Car D.I.Y.

[Richard A Thackeray]

Cabin filter ?
They often get left and slowly clog up. This has a big impact on the airflow through the interior vents.

I've been into the 'back-bedroom' & pulled the service file out of a cupboard, this was changed at;

Oct '14 @ 70,600 miles
Feb '16 @ 91,850 miles
Mar '17 @ 109,765 miles
Sep '18 @ 131,280 miles

Circa 142,700 miles, at the moment

 

[screenman]

I've been into the 'back-bedroom' & pulled the service file out of a cupboard, this was changed at;

Oct '14 @ 70,600 miles
Feb '16 @ 91,850 miles
Mar '17 @ 109,765 miles
Sep '18 @ 131,280 miles

Circa 142,700 miles, at the moment

Did you change it yourself? I see so many of these done but not done.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Did you change it yourself? I see so many of these done but not done.

No, but as stated above. we trust the garage

(the owner is my wifes business partners brother)

 

[cosmicbike]

I like doing stuff that you can leave it a week & not have to have it finished due work the next day

That's why I enjoy working on the Volvo and Capri, they're not really daily drivers (although the Volvo is meant to be). I go most places by bike, and have a Festa plus the camper if needed.

Quiet day today, I've cleaned the gearbox cross member and will chuck a coat of paint on it before re-fitting next weekend, assuming all the bits arrive by then.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Had quick look at the GTM windscreen wiper (singular) today, there appears to be an off, intermittent, slow, fast, however I only have slow in the intermittent position & no parking. Got my Rover 100 manual out & none of the wire colours match, got my Austin Metro manual out & they at least match, but currently not making any sense, may have to independently power the motor to see if it has 2 speeds.

Anyone understand how the park works, there is a switched live to the unit on the ignition, if I remember rightly when the motor moves it makes a set of contacts so that if the stalk is switched off power is still applied until the motor gets back into the home position & the contacts break again. If that is right it could be that the home position is not in the new home position so this has been wired out.

 

[smokeysmoo]

Aftermarket reverse sensors fitted to the Ceed today.

I bought them months ago off fleabay but just couldn't be @rsed doing it at the time.

However I'm that bored now being furloughed that I thought I'd get it done.

Roll on going back to work, or better still finding a new job altogether before then.

[EDIT] nipped out in the car today and RH indicator was flashing quick, checked and the rear one wasn't working. Got home changed it still nothing, then a thought hit me, I'd had the whole lamp unit out yesterday, I'd obviously re-fitted it, but not plugged the bugger back in, d'oh!

 

[cosmicbike]

The last of the parts finally arrived for getting the new clutch back into the Volvo. Replaced the rear main seal which was clearly leaking, based on the amount of oil in the bellhousing

Biggest issue had been getting the gearbox oil fill plug out. Attempts in the car resulted in a rounded off hex head, various attempts on the bench were no better. In the end I drilled and used lots (and lots) of heat with an Easi Out, I won in the end
Flywheel refitted after a quick de-glaze, and new clutch + plate fitted this afternoon, along with filling the 'box with nice new ATF F.
Tomorrow will be hoisting the 'box back in, can't wait....

 

[Drago]

Went to the Outlaws today. Took my Volvo to give it a run.

I couldn't be arsed to drive so let MrsD chauffeur me. On the M45 I noticed something odd with the passenger door mirror - the glass was wobbling badly. I asked Mrs D to slow a bit, pressed the button to fold the mirror, and dropped my window. I held the mirror and was able to pull the glass off with little effort!

It's no drama. The glue that olde the glass on to its backing has dried out, and the recent hot weather wont have helped. New Volvo ones are 85 sheets, but cheap pattern ones under a tenner. Luckily, the glass is intact so I've removed the mounting plate and I've Sikaflex'd the glass back. Its currently held together with 2 bulldog clips while it dries, and I'll refit it tomorrow.

Then leaving the outlaws we got a bulb warning message. Out with the spares, and a new W5W nearside tail light bulb fitted. 2 "breakdowns" in one day! The only other breakdown was a headlamp bulb about 3 years ago - they're xenon projectors, and my Dad replaced both as when one goes the other isn't usually far behind.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The last of the parts finally arrived for getting the new clutch back into the Volvo. Replaced the rear main seal which was clearly leaking, based on the amount of oil in the bellhousing
View attachment 531264
View attachment 531265

Biggest issue had been getting the gearbox oil fill plug out. Attempts in the car resulted in a rounded off hex head, various attempts on the bench were no better. In the end I drilled and used lots (and lots) of heat with an Easi Out, I won in the end
Flywheel refitted after a quick de-glaze, and new clutch + plate fitted this afternoon, along with filling the 'box with nice new ATF F.
Tomorrow will be hoisting the 'box back in, can't wait....

