Living with faults

[catsinthewelder]

Apart from the injector chuffing my Focus has surprisingly few faults for a 12 year old Ford with 170k.  There's a few scuffs and scrapes and I really should get some front tyres soon but everything works as it should*.

*The indicators don't beep when I'm towing but that's deliberate, another thing that won't beep if I ever get round to cutting the correct wire will be the seatbelt buzzer.

The Dacia has rather a lot of features*. 

The rear wash wipe stopped working shortly after I got it and it's a Hubnut heresy but I've never got around to fixing it. 

The passenger door opens with an awful creak.  The drivers door used to until the creaking spring (which I'd tried to lubricate with all sorts of things) snapped resulting in peace but a slightly dangerous door on windy days.

The heater control often needs to be adjusted under the bonnet as the cable is somewhat ineffective.  I switched it off last trip out and ended up stranded in town with fuel evaporation issues.

One of the wheels has rusted through so I've been running around on the spare for 4 years.

There is a dial on the dash to adjust the delay on the intermittent wipe but it's no good as the wipers don't self park.

If I park with the nose down rainwater fills the rear footwell.

Annoying electrical drain means I have to disconnect the battery when parked overnight.

Exhaust hits the chassis if the engine labours and on sharp bends.  Tried adjusting it to no avail.

Rear fog light is somewhat bodged after reversing into a bank of earth.  I keep meaning to rewire it into one of the reversing lights to neaten things up.

Plastic door sill trims are mostly still in the shed after refitting the carpet as they turned out to be really difficult to refit.

[DaveDorson]

Depends on the car.. some I can live with the issues, others I can't do it.

 

The Aircon on the golf isn't working at the moment and it's pissed me off, but that's probably due to the heat and my want to rag it about now I've done the big caliper conversion.

It also needs loads of paint stuff doing and I will likely let it slide.

The range rover I've not done the mechatronics seal on, it's stopped leaking oil and when I cleaned it it was clean oil so I suspect someone just made a mess when doing it so I've not dropped the box oil yet to do that seal and change the filter and sump.

The Mondeo I got rid of had loads of silly issues that I was happy to just live with but if I'd done them I'd have kept it.

The SLK I sold I did the important stuff and although it wanted some bodywork was happy to let the new owner make that call and just polished it up, but was very honest about.

My Dad's C5 needs loads doing, service, belts, probably tyres and radius arms as well as a few cosmetic issues and may well end up on here for spares or repairs as it's now at the point of fix it or frag it in my book and has a short MOT.

 

[Justwatching]

None of my cars have working AC. 

Saab: alarm goes off randomly when locked using central locking, so I just lock doors manually. Persistent EGR engine management light - I just clear it for the MoT. Gear stick can be put in reverse when moving forward. 

Ford LTD: Can't move the cabin heater all the way to hot as it causes a vacuum leak behind the dash. Clock doesn't work. Cracked windscreen (doesn't affect visibility). 

DeLorean: one speaker doesn't work. Gear selector doesn't align with reverse properly. Knob for selecting vent direction a bit broken and falls off regularly. 

[Inspector Morose]

I daily an R52 Mini. Of course I can live with faults, just not always the same faults that I parked it up with the night before.

[SiC]

As time has gone along with driving classic cars more and more, I've got more used to living with faults. Some faults I can't bear to live with and others I can ignore.

Redline is brakes, tyres and engine.

Brakes have to be excellent, no matter the cars age. So fluid changed regularly, stop squarely without input and seals+flexis not ancient. If I do an emergency stop, I expect it to stop. I require full confidence in the system. We are pretty light on brakes and don't really consume them. The Civic for example is on exactly the same front & rear pads+discs since we bought it - 23k miles covered.

That transitions to tyres. Cracking is unacceptable. Tyres close to worn out I stress enough that I soon change - 2mm is thin enough. Tyre brand is important. No point going part worn as new ditchfinders are so cheap. Unless for exceptional reasons, I won't chose a ditchfinder. Reasons I would get one is because alternatives are significantly more expensive (e.g. £40 a tyre for Hifly the Rover P4 size Vs £300 for a "classic" correct tyre) or it's a very short term car (e.g. the 2007 Focus I bought as a stop gap). Otherwise I'll buy a premium tyre. They aren't much more expensive than cheap and you generally know you're getting a good tyre without a lottery. Michelin are the most expensive by far but I've yet to have a bad one. Had an average Michelin given the price (e.g. some of their eco efficient tyres) but never bad. 

