Your fleet running reports

[Nic]

Here’s the interesting update first.

Mk1 Golf, stored away for the winter since October but brought it back out this week, intially it didn’t start and wheezily cranked, second attempt and it fired up pretty quickly. Ste mentioned that lithium batteries need a bit of a warm up first so will remember that for future. Have bought new adjustable top mounts and camber bolts for it, will be getting them fitted in the next week or so. Driving it about like a dick head for 40 minutes has quenched my thirst for a more involving daily.



On to my current daily. I bought a lovely low mile, 2 owner, full history e46 330d sport touring last autumn, I’d always quite liked them and it was the right colour, right history and a good price.



It’s now up for sale as it just won’t work as a good tow car for this summer, I’ve booked a couple of track days and I just don’t see this being big enough. ML/X5/5 series touring/E Class estate is the logical next step - they all have self levelling rear suspension which is great for towing, something the 3 series and C Class don’t have.

Finally, after an issue with the HPFP on the Q7 which meant a gearbox out job and 4 months later I’ve had it back fixed and it’s just clocked over 100k, still the best family car I’ve had.

[Beany]

Aside - other than weight saving, which in something like the Golf is worth it I'd say - are there any other pros to the lithium car batteries?

Or just the weight? I've sort of missed out on this, despite having a reasonable interest in LiOn cells for hobby stuff.

[integrale_evo]

Just weight and size.

Batteries are friggin heavy so if you can get the same performance in something 1/4 the size and weight that's an easy win of several kgs, plus they can usually be mounted at any angle and the size means they fit more places, and don't need as heavy supports and brackets.

[Sundayjumper]

Use the Q7 for the towing ?

[Beany]

Just weight and size.

Batteries are friggin heavy so if you can get the same performance in something 1/4 the size and weight that's an easy win of several kgs, plus they can usually be mounted at any angle and the size means they fit more places, and don't need as heavy supports and brackets.

Ah, fair enough. Certainly, the weight savings are considerable, must admit I'd never considered the size/positioning/mounting aspect but I can see that being quite the handy set of options to have if you're modding things extensively - even if it's not strictly going for the lightest weight possible.

[Mito Man]

The new V8 M cars have lithium batteries - I imagine it’s where half of the 40kg saving came from compared to the F10.

[Nic]

Use the Q7 for the towing ?

Doesn’t work with our circumstances.

[Sundayjumper]

ML/X5/5 series touring/E Class estate

I wouldn’t recommend the 5 or E for towing. I’ve got a 5, it’s rated to pull 2 tonnes and it’ll do it no problem on the road but it’s utterly pants on any kind of slippery surface. Even without a trailer on I’ve nearly got stuck on some slightly damp grass.

Get a 4x4 of some kind. I ended up with a V10 Touareg.

Or just MTFU and tell her you’re using the Q7

[Nic]

330d, sold, deposit taken this morning for a little less than i thought it was worth but a chunk more than I paid so all good.

[integrale_evo]

Lupo gone, first to see did a buy. Well, only person to view it won the auction

[Foz]

My ML doesn’t have air suspension, it was only the V8’s that had it standard I think, it’s a brilliant tow car mind.

[Jobbo]

Didn’t need the tow rope. Only one moment where I feared it may not get through, one moment where I nearly tipped on its side and a couple of minor scrapes of the underside on grass between ruts. Hoping the scratches from bushes will polish out (some of the Disco Sport’s won’t just polish out... Volvo paint is better than JLR’s).

Great fun. Looks cooler with mud.

[Beany]

Interesting today. Had some inconsistent performance in the BMW since I got it, which I initially put down to me being hamfisted with throttle/clutch, but I popped the MAF connector off today and the difference is staggering - smooth as silk, even power delivery, lovely.

So I'm not being careless with the clutch and throttle - at least, not that careless - and there's definitely something up with the intake/air measuring side.

So, electrical contact cleaner, and a mild strip of the intake system to check for intake leaks (which would be ignored with the MAF out of the loop) while I'm there will be something I'm doing next weekend.

