The Joy of Running an Old Shed
Discussion
magpie215 said:
aaron_2000 said:
I'd say any running and driving car with 12 months MOT is worth at least £500
I'd agree..£500 it's my rule of thumb price guide but I can be swayed for the "right" car.
catweasle said:
magpie215 said:
aaron_2000 said:
I'd say any running and driving car with 12 months MOT is worth at least £500
I'd agree..£500 it's my rule of thumb price guide but I can be swayed for the "right" car.So an update from the £870 Mondeo.
With an upcoming drive to Munich (and spending the whole Christmas period there) I knew I had to get some winter tyres. £175 for 4x Redalla 235/40/18's on MyTyres.com, got them fitted locally for £30.
Because I've only owned the car a week and I had a 1000 mile journey pending, I thought it best to give it a run out to see if I could spot any issues. A 2 hour motorway round trip to Leeds and back showed no problems, although the average MPG had gone from 58mpg on the summer tyres to 50mpg on the winters.
First time I've driven to Munich without an estate, was a little worried about luggage space but the Mondeo has a massive boot and swallowed everything.
Set off for the first part of the journey, a little over 4 hours to London to spend a couple of days.
But 2 hours into the drive, as I slowed down to 50mph I started to hear a droning noise, almost like a wheel bearing but initially, I was thinking it was the new winter tyres, maybe they'd warmed up and now were causing a bit of road noise? Soon as I sped back up to 70mph+ the noise disappeared. Soon became apparent as I got closer to London that it was definitely a wheel bearing. Great, a noisy wheel bearing 2 hours into a 16 hour drive.
Managed to pick a new rear wheel bearing up from Eurocarparts on my drive between London and Dover a couple of days later. Fortunately its a complete unit, no need for a bearing press to fit it. So I can potentially fit it myself once in Munich with the limited tools I have available/can purchase from Lidl.
But two minutes from arriving at the hotel in Dover, "headlight failure" pops up on the dashboard. Not to worry, I've got a few spare bulbs in a kit in the boot... oh wait, under all my luggage. After a right faff unloading everything, got the bulbs out, headed to the front to remove the cap behind the headlight to find you have to drop the whole unit forward. Pish!
Quick run over to Poundland for a screwdriver got me this. Not bad for £1!
Headlight unit dropped, realised it was a H7 bulb and I only had H1's. 45 minutes running around Dover looking for somewhere to buy a bulb because I'd rendered my car undrivable by taking the headlight unit out, I finally found a lightbulb kit in the petrol station, £13!
This cars starting to pee me off a little now.
Next day, ferry at 8am, Dover - Dunkirk, then sat nav is saying 10 hours to Munich.
Managed to do the whole drive with only 5 minutes of stoppage time for a quick wizz.
Most of the drive through was heavy fog, wasn't ideal
But even that wasn't without its issues.
I'd noticed before, at full throttle, the car pulses forward. It's almost like it drops boost pressure for a quarter of a second then comes back in, its a pretty fast pulse and not too severe so hadn't thought much of it.
Until I had to pull out of a services sliproad.
Full throttle through all gears to get up to speed as quick as possible, pulsating away, it threw up an engine management light and shot me into limp mode. Had to pull into the next layby and do a quick restart to clear the limp mode and EML.
Finally made it to Munich 9PM local time.
50mpg over 920miles doesn't seem too bad, I definitely think it could of done more on summer tyres and without the shagged wheel bearing.
Had the car jacked up today at the back, pulled on both rear wheels but neither seem to have any play.
Drivers side wheel spins freely for some time but does have a slight deep sounding growl.
Passengers side wheel makes no noise but only spins 1 rotation before coming to a halt.
I can't seem to work out from the inside which side the wheel bearing is noisy. So I'm a little stumped. Any idea's which side could be the culprit from those descriptions? Or another way to check?
Also, any ideas what this weird pulsing could be under full boost?
With an upcoming drive to Munich (and spending the whole Christmas period there) I knew I had to get some winter tyres. £175 for 4x Redalla 235/40/18's on MyTyres.com, got them fitted locally for £30.
Because I've only owned the car a week and I had a 1000 mile journey pending, I thought it best to give it a run out to see if I could spot any issues. A 2 hour motorway round trip to Leeds and back showed no problems, although the average MPG had gone from 58mpg on the summer tyres to 50mpg on the winters.
First time I've driven to Munich without an estate, was a little worried about luggage space but the Mondeo has a massive boot and swallowed everything.
Set off for the first part of the journey, a little over 4 hours to London to spend a couple of days.
But 2 hours into the drive, as I slowed down to 50mph I started to hear a droning noise, almost like a wheel bearing but initially, I was thinking it was the new winter tyres, maybe they'd warmed up and now were causing a bit of road noise? Soon as I sped back up to 70mph+ the noise disappeared. Soon became apparent as I got closer to London that it was definitely a wheel bearing. Great, a noisy wheel bearing 2 hours into a 16 hour drive.
