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Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !! (Read 277899 times)

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#1075 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 07, 2022, 10:21:54 am
VWs, VWs, Fucking VWs

Drove to Sheffield at rush hour last night with a constant smell of diesel when the fan was on. As soon as I turned the fan off the smell went. I suspect a fuel leak. Can anyone recommend a good, quick garage in Sheffield? I've to head back up north this weekend ideally...

Best VW garage in Sheffield is Autohaus Dolby. Although you might not get in at short notice.

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#1076 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 07, 2022, 11:15:35 am
I've had really good experiences with this place - https://www.autotecnic.co.uk/ - as someone who knows absolutely nothing about cars, they seem to be honest, reasonably priced, blah blah.

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#1077 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 07, 2022, 11:39:00 am
Cheers all, ended up taking it to Chew Automotive just off Abbeydale Road, who is managing to fit me in today. Sounds like a dodgy leak-off pipe!

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#1078 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 07, 2022, 11:59:55 am
Cheers all, ended up taking it to Chew Automotive just off Abbeydale Road, who is managing to fit me in today. Sounds like a dodgy leak-off pipe!

Could describe half the 40+ guys on here  :lol:

We had that in our T4 once, came back to the van after a day in Lyon (where my bike got stolen grrr) and there was a pool of diesel underneath. We just trimmed 5mm off the end and reconnected, but this was after getting breakdown callout. Easy enough to replace after.

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#1079 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 10, 2022, 09:34:10 am
Leak-off pipe fixed, and I nearly made it all the way back to Inverness before breaking down again. This time, flashing coil light, limp mode, stuttering turnover. Think it's the fuel injectors. This is totally ridiculous now. Every time I go somewhere something fucks up.

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#1080 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 10, 2022, 09:47:56 am
If it makes you feel any better the Abarth has an amber EML. Frustratingly the Carista dongle doesn't seem to speak Italian/Eastern European.

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#1081 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 26, 2022, 04:42:52 pm
Do any UKBers run a Panda Cross 4x4? We're back in the position of needing two cars for work rather than being able to have one practical car (the A6) and something less practical (the 595).

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#1082 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
October 26, 2022, 04:57:05 pm
Positive news for me, at least, if not the environment, I got my car back yesterday after having its engine re-built. It took just six months and I've rarely missed it. Now the joy of running it in, c1000 miles, which is a bloody long way if you are starting from Central London.

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#1083 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 06, 2022, 10:40:44 am
I'll need to take this to the garage but just wondered if anybody recognised these symptoms for a heads up on what it might be.

2013 Skoda Fabia petrol 1.2l

Driving down the bypass and approaching a junction. Start to brake and it feels like the brake becomes stuck slightly on. I thought it was this because it sounded and felt a bit like when the ABS kicks in when braking hard.

Turn off onto a quiet industrial street and have a look at the brakes which don't look fucked (but what would I know?). Restart the car and do some emergency stop tests and things seem ok. Assume that some crap was on the brakes which has now cleared.

Back on the bypass and it drives ok but it does later start to happen again. This time I notice a bit more about what's happening. Speed needle floating back and forth +/- a few mph. Juddery brake pedal with that same grindy brake noise. Revs at about 3000rpm even with no foot on the accelerator and the clutch down.

Drive home on the slow roads and it does happen again at lower speeds but seems to happen only intermittently.

Any ideas?

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#1084 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 06, 2022, 06:41:00 pm
Ultra lay-punter here says it might be a sticking caliper?? Have had that a couple of times on previous cars. One way I've checked is after it's doing the thing, pull over and spit or flick a bit of water at each brake disc. If one is sizzling then that could have been stuck on.

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#1085 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 06, 2022, 11:53:44 pm
Can also tell if a brake is binding from how you roll and come to a stop at low speed on the flat.  Sharpish stop (like how you'd stop with the handbrake on slightly) indicates binding.

Start to brake and it feels like the brake becomes stuck slightly on. I thought it was this because it sounded and felt a bit like when the ABS kicks in when braking hard.

This doesn't really compute....ABS is a binary thing - it's either deployed under braking or not, so 'felt a bit like' sounds odd.  If it is an ABS fault I'd guess the dash lights esp and/or abs would be on or flicking on when it's misbehaving.

Revs at about 3000rpm even with no foot on the accelerator and the clutch down.
Neither a binding caliper nor abs fault would explain this... sounds fucked though :shrug:

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#1086 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 07, 2022, 08:32:57 am
When did anyone last do anything to it? Service etc?

Will Hunt

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#1087 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 07, 2022, 09:31:31 am
This doesn't really compute....ABS is a binary thing - it's either deployed under braking or not, so 'felt a bit like' sounds odd.  If it is an ABS fault I'd guess the dash lights esp and/or abs would be on or flicking on when it's misbehaving.

I might not be describing this properly. It felt (on the pedal) and sounded like it sounds when you brake hard and suddenly. I'm not sure how to describe that noise and feeling.

