Top car DIY tip
Discussion
When removing a door card to track down and silence an annoying rattle, remember to reconnect *all* the bits when reassembling. This will avoid two things:
1. Having to do the job a second time
2. Looking like a pillock in the car park when you grab impotently at the disconnected door handle then have to extricate yourself by rolling down the window and leaning out to use the exterior handle
That is all.
1. Having to do the job a second time
2. Looking like a pillock in the car park when you grab impotently at the disconnected door handle then have to extricate yourself by rolling down the window and leaning out to use the exterior handle
That is all.
Never let the battery go flat on a 986 Porsche Boxster. Ever.
The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
Plate spinner said:
Never let the battery go flat on a 986 Porsche Boxster. Ever.
The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
Or use the emergency cable?The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
Make sure your sidelight bulbs are a snug fit so they don't fall out inside your headlight housing.
If you do lose them inside, don't f
k about for an hour trying to fish them out with a cable tie, just remove the headlight and shake it out, even if that requires removing the front bumper.
If you do lose them inside, don't f
k about for an hour trying to fish them out with a cable tie, just remove the headlight and shake it out, even if that requires removing the front bumper.When removing the steering wheel on a car where it doesn't come off regularly, loosen the nut until it's free spinning (but still threaded on) and then do your best to pull the wheel off it's mount. Don't do what a lot of people do and remove the nut, use your muscle to remove the wheel, and end up tattooing Vauxhall on your forehead as the wheel leaves its mount and hits you in the face at around 30mph.
tr7v8 said:
Plate spinner said:
Never let the battery go flat on a 986 Porsche Boxster. Ever.
The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
Or use the emergency cable?The key will open the door to let you in. But the battery is in the boot, which needs the electrics to open. So to get to it you’ll have to take the whole mechanism apart along with most of the drivers side door sill.
Madness, utter madness.
And anyway, the jack to get the wheel off was... well, you know where it was.
Edited by Plate spinner on Monday 9th April 08:31
Second Best said:
When removing the steering wheel on a car where it doesn't come off regularly, loosen the nut until it's free spinning (but still threaded on) and then do your best to pull the wheel off it's mount. Don't do what a lot of people do and remove the nut, use your muscle to remove the wheel, and end up tattooing Vauxhall on your forehead as the wheel leaves its mount and hits you in the face at around 30mph.
You do realise that it only read "Vauxhall" when you were looking in a mirror ? Everyone else was wondering why you had llahxuaV tattooed on your forehead.matthias73 said:
Take photos as you disasemble.
If you're changing the oil on your drive, make sure the sump nut doesn't fall off into the catch can opening, thus spilling oil everywhere.
Also: when you've removed the sump plug (26mm on my car) and you've put the half inch drive on your cam cover. DON'T knock it off whilst talking to a neighbour/swearing at a stuck oil filter and let it end up in an old washing up bowl filled with sump oil.If you're changing the oil on your drive, make sure the sump nut doesn't fall off into the catch can opening, thus spilling oil everywhere.
Even with a magnetic pick up too to fish it out, you'll still make a mess!
As a happy bonus, the ratchet handle in question is 13 odd years old (Sealey) and it taken a fair old bit of abuse over the years... the ratchet mechanism was getting a bit graunchy, but after the oil bath it's now lovely and smooth.
Result!
Pica-Pica said:
When changing brake pads, buy a cheap turkey-baster from a kitchen shop to draw some fluid from the master cylinder and avoid spillage. In general kitchen shops are useful and cheaper for fluid containers, e.g. ketchup bottles, disposable roasting trays etc.
Top tip if you have small children: Use one of the many old spare Calpol syringes for free 
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