June will be pricey - Cookie's adventures in shiteing

[Cookiesouwest]

Little Cookie's Polo went into Garage yesterday for a new starter motor.

181 quid later, it's done and now sounds much better when starting.

[Cookiesouwest]

Little Cookie got home from work yesterday and said that when she got in the Polo at end of shift, it stank of piss.

So bad that she had to open all the doors and wait 5 mins for the smell to dissipate, before driving home.

It was sat in the sun all day baking. First really sunny day, since it arrived.

I did wonder why it had so many air fresheners lol

As she may be over reacting, it's been left out in the sun all day again, so I can go check it later.

 

[EyesWeldedShut]

Soak/spray everything in this?

[Cookiesouwest]

Update on the Polo.

After being left in the blazing sun, I gave it a sniff.

Smells like old VAG, and I mean the car manufacturer.

Little Cookie insists it smells of dog piss.

Either I think all VAG cars smell like dog piss or all dog piss smells like old VAGs.

Anyway. Told her to buy a couple of bottles of febreeze and douse it.

[Cookiesouwest]

Little Cookie still thinks the Polo stinks of piss, despite a bottle of febreeze.

I still think it smells like VAG.

She picked up a puncture yesterday in nsr.

It's (I think) the one tyre that roverfolk didn't replace.  All the others are new.

It was cracking quite badly, so even if she hadn't has a puncture, it needed replacing. 

 

So told her to chuck on a new budget.

Tyres have gone up a lot.

76 quid for a 'Roundway'.

I guess 14 inch tyres are not really in great demand anymore, so are a bit pricier.

In BFG news, I've still not got the codes read. Work was mental busy pre Easter, so couldn't get the time off.

[andyberg]

5 minutes ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Little Cookie still thinks the Polo stinks of piss, despite a bottle of febreeze.

I still think it smells like VAG.

She picked up a puncture yesterday in nsr.

It's (I think) the one tyre that roverfolk didn't replace. 

As it was cracking quite badly, told her to skip getting it repaired and chuck on a budget.

 

Tyres have gone up a lot.

76 quid for a 'Roundway'.

I guess 14 inch tyres are not really in great demand anymore, so are a bit pricier.

In BFG news, I've still not got the codes read. Work was mental busy pre Easter, so couldn't get the time off.

Sons piss yellow 106 is on 14s. Yes Chinese ditchfinders are expensive in this size, I think we paid £65+ for his. But it seems no ‘quality’ tyre manufacturer does this size anymore 🤷‍♂️

[RoverFolkUs]

On 21/04/2025 at 15:31, Cookiesouwest said:

Little Cookie still thinks the Polo stinks of piss, despite a bottle of febreeze.

I still think it smells like VAG.

She picked up a puncture yesterday in nsr.

It's (I think) the one tyre that roverfolk didn't replace.  All the others are new.

It was cracking quite badly, so even if she hadn't has a puncture, it needed replacing. 

 

So told her to chuck on a new budget.

Tyres have gone up a lot.

76 quid for a 'Roundway'.

I guess 14 inch tyres are not really in great demand anymore, so are a bit pricier.

In BFG news, I've still not got the codes read. Work was mental busy pre Easter, so couldn't get the time off.

Honestly I can't say I noticed a piss smell, if anything like that stood out to me I'd have obviously mentioned it, "old vag" sounds about right from what I remember 😅

I'm surprised at the price of that tyre, I think I did both fronts and the offside rear if I remember correctly and I'm sure they were only about £30/35 a corner! I may have left the invoice in with the paperwork, that was trade price, supply only but it's as cheap as they get

[Cookiesouwest]

37 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Honestly I can't say I noticed a piss smell, if anything like that stood out to me I'd have obviously mentioned it, "old vag" sounds about right from what I remember 😅

I'm surprised at the price of that tyre, I think I did both fronts and the offside rear if I remember correctly and I'm sure they were only about £30/35 a corner! I may have left the invoice in with the paperwork, that was trade price, supply only but it's as cheap as they get

Young clueless woman walks into tyre fitters.

