The learner driver Ford Ka
Discussion
Bobupndown said:
Nicks90 said:
2) rear left brake light has stopped working. Changed the bulb and its still the same. However up in the top corner of the boot where the wires go through, there appears to be some electricians tape around the wires under the rubber cover/grommit. Whats the bet previously a wire has worn through on that hole and had a bodge repair and needs looking at properly.
This is a common problem on Fiat 500s on which the Ka 2 is based. Wiring fails due to being pinched when the boot opens and closes leading to all sorts of strange electrical maladies. Hmmm
Took the rubber wire protector/grommet off and carefully cut away the electrical tape. Discovered the two main black wires feeding the heated rear screen were perfect. The 2 thin wires for the rear high level brake light were fine, the rear wash jet wires had minor cracks in the insulation.... But the wires to the rear wiper were snapped and bodged back together with the most appalling fix of just wrapping the ends together and taping them up. Ffs
So the rear washer wires were cleaned and some electrician tape NEATLY wrapped around them, and the rear wiper wires properly soldered and then shrink wrapped correctly. Now the rubber wire tube grommet thing goes over all the wires fully and both ends now fit in to their respective holes in the boot lid and wing
Tested the brakes again, no joy. Still osr brake light out.
Took the unit out and gave it a wiggle and no change
Then I got to thinking
I don't recall the light warning lamp being on the dash when I collected it. First thing we did when we gave girl-child the car was swap out that light unit to a non cracked one. As it was girl-child doing it, what's the betting she was a bit ham-fisted pulling the wire connector out and may have damaged the top wire in the block (as that is the brake light wire if I am reading it correctly.
I think tomorrow I'll have another go and try sticking a brick on the brake pedal and carefully poke my micro multimeter probe in to the wire insulation and see if it's got a feed. If it has then I need a new plug, as it all looks heat sealed in and not user serviceable
Handbrake can wait, after having a further fiddle, when you pull the handle straight up and slightly towards the passenger seat it's 100% perfect. Pull and towards your leg / drivers seat, ratchet doesn't hold and it pings back down. Second hand mechanism is only £15 so will pick one up later this week.
Drive Blind said:
Nicks90 said:
nicks90-child has now completed a preliminary exterior wash
2 bucket method I hope? 
Seriously!
My usual method is jet wash the crap out of it to get all the loose muck and grit off, snow foam, rub down with a big floppy mit (rinsing mit in clean water after each body panel, and then jet wash it all off.
Chamois leather dry and then apply whatever wax I happen to have.
Now you're going to tell me fords self combust if washed like that....
you have 2 buckets, the wash bucket and the rinse bucket.
Wash bucket has your shampoo solution, rinse bucket is clean water.
Everytime you come off the car with the wash mit you clean it in the rinse bucket first before going into the wash bucket.
Keeps the dirt and grit out of the wash bucket.
I tried to teach drive blind jnr to do this but she thought I was a weirdo.
Wash bucket has your shampoo solution, rinse bucket is clean water.
Everytime you come off the car with the wash mit you clean it in the rinse bucket first before going into the wash bucket.
Keeps the dirt and grit out of the wash bucket.
I tried to teach drive blind jnr to do this but she thought I was a weirdo.
Drive Blind said:
you have 2 buckets, the wash bucket and the rinse bucket.
Wash bucket has your shampoo solution, rinse bucket is clean water.
Everytime you come off the car with the wash mit you clean it in the rinse bucket first before going into the wash bucket.
Keeps the dirt and grit out of the wash bucket.
I tried to teach drive blind jnr to do this but she thought I was a weirdo.
2 bucket system for my car, long handled brush for every other member of my family that wants me to "do their car while i'm at it" Wash bucket has your shampoo solution, rinse bucket is clean water.
Everytime you come off the car with the wash mit you clean it in the rinse bucket first before going into the wash bucket.
Keeps the dirt and grit out of the wash bucket.
I tried to teach drive blind jnr to do this but she thought I was a weirdo.
