What have you done to your car today?

Scania · 26 Oct 2015 at 20:32

Got my e39 back finally, garage found a split breather pipe, which had to be ordered from Germany on Friday as it's an unusual failure apparently, car is transformed!

Pulls smoothly, much stronger than before and all the hesitation is finally banished!

I'm a happy bunny albeit a total of just over £400 down after the new brake lines, MOT,cam position sensor and the labour charges which included sourcing of the vacuum leak (one at the front of the engine, another buried under the inlet manifold which only slightly showed under a smoke test)

Hopefully it'll behave for a bit now (yeah right!) I'm now torn between keeping it as it's finally running like it has 230 bhp instead of 100 at best!

Trying to resist the temptation to wang it on Autotrader whilst it's all good with a fresh MOT as I love the thing and really can't quite believe the difference in how it drives and responds now it's sorted....

I'm expecting to find something else wrong tomorrow (hope not!) which is the feeling I'm left with after ~11months of fault chasing, but, for now at least, I finally have a 530i that feels like it's got a 3litre under the bonnet.

Vita · 26 Oct 2015 at 22:06

Which breather pipe? One from the ccv to the rocker case or another?

acemastr · 26 Oct 2015 at 22:23

Drifting like that always makes me think how hard it is on the car, been out in a friends 325 with a welded diff and it was such an effort to get it out (underpowered, obviously, but was welded). It does looks fairly easy in that video though

Scania · 27 Oct 2015 at 00:13

Vita said:
Which breather pipe? One from the ccv to the rocker case or another?

Both, the one to the rocker (that attaches near the VANOS solenoid) and another buried under the inlet manifold somewhere.

The engine note is different, it seems quieter, and so very smooth.

Can't help thinking I'm tempting fate with this praise!

Clarkey · 27 Oct 2015 at 12:38

acemastr said:
Drifting like that always makes me think how hard it is on the car, been out in a friends 325 with a welded diff and it was such an effort to get it out (underpowered, obviously, but was welded). It does looks fairly easy in that video though

Operator error I'd say, I used to run a 328 and it was just as easy to slide around as a Silvia, 325 is basically the same.

Phil W · 27 Oct 2015 at 13:33

Bought these:

Decat for me, RS intercooler for my friends V50 D5.

Had these fitted today too;

Armageus · 27 Oct 2015 at 13:55

Plugged in an OBD2 Reader and checked for fault codes on the wife's Fiesta this morning, after it failing to start yesterday. Nothing logged and started and ran fine when I took it to work this morning. Italian tune-up (all those horses unleashed from the 1.25 lol!) for good measure.

Suspect it is something to do with the fuel pump (as the fuel cutoff switch had tripped the other month) - maybe she is not waiting long enough for it to properly prime.

Scania · 27 Oct 2015 at 21:45

EML and traction control lights illuminated yet again tonight!!! FFS!

Thankfully no engine management light (not the same as the EML light in an e39) and no drop in power or lack of smoothness, it continues to drive so very much better than it has in my ownership.

The lights didn't come on again after stopping and switching off for 5 minutes, a glitch maybe (doubtful!) I guess I'll have to get it read yet again soon to see what - if anything - flags up....

I've got a trip to Somerset at the weekend, still going to use it unless the power loss issue makes a comeback, hope not.

I just knew it would play up today, it's nothing if not consistent in its ability to **** me off! :/

Vita · 27 Oct 2015 at 23:02

Scania how cold is it there? My 330i threw a bf in the cold with sensors and stuff when I bought it earlier this year.

Scania · 27 Oct 2015 at 23:42

It was about 13c earlier when the light came on, when it was running rough prior to its recent repairs (which at least it isn't running rough currently) it was far better at night when the air was cooler.l, more prone to play up in the daytime, not that it's anything like hot here in the uk at present, it's not cold though either given were nearly into November.

I don't think it's temperature related, be it atmosphere or engine - the things played up when the engine has been stone cold and hot....