Gets charged 12 quid more for a budget, than a mid range.

Probably should have gone with her.

We also live in the sticks, less competition, higher price.

[Snake Charmer]

Seanuts is all l can say they are.

Read those codes yet? 😁

[Cookiesouwest]

1 hour ago, Snake Charmer said:

Seanuts is all l can say they are.

Read those codes yet? 😁

Not yet.

Need to get a day off work, to take it to the merc indy.

[Cookiesouwest]

Quick update

Polo had an FTP.

Little Cookie left the lights on all day ! Lesson learned.

After over a month of procrastination, the Mercedes has been booked into a specialist for diagnostic and fix. 

Today, I dropped Little Cookie at airport (expensive, as I'm going to get 2 100 quid fines for accidently breaking traffic rules - ouch), I saw a sign for a merc specialist on the way home.

Googled them. Base in Winford. Good reviews and massive bonus, a courtesy car for only a tenner. So I don't have to take a day off work

Booked for 2nd June.

I have slight fear. My carsoft v1, should read all the codes, talking to all the ecu's. It doesn't. Fear is something wrong with the electronics.

Also if it needs an ABS ring on rear hub, it's a 500 - 600 quid job.

But we have to travel north in June, so it must be fixed - unless ECUs are borked, in which case BFG gets weighed in.

CRV is still being Honda.

[Cookiesouwest]

With Little Cookie away, I took the opportunity to rant the fuck drive the Polo responsibly, to ensure electricity stays in the battery.

After 10 miles of spirited sensible driving, the temp gauge had hardly moved.

I see a new thermostat in this car's future.

[SiC]

16 hours ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Today, I dropped Little Cookie at airport (expensive, as I'm going to get 2 100 quid fines for accidently breaking traffic rules - ouch), I saw a sign for a merc specialist on the way home.

You were like a 10mins drive from a code scan at mine!

I'd be exceptionally surprised if it was the SBC module that was dead or faulty. As if it was then you'd have a massive red warning on the dash telling you to stop immediately. 

Almost certainly a tone ring or sensor. Anything else would be just bad luck. 

[Cookiesouwest]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

You were like a 10mins drive from a code scan at mine!

I'd be exceptionally surprised if it was the SBC module that was dead or faulty. As if it was then you'd have a massive red warning on the dash telling you to stop immediately. 

Almost certainly a tone ring or sensor. Anything else would be just bad luck. 

I know, but I didn't want to put you out.

I suspect the same. Brakes work OK, no big Red warning on dash.

To make the Merc a keeper, I needed to find a garage that could look after it.

Finding one 20 mins drive away with a fleet of courtesy cars, means I won't have to take a day off work to drop at a specialist in Bristol and a day off to collect. That would not have been viable.

It's weird the carsoft won't connect to all modules though. Other W/S 211 owners have confirmed the V1 reader connects fine to theirs.

[SiC]

3 hours ago, Cookiesouwest said:

I know, but I didn't want to put you out.

Ah don't worry about that! It wouldn't take long to do a scan. Albeit you know my bad habit of getting verbal diarrhoea...

3 hours ago, Cookiesouwest said:

It's weird the carsoft won't connect to all modules though. Other W/S 211 owners have confirmed the V1 reader connects fine to theirs.

A lot of these tools have a software update option when plugged into a pc. Have you given that a go incase there is an update for it? (Saying that, a bug in a later version might have broken it!)

[Cookiesouwest]

5 minutes ago, SiC said:

 

A lot of these tools have a software update option when plugged into a pc. Have you given that a go incase there is an update for it? (Saying that, a bug in a later version might have broken it!)

It was new, so would have hoped it was up to date. But I will investigate that

[Cookiesouwest]

As well as stopping procrastinating re the BFG, it's time to do the same for the Honda.

It's had very crashy front suspension for awhile. I asked for it to be checked, last time it was in the garage. Visual inspection revealed nothing.

