Your fleet running reports

[Sundayjumper]

Ah, wasn’t aware ! I just remember my 740d (2012) failed once because the fluid level was low enough to not feed the headlight washers, but high enough to feed the screen wash no problem, and not trigger the low fluid level warning.

[Jobbo]

Ah, wasn’t aware ! I just remember my 740d (2012) failed once because the fluid level was low enough to not feed the headlight washers, but high enough to feed the screen wash no problem, and not trigger the low fluid level warning.

That's an interesting scenario - I thought car simply stopped feeding the headlights etc when the dash warning came on. It's certainly the case with my Audi where the washer for the rear camera is greyed out when the warning is up.

[Mito Man]

The BMW reservoir is stepped with 3 pumps at 3 levels. Starts with the headlights, then the rear, then the windscreen finally.
Here’s a good picture but it’s missing the headlight washers

[Sundayjumper]

The Reduced Performance error returned on the Disco so I have invested in a smoke tester and tried it out today. It’s pretty good ! It produces a decent volume of smoke at a decent pressure.

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I was able to pretty quickly determine that there’s a leak on the underside of the throttle body. Hard to get a clear photo but it’s coming from the underside of that “Y” piece.

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Curiously the flange from which it is leaking looks a bit mangled and the throttle body is date stamped 2009. The car wasn’t built until 2012. So I guess the original is long gone and somebody has ham-fistedly fitted a second hand one. That’s probably the same person who didn’t fit the clip properly on the inlet to the throttle body causing the very obvious leak I already fixed.

People.

[Sundayjumper]

And here we go. What initially looked like dirty oily grease residue on the underside is actually silicone. Someone thought dabbing some silicone over the leak would fix it

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Whereas anyone with a clue knows you need Gorilla Glue for a job like this

So I split the joint completely, cleaned it up and it’s now sat in the warm indoors while it cures.

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The amount of EGR gunk looks perfectly normal so I’m not doing anything about that for now.

[Swervin_Mervin]

I also ran low on screen wash yesterday.

The mito is particularly annoying as with the headlights on it washes the lights every single time you use the washers to clean the screen so seems to guzzle gallons of the stuff, and the washer bottle is pretty small.

Thinking of sticking a switch in the feed to the motor so I can choose when I need to run the light washers as well. Especially as at the moment the lights are on a lot of the time so I’m visible in dull conditions or low sun rather than actually needing them to see where I’m going.

There’s also no level warning.

I've coded out the X5 headlight wash as one of the nozzles wouldn't return about half of the time. 1 minute using an app on the phone seemed a better idea than pulling the bumper apart.

Fairly easy fix. Usually just the arch liner out. Pop the hose off, clips undone and out it comes.

[Jimexpl]

Depends on the year, you’re ok pre sept 2009

It's late 2008, so I'm ok!

[KiwiDave]

Our Corolla ZR came back from the dealer yesterday with a clean bill of health after a recall for ECU update for the skid control, and investigation into a 'Low brake power' warning that came on over Christmas. I backed it out of the garage and as is common with our three-point turn space, reversed until close to the hedge. The emergency brake system kicked in with the ABS, something I'm not worried about as I wasn't about to hit anything, its more like a 'you're now close enough' warning. Then the error threw immediately, complete with full noise alarm as soon as you went above 4kph.

Needless to say it didn't move anywhere over the break.

I didn't think there was anything wrong with it mechanically, I checked the brake fluid as per the manual which was fine, and it stopped as you'd expect. So I guessed it would be an ABS sensor having a wobbler.

Mechanic cleared codes basically, and apart from all four reversing sensors having thrown a 'we do not exist' error once there was no indication of cause other than they've heard it happen before due to the skid control ECU issue the recall was for. So we're to drive it as normal now and see what happens.

Side note, I have since learned that we cannot fit our new Thule bike rack on the tow ball and reverse as said reversing sensors see the rack and shit themselves sensing immediate danger. This was most amusing at the rack place trying to reverse out of their carpark and being stranded unable to move the car til I removed the rack again. The culprit turns out not to be Emergency Brake Assist but something called PKSB as seen in this video:



You'd think this gets switched off when you connect electrics to the tow hitch, but apparently not.

[GG.]

So contacted Porsche regarding a battery replacement... £550 Unlike my 997, apparently this does have fancier electronics to control the stop start and related battery draws so it does need coding to the car. FFS.

