ]

..... so I'm condemned to D4F 16V

* I have happily helmed that boat anchor for 9yrs - good torque & whizzy. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

 

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201604213189117?model=sandero&radius=1500&search-target=usedcars&postcode=ne11pp&quicksearch=true&make=dacia&onesearchad=used&page=1&sort=default&logcode=p

IT'S ALL YOURZ FAULTS


TS

[For Fiats Sake]

Ordered a new old stock fan motor off ebay for the Maestro, thought it would be a better bet than a second hand assembly.

 

In related news I went to the tow bar place for landys bar to be fitted and no one was there, I'll try him again tomorrow.

 

Taxed the old 4x4 panda, well set up a direct debit as it's the one that never gets SORN.

 

Moved three cars off the lawn for the driveway blokes to start today but they are behind due to weather so won't be until next week that they start.  I may have to cut the grass again.

 

 

Ghosts of cars!

 

 

 

[tooSavvy]

(NOT from) Turin Shroud... ya might say?

 

TS

[Ghosty]

Didn't get a picture, but saw a delightfully shabby-round-the-edges T-plated Tatra 613 mixing it with the morning drag across Nottingham today. Made up for the grimness of Broadmarsh traffic.

 

Black? Third time a shiter's come across that thing.

[Kiltox]

Good news - Kangoo clutch pedal is fixed*

 

Bad news - 2nd gear has gone on holiday

 

FUCK SAKE, RENAULT!

[tooSavvy]

I couldn't get 1 + 2 (had to pull reverse block/knob UP)... NO reverse at all!!

 

Popped into my 'tame MOT man' & he sent me up on the lift - in the car - he did the spanners = normal service resumed.

 

Twisty rod is nut-locked and can/will 'go off'.....

 

 

TS

[Kiltox]

I'll need to get under it and have a look at the linkage but id expect to lose other gears if it were that

 

Engine mount(s) are shagged so I don't know if that's possibly related

[Six-cylinder]

newly MOT'd Mini (Cocopop), along with the ever reliable Metro (Marvin) covered 400-odd miles without hiccup or incident yesterday going too and from the Mini and Metro show at Gaydon.

DSCN4954.JPG

we had a good look round all the exhibits, and really like what they have been doing with the redevelopment of the main site, and the new building with the rest of the collection in is ace.

 

i thought the '60s style Corgi Cars "boxes" that the mini coupe concepts were sat on were a nice touch.

I was there with my Rover 114 SLi

[egg]

Sorry fellow petrolheads, I really quite like this...hydrogen car...

 

[Tayne]

Hydrogen is a waste of time.

 

 

Battery electric cars are a different matter.

[STUNO]

Wow !!!

[RayMK]

We are told by statisticians that battery cars and their range meet a large percentage of people's transport needs.  While this is true, it only works as a national transport philosophy when battery cars are in the minority.  The problem is the recharging time.  If everyone had a battery car and required a top-up en-route or at work, the cycle time would necessitate a huge increase in the number of charging positions - or huge queues would be the result.  Motorways are busy with people doing long haul trips - not all users are doing a 50 mile commute.  Battery cars only really suit city type commuting, provided that they remain a niche and do not become mainstream. Presumably, longer trips and holidays would be handled by conventional ICE vehicles, although the very wealthy could probably afford a long range Tesla.  Fuel cell vehicles can be refuelled as quickly as a petrol or diesel vehicle and have around 400 miles range between refills. Infrastructure problems of a different nature affect them though.  There are very few hydrogen stations anywhere, even where FCVs are being trialled.  Personally, I find both technologies interesting and advances in technology will no doubt solve many of the current problems.  Battery electric cars have nearly 70 years lead on fuel cell electric cars.  The latter appear to have made greater advances in a much shorter period. I cannot find an unbiased analysis of the lifecycle costs which include manufacture, usage (fuel and maintenance), durability and end of life recycling for BEV and FCV (i.e. overall money and environmental impact), only party political broadcasts by each camp. As far as I can see, a rusty 1988 Hyundai Stellar is still a far more affordable and practical proposition than either. 

[vulgalour]

battery cars... current problems.

 

I'm easily amused. I agree with your statement too.

[dollywobbler]

The Riversimple is a very interesting idea, and I've had a chat with the head honcho. He talks a lot of sense and they'd be putting the hydrogen supply in where the sales are, so not building up a national infrastructure straight away, and not interesting in developing a car to be used long distance. It's firmly for local use at first. I do worry that the car is too focussed. It feels a lot like the original Honda Insight to me. Bloody clever, probably great to drive and fantastically efficient. But most people went and bought a Prius because it was more sensible with its rear seat and more doors.

 

He sees the hydrogen as coming from natural gas, because he thinks energy for electrolysis, which could be renewable, should be used for other things.