Serviced a few weeks ago with its MOT about a month before that (they couldn't fit a service in on the same day as MOT). Garage is normally very good and diligent. It has done some long drives since that though - Northumberland and back (2.5 hours each way), Trowbarrow (1.5 hours each way), a couple of commutes.

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#1088 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 07, 2022, 09:37:11 am
Did they do anything to brakes? Odds are something wasn't replaced properly and has taken a couple of weeks to work loose. I'd take it back for them to look at.

Garages are not infallible. I've had a VW dealer not screw the oil drain plug all the way in, got home as warning lights started flashing like mad and looked under van and saw oil everywhere. Another 10 miles would have killed the engine.

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#1089 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 14, 2022, 04:17:40 pm
Well after the death of SaabShed we've finally bitten the bullet, taken out a loan for a fair whack (fortunately just before rates went up) and we're looking for a "sensible" / "reliable" car to sweat for the next x years.


However, finding stuff if proving tricky between the market being a bit mad at the "nice nearly new" end finding time to go and see / test drive stuff, and finally finding something that Mrs. Tone likes.


I'm getting thoroughly sick of being car-less (as Mrs Tone uses the remaining Shed we have to commute), which is stopping me getting to gym on lunchtimes, and creating some awkward issues with 2 kids needing to do activities etc.


So I'm thinking of finding a short term / stopgap Shed which, worst comes to worst, we can chop in against what we end up buying as a more permanent fixture, or I'll just re-flog it.


Loooooong shot, but if anyone in the Leeds / Bradford area here has or knows of someone booting on a sub-£1k (or even sub £500?!) beast, give me a shout. I'm sick of trawling Facebook Marketplace and eBay and coming up short!

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#1090 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 14, 2022, 05:29:28 pm
I'm sick of trawling Facebook Marketplace and eBay and coming up short!

Both miserable platforms for buying and selling cars.  You're probably already aware but I find gumtree and its useful filters much better*.  There's Autotrader obviously too but less good for bangers as ads aren't free to place. 

*better as in easier to navigate, search and filter.  not better as in quality of vehicles available.  <£1k cars prob as much of a minefield on there as anywhere else...

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#1091 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 14, 2022, 05:40:43 pm
Both miserable platforms for buying and selling cars.

Agreed. I'm in an owner's group and someone had agreed a purchase and given a deposit on a car (at an indy dealer) and found that it was undeclared as Cat S! The photos from the report are quite something too.

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#1092 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 15, 2022, 07:19:26 am
Yeah, hence the post really - hoping that a UKB-er might have a granny / parent who's been offered a pitiful part-ex / We Buy Any Car etc valuation on their Yaris or whatever!

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#1093 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
November 15, 2022, 05:41:45 pm
I'll need to take this to the garage but just wondered if anybody recognised these symptoms for a heads up on what it might be.

2013 Skoda Fabia petrol 1.2l

Driving down the bypass and approaching a junction. Start to brake and it feels like the brake becomes stuck slightly on. I thought it was this because it sounded and felt a bit like when the ABS kicks in when braking hard.

Turn off onto a quiet industrial street and have a look at the brakes which don't look fucked (but what would I know?). Restart the car and do some emergency stop tests and things seem ok. Assume that some crap was on the brakes which has now cleared.

Back on the bypass and it drives ok but it does later start to happen again. This time I notice a bit more about what's happening. Speed needle floating back and forth +/- a few mph. Juddery brake pedal with that same grindy brake noise. Revs at about 3000rpm even with no foot on the accelerator and the clutch down.

Drive home on the slow roads and it does happen again at lower speeds but seems to happen only intermittently.

Any ideas?

For anyone who might be interested the suspicion at drop-off was a seized caliper. However what's actually going on (it seems, the associated light hasn't actually come on) is the ABS sensor on one of the front wheels is faulty, so activates the ABS when it shouldn't.

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#1094 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
December 09, 2022, 01:49:48 pm
This was already a bad year for cars in our house, and it just got worse. The 1998 T4 camper has just failed the MOT on rust, rust and more rust. Sills, jacking points, front cross-member. I'm guessing it'll be £1k just to patch up and get through the MOT, but we're now having to decide if we should strip it for parts and scrap, or do a more thorough job. I'm doing an evening welding course, so I could consider doing the patchwork myself - but if so it's likely to be into next year as I'll need to find a space to do it.

This all comes on top of the worst purchasing decision I have made in many years - the "stop gap mini" which is still due to go through the courts after it being punted back a few months by the accused....  (long story, may elaborate at some point)

SA Chris

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#1095 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
December 09, 2022, 02:38:36 pm
Sucks, tough choices. Our T5 van made it through MOT yesterday with advisories. I keep forgetting how long we've had it, it's older than the children, feels like yesterday <<misty eyes>>

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#1096 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
December 11, 2022, 10:43:47 am
After a friends van has just frozen in Switzerland (fixed by an evening in a warm garage) it’s got me wondering about our van over Xmas.

