Discussion
Interesting Driveway CSI today and the return of the Blue Seicento.
After several OBD scans and Google searches by student mechanics to find the P0115 code for a "faulty temperature sensor" the owner was bemused by the fact the water temperature sensor had been replaced twice and the car still ran like a pig and kept cutting out.
I pointed out that the water sensor should not have any effect on the cars engine unless the alternator was on it's way out and the fan cutting in was taking current away from the ECU and coilpacks.
The alternator checked out and the scanner showed the same code.
So I checked the air temperature sensor and sure enough it was covered in cack. I cleaned it, cleaned the terminals and it ran fine for a while and started to pig out again but didn't stall.
New air temperature sensor on the way and hopefully it will be cured.
Google searching OBD code reading students 0 - 1 Me.
After several OBD scans and Google searches by student mechanics to find the P0115 code for a "faulty temperature sensor" the owner was bemused by the fact the water temperature sensor had been replaced twice and the car still ran like a pig and kept cutting out.
I pointed out that the water sensor should not have any effect on the cars engine unless the alternator was on it's way out and the fan cutting in was taking current away from the ECU and coilpacks.
The alternator checked out and the scanner showed the same code.
So I checked the air temperature sensor and sure enough it was covered in cack. I cleaned it, cleaned the terminals and it ran fine for a while and started to pig out again but didn't stall.
New air temperature sensor on the way and hopefully it will be cured.
Google searching OBD code reading students 0 - 1 Me.
MOT prep' for the RX8 part two today.
Gave the car another wash in the rain as it saves getting the hosepipe out and there are marginally fewer chemicals in rain water so it's better for paintwork.
Also I removed and placed the locking wheel nuts after finding out the key wasn't missing but had been broken by whoever had fitted the tyres. No doubt they had used it in an air gun.
There are loads of known methods of removing locking wheel nuts without the key. We all know they are pretty much useless and criminals have been nicking wheels since the day after the bloody things were invented.
But like most jobs if you have the right tool for the job you don't need to risk damaging your vehicle using a criminal method.
Remember the infomercial from the 90's for a universal socket called "Gator Grip"?
I bought one at the time and it was crap, beyond useless and hardly worth the effort sending it back as they would only send you a new one and it would be back to square one again.
That was then. Now material technology and manufacturer processes mean not only do they work but they are the ideal tool for removing locking wheel nuts if you don't have the key.
Gave the car another wash in the rain as it saves getting the hosepipe out and there are marginally fewer chemicals in rain water so it's better for paintwork.
Also I removed and placed the locking wheel nuts after finding out the key wasn't missing but had been broken by whoever had fitted the tyres. No doubt they had used it in an air gun.
There are loads of known methods of removing locking wheel nuts without the key. We all know they are pretty much useless and criminals have been nicking wheels since the day after the bloody things were invented.
But like most jobs if you have the right tool for the job you don't need to risk damaging your vehicle using a criminal method.
Remember the infomercial from the 90's for a universal socket called "Gator Grip"?
I bought one at the time and it was crap, beyond useless and hardly worth the effort sending it back as they would only send you a new one and it would be back to square one again.
That was then. Now material technology and manufacturer processes mean not only do they work but they are the ideal tool for removing locking wheel nuts if you don't have the key.
Not really they are still just as crap but I am not willing to break forum rules by instructing how to do something that could potentially facilitate criminal activity.
Nothing mechanical today but aesthetic. I have painted and fitted red bumpers to my yellow Bravo.
So it doesn't look like newly painted bumpers on an old car I needed to age them to match. So I used different colour primers.
Red in the middle, grey on the corners and a combination of grey and matte black on the ends.
A combination of plastic and filler primer on the spoiler to make different textures.
So it looked sun baked on top.
So it doesn't look like newly painted bumpers on an old car I needed to age them to match. So I used different colour primers.
Red in the middle, grey on the corners and a combination of grey and matte black on the ends.
A combination of plastic and filler primer on the spoiler to make different textures.
So it looked sun baked on top.
Oh. The dreaded washer bottle exchange. If the car is less than twenty years old I refuse to do it now and mount a universal one in the engine bay somewhere.
They are more often than not mounted first on the assembly line. With Alfa GTV/Spider V6's you have to take the drivers side engine mounts off to get to the bloody thing! Skoda Fabia; the whole front end. Fiat Bravo/Brava/Marea/Marea Weekend the drivers door, drivers side headlight and front bumper has to come off to take the wing off and get to a bolt that's nearly impossible to reach.
They are more often than not mounted first on the assembly line. With Alfa GTV/Spider V6's you have to take the drivers side engine mounts off to get to the bloody thing! Skoda Fabia; the whole front end. Fiat Bravo/Brava/Marea/Marea Weekend the drivers door, drivers side headlight and front bumper has to come off to take the wing off and get to a bolt that's nearly impossible to reach.