[Tayne]

Hydrogen from Natural Gas?

Leaving aside the energy required to do it, making one ton of hydrogen releases about 9 tons of carbon dioxide and other green house gasses.

 

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles cannot be refilled as quickly as ICE cars.

Hydrogen fuel stations need to repressurise once used so even the newest and most advanced hydrogen station in the UK can only re-fuel 16 cars a day.

 

Electricity.

There are over 2 billion 3 pin plug sockets in the UK and the national grid people would be quite happy (under current conditions) for 300,000 electric cars to be in use on the basis that the majority were charged overnight during periods of low electricity demand.

There are currently about 330,000 electric vehicles in the whole world.

 

As to range and recharge time, its possible to have a 400mile electric car that can be recharged in 20minutes, its just very expensive.

But do you remember a time when mobile phones cost thousands of pounds and had a battery life measured in minutes?

 

Hydrogen is energy intensive to make, incredibly bad for the environment and will require a massive infrastructure to produce and distribute in the required quantities to run all those inefficient vehicles.

I have no desire to pay the oil industry billions to create this infrastructure when I could get the extension lead out of the cupboard, plug it in to the socket under my desk and run the other end out the window to my car.

[Ghosty]

Whatever happened to the Honda FCX Clarity?

[beko1987]

Gareth came into work this morning and told me his car's making a noise 'like a stone in a lawnmower' in 2nd gear... (CRV 1999 Auto)

 

The shite balance has been restored in our office, as with my heavy steering, and this morning the central locking was trying to lock as I was driving up the road, we have 2 old broken cars parked in the car park!

 

Which wire do I snip/fuse do I pull to completely disable the central locking on my car?

[billyboy406v6]

Fuse box should be marked, failing that pull all of them and then panic !

[dollywobbler]

Hydrogen from Natural Gas?

Leaving aside the energy required to do it, making one ton of hydrogen releases about 9 tons of carbon dioxide and other green house gasses.

 

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles cannot be refilled as quickly as ICE cars.

Hydrogen fuel stations need to repressurise once used so even the newest and most advanced hydrogen station in the UK can only re-fuel 16 cars a day.

 

Electricity.

There are over 2 billion 3 pin plug sockets in the UK and the national grid people would be quite happy (under current conditions) for 300,000 electric cars to be in use on the basis that the majority were charged overnight during periods of low electricity demand.

There are currently about 330,000 electric vehicles in the whole world.

 

As to range and recharge time, its possible to have a 400mile electric car that can be recharged in 20minutes, its just very expensive.

But do you remember a time when mobile phones cost thousands of pounds and had a battery life measured in minutes?

 

Hydrogen is energy intensive to make, incredibly bad for the environment and will require a massive infrastructure to produce and distribute in the required quantities to run all those inefficient vehicles.

I have no desire to pay the oil industry billions to create this infrastructure when I could get the extension lead out of the cupboard, plug it in to the socket under my desk and run the other end out the window to my car.

 

I'm far from convinced either, but they reckon it's still much greener to source hydrogen from gas than to put petrol in a car. They reckon five minutes to refuel, which gets you 200-300 miles. I'm very interested, but I still feel BEV is a better solution. Especially if we got our finger out and invested more in renewables. 

[Craig the Princess]

Very interesting video, I like the car and the concept. I'm far less convinced about contract based ownership models, while the Riversimple owner made some good points on the car industry this only goes for those who buy a new car every three years or so pcp. Us on here keeping old tat going would be far better of running our own riversimple than being tied to a mileage based contract.

[dugong]

Electric cars are still hopeless, mainly because of their crap range.

There's also the problem of where your Leaf's oh-so-cheap electricity comes from.

[dollywobbler]

Electric cars are still hopeless, mainly because of their crap range.

There's also the problem of where your Leaf's oh-so-cheap electricity comes from.

 

I'll be testing a LEAF again next week. In theory, I should be able to travel over 100 miles on a charge. That's not bad. 

 

And as for where the electricity comes from, usually 26% gas and a varying chunk of renewable with a tiny amount of coal thrown in. Probably greener than the fuel I stick in my own cars.

[Craig the Princess]

Electric cars are still hopeless, mainly because of their crap range.

There's also the problem of where your Leaf's oh-so-cheap electricity comes from.

 

TBH if I had £6,000 or so to spend on a car a second hand leaf would do me fine. But that age they are generally sold with a purchased battery pack (rather than a mileage limited lease deal) and 100 mile range would be more than adequate for my 64 mile commute. If I can slow charge during the day the electricity would be coming from the solar pv panels, otherwise the grid (which is increasingly renewable, albeit to slowly) would supply the rest.

 

Maybe we need a separate alternative fuels thread to stop clogging up this one.