So we went and viewed and test drove a lovely 1L Peugeot 108 5 door in bright red today. 49000 miles and totally immaculate. Vcheck and all clear. Deal done and the private seller will deliver it to us on Wednesday.
Son knew he'd be getting a car for his 17th because his older brother did but he'll not expect it to be sitting in the garage 6 weeks before his birthday.
Son knew he'd be getting a car for his 17th because his older brother did but he'll not expect it to be sitting in the garage 6 weeks before his birthday.
Looks like a great car to learn in!
My daughter was 17 in January, and we have an old 2012 vauxhall Astra 2.0 cdti, and it was cheaper to put her on that than buy anything else, with her provisional I am paying under £600 a year with her as a named driver.
She said she prefers driving it to her instructors new 208!
My daughter was 17 in January, and we have an old 2012 vauxhall Astra 2.0 cdti, and it was cheaper to put her on that than buy anything else, with her provisional I am paying under £600 a year with her as a named driver.
She said she prefers driving it to her instructors new 208!
ian328 said:
Looks like a great car to learn in!
My daughter was 17 in January, and we have an old 2012 vauxhall Astra 2.0 cdti, and it was cheaper to put her on that than buy anything else, with her provisional I am paying under £600 a year with her as a named driver.
She said she prefers driving it to her instructors new 208!
The cost with just a provisional license is not a lot. Now re-run that quote with her having a full UK license and 0 years experience My daughter was 17 in January, and we have an old 2012 vauxhall Astra 2.0 cdti, and it was cheaper to put her on that than buy anything else, with her provisional I am paying under £600 a year with her as a named driver.
She said she prefers driving it to her instructors new 208!
Nicks90 said:
ian328 said:
Looks like a great car to learn in!
My daughter was 17 in January, and we have an old 2012 vauxhall Astra 2.0 cdti, and it was cheaper to put her on that than buy anything else, with her provisional I am paying under £600 a year with her as a named driver.
She said she prefers driving it to her instructors new 208!
The cost with just a provisional license is not a lot. Now re-run that quote with her having a full UK license and 0 years experience My daughter was 17 in January, and we have an old 2012 vauxhall Astra 2.0 cdti, and it was cheaper to put her on that than buy anything else, with her provisional I am paying under £600 a year with her as a named driver.
She said she prefers driving it to her instructors new 208!
nordboy said:
And that you want a quote within a day or few days after the test passed. They know they have you over a barrel, £1000 more a year than the quotes I'd previously got. Bit of a shock to the system.
Hmmm, good pointNever thought of that. I think I might get some quotes with the start date of her test. Obvs she's not even started lessons properly or booked a test, but it might be worth me taking a punt when she does book her test and sort the insurance out for that date. Looking at the waiting times for a test round here, she'll have at least 3 months between booking and actually sitting it, so plenty of time to do quotes and take out insurance
I can always cancel the insurance and lose the £50 admin fee if she fails...
My daughter passed on Friday and we’d bought a car last may for her to go out with me and drive in between lessons. She was with collingwood for learner insurance and it was £240 for a 1.4 fiesta zetec. On completion of 10months insurance she got a years no claims which took her insurance down from £2800 to £1700 on insuring it fully herself.
Nicks90 said:
3) at 30mph in 4th, or 20mph in 3rd, so about 1200 rpm, at a constant speed on a flat road, it feels like its hunting / surging ever so slightly. Will need to plug my obd reader in and see if it’s showing any errors. If it isnt, i think a MAF clean and cheeck for air leaks on the induction side will be needed.
Other than that, seems like a good un
My daughter’s fiesta feels a little the same. Not looked into it yet though. Seems to drive great etc but I think I can feel something. Other than that, seems like a good un
nordboy said:
And that you want a quote within a day or few days after the test passed. They know they have you over a barrel, £1000 more a year than the quotes I'd previously got. Bit of a shock to the system.
I posted above regarding my daughter just passing her test:"My daughter passed her test this afternoon, and has officially taken over the family Fiesta as her own! Our cars are insured under a multi policy with the lord of the seas, and I swapped her to be the policy holder for the Fiesta and switched her licence from a provisional to a full. The multi policy renews in mid May and the changes cost £135 including 2 x admin fees, so a real increase of about £90 for 2 months of cover. Seems too good to be true, but all the policy documents are in order.
