Car D.I.Y.

[JhnBssll]

I've got VCDS yeah but I'm down south rather than Oop North (ish), and it's a limited VIN version so tend not to lend it out. If you're stuck and cant find one closer feel free to give me a shout.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Got a rocker cover gasket to change on the lads Mini Cooper. Been misfiring so replaced all coil packs only to then realise there was a small pool of oil sitting on the spark plug 1 !! Now know why it’s using a fair bit of oil as well !!

 

[Pale Rider]

Got a rocker cover gasket to change on the lads Mini Cooper. Been misfiring so replaced all coil packs only to then realise there was a small pool of oil sitting on the spark plug 1 !! Now know why it’s using a fair bit of oil as well !!

Years ago, the advice was not to tighten the rocker cover bolts too much because they could cause the mild steel cover to splay, and in turn leak.

Probably not as critical today with rigid alloy rocker covers.

I suppose if the fixing bolts are centralised, you could still crack the cover by over-tightening.

 

[Tail End Charlie]

Years ago, the advice was not to tighten the rocker cover bolts too much because they could cause the mild steel cover to splay, and in turn leak.

Probably not as critical today with rigid alloy rocker covers.

I suppose if the fixing bolts are centralised, you could still crack the cover by over-tightening.

Good advice, an instance where a torque wrench is worth its weight in gold.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Went out to the wife's Rav4 this morning at 7:30 to go do a bit of shopping, tried to start & it failed, wouldn't turn over enough, tried to jump it off a spare battery but that failed as well, in the end got the big jump charger out, left it on 5 minutes & away it went. It's been very cold here the last few days, the car is hardly being used, last run was probably 2 miles a week ago.

First time it has let us down in 7 years on the battery that came with it. So new Yuasa battery ordered, £189 direct from manufacturer, £84.99 from Fleecebay

 

[fossyant]

Looks like we will need to replace the new FAG top mount bushes on my lads Fabia.

After a month they have compressed so the top cap that holds them in place is 5mm proud of the bodywork. Came from Germany. He does have two performance poly bushes, so we will swap over when its warmer.

 

[MrGrumpy]

Years ago, the advice was not to tighten the rocker cover bolts too much because they could cause the mild steel cover to splay, and in turn leak.

Probably not as critical today with rigid alloy rocker covers.

I suppose if the fixing bolts are centralised, you could still crack the cover by over-tightening.

10Nm

 

[Deleted member 26715]

I draw the line at trying to wore the kit car in the snow, I need to move & buy a house with a useful garage

 

[gbb]

I draw the line at trying to wore the kit car in the snow, I need to move & buy a house with a useful garage

I always sympathise with heavy plant mechanics, fork lift truck engineers etc etc who have to do their stuff through winter, often in the open.

 

[Bazzer]

I couldn't find anyone why could reflash my 6DCT450, basically the DTUK TCU+ rewrites the software inside the gearbox (over canbus), once it's done that you remove the dongle and job done.

Same result as yours but done at home.

As you say it's night and day different, "nuisance shifts" describes them very well; you wouldn't make those in a manual car.

Can this be used to tweak when shifts take place, or to disable some of the existing software? Apart from the DAB radio reception, (of which more later), the biggest irritation with my Golf GTE is its refusal to go into 4th gear until in excess of 30mph is reached. The software also overides paddle shifting it into 4th. Mrs B's Tiguan is happily trundling along at 4th at speeds the Golf refuses 4th, but both have DSG boxes.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in VW world, it looks like the dash cam hardwire kit for my daughter's Up! is faulty. Working just before Christmas, it now is hit and miss, despite12v to the electronics box. I had had in one of my boxes of bits a Nextbase dash cam wire, so soldered that in, but it's just as flakey. Looks like it's one of the capacitors or inductors, but my knowledge of testing these is more limited, so it's looking like a new kit.

 

[Pale Rider]

My six speed 1.5 diesel Cmax presumably has a similar gearbox to @keithmac's Kuga.

It is sometimes jerky when pulling away, but works well enough otherwise.

I imagine the changing could be improved, but I lack Keith's skill and knowledge to do it.

 

[DRM]

I always sympathise with heavy plant mechanics, fork lift truck engineers etc etc who have to do their stuff through winter, often in the open.

It gets harder & harder as each year goes by to cope with, then the powers that be put trackers on the vans, it also monitors excess idling, so you can’t even have the engine & heater running, pre COVID you could sit in the canteen to do the paperwork , but that’s not an option now, all you can do is get wrapped up with loads of layers and pray it doesn’t rain!

 

[cosmicbike]

I changed a side repeater lamp on the Volvo 240 this morning, the only thing I could find wrong before her MOT at midday. Which she passed of course. 27 years young and no major issues, quite pleased with that.

 

[gbb]

Sundays I always check my DILs car for tyre pressures, fluid levels etc.
55 plate Chevrolet Kalos, flipped the lever to open the bonnet....nothing.
Removed the interior panel the lever is attached to, still wont undo.
Released cable from lever, pull with pliers, still wont undo.
Waggled screwdriver through smallest gap in bonnet to vainly attempt to loosen the catch, still wont undo.
Got under car to look. No chance.
Waggled the grill, no chance.
45 minutes later (after many repeated attempts) I got it undone and for the life of me, I'm not sure how.

Grease applied to the catch, I think it was all dry. Put it all back together, opens perfectly (hands together and prays it stays that way)

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Grease applied to the catch, I think it was all dry. Put it all back together, opens perfectly (hands together and prays it stays that way)

That's the frightening one closing it again for the first time after you've spent 45 minutes getting it open in the first place