What have you done to your car today?
- Thread starter Buckz
- Start date
- Featured
Attleborough, Norfolk
Devon
SORN day. Bit boring really.
Finland
Reinflated a flat tyre and inspected it for cause, turned up nothing. Suspect it's leaking from valve or bead, will have to get the garage to reseat it.
Also debugged an intermittently workingpaperweight starter motor, starts fine a few times in a row then refuses to start. Nothing on turning the key. Confirmed the trigger wire has 12.5v coming down it, and bypassed the wiring by cabling 12v directly to it and nothing. Time to order a replacement.
Also debugged an intermittently working
Finally put my big boy pants on and sorted out the sticky steering issue that had been getting worse. Someone else had already moved it 5mm and done the grease nipple trick. I moved it another 5mm, went out for a drive up to 70 mph and no floating problems just much lighter and more feel in a straight line. What a relief, been dreading this job but thanks to all the experts on here it was a piece of cake to do 
Finally put my big boy pants on and sorted out the sticky steering issue that had been getting worse. Someone else had already moved it 5mm and done the grease nipple trick. I moved it another 5mm, went out for a drive up to 70 mph and no floating problems just much lighter and more feel in a straight line. What a relief, been dreading this job but thanks to all the experts on here it was a piece of cake to doMikeyH said:Losing the love for my car now, drove down to Dawlish fine, coming home had the dreaded sticky steering again but really bad. Lost concentration for a split second and over did a left correction and bashed both nearside wheels on a kerb.
Dubbedown said:
If there isn't a thread already can I suggest one... a thread where someone compiles all of the most common upgrades with basic advice.
Motionblurrr
Member
I did the 2 hard coolant pipes (heater inlet hose and the coolant hose) that’s located underneath the intake manifold… so I had to take that off. I had a slow coolant leak that eventually started becoming a faster coolant leak. I was deathly afraid of the pipe exploding while I was driving 
My goodness what a job lol, I got it done though and also replaced the CCV while I was under there.
The hard coolant pipes was the bulk of the nightmare as both pipes’ ends broke inside the block. Had to diligently and fearfully break up the mush plastic and carefully scoop it out of the hole so it didn’t fall inside the block and also simultaneously not score the aluminum. Talk about scary. It was also corroded and pitted there so I had to use a brass brush tool on a drill to lightly clean it out.
After doing that I feel accomplished and I can do anything now
My goodness what a job lol, I got it done though and also replaced the CCV while I was under there.
The hard coolant pipes was the bulk of the nightmare as both pipes’ ends broke inside the block. Had to diligently and fearfully break up the mush plastic and carefully scoop it out of the hole so it didn’t fall inside the block and also simultaneously not score the aluminum. Talk about scary. It was also corroded and pitted there so I had to use a brass brush tool on a drill to lightly clean it out.
After doing that I feel accomplished and I can do anything now
Motionblurrr
Member
1536Z4 said:I don`t blame you it sounds like a bloody nightmare . Well done
It definitely was, probably the biggest job I’ve done on this car next to doing the oil pan gasket.
Here is a photo illustrating where the leak was coming from off the heater inlet hose. Seems it split and was on the verge of eventually exploding.
If you are slowly losing coolant and you can’t see any obvious leaks, don’t think it’s your headgasket yet. Look with a bright flashlight underneath your intake boot at the block and if you see coolant being held in the waffle pattern… bad news. You’re on borrowed time! The circle is where it was leaking from and the arrow is the direction that leak always flows.
Saved myself over $2,000! Time for a nice strong beer fellas