We have one primary main car that must be always usable no matter the circumstances (the Civic) and so that gets top notch tyres. Currently the front are Bridgestones and rear are Pirelli. I cheapened out on the front as once the rear Pirelli wear out, it'll get a full set of Michelin CrossClimates. Yes they are expensive but they fulfills the requirement on allowing it to be ready, no matter the weather. 

Engines have to be utterly reliable. Cutting out randomly is unacceptable. Rough running is unacceptable. Warning lights on moderns is too annoying and will have its root caused fixed. Cambelt roulette doesn't work for me as I always have in the back of my head it'll snap suddenly - see cutting out randomly above. If I'm using a car, I have to trust it to get to my destination. 

Everything else is generally what I can live with. Easier stuff or when I have an idle bored moment, this will get fixed.

Air conditioning gets a priority, likewise with a cabin filter as if it's there, I want it to work. Especially as modern cars are designed around it working. So when it doesn't, it becomes unpleasant - steaming up in winter/baking in summer.

[SiC]

How does this translate to the cars I have?

 

- 2015 Civic: the most expensive car I've ever bought. Windows make disconcerting clunks when opening/closing. However air con works, so live with it. Electric steering column lock makes squealing noises when sub zero. It works fine otherwise and doesn't throw a warning up. No doubt will be incredibly expensive to replace with the steering column and so it'll have to wait till the computers starts moaning.

 

 - 2000 Boxster: pretty much all works fine. Steering creaks a bit when really hot, I think this is a bush but doesn't affect driving. Engine creaks when hot and under load especially with the Aircon on. I've had several mechanics look at it and can't locate the noise. Last week I think it's coming from the exhaust silencers so maybe something is loose inside. Tracking is okay and steers straight but I suspect it would benefit from a 4 wheel alignment. 

 

- 2003 TT: probably the most broken of my cars. However it's reliable and its main job is to take me 10minutes down to the train station which it does fine. Just had the exhaust between the down pipe and cat fixed as it was blowing badly sounding awful. There is another blow on the flexi which makes it sound like a diesel, but this seals up when hot so don't want to go down the route of changing it as may risk becoming a bigger job. Haldex 4wd makes rear wheels judder when turning hard if cold. Probably because there is zero history of a fluid change in 130k. I should really do one. Drivers footwell gets wet and that's really annoying but I'm struggling to find the source where it's entering the car. Rear wheel alignment is out but not easily rectifiable without another set of rear springs - will see how well the new Uniroyal tyres last. Air con has just been regassed and holding so it is quite pleasant to be in during the hot weather. Drives and steers straight+corners well too. 

 

- 1974 MGB GT: oil pressure isn't particularly great (48-50psi ish when warm at speed, 30psi idle) and the lump rattles a fair bit. Interior doesn't rattle though at least. Springs could do with replacing as they've sagged a lot. Some areas of rust will need welding up at some point soon but I need to clear my backlog a bit first. Wipers don't park at the bottom and requires manual intervention (hand out the window). Given it's ability to keep letting me down, I don't have a huge amount of trust in it when driving.

 

- 1979 Spitfire: everything rattles, creaks and bends when going over bump (TADIS). Heater control doesn't quite move to Off but I think it's off. Wipers don't park all the way down like the BGT. Wiring was a mess but mostly sorted now with the fuse box potentially melting down again - just the cigarette lighter plug to fix. Likewise I think cooling is pretty much all there now for hot summers. Carbs could do with a rebuild and removing the poppet valves as idle is all over the place. Speedo is inaccurate (reads too slow) and annoying - highest priority to fix. Body is a bit rusty in areas - DO NOT POKE.  But it's a trust worthy car and reliable driver that's great fun though. So don't want to do too much that will take it off the road unless urgent.

 

- 1968 Midget / 1974 Dolomite Sprint: both in pieces so n/a atm. No doubt there will be a lot once finished!

[sierraman]

That reminds me I need a set of tyres on the back, pair of budgets come in at £120, Michelin as a like for like with what’s on at the moment just over £250. I think not... I’ll stick the budgets on they’ll be just fine. Part worns I just don’t bother with now, not especially good value and 90% of them aren’t even marked up legally which makes you wonder what other corners they’ve cut. 

