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Floatylights Fleet - And then there were 3 - SLK Gone..


Floatylight

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  • 1 month later...

Fleet Update time

SlK passed MOT without issue, had a service and air-con regassed, which leaked out again 😕 gave it a good polish and realised just how bad the paint job Dad had done was, rust bubbles are back on the front wings and rear arches..

Mazda 3 - MOT day today just going to drop it off. Been running fine but A/C compressor clutch u/s and can't find one anywhere, will see what the MOT results are before committing to a pump.

C4GP - front wishbone bushes u/s so front tyre down to the cord on the inner edge, popped on one of the old winter tyres as had some tip runs to do, then the aux belt tensioner disintegrated and alternator light on.  BIL welded a patch into the sill where it had rusted out from the inside, just need to put colour and lacquer on. Parts on their way but mojo low on this one, not helped by the fact we don't really need it at the mo.

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  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet - Mazda MOT Day!

Oh noes! Cock up down at the garage means no MOT today, which is bad news as it expires tomorrow. 

Garage owner said OK to carry on driving as long as its booked in for an MOT, I thought you were only allowed to drive to the test centre, not to work and back for a few days until they can get it back in!

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  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet -C4GP MOT Day!
On 12/16/2018 at 10:27 AM, Floatylight said:

Kolekshun Kompleted, Kurrently Kollecting Kristmas Tree, have a Pez station shot, + bonus my C4 GP daily. Sims00 - excellent shiter would deal again!73e51626089fb2236186705063acce2c.jpg47066fa87ac3a1f92674bb100fa3ab36.jpg

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) using Tapatalk

Three years on the fleet today!

Still going well, bit of a clonk from the suspension and needs a service but still giving Sterling service as MrsFL's daily, she's done almost 40k in it, just approaching 150k

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  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet - Variously Broken!

Update time.

Mazda 3 - currently having new tyres fitted due to worn to cords on inner edge + tracking & further diagnosis, otherwise going well at 152k miles

C4GP - Looking a bit sorry for itself, needs dpf cleaning / replacing, keeps going into limp mode, needs a good service and some attention to bodywork.. might be due for replacement soon, its had a good innings 188k miles

R170 SLK320 - Recently woken from hibernation, bodywork needs attention to stop the rot, needs bsi diagnosis and possibly Yaw sensor replacing due to random locking of front offside wheel by BAS/ESP system which certainly keeps you awake.. 122k miles

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet - One in! & General Fleet update.

One in!

Deal was done and paid for but today was collection day of the BiL's ex works transit SWB Low roof, no collection Fred as only local, now sat on the drive after BIL abandoned it after decided not to carry on with the camper conversion  project and selling it to me having fitted both side & rear windows.

I've already fixed the non starting issue by replacing the ignition switch module, fitted some s/hand wheels & tyres.

Now need to fit a front spring, give it a check over and get an MOT before we start a camper conversion..

Other fleet update..

SLK - MOT passed with only an advisory for chip in the windscreen, not bad for a 21yr old Merc 

C4GP - Swapped the DPF for an aftermarket one I got a few years ago and never Fitted as I had to tow our folding camper for the first time in two years and the original dpf was blocked and kept throwing an eml and kicking the turbo & cruise out..  With the new dpf on it is even worse, lost turbo and cruise within minutes of hitching up.  Very hairy moment towing up the bank before and after the Air Baloon Roundabout, in second with the hazards on, not something I want to repeat! Might try cleaning the old one and putting it back on, if that doesn't work might be time to move it on, it's done 8 yrs on the fleet and got to 190k so not doing bad.

Mazda 3 - Is Japanese, keeps on keeping on, just had new rear tyres after a puncture, wish I could find someone who would sell me just the A/C compressor clutch, needs a good polish...

Smoll FL's Citroen C3, longest on fleet with us since '08, keeps on keeping on..

Screenshot_20220723-221915_Photos.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet - Mazda MOT Day, prace bets now!
29 minutes ago, Liggle said:

How is your Mazda3 holding up for rust? Got mine in for MOT on Monday, its the MK2 but a lot of them are suffering now too

Pretty well considering.

A couple of years ago I did some work on the rear suspension and whilst I had the arch liners out I gave everything a good clean and a coat of Bilt Hamber Dynax, also did inside the sills, and rear subframe.

I definitely think that helped.  Its starting to go on the rear arches, should probably try and do something about the rear arches..

 

In other news, just needed a bulb to pass.. an excellent result.

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  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet - Crispier than a box of rice crispies.. sad reacts only....
On 9/13/2022 at 9:46 AM, Floatylight said:

Mmmm, camper conversion project in doubt...

