Jump to content

HFM small autos - Cookie's adventures in shiteing


Cookiesouwest

Recommended Posts

The disastra being a disaster

So, the Astra desperately needs shocks, so I booked it in with Mr Clutch for front shocks, as its close to parents house where she currently resides. I will do rears when it warms up a bit.

I had everything well planned. 

Leave home at 6am, get to Parents for 7am, take car to garage, drop keys through letterbox, walk back to parents, get home for 8.30, load car for my 9am booking at the local tip.

Leave home at 6am - check

Parents house by 7am - check

Sneak quietly into house to get the Astras keys, without waking them - check

Start car, then alarm sounds. Loudly, cause that's what alarms are meant to do. Wake parents. Wake neighbours.

Try again. Car starts, alarm goes off. Anyone not awake before is definitely awake now. Drive to garage, thankfully alarm stops sounding after a minute.

Since my last visit to garage, many years ago, they have removed the letterbox ! 

Drive back to parents, leaving engine running for an hour, to prevent any more alarm rage.

Drop car at garage at 8.30. No chance of making the tip booking.

Think alarm was due to low battery. As she's now been run for nearly two hours, hopefully it won't happen again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Cookiesouwest changed the title to The loud disastra - Cookie's adventures in shiteing

Well its been a crappy day.

Disastra went on ramp at 8.30. Hadn't heard anything by noon, so called them.

They had been trying to call me since 9am, but couldn't get through (network issues?).

When they removed the shocks, the ARB bush disintegrated. They wanted permission to replace.

Permission given and I was given a time of 4pm to collect.

Turned up. Car not ready. They had been trying again to get hold of me but failed.

1st shock supplied broke. Then replacement for that was the wrong one. They ran out of time.

They will get the correct shock Monday and I can have car back Tuesday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well Audrey the aubergine R75 is now home.

First real drive. As previous owner described, def needs an engine mount.

Also has quite bad front wheel shake.

Despite the ABS warning, she brakes normally.

Hoping to get her to Bristol resident Rover specialist before next weekend to get a ticket on her (or at least advise whats needed).

Edit - she is the 114bhp auto. In other words, epically slow lol - A remap has been added to her list of needs.

20210214_133628.thumb.jpg.9610f783a5dff55af0d3583ed6e3293b.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Cookiesouwest changed the title to Audrey is home - Cookie's adventures in shiteing
4 minutes ago, HMC said:

On my cdt I bought a rover Ron box, put both settings to max, Egr delete and a new maf. So much nicer. There’s a 160 remap which probably trumps all that. 

I'm probably going be a bit boring and go with the standard remap offered by Rover, back in the day. 131 bhp I believe.

Loads to do before then though. Have to urgently find some off street parking before next Sunday.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Before doing anything else to Audrey, decided to put her in for test, even though I know she will fail.

So test booked for Wed 24th. 

Will still try to get codes read before the MOT, so at least I have some idea of whats up with her ABS and airbag systems.

In other mildly exciting news, the disastra is back from the garage, after finally getting her front shocks done. 297 quid. Its going to be an expensive month!

Once I retrieve the disastra from parents house, the Vectra can be given a wash and brush up and can then leave the fleet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The bonging.

So Audrey likes to make a bonging noise, for no apparent reason - see unexciting video. This was advised by previous owner.

The best guess from members of the owners club, is a failed memory module for the electric seat, due to water ingress.

Other suggestions were failing fuel pump or maf. Hopefully those are just bad Internet suggestions.

Not sure if a knackered seat memory module will throw up an error message. Will find out when I get codes read.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Cookiesouwest changed the title to The bonging R75 - Cookie's adventures in shiteing
2 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I saw that query, didn't realise it was you. Very strange. 

Does the seat memory still work?

Is there any way to silence the chime? I know you can stop the beeping from the climate control.

Haven't tried the memory option yet. The seats do move electrically so not sure its the module. Mr Bhullar does know his stuff though, so will test the theory later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The disastra is home after a very long holiday at my Parents.

Picked the disastra up from parents, following its new front shocks and drop link. Drove like a bag of shite. Pulling left, didn't want to go right.

Drive very gingerly home and went straight to tyre fitters for tracking. Both front wheels pointing left at different angles.

All sorted and now she drives well. 

20210220_154354.thumb.jpg.d6d5a73dc580bcce5cc386c3f2c6e3e0.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, andyberg said:

^ as said above, I would have thought that the garage would have made sure it drove OK before letting a valued customer take it away?? 

After reading the reviews for Mr Clutch, its fair to say they ain't as good as when I used them last - 6 yrs ago. I was shocked they let it leave after the test drive and can only assume they just don't give a sh*t.

Won't be using them again, especially at 80 quid an hour!

Should have just gone to Parrots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Euro 4 / 6 conundrum

I live in Bath And North East Somerset (BANES). I'm a Bristolian and pre covid worked in an office in the Centre of Bristol.

Bristol City Council have decided to proceed with a clean air zone, think it comes into affect in October. By then I imagine Covid restrictions will have been lifted and work will be back to normal (ish).

If you have a pre Euro 4 petrol or pre Euro 6 diesel, it will be £9 a day to drive into the centre. £180 a month, if I have to go in office every day.

I bought the R75 (Euro 3 diesel) to commute (once its fixed). From Monday the only other car I will have is a the disastra (Euro 3 petrol). So I'm knackered iro the charge with either of them.

So looks like I'm going to have to buy a Modern :( to avoid the charge.

Can't afford a Euro 6 diesel, so Euro 4 petrol it will have to be.

While I could afford to keep 3 cars, I've been trying to get down to two. Something that will be achieved on Monday when the Vectra leaves the fleet.

So either the disastra or the R75 may have to leave the fleet ☹ 

Decisions, decisions. Not many moderns I actually like tbh

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Cookiesouwest changed the title to The clean air zone conundrum - Cookie's adventures in shiteing
4 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

If WFH is going well, maybe it could continue, thus saving you the regular commute?

I did do a bit of WFH before the plague hit, which I didn't mind. But WFH full time with no choice in the matter has not been fun. I really do want to go back to the office.

Don't get me wrong, I don't miss the 1hr commute through Bristols appaling traffic, but will put up with it for a sense of normality.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are Bristol not doing the same as Bath? I believe if you are a BANES resident then private cars don't need to pay the charge. Maybe you could *make your parents the registered keeper of the 75*  

Bath are introducing their emissions charge next month. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have been told that we will be WFH pretty much permanently, with the prospect of perhaps 1 day every 2 weeks in the office. I didn't like it at first but I'm used to it now.

I really don't see October being a date where those who can WFH being allowed to return to an office. My guess is it will be more like next October.

Couldn't you take a train or do park and ride? That's what I have always done, sod the rat race twice a day!

I'm very much for clean air but I'll keep my opinion on the lack of alternatives offered to commuters when ULEZs are introduced.

PS I hope you keep the Rover.

PPS 2 randoms on the Astra!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, andyberg said:

Are Bristol not doing the same as Bath? I believe if you are a BANES resident then private cars don't need to pay the charge. Maybe you could *make your parents the registered keeper of the 75*  

Bath are introducing their emissions charge next month. 

Sadly not. Residents get an extension if they are on low wage for a year. Parents ain't loaded but def won't qualify. Plus if dad gets his hands on the R75 I will never get it back

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...