Car D.I.Y.

[JoeyB]

Sti ke

non turbocharged and apparently revs to about 7000rpm

got a nice sticker on the boot lid ! “ life’s to short to drive a hybrid “

Yes I prefer the N/A version. That sticker is on point haha

 

[tyred]

I had a growling front wheel bearing on the 205 so fitted a replacement this morning and all is quiet (or as quiet as a base model 205 is likely to be) on the test drive

On the test drive, some prat came around a blind corner way too fast and way across the white line and almost put me in the hedge as I tried not to collide with him.

 

[Drago]

Mine hasn't moved in a week so I plugged in the charger.

The delivery man from Fortnums (in a Tesco uniform so as not to upset the working class neighbours) thought it was an electric car. I explained that it was not, and showed him how the mains lead plugs into the socket on the bumper and the charger inside the boot. He was dead impressed that the scandinavians had thought of thar, even though it was all my own work.

Irnonically, Mrs D's electric car was parked next to it but wasnt plugged in as shes only done 70 miles in the week.

 

[fossyant]

I've had a 'thud' on my rear suspension for some time - never been able to pin point it. Not Anti-roll bar links, nor anything catching, nor the suspension shocks as you can hit 'speed bumps' quite hard without any noise. The sound is more like something loose in the boot, and can be heard on uneven roads.

Had a poke about underneath, nothing loose, but the rear anti-roll bar rubber bushes looked 'old' and were slightly out of shape. Hmmm, hardened, I wonder. Checked on line, yup just £6 a pair (this idiot thought they came as singles so bought two). Before ordering, checked I could undo the four bolts for the brackets - yup the 18" breaker bar shifted them. Just collected the parts, and from getting the tools out, to putting away was just 20 minutes. Why didn't I have this brainwave before.

Suspension is now quiet as a mouse, road tested on the worse road in the area - ex cobbled road, with tarmac thrown on top. Now to get booked in for it's MOT.

 

[gbb]

Not DIY but had my 2018 Mazda MOTd last night, easy pass, no drama, but....
The car before me was Fiat Panda, 2008, with just over 20k miles on it ?
As the MOTer climbed in mine he remarked....ooh, nice and clean In here, the Fiat was a bit rank inside.

Little did he know, 45 minutes earlier I'd been frantically trying to figure why the car stank of dog sheeeiiite .

Id brought some in (unwittingly) on my boot. Car mat was thrown in the boot, then thrown in the garden pending cleaning. That would have been embarrassing.

 

[Adam4868]

Lad I work with had his car in for MOT today,had to jump it to start.Battery on its way out,filthy,two bald front tyres.Told me he's not serviced it in four years !
Failed on two bald tyres....Put a couple of part worn on and they gave him a pass lol.
I'd have sworn it would fail on more.

 

[fossyant]

Whizzed to Stoke and back today (Uni interview for daughter) and the car was whisper quiet over the crappy roads. Yay.

 

[fossyant]

Lad I work with had his car in for MOT today,had to jump it to start.Battery on its way out,filthy,two bald front tyres.Told me he's not serviced it in four years !
Failed on two bald tyres....Put a couple of part worn on and they gave him a pass lol.
I'd have sworn it would fail on more.

The wheel company my lad works at had to get a customer sign a disclaimer last week. He'd come in for some new wheels for his M4 BMW. They pointed out his car tyres had just 0.5mm of tread left and were illegal - you need new tyres. No, just fit my current ones he said - they had to get him to sign a disclaimer that they had already pointed out the tyres were illegal and he took all responsibility for them.

 

[Adam4868]

The wheel company my lad works at had to get a customer sign a disclaimer last week. He'd come in for some new wheels for his M4 BMW. They pointed out his car tyres had just 0.5mm of tread left and were illegal - you need new tyres. No, just fit my current ones he said - they had to get him to sign a disclaimer that they had already pointed out the tyres were illegal and he took all responsibility for them.

The mad thing to me is he knew they were bald...almost slicks ! They've been checking cars over Xmas around here aswell ! What's the point of going for the mot knowing this 🙄

 

[raleighnut]

The mad thing to me is he knew they were bald...almost slicks ! They've been checking cars over Xmas around here aswell ! What's the point of going for the mot knowing this 🙄

Maybe he had plans of going to a car 'show' gathering and showing off with a big burnout before fitting new tyres.

 

[Drago]

We see this in Volvoland, people buy big, expensive cars and can't afford to run and maintain them properly.

 

[gbb]

We see this in Volvoland, people buy big, expensive cars and can't afford to run and maintain them properly.

I remember a discussion about 'cyclops ' drivers....with one headlight out. Owner complained it was a Mercedes and a replacement light was a few hundred quid. Tough, he chose the blooming thing, expensive cars have expensive parts, surprise surprise.

 

[figbat]

We see this in Volvoland, people buy big, expensive cars and can't afford to run and maintain them properly.

I once followed a newish BMW X5 in queuing traffic and I could see the canvas on both rear tyres. As it happens the queue of traffic comprised some people heading to the same office I was heading to to begin work, and this car went into the car park I was using. I didn't see where the driver went but I let Reception know the car's details and they contacted the driver. It turned out to be someone I knew in passing and they were a relatively senior, well-payed person and one who has spent their whole career in and around the automotive servicing business. He was grateful for the intervention and horrified that it had happened. One explanation I have seen for this kind of outcome is that cars with big wheels, sitting low on their suspension offer limited view of the tyre tread in day-to-day viewing - if you're not specifically checking and simply hoping to notice it in passing then you probably won't.

 

[mikeIow]

The wheel company my lad works at had to get a customer sign a disclaimer last week. He'd come in for some new wheels for his M4 BMW. They pointed out his car tyres had just 0.5mm of tread left and were illegal - you need new tyres. No, just fit my current ones he said - they had to get him to sign a disclaimer that they had already pointed out the tyres were illegal and he took all responsibility for them.

Now I hate the way Covid has turned much of the UK into a bunch of curtain twitchers, checking on neighbours to report for getting fresh air with 2 pals (unless you work at Number 10…)…..
….but frankly, any garage or tyre place taking the action of getting signed disclaimers for this kind of nonsense should be obliged to also send those disclaimers to the local Police. They can tell the customer that.

That is a danger to all of us on the roads. Either the vehicle needs to be declared SORN, or it REQUIRES new tyres 🙄

 

[fossyant]

Garages aren't obliged. They refused to re-fit the tyres unless he signed a disclaimer stating he knew they were illegal.