Dollywobbler's Daewoo Dalliances - Matiz mostly HOME!

[dollywobbler]

Another long-distance trip has begun. I went to the Post Office to post items. The engine began surging on idle. Ugh.

 

So, I drove 160 miles further up to Yorkshire to see if a blast along the M62 would solve it.

 

It didn't. Also, the alternator belt (or PAS belt) is sqeaking horribly at all revs. It isn't overly loud, just enough to irritate. It's mostly completely inaccessible, so I'm not sure what to do about that. I think I've traced the oil leak though - I think it's the cam cover gasket leaking on the front nearside corner, then dribbling down onto the exhaust manifold. Lovely. That created a right stink on the climb up to Saddleworth Moor. It very nearly managed to achieve 70mph uphill, but not quite.

[mrbenn]

I've been offered a yellow Matiz - for free...

 

It's only just out of MOT, so shouldn't be too bad.

 

Pics please, should it come to pass

[mrbenn]

It didn't. Also, the alternator belt (or PAS belt) is sqeaking horribly at all revs. It isn't overly loud, just enough to irritate. It's mostly completely inaccessible, so I'm not sure what to do about that. I think I've traced the oil leak though - I think it's the cam cover gasket leaking on the front nearside corner, then dribbling down onto the exhaust manifold. Lovely. That created a right stink on the climb up to Saddleworth Moor. It very nearly managed to achieve 70mph uphill, but not quite.

 

My Matiz started making a horrible chirping belt type noise, turned out to be the PAS pump. A few shots of WD40 where the shaft went in to the pump over the course of a few days silenced it and it never made another sound. Might just be worth a quick look.

[dollywobbler]

I went to a fancy sports car meet. They let Smart cars in (!) but I had to park outside. By the toilets.

 

But it's ok. This is Yorkshire, so after a random sat-nav off sort of a drive about, the view improved.

 

I went to the Embsay and Bolton Abbey steam railway, mostly because I used to have a pen pal and I wondered where she lived having sent many letters in this direction. I didn't see her.

 

Then I went out in Harrogate for dinner, where the most useless waiter mostly ignored me. To the point I chucked my money on the table and walked out in the end. The Matiz made a BIG friend.

 

There wasn't much oil drippage overnight, so I'm going to assume the oil leak isn't as bad as it smells. Level doesn't seem to drop much. RH CV joint is clattering like a good'un at times, the idle is all over the place and entirely unpredictable (which makes slow-moving traffic fun) and it still doesn't pull entirely smoothly. This car needs some more love. It deserves it.

[pbottomley]

Ahh Harrogate, I lived there for a while, full of people with a Yorkshire attitude which is ironic and most folks in Harrogate are not from Yorkshire. Full of bloody foreigners from far off places like the Midlands or The Dark place (Lancashire) and in my case Essex!

All said and done mind loads of eating holes so if you get bad service  move on somewhere else...

[busmansholiday]

Feel free to park it in my drive. As Mrs BMH's C3 also drips oil nobody will notice.

[richardthestag]

alternator belt is accessed from underneath. piece of piss when you are down there.

 

PAS pump is likely candidate for any noise. shaft bearing runs dry and makes a racket. squirt of wd of anything with a straw onto the shaft between pulley and pump should see it go silent for a minute or so. recon that stripping and fitted a bearing wouldnt be an epic ballsache*

[dollywobbler]

Thanks for the input folks.

 

Having run away from the AirBNB, I hot-footed it over to Lincoln. I've never been and I wanted a mooch about.

 

It was a good decision. Lovely place.

 

Then it was out onto The Fens to visit friends...

 

I've now got 12 hours to gently make my way to Harwich. I quite fancy just sitting in my friends' empty house for a bit to be honest. Over 450 miles covered in the Matiz now. CV joint getting worse, so tight junctions need very gentle pull-away action. Oh and the last tank resulted in 49mpg. 

[oldcars]

Love the Fens. Passed by when collecting the caravan. Think i'm going to go there for a week next summer. Still looks as dry as when i was down.

[dollywobbler]

Sorry for the radio silence. It has been a crazy few days.

 

After Lincolnshire, I (for some reason) decided to visit Clacton-on-Sea to kill some time. Would it be as bad as I expected?

 

Yes. And even more so in fact! I wandered along the pier, desperately seeking tea, while commercial local radio did its best to remove me of my will to live. It was blaring out EVERYWHERE. All the rides were closed. There was a restaurant, but they refused to serve me tea at 3:30 in the afternoon. Arseholes. I eventually found some nice, bored ladies who plied me with a decent mug of tea.

 

 

I then decided to run away to The Naze a bit further up the coast.

 

EPIC SPOT.

 

Then we abandoned the Matiz with Trig's in-laws (thanks!) and I jumped in my photographer's boring Merc for a trip to The Netherlands. I had considered taking the Matiz, but photographers carry a lot of kit. It just wouldn't fit.

 

At the ferry port were joyous scenes.

 

On board, even more joyous scenes!

 

We ended up crammed in a lift with most of the Jowett people. They were hilarious.

 

We arrived at a Jaguar specialist for some work. We went location hunting in a gorgeous low-mile Range Rover V8 with sports exhaust.

 

The photoshoot was fun, as was using a priceless one-off SS Coupe that's 80 years old as a picnic table (the employees' suggestion, not ours!)

 

All this glamour didn't stop me spotting stuff.

 

Yesterday, we landed back in Harwich and the Matiz was collected from Colchester.

