THE GUBBERMINT ALWAYS KNOWS BEST

[The Moog]

Will try to. Depends on how brave I am being!

[dollywobbler]

More interest in dent removal techniques here! Do post how you get on.

[scaryoldcortina]

Diagnostics shite.... I bought an OBD adapter on ebay from the crispy fried dangerous toy and vehicle electronics corp, it arrived yesterday with a singapore postmark.

 

Why? Because a genuine ELM327 chip to build an adapter around would be almost £30 to buy on it's own, and this whole bluetooth enabled final product was £10.50 including post. Of course, all the internet advice says not to buy one of these, it won't work, may be made from nuclear waste, will contain a dead mouse instead of a circuit board etc, and there are "please help me, it doesn't work" threads everywhere too. So, worst case it does nothing but I can use its case and OBD plug (itself more than a tenner) and build one, best case?

 

It works fine. Tried it out last night on a 2000 polo, it functions exactly the same as a "real" one. Don't know about the software they sent, I didn't try the disk but I'm fairly certain it will be 10 year old windows only freeware that didn't work a decade ago.

 

Verdict? Worth a punt if you know what you are doing. I'll do a thread on it when I get a moment.

[barefoot]

New silencer for the van...

 

 

Hand made from stainless by Turbo Thomas

It should last longer than I do!

 

- I have to say that that is a spectacularly poor photograph!

[trigger]

Are you planing on repainting the panel again Moog? The slide hammers I've used in the past involved either welding a rod to the panel or drilling a hole into it to attach the puller?

 

I'd had thought you'd be better of removing the interior trim and knocking it out from the inside?.

[The Moog]

I was thinking that I would drill a little hole to screw hammer in. Then after take paint back and fill the hole then spray it with rattle cans. I didn't think that I would be able to get it from the otherside, will go and have a look.

 

In the meantime fitted new droplinks to the front ARB and finished the brakes. Micra now handles really well and bumps are handled in its stride. One of those jobs that you don't really think need doing until you have done it. Feels massively different.

 

Changed the Oil in both Micra and VW. Cant get at the micro oil filter as it is tucked right at the back of the engine. WIll live with it for a bit and from now on get garage to do oil and filter for me on it, not worth the handle.

 

Fitted new temp sensor to the van but because it has been fitted with mk3 golf engine I am not sure it is wired properly. There is a wire coming from the sensor which goes no where. Going to have to try and work out what to do with it as it looks a world of grief. Still got no 1st gear but I am going to live without it for now..

[dollywobbler]

Had a quick look at the Range Rover's clutch after it went all funny at the weekend. Still a bit too much free play, but it's behaving properly now. In fact, after topping up the fluid and doing a few miles, there were no more crunchy gearchanges. Reckon it'll be worth trying to bleed it, but not while it's raining...

 

Lobbed the two wheels and tyres I collected yesterday onto the BX and gave it a quick run up and down the drive. Can't really do a lot more until I get a new rad as the water's pretty much falling straight back out at the moment. Settled for giving the inside a much needed clean - still lots to be done there.

[Lankytim]

Mr recent Volvo 240 purchase FAILED its MOT today, however it was only on perished front brake hoses and an "insecure" rear numberplate light. Not too bad, really. Tester missed the rust hole in the sill though!

 

That depends on where the hole is... 240 sills are huge enough for large bits of them to not be prescribed area....

 

I didn't know that!

 

I thought that the whole sill was loadbearing as its a monocoque shell and forms part of the chassis. Its right at the rear end so I suspect would be close enough to the trailing arm mounting anyway.

[The Moog]

Decided to whip off the trim inside the micro to see if I could get at the dent. And I could!! Woo hoo. Managed to pop it out .. well most of it.

 

Before

 

After

 

Not perfect but will do. Also changed the rear high level brake light at the same time.

 

Took bus out for the run and taa dah the temp gauge has now decided to work. Must have been a mixture of changing sensor plus clean a few contacts. Need to get some tyres for the van as well.

 

Speedo still being a bit jumpy below 30mph but above that it works normally. Going to swap the hub caps around I think.

[scaryoldcortina]

Got a repair kit for the LT steering idler, fitted it this afternoon. £10

 

MoT is booked for tomorrow.....