Took it for a 10 minute drive about an hour ago,to see if it did it again, it drove fine, no lights, pulled beautifully....

Bloody thing!

Biffa · 28 Oct 2015 at 00:07

Sold it (the XT)

Pickup the STi from the bodyshop tomorrow.

Tein kit arriving on Friday too!

Jonnycoupe · 28 Oct 2015 at 00:19

Changed the radiator and rug doctored the seats and carpet. It's gonna be damp in there tomorrow!

Akagi · 28 Oct 2015 at 00:29

Biffa said:
Sold it (the XT)

Pickup the STi from the bodyshop tomorrow.

Tein kit arriving on Friday too!

Is Tein stuff OK?

I was looking at a Tein kit for my car, but I wasn't sure about it because it seems much cheaper than most other kits.

Biffa · 28 Oct 2015 at 23:18

Acme said:
Is Tein stuff OK?

I was looking at a Tein kit for my car, but I wasn't sure about it because it seems much cheaper than most other kits.

Depends which ones you get, the Basis range are the cheap non-adjustable ones, but the Street Flex range give you full adjustment, and are more expensive.

Then there is the "Wagon" range, which are harder to get and even more expensive +£200 more than the Street Flex, and lastly there is the Super Street Flex which are another couple of hundred on top.

I've gone for the Street Flex range and the EDFC ACTIVE Controller Kit which lets you adjust the suspension from inside the car. But I've imported the lot from Japan which has saved about £300 over buying it here.

Are you just going for springs or coilovers?

ianh · 29 Oct 2015 at 00:11

EDFC is fantastic, imagine having the ability to change your cars suspensions settings just like in modern cars with "Comfort - Sport - Race" settings but with EDFC you have even more adjustability.

Vince · 29 Oct 2015 at 00:34

Put an MOT on the little clio today, also gave it a quick service.

Air filter, oil filter and pollen filter as well as plugs and oil. Parts come to just less than £70 and an hour of my time. Only down side is that it's a fairly new (2011) car with 30k odd miles and I probably should have got a main dealer stamp in the book.

adam cool dude · 29 Oct 2015 at 00:50

ianh said:
EDFC is fantastic, imagine having the ability to change your cars suspensions settings just like in modern cars with "Comfort - Sport - Race" settings but with EDFC you have even more adjustability.

I had this but tbh thought it was a gimmick as once I found my settings I didn't really feel the need to change it. The ride is rock hard regardless so sold it on. I have super streets on mine and the rears have just started leaking which seems pretty common. Got to send both rears to Japan for rebuilding at £200 a pop.

Biffa · 29 Oct 2015 at 02:13

I got EDFC because it was around the same price from Japan as buying just the coilovers in the UK. So thought what the hell, it'll save me getting my hands dirty while I setup the suspension how I want it.

Armageus · 29 Oct 2015 at 08:43

Upgraded the stereo in the Wife's Fiesta from the standard 6000CD to the Sony single disc MP3 capable one. Added an Aux - 3.5 plug cable as well.

Sound is much better, even with the terrible standard speakers, fairly telling that the Sony weighs twice as much as the standard stereo and has a big heatsink on the side.

Akagi · 29 Oct 2015 at 11:20

Biffa said:
Depends which ones you get, the Basis range are the cheap non-adjustable ones, but the Street Flex range give you full adjustment, and are more expensive.

Then there is the "Wagon" range, which are harder to get and even more expensive +£200 more than the Street Flex, and lastly there is the Super Street Flex which are another couple of hundred on top.

I've gone for the Street Flex range and the EDFC ACTIVE Controller Kit which lets you adjust the suspension from inside the car. But I've imported the lot from Japan which has saved about £300 over buying it here.

Are you just going for springs or coilovers?

The only ones I could find for my car were Street Basis coilovers. They are £480. I have read a couple of reviews and the general consensus is that they are quite good if you don't want all the bells and whistles.

I just want a firmer more planted ride, and to lower the car a little.