what have you done to your car today ?

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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1,172
Short stint in the garage this morning.

Cam (hopefully) timed a little better as it felt down on power, idle was a tad rough, and MPG was horrendous.

Swapped a couple of glow plugs around as got a light on saying No.3 was not right. Best case I didn't plug it in correctly to begin with, worst case I'm replacing the glow plug wiring.

Definitely want the hard pipe kit for it though as just getting at the glow plugs is a nightmare with the standard boost pipe in the way

That's something that's stopped me changing my glow plugs. That and the fear of one snapping while I'm taking it out. While I'm pretty sure I'm still on the original ones, they still seem to work - I only have the warning light stay on when it's really, really cold.

I'm cleaning my EGR valve today. It doesn't really need it but I might as well while I had it out to check it.

If I can get a space outside the house I'll do the oil change next week and try to get at the lower EGR pipe to undo it from the underside.

It's such a pain living where I do - everyone is working from home so their cars don't move that much, and we've only got parking on one side of the street. One day I might get a space outside the house, but if I do a quick run to warm up the oil, the space probably won't be there when I get back.


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Nam-uk

Active Member
May 11, 2011
1,177
351
lancashire.
That's something that's stopped me changing my glow plugs. That and the fear of one snapping while I'm taking it out. While I'm pretty sure I'm still on the original ones, they still seem to work - I only have the warning light stay on when it's really, really cold.

I'm cleaning my EGR valve today. It doesn't really need it but I might as well while I had it out to check it.

If I can get a space outside the house I'll do the oil change next week and try to get at the lower EGR pipe to undo it from the underside.

It's such a pain living where I do - everyone is working from home so their cars don't move that much, and we've only got parking on one side of the street. One day I might get a space outside the house, but if I do a quick run to warm up the oil, the space probably won't be there when I get back.


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Think the life of glow plugs is around 50k , I got the car upto temp when removing them and one was bloody tight it did feel like it was going to snap, refitted with copper grease on the threads, have you got an old tooth brush as that’s what I used too clean my egr to get all the carbon out was also handy when I removed that rubber gasket too clean that grove out
 
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Alexis27

Active Member
Dec 20, 2009
2,145
479
Manchester
It gets worse - it was Christmas Eve 2019 and the wife was driving her dad home from hospital after a major heart operation. Cost £260 for the RAC to tow it home too o_O

It had only done 76k too!
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
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It gets worse - it was Christmas Eve 2019 and the wife was driving her dad home from hospital after a major heart operation. Cost £260 for the RAC to tow it home too o_O

It had only done 76k too!

Some things really do happen at the worst possible time - it's like life is really kicking you in the balls.


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Rich.T

Active Member
Feb 15, 2020
1,609
932
Filled my tank to the brim today. Read on a far flung corner of the internet there maybe fuel issues again due to Mad Vlad Poo Tin cutting his capers.
I cant see the connection myself but there you go.
 

Sparkie

Angling Adict.
Sep 25, 2009
2,541
779
Middlesex
Filled my tank to the brim today. Read on a far flung corner of the internet there maybe fuel issues again due to Mad Vlad Poo Tin cutting his capers.
I cant see the connection myself but there you go.

He can cut the gas supply I guess but petrol I’m not so sure.
Don’t start a stampede


Badger5 Custom Map + TIP,
3”Custom exhaust, FMIC, Bosh 550’s, BC Coilovers, ARB’s +loads more.
 
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Rich.T

Active Member
Feb 15, 2020
1,609
932
He can cut the gas supply I guess but petrol I’m not so sure.
Don’t start a stampede


Badger5 Custom Map + TIP,
3”Custom exhaust, FMIC, Bosh 550’s, BC Coilovers, ARB’s +loads more.
Im saying nothing 😜
 

Nam-uk

Active Member
May 11, 2011
1,177
351
lancashire.
Turns out my glow plug wiring... is fine! Yay!

Guess it was just me not plugging it in correctly. Now I just have to solve the coolant alarm going off on first start (guessing bad sensor or the plug isn't on right 🙄)
Open the expansion bottle , you'll see two prongs , use a screwdriver or something and gently rub them as they oxidize ect you'd think there clean looking at them, had same on mine and did that, it lasted, but i still got the bottle swapped by the garage i got car from.. its a common fault but easy fix
 
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Nam-uk

Active Member
May 11, 2011
1,177
351
lancashire.
Glare at it with utter hatred,
Passenger door lock, again.
I effing hate those locks.
replaced both rears last year as that cold spell we had in jan whipped them out , and repaired the old ones with other parts, the motors inside just unplug pity i cant find them as a separate part, rears are easier todo though
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,784
1,172
I may have put a little diesel in today... Only because I might get to see some family I've not seen for about six years and I'm not risking being sat in a queue where there's no fuel.

Decided to sand the cracked clear coat on my rear bumper today to see if I could get it flat and maybe even a little more presentable. It blew through in a couple of places, but I was expecting to have to respray it over the spring anyway so I'm not too fussed. I'll probably do the same to the front bumper now too - at least it gives me a reason to do it when the weather gets warmer. There are a couple of light scratches on the roof and someday soon I'm just going to go out, give it a wet sand and see if T-Cut can bring some life back to it.

There's always something quite scary about taking sandpaper to your car, but with all the stuff it's put me through lately, it's going to have to sit there and take what's coming to it.
 

Nam-uk

Active Member
May 11, 2011
1,177
351
lancashire.
Both my rears have packed up over the last couple of months.
Guess im going to have a 3 door till the summer.
got mine from here https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/153589805626?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649 its cheaper buying more,
any issues its free return , i had one with a missing spring outside lock and replaced within a week, they even said keep the old lock that's were i got the replacement motor from for the genuine locks removed, if there is a will there is a way lol
 
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iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,784
1,172
Too wet to do any work on my car today for the moment. I was amused/disappointed to see the woman I helped fill up her oil about a month ago sat in her car with smoke pouring out the back and the check engine light visible on the dash when I walked past.

When I helped her out, she wanted my help topping up the oil. I couldn't understand how no matter how much oil went in, it never seemed to show on the dipstick. I was really nervous about overfilling the oil on someone else's car and so checked it every time she poured a little in. Eventually, it did show - after putting in the whole litre bottle. Told her she had a serious oil leak and to get it checked immediately - like, right now immediately.

It seems she didn't follow my advice.
 
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