[trigger]

That looks much better Moog, I'm not a fan of those slide hammers unless your planning on a big repair due to the holes you have to make.

[Cavcraft]

Suction cup ones only seem to work on perfectly flat panels in my limited experience.

[dieselnutjob]

if you cover the cup in grease and cope with it sliding about a bit it does enable you to pull it with a lot of force

[tonedepear]

Just home from a night shift and looking forward to a few days off and a camping to down south with the bairn. Bloody clutch is slipping. Brill.

[Cavcraft]

Need brakes fixing on car, some sort of stupid special tool required to wind the calipers back. My lad's work wouldn't let him do it there yesterday because the boss has a gob on. Could do with car for a couple of epic journeys next week (including a funeral) as the economy will be a right bonus. Here's hoping he can do it today.

[dollywobbler]

Bid on a BX radiator on Ebay. Bid £11.50 then went out and failed to keep an eye on it. Got gazzumped and it sold for £12. DOH! There's another one on there for £50 BIN, but I can't afford that until next payment comes in. Unless someone buys my Saab?!

[Angrydicky]

My Austin A35 passed it's MOT first time with no advisories! Chuffed to bits, it's very rare for one of my cars.

[scaryoldcortina]

LT is not MoTed Nipped along to the class VII station this morning to check the brakes on the roller before booking a test (it's failed 4 out of its last 5 tests for crappy handbrake) and I have serious front imbalance (350 nearside, 450 offside) and a crap handbrake. Pulled the NS front caliper off, one stuck piston. It's still stuck, the caliper is now in a bucket of brake fluid at the garage and I'm at home with very sore fingers. I was trying to blast it free with compressed air, but the grips holding the other piston in slipped off and the piston shot out like a missile. I was holding the caliper through the middle at the time. OUCH. My left middle and ring fingers now look and feel like I hit them with a large hammer, so I gave up for now.

 

edited because I can't tell left from right

[The Moog]

Started fitting the passenger side lower wishbone today at 1. Not a cloud in the sky. Got to the point of no return and the heavnes opened! I would have been drier in a shower. The drop link is seized on to the roll bar and needs to be ground off but in this weather I am safer leaving it. Fitted it all back together now and will do that drop link another day.

 

Book VW in for new set of tyres as these one are shagged £252 for all four .. .ouch ..

[tux]

LT is not MoTed Nipped along to the class VII station this morning to check the brakes on the roller before booking a test (it's failed 4 out of its last 5 tests for crappy handbrake) and I have serious front imbalance (350 nearside, 450 offside) and a crap handbrake. Pulled the NS front caliper off, one stuck piston. It's still stuck, the caliper is now in a bucket of brake fluid at the garage and I'm at home with very sore fingers. I was trying to blast it free with compressed air, but the grips holding the other piston in slipped off and the piston shot out like a missile. I was holding the caliper through the middle at the time. OUCH. My left middle and ring fingers now look and feel like I hit them with a large hammer, so I gave up for now.

 

edited because I can't tell left from right

 

You have my sympathies fella. I did exactly the same thing freeing up a Porsche 924 caliper last year. Throbbed like a B****** for days.

[Wilko220]

After some some serious foot pump exercise, inflating a tyre on a wheel with a hole in it, and some jump-starting action, I drove the Sceptre 15 miles or so to SWB Car and Commercial in Amersham where I'm having it resprayed. Still lots of other jobs to do on the car, but none of the other problems have the potential to deteriorate as much or as quickly as the bodywork, so that's been the priority.

 

I chose this place (quite a small, father and son outfit) on recommendation from a friend, so I'm hopeful for a top notch job. They had an MG Magnette, Mini Van and Land Rover in various stages of being done up and all looked good. I'll report back in a couple of weeks when I pick it up though...

[ashmicro]

While driving the Jaaag I belted something as I came home the country road from Larne, possibly a small bit of fallen tree. There's a small mark on the bumper, and the N/S fog lamp was loose. Further investigation revealed that the bracket/cowling for said lamp was broken in two. £3.57 from the main dealer

[Guest]

Finally got the right plugs and dizzy cap for the 305.

 

Which is nice.

[Pete-M]

Finally got the right plugs and dizzy cap for the 305.

 

Which is nice.

 

Ah, so they were the wrong plugs as well? I'm gonna have fun sourcing 604 bits next week then?

