Your fleet running reports

[integrale_evo]

I’ve openly admitted several times in several places that I think it’s a bit of a lemon.

What am I supposed to do? I’ll lose a hell of a lot more selling it broken than I have done so far fixing it, and yes I am ‘busting my gut’ to fix it because it’s a lot better place to be on slippery greasy roads than anything else we own and I don’t like the idea of my mrs driving a great big 2.2t v8 suv with no traction / stability / abs.

It was one of the cheapest around, it was in a colour / spec I liked, it drove nicely with no odd noises and no indication of any 4x4 faults for several hundred miles.

While I don’t particularly enjoy crawling around under cars, I still do it because I enjoy the satisfaction of doing a tough job that most shy away from on my own with basic diy tools and getting things working better than they did. I will bitch and moan about it, but I’ll still do it.

I could have just fixed it, or got someone to fix it and pretended it was the best thing ever, but thought people might be interested in seeing what can go wrong and how you sort it out.

I tend to buy the cars I like when I spot them and speak to the owner rather than do a ton of research and travel the country trying loads out, getting inspections, buying from dealers etc. Most of the time I seem to do ok, this time I didn’t.

[Rich B]

No need to defend it Harry, older interesting cars often need work - you're good at it, you share the stories, the cars get fixed. so everyone wins!

[tim]

Can you come and fix my Jag?

It'll probably not crash through the axle stands and kill you on my driveway.

[McSwede]

No need to defend it Harry, older interesting cars often need work - you're good at it, you share the stories, the cars get fixed. so everyone wins!

Very much so. Well said.

[Jobbo]

My E39 required a fair bit of attention in the first year - from the day I picked it up, in fact - yet it was still one of the best cars I owned. That was only 6 or 7 years old when I got it. This gen X5 is from a similar era of BMWs; it's not a lemon, they're all in need of regularly love.

[V8Granite]

It’ll be a 300 plus hp SUV with great cross country pace and noise which is also hugely useable.

The more fun cars on the road the better.

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

Harry is utterly correct. We bitch about it while we're cold, wet, skinning knuckles, hurting seemingly every muscle in our body trying to get at some awkward bastard fixing, but afterwards the feeling of a job well done is great. Learning more every time and helping & encouraging others do the same.

A few celebratory beers & a load of ibuprofen are pretty good too.

[integrale_evo]

Well it’s all back together and the wheels are all on the ground, but I’ve run out of time and need to go to work. I want to clear the existing codes before I start it and attempt to move it.

Couldn’t feel any difference by hand between the two boxes so the was still some preload on the clutches, but there’s definitely a whiff of hot brakes / clutch smell around the old one.

[Sundayjumper]

I received this after selling the old Clubman.

IT IS THE VED REFUND OF THE DEVIL

9402D7CA-AD97-4F1E-A6C8-563E038C9003.jpeg (29.07 KiB) Viewed 1480 times

[IanF]

You’d think the Assistant Paymaster General would have better things to do than sign cheques all day..

[mik]

Satancheque worship?

[Delphi]

Whilst browsing eBay, I came across a right rear light cluster in excellent condition which will do as a nice replacement for the one that's currently on the 928 which has a small crack in it. They're NLA new and usually £400+ second hand, and managed to snag this one for a paltry £125. I'll drop it off at the body shop after Christmas. Still investigating windscreen options.

[Alex88]

Question for wheel nerdz - is it ok to drive with different makes of wheels on the same axle, providing they're the same dimensions & offset?

[integrale_evo]

I’m sure it’ll be fine as long as width, offset and tyre size are all the same.

Even if they’re not it’ll probably still be fine, obviously spacesavers are very different but have a close enough diameter that they’re ok up to 50mph.

[mr_jon]

Yanking ya chain Harry. Glad it's fixed.

[Matty]

Alfa hasn't moved in about 6 weeks. I've not been able to garage it due to housework,

What’s the reasoning behind not driving it ?

He’s already told you. Hoovering, dusting, cleaning out the toilets. All takes time Dave!

My garage is full of feather dusters:

[Swervin_Mervin]

Still nothing out of the front washer jets this morning, despite the thaw. Rear is fine. Washer level warning bonged on as well. So I suspect it's popped a hose off somewhere. I'm hoping it's near the jets, and not at the bottle end, as I don't fancy having to strip the arch liners out so close to Xmas an family being round etc.

[Alex88]

I’m sure it’ll be fine as long as width, offset and tyre size are all the same.

Even if they’re not it’ll probably still be fine, obviously spacesavers are very different but have a close enough diameter that they’re ok up to 50mph.

Cheers Harry. I ideally wanted to avoid buying two wheels when only one needed replacing.

[integrale_evo]

Still nothing out of the front washer jets this morning, despite the thaw. Rear is fine. Washer level warning bonged on as well. So I suspect it's popped a hose off somewhere. I'm hoping it's near the jets, and not at the bottle end, as I don't fancy having to strip the arch liners out so close to Xmas an family being round etc.

Had to change the motor on sister-in-laws 1er a few months ago. That wasn’t a particularly fun job.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Still nothing out of the front washer jets this morning, despite the thaw. Rear is fine. Washer level warning bonged on as well. So I suspect it's popped a hose off somewhere. I'm hoping it's near the jets, and not at the bottle end, as I don't fancy having to strip the arch liners out so close to Xmas an family being round etc.

Had to change the motor on sister-in-laws 1er a few months ago. That wasn’t a particularly fun job.

I can imagine. I know it's only really popping the arch liner out but they're pretty much the filthiest parts I just hope the bottle hasn't cracked.

I'll start at the top though - there was a waft of screenwash in the cabin this morning which might suggest it's leaking somewhere up top rather than down in the arch