What have you done to your car today?

Don
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
56,452
Location
Cornwall
(a garage) added akra catless downpipes and some cooler ( :cool: ) plugs because I was about to have a service and now it's stage 2 why not (ngk 97506 btw), also added bit more carbon fibre in the interior and a alibaba apple carplay thing, which was so hard to fit I weigh two stone less due to blood and tissue loss...also in the installation manual where it says 'unplug battery and remove airbag' - those two steps took 99.99999% of the entire process......

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Associate
Joined
25 Apr 2013
Posts
2,090
Location
Kent
Add an intake kit and you'll just hear turbo noises .

The stock blow off valve makes a nice woosh noise too.

I have been running a Corksport SRI for nearly a year, picked it up for a steal! Adding the TIP has actually quietened things down a little!

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Associate
Joined
19 Jun 2010
Posts
1,175
Location
Gloucestershire
Treated the E46 to a new bonnet badge (paint flaking got the better of the original), new center caps (originals showing their age) and new passenger side wing mirror glass (water ingress on the original).

Also turning up this week is some oil so I can hopefully service it before I come off furlough and start work again on the 26th.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Sep 2008
Posts
14,123
Location
Britain
Discovery:
Cleaned, clayed, waxed the winter wheels before putting them into storage in their new bags (although two could do with a quick kerb fix). Pearl Nano water spot killer. Nothing on the wheel it couldn't shift, even on the inside.
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SEAT: New rear tailgate struts, new rear suspension bump stops

Audi S6: First Service at 20k £600. Thanks Audi...:rolleyes:
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Sep 2008
Posts
14,123
Location
Britain
Same oil in a new engine for 20k miles. That doesnt sound healthy.
Oh dear another Nasher assumption.

How does longer drain impact emissions bills ?

To be fair, it was 18k that the Oil service was due, but due to the lockdown, Audi not being open and the car in constant use over the last 7 weeks, it went 2k over. Audi were aware and said it was fine.
 
Soldato
Joined
7 Nov 2004
Posts
15,686
Location
East of England
Yeah, vehicle and engine manufacturers have no idea what they're doing.

I don't work in engineering, but I can imagine that a 20k mile oil change is not simply based on what is best for engine wear alone.

I suppose that 20k mile interval has been come to by a whole multitude of factors including environmental awareness/regulations, cost to owners/fleet managers, public/media relations etc. That's not to say that 20k intervals are in anyway harmful for an engine, but perhaps they are not 100% optimal for engine wear? That's not to say that people/American's that change their oil every 5k miles are doing it right because, again, from what I know, modern synthetic oils are capable of doing far more than this and still retain all of their properties. Short oil services are so unnecessarily wasteful both economically and environmentally. I figure 10-12k miles is somewhere in between a manufacturers 15-20k mile interval and the American's 5k oil services

I do understand that longlife lubricants have come a long way and I am completely ignorant to the finer details, so I could be way off the mark, but it's just my (un)educated look at it.

FWIW, on my M3, I do an engine oil change every 10-12k miles or so as that is my annual mileage.
 
Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2010
Posts
2,338
Location
The North
Replaced the drivers door handle, very interesting but necessiated by BMW opting to mate a plastic gear on the Z4 handle to a metal gear on the bowden cable mechanism, shockingly the plastic wears out quite fast rubbing against metal to the point wherre the handle was barely able to operate the mechanism. In fairness, the car is from 2004 and on over 120k miles, so replaced with a part from a 2008 car on 40k. Significantly less worn and a simple enough job. The door now opens without brute force yanking!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
Replaced the drivers door handle, very interesting but necessiated by BMW opting to mate a plastic gear on the Z4 handle to a metal gear on the bowden cable mechanism, shockingly the plastic wears out quite fast rubbing against metal to the point wherre the handle was barely able to operate the mechanism. In fairness, the car is from 2004 and on over 120k miles, so replaced with a part from a 2008 car on 40k. Significantly less worn and a simple enough job. The door now opens without brute force yanking!

Given that the wear on the door handle is a product of the number of times the door is opened and not how far the car drives in each journey, it seems a bit silly to buy a 'low mileage' second hand part whilst totally ignoring the fact its a 12 year old bit of plastic which has likely had its door opened just as many times as one on twice the miles where the owner just had twice the distance to go to work....

Surely it cannot have been that much more money to do the job right and get a new one? You'll be doing it again before long..
 
Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
159,534
I suppose that 20k mile interval has been come to by a whole multitude of factors including environmental awareness/regulations, cost to owners/fleet managers, public/media relations etc. That's not to say that 20k intervals are in anyway harmful for an engine, but perhaps they are not 100% optimal for engine wear?

This has been going on for absolutely years - it is 20 years since BMW introduced the 20k mile interval on the M54 engine. 20 years! Do you not think if it was that terrible we'd know about it by now? You can't even say its about 'modern oils' anymore unless you think 20 year old oil is modern.
 
Associate
Joined
19 Sep 2010
Posts
2,338
Location
The North
Given that the wear on the door handle is a product of the number of times the door is opened and not how far the car drives in each journey, it seems a bit silly to buy a 'low mileage' second hand part whilst totally ignoring the fact its a 12 year old bit of plastic which has likely had its door opened just as many times as one on twice the miles where the owner just had twice the distance to go to work....

Surely it cannot have been that much more money to do the job right and get a new one? You'll be doing it again before long..

Fair point, but I did ensure it was in good condition from the seller. I paid £40 for both the handle in the correct colour with minimal wear and a replacement carrier (mine had also worn round where the handle pins locate, allowing the handle to move and thus acceleerating wear), whereas the new handle is over £100 primed, plus say £15 for paint and other bits (and then the time) and the carrier £85. I changed it myself on the driveway in 30 minutes, if I need to do it again in a few years (assuming I even still have the car) then its still a significant cost saving.

If I was paying someone else to do it for me, the difference would be a smaller percentage owing to labour time, but the fact I can do it myself saves that.
 
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