But I'm convinced there is something up. It's driving me mental.

I've noticed a bit of wheel spin on rapid take off, plus some steering wheel shake on some surfaces, when hard braking.

So I'm going to book it in for new front shocks and hope that improves the ride.

[Cookiesouwest]

BFG is off to the local (ish) MB independent on Monday to hopefully rectify whatever is causing the EML / ABS / ESP errors.

If they are as good as I hope, BFG will return for a gearbox service.

CRV is booked for 12 June at usual garage for both front shocks.

June will be expensive.

 

[Cookiesouwest]

Well June may have just got pricier.

When Little Cookie was away, I used her Polo a lot.

So tonight took it for some fuel, which seemed fair given I'd used most of it, then for a rant to try and get it up to temp.

While driving enthusiastically, some warning lights appeared.

I do have a VAG code reader somewhere. If only I could remember where

On the plus side, I did get the temp up, although it rises and falls quite erratically.

 

[Cookiesouwest]

Good news - I found my XTool VAG 401 code reader

Bad News

It won't connect

Weird because it would talk to our Audi TT, which was older.

 

[SiC]

Did you try several times? Sometimes these tools fail randomly to connect. 

[Cookiesouwest]

14 minutes ago, SiC said:

Did you try several times? Sometimes these tools fail randomly to connect. 

3 times.

But will try again tomorrow.

It should connect with any vag from 96 to 2011.

 

[High Jetter]

My tool has had problems connecting to a vag for ages. Just saying. 😄

[Cookiesouwest]

BFG update.

Dropped at garage at 8.30. Given a ropey B180 courtesy car, which was proper Auto Shite (Rear wheel bearing, CVT box shaking at low speeds, both fronts clanking over bumps). I really liked it  Only charge a tenner, regardless of how many days I have it. 

It was the second courtesy car, from their fleet of 10 B class. The first had seized handbrake shoes, meaning I did a No.11 when I pulled away lol

Service is brilliant. Phone went, as I was walking into house, 25 mins after leaving.

Rear Hub ABS ring knackered.

3 hrs labour and about 40 quid in parts. If it needs bearings, another 50 on top.

Should get it back tonight, if parts arrive on the midday van from MB.

Very impressed with them so far.

Here's the courtesy car - which won't lock. Told her when she phoned with the estimate. Told me not to worry, no one will want to nick it !

 

[SiC]

7 minutes ago, Cookiesouwest said:

Rear Hub ABS ring knackered.

At least nothing major. I mean it's a PIA job and one well worth outsourcing to a garage/somewhere with a lift but common on any car of this age. 

Bet you wished you got it in sooner 😅

[SiC]

How are the cheap Chinese air springs holding up?

My parents 2017 520d has almost hit the bump stop on the left side in only a few days and suspect will need new ones too. Less than 8 years old and 62k miles is a bit piss poor for them to fail, but appear to be a common failure time for OEM BMW air shocks of this age.

 

[Cookiesouwest]

2 hours ago, SiC said:

At least nothing major. I mean it's a PIA job and one well worth outsourcing to a garage/somewhere with a lift but common on any car of this age. 

Bet you wished you got it in sooner 😅

Yes, I do wish I had it looked at sooner. 

[Cookiesouwest]

1 hour ago, SiC said:

How are the cheap Chinese air springs holding up?

My parents 2017 520d has almost hit the bump stop on the left side in only a few days and suspect will need new ones too. Less than 8 years old and 62k miles is a bit piss poor for them to fail, but appear to be a common failure time for OEM BMW air shocks of this age.

 

So far great. Don't lose any air at all.

For the money, I have no complaints.

TBH, even if they only last 3 yrs, I wouldn't have a complaint.

[Cookiesouwest]

Little Cookie took the Polo to garage for a code read.

Lots of codes, many of which if true  would stop the car running.

All codes cleared. EML now off.

Told her it might need a new battery. 

[SiC]

My guess is a code for a thermostat. Maybe O2/cat/fuel trim errors from not getting up to temperature.