Your fleet running reports

[Sundayjumper]

i3 today:

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[DeskJockey]

Handbrake on the Zoe seems to have decided to do a Gallic shrug, and seize.

I had noticed that the lever didn't move as easily as before, but the car drove fine. Not so today. The wheel will rotate a bit before locking when reversing. Moving forwards it initially rolls freely, then stops again.

Wonder what they check at the main dealer when they service it, it was only a few weeks ago. *Sigh*.

Booking it in with my local indy.

If it’s a manual handbrake rather than electric then it’ll be the cables. Renault cables rust inside the sheaths and jam

It is a manual handbrake. Will mention it.

[IanF]

@Ascender

https://www.instagram.com/share/BAFfnxMgwF

Eta: huh? Why is it a link? Reels issue?

[Matty]

@Ascender

https://www.instagram.com/share/BAFfnxMgwF

Eta: huh? Why is it a link? Reels issue?

Need to point to the URL (usually with /reel/ in it) rather than the sharing link:

[Beany]

Haven't been using the car much the last few weeks what with the weather and all that, and now it's complaining that the battery is discharged, please run engine.

Guess it's time to buy a jumper pack

[IanF]

Thanks @Matty

[Sundayjumper]

Haven't been using the car much the last few weeks what with the weather and all that, and now it's complaining that the battery is discharged, please run engine.

Guess it's time to buy a jumper pack

I've been having that with the 5-Series and just taking it for an occasional drive isn't enough to keep it happy, it needs regular use or a long session on the charger, like 24h. But the car does seem to be smart enough not to totally kill the battery so it always starts OK even if it's grumpy about it. Get back to regular use and it'll probably be fine.

[integrale_evo]

Handbrake on the Zoe seems to have decided to do a Gallic shrug, and seize.

I had noticed that the lever didn't move as easily as before, but the car drove fine. Not so today. The wheel will rotate a bit before locking when reversing. Moving forwards it initially rolls freely, then stops again.

Wonder what they check at the main dealer when they service it, it was only a few weeks ago. *Sigh*.

Booking it in with my local indy.

If it’s a manual handbrake rather than electric then it’ll be the cables. Renault cables rust inside the sheaths and jam

It is a manual handbrake. Will mention it.

Drums or disks on the back? If sums a little movement before locking is fine, if disks I’d be more worried, should be locked or not, if it’ll move a bit the pad material might have come off the backing and jammed…

[DeskJockey]

If it’s a manual handbrake rather than electric then it’ll be the cables. Renault cables rust inside the sheaths and jam

It is a manual handbrake. Will mention it.

Drums or disks on the back? If sums a little movement before locking is fine, if disks I’d be more worried, should be locked or not, if it’ll move a bit the pad material might have come off the backing and jammed…

Drums. They didn't get rear discs until the ZE50. Seems it isn't an uncommon issue.

[Sundayjumper]

Drums or disks on the back? If sums a little movement before locking is fine, if disks I’d be more worried, should be locked or not, if it’ll move a bit the pad material might have come off the backing and jammed…

Drums. They didn't get rear discs until the ZE50. Seems it isn't an uncommon issue.

I’ve had that “bit of movement” on drums before, the Cayenne, it turned out the friction material had completely detached from the backing plates and would wedge the brakes on only if it felt like it.

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Being an auto I never used the parking brake, just left it in “P”, so this only came to light at MOT time. Straightforward job fortunately.

[Matty]

Haven't been using the car much the last few weeks what with the weather and all that, and now it's complaining that the battery is discharged, please run engine.

Guess it's time to buy a jumper pack

Just get yourself a cheap CTEK - if you've not used it for a while, throw it on the charger to top it up (although I can't remember if you have off-road parking)

[Beany]

Nah, no offstreet parking otherwise that's exactly what I'd do (I've got a Draper that supports trickle charging etc)

I think I'll just have to do with SJ suggested and force myself out of the house more often - WFH has it's downsides in that respect, no regular running of the car.

[DeskJockey]

Been experimenting a bit to figure out what it could be. The handbrake lever moves freely and easily going as high as it used to.

Putting the car in reverse it rolls like you'd expect for about 3/4 of a rotation then stops as something prevents the wheel turning further. Putting it into drive it goes forward until something stops it moving.

I think that supports the idea that it is something in the brake drum that's come loose and rotates with the wheel until it hits something.

[Sundayjumper]

Come to think of it, I had the same issue with the trailer

Tried to move trailer. One of the wheels was jammed. Removed drum. Brake lining fell out

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That time I Araldited it back on it's been fine since. I don't think I can recommend that on a daily driver

[DeskJockey]

Especially not as that's the other half's DD.

[Sundayjumper]

Quite. If that's all it is, it should be an easy fix.

[integrale_evo]

Yep definitely sounds like somethings not right inside. By a bit of movement forward and back with drums I meant a little movement you could feel, like a couple of degrees at the wheel where the shoes can rock slightly on the adjusted / retaining pins.

Any actual rotation before stopping then yes, sounds like something has come adrift and sounds more like a drum issue than a cable one.

[Sundayjumper]

Sniff test on the MINI at lunchtime and seems it is NOT a head gasket failure. Phew.

Next suggestion from the internet is dodgy water pump. Symptom of which is weak circulation meaning the engine runs OK when moving but overheats when stationary. I'd forgotten that the MINI has a weird setup where it's not driven by a belt, it's friction. The water pump pulley (green arrow) is a rubber coated wheel and is driven by an idler wheel (red arrow) that is spring loaded to pull it into the gap between the accessory belt on the crank and the water pump.

The rubber can degrade, slip, or even fall off. Parts aren't expensive and it's not a huge job so I've ordered them and will (hopefully) fit at the weekend.




https://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticl ... cement.htm

[Mito Man]

The 6 series continues to punish me. Driving on the motorway I had a misfire. Plug code reader in and it tells me the thermostat is stuck open and misfire on cylinder 6. I'll change out the thermostat but at a bit of a loss as to how a thermostat would cause a misfire? Just canbus weirdness?

[Sundayjumper]

Thermostats are usually designed to fail open. If the engine runs especially cool (which it definitely would do this time of year on the motorway) the ECU might decide it’s in warm up phase and run a very rich mixture that fouls the plugs. No particular reason for #6 to be the first to complain. Maybe it’s just marginally weaker than the others to begin with.

Total guess. But thermostats do wear out and even if they’re not totally failed they can be a bit weak. If the car hasn’t had a new thermostat before it’s a useful thing to do and you’ll notice a difference in warm up speed & heater performance.