A price being put together..

Screenshot_20220913-094348_Samsung Internet.jpg

Still waiting for a call from the garage with a price to

a) patch it up to get it through an MOT

b) do a proper job, replace the sills, step etc.

Expect the cost of labour going to put either into the not viable category.

Any crazy sparkly stick wranglers want to volunteer for beer tokens & lols if I do the prep?

 

Thought not!

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  • 2 weeks later...

So, garage quoted 2 days labour to patch it up to MOT standard.

Found someone else who will cut out and replace inner and outer sills and do a few other bits for less so it's going off to him at some point.

In the meantime I'll deal with the other failure points  today's fun and games replace a front spring, track rod end and arb bush. Went out at lunchtime and sprayed everything with plusgas and started freeing off bolts, came out after work and  finished it off, only sticking points were undoing the top nut as my cheapo mains  ugga dugga seems to have destroyed its gearbox and getting to the 3 bolts at the top of the strut as they are behind the dashboard. Had to cut off the droplink but ordered new ones anyway..

No pics as forget/raining/twitch about doing a spring, good news still got ally fingers, head, balls etc.

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If it's going to be a camper, definitely get those sills lopped off and replaced with new panels, making sure they get properly primed inside and out and stuffed full of cavity wax until it drips out of the seams.   A patch might only buy you a year.

Might be worth checking all the rest of the chassis as well just to make sure there are no nasty surprises waiting. A good going over with some cavity wax and bar/chain oil or lanoguard or whatever will keep it soldiering along.

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11 hours ago, Floatylight said:

patch it up to MOT standard.

Patching up a vehicle to MOT standard = barely acceptable repairs that will last about a month.

It always amuses me when "MOT standard" is quoted.  Essentially it means the bare minimum patch job with zero corrosion protection, crappy welding and a load of splodge walloped over the top of it.  MOT man gives it a poke and it doesn't collapse?  That's a Pass.

Won't be in a couple of years time tho.  It'll be a monumental fail when most of the structure comes away in your hand.

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So, it's sadly going to be time to wave goodbye to the longest standing member of the fleet our 2003 Citroen C3 1.4SX as SmollFL has decided not to get the work done for the MOT as its very marginal even if we do the work ourselves.

It joined the fleet in 2008 shortly after MrsFL amd I got married for her to learn in, bought from Citroen Birmingham at 5years old and only 20k miles for about £4k.( @chaseracer ) joined me for the collection mission..

We used it as her car, I used it for work and it's been cheap reliable comfortable family transport, written off in 2017 when a truck went into it on ice and bought back for £350 wife had it for another year before we gave it to SmollFL for him to learn in, it's been his daily since he passed his test 3 years ago.

Today it's failed on crusty sill ends, rear spring, drop link, 2 tyres and a couple of other bits and bobs resulted in in garage quote of about £800, could probably do it ourselves for under £200 but he's decided its time for something different.

Sad times, feel we quite attached to it after all this time.

 

20220928_172459.jpg

20220928_172513.jpg

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  • Floatylight changed the title to Floatylights Fleet - Sad times, bean tins?
On 9/13/2022 at 9:46 AM, Floatylight said:

Mmmm, camper conversion project in doubt...

A price being put together..

Screenshot_20220913-094348_Samsung Internet.jpg

Mate. I feel your pain.  Rear spring hangers would guess will be the arse ends not an easy metal gluing operation. Forward stuff guess the steps and again a quick patch up would be pissing in the wind. Might look a harsh ticket though sadly sounds about right for these even clean as it looks. 

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Did you get anywhere with the C4 Picasso?

If you've put a "new" DPF on it you will need to get someone with Lexia or a decent Snapon or Autel or similar scanner to tell the car it's had a new one

Usually pretty straight forward with the right gear. A new DPF and PATS fluid refill done as well if required should be about £400 - £650 respectively 

People hate on the anti-pollution system of the DV6 engine (assuming it's a 1.6?) But it's actually pretty straightforward and all the parts are easy to get hold of. The DPF itself is about £200 then a few hours labour for fitting/programming etc 

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4 hours ago, Floatylight said:

Seen here in Happier times as part of the AS display ar Chumley 2019

Screenshot_20220929-192155_Photos.jpg

I completely forgot that I took my XJ to Chumley. 