[SiC]

9 minutes ago, sierraman said:

pair of budgets come in at £120, Michelin as a like for like with what’s on at the moment just over £250. I think not... I’ll stick the budgets on they’ll be just fine.

I'd be disappointed if I don't get 12k out of a pair of tyres. Usually 20k+ on our main cars and the front Bridgestones on the Civic are at around half worn after 18k.

Take 12k as a worse case. It's 2 pence per mile for the Michelin versus 1 pence per mile for those prices. A premium brand will be in-between that as Michelin are almost always the most expensive. Hardly a cost worth worrying about to skimp with cheap brands if the car is an all weather dependable driver. It's the wet and cold that really makes the difference between a budget and premium stand out. 

Fuel costs in running are an order of magnitude more. 

[sierraman]

It’s a 15 year old Mondeo diesel, I do six thousand a year in it. Chances are it’ll shit itself before I see the £ for £ saving in Michelins. 

[loserone]

I love how upset you get about people buying Michelins.

 

I considered Michelins for the Duster as it's just needed all four changing after 13 months of ownership.  As it is there was a better offer on the OEM GoodYears which have been decent, saving £60 overall.  £450 fitted on the drive, which is a bargain as far as I'm concerned.

Buying budget tyres where we live and with the journeys we do would be madness.

[sierraman]

I couldn’t give a shit what tyres you fit to be honest. 

[loserone]

13 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I couldn’t give a shit what tyres you fit to be honest. 

41 posts about it might suggest otherwise 😂

[SiC]

29 minutes ago, sierraman said:

It’s a 15 year old Mondeo diesel, I do six thousand a year in it. Chances are it’ll shit itself before I see the £ for £ saving in Michelins. 

What are you going to replace it with? Presumably another 15yr old shit Ford. I'll let you into a little secret. Wheels with tyres on are detachable from a vehicle. So you can easily swap them over onto a like-for-like car.

I guess you might not know this if you're only scrapping cars rather than doing this thing called "repairing".  🤣

 

[sierraman]

15 minutes ago, loserone said:

41 posts about it might suggest otherwise 😂

It’s pleasing to see you have so little to do that you can hang on my every word. 

[sierraman]

13 minutes ago, SiC said:

What are you going to replace it with? Presumably another 15yr old shit Ford. I'll let you into a little secret. Wheels with tyres on are detachable from a vehicle. So you can easily swap them over onto a like-for-like car.

I guess you might not know this if you're only scrapping cars rather than doing this thing called "repairing".  🤣

 

I scrap them when I’ve done with them so I don’t have to deal with people like you, out of their depth quibbling about what brand of tyres are fitted. 

[SiC]

8 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I scrap them when I’ve done with them so I don’t have to deal with people like you, out of their depth quibbling about what brand of tyres are fitted. 

 

Budget tyres on a car iterates that the owner does things on the cheapest cheap. To the bottom dollar and lowest bidder. Maintenance deferred indefinitely and till something inevitably fails. Exactly what you predicate and why cars you own have no value above scrap.

If you think I'm out of my depth then you don't even know which way the water is. 🤣

[sierraman]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

 

Budget tyres on a car iterates that the owner does things on the cheapest cheap. To the bottom dollar and lowest bidder. Maintenance deferred indefinitely and till something inevitably fails. Exactly what you predicate and why cars you own have no value above scrap.

If you think I'm out of my depth then you don't even know where to the water is. 🤣

I’d have a read through the faults you’ve mentioned above and then come back once you’ve had chance to think it through. 

[JakeT]

I’m probably the worst when  it comes to living with faults. I will spend countless hours and large sums fixing issues that many would just live with. A few examples:

Buying a load of used parking sensors so they worked

Spending a lot of time and money to fix a leaking AC condenser and evaporator

Fitting a new clutch to a fiesta as it was juddering badly, only to sell it 12,000 miles later.

Replacing niggly little trim bits when they break or get worn

Buying Michelin tyres (sorry, I have an obsession with Bibendum)

I am not good at bangernomics.

