The grumpy thread

[High Jetter]

24 minutes ago, SierraMikeHotel said:

It just makes some designer look clever and makes the job harder for a poor schmuck owner like me.

A cynic might suggest it makes more money for M-B

[SierraMikeHotel]

A cynic might suggest it makes more money for M-B

I thought that but you can get aftermarket wipers for it. It smells more like someone looking for a promotion to me.

[richardmorris]

On 2/10/2020 at 5:05 PM, Tadhg Tiogar said:

There is one for automatic gearbox cars, because it was quite involved to get it all reconnected. If that has failed, then it would be a job to get hold of a new one. It looks like this:

I am tending to think it's the head gasket that has given up, as "richardmorris" suggests, mainly because of the speed with which the coolant turned into the colour of Bailey's liqueur / tea. Really quite frustrating, as it had a cooling system flush (three times) in November and a new water pump and hose at the same time. Everything was alright until around the New Year when I took it for a jet wash and the coolant temperature went past 90 deg.C (usually it sits around 84-88 deg) on the way home.

I pumped out the expansion tank at the weekend to remove a foreign body that I had spotted floating in there, then refilled with new coolant - just enough to cover the tank marker/sensor as the manual dictates. It didn't make a great deal of difference when I took it round the block, and the dull rattling sounds (a bit like rapid pinking) that I could hear when I accelerated leads me to think that there is either inadequate oiling or inadequate cooling. I also noticed that once the engine was off, there was a pressure build-up and the coolant - which was once again the colour of Bailey's/tea - rose high enough to leak through the screw cap at the top.

Yet another problem for Garages Dubois-Loizou to try to solve if/when I can get the CX down there again.

I have now managed to find someone who stocks a complete head gasket set, so an order has gone in. I know I've spent far far more than I paid for the CX in the first place, but I've got to chase down all the faults that happen as they arise, and whilst I can afford it! The rest of the car is too good to give up on.

Don’t blame me, I haven’t even seen the bloody thing. Could be an oil cooler. None of my cxs had one, but why did it need the coolant flushes?

I think Neil hotham’s car CGAT was off the road for over a year waiting for a head gasket. So well done for finding one.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

6 minutes ago, richardmorris said:

Don’t blame me, I haven’t even seen the bloody thing. Could be an oil cooler. None of my cxs had one. I think Neil hotham’s car CGAT was off the road for over a year waiting for a head gasket. So well done for finding one.

No, but the symptoms were familiar enough for you to diagnose. 

Head gasket sets for M25/659 engines aren't that easy to come by, but I've been notified that my order is with the courier now.

The turbo engines are better catered for because they are more numerous - probably  the most numerous - amongst surviving CXs, as they are the ones that get all the hype.

The oil cooler is even more difficult to find. Might have to bother Stan Platts. Again.

I've also noticed that the rubber seal in the coolant tank cap is distorted, so that's another thing to find.

[Pieman]

1 hour ago, Bren said:

The passat has only been on ebay for minutes and already the life is being sucked out of me. Offers of £250, buy it now price and a checklist that would make the owner of a five year old car sweat have been sent to me. I may check into the priory next week.

When my current Focus reaches the end of its life or if I get fed up with it, I honestly think I'll just strip the thing and banger race it rather than selling it just so I don't have to deal with the public.

[somewhatfoolish]

16 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

No, but the symptoms were familiar enough for you to diagnose. 

Head gasket sets for M25/659 engines aren't that easy to come by, but I've been notified that my order is with the courier now.

The oil cooler is even more difficult to find. Might have to bother Stan Platts. Again.

I've also noticed that the rubber seal in the coolant tank cap is distorted, so that's another thing to find.

What's the internal arrangement of the oil cooler, could it be amenable to being rebuilt by a rad repairer?

[Tadhg Tiogar]

10 minutes ago, somewhatfoolish said:

What's the internal arrangement of the oil cooler, could it be amenable to being rebuilt by a rad repairer?

No idea. Never had an oil cooler fail. There was one on the 635CSi I had, and that never went wrong in 18 years 

[mitsisigma01]

Is it an airflow cooled oil cooler or a liquid cooled oil cooler?

Can you not just get a aftermarket one of the same area/efficiency and if needed use silicon pipes and adapters. 

[New POD]

On 2/10/2020 at 3:46 PM, barefoot said:

Little more than a bucket full of snow on the M1 & this happens;

It took me 1 hour to leave Derby on Monday afternoon. I then drove to the M6 whilst taking care to avoid Stoke which was Code Red.  Google maps showing the whole place dark red.

Left London Road on Derby at 2:30. Arrived in L37 at 6:15 

Wife wonders why I dont commute daily. 

No she actually said: there's no need to come home for my Birthday. 

I'd rather die trying. 

[Dan the van]

Popped by to see my friendly MOT chap yesterday to book a test (he's always mega busy,2/3 week wait) to be greeted by a totally deserted unit.Not only his,all units empty,all cars gone and the whole ind est securely fenced off.Bugger bugger bugger.Internet evidence suggests he may* be working in Plymouth now.That's bandit country as far as I'm concerned,haven't been out of Cornwall for ten years and have no intention of doing so any time soon.Arse.

[83C]

23 minutes ago, Dan the van said:

Popped by to see my friendly MOT chap yesterday to book a test (he's always mega busy,2/3 week wait) to be greeted by a totally deserted unit.Not only his,all units empty,all cars gone and the whole ind est securely fenced off.Bugger bugger bugger.Internet evidence suggests he may* be working in Plymouth now.That's bandit country as far as I'm concerned,haven't been out of Cornwall for ten years and have no intention of doing so any time soon.Arse.