Well thanks to the new GTI format that for some reason I can't opt' out of any more. Images will not upload.
So...
Two wheeled Driveway CSI today.
I was worried about the rear shock linkage as the VFR was clunking when I hit meaningful bumps.
Had a good look round and couldn't find anything so I took the seats off to check the battery was the right one and mounted properly and discovered the wheel brace was loose.
So...
Two wheeled Driveway CSI today.
I was worried about the rear shock linkage as the VFR was clunking when I hit meaningful bumps.
Had a good look round and couldn't find anything so I took the seats off to check the battery was the right one and mounted properly and discovered the wheel brace was loose.
Another two wheeled Driveway CSI today.
My nephews first bike is this Chinese moped. Bloody Hell I wish we had these when I was his age. My RD50 was over a grand (Stan Stevens build engine and I got my first ban for doing 73mph on a dual carriageway). This was £200 and so simple to work on the wobbly handle bars were a matter of a few screws and a 14mm bolt not done up to torque.
After a couple of "adjustments" it now goes off the 45mph clock and 30mph is roughly three quarter throttle for reliability sake.
My nephews first bike is this Chinese moped. Bloody Hell I wish we had these when I was his age. My RD50 was over a grand (Stan Stevens build engine and I got my first ban for doing 73mph on a dual carriageway). This was £200 and so simple to work on the wobbly handle bars were a matter of a few screws and a 14mm bolt not done up to torque.
After a couple of "adjustments" it now goes off the 45mph clock and 30mph is roughly three quarter throttle for reliability sake.
I went all "Driveway CSI" on my GSXR250R-SP earlier.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The head gasket had gone and I was curious to know why. I have never know a head gasket failure on any GSXR, GS, GSX or Bandit before (apart from the 400 Bandit with the variable valves that would blow gaskets if the oil was too thick with gunk).
The exhaust had been poorly welded in the past and instead of replacing the "O" ring down-pipe gaskets Gumgum was used excessively all but closing the number one and two pipes. The back pressure must have caused the failure.
Luckily the chap bought a gasket set back in 2002 as I imagine they would be impossible to find now.
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The head gasket had gone and I was curious to know why. I have never know a head gasket failure on any GSXR, GS, GSX or Bandit before (apart from the 400 Bandit with the variable valves that would blow gaskets if the oil was too thick with gunk).
The exhaust had been poorly welded in the past and instead of replacing the "O" ring down-pipe gaskets Gumgum was used excessively all but closing the number one and two pipes. The back pressure must have caused the failure.
Luckily the chap bought a gasket set back in 2002 as I imagine they would be impossible to find now.
Short Driveway CSI today.
Last night was Friday for me so...
Take work to work day.
I chopped the base plate from a Fiat Coupe' tubular manifold and welded a new plate to fit my Bravo.
In theory it should work.
Historical Driveway CSI's from...
2016...
Is it possible to change the headlight on a mkII Renault Laguna without taking the bumper off?
Nope. It's a four hour job.
2013...
Just demonstrated to my youngest nephew that you can make a spark plug work using static electricity generated by him bouncing on a trampoline.
Forgot to mention the electricity had to pass through him though.
2011...
Good news bad news.
Good news is the hole in the floor of the car is welded up.
Bad news; there a bigger hole in the carpet and it smells of smoke a bit.
Don't worry car fan's it was a Vauxhall Corsa.
24th April 2016
The "C" in Driveway CSI today should be "confession" the only reason I've had to change my wishbone is because I put the suspension leg through the old bush.
I have also only had time to do the one because it was a pain in the faff until I worked out what I was doing wrong. With a normal car you can slacken the anti-roll bar by loosening the mounts. With the Bravo the mounts are inside the subframe. So I put the anti-roll bar under more tension by lowering it on to a bit of wood. That problem solved and the captive nut on the new wishbone decided it didn't need threads any more so I had to put a new nut over the top of the bolt and spot weld it to the one on the mount.
Grrrrrrr!
This was before I discovered you can use a strap to pull the anti-roll bar ends out of the way instead.
Last night was Friday for me so...
Take work to work day.
I chopped the base plate from a Fiat Coupe' tubular manifold and welded a new plate to fit my Bravo.
In theory it should work.
Historical Driveway CSI's from...
2016...
Is it possible to change the headlight on a mkII Renault Laguna without taking the bumper off?
Nope. It's a four hour job.
2013...
Just demonstrated to my youngest nephew that you can make a spark plug work using static electricity generated by him bouncing on a trampoline.
Forgot to mention the electricity had to pass through him though.
2011...
Good news bad news.
Good news is the hole in the floor of the car is welded up.
Bad news; there a bigger hole in the carpet and it smells of smoke a bit.
Don't worry car fan's it was a Vauxhall Corsa.