I suppose I should wait until the official renewal time in May before celebrating too much!"
Is this a loop hole, having a multicar policy, and then switching it to the new drivers name? We really have got 2 months cover, with my daughter with 0 days experience as a newly qualified driver for about £90 (£135 with the admin fees). If our renewal was in 11 months time it would have been about £600 for that period. And she is building up no claims discount. Will be very interesting to see what happens come renewal time in May.
JordonTucker said:
I was really surprised to see how much insurance prices jump when you go up just one level in car models. It's crazy to think that a little extra feature on the car can make the insurance shoot up by so much, even more than what the car is worth sometimes. It feels like the insurance sees these upgrades as a big deal, making it a lot more expensive to insure the car.
I know, bloody scandal. How having leccy windows and Aircon can make her risk level increase a premium by £300 is beyond meIn other news, the handbrake ratchet is seriously unwell. Besides it not reliably engaging when you pull the handle up, yesterday after parking up it popped off as I was getting out the car. Luckily I was able to drop back in the seat and hit the brakes to stop it rolling in to another car.
This morning I am now the proud owner of a replacement handbrake mechanism for the princely sum of £15
Girl child will be undertaking some supervised vehicle mechanics tomorrow morning, hehehehe
Edited by Nicks90 on Friday 22 March 20:40
Nicks90 said:
This morning I am now the proud owner of a replacement handbrake mechanism for the princely sum of £15
Girl child will be undertaking some supervised vehicle mechanics tomorrow morning, hehehehe
Girl-child replaced the handbrake today, only assistance needed was some dad-strength to crack the 2 bolts off initially.Girl child will be undertaking some supervised vehicle mechanics tomorrow morning, hehehehe
Edited by Nicks90 on Friday 22 March 20:40
She's now growing over confident, "I didn't need an instruction manual.... It was dead easy....handbrake was adjusted perfectly first time.... I can fettle cars easy....." Blah lah lah
So next job for her is to do an engine service. Just oil and filters, but let's see how she gets on when the job gets a bit greasier and it might ruin her manicure.
But, I refuse to let her become a driver and car owner without knowing basic car maintenance and being familiar with how it all works.
Nicks90 said:
Girl-child replaced the handbrake today, only assistance needed was some dad-strength to crack the 2 bolts off initially.
She's now growing over confident, "I didn't need an instruction manual.... It was dead easy....handbrake was adjusted perfectly first time.... I can fettle cars easy....." Blah lah lah
So next job for her is to do an engine service. Just oil and filters, but let's see how she gets on when the job gets a bit greasier and it might ruin her manicure.
But, I refuse to let her become a driver and car owner without knowing basic car maintenance and being familiar with how it all works.
Well done, that's a top job. She's now growing over confident, "I didn't need an instruction manual.... It was dead easy....handbrake was adjusted perfectly first time.... I can fettle cars easy....." Blah lah lah
So next job for her is to do an engine service. Just oil and filters, but let's see how she gets on when the job gets a bit greasier and it might ruin her manicure.
But, I refuse to let her become a driver and car owner without knowing basic car maintenance and being familiar with how it all works.
I've just finished a full service on daughters Aygo, she said she was going to help, but she went out last night and hasn't surfaced yet
So I cracked on, oil & filter, air filter, spark plugs and cabin filter. Less than an hour, brilliant little car to work on. Only one swear word as well, when I called myself a t
t for spilling the old oil on the drive when putting it in an old container!!Nicks90 said:
Ah, big problem.... I don't fit.
You must be really tall because I'm 6ft2 and I can drive a 107 comfortably without the seat being all the way back. And I'm not a beanpole. I'm at least 100kg. I cant get in a fiat 500 without smashing my knee into the dash. Parents used tto have a Mk2 Ka and it was 'meh'Id always pick a 107/C1/Aygo over a Mk2 Ka.
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