They also wanted to book me in on a weekday about two weeks in the future... to swap a battery! I did make clear to them that they're 40 minutes drive away and I'm not leaving it with them for a week and doing two trips either on public transport or Uber just to swap a battery.

It is somewhat playing into whether I swap the 991 for something air cooled. Ultimately an auto 991 is just a bit (OK more than a bit) strangled pootling round town and my ability to get out to good roads is infrequent and at this time of year with the weather as it is I just don't bother. A manual air cooled car would give a lot more pleasure just to hack around in. Problem is something like a 993 would make the most sense, being relatively modern, but are then subject to ULEZ charges. Pre-84 are too old to really leave outside I think, so a bit stuck between two stools.

A white longhood car with Cibies is floating around my area and my son has declared with should get one "with yellow lights"

@DeskJockey Just remembered - I'll be going in the morning of the 25th assuming no work dramas that make me reschedule. Are you around then?

[V8Granite]

How much is a 996GT2 nowadays ?

I could search, but I’ve popped out of the engine room for 5 minutes so get the googlefu out and find one in black please.

Dave!

[Matty]

So contacted Porsche regarding a battery replacement... £550 Unlike my 997, apparently this does have fancier electronics to control the stop start and related battery draws so it does need coding to the car. FFS.

I should hope as they're bumming you for £550 for a battery they'd at least gave the common courtesy to give you a courtesy car though?

[GG.]

How much is a 996GT2 nowadays ?

I could search, but I’ve popped out of the engine room for 5 minutes so get the googlefu out and find one in black please.

Dave!

100-120k and ULEZ compliant interestingly.

Not what I'm looking for though really!

[GG.]

So contacted Porsche regarding a battery replacement... £550 Unlike my 997, apparently this does have fancier electronics to control the stop start and related battery draws so it does need coding to the car. FFS.

I should hope as they're bumming you for £550 for a battery they'd at least gave the common courtesy to give you a courtesy car though?

They probably would but they're usually keyless entry Macans which then had me worrying about it being nicked for the whole week.

[Sundayjumper]

How much is a 996GT2 nowadays ?

A lot. They used to start around £40k - when I bought my C2 (for £13.5k) a GT2 was just about on my aspirational list.

Cheapest one on Autotrader right now is £100k, from those lovely chaps in Keighley.... so 100% bargepole. The other (there's only 2) is £115k and looks OK.

Regardless, probably even less usable in London than the 991 is.

[Carlos]

How much is a 996GT2 nowadays ?

A lot. They used to start around £40k - when I bought my C2 (for £13.5k) a GT2 was just about on my aspirational list.

Cheapest one on Autotrader right now is £100k, from those lovely chaps in Keighley.... so 100% bargepole. The other (there's only 2) is £115k and looks OK.

Regardless, probably even less usable in London than the 991 is.

Monkey bought one for buttons back in the day as the internet had deemed them dangerous, then he did this

[V8Granite]

996 GT2 over all other 911 models.

The front end looks awesome and they are just wonderful, not as good looking as a 993 GT2 but to own I’d take the 996.

Dave!

[mik]

996 GT2 over all other 911 models.

I think I mentioned previously that one time I was p-riding with @Nefarious at Knockhill, a 996 GT2 joined the track. It was being driven well and pushed hard, but it was proper "elastic band" stuff : GT2 pulling tens of metres ahead on the main and back straights, with Nef in the Westie clawing back huge chunks in every braking zone, and through the bends.

[V8Granite]

They both sit so nicely and must go so well.

I know Exiges had one but not sure he ever wrote about tracking it etc.

Dave!

[KevH18]

I also ran low on screen wash yesterday.

The mito is particularly annoying as with the headlights on it washes the lights every single time you use the washers to clean the screen so seems to guzzle gallons of the stuff, and the washer bottle is pretty small.

Thinking of sticking a switch in the feed to the motor so I can choose when I need to run the light washers as well. Especially as at the moment the lights are on a lot of the time so I’m visible in dull conditions or low sun rather than actually needing them to see where I’m going.

There’s also no level warning.

I've coded out the X5 headlight wash as one of the nozzles wouldn't return about half of the time. 1 minute using an app on the phone seemed a better idea than pulling the bumper apart.

I removed the fuse for most of the time on my Focus and put it back in for MOT for this reason.

[Explosive Newt]

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Actually now I have had chance to give the car a good wash, the bumper is more scuffed/indented than cracked. It may still be cheaper to source a replacement from a scrappers than repair it.