What have you done to your car today?
- Thread starter mattyprice4004
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Soldato
- Joined
- 18 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 2,612
- Location
- Florida/UK
They don't sell many of those here either.
However, I've got you beaten here, MSO (Mclaren Special Operations) sell "bespoke" mats which are identical to the original ones but with text of your choice for $3200!
To be fair, they have a carbon heal pad. I would expect any mats with healing powers to be expensive.
Fitted new GB plates front and rear to replace the ones with dealer names on it...also obligatory Pistonheads sticker on the rear 
I then swapped over the HID kit. When I bought the car it had a HID kit fitted, and the car came with paperwork for some new 4300k bulbs from HIDS4U, but the ballasts were some bright blue anodised no name ones that were slightly crudely mounted using cable ties. The guy I bought the car off also admitted that they sometimes flickered slightly at idle :/
I managed to save the ballasts off my decent HIDS4U kit from the crashed Civic, so decided to reuse them as they were undamaged, so I set about installing them with M3 bolts/washers and nyloc nuts so its vaguely presentable...pleased with how it turned out, much neater and being black they are less obvious in the engine bay than the cheapo kit. Not OEM, but it looks much tidier, and the lights no longer flicker.
Drivers side:
Passenger side:
Also changed to clear side repeaters and Silvatec bulbs, and black wheel nuts to match the wheels. Mangy looking brakes will be replaced in a couple of weeks, and then I'll paint the calipers too.
I then swapped over the HID kit. When I bought the car it had a HID kit fitted, and the car came with paperwork for some new 4300k bulbs from HIDS4U, but the ballasts were some bright blue anodised no name ones that were slightly crudely mounted using cable ties. The guy I bought the car off also admitted that they sometimes flickered slightly at idle :/
I managed to save the ballasts off my decent HIDS4U kit from the crashed Civic, so decided to reuse them as they were undamaged, so I set about installing them with M3 bolts/washers and nyloc nuts so its vaguely presentable...pleased with how it turned out, much neater and being black they are less obvious in the engine bay than the cheapo kit. Not OEM, but it looks much tidier, and the lights no longer flicker.
Drivers side:
Passenger side:
Also changed to clear side repeaters and Silvatec bulbs, and black wheel nuts to match the wheels. Mangy looking brakes will be replaced in a couple of weeks, and then I'll paint the calipers too.
Bled my brakes on my E46 and changed the fluid to some ATE Super Racing Blue DOT 4. I can't seem to get the brake pedal to be as sharp and firm as those on my 318is. I've got some travel and then they're firm but can't figure out what I've missed. Is this a characteristic of E46 auto's in general or just me? 
Removed the cream that was my rear diff oil and filled it with fresh EP90.
Also made some steel bungs in the lathe to replace the plastic filler bungs that had been previously chewed up.
Also found what was one of my clunks I've been hunting for, front panhard rod bolt wasn't tight enough.
Note to self*
Make longer diff breathers before wading in deep water.
Also made some steel bungs in the lathe to replace the plastic filler bungs that had been previously chewed up.
Also found what was one of my clunks I've been hunting for, front panhard rod bolt wasn't tight enough.
Note to self*
Make longer diff breathers before wading in deep water.
Gave my Grandad's Mk3 Mondeo some TLC.
Full service, all filters, oil and plugs. Turns out the very early Mk3's had paper element oil filters so had to pop to ECP 1/2 way through as they'd previously given me a "regular-Ford" looking screw on metal filter.
Hopefully cured some other issues. No FM reception. Swapped HU with one from my Mother's Fiesta and that worked fine so I'll pick up a replacement radio from ebay.
Leak around boot area. Traced to water entering around rear washer nozzle. Think the gasket could do with replacing but as Ford parts are closed saturday afternoon I siliconed around the nozzle on the inside of the boot lid (under trim).
Passenger footwell getting wet. Hopefully traced back to pollen filter area. Old pollen filter was a bit damp in one corner. On the passenger side scuttle are some drainage holes. Below these holes is a plastic channel which directs water away from pollen filter. This channel was completely blocked and also detached from scuttle. Cleaned up and then glued back together.
Packed all my tools into the boot of my e39 530i and the boot lid wouldn't stay shut!
Dismantled the lid catch and a found loose inside a small spring with a hoop at each end.
One hoop had sheared off so bent the spring to fashion a new hoop. Catch now working fine.
Full service, all filters, oil and plugs. Turns out the very early Mk3's had paper element oil filters so had to pop to ECP 1/2 way through as they'd previously given me a "regular-Ford" looking screw on metal filter.
Hopefully cured some other issues. No FM reception. Swapped HU with one from my Mother's Fiesta and that worked fine so I'll pick up a replacement radio from ebay.
