Your fleet running reports

[Jimexpl]

In "oh bollocks" news, the ML needs a gearbox rebuild. It shifts lovely, smooth, as quick as it always has but when doing a gearbox oil change it had brass in there and I've got a bit of a whine. 170,000 miles on it now and 110,000 done by us.

I can't find anything I like that won't cost me 15/20k as an upgrade so I'll get the gearbox refusrbished at about 2.5k and give it a bit of love, some level sensors as the casing has cracked, new drivers mirror glass, fog lamps and possibly send the headlights away to get new reflectors in as I think they are the reason the headlights aren't as good as before, new bulbs made no difference.

Dave!

I sometimes look at changing our 2008 X5, but BMW basically didn't change the model significantly until 2019 - even then I would have to add at least £30k to the value of ours to swap it, and all I'd really gain is a car I'd be more concerned about being trashed (kids, outdoor activities, parking in central London), an engine with less character and worse steering.

[V8Granite]

Pretty similar reasons to us then.

As much as I'd love an ML63 the extra fuel consumption, tyre and brakes cost and the fact it's our tow car, family bus and dog wagon makes me not want to be too precious over it.

It's probably the same value of the car but it's not cost us much and it does everything we need.

Dave!

[Mito Man]

The newer X5s drive like shite. I think BMW just gave up trying to make their SUV handle like a road car after the E70 and they became a bit more barge like with every subsequent generation.

[Jimmy Choo]

Question for the BMW owners who have idrive based service history. If you service it and reset the regular service reminder but not the dealer only idrive service history will the car throw a hissy fit and keep saying that it’s overdue for a service?

my '05 5 is iDrive and when I've reset the service indicators, it's not complained afterwards.

On about the next gen version. You have both the usual service indicators and another page which connects to the dealership server.

I'd suggest selling it and buying an older one, then.

[Mito Man]

I found a guide, and the software for it is free

[Mito Man]

6 Series has passed its MOT but with an advisory for front anti roll bar links. They did look quite crusty when I was underneath the car last year but I never had time to replace.
Defender next. I think it may fail for brake pads. I had a glance at them a few weeks ago and they’re the same thickness as the backing plate

In other news I also found the source of the lingering bad smell in the Defender.



No wonder those AC bombs didn’t do shit.

[Mito Man]

Defender passed too but a load of torn/damaged boots…

[KiwiDave]

86's aircon has decided to be an either on or off thing. As in start the car one time and it works. Get out, go to the shop, start it again 10mins later and nothing. Next time you use it, it works again. Has proceeded to be now 'not working at all.'

I'm assuming from this that the system actually works otherwise when it would have stopped being able to work sometimes, so I'm guessing at a switch or controller of some form. It's going on the 'I'll get to it' pile as the car is being used very sparingly currently.

[V8Granite]

I had this with a failed diode meaning my pressure switch was getting feedback. So highly likely to below pressure or just the pressure switch.

Dave!

[Mito Man]

My Limcet CarPlay box would keep disconnecting after 5 minutes. Apparently it’s an ios26 Bluetooth issue but updating it will fix it. I got in contact with the seller who told me it’s too old for software updates and the only fix is to buy a new one I kinda have my doubts on all that as the box they currently sell is the exact same part number but as a last resort I got CarPlay Bluetooth adapter for £15 and now connect my phone to that and it all works perfectly. And I don’t have to spend 4 hours pulling the dash apart.
Anyway, seems like loads of people have this problem but are unaware that the Bluetooth adapter works. So maybe this will pop up in some google search!

[jamcg]

I bought an adaptor from AliExpress, little tiny thing that plugs into the cars usb port, works perfectly every time. Think it was about £10-£15

[Alex88]

Having an absolute mega debacle with the Mini..

It started hunting its idle. Wouldn't settle and kept raising to 2k and back again.

Got it booked in to the same garage I've used for years, who said they smoke tested it and apparently it's the PCV valve. Replaced for £420.

Got the car back and it's still doing it. Now it's the EVAP purge valve.

That's also been fixed and the car runs beautifully.

Well, it would have been if it wasn't for the smoke escaping from the bonnet + flooding through the vents into the car! Looks like oil has been spitting onto the manifold area from the VVT solenoid cap.

Went out to the car and had a look underneath. Entire undertray saturated with oil and spots all over the ground. FFS!

It's a 2016 car with the supposedly bulletproof B38 engine. Well maintained as all my cars are.

Absolutely pain in the arse. I now need to work out if I can add oil and drive it to the garage (25 mins). Will have to ring them Monday.

Typically, I have a meeting on Monday and planned on using the Mini as no business use on the Mustang

[Beany]

That reminds me, I need to add 1000 miles business use for the Z4C, just on the offchance that I need to use it for work. It's never added much to the premium for me in the past.

[Matty]

Typically, I have a meeting on Monday and planned on using the Mini as no business use on the Mustang

I reckon a quick call to the insurance company to add business use on the Mustang will cost you nothing. I've never paid anything extra for business use on any of my cars.

Plus, turning up to the meeting in the 'Stang is surely a win. Guaranteed promotion/sale/entry to Project Zeus.

[Matty]

Noticed the Up is about 15-20% down on fuel consumption since the wheel/tyre change. I thought I was imagining it, but a typical route that sees 60mpg has twice netted me sub-50mpg.

Dropping the clutch I can feel a very slight drag - but no untoward noises/scraping. At first I thought it might have been the rear drums, as they're known to bind but after 20miles/30 mins they're both stone cold (as are the front calipers). Not sure what else would cause it; briefly considered that I've used the wrong wheel bolts, but definately the correct ones. Guess I'll get it jacked up and see if the wheels spin freely.

[Gavin]

Daughter's Ka wouldn't start, jump leads sorted it then off to the garage for a new battery. Really struggled on the way as my daughter said it wouldn't accelerate properly, left her stiuck at a roundabout. I was there and came round and blocked the roundabout in the Mini but by teh time we reached the garage she was a crying her wee heart out.

Another time, I will bring my wife to drive her car (not risking aj jump from 3.0 to 1.2) and I will drive the Ka. All ficed but thanks to stop/start, £156!

[DeskJockey]

Galaxy's Bluetooth won't connect to my new Pixel phone (Bluetooth 6).

Found some very old instructions for updating the firmware, but sadly it didn't work, so next step will be to replace the head unit with an aftermarket one.

There are, as expected, loads of cheap ones on eBay, but they're all underpowered and look rather iffy. The Xtron option apparently doesn't support the steering wheel buttons, which is a shame as they're well reviewed.

Will hunt around some more.

[Alex88]

Mustang saved the day and I made my meeting. Phew!

Garage owner is popping round, hopefully tomorrow, to help fit this new VVT solenoid o-ring to the Mini. I didn't feel comfortable driving it to them as don't know how much oil is in it, and the fucking thing doesn't have a dipstick

[DeskJockey]

Zoe now has a working HRW. Fuse was blown because the wiring had rubbed through and it was shorting (40A fuse). He reckons it was badly fitted from the factory as it was pinched where it had been broken.

While I wouldn't put it past being a factory issue, it could equally well have happened when the rear was repaired after someone crashed into the back of me a couple of months after we bought it.

Either way, it now works, as do the heated seats.

[integrale_evo]

I don’t think it’s a manufacturer or factory thing, it just seems to be a modern car thing. Wiring as thin and short as possible to just outlast the warranty period to save a few pennies.

I had to repair the boot loom on my mito, my neighbour has just done his because the heated rear window wasn’t working on his Skoda fabia.