Your fleet running reports

[Marv]

Mustang has developed a bit of an issue.

Once it's been driven and warmed up, it's sometimes not getting in gear from neutral. Not any gear. I've had to turn the engine off, get it in 1st, and then pull away.

The drivetrain is also very sloppy.. I hoped to try and fix that next year with a one piece propshaft and new bushing, etc.

I have no idea what's causing this but ChatGPT reckons it could be a clutch engagement / hydraulic type problem.

I'll get it booked in for a look. Unfortunately the Mustang specialist is about 2hrs from me.

Sounds similar to the problem I had with my 968 many years ago (apart from the drivetrain being sloppy) anyway it was the clutch slave cylinder which needed replacing.

[integrale_evo]

Two new rear tyres on the x5, alfasud rear caliper cleaned up and rebuilt and brakes bled, mito driveshaft cleaned, greased up and new inner boot fitted.

A decently productive day

[Mito Man]

The throttle cable on my micro digger has worn out. Before I send it off to a specialist in Liverpool does anyone recognise the fittings? Wondering if I can make it up myself and save the 10 day turnaround

[mik]

@Mito Man You can buy "universal" throttle cables online, or there are places that will make them to size. Just an example.

[Mito Man]

The universal kits don't have the threaded fittings, but I'll probably send it to Cable Tec in Liverpool I guess so that I'm not responsible for measurements

[mik]

Can't you just buy a replacement cable from the digger manufacturer (to be here in less time)?

(I had to replace a mower clutch cable recently - only took a day or so for delivery from stock).

[Mito Man]

Can't you just buy a replacement cable from the digger manufacturer (to be here in less time)?

(I had to replace a mower clutch cable recently - only took a day or so for delivery from stock).

The original German company are pretty slow, on previous occasions its taken them weeks to send parts and ever since Brexit they stopped dealing here so I don't bother with them anymore.

[mik]

The original German company are pretty slow, on previous occasions its taken them weeks to send parts and ever since Brexit they stopped dealing here so I don't bother with them anymore.

Ah. Pissing Brexit.

[Beany]

Z4 Coupe update: Nothing to report really. It's as happy enough pootling around town as any N52 engined BMW, still makes some clunks that I need to get looked at, but otherwise it's doing about 20mpg of pure local/town driving, and the rare occasions I get to do anything longer, it's getting low 30s, which is fine given I don't really try to hypermile it.

Still need to get cruise control fitted, ideally before November when the next company meeting will be, and I need to pick up a machine polisher and compound the many, many minor scratches out it, then look at what proper seals/coatings etc can be used to help keep it that way, or at least make it less likely to go back to that "six footer" state any time soon. Actually it's more like a one footer, but once you see the swirls/scratches/etc it's hard to ignore them.

Gonna do a tip run with it today, helped by the fairly practical load area. The Z4 Coupe FB owners group were either aghast or impressed when I posted a photo of it the other weekend doing it's usual town slag work. I'm not sure which.



Because I'm a classy fucker, y'know.

[Jobbo]

Still looks great in Lidl car park, loaded with Twix and cheap wine.

[integrale_evo]

Intrigued by the lack of cruise control, I thought it was standard on everything e46 based other than ultra basic ES models and the csl (because sporty steering wheel with only one button )

Does it just need coding or do you need a different steering wheel?

[Jimexpl]

Intrigued by the lack of cruise control, I thought it was standard on everything e46 based other than ultra basic ES models and the csl (because sporty steering wheel with only one button )

Does it just need coding or do you need a different steering wheel?

Beeny might correct me, but I think on my early Z4 you added a stalk to the steering column (the loom was already there). On my later Z4M it was more involved and I never did it - can't remember the reason why. Unique steering wheel and column compared with the rest of the E46 line.

[Rich B]

Non adaptive cruise control is a waste of time anyway in my book. There’s never a long period of road empty enough to not need to constantly adjust the speed.

[Rich B]

i’ve got a day set aside this weekend for Elise fettling - i’ve built up a (not that short) list of stuff i’d like to do;

- some aesthetic like the new rear diffuser, grinding off the old broken exhaust bracket so it sits right with the new hanger and a few tart ups to the interior. i’m also going to try seatbelts instead of harnesses for a bit.

- Some essential and MoT items like trying to working out why the handbrake light stays, putting some thread lock on a front hub bolt that seems to like coming loose and making sure my headlights point the right direction after i fixed the bracket

The other question i have is, will i need to refit my catalytic converter to pass the MoT?

[Jobbo]

Non adaptive cruise control is a waste of time anyway in my book. There’s never a long period of road empty enough to not need to constantly adjust the speed.

... Says man who lives in the congested south-east of England.

If it wasn't very useful it wouldn't have been included on so many cars for so many years. It's incredibly cheap to implement when a car has an electronic throttle and you don't have to use it if you don't want to.

