Your fleet running reports

[mik]

And that FB groups for you - this weeks golden chat on the QV FB group is most of them claiming they don't declare engine remaps because insurers don't bother checking when you've written off £60k's worth of car (plus whatever you've hit), they'll just pay.

And the irony is that a couple of mods don’t really impact your premium significantly. Cat-back and cold-air-intake on the VXR8 added £30 to my premium. 2bular manifolds on the Evora added £0.

[Jobbo]

Better news was new brakes fitted, plus drop links & mud flaps.


IMG_2143.jpeg


IMG_2149.jpeg


Less better news is that I changed the brakes because they were warped. I thought they were warped. New brakes made zero difference. Having now googled it turns out the juddering is most likely the lower wishbones. Fluid-filled bushes leak and go wobbly while visually appearing to be OK. We have a steadily growing list of jobs…

Thus reiterating the old mantra of warped brakes rarely ever actually being warped brakes. Air con just needs a regas sir.

[mik]

I had to do lower front wishbones on our Disco4, but from memory it was clunks and wandering a little under braking as opposed to judder.

[jamcg]

Worth looking at polybushes to avoid future problems or are the standard ones quite long lasting?

[dan]

Better news was new brakes fitted, plus drop links & mud flaps.


IMG_2143.jpeg


IMG_2149.jpeg


Less better news is that I changed the brakes because they were warped. I thought they were warped. New brakes made zero difference. Having now googled it turns out the juddering is most likely the lower wishbones. Fluid-filled bushes leak and go wobbly while visually appearing to be OK. We have a steadily growing list of jobs…

Thus reiterating the old mantra of warped brakes rarely ever actually being warped brakes. Air con just needs a regas sir.

Its never warped disks, its usually people fitting 'race' pads and then driving like old grannies. The pads deposit material and never get hot enough to get cleaned up.

I put some V6 exige disks on the lathe with a DTI at a customers request to check the runout on his disks, despite me being adamant it wouldn't be the issue. Sure enough, not even a thou of runout on the disk. I took it round the block with him in it and gave the juddery brakes a good hammering and they were fine.

[Sundayjumper]

The old discs were down to 26.2-26.4mm, vs. 27mm minimum & 30mm starting thickness so they needed doing anyway.

Looking at the wishbones again today they're not new but they're newer than the rest of the suspension. No receipts or whatnot with the car to say if/when they were done. I think I'll leave them for now and see how it goes.

Today's main job was oil change - and the oil was indeed like black treacle. More black than a mole, if you can believe it. Also some fun & games with the undertrays. Seized bolts, missing bolts, and one that was just rattling around loose. Two of them I had to cut off. The ones that came out cleaned up OK, the others have been replaced with plain M10 bolts instead of the fancy OEM ones with captive serrated washers. They'll be fine.

I also discovered black treacle in the vee of the engine. This is apparently common and a result of the oil filter housing / oil cooler failing. Not hugely expensive but a bit of faff of a job. One more for the list

And the brake lights, I had a rummage in the cubby behind the nsr light where the trailer wiring plugs in, everything looked fine, and tonight I have ALL THREE brake lights working SIMULTANEOUSLY. So although it's not really a fix, I'm claiming it as a win, and thinking of putting it in for an MOT while I'm ahead. It's due in December; if this is anything to do with cold or damp I'm thinking it would be smart to do it now.

[Sundayjumper]

Worth looking at polybushes to avoid future problems or are the standard ones quite long lasting?

I'm always a little wary of polybushes. I remember asking my Porsche Tuna ages ago, and they said that unless you're racing where seconds, or fractions of seconds, are important, you're better off staying OEM. Their experience being that stiffening one component just passes increased stress to another and wears that bit out faster. Not a big deal when racing but is asking for trouble on a road car.

Consensus on the LR forums seems to be Meyle HD are the go-to for about £150 each. Seriously cheap-cheap alternatives are available too probably best suited to getting through an MOT before flogging it ! But LR parts do seem quite reasonably priced in general.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/315605383500

[DeskJockey]

Those are (it says) for the Disco 3, which if you're using it as an example or know better is obviously fine.

[Sundayjumper]

Those are (it says) for the Disco 3, which if you're using it as an example or know better is obviously fine.

Disco 4 was really a hefty facelift from the 3: interior, engine & a short while later the gearbox, I’m 99% sure the suspension stayed the same.

[DeskJockey]

Those are (it says) for the Disco 3, which if you're using it as an example or know better is obviously fine.

Disco 4 was really a hefty facelift from the 3: interior, engine & a short while later the gearbox, I’m 99% sure the suspension stayed the same.

See, you know better!

[V8Granite]

Better news was new brakes fitted, plus drop links & mud flaps.


IMG_2143.jpeg


IMG_2149.jpeg


Less better news is that I changed the brakes because they were warped. I thought they were warped. New brakes made zero difference. Having now googled it turns out the juddering is most likely the lower wishbones. Fluid-filled bushes leak and go wobbly while visually appearing to be OK. We have a steadily growing list of jobs…

Thus reiterating the old mantra of warped brakes rarely ever actually being warped brakes. Air con just needs a regas sir.