Managed to pick a new rear wheel bearing up from Eurocarparts on my drive between London and Dover a couple of days later. Fortunately its a complete unit, no need for a bearing press to fit it. So I can potentially fit it myself once in Munich with the limited tools I have available/can purchase from Lidl.
But two minutes from arriving at the hotel in Dover, "headlight failure" pops up on the dashboard. Not to worry, I've got a few spare bulbs in a kit in the boot... oh wait, under all my luggage. After a right faff unloading everything, got the bulbs out, headed to the front to remove the cap behind the headlight to find you have to drop the whole unit forward. Pish!
Quick run over to Poundland for a screwdriver got me this. Not bad for £1!
Headlight unit dropped, realised it was a H7 bulb and I only had H1's. 45 minutes running around Dover looking for somewhere to buy a bulb because I'd rendered my car undrivable by taking the headlight unit out, I finally found a lightbulb kit in the petrol station, £13!
This cars starting to pee me off a little now.
Next day, ferry at 8am, Dover - Dunkirk, then sat nav is saying 10 hours to Munich.
Managed to do the whole drive with only 5 minutes of stoppage time for a quick wizz.
Most of the drive through was heavy fog, wasn't ideal
But even that wasn't without its issues.
I'd noticed before, at full throttle, the car pulses forward. It's almost like it drops boost pressure for a quarter of a second then comes back in, its a pretty fast pulse and not too severe so hadn't thought much of it.
Until I had to pull out of a services sliproad.
Full throttle through all gears to get up to speed as quick as possible, pulsating away, it threw up an engine management light and shot me into limp mode. Had to pull into the next layby and do a quick restart to clear the limp mode and EML.
Finally made it to Munich 9PM local time.
50mpg over 920miles doesn't seem too bad, I definitely think it could of done more on summer tyres and without the shagged wheel bearing.
Had the car jacked up today at the back, pulled on both rear wheels but neither seem to have any play.
Drivers side wheel spins freely for some time but does have a slight deep sounding growl.
Passengers side wheel makes no noise but only spins 1 rotation before coming to a halt.
I can't seem to work out from the inside which side the wheel bearing is noisy. So I'm a little stumped. Any idea's which side could be the culprit from those descriptions? Or another way to check?
Also, any ideas what this weird pulsing could be under full boost?
STIfree said:
So an update from the £870 Mondeo.
With an upcoming drive to Munich (and spending the whole Christmas period there) I knew I had to get some winter tyres. £175 for 4x Redalla 235/40/18's on MyTyres.com, got them fitted locally for £30.
Are those second hand? There looks to be hardly any tread left on them, particularly on the outer shoulder !With an upcoming drive to Munich (and spending the whole Christmas period there) I knew I had to get some winter tyres. £175 for 4x Redalla 235/40/18's on MyTyres.com, got them fitted locally for £30.
Lemming Train said:
Are those second hand? There looks to be hardly any tread left on them, particularly on the outer shoulder !
Brand spankers. I know it looks that way in the photo but I've since checked them after doing the first 1000 miles and they're all okay. Must just be odd lighting in the photo.That Mondeo looks nice but your engine problems are a bit worrying. 50mpg is not bad. The mpg of my shed is not ideal 34mpg at present on a mix town/motorway it’s annoying particularly the performance (lack of).
Let’s see I can stomach the inefficiency and overall shed lufe. I life the freedom and no care driving but other things start to grate but on a £400 car maybe I am being unrealistic!
Let’s see I can stomach the inefficiency and overall shed lufe. I life the freedom and no care driving but other things start to grate but on a £400 car maybe I am being unrealistic!
Here's my current daily piece of chod...
I wish I could say it was totally care-free motoring, but there's a persistent misfire at idle, especially on start-up, which hasn't entirely been eliminated by replacing the mismatched plugs with a new matching set, although it does run perfectly on all twelve cylinders on the open road. Oh, and the manual override on the gearbox is currently on the blink. It was fine until it went in for its MoT and spark plug job. Bloody thing.
There's also the small matter of an E39 535i that cost me £595 to buy five years ago but which has cost me the best part of £6k (including 2k on a gearbox rebuild) in the last 18 months, and a 540i Touring in need of a new engine... not to mention my ex's slightly rusty 520i Touring that I'm trying to get off her having bought her a 630i drophead just before we split (but I digress, this isn't meant to be a rant!).
I have to say, even at sub 22mpg, there is simply nothing like the sense of wellbeing imbued by a combination of a turbine-smooth 440bhp V12 and the best seats in the world... it's no screamer but there's a subdued hollow metallic wail above 5000rpm that's unlike anything I've previously experienced, even the lovely M54 straight-six in the aforementioned 520i, which has a similar character, but now that I've had a V12, it's somehow more than just two sixes bolted together. I know 445ftlb @ 3950rpm ain't that much by today's standards but wafting about on a wave of mid-range torque, knowing the power is there to nail any safe overtake in the minimum time and distance possible is immensely reassuring. Brakes aren't bad either.
I wish I could say it was totally care-free motoring, but there's a persistent misfire at idle, especially on start-up, which hasn't entirely been eliminated by replacing the mismatched plugs with a new matching set, although it does run perfectly on all twelve cylinders on the open road. Oh, and the manual override on the gearbox is currently on the blink. It was fine until it went in for its MoT and spark plug job. Bloody thing.
There's also the small matter of an E39 535i that cost me £595 to buy five years ago but which has cost me the best part of £6k (including 2k on a gearbox rebuild) in the last 18 months, and a 540i Touring in need of a new engine... not to mention my ex's slightly rusty 520i Touring that I'm trying to get off her having bought her a 630i drophead just before we split (but I digress, this isn't meant to be a rant!).
I have to say, even at sub 22mpg, there is simply nothing like the sense of wellbeing imbued by a combination of a turbine-smooth 440bhp V12 and the best seats in the world... it's no screamer but there's a subdued hollow metallic wail above 5000rpm that's unlike anything I've previously experienced, even the lovely M54 straight-six in the aforementioned 520i, which has a similar character, but now that I've had a V12, it's somehow more than just two sixes bolted together. I know 445ftlb @ 3950rpm ain't that much by today's standards but wafting about on a wave of mid-range torque, knowing the power is there to nail any safe overtake in the minimum time and distance possible is immensely reassuring. Brakes aren't bad either.
cwis said:
STIfree said:
Also, any ideas what this weird pulsing could be under full boost?
Get yourself an elm327 ODB2 dongle and have a look at the error code. That'll let you know why you dropped into limp mode and is a clue to the underlying fault....cwis said:
STIfree said:
Also, any ideas what this weird pulsing could be under full boost?
Get yourself an elm327 ODB2 dongle and have a look at the error code. That'll let you know why you dropped into limp mode and is a clue to the underlying fault....Excellent shout. Lots on eBay for under a fiver. Bluetooth to phone I'm favouring, but any particular one you recommend?
I should add, like the 535i, it was an alcohol-fuelled unseen eBay buy. In the case of the 535i, I went to collect it with one-way train tickets, including the last train on a steam railway to get there... this I just paid to have trucked down from Middlesbrough!
Those aren't the wheels it came on either, it had a staggered set of rather ugly (and cracked) 14-spokers, replaced with this uniform size set of Chinese eBay specials, but any loss of grip at the rear is offset by P-Zero rubber, and I understand the wheels being slightly recessed in the arch gives a slight drag reduction, which might (along with reduced rolling resistance) account for it being a bit more economical than before (best of 21.7 instead of 18.9!). New plugs and a thorough service (it was well overdue an oil change) might have had something to do with it. Ideally one would only make one change at a time, but real life ain't like that!
Those aren't the wheels it came on either, it had a staggered set of rather ugly (and cracked) 14-spokers, replaced with this uniform size set of Chinese eBay specials, but any loss of grip at the rear is offset by P-Zero rubber, and I understand the wheels being slightly recessed in the arch gives a slight drag reduction, which might (along with reduced rolling resistance) account for it being a bit more economical than before (best of 21.7 instead of 18.9!). New plugs and a thorough service (it was well overdue an oil change) might have had something to do with it. Ideally one would only make one change at a time, but real life ain't like that!
STIfree said:
Excellent shout. Lots on eBay for under a fiver. Bluetooth to phone I'm favouring, but any particular one you recommend?
Then install Torque light on the phone...
STIfree said:
Brand spankers. I know it looks that way in the photo but I've since checked them after doing the first 1000 miles and they're all okay. Must just be odd lighting in the photo.
Pulsing could possibly be the injectors - have seen it before on that revision Mondeo. Will be hard to find out for sure, and probably only after you've replaced fuel & air filters, alternator and EGR valve. Did you say it had had the DMF done?Flooble said:
Pulsing could possibly be the injectors - have seen it before on that revision Mondeo. Will be hard to find out for sure, and probably only after you've replaced fuel & air filters, alternator and EGR valve. Did you say it had had the DMF done?
I'm hoping this cheap OBD2 reader will help give some indication as to the issue. Yes, clutch and DMF done in June I think it was.
My initial guesses are something like lack of fuel (injectors/pump/etc) or an issue with a hose that can't handle the boost (not tightly secured and leaking when under full pressure).
I've looked back in the history of the car (was an ex EDF energy company car so literally everything is documented) and it has something from 2015 about it going to Ford to be checked out for an apparent "hesitation at speed" but nothing seems to follow it, I can only assume they didnt find anything.
It's not worrying me too much, car drives fine otherwise and it really is only apparent when using the last 20% of throttle.
Another thing I forgot to mention is how friggin rattly it is on tick over. I think its a pully on the aux belt thats shot. The slightest tickle of throttle and its gone. Just sounds awful when you're stopped at the traffic lights.
These are just minor things though, I'm happy to spend a couple hundred on parts and a few hours fiddling myself. It's currently cost me £100, £25 for a couple of drop links and £75 for wheel bearing.
STIfree said:
I'm hoping this cheap OBD2 reader will help give some indication as to the issue.
Yes, clutch and DMF done in June I think it was.
My initial guesses are something like lack of fuel (injectors/pump/etc) or an issue with a hose that can't handle the boost (not tightly secured and leaking when under full pressure).
I've looked back in the history of the car (was an ex EDF energy company car so literally everything is documented) and it has something from 2015 about it going to Ford to be checked out for an apparent "hesitation at speed" but nothing seems to follow it, I can only assume they didnt find anything.
It's not worrying me too much, car drives fine otherwise and it really is only apparent when using the last 20% of throttle.
Another thing I forgot to mention is how friggin rattly it is on tick over. I think its a pully on the aux belt thats shot. The slightest tickle of throttle and its gone. Just sounds awful when you're stopped at the traffic lights.
These are just minor things though, I'm happy to spend a couple hundred on parts and a few hours fiddling myself. It's currently cost me £100, £25 for a couple of drop links and £75 for wheel bearing.
My guess is a fuel pump issue, has the filter been changed recently?Yes, clutch and DMF done in June I think it was.
My initial guesses are something like lack of fuel (injectors/pump/etc) or an issue with a hose that can't handle the boost (not tightly secured and leaking when under full pressure).
I've looked back in the history of the car (was an ex EDF energy company car so literally everything is documented) and it has something from 2015 about it going to Ford to be checked out for an apparent "hesitation at speed" but nothing seems to follow it, I can only assume they didnt find anything.
It's not worrying me too much, car drives fine otherwise and it really is only apparent when using the last 20% of throttle.
Another thing I forgot to mention is how friggin rattly it is on tick over. I think its a pully on the aux belt thats shot. The slightest tickle of throttle and its gone. Just sounds awful when you're stopped at the traffic lights.
These are just minor things though, I'm happy to spend a couple hundred on parts and a few hours fiddling myself. It's currently cost me £100, £25 for a couple of drop links and £75 for wheel bearing.
Love a good shed thread.
I'm a recovering shedist and have been clean about 12 years now. Last one was a Cinquecento sporting that I got for £350 and had 18 trouble free months with. Few things needed tending to 3 month before MOT time so stuck a note in the window saying for sale. Day later sold it to some woman in Asda carpark for £200 and walked 2 miles home with my carrier bags.
Cars since then have been on the drip. Anyway, I need some pointers from the beards as I'm currently cutting about in a leased V90 CC but my work situation has changed which means my commute is now gonna be 500+ miles a week. Way, way, way over my mileage allowance.
So the plan is to dive into a shed again for the daily commute. Unsure as to what will probably be best for me though. N/A Jap petrol or Diesel.
I'm a recovering shedist and have been clean about 12 years now. Last one was a Cinquecento sporting that I got for £350 and had 18 trouble free months with. Few things needed tending to 3 month before MOT time so stuck a note in the window saying for sale. Day later sold it to some woman in Asda carpark for £200 and walked 2 miles home with my carrier bags.
Cars since then have been on the drip. Anyway, I need some pointers from the beards as I'm currently cutting about in a leased V90 CC but my work situation has changed which means my commute is now gonna be 500+ miles a week. Way, way, way over my mileage allowance.
So the plan is to dive into a shed again for the daily commute. Unsure as to what will probably be best for me though. N/A Jap petrol or Diesel.
STIfree said:
Drivers side wheel spins freely for some time but does have a slight deep sounding growl.
Passengers side wheel makes no noise but only spins 1 rotation before coming to a halt.
I can't seem to work out from the inside which side the wheel bearing is noisy. So I'm a little stumped. Any idea's which side could be the culprit from those descriptions? Or another way to check?
Also, any ideas what this weird pulsing could be under full boost?
Worth removing the calipers off the carriers or taking the pads out of the fronts to eliminate them as the source of drag and noise? Might give you a clearer indication of which side you’re looking at.Passengers side wheel makes no noise but only spins 1 rotation before coming to a halt.
I can't seem to work out from the inside which side the wheel bearing is noisy. So I'm a little stumped. Any idea's which side could be the culprit from those descriptions? Or another way to check?
Also, any ideas what this weird pulsing could be under full boost?
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