I had a terrible hangover that day - I'd been to a house party warming the previous night, at which the Jag was quite a talking point. I slept on the back seat in my clothes, woke up, thought 'fuck, I'm late' and drove straight to Chumley, somehow managing to catch the breakfast convoy, at which point @Cavcraft started gesticulating wildly at me from his XJS and let me in. 
Nobody knew I had the XJ as I'd owned it for about a week and kept it a secret so it was bloody amusing seeing people's reactions to the car. 

I need another car like that at some point. 

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1 hour ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Did you get anywhere with the C4 Picasso?

If you've put a "new" DPF on it you will need to get someone with Lexia or a decent Snapon or Autel or similar scanner to tell the car it's had a new one

Usually pretty straight forward with the right gear. A new DPF and PATS fluid refill done as well if required should be about £400 - £650 respectively 

People hate on the anti-pollution system of the DV6 engine (assuming it's a 1.6?) But it's actually pretty straightforward and all the parts are easy to get hold of. The DPF itself is about £200 then a few hours labour for fitting/programming etc 

I've just been keeping o using it, as long as I don't hammer it it's fine, didn't think that it may need telling it's had a new dpf.  I'll do some investigating, thanks!

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1 minute ago, Floatylight said:

I've just been keeping o using it, as long as I don't hammer it it's fine, didn't think that it may need telling it's had a new dpf.  I'll do some investigating, thanks!

I know the DPF system pretty much inside out on them, quite straightforward although a lot of people are frightened by it! 

Let me know the fault codes if you wish

If it doesn't get told, it adjusts power/regen attempts based on how blocked it thinks the DPF is. It counts up as a DPF ages but if it gets replaced and isn't told, it has no way of knowing other than a reset to zero of all adaptations 

It'll have something called cinder count in live data. I'd be interested to know the figure. 

The DPF is programmed to last 100k miles, and by that point it'll flag up as needing changed. 

Theoretically, one tank of Eolys/PATS fluid is enough for the life of the DPF. Once the tank of Eolys is depleted, you're supposed to have it refilled and replace the DPF. 

Reason being as the additive burns, crystals of it block up the DPF. The cinder count should stop at 100 but I've seen them go beyond that because people refill the additive but don't replace the DPF when it's blocked. A cinder count above 75 is generally unrecoverable and is where you start to get performance issues. That's without the normal soot buildup

Some people suggest removing it and having it cleaned to remove the deposits that a regen cannot. This does often work but the jury is out on whether it's worth doing. A new DPF is only £200 or so, unlike some other systems where a replacement could be ££££'s

The reason a regen doesn't work because the cerine doesn't burn off in the same way that soot does 

You can keep on using it as it is but it'll block up again pretty quickly. The infrequent errors usually become more frequent as to be expected. In fairness, it's not done bad at all having done close to 200k

Anyway, shan't bore you any further 😆 but if you ever need any more info then feel free to ping me a message or tag me or whatever 👌

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On 9/29/2022 at 11:57 PM, RoverFolkUs said:

I know the DPF system pretty much inside out on them, quite straightforward although a lot of people are frightened by it! 

Let me know the fault codes if you wish

If it doesn't get told, it adjusts power/regen attempts based on how blocked it thinks the DPF is. It counts up as a DPF ages but if it gets replaced and isn't told, it has no way of knowing other than a reset to zero of all adaptations 

It'll have something called cinder count in live data. I'd be interested to know the figure. 

The DPF is programmed to last 100k miles, and by that point it'll flag up as needing changed. 

Theoretically, one tank of Eolys/PATS fluid is enough for the life of the DPF. Once the tank of Eolys is depleted, you're supposed to have it refilled and replace the DPF. 

Reason being as the additive burns, crystals of it block up the DPF. The cinder count should stop at 100 but I've seen them go beyond that because people refill the additive but don't replace the DPF when it's blocked. A cinder count above 75 is generally unrecoverable and is where you start to get performance issues. That's without the normal soot buildup

Some people suggest removing it and having it cleaned to remove the deposits that a regen cannot. This does often work but the jury is out on whether it's worth doing. A new DPF is only £200 or so, unlike some other systems where a replacement could be ££££'s

The reason a regen doesn't work because the cerine doesn't burn off in the same way that soot does 

You can keep on using it as it is but it'll block up again pretty quickly. The infrequent errors usually become more frequent as to be expected. In fairness, it's not done bad at all having done close to 200k

Anyway, shan't bore you any further 😆 but if you ever need any more info then feel free to ping me a message or tag me or whatever 👌

This is all really helpful @RoverFolkUsnever knew it needed tellingtelling had the dpf replaced, I'll check out getting it done @Pat Earringsany chance of popping round sometime and connecting your diags to it?

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