What have you done to your car today?

rodenal · 15 Feb 2015 at 18:48

That's the thing though, they can't deal with anything other than absutely level ground - even then I wouldn't trust it. A trolley jack is fine so long as you don't try and use it on silly surfaces or with the wheels pointing the way the ground runs

I've dropped cars off the BMW foldy outy style jacks on more than one occasion (wheels still on mainly). Emergency use only for me!

InvaderGIR · 15 Feb 2015 at 18:50

My Golf is never parked on level ground when I'm working on it, solid yes, but not level.

Clarkey · 15 Feb 2015 at 18:56

Quite sure, done it a few times. I distinctly remember being an hour late to a DWYB day after rushing a handbrake fix on retardo-jack then spending ages trying to lift the car back up off the floor. You don't mind so much when it's a crap old drift beater, not sure I'd be so amused if it was an expensive M3.

Akagi · 15 Feb 2015 at 19:07

Maybe you are just bad at using them?

InvaderGIR · 15 Feb 2015 at 19:09

Acme said:
Maybe you are just bad at using them?

If you're rushing or trying to cut corners you'll have problems so can't say I'm surprised really. If you're sensible then they are perfectly fine jacks to use, obviously you then stick it on stands if you're at home and/or use a trolley jack to get it higher properly.

Fuzz · 15 Feb 2015 at 19:35

Got under it and stuck the prybar into a few dirty holes...

Front propshaft is FUBAR, new one is £345 quid :eek:

I'll be rebuilding that one this week then!!

DKong · 15 Feb 2015 at 22:42

Replaced fuel pump on ford KA, why couldn't they make an opening in the floor is beyond me.

Clarkey · 15 Feb 2015 at 23:09

Jacked it up a mile off the floor ready to pull the box off in the week. Going to have a crack at opening it up and replacing the FUBAR input shaft bearing, ordered a new one today. Never got into a gearbox before, looks a bit daunting but hey the noise in 4th is really something so either this fixes it or it was junk anyway.
While it's up, I'll drop the prop out and replace it with a proper turbo one as it's still running the NA shaft. Diff will come out too, that's going to have the Nismo 12kg.f clutch overhaul kit put in and sent away to be re shimmed, my previous shed LSD installation has about 27 miles of backlash and it slightly clunks

Atari · 16 Feb 2015 at 09:33

Serviced it - oil came out dark and very thin so some fresh fluid should do it some good.

Also flushed the coolant, it was last done by a garage when they changed some hoses after it started leaking from a bottom hose and hasn't been touched since. I don't even think the garage put any coolant in the car, it came out and was completely clear! Hopefully the added coolant should do it some good.

pepsilol · 16 Feb 2015 at 09:56

Na, I agree, those jacks are sketchy as hell.

shauncr91 · 16 Feb 2015 at 13:35

Welded a snapped exhaust hanger back on.

XeNoN89 · 16 Feb 2015 at 14:31

First oil top up. Low oil light came on for the first time yesterday almost 11months/9800miles since new. Considering my old car would need topping up every 3 months it seems pretty good.

acemastr · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:27

You need to actually check your oil... you didn't check it for 10,000 miles?!?!

Also, mine used about a quarter of the dipstick in the first 6000 miles (first service) from owning brand new

squerble · 16 Feb 2015 at 15:32

Noticed I had a choice of two English language on my settings menu, "English MLS" and "English KM". Promptly switched to KM and now my trip meter and odometer are in KM, and the fuel econ has changed to L/100km. The speedo is an analogue gauge so can't completely switch that unfortunately.

XeNoN89 · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:33

acemastr said:
You need to actually check your oil... you didn't check it for 10,000 miles?!?!

Also, mine used about a quarter of the dipstick in the first 6000 miles (first service) from owning brand new

I would have checked it once I hit 10,000 but I didn't quite get there

rodenal · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:37

Tell me you're kidding and the car actually has an electronic gauge??

shauncr91 · 16 Feb 2015 at 16:38

shauncr91 said:
Welded a snapped exhaust hanger back on.

Also changed rear indicators for some chrome ones as the old ones were like reversing lights

On Holiday · 16 Feb 2015 at 17:24

XeNoN89 said:
First oil top up. Low oil light came on for the first time yesterday almost 11months/9800miles since new. Considering my old car would need topping up every 3 months it seems pretty good.

What car do you have?
So we can all avoid purchasing it in the future

Atari · 16 Feb 2015 at 17:55

Does anyone know of a proper way of testing a MAF sensor? I've got symptoms which correlate to what I've read online as a MAF going bad, but I don't want to start throwing parts at the car until I'm sure I know what I'm dealing with.

In a nutshell, when I'm accelerating hard in my E46 and let off the accelerator a little, the car feels like it perks up for a split second almost as if it was was on a rubber band being released.

Forums are split between either a MAF going bad, and/or vacuum leaks - but I've checked the hoses (and actually replaced them not long ago with new BMW ones).

rodenal · 16 Feb 2015 at 17:56

You can measure the airflow (but obviously need to know what looks right) and I believe there is also a voltage reading you can do from mafs but this would be even more difficult I imagine

Take it you have no codes?