24th April 2016
The "C" in Driveway CSI today should be "confession" the only reason I've had to change my wishbone is because I put the suspension leg through the old bush.
I have also only had time to do the one because it was a pain in the faff until I worked out what I was doing wrong. With a normal car you can slacken the anti-roll bar by loosening the mounts. With the Bravo the mounts are inside the subframe. So I put the anti-roll bar under more tension by lowering it on to a bit of wood. That problem solved and the captive nut on the new wishbone decided it didn't need threads any more so I had to put a new nut over the top of the bolt and spot weld it to the one on the mount.
Grrrrrrr!
This was before I discovered you can use a strap to pull the anti-roll bar ends out of the way instead.
From today in 2015 I had a cold start issue with my Mercedes 190E and was about to junk the BOSCH K-Jetronic stuff and fit a carb' when...
Finally got down with OVP today and all but the coolant level light is out. The car is completely different animal. No wet nursing a spluttery cold engine, no back firing just after starting the old girl up, no flat spot and I can now sit at 30mph in fifth without the car feeling as if she's about to stall. What a difference a fuse makes.
On that topic this is one of the most accurate speedometers I have ever had on any car. 30 is 30, 40 is 39.5, 50 is 49.5, 60 is 60 and 70 is 70.5mph for a car this old that is amazing. My Panda for example 30 is 28, 40 is 36, 50 is 46, 60 is 58 and 70 is 67.5 My old works 2010 Corsa 30 was 28, 40 was 37, 50 was 47, 60 was 54, 70 was 63 and 70 on the Sat' Nav' was between 75 and 80 according to the speedo'. Of course this means if I get pulled for speeding
I can't use the...
"Sorry officer it's an old car"
...excuse that has saved my licence more times than Henrik Lundqvist has saved for the Rangers this season.
Today in 2012
First job of the weekend done. Dad had managed to knock a chunk of filler off the Corsa exhaust so I scraped the rest off and replaced it with M.I.G weld. Bodge for a bodge, it a Vauxhall after all.
Finally got down with OVP today and all but the coolant level light is out.
The car is completely different animal. No wet nursing a spluttery cold engine, no back firing just after starting the old girl up, no flat spot and I can now sit at 30mph in fifth without the car feeling as if she's about to stall. What a difference a fuse makes.On that topic this is one of the most accurate speedometers I have ever had on any car. 30 is 30, 40 is 39.5, 50 is 49.5, 60 is 60 and 70 is 70.5mph for a car this old that is amazing. My Panda for example 30 is 28, 40 is 36, 50 is 46, 60 is 58 and 70 is 67.5 My old works 2010 Corsa 30 was 28, 40 was 37, 50 was 47, 60 was 54, 70 was 63 and 70 on the Sat' Nav' was between 75 and 80 according to the speedo'. Of course this means if I get pulled for speeding
I can't use the...
"Sorry officer it's an old car"
...excuse that has saved my licence more times than Henrik Lundqvist has saved for the Rangers this season.
Today in 2012
First job of the weekend done. Dad had managed to knock a chunk of filler off the Corsa exhaust so I scraped the rest off and replaced it with M.I.G weld. Bodge for a bodge, it a Vauxhall after all.
Working in the rain last year. The anti-roll bar drop link was fitted incorrectly. The washer was inside above the lower bush. This meant the rubber had wrapped itself around the nut so there was no way of getting a socket on it and the washer had been wedged into the void and rusted in solid.
I had to cut the wishbone in half to get it off, undo the bush from the top mounting to the anti-roll bar and then with a combination of a heat gun, WD40, a vice and big hammer get the bush out of the half wishbone. I cleaned the parts up and refitted them in the right order. I'll replace both drop links as soon as because they both looked tired.
"LK; remember that Skoda you bought eighteen months ago for £200?"
Yep.
"I've just bought an identical one for £180".
Wow! £20 depreciation in eighteen months? That's about the same as 0.00016 of a second if you buy a new Citroen.
Using a Guinness widget to seal a pipe while I flushed my 190E radiator in 2015
Yep.
"I've just bought an identical one for £180".
Wow! £20 depreciation in eighteen months? That's about the same as 0.00016 of a second if you buy a new Citroen.
Using a Guinness widget to seal a pipe while I flushed my 190E radiator in 2015
Historic Driveway CSI from this day in 2014
Interesting Driveway CSI today. M.O.T prep' for my Punto and the joys of lowered suspension.
My 1100 mile old exhaust flexipipe has scraped the floor/speed ramps/potholes and had a hole. Dutch boy weld for now but I'll have to take it off and shorten it by a couple of centimeters later.
Brake lines are cleaned, headlights are aimed and now I need to wait for the cool air so I can give the old girl a decent wash.
Top tip there, never M.O.T a dirty car. Imagine if it was your job how would you like poking around someone else's filth. Save that for tabloid journalists.