There's a decent place in Truro near Treliske (Truro MoT Centre) - used them a few times and they're fair. All they really do is tests, so no incentive to try and grab extra work by failing on minor stuff.

[Dan the van]

Thanks for that,that's how I ended up with Steve many years ago after another place tried fishing for work off me.I used to be a mechanic before I came down here so I knew they were bullshitting.I'm Liskeard area sadly so Truro is a bit of a trek.Appreciate the thought tho'.Just have to give somewhere else local a try I guess.Sigh.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

8 hours ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Is it an airflow cooled oil cooler or a liquid cooled oil cooler?

Can you not just get a aftermarket one of the same area/efficiency and if needed use silicon pipes and adapters. 

Liquid cooled.

Aftermarket one could be an idea. Not seen it done on a CX automatic.

I did approach Samco regarding reproduction silicone hoses a while back. They do need originals as patterns.

[xtriple]

Got a text from my bank on Monday. That alone was a worry as do banks text? Seems my card has/had been used at a site known/suspected to be 'dodgy'.  Because of this they are/were sending me a new card immediately and to use it straight away with the pin.

I was worried....

Seems it's NOT a scam but a very real security thing and I have used a dodgy site or it's been copied in a petrol station or shop. Bastards.

New card arrived today and Ihave been and used it, all seems good to go so... bank said it was legit and there was no link to click on fro the text.

[Datsuncog]

On ‎2‎/‎10‎/‎2020 at 11:44 PM, Datsuncog said:

Snow's a-falling in Co. Antrim... understandably, MrsDC announces that she'd sooner take the Forester up over the hills to work in the morning, rather than the Yaris.

Since I've been meaning to replace the ever-weakening battery in the remote key for several weeks now [...]

Well, I managed to find a replacement 1632 battery for the Subaru's fob, only to find it makes no improvement to the difficulty in locking/unlocking. Looks like the microswitch beneath the lock/unlock button is banjaxed.

I did manage to get it working yesterday morning, so MrsDC took it to work.

Given the Yaris' exceedingly twitchy ABS - which verges on dangerous since it has a nasty tendency to kick in at about 2mph, just as you're about to come to a controlled halt at a junction and so pushing you on out into oncoming traffic - I felt a bit happier knowing she was in the Forester with its surefooted AWD gubbins.

I was a bit less happy when I heard her come home yesterday evening, reversing down the driveway and straight into the trailer, which then took out the back fence... the fence I only repaired in October, after she smashed the post out of the ground pulling exactly the same manoeuvre in the Volvo a few years back. The back bumper took the brunt of it, though a cursory inspection seems to indicate a crack in the rear lamp cluster.

Of course, somehow it's going to be My Fault...

*sigh*

[Tadhg Tiogar]

Are ye sure she wouldn't prefer a horse to do the same job now?

[yes oui si]

1 hour ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

Are ye sure she wouldn't prefer a horse to do the same job now?

"fuck your subaru, I've a..." 

[jumpingjehovahs]

Got a text from my bank on Monday. That alone was a worry as do banks text? Seems my card has/had been used at a site known/suspected to be 'dodgy'.  Because of this they are/were sending me a new card immediately and to use it straight away with the pin.
I was worried....
Seems it's NOT a scam but a very real security thing and I have used a dodgy site or it's been copied in a petrol station or shop. Bastards.
New card arrived today and Ihave been and used it, all seems good to go so... bank said it was legit and there was no link to click on fro the text.

All very normal, as someone who’s had more debit cards than got dinners it’s all very situation normal for banks to text now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[dozeydustman]

Bollocks. Sitting at tip and this has come on.

also EML for shits and giggles. Only topped it up with coolant this morning.

[Snipes]

20 hours ago, Saabnut said:

4 HSE people there, none spoke, none mentioned the elephant in the room, ie why was this method chosen as it is inheritently unsafe.

This has been my experience of HSE too. Get up a pair of steps and they're all over you with fire and brimstone but something actually dangerous, like crane lifting chunks of a timber frame house about, and they can't run away fast enough.

[Kiltox]

‘kinell 

https://youtu.be/ILYh7zM8Nck
 

[LostnotFound]

22 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

‘kinell 

https://youtu.be/ILYh7zM8Nck
 

At least some people aren't just talking the talk when it comes to fighting back against electric cars Clarkson should take note...

[Supernaut]

28 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

‘kinell 

https://youtu.be/ILYh7zM8Nck
 

Nice Fiat 124 parked on the street though.

 

Also, the fuck is wrong with some people? "Hurr durr I blasted through a give way sign but IT'S THEIR FAULT NOT MINE AAARGH"

[Spurious]

26 minutes ago, Kiltox said:

‘kinell 

https://youtu.be/ILYh7zM8Nck
 

Jesus your woman has some neck there.  He was just plodding along, nothing wrong at all. 

[yes oui si]

I blame the music. 

[Spiny Norman]

Nice Fiat 124 Spyder at 0:24 though.

[sheffcortinacentre]

Typical modern self entitled young woman I'm never in the wrong my parent told me so, shell never admit liability even after seeing the footage.

 

[yes oui si]

6 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Typical modern self entitled young woman I'm never in the wrong my parent told me so, shell never admit liability even after seeing the footage.

 

It's an almost identical response as the middle aged red faced man who drove into the back of me had a few years back. Nothing to do with them being 'modern', young or presenting as a woman; some people are just cunts. 

[sheffcortinacentre]

Wasn't ment to be sexist. But in my part of the world this is a typical young women's reaction to any situation .

[GBJ]

11 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

 Looks like the microswitch beneath the lock/unlock button is banjaxed.

 

I had the same problem with a Subaru key/fob.

 

Took it apart and sprayed the switch with electronics cleaner. pressed it a few times and it started working.