Associate
- Joined
- 19 Dec 2010
- Posts
- 1,113
- Location
- Berkshire
Cleaned my filthy exhaust tips, autosol works wonders !
What have you done to your car today?
- Thread starter mattyprice4004
- Start date
Mounted the fire distinguisher instead of having it rolling around.
And packed up for its first little road trip... These are just tools, fluids, and a small spattering of spares like a coil, plugs, wire and crimps, lengths of hose, relays, a belt, and such like...
I also polished the whole car apart from the little bits like the valences, rear panel, A/B pillars and window frames, cos I'll have to do those by hand.
No pics though, its already covered in dust, and its dark.
Fitted a new brake master also which has finally resolved my brake light problem.
And packed up for its first little road trip... These are just tools, fluids, and a small spattering of spares like a coil, plugs, wire and crimps, lengths of hose, relays, a belt, and such like...
I also polished the whole car apart from the little bits like the valences, rear panel, A/B pillars and window frames, cos I'll have to do those by hand.
No pics though, its already covered in dust, and its dark.
Fitted a new brake master also which has finally resolved my brake light problem.
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Associate
- Joined
- 6 Mar 2024
- Posts
- 555
- Location
- Cheshire
Rear wiper on mine wouldn't stop. Based on my experience with the mk4 Mondeo (front wipers not stopping) I checked the fuse box location and the online fuse diagram.
While investigating this evening, I wanted to stop the rear Wiper at its original position. While fiddling with the fuses, I got distracted by my 3 year old son's continuous questions lol. Dropped the fuse in the engine bay somewhere and it went into oblivion.
Thankfully, it at least stopped the rear wiper from swiping which was irritating me. Have ordered a set of fuses and will install the replacement soon. Hopefully it should resolve the issue.
While investigating this evening, I wanted to stop the rear Wiper at its original position. While fiddling with the fuses, I got distracted by my 3 year old son's continuous questions lol. Dropped the fuse in the engine bay somewhere and it went into oblivion.
Thankfully, it at least stopped the rear wiper from swiping which was irritating me. Have ordered a set of fuses and will install the replacement soon. Hopefully it should resolve the issue.
Soldato
- Joined
- 9 Dec 2009
- Posts
- 5,433
- Location
- Bristol
Put Mrs's private plate on her new car (22 plate Kona). The original dealer evidently didn't want to use the mounting screw holes for the number plate on the boot, and ran self tappers into the bodywork instead! So when I removed the old plate I was faced with two rusty holes.
What is it with some people?
I dabbed rust converter on the holes and got some into the holes with a cocktail stick. When it had done its thing and turned the rust black, I dabbed zinc primer on the holes, again using a cocktail stick to get it in the holes. When that was dry I sealed the holes with aluminum tape.
I stuck the new plates on with sticky pads.
What is it with some people?
I dabbed rust converter on the holes and got some into the holes with a cocktail stick. When it had done its thing and turned the rust black, I dabbed zinc primer on the holes, again using a cocktail stick to get it in the holes. When that was dry I sealed the holes with aluminum tape.
I stuck the new plates on with sticky pads.
Disassembly of rear screen pump to replace a leaking oil seal, no leaks so far, to avoid whole pump at £150
Double header, Ergopower repair too, you never forget your first one - needed one of those children who maintained the eternal engine (snowpiercer diddums)
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2009
- Posts
- 11,673
- Location
- Northampton
I highly recommend Gates Barricade fuel hose.
I used it for multiple years with large amounts of methanol mixed fuels with zero signs of deterioration (60% methanol in petrol vs the 10% ethanol you’d see, and methanol is even more harsh on things than ethanol too)
What supplier did you get it from? I tried the Gates stuff and received a counterfeit product which failed in a dangerously short space of time. Replaced it with whatever ethanol resistant stuff Halfords carry and that was likely fake too because despite claiming to be ethanol resistant hose it started cracking in fairly short order as well.
This was a few years ago now but I did some research at the time and it seemed that fake fuel hose was pretty rife on the market.
In the end I gave up and got Codan J30R9 hose because I read it's what a lot of manufacturers put on new cars, and it's been perfect.
This was a few years ago now but I did some research at the time and it seemed that fake fuel hose was pretty rife on the market.
In the end I gave up and got Codan J30R9 hose because I read it's what a lot of manufacturers put on new cars, and it's been perfect.
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Man of Honour
- Joined
- 13 Nov 2009
- Posts
- 11,673
- Location
- Northampton
I ended up getting it from Summit because I was in the US anyway and there were a flex bits like Flex Fuel sensors that are so ridiculously cheap.