The forecast for Leipzig is looking like it’s going to be permanently below zero (down to -8 currently) and it’s making me wonder if we should be doing anything with the van.

Will empty the water tanks, and maybe Chuck the heating on for a bit each day.

But is there anything else we should think about? I’m hoping the diesel being sold should be able to cope with those temps.

Don’t want to get the van stuck and miss the ferry!

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#1097 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
December 11, 2022, 10:55:20 am
Also, we have proper all season tyres on the back of the van. Front ones are Mud and Snow (so legal in Germany in winter conditions for now) but it turns out they are just summer tyres that have that marking.

Because of the weather we’re likely to be sticking to main roads and visiting the odd city rather than venturing anywhere rural or at altitude.

But we will be passing through places with forecasts down to -12. Is it stupid to drive like this or should it be okay?

I’m wondering if we should be changing the front before we head into the cold…

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#1098 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
December 11, 2022, 02:20:09 pm
If you just drive cautiously and the tyres are fairly new (i.e. loads of tread) then you'll be perfectly safe. It's only really actual snow driving that massively benefits from true winter tyres - yes, they give better grip in any cold conditions, particularly if it's damp, but in the alps it's often cold and dry and in those conditions you really won't notice the difference. (spent 4 years living in Chamonix, doing a sporadic trips to Geneva as a part-time transfer driver)

The best option would be to get a half decent set of chains rather than switching tyres. When your fronts finally wear out, just get a good set of all-season van tyres.

With regards to winter prep for the van - if it's recently serviced most things should be ok. Drain out your windscreen washer bottle (probably just run it until dry) and fill with the -20c stuff. Winter diesel will definitely be sold high up, but down in the cities it might not be. We found it really only got bad one time in Chamonix, and it didn't get warmer than -12c for two weeks, with -17c to -20c overnight. My seat leon had normal diesel in it and I couldn't get it running one day - just sat spluttering and trying to catch but then dying - any water in the fuel and waxy constituents can go sludgy in these temps, and the fuel filter can clog leading to very low power / no running. It's best not to try to run if this happens as it can be bad for the fuel pump etc.

Batteries take a hammering in the cold, so if it's already old and weak, the the cold might be the end of it - try to minimise any short journies.

If it get's REALLY cold, our van engine never got up to temp. You can block off part of the radiator with some cardboard to help.

Handbrake cables can get stuck. This nearly screwed us when we first moved to Chamonix - we had to stop en-route and it was -13c outside, we had a van full of kit and a cat!  We were running late and our new landlady said she couldn't meet us at 10pm (which I get is late) but she didn't give a shit that we had no-where to stay (we found out later that she was well known in the valley...infamous some might say...). 

Park in underground garages if you can.......

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#1099 Re: Cars, Cars, Fucking CARS !!
December 12, 2022, 03:17:15 pm
If you just drive cautiously and the tyres are fairly new (i.e. loads of tread) then you'll be perfectly safe. It's only really actual snow driving that massively benefits from true winter tyres - yes, they give better grip in any cold conditions, particularly if it's damp, but in the alps it's often cold and dry and in those conditions you really won't notice the difference. (spent 4 years living in Chamonix, doing a sporadic trips to Geneva as a part-time transfer driver)

The best option would be to get a half decent set of chains rather than switching tyres. When your fronts finally wear out, just get a good set of all-season van tyres.

With regards to winter prep for the van - if it's recently serviced most things should be ok. Drain out your windscreen washer bottle (probably just run it until dry) and fill with the -20c stuff. Winter diesel will definitely be sold high up, but down in the cities it might not be. We found it really only got bad one time in Chamonix, and it didn't get warmer than -12c for two weeks, with -17c to -20c overnight. My seat leon had normal diesel in it and I couldn't get it running one day - just sat spluttering and trying to catch but then dying - any water in the fuel and waxy constituents can go sludgy in these temps, and the fuel filter can clog leading to very low power / no running. It's best not to try to run if this happens as it can be bad for the fuel pump etc.

Batteries take a hammering in the cold, so if it's already old and weak, the the cold might be the end of it - try to minimise any short journies.

If it get's REALLY cold, our van engine never got up to temp. You can block off part of the radiator with some cardboard to help.

Handbrake cables can get stuck. This nearly screwed us when we first moved to Chamonix - we had to stop en-route and it was -13c outside, we had a van full of kit and a cat!  We were running late and our new landlady said she couldn't meet us at 10pm (which I get is late) but she didn't give a shit that we had no-where to stay (we found out later that she was well known in the valley...infamous some might say...). 

Park in underground garages if you can.......

Thanks! That’s all really useful advice.

The tyres are relatively new (which is why we only upgraded the older rear tyres recently).

Hopefully we don’t run into the same issues that you did! But I’ll change the wiperfluid and make sure we fill up with diesel somewhere cold (just filled up in much warmer Spain).

Our battery should hopefully be okay but I will maybe test it out and give the van a run out a few days before we’re due to leave. I can imagine finding it hard to get a new battery on Boxing Day (when we are due to set off home).

 

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