 

[sierraman]

Just now, JakeT said:

I’m probably the worst when  it comes to living with faults. I will spend countless hours and large sums fixing issues that many would just live with. A few examples:

Buying a load of used parking sensors so they worked

Spending a lot of time and money to fix a leaking AC condenser and evaporator

Fitting a new clutch to a fiesta as it was juddering badly, only to sell it 12,000 miles later.

Replacing niggly little trim bits when they break or get worn

Buying Michelin tyres (sorry, I have an obsession with Bibendum)

I am not good at bangernomics.

 

Don’t apologise on my behalf, they’re good tyres, I just can’t justify paying twice the price. You sound like the person I’d buy a car from. I wouldn’t buy a car from me, it’s probably got minutes to live if I’m selling it. 🤣

[SiC]

15 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’d have a read through the faults you’ve mentioned above and then come back once you’ve had chance to think it through. 

Yup and the outcome is still the same. You seem to struggle with what is safe and what is not. Not just for the occupants of the vehicle but those others surrounding it to. You are the type that would be better off leaving maintenance and judgment to those that understand the implications of decisions been made. 

[sierraman]

19 minutes ago, SiC said:

Yup and the outcome is still the same. You seem to struggle with what is safe and what is not. Not just for the occupants of the vehicle but those others surrounding it to. You are the type that would be better off leaving maintenance and judgment to those that understand the implications of decisions been made. 

What if I was behind you and my Roadstone Tyres wouldn’t allow me to stop in time. Would the Michelins be much use then?

Could you point out what it is about my car that isn’t safe? 

[SiC]

27 minutes ago, sierraman said:

What if I was behind you and my Roadstone Tyres wouldn’t allow me to stop in time. Would the Michelins be much use then?

Could you point out what it is about my car that isn’t safe? 

And this is a prime example on how some people are far worse than others in judging risk. 

As I mentioned earlier, the budgets are fine in nice weather but it's the wet and cold where they are below par. In conditions where a budget is fine, a premium will be just as good. Where it matters is when a roadstone user hits standing water at speed, possibly on a corner, and then looses traction. Those are then at risk impacting structures or on coming individuals. The premium tyre user will just push that water out of the way and it feels a complete non issue to that user. 

Not hard to understand and a difference well understood. Is the premium on a Michelin going to make a big difference over another (but cheaper) premium like a Pirelli/Continental/Goodyear? No, not a massive difference from various data sources. But over a Tomket/Triangle/Linglong? Yes.

Cheap tyres exist because it's a free market economy and so much wrong in this world, people chase down to the bottom dollar. Standards are supposed to exist prevent truly awful products but much is self certified and they're rarely enforced. Surveillance testing still happens but it's very infrequently and narrowly spread - just ask any type approval centre. Then enforcement and recall is just as inadequate. The everyday consumer just has to look at all the dangerous shit sold on Amazon and eBay to realise that.

[sierraman]

But what of my question about what it is about my maintenance regime that’s a danger to other motorists?

The way you are talking is as if I’m hunting round the bins at the back of Kwik Fit at night looking for old brake pads. 

[Supernaut]

Get a room, you two.

[sierraman]

2 minutes ago, Supernaut said:

Get a room, you two.

Don’t know how that would work, I’d be happy with the Premier Inn, he’d be consulting the Michelin Guide 🤣

[Supernaut]

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[Dobloseven]

42 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Don’t know how that would work, I’d be happy with the Premier Inn, he’d be consulting the Michelin Guide 🤣

Bet you pair would leave skidmarks on the sheets! 

[sierraman]

1 minute ago, Dobloseven said:

Bet you pair would leave skidmarks on the sheets! 

I’d definitely piss in the kettle and set the alarm for 3:30am. 

[RoverFolkUs]

There's no point losing sleep or hair over what tyres other people are fitting to their vehicles. 

You've got to level with the general public, there's no point telling someone they should be replacing their 7 year old factory fitted Goodyear's like for like when a budget will be safer than what's on there. If they haven't got the money to spaff up the wall for something which gives a benefit they will not see or understand you can't feasibly expect them to care. 

If someone can explain to me what measurable difference a crossclimate will make compared to a landsail when fitted to the rear axle of a small engine FWD car and why someone should be doubling the cost of their next tyre change then fire away. 

Driving a car around without factory fitted ABS is arguably more dangerous to yourself and other road users than fitting budget tyres to a modern.

[sierraman]

I think we’d be in the minority even servicing the thing going on what a lot of people do.