Once spent 3 hours under an Escort huffing & puffing trying to get a box on just would not slide up. Recentred multiple times but still wouldn't do it, was just about to slide out from under the car to have a break & pushed against the box to get out & the sodding thing slid straight on.

 

[cosmicbike]

Once spent 3 hours under an Escort huffing & puffing trying to get a box on just would not slide up. Recentred multiple times but still wouldn't do it, was just about to slide out from under the car to have a break & pushed against the box to get out & the sodding thing slid straight on.

I'm hoping it's close enough, I have to lift and twist the 'box in at the same time sliding the input shaft through the clutch to clear the starter motor housing. Rope, blocks of wood and a jack are going to be my friends.

 

[tyred]

A while back I sort of inherited a Skoda Fabia which I've been working on these past few weekends. Broken gear linkage (the reason car was taken off the road in the first place) repaired, have confirmed the window winder is knackered so have ordered a second hand replacement from Ebay, cleaned corroded contacts on tail lamp. I haven't checked yet but Google informs me that the reason the heater fan only works on speed four is due to the ballast resistor. Today I cleaned the very dirty seats with Vanish stain remover and scrubbing brush. I'm amazed at how they've cleaned up but the driver's seat is worn thread-bare.

I'm trying to work out how my 205 which is over twice the age with over twice the mileage and has all original gear linkages, window winders, heater fan all working properly and the driver's seat is as good as new yet for years I've listened to bar stool experts tell me French cars and badly made junk and I should buy myself a VW....it is also very bland with no features of interest whatsoever.

 

[Drago]

If you look at the Warranty Direct Warranty Index, which measures actual breakdowns and failures - JD Power etc measure customer opinion - most VW models dont manag better than average, and some very badly.

My Ma was a director at the importer, V.A.G, many, many moons ago and she always reckoned the standard of build and quality of finish was nothing to get excited over, praising VW's historically clever marketing for bestowing the brand with an image that the product didn't quite deserve.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

VW....it is also very bland with no features of interest whatsoever.

Add BMW & Audi to that, possibly a cultural thing, F-I-L had a BMW in the 80's whilst they were still slightly exclusive & not like dog poo, I was always unimpressed by the interior, the quality of the straight 2.0L straight 6 though was another matter.

 

[tyred]

If you look at the Warranty Direct Warranty Index, which measures actual breakdowns and failures - JD Power etc measure customer opinion - most VW models dont manag better than average, and some very badly.

My Ma was a director at the importer, V.A.G, many, many moons ago and she always reckoned the standard of build and quality of finish was nothing to get excited over, praising VW's historically clever marketing for bestowing the brand with an image that the product didn't quite deserve.

I must admit to being a fan of the original Golf which is a great car to drive by any standards, was ahead of it's time if you compare it to things like the MK I/MK II Escort or Opel Kadett and could take a few hundred thousand miles in it's stride with any kind of reasonable maintenance. I still have a late model pick up version which I hope to restore. In my experience, despite the reputation for quality, they can and do rust just as much as any other 70s car though and they were let down by a few niggling details like window winders which tended to strip, a heater fan which usually only works on the highest speed, iffy switchgear and electrical contacts and and a gear linkage which falls apart. Also they put the fuseboard underneath the dash at the passenger side so trying to replace a fuse usually ends up with the need to lie upside down in the passenger side footwell.

In the case of Golf I I can and overlook these faults due to the age of the design and it was better than most cars of it's era. However the fact that a 21st century VW product is still suffering from temperamental electrics and self-destructing gear linkages and window winders is inexcusable. What have VW learned in the past 47 years?

 

[tyred]

Add BMW & Audi to that, possibly a cultural thing, F-I-L had a BMW in the 80's whilst they were still slightly exclusive & not like dog poo, I was always unimpressed by the interior, the quality of the straight 2.0L straight 6 though was another matter.

I can see why someone would like a 6 cylinder petrol BMW as it is truely one of the smoothest engines around.

Unfortunately most BMWs sold nowadays are fitted with tractor engines.