[Guest]

 

Finally got the right plugs and dizzy cap for the 305.

 

Which is nice.

 

Ah, so they were the wrong plugs as well? I'm gonna have fun sourcing 604 bits next week then?

 

Dizzy was burnt out to fuck, rotor arm was dead wrong, and apparently the plugs were bollocks too. The charming way Ducellier left no markings whatsover on the cap itself wasn't incredibly helpful either. However, our mutual friend in the North East (Coggaaahrs) got his old parts book and measuring tape out, I pulled the original off and then compared notes. Then I might look into why it's set as rich as buttery spunk, and get someone to bodge a manual cable on to the carb with my OMG NOS Metromark Conversion Kit .

 

GSF got it wrong twice, Euro Car Parts kept trying to sell me a ballast pack off a Merc, and the global Pug parts database didn't recognise the registration number. Depressing stuff when you realise the XU5 was fitted to the 205, 305, 309, 405, BX and C15. There's got to be a few of them still kicking around.

 

I'd give Euan a call next week, he's fucking boss.

 

 

Also, I vacuumed it out and fitted yellow headlight bulbs. The process of the former appears to have induced our sugar dependent next door neighbour into a near-psychotic meltdown. I'm not sure whether I want to sully the GOM thread with my thoughts on the whole sorry affair. I might just hammer a smaller - than - strictly - necessary socket into the back of his head the next time he goes on his period.

[Cavcraft]

Junior came up trumps again today and fitted the new brake pads to the rear of the 80 estate. Transpires the caliper had been sticking a bit which had caused one of the pads to wear thinner than Jon's patience with crap employers. He's stripped it down and greased it up and now no more annoying noises from the n/s/r when braking.

Had planned to use the car next week for the mass mileage visiting the 'rents/funeral in Peterboghorror trek but I keep eyeing up the Cavalier and it's lovely automatic-ness which will be a far nicer thing to drive over that sort of distance.

I'd take the van but somehow I can't see mum and dad (both in their eighties) being too impressed rolling up outside the church in a very pikey looking Transit.

 

Oh, I nearly sold the Transit last night but someone came down to view it and was unimpressed by the dents. Fair comment of course, I mean it's not like anyone would expect a fucking 13 year old van not to be absolutely immaculate, is it?

[wuvvum]

I "fixed" the EML issue on the Accord yesterday by disconnecting the battery for ten minutes. Drove it home from work this evening (after dumping the moped at the garage after the heavens opened) and gave it a bit of welly to see if the 4,000rpm rev limit had been cured. It had - the engine revved happily up to its 6,300rpm limiter. Once. Then the EML came back on and it refused to go above 4K any more. So there must actually be something wrong with it then. And I still can't find the poxy diagnostic connector. Arseflaps.

[r.welfare]

Wuvvum, you need to pull the trim off the bottom of the dashboard below the glovebox to get access. There's no OBD2 port on an Accord of that age. Take off the fusebox cover underneath the passenger vent and pull from there and the bottom, it's just clipped in (see the white trim clips in the picture below).

 

 

You can just make out the metal bracing bar that runs across behind the kick panel above. Disconnect 2-pin connector (not the 5-pin, that deals with ABS) from it's socket, bridge the pins with a paperclip, ignition on and the EML should flash in a 2-number sequence (with a gap between the 1st and 2nd numbers, then to the next cycle).

 

The TypeAccordUK forum have a sticky in the '6th Gen Accord' section that deciphers the codes.

 

FWIW if it comes up with needing a new lambda sensor I've got one on the garage shelf unused you can have for not much £, as it's for a manual 1.8/2.0 and mine's an auto. Although I seem to recall you mentioning it has a blowing exhaust...?

[wuvvum]

I seem to recall you mentioning it has a blowing exhaust...?

It does, but it's had that ever since I've owned it (almost six months now), and the EML issue has only started up relatively recently. I say that, the EML did occasionally come on before, but it never limited the revs up to now. I'll do a bit more dismantelage of the dash this weekend (if I get time between shite collection missions) and see if I can find that elusive plug - it might have got caught up behind something.

[r.welfare]

It's probably a lot easier if you remove the aforementioned metal bar - 2 nuts, one 8mm and one 10mm IIRC.