Bofi stock gates barricade and I’d trust them, and although it’s on back order Moss Europe also do it and I’ve always known them to have a good reputation
Replaced the complete fuel line between the sender unit and the filter with the new reputable brand R9 line. The old line looks reinforced, states R9 but no branding, but it's all disintegrating with blocks missing and the thread showing and that's then causing the inner liner to leak.
Car runs, maintains hight revs etc and doesn't leak. So I consider that a win.
Car runs, maintains hight revs etc and doesn't leak. So I consider that a win.
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Gates along with most old school bearing and belt brands, aren't the quality, nor construction that they used to be, IIRC Gates along with most of the oldest standing names, have been bought out by China years ago, thus you recieve a brand name and nothing more than cheap Chinesium garbage.
I bought a very expensive Bosch starter motor recently and it was all written in Chinese, which was very annoying - I get that they claim it's been through just as thorough of a QC and production as other factories, but in reality, Chinese made car parts tend to be awful and a con, even from a legitimate supplier - the rest of the time they're fake parts and even worse!
Some people claim, that it's as simple as not buying too cheap a part and choosing the middle ground etc with Chinese suppliers/parts, when in reality, they're all the same price at 3 different markups!
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Was it definitely a Bosch starter?
Bosch parts are some of the most counterfeited ones there are.
The injectors I bought for my E30 have a seal which has a QR code and a holographic portion, and an 18 character serial number, and instructions to check its legitimacy on a website before you break the seal.
Even "legitimate" parts suppliers end up with fake Bosch items in stock without knowing it. Its kind of nuts.
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And new cars are boring. Imagine the free time
Yep, bought from a legitimate place, I then looked online, and yep China knocks out most of their stuff nowWas it definitely a Bosch starter?
Bosch parts are some of the most counterfeited ones there are.
The injectors I bought for my E30 have a seal which has a QR code and a holographic portion, and an 18 character serial number, and instructions to check its legitimacy on a website before you break the seal.
Even "legitimate" parts suppliers end up with fake Bosch items in stock without knowing it. Its kind of nuts.
Yeah, I had the same thing with the starter - it came with the QR/holographic, so I checked it as soon as I saw Chinese writing on places on the box haha!
But yeah, be very careful with Gates, they're **** now, as is many of the old school household brands that 'have been going for over a hundred years' etc - they're just a name now, and made of bad QC Chinesium.
Even KYB, which used to be made in Germany, is now made in **** knows where, depending on what you buy, IIRC I saw Mexico, Malaysia and Indian on 3 different items from them
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Couple of weeks ago now (sorry!) but I was sick to death of the rubbish brakes on the MX5. I'd tried every method of bleeding I could think of but the pedal was just a mushy mess. Starting to run out of ideas before I resorted to replacing the master cyl (I thought I'd possibly damaged it during a previous bleed attempt, although I am always very careful with the pedal travel when bleeding) I splashed out on some PBS pads. I'd never tried them before but reviews and ratings were positive and they weren't ridiculous money.
I also replaced some of the bushes as I haven't touched any of them in the time I've had the car. I was initially looking at thicker ARBs but there is a good level of improvement to be had replacing old rubber bushes with poly. My old Rovers were all polybushed and they felt great to drive, so on went a set of front and rear Powerflex ARB bushes.
I gave the rest of the car a check over and noticed a few small coolant weeps from hoses disturbed during the cambelt/radiator change a few months ago, so those were swiftly sorted out in good time for the next track day at Curborough organised by our very own ScoobyDoo69
Unsurprisingly, the brakes work better when the pads aren't melted pieces of **** They were EBC Yellowstuffs but had been on the car a long time and had had a hard life with me.
My initlal impressions of the PBS pads is that they are excellent and performed superbly throughout the whole day. Performance from cold seems to be very good also, better than the much more expensive Carbon Lorraine pads I have on the Impreza. With the braided lines and Motul RBF fluid the brakes were sharp and consistent all day, and I was purposely driving much harder and braking way later than previous visits to Curborough to try to get them to fade. Mission failed.
This is a brilliant little car and I'm chuffed to bits with how it performs on track now.
Need to think about my next run of mods over autumn/winter before getting it back on track next year.
I also replaced some of the bushes as I haven't touched any of them in the time I've had the car. I was initially looking at thicker ARBs but there is a good level of improvement to be had replacing old rubber bushes with poly. My old Rovers were all polybushed and they felt great to drive, so on went a set of front and rear Powerflex ARB bushes.