Having experienced the car without the hitching/chugging I definitely want that to be The Norm from now on.

[DeskJockey]

Interesting today. Had some inconsistent performance in the BMW since I got it, which I initially put down to me being hamfisted with throttle/clutch, but I popped the MAF connector off today and the difference is staggering - smooth as silk, even power delivery, lovely.

So I'm not being careless with the clutch and throttle - at least, not that careless - and there's definitely something up with the intake/air measuring side.

So, electrical contact cleaner, and a mild strip of the intake system to check for intake leaks (which would be ignored with the MAF out of the loop) while I'm there will be something I'm doing next weekend.

Having experienced the car without the hitching/chugging I definitely want that to be The Norm from now on.

So, once again proof that forum standard responses are indeed true. You've not, despite being told umpteen times, polished the MAF and that has negatively impacted performance. Tut, tut, tut.

[ste]

Looks great fun Jobbo.

[ste]

UPDATE

E53 4.8is


This went into Owen Garages to have new rear arms, lower rear ball-joints and front steering arms and track-rods. It then got an alignment. After picking it up it drives much better. So I wasted no time fitting the spacers I'd bought. I went with H&R as I've used them before and the quality is very good. They're TUV approved which means they've had some level of quality assurance which seemed important to me for something that'll be holding the wheels on a 2-tonne truck.



I put 25mms on the front and 30s on the rear, so widening the track 50mm front and 60mm rear. I think it looks much better with the wheels pushed out filling the arches.



Pleasingly it seems to drive better too. The spring rate from the air-springs seemed a bit high running the ride-height lower than standard. The spacers will be reducing the effective spring rate slightly.

I then de-badged the rear and gave it a thorough clean. I focused on getting the plastics back to a deep black too.



At this time of the year it obviously got fairly filthy again almost instantly. I think it's really looking a lot better than when I bought it though.





I wanted to add some of the functionality that my E70 had. Some simple things like triple-flash indicators you miss when you no longer have them. So I fitted an Intravee unit which connects into the car's loom and intercepts various signals and can modify them. I added the triple-flash indicators, but also fold /unfolding mirrors and follow-me home lights on lock / unlock. Auto-lock on drive off, SMS handling to the phone interface, PDC distance display, voice control and a few other things I can't remember. I connected the Intravee to an Alpine iPod interface too that does full control incuding track and artist display on the dash and full control from the head unit or steering-wheel controls.



It interfaces to the car through the CD player plug, so the CD changer is lost which is no issue at all for me. I wanted the components to neatly mount into the rack in the boot where the CD changer had been and for the wiring to all be completely hidden.



The hardest part of which has been getting the cables behind trim as it's all so ridiculously over-engineered and every part has a mass of fasteners and other parts that have to be removed first. Even this bit of trim in the boot took almost an hour to remove and get the cable behind.



It all fits very neatly though. I'm going to fit an inverter and UK 3 pin socket to the right of where the Apline plug is currently entering.



So far the cable exits under the rear seat so the next job is to get it under the carpet, through the centre console and up to where I decide to fit my iPhone mount.

[Coaster1]

Looks so much better just with simple TLC.

[Jobbo]

That takes me back Ste - it’s over a decade since I fitted an iPod connector to my E39, encountering similar fun hiding the wire from the boot to the centre console behind trim. I didn’t get the Intravee which everyone was talking about back then, too pricey

[Matty]

Didn’t need the tow rope. Only one moment where I feared it may not get through, one moment where I nearly tipped on its side and a couple of minor scrapes of the underside on grass between ruts. Hoping the scratches from bushes will polish out (some of the Disco Sport’s won’t just polish out... Volvo paint is better than JLR’s).

Great fun. Looks cooler with mud.

[integrale_evo]

Both daily drivers got their first proper washes in months, both got a coat of fusso, and even gave the mercs headlights a quick polish as they had started to dull again.