MDifficult’s E82 1M Coupe & Ariel Atom 3
Discussion
MDifficult said:
mikeyb1987 said:
Fantastic updates as usual 
Please can you post a link to the 'decent' sidelights you bought from eBay? I've bought some but despite being advertised as white, they're more blue
Thanks! Please can you post a link to the 'decent' sidelights you bought from eBay? I've bought some but despite being advertised as white, they're more blue
These are the exact ones I bought. Silly price for LEDs but by the time you've bought umpteen sets of 'white' that turn out to be 'chav blue' they're worth every penny
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/501-W5W-17-Samsung-3623-...
Time for a small update,
M5
Well, the inevitable big service is just around the corner with the big blue one hitting the big six-o.
With the iDrive showing less than 2k miles until the service is due, I've started stockpiling some of the bits I'll need as and when great deals come up. One such deal was an outstanding offer from a BMW main dealer on all four discs, all four sets of pads, wear sensors etc.
First lesson I learned was.. don't be out when the courier tries to deliver. Not only did I have to go all the way to the depot to pick them up, but I also nearly threw my back out carrying them (in one go) from the depot to the car. What seemed 'really very heavy' as I stepped away from the counter rapidly became 'unbelievably, astonishingly heavy' about halfway to the car. I've never been so grateful for the ability to open the bootlid just by waving a foot. If I'd put them down, I'd have needed 5 minutes rest before picking them up again!
Second lesson is that anything that looks big on the car, looks HUGE in your living room. These damn brake discs are massive:
Okay, so they don't actually look that big without something for scale. I looked everywhere for some custard, but I'm afraid you'll have to make do with some Sainsbury's ratatouille. That's a full size can. See? MASSIVE:
Not just big, but bloody heavy. The rears (according to my trusty luggage scale) are 10kg each, and the fronts are a faintly ridiculous 14kg each. No wonder I nearly broke my spine carrying them all plus the pads in one go.
I've still got 9 litres of oil plus filter to arrive, then it's time to book the car in. Oh wait... I need four new tyres too
GP
Not been using it much as the weather's been absolutely foul. Took it out today to take child #3 to a few play parks but the long sit in the garage plus a few short stop-start journeys left me sat in the kind of carpark where you wouldn't leave your car over night.... with a flat battery. Being the rocket scientist I am, I'd forgotten to keep it on the trickle charger while it had been sat in the garage for the last few weeks.
Hopefully it was just my stupidity and not a borked battery - I could really do without needing to buy a new one. Fingers crossed the (now attached) trickle charger can bring it back to life.
How did I get the Mini restarted with a flat battery you ask? I paid a quick call to MrTouring who very kindly showed up and gave me a jump. For anyone who's ever had a Mini R56, they're bloody touchy things with a flat battery (all sorts of flashing dash lights, wipers going randomly, odd clicks from the CD player etc) but after a few minutes and a jolly good rev from the big 5 litre V10 Roadside Support Wagon and it wheezed itself into life.
Cheers Matt, you're a total lifesaver
M5
Well, the inevitable big service is just around the corner with the big blue one hitting the big six-o.
With the iDrive showing less than 2k miles until the service is due, I've started stockpiling some of the bits I'll need as and when great deals come up. One such deal was an outstanding offer from a BMW main dealer on all four discs, all four sets of pads, wear sensors etc.
First lesson I learned was.. don't be out when the courier tries to deliver. Not only did I have to go all the way to the depot to pick them up, but I also nearly threw my back out carrying them (in one go) from the depot to the car. What seemed 'really very heavy' as I stepped away from the counter rapidly became 'unbelievably, astonishingly heavy' about halfway to the car. I've never been so grateful for the ability to open the bootlid just by waving a foot. If I'd put them down, I'd have needed 5 minutes rest before picking them up again!
Second lesson is that anything that looks big on the car, looks HUGE in your living room. These damn brake discs are massive:
Okay, so they don't actually look that big without something for scale. I looked everywhere for some custard, but I'm afraid you'll have to make do with some Sainsbury's ratatouille. That's a full size can. See? MASSIVE:
Not just big, but bloody heavy. The rears (according to my trusty luggage scale) are 10kg each, and the fronts are a faintly ridiculous 14kg each. No wonder I nearly broke my spine carrying them all plus the pads in one go.
I've still got 9 litres of oil plus filter to arrive, then it's time to book the car in. Oh wait... I need four new tyres too
GP
Not been using it much as the weather's been absolutely foul. Took it out today to take child #3 to a few play parks but the long sit in the garage plus a few short stop-start journeys left me sat in the kind of carpark where you wouldn't leave your car over night.... with a flat battery. Being the rocket scientist I am, I'd forgotten to keep it on the trickle charger while it had been sat in the garage for the last few weeks.
Hopefully it was just my stupidity and not a borked battery - I could really do without needing to buy a new one. Fingers crossed the (now attached) trickle charger can bring it back to life.
How did I get the Mini restarted with a flat battery you ask? I paid a quick call to MrTouring who very kindly showed up and gave me a jump. For anyone who's ever had a Mini R56, they're bloody touchy things with a flat battery (all sorts of flashing dash lights, wipers going randomly, odd clicks from the CD player etc) but after a few minutes and a jolly good rev from the big 5 litre V10 Roadside Support Wagon and it wheezed itself into life.
Cheers Matt, you're a total lifesaver
Hey M! Hope you're enjoying your motors still, cheeky question but can you remember what diameter the rear bush set you got was? Mine are definitely starting to go and I want to go down the powerflex route as you have. Did you manage to have a meet up with some other GPs yet? I'm down for a meet sometime, I'm based down south too, I've only ever seen one down here, a rare sight indeed.
lestiq said:
Hey M! Hope you're enjoying your motors still, cheeky question but can you remember what diameter the rear bush set you got was? Mine are definitely starting to go and I want to go down the powerflex route as you have. Did you manage to have a meet up with some other GPs yet? I'm down for a meet sometime, I'm based down south too, I've only ever seen one down here, a rare sight indeed.
Hey, no not managed to meet any others yet - probably best left for the summer. I’ve actually seen two on the roads recently but was in the M5 at the time. On the bushes, I think there’s only two purple options from powerflex. There’s the caster adjusted ones, or these (which are on mine):
https://www.powerflex.co.uk/road-series/product-de...
My Mini might be due a battery soon, sadly its an AGM and bloody expensive. BMW have changed all the prices on parts, well service parts and things like discs and pads are nearly as cheap as euro car parts. Also have a look at the BMW website, a full service on a mini cooper s is £227, the plugs alone are £50 ...
steve-5snwi said:
My Mini might be due a battery soon, sadly its an AGM and bloody expensive. BMW have changed all the prices on parts, well service parts and things like discs and pads are nearly as cheap as euro car parts. Also have a look at the BMW website, a full service on a mini cooper s is £227, the plugs alone are £50 ...
Sadly, it’s been on the trickle charger for 24h and barely a sausage so I’m pretty sure it’s had it. Not sure whether it’s AGM or not, but doesn’t say it on the battery and as it’s not got stop/start I’m hoping it’s not. Doesn’t look like it has the IBS either so I’ve got my fingers crossed for a relatively cheap replacement. As for servicing, I managed to get a good deal on the XL service pack when I bought it so no issues on that front. Wish the M5 had one
lestiq said:
Thanks M, I think when spring has sprung we should try and get a few together for a run around. I'll have brand new brakes, tyres and bushes by then, I'm really excited for this eternal winter to end!
Me too - seems like it’s been all money and little fun for the last few months! steve-5snwi said:
If you haven't got stop start then thats £180 saved
That’s what I’m hoping I understand AGM batteries should be very obvious and there’s nothing on this battery that suggests it is, but it’s the original battery so hopefully good news.Will find out one way or the other tomorrow.
Mini have confirmed the good news - it's a non-AGM battery and so a low-cost replacement.
Since I'm heading to the parts department tomorrow, I've decided to treat the GP to new trim pieces as the clips on my existing one are all snapped and broken (highlighted in the pic below). Typical Mini engineering genius decided to put the flexible/snappable clips on the larger, more expensive cowl part, rather than the small, super-cheap removable cover...
In all these years of car ownership, this is the first time I've ever replaced a battery myself. Found a good guide online which makes it look a doddle so can't wait to get my hands (a little bit) dirty. Assuming I don't cock it up and burn my hands and face off in a huge acid explosion, I'll be sure to update the thread
Since I'm heading to the parts department tomorrow, I've decided to treat the GP to new trim pieces as the clips on my existing one are all snapped and broken (highlighted in the pic below). Typical Mini engineering genius decided to put the flexible/snappable clips on the larger, more expensive cowl part, rather than the small, super-cheap removable cover...
In all these years of car ownership, this is the first time I've ever replaced a battery myself. Found a good guide online which makes it look a doddle so can't wait to get my hands (a little bit) dirty. Assuming I don't cock it up and burn my hands and face off in a huge acid explosion, I'll be sure to update the thread
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