 

I drove it to The Midlands, leaving it with my mate Chris for further work. He's been away too, so the list I left him for the Rover has not been done yet.

 

In all, the Matiz covered over 750 miles from Sat to Thurs, with one day off in the middle. Comfort-wise, it's not the best. The seats are rather firm, and the seat base is too short. However, it sits at 65-70 very merrily and mpg varied between 49 and 51. That'll do. It's now going to have new front brakes, another CV joint, a cam cover gasket and a coolant flush and fresh refill. I'm genuinely glad to have it back.

[Lacquer Peel]

Death to commercial radio (soz Bornite).

 

I'd quite like a smoll car again, I used to go everywhere in my 1993 Subaru Justy, crap seats excepted it was fine, only about 38MPG though. I miss that 3 cylinder noise.

[dollywobbler]

Having recently driven a 1993 Justy, the seats felt an awful lot better than those in the Matiz! 

[richardthestag]

#2 lad thestag's 3 cylinder polo at 4k rpm sounds wonderful. I recall the Mateeeeez did also. 

 

The matiz buzzed happily along the m40 in the outside lane but suspect that sudden lane change manoeuvres at that speed might have been somewhat more dramatic that I would have been hoping for. so I protected that space in front of me rather than defending it.

 

Great fun though.

 

Chap who bought it from me planned to drive it to Northern Turkey from Blasingsmoke. reconed that he would do it in 24h and seemed confident that it would do so.

[Lacquer Peel]

Having recently driven a 1993 Justy, the seats felt an awful lot better than those in the Matiz!

They are okay initially but don't have a lot of support or bolstering, I am a large unit which might not help.

[dollywobbler]

They are okay initially but don't have a lot of support or bolstering, I am a large unit which might not help.

 

Ah. I definitely can't recommend a Matiz then. The seats in that make me feel like a large unit. Under thigh support is particularly lacking.

[dollywobbler]

If you've nothing better to do, there's now a video on this trip.

[dollywobbler]

Oh and my laziness in farming the work out so far has hit home with a £447 bill. That's for supply and fit of a complete exhaust system from to rear (£101 for the system), supply and fit a new CV joint, trace the coolant leak, replace hose, refill cooling system and fitting a new battery cable as the old one was bodged together with screws and hope. 

[Supernaut]

This is what I love about this place. Somebody actually spending that much on a Matiz.

[mk2_craig]

OK, so yes, another matiz nearby is a reason for a pic, but look at the rest of the AS fodder on show in this picture. its awesome.

Must be a good few years ago that. Is the salmon coloured car behind the Escort a Kia Mentor hatch??

 

[Stinkwheel]

Must be a good few years ago that. Is the salmon coloured car behind the Escort a Kia Mentor hatch??

 

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I’m not sure. I thought it was a Nissan sunny.

[dollywobbler]

Yes, it is a Kia Mentor! Also, the wiper arms are the wrong way around on that Matiz...

[Mrcento]

If you've nothing better to do, there's now a video on this trip.

Every time i watch one of your Matiz videos, i think the same thing every interior shot

 

"Even looking at those seats gives me backache".

 

I don't think i've ever seen flatter, less supportive looking seats in a car (aside from American landyacht bench seats of course).

[dollywobbler]

I haven't seen this car for over two months, but my friend who was doing the next round of work had some family issues, so that's held things up a bit. I was agonisingly close to the car at the NEC, but hopefully we will soon be reunited.

 

I can't even remember what work was being done, but I think cam cover gasket and front brake overhaul (with another CV joint) were very much on the list. I've just thrown money at this car, and it's still a Matiz! Idiot.

 

Anyway, it goes in for MOT tomorrow, and my friend and I are hoping that the airbag light will just be a simple reset when it gets to the testing station. My mate doesn't have the right kit to interrogate it. If it passes, all I've got to do then is collect it.

[mrbenn]

Good luck for the test!

 

Airbag light came on when mine was laid up. Can only guess it was triggered by jump starting/low battery voltage.

[dollywobbler]

Good luck for the test!

 

Airbag light came on when mine was laid up. Can only guess it was triggered by jump starting/low battery voltage.

 

That's distinctly possible. The battery was shite. Sadly, it doesn't auto-reset.

[mrbenn]

No, nor did mine despite many battery cycles. It left my ownership with the light still on.

[dollywobbler]

Well, the MOT didn't happen. It has failed one, because my pal put it in to see what else it would fail on. However, he can't find anyone with the right plug to talk to the Daewoo and get rid of the airbag light - or at least find out what it's complaining about. If that situation has not changed in the New Year then I'll just reclaim it and see what I can do myself. I've driven 750 miles in it this year, but have been paying for tax since September. Not getting my money's worth!

[Steve79]

Is it worth having a look under both front seats to see if there are any airbag or pretentioner connectors there? If so, it may be worth unplugging them once electrical system is discharged and spaying electrical contact cleaner inside.

 

May just put the light out for no cost.

[mrbenn]

Unfortunately, the airbag light on these has to be turned off with an appropriate diagnostic tool. Correcting the fault (assuming there is one) will not extinguish the light. Problem is that these are pre OBDII so the appropriate tools are not that widely available.

[Steve79]

I thought almost everything post 1996 had to be obd2 compliant? Which means that as this is a 1999 model it should be.

 

Just checked Delphi and it shows obd2 compliance but no specific search parameter for srs diagnostics.