[Rich B]

Non adaptive cruise control is a waste of time anyway in my book. There’s never a long period of road empty enough to not need to constantly adjust the speed.

... Says man who lives in the congested south-east of England.

If it wasn't very useful it wouldn't have been included on so many cars for so many years. It's incredibly cheap to implement when a car has an electronic throttle and you don't have to use it if you don't want to.

Yep, and ive never driven anywhere else.

It’s a personal preference of course and YMMV but i’ve never found normal CC to be any use at all - you’re forever catching people up and needing to time overtakes with other cars via the buttons or people are pulling in front of you meaning you have to back off quicker than the buttons can. Then you’ll be behind another car that’s doing 0.5mph slower so you’re pressing the + and - trying to maintain the perfect gap without closing in on them.

i found the ACC on my golf, and now my Transporter to be an absolute joy to use and it’s suddenly is relaxing requiring no input for miles.

[mik]

I need to pick up a machine polisher and compound the many, many minor scratches out it, then look at what proper seals/coatings etc can be used to help keep it that way, or at least make it less likely to go back to that "six footer" state any time soon. Actually it's more like a one footer, but once you see the swirls/scratches/etc it's hard to ignore them.

That's the joy of very dark paintwork non? The roof on my car looks way more skritchy/swirlicious than the majority of the bodywork, but I assume it's actually same same.

[Beany]

Intrigued by the lack of cruise control, I thought it was standard on everything e46 based other than ultra basic ES models and the csl (because sporty steering wheel with only one button )

Does it just need coding or do you need a different steering wheel?

Beeny might correct me, but I think on my early Z4 you added a stalk to the steering column (the loom was already there). On my later Z4M it was more involved and I never did it - can't remember the reason why. Unique steering wheel and column compared with the rest of the E46 line.

Basically this - in the facelift cars you need to merge the wiring in, fuck knows why. Also fuck knows why someone in 2006 didn't spec cruise control, who *does* that? I've not actually bought the kit yet, which I should do, should the urge take me to pull the dash apart and hacksaw out the fucking template hole for the stalk

@Rich B it's a BMW, I have full beams for getting the peons and plebs out of my fucking way because don't they know who the fuck I am??

I did try active cruise in that rental qashqai I had, it was.....alright, I think? I'd need to 'get used to it', a bit like I got used to cruise control initially. Driving with foot of the throttle seemed weird and wrong initially. Having the car slow down for me seemed weird and wrong, too, but I expect you get used to it.

@mik well yes, but now I've seen it and can't unsee it.

My bro has just bought a load of new Milwaukee M18 stuff, and they do a DA polisher, that's near the top of the list for now seeing as I can borrow some of his horrifically expensive batteries and charger some weekend rather than buying my own

[NGRhodes]

After 11 flawless months, Steve the CRV needed an MOT and a service booking, also started to look at what to get for a next set of tyres. Did some man maths and bought a 2014 Sorento...

With my daughters boyfriend now defacto moved in and a Husky, getting something bigger has been on the cards for a while. Finding something with suitable boot dimensions was proving limiting to put 6th seat up and room for a crate next to. Then factor out stuff lacking history, decent MOT history and been looking for months and only viewed 1 car, a Berlingo. We phoned up about viewing 3 others and they sold within days before we could view. Looked at a few SMax and an Alhambra on forecourts but all looked family abuses or patches of rust.

Sorento was in Farsley, only a mile or so from Beanys. Price was a touch above market average, but stacks of history and receipts not mentioned in the advert.
Plenty of honesty scratches (I always think an older car with too clean body work is Sus unless repairs declared or a shed full of polishes and waxes can be produced). Sorento is even more boring than the CRV, more arm chair soft , 3 rows of high level and foot level vents with Aircon/climate. Engine is smooth and a torque monster, but with 2tonnes to shift

[GG.]

Non adaptive cruise control is a waste of time anyway in my book. There’s never a long period of road empty enough to not need to constantly adjust the speed.

... Says man who lives in the congested south-east of England.

If it wasn't very useful it wouldn't have been included on so many cars for so many years. It's incredibly cheap to implement when a car has an electronic throttle and you don't have to use it if you don't want to.

Yep, and ive never driven anywhere else.

It’s a personal preference of course and YMMV but i’ve never found normal CC to be any use at all - you’re forever catching people up and needing to time overtakes with other cars via the buttons or people are pulling in front of you meaning you have to back off quicker than the buttons can. Then you’ll be behind another car that’s doing 0.5mph slower so you’re pressing the + and - trying to maintain the perfect gap without closing in on them.

i found the ACC on my golf, and now my Transporter to be an absolute joy to use and it’s suddenly is relaxing requiring no input for miles.

ACC is certainly better but I'd rather have CC than none. I find it very helpful if you're going through average speed camera sections - less so on open motorway I'd admit.

The versions which brake to stop you exceeding a set speed downhill (911) are much better than those that don't (FFRR) for obvious reasons.