Your fleet running reports

[Swervin_Mervin]

I find the gearbox to be better than the ZF 8-sp sport auto in my 535i Touring. It doesn't have paddles in mine (you get those with R-Design spec) but I don't miss them and don't even use Dynamic mode; it's always in the right gear or quick to change to it, and adapts quickly to wanting it to respond sportily. But plenty of people have said the box is slow and annoying so definitely try one. Maybe the programming really only suits the T6? It doesn't feel like it shuffles into top as quickly as possible, nor like it's always changing. It's not sharp from standstill, but not too languid - but the auto stop/start does kick in too early coming to a halt so you need to account for that or come to a quick stop, or even have it start again to move you forward as you relax pressure on the brake.

Summary: great if you don't spend time trying to second guess your car with manual inputs.

Actually sounds spot on. She never uses the paddles in hers, or Sport mode, only I do. And it sounds like the auto could lie somewhere between the hair-trigger ZF8 and my utterly laid-back ZF6, which would be ideal.

[NotoriousREV]

I'm down to a bike and a Caterham like the good old days. Shame it's winter though...

Meh, MTFU. We went to visit family in Calgary a couple of years ago and one day I was talking to my Dad’s cousin about commuting. He used to go from one side of Calgary to the other every day. He said that down to minus twenty he’d cycle, but below that cycling was unpleasant so he’d run instead

Literal insane people don't count, like the chaps who run aeroscreens all year round

I passed a guy in an MX5 yesterday with the roof down and one of those UN Arctic balaclavas. Looked hilarious.

[Beany]

Bah, picked up something in the tyre on the way to work. Tyre was fine when I left the house, flat when I got to the office.

Dropped it into the tyre fitters 50yds from the office, he had a deek. Sidewall hooped. Space saver thrown on in it's place.

Suppose I'll be getting some new tyres then, although I'll probably leave the space saver on in the interim, as I won't be using the car much over Christmas anyway.

Think a fresh pair of SportMAXX RTs will do nicely.

just order the tyres and get them fitted. You know full well that something will happen where you need your car and if you’re not relying on it, then it’s the perfect time to get it sorted.

Oh, more of a placeholder statement that I won't be buying them today - run up to Christmas and all that and it's not a disaster if I don't get it sorted before we all break up. I'll find the best price for those tyres, and probably get them delivered and fitted next week.

Tyre fitter guy is doing his stock up tomorrow, said he'd shout me if he saw any good deals (He does a lot of our company cars so is pretty chill with us).

[Beany]

Oh, and a 230hp rwd car with 255s on one side and 135s or something on the other is....interesting when it's zero degrees out all day!

[Simon]

What gearbox does the Vulva have Simon?

[Jobbo]

What gearbox does the Vulva have Simon?

It’s an Aisin 8-sp torque converter auto. There’s no other box available in any S90/V90/XC90. Possibly true of the S60 family too.

[Mito Man]

Bought one of those lithium powerbank jumpstarters from Costco. After leaving it to charge overnight I think it must be bricked as it can’t charge my iPhone or turn on its torch but charges fine. Guessing the low amp circuit on it is borked. Nothing worse than having to queue to return something before xmas.

[Sundayjumper]

Started off trying to do the oil change...

Bring it round here some time. Easy job !

Is the question "recent things I regret saying" ?

Renault still use an old fashioned screw-on metal canister on the side of the block. I'm sure those were fine in the fifties when engines were very simple and there was lots of elbow room for access, but now that there's loads of other gubbins all around the engine bay they're a PITA.

Apart from that it was fine.

Well, that and the freezing rain.

Jon - can you schedule your next oil change to be in the summer please ?

[Swervin_Mervin]

I've never known anything other than a screw on canister But then I've only ever worked on French tat

[integrale_evo]

Have you looked under the bonnet of your 330?

[Sundayjumper]

I've never known anything other than a screw on canister But then I've only ever worked on French tat

BMWs usually a cartridge system, at the top of the engine. Remove lid, lift out filter element, insert new element, replace lid. Really easy. You could do it without changing the oil if you really wanted.

[Mito Man]

I know almost anything modern uses the cartridge type but I’ve never noticed it when glancing under the bonnet, they seem quite well hidden to me.

[JonMad]

Started off trying to do the oil change...

Bring it round here some time. Easy job !

Is the question "recent things I regret saying" ?

Renault still use an old fashioned screw-on metal canister on the side of the block. I'm sure those were fine in the fifties when engines were very simple and there was lots of elbow room for access, but now that there's loads of other gubbins all around the engine bay they're a PITA.

Apart from that it was fine.

Well, that and the freezing rain.

Jon - can you schedule your next oil change to be in the summer please ?

A thousand thanks for your time, skill, patience, trailer, tools, paper towels, brute force and cups of tea.

To say I was out of my comfort zone would be an understatement but surprisingly I did actually do some of the work (the bits that didn’t involve skill and brute force, just Steve’s patience and helping hand) and I had a go (& failed) at the tricky bits.

Lesssons learned include:
- That’s as hard as it looks to get at.
- Buying a tool designed for a job (a filter chain wrench) doesn’t mean it’s the best, or only tool needed for the job
- Have a change of clothes.
- Trailers are ace.
- Wear glasses or similar when trying to work on oily bits above your head.
- I now know how to do an oil change on a mk3 Megane.

Cheers Steve

[Swervin_Mervin]

Have you looked under the bonnet of your 330?

Yep.

Never done a change on it tho. 30 mins at the indy is cheap enough

[Sundayjumper]

30 mins at the indy is cheap enough

Oooh, get you. Are you an heir ?

[Beany]

I've never known anything other than a screw on canister But then I've only ever worked on French tat

Fords use a few french engines - they have the same system on the 1.6/2.0 PSA-shared engines, obviously. A joy to work with compared to the Sigma blocks screw-in filter.

I'd like to say I've been scouring the internet for the very finest, most nuanced tyre reviews this weekend - but I've been watching tat on Youtube and drinking wine, because it's been a shit week. I'll probably get something ordered tonight for delivery in the week, and drop it into the tyre fitters before we break up for Xmas.

Otherwise, I had a nice bit of freezing rain last night. Figured I'd see how long it took the demisters to clear it. I mean, I could have got out of the car and done it by hand in seconds, but it was cold, and I'm physically lazy to a professional level.

Twenty minutes. Boy, do I miss quickclear screens this time of year

[JLv3.0]

I'd like to say I've been scouring the internet for the very finest, most nuanced tyre reviews this weekend

And there we were concerned you weren't going to massively overthink and procrastinate an incredibly simple and commonplace decision. Order is restored

[Simon]

So despite swapping the plugs out a week ago, the EML light came back on during the week. So I've just swapped out the post cat lambda sensor, as it's that that's reporting poor catalyst action. Considering the cat was new when I got the car it's most likely to be just a lazy sensor.

[scotta]

Spent the afternoon on the Lotus.

Removed the deck lid and started removing the heat shield material on the bulk head. Wasn’t sure if that was going to give enough access to get the old stuff off but thankfully although being tight it is coming off and as a result I won’t need the rear clam off.

Also started removing the seats to give them a cleanup.

The battery keeps working its self loose from the mount so seems like a perfect excuse to junk that for a lightweight lithium unit and fabricate a new mount for it.

[Sundayjumper]

I loaned the spare Compact to my car club for their pre-Christmas fun event. I wasn’t able to attend unfortunately. Looks like everyone had a good day !

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