I gave the rest of the car a check over and noticed a few small coolant weeps from hoses disturbed during the cambelt/radiator change a few months ago, so those were swiftly sorted out in good time for the next track day at Curborough organised by our very own ScoobyDoo69
Unsurprisingly, the brakes work better when the pads aren't melted pieces of ****
They were EBC Yellowstuffs but had been on the car a long time and had had a hard life with me.My initlal impressions of the PBS pads is that they are excellent and performed superbly throughout the whole day. Performance from cold seems to be very good also, better than the much more expensive Carbon Lorraine pads I have on the Impreza. With the braided lines and Motul RBF fluid the brakes were sharp and consistent all day, and I was purposely driving much harder and braking way later than previous visits to Curborough to try to get them to fade. Mission failed.
This is a brilliant little car and I'm chuffed to bits with how it performs on track now.
Need to think about my next run of mods over autumn/winter before getting it back on track next year.
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Drove from Norwich to Brighton in the Austin, and aside from having to leave the choke slightly out because I set the mixture too lean, it didn't miss a beat!
Stayed cool, battery stayed charged (Ish, the voltmeter read 13.5 when I left and 12 when I arrived, but it was 4 hours with headlights on and my phone on charge so not too bad for an old dynamo.
Didn't use any oil, and averaged 41mpg!
Unusually after a drive of that length my back feels absolutely fine, but my right shoulder is killing me from being pressed up against the door all that way.
Stayed cool, battery stayed charged (Ish, the voltmeter read 13.5 when I left and 12 when I arrived, but it was 4 hours with headlights on and my phone on charge so not too bad for an old dynamo.
Didn't use any oil, and averaged 41mpg!
Unusually after a drive of that length my back feels absolutely fine, but my right shoulder is killing me from being pressed up against the door all that way.
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Dropped my company car off for a service at the main dealer. Got a weird scowled reception from some guy who looks like he isn't allowed within 500 yards of a school.
Had the warranty issues I'd raised with the booking agent questioned because "they made no sense". I'm not sure how you can't make sense of the words "the buttons on one of the keys don't work" but there we go. Was told that if they drove the car and couldn't find the epic 'something isn't screwed on right' rattle, that I already told them was intermittent, I'd be charged £159.
I asked if the air intake pipe was fitted properly because it had 4 threaded mounting points with nothing in them and what looked like a foam rubber seal that was 2 cm clear of the plastic grille only to be told that he thought his Astra, which was a different generation with a different engine was similar. Well, that is that one resolved then
While I was there scowl face was on the phone to a guy telling him that he needed to pay another £159 diagnostic charge despite it sounding very much like the issue they "fixed" back in July was the problem. "Nah, says it here. Tested and drove fine, so you'll have to pay again."
Then on to the courtesy car which had a massive crack the full width of the windscreen and enough crumbs and **** all over the interior that I probably need to get myself tested for hepatitis once I hand it back.
Honestly, is this what the main dealer experience has descended to in 2025?!
Oh and the electric Corsa they gave me (no offense to anyone that has one) is a truly miserable form of transportation with what feels like a half finished UI and the worst material selection I think they could have managed. I assume the ICE versions are even worse. Just looked up the list price... £28330
/Rant
Had the warranty issues I'd raised with the booking agent questioned because "they made no sense". I'm not sure how you can't make sense of the words "the buttons on one of the keys don't work" but there we go. Was told that if they drove the car and couldn't find the epic 'something isn't screwed on right' rattle, that I already told them was intermittent, I'd be charged £159.
I asked if the air intake pipe was fitted properly because it had 4 threaded mounting points with nothing in them and what looked like a foam rubber seal that was 2 cm clear of the plastic grille only to be told that he thought his Astra, which was a different generation with a different engine was similar. Well, that is that one resolved then
While I was there scowl face was on the phone to a guy telling him that he needed to pay another £159 diagnostic charge despite it sounding very much like the issue they "fixed" back in July was the problem. "Nah, says it here. Tested and drove fine, so you'll have to pay again."
Then on to the courtesy car which had a massive crack the full width of the windscreen and enough crumbs and **** all over the interior that I probably need to get myself tested for hepatitis once I hand it back.
Honestly, is this what the main dealer experience has descended to in 2025?!
Oh and the electric Corsa they gave me (no offense to anyone that has one) is a truly miserable form of transportation with what feels like a half finished UI and the worst material selection I think they could have managed. I assume the ICE versions are even worse. Just looked up the list price... £28330
/Rant
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Sadly it has been in decline across the scale over this year, even the better main dealers aren't what they used to be, along with a price increase for the pleasure.
What amuses me I've been sitting waiting in some and hearing them on the phone or dealing with customers in person and then wondering after the person has gone why they've missed a sale or a long term customer has told them to stick it and they are going elsewhere, etc. after giving them the run around and BSing them........ and they genuinely can't seem to join the dots.
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