Your fleet running reports

[Sundayjumper]

Harry - all that work and you didn’t paint the one bit you can actually see ??

IMG_1927.jpeg (21.3 KiB) Viewed 1223 times

Agreed about the OEM Westfalia bars being the best though. I had the VAG equivalent on the Touareg and again now on the Cayenne.


Tim - is that stuff a form of cyanoacrylate, or something different ?

[tim]

Tim - is that stuff a form of cyanoacrylate, or something different ?

It's, err... this. I left it with my Dad so can't check the label now.

https://captaintolley.com/wp-content/up ... h-2021.pdf

[Sundayjumper]

Thermostat done. It didn’t turn out too difficult in the end (apart from access being a bit awkward). A stud remover was adequate to grab the old coil and wind it out. The helicoil kit worked perfectly. I wasn’t planning on using the drill but the tap wasn’t initially keen to go in and gently clearing through with the drill helped. The new coil wound in easily just using my fingers.

Thumbs up to V-Coil ! I initially thought the name was a bit naff. Seems to be decent kit.

IMG_1889.jpeg (104.85 KiB) Viewed 1210 times

So then we have the fun of bleeding the cooling system. At risk of stating the obvious, there’s a lot of coolant in these. With the engine in the middle and the rads at the front it has to almost do a complete lap of the car. I’d been careful to only remove enough to drop the level below the thermostat, I did that by shoving a pipe down from the header to somewhere below thermostat level and syphoning into a bottle. I took about two litres-ish out. Probably could have got away with less.

IMG_1731.jpeg (116.79 KiB) Viewed 1210 times

Reconnected everything, tipped the coolant back in, ran the engine up to temp. No leaks but also no heat from heater. There’s a bleed screw on to of the thermostat housing, no air from that. Quick drive round the block (my Compact will never bleed properly while stationary but will clear itself within 100m once there’s some load) and still nothing. I had to give up at that point as we were going to see wife’s family for lunch.

45 miles of mostly motorway, all of it BH traffic, still no heater. Thermostat clearly working though and keeping the engine at ~175 when moving steadily and creeping up to ~200 when slow or stationary and the fans cutting in. After lunch I had a Google and discovered it’s all due to stupid bloody Italian logic.

Remember the “STOP” button ? According to the instructions - in a rare break from tradition I had actually RTFM this time - it turns off the a/c. Like in every normal car where you press a button to turn on the a/c, but opposite. But it turns out that the manual is wrong and the “STOP” button also turns off the heat meaning you just get ambient air regardless of the setting on the dial

IMG_1441.jpeg (55.88 KiB) Viewed 1199 times

I’d had the “STOP” button engaged the whole time because I didn’t want the a/c running. Gah.

Drove home with heater on.

[integrale_evo]

Is that plastic cover in the rear bumper present on every X5, Harry? Looks a very tidy installation.

Yes, they all have the flap which is one of the main reasons I was happy fitting one. No cutting, drilling or any visible signs one is fitted when not in use.

[integrale_evo]

Harry - all that work and you didn’t paint the one bit you can actually see ??


IMG_1927.jpeg


Agreed about the OEM Westfalia bars being the best though. I had the VAG equivalent on the Touareg and again now on the Cayenne.

Haha, believe me, it’s on the list I was concentrating on getting the bits I can’t do later done. Keeping an eye out for a cleaner hardly used one with a pair of keys too.

[GG.]

Remember the “STOP” button ? According to the instructions - in a rare break from tradition I had actually RTFM this time - it turns off the a/c. Like in every normal car where you press a button to turn on the a/c, but opposite. But it turns out that the “STOP” button also turns off the heat meaning you just get ambient air regardless of the setting on the dial

Ha - with the best will in the world there is no way you'd guess that the stop button also disengaged the heater

[Sundayjumper]

Tim - is that stuff a form of cyanoacrylate, or something different ?

It's, err... this. I left it with my Dad so can't check the label now.

https://captaintolley.com/wp-content/up ... h-2021.pdf

Ah ! It's:

2-methyl-2H-isothiazol-3-one
1,2-benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one

Pretty obvious now I think about it.

[Rich B]

I want to fit a tow bar to the 320d, I'll probably get round to it soon. Good to see it being done - should be fairly similar/easier on ours.

[16vCento]

Tow bars are nice easy to fit.

On something newer its pretty common once you've fitted it, if using plug and play wiring looms that the car will need coding, so don't panic if you plug it in and nothing works!

Even my old S60 needed me to change config file in VIDA so it went into trailer DSTC, and turned off the car rear fog lights and parking sensors when the Caravan was plugged in, and that was from 2005!

[JonMad]

Whereas I just paid a firm to fit one onto the Yeti
Went for a permanent one, I think it was cheaper than detachable and I don't mind it poking out the back all the time. (oo-er!)

[16vCento]

I fitted a fixed one to the V60, but I thought the S60 would have looked daft with it poking out the back all the time so went for a detachable one.

Been looking for one for the Kuga, looks like they're over 1200 quid fitted for the electric deployable one!

Waiting for them to turn up in breakers

[Sundayjumper]

I don't care about the aesthetic of having a tow bar sticking out the back of the car.

I do care about my shins.

So I felt a detachable one was a good idea

[mik]

I had a towbar on the front of my WRX wagon at one point. Attached to the radiator.

Unfortunately it belonged to a Rav4 that Mrs Mik had just driven into the back of.

[Carlos]

That X5 install is neat.

Although I always thought the detachable tow bars weren't suitable for towing trailered vehicles due to max towing weight of 1500-2000kg?

[Sundayjumper]

Although I always thought the detachable tow bars weren't suitable for towing trailered vehicles due to max towing weight of 1500-2000kg?

Where did you get that from ? Westfalia site for Cayenne & X5 both say 3500kg:

https://www.westfalia-automotive.com/uk ... 00113-242/

https://www.westfalia-automotive.com/uk ... 00001-200/

[Beany]

The old man used to have problems with people parking right up behind the Citroen in Scarborough down the harbour, where parking is a bit limited.

Funnily enough it stopped being such an issue after he had a towbar fitted.

He did notice at least one a car parked behind him with a big crack in the bumper - surely a coincidence

[16vCento]

Detachable ones are just as good as fixed, my D3 had a detachable one fitted, iirc was rated for 3500kg and 125kg noseweight.

[Carlos]

Although I always thought the detachable tow bars weren't suitable for towing trailered vehicles due to max towing weight of 1500-2000kg?

Where did you get that from ? Westfalia site for Cayenne & X5 both say 3500kg:

https://www.westfalia-automotive.com/uk ... 00113-242/

https://www.westfalia-automotive.com/uk ... 00001-200/

It could be nonsense as i was told by an old giffer on a campsite who shunts plant and caravans around, he also had a fixed one on the front of his Disco as well!

[V8Granite]

If you were towing loads id have a fixed one, I think Land Rover sold one from new as some people are nearly permanently connected to a trailer. The removeable swan necks do have a tiny bit of movement in them.

Ours just gets removed once a year, cleaned and refitted and it’s fine for the 2 or 3 times a year I tow heavy.

Dave!

[Delphi]

Found a small fuel leak at the back of the 928. Luckily, it was coming from the fuel filter which sits next to the fuel pump under its own little access panel. 2 10mm bolts and the whole assembly hinges down. Loosened the filter and re-tightened and job's a good 'un. Another advisory free MOT.

It's booked in for the engine mounts doing next week.