Its never warped disks, its usually people fitting 'race' pads and then driving like old grannies. The pads deposit material and never get hot enough to get cleaned up.

I put some V6 exige disks on the lathe with a DTI at a customers request to check the runout on his disks, despite me being adamant it wouldn't be the issue. Sure enough, not even a thou of runout on the disk. I took it round the block with him in it and gave the juddery brakes a good hammering and they were fine.

I’ve had 2 pairs of Brembo discs now with excessive runout. My first in around 20 pairs I must have changed in my lifetime. Hub face ok, disc runout was 0.15 on the ML but I can’t remember what they were on the TT. Lots of complaints with ECP Brembos now which is annoying as they were my go to disc.

The ML discs had 1 set of pads on them and the TT was its second set on those discs.

Parts quality really is getting worse.

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

Well. This is curious. I don’t think I’ve been scammed, I’ve been over most of the car and apart from normal wear it’s all good. But pondering the state of the air filter & oil I looked back at the history. Serviced 19 Dec 2023 @ 116,301 miles. MOT 22 Dec 2023 - three days later - @ 117,272 miles. Not impossible to do nearly 1,000 miles in three days but if it was in the garage at least part of two of them it’s some solid driving time.

Seller told me he’d had it serviced at a really good local specialist that’s now no longer trading. Bluebird Motor Company:

IMG_2189.jpeg (40.67 KiB) Viewed 1285 times

So I googled them, they are indeed closed down. But lookee here. HE WAS THE DIRECTOR.

IMG_2190.png (72.91 KiB) Viewed 1285 times

That’s him and the address I bought the car from. He didn’t mention that he was in the trade and it was his company that (allegedly) serviced it. He actually acted as if he knew nothing about cars at all.

[Jobbo]

High Wycombe - that's on the list of places I wouldn't buy a car, along with Leicester and Birmingham. I've been to see in a few in each place and been disappointed every time.

ETA: I see the company was dissolved on 5 December 2023 so the later stamp was put in the book after it had been dissolved.

[mik]

You now know he’s dishonest, so yeah that’s a bit disconcerting.

Neither of those services were belts were they? From memory timing belt is 115k miles or 7 years - so that should have been done around 2019?

[Sundayjumper]

Funny thing is, he was a really nice chap to talk to and is a moderately famous photographer. It never for the slightest moment crossed my mind he was a shifty car dealer on the side !


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0jkjyggzp3o

https://news.sky.com/video/im-freddie-w ... u-11679026

https://www.dannyclifford.com/

[Sundayjumper]

You now know he’s dishonest, so yeah that’s a bit disconcerting.

Neither of those services were belts were they? From memory timing belt is 115k miles or 7 years - so that should have been done around 2019?

The one on the left is ticked "yes" for the camshaft drivebelt being replaced. I'm going to have to assume that's not true. I'm fairly confident the new engine is legit as it was well before he owned it. Just over 40k miles / seven years so just about due now.

ANOTHER one for the list

I'm enjoying the car though so I'll suck it up for now.

[Delphi]

Got the 928 back from the trimmers just before I went to Germany & Switzerland. Car looks (and smells) incredible now.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAg6yU0Ivjn

[mik]

Got the 928 back from the trimmers just before I went to Germany & Switzerland. Car looks (and smells) incredible now.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DAg6yU0Ivjn

Wow

Are there cooler rear seats in any car ever? In light colours, they always look straight out of a sci-fi movie

[Jobbo]

Audi in for a service today. It seems the servicing for this generation has become like the Condition Based Servicing introduced by BMW on the E60; you'd book the car in for an oil change and the following week you'd find the brake fluid change light come up.

This is an oil change, inspection (slightly early) and I've authorised a brake fluid change (due at 2 years) and fuel filter (due at 40k miles - it's on 32k) because they'll both otherwise come up before it's next due to be serviced. At least I was able to add them on rather than have to make an extra visit in 6 months' time.

[Gavster]

Well. This is curious. I don’t think I’ve been scammed, I’ve been over most of the car and apart from normal wear it’s all good. But pondering the state of the air filter & oil I looked back at the history. Serviced 19 Dec 2023 @ 116,301 miles. MOT 22 Dec 2023 - three days later - @ 117,272 miles. Not impossible to do nearly 1,000 miles in three days but if it was in the garage at least part of two of them it’s some solid driving time.

Seller told me he’d had it serviced at a really good local specialist that’s now no longer trading. Bluebird Motor Company:


IMG_2189.jpeg


So I googled them, they are indeed closed down. But lookee here. HE WAS THE DIRECTOR.


IMG_2190.png


That’s him and the address I bought the car from. He didn’t mention that he was in the trade and it was his company that (allegedly) serviced it. He actually acted as if he knew nothing about cars at all.

And weirdly, the address for the garage on the stamp is just a regular workshop that he doesn’t seem to have anything to do with

https://osborne-garage.co.uk/about-us/

But yeah, sounds like he’s not told the truth about a few things on the car.