Leak around boot area. Traced to water entering around rear washer nozzle. Think the gasket could do with replacing but as Ford parts are closed saturday afternoon I siliconed around the nozzle on the inside of the boot lid (under trim).
Passenger footwell getting wet. Hopefully traced back to pollen filter area. Old pollen filter was a bit damp in one corner. On the passenger side scuttle are some drainage holes. Below these holes is a plastic channel which directs water away from pollen filter. This channel was completely blocked and also detached from scuttle. Cleaned up and then glued back together.
Packed all my tools into the boot of my e39 530i and the boot lid wouldn't stay shut!
Dismantled the lid catch and a found loose inside a small spring with a hoop at each end.
One hoop had sheared off so bent the spring to fashion a new hoop. Catch now working fine.
Just changed the bulbs in the rear of the instrument cluster that illuminate the trip computer and odometer LCDs. The odometer LCD has never lit up since I've had the car, and the other day the trip computer LCD backlight failed... and came back on two days later. So I thought I'd change them both for good measure. Bit of a fiddly faff but then I like things to work 
You have to be very careful with the cluster itself apparently, not lying it flat face down or up, so I gently removed it and fortunately the bulbs (286 wedge type) just screw in and out of the rear of the panel. It's dismantling the steering wheel cowling and plastic paneling below the cluster that takes the time!
You have to be very careful with the cluster itself apparently, not lying it flat face down or up, so I gently removed it and fortunately the bulbs (286 wedge type) just screw in and out of the rear of the panel. It's dismantling the steering wheel cowling and plastic paneling below the cluster that takes the time!
Associate
- Joined
- 13 Mar 2010
- Posts
- 503
Bloody curbed my front passenger side wheel only a couple months after having my wheels refurbished! 
Done both engine mounts, and gearbox oil on the coupe. God what a difference, diff oil and gearbox mounts tomorrow seeing as they've burst and splattered oil too.
And some new wiper blades.
Next week I'm going to get engine oil and filter and replace sump and cam cover gaskets. Perhaps replace the sump if I can get one cheap enough.
And some new wiper blades.
Next week I'm going to get engine oil and filter and replace sump and cam cover gaskets. Perhaps replace the sump if I can get one cheap enough.
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Ordered some bits for the Legnum yesterday to do a 54,000 mile/5 year service on it at the weekend (as it's now done over 120k miles (145k on the clock, but first ~50 of that was km), and I've had it 5.5 years and done ~65k in it in that time!)
Cambelt kit (cambelt, 2x aux belts, tensioner pulley, centre idler pulley)
Hydraulic tensioner
Water pump
Spark plugs (NGK Iridium BKR7EIX)
Fuel filter
Air intake manifold upper gasket
Total of £271.34 including shipping
Already got plenty of 5w30 fully synthetic oil and filters (as I change them every 4500 miles anyway) - should keep us busy enough, does mean might not get too much done to the Anglia...
Cambelt kit (cambelt, 2x aux belts, tensioner pulley, centre idler pulley)
Hydraulic tensioner
Water pump
Spark plugs (NGK Iridium BKR7EIX)
Fuel filter
Air intake manifold upper gasket
Total of £271.34 including shipping
Already got plenty of 5w30 fully synthetic oil and filters (as I change them every 4500 miles anyway) - should keep us busy enough, does mean might not get too much done to the Anglia...
Just changed the bulbs in the rear of the instrument cluster that illuminate the trip computer and odometer LCDs. The odometer LCD has never lit up since I've had the car, and the other day the trip computer LCD backlight failed... and came back on two days later. So I thought I'd change them both for good measure. Bit of a fiddly faff but then I like things to work
You have to be very careful with the cluster itself apparently, not lying it flat face down or up, so I gently removed it and fortunately the bulbs (286 wedge type) just screw in and out of the rear of the panel. It's dismantling the steering wheel cowling and plastic paneling below the cluster that takes the time!
I have to do this with mine — is there an online guide or anything? Any other pro-tips? Where did you get the 286 bulbs from?
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Dec 2006
- Posts
- 6,921
- Location
- On the forest moon Endor
Hoovered, washed, dried, polished and waxed my car today. I also cleaned and protected fabric roof with the Autoglym stuff. I'm hoping the rain will now bead on the roof same as it does on the bonnet?
Also purchased some LED rear number plate lights, they're not meant as a chavy mod. As the number plate light also doubles up as the boot light I thought it would make sense to put brighter bulbs in there
Also purchased some LED rear number plate lights, they're not meant as a chavy mod. As the number plate light also doubles up as the boot light I thought it would make sense to put brighter bulbs in there