Interesting Driveway CSI today. M.O.T prep' for my Punto and the joys of lowered suspension.
My 1100 mile old exhaust flexipipe has scraped the floor/speed ramps/potholes and had a hole. Dutch boy weld for now but I'll have to take it off and shorten it by a couple of centimeters later.
Brake lines are cleaned, headlights are aimed and now I need to wait for the cool air so I can give the old girl a decent wash.
Top tip there, never M.O.T a dirty car. Imagine if it was your job how would you like poking around someone else's filth. Save that for tabloid journalists.
Not much going on with Driveway CSI at the moment.
The Mitsubishi Trojan I covered in Waxoyl before Winter needed new front shocks fitting. You guessed it, because every nut and bolt was covered in waxoyl it took three times as long as it should have and was a monumental pain in the faff.
I also had to get a set of fidget spinner spanners (£26.99) to reach the inside nuts on the top struts.
Someone tried to steal the wind deflectors I fitted to a mates car last year so now they are Tiger sealed in.
I have made the front half of the bracket to fit the supercharger to my Bravo. It's still too big and I will need to move my radiator across to accommodate it or cut the inlet end of the charger off but I have no budget left this month for the output flange plate, front mounted intercooler set up and custom serpentine belt to dive it. Until it's mounted and I have wrapped a tape measure around I won't know how long it'll need to be anyway.
My GSXR250RR project has stalled as I need to find bodywork or do what I can with what I have. This will mean plastic bumper filler by the bucket load and I am not a fan.
The Mitsubishi Trojan I covered in Waxoyl before Winter needed new front shocks fitting. You guessed it, because every nut and bolt was covered in waxoyl it took three times as long as it should have and was a monumental pain in the faff.
I also had to get a set of fidget spinner spanners (£26.99) to reach the inside nuts on the top struts.
Someone tried to steal the wind deflectors I fitted to a mates car last year so now they are Tiger sealed in.
I have made the front half of the bracket to fit the supercharger to my Bravo. It's still too big and I will need to move my radiator across to accommodate it or cut the inlet end of the charger off but I have no budget left this month for the output flange plate, front mounted intercooler set up and custom serpentine belt to dive it. Until it's mounted and I have wrapped a tape measure around I won't know how long it'll need to be anyway.
My GSXR250RR project has stalled as I need to find bodywork or do what I can with what I have. This will mean plastic bumper filler by the bucket load and I am not a fan.
Driveway CSI Bravo edition.
The occasional misfire and general lumpiness was due to whoever fitted the plugs last time stripping the threads from the number of coil pack and not replacing the "O" ring around the oil filler neck so number one pot was full of clean but spark sapping oil.
As a little tribute to a former friend I now have a ropy car with a clean top engine cover.
Because the oil went into the number one cylinder when I took the plug out my Fiat's exhaust smoked like a Ford for a couple of miles.
The occasional misfire and general lumpiness was due to whoever fitted the plugs last time stripping the threads from the number of coil pack and not replacing the "O" ring around the oil filler neck so number one pot was full of clean but spark sapping oil.
As a little tribute to a former friend I now have a ropy car with a clean top engine cover.
Because the oil went into the number one cylinder when I took the plug out my Fiat's exhaust smoked like a Ford for a couple of miles.
From this day last year...
Driveway CSI and the Fiat Coupe donor car postmortem.
The head bolts weren't torqued down properly. 1, 2, 9, 10 were to spec', 5, 6, and 8 were nowhere near. 3, 4 and 7 were close enough to be okay. Water had got into cylinders two and four and where the car was sat the liners are ruined. So bad the pistons are rusted solid.
Tool of the job today goes to a piece of kitchen roll.
My T55 bit didn't fit the M12 head bolts (I let someone borrow my M set and never got them back).
I can't afford the £40+ for a new set just to take a had off out of curiosity (and some cleaning, porting and valving later) so to fill the gap enough for the T55 to work I used kitchen roll. Just as well the bolts weren't torqued properly eh?
Someone did this...
...to my Punto in 2014.
Driveway CSI and the Fiat Coupe donor car postmortem.
The head bolts weren't torqued down properly. 1, 2, 9, 10 were to spec', 5, 6, and 8 were nowhere near. 3, 4 and 7 were close enough to be okay. Water had got into cylinders two and four and where the car was sat the liners are ruined. So bad the pistons are rusted solid.
Tool of the job today goes to a piece of kitchen roll.
My T55 bit didn't fit the M12 head bolts (I let someone borrow my M set and never got them back).
I can't afford the £40+ for a new set just to take a had off out of curiosity (and some cleaning, porting and valving later) so to fill the gap enough for the T55 to work I used kitchen roll. Just as well the bolts weren't torqued properly eh?
Someone did this...
...to my Punto in 2014.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff