Your fleet running reports

[DeskJockey]

New aircon compressor for the Zoe is £1,300+ from Renault

Going with a used item.

Isn't it worth getting it rebuilt rather than risking a used one? This place seems to work on most cars and they're reasonably priced
https://acruksolutions.co.uk/shop/ols/c ... ult?page=1

Good point, they've not got anything in stock for the Zoe that I can see, but I'm getting the part number and checking with them.

Sadly they don't do anything for EVs. So, back to the original plan.

[Gavin]

The Volvo flashed an oil level warning a few tiumes in warm weather so my local garage siphoned some off as apparently if you fill them (Or 4 banger Merc engines) to the full line, they do that.

They also put adblue in.

Having done a few long trips in it, I definitely prefer it to the S5, I prefer the looks, the comfort, the stereo, the heated wheel. I do miss the noise of teh V6 but I am averaging over 50mpg to the 35/36 in the Audi.

I also found the menu to change the dash, tried all the exciting things, then put it back as it was.

[Sundayjumper]

For your next BMW project I recommend an N63 / S63 with leaky valve seals. An utter fcuking engine-out mission and I want someone else to suffer too.

Finished it off today and took it for test drive. Successful trip - I was able to buy paella, beer, nuts, and some brioche for tomorrow.

[IanF]

For your next BMW project I recommend an N63 / S63 with leaky valve seals. An utter fcuking engine-out mission and I want someone else to suffer too.

Finished it off today and took it for test drive. Successful trip - I was able to buy paella, beer, nuts, and some brioche for tomorrow.

Drove near you today but couldn’t find your number in my phone.. we need to organise a meet with Jon (and anyone else obvs)

[integrale_evo]

Courtesy of another broken propshaft centre bearing, I think I’ve discovered the source of my vibration issues. And I’m ashamed I didn’t find it sooner.

At the transfer box end there’s a rubber coupling. At the diff end there’s a CV style joint. In the middle, just behind the centre bearing there’s a traditional yoke setup with a universal joint. While I’d checked for play with it bolted up and rotating the prop, I hadn’t actually checked the joints moved smoothly. One did, the other was very tight. Managed to loosen it up with WD40 and some wiggling. Still notchy, but at least there’s movement.

New propshaft ordered. Under £300 so not the end of the world and will be worth every penny if it cures the vibration woes!

I just assumed on something regularly used and high mileage they would loosen up, not bind up.

[Jimexpl]

I've been driving the Berlingo around a bit as our junior engineer left and the new one doesn't have a license.

It was filthy - doubt he'd washed it since January, so I treated it to a wash and some 20 year old autoglym found in my parent's shed.

[integrale_evo]

Successful test drive, car driving better than it ever has. No vibration on pull away or at the 30-35mph zone where it was really bad before.

Even with some spirited acceleration there’s no more thumping through the floor.

Annoyed it took so long to find, not too annoyed at everything I’ve done to try and track it down, everything replaced in the search was definitely past its best.

[Rich B]

Nice one, hope it’s fixed it!

[mik]

Nice result Harry

[V8Granite]

Great result however the road to get there

Dave!

[speedingfine]

Bet that was a good feeling Harry! Nice one

[Jobbo]

M5 update: no charging while on holiday and went a bit more quickly into a headwind all the way home from Inveraray, averaged 28mpg. I've proved to myself that I can live quite happily with the range and tank size anyway, particularly evidence when a few days before departing I pulled into a petrol station at Lochgildhead for a top-up, was told the pumps weren't working and still had plenty to see us through a few more days until we actually headed home.

No scraping getting on and off ferries either. In fact the only minor niggle from the holiday is that the load cover is a bit annoying. It doesn't lift out of the way like the Audi ones do, it just retracts nearly halfway, and you have to manually pull it back out when closing the boot or to release it completely. And it's way lower than the trim either side, so you could easily mount it 3" to 4" higher and get more under it away from prying eyes. One thing it can do though is be stored under the boot floor in a dedicated space; I've never had a car which managed that before. Also the dog net thing is entirely separate and wasn't even fitted when I got the car, so just lives in the garage. With my Audis (and I am sure previous BMW Tourings) it has been a second thing to remove and put back when dropping the seats. So it's a quite thoughtfully designed load space in some ways but a bit basic in others. Don't miss the lack of an opening rear window at least, having got had one for 10 years in other makes.

[Jimexpl]

M5 update: no charging while on holiday and went a bit more quickly into a headwind all the way home from Inveraray, averaged 28mpg. I've proved to myself that I can live quite happily with the range and tank size anyway, particularly evidence when a few days before departing I pulled into a petrol station at Lochgildhead for a top-up, was told the pumps weren't working and still had plenty to see us through a few more days until we actually headed home.

No scraping getting on and off ferries either. In fact the only minor niggle from the holiday is that the load cover is a bit annoying. It doesn't lift out of the way like the Audi ones do, it just retracts nearly halfway, and you have to manually pull it back out when closing the boot or to release it completely. And it's way lower than the trim either side, so you could easily mount it 3" to 4" higher and get more under it away from prying eyes. One thing it can do though is be stored under the boot floor in a dedicated space; I've never had a car which managed that before. Also the dog net thing is entirely separate and wasn't even fitted when I got the car, so just lives in the garage. With my Audis (and I am sure previous BMW Tourings) it has been a second thing to remove and put back when dropping the seats. So it's a quite thoughtfully designed load space in some ways but a bit basic in others. Don't miss the lack of an opening rear window at least, having got had one for 10 years in other makes.

It's amazing how load covers and nets are not yet sorted by most manufacturers. It's almost as if each time they design an astate or SUV they forget how they did the last one, and come up with a new idea that has one benefit, but then loses something significant over the previous model!

[Jobbo]

Yeah, I am sure the F11 5-series load cover automatically lifted up. It's 10 years since I owned it so it's hard to be certain. It would be nice not to have to lean in and pull it closed before shutting the boot but at least it doesn't go all the way back as I think my CLS one did.

[Mito Man]

I think the e61 did that too, it retracts halfway as the boot opens and then closes again with the boot. And iirc the dog net was integrated into the cover.

[Beany]

Z4C load cover retracts fully, just for reference. Handy for when I use it for tip runs, can proper load it up with crap

[Jobbo]

I think the e61 did that too, it retracts halfway as the boot opens and then closes again with the boot. And iirc the dog net was integrated into the cover.

I never took photos of the load covers before so I'm relying on memory, but I do recall it lifting up automatically on the E61. I wonder if they thought they could get away without it when they binned the opening rear window? One of the joys of a 5-series or equivalent estate is that they generally have a much more premium experience than a 3-series boot.

[jamcg]

Parcel shelf in the Puma is rubbish aswell, has two string pick up fixings and clips into the tailgate itsfelf. Always falling out of the clips, to the point I put a screw in front of them to keep it in permanently. There’s a few things on this car like that where you look at and shout “WHY?????”

[Beany]

Parcel shelf in the Puma is rubbish aswell, has two string pick up fixings and clips into the tailgate itsfelf. Always falling out of the clips, to the point I put a screw in front of them to keep it in permanently. There’s a few things on this car like that where you look at and shout “WHY?????”

They kept that from the Mk1, got to have something in common with it. Does it also absolutely destroy front lower arm bushes?

[Jimexpl]

I think the e61 did that too, it retracts halfway as the boot opens and then closes again with the boot. And iirc the dog net was integrated into the cover.

BMW did the integrated net/cover for a while, but it made the cover heave to remove. Volvo built the net into the seat backs for a while, which worked really well