OV9

Older stop start systems were nowhere near as eager to cut out as newer ones.

My mito has never done it, not that I care, or spend that much time sat in traffic anyway.

Our V60 does it from almost as soon as your journey starts, I think with it having an electric heater means it doesn't need the heat from the engine as much to keep the cabin at temp, so it doesn't wait for the coolant to get up to operating temp before it starts doing it.

Glad the XF doesn't have it though, the ones that do have a much more complex CJB and Battery management system, which can, and does, go wrong.

Blaupunkt Barcelona fitted. The shape and style is very oem looking. It’s got dab, Bluetooth, usb and a cd which is pretty much everything I wanted.

Other than that it’s pretty feature light, shame they couldn’t add variable multi colour illumination like many other cheaper units do.

Really needs a dechrome, but reluctant to scrape it off in case it’s not black underneath, and would like to space it out a touch so it sits more flush with the dash.



Also took advantage of the warm dry weather yesterday to take the ‘sud for a nice little jaunt around the countryside




Which reminds me, I still haven’t fitted the pre 2001 font front plate I bought a while back

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:24 pm Blaupunkt Barcelona fitted. The shape and style is very oem looking. It’s got dab, Bluetooth, usb and a cd which is pretty much everything I wanted.

Other than that it’s pretty feature light, shame they couldn’t add variable multi colour illumination like many other cheaper units do.

Really needs a dechrome, but reluctant to scrape it off in case it’s not black underneath, and would like to space it out a touch so it sits more flush with the dash.

Minty looking interior shot spoilt by the rusty wiper

Piaa silicone nicked off the other e36, because I still can’t decide whether to fit aero style blades or not The metal will rust away before the blade wears out much like the Alfa and it’s tyres

I've just changed the dip and main beam bulbs on the E90 320d. It's a shit job, especially the O/S mainbeam. I had to dismantle the airbox to be able to get my hand in. When removing the bulb the retaining spring clip came out and dropped down into the assembly. It was a sod of a job getting it back out and then reinstalling the bloody thing as there's sod all room. The others weren't too bad as I'd taken the from wheels off. Wheels now back on and correctly torqued up.

I still need to do an oil/filter change but had forgotten about the tool to remove the oil filter housing so that can wait a few days until I've bought one. The air filter is only fairly new and is really clean but the cabin filter was grotty so I hoovered it and put it back in until I get another one.

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:24 pm

Looking sweet

I have ‘installed’ (ie cable tied to the roll cage) a fire safety stick to the GT3

Plastic cover has popped off my driver's side wrong mirror. Didn't notice that this morning, or in the works car park when I went in.

How very odd. I expect is an ice thing, I'm now annoyed that I didn't spot it

New years day was incredibly mild and dry here so Un- SORN'd the Elsie for a blast. Totally glad i did. It was a great run.

Boring car report.

Had the Previa 4 months.

End of October I shod the Previa with Avon all seasons, ATS had a free fitting deal (including valves and disposal), worked out £50 cheaper than the next cheapest midrange all seasons I could find. Light snow traction is brilliant, not surprising when you have a car that is over 2 tonnes laden on narrow 215 tyres.

Not long after the alternator failed, this turned out to be costly as its a fancy clutched one, after 2 new belts, an afternoons labour and VAT I did not get a lot of change from £600.

Had to fit a new battery to the Previa this afternoon, based on receipts the last battery lasted 6 years. Not too difficult a job, but had a drill a new hole for the battery strap on the slam panel due to a snapped bolt, I probably spent more time going back and forth to get extra tools than anything. Got a 5 year warranty Yuasha from Halfords that was surprisingly cheaper than ECP or GSF when their 50% battery deals.

Turbo has been a bit lazy when shifting up gears, hoping a good a few runs over the past few days clears its throat, tis quite hard trying to diagnose things when you can't drive, I do feel sorry for mechanics trying to talk to customers over the phone about their broken cars !

integrale_evo wrote: Sun Jan 02, 2022 4:24 pm Blaupunkt Barcelona fitted. The shape and style is very oem looking. It’s got dab, Bluetooth, usb and a cd which is pretty much everything I wanted.

Other than that it’s pretty feature light, shame they couldn’t add variable multi colour illumination like many other cheaper units do.

Really needs a dechrome, but reluctant to scrape it off in case it’s not black underneath, and would like to space it out a touch so it sits more flush with the dash.

That head unit is lovely. I have a real thing for head units like that and the Becker ones they used to put in Porsches.

MOT and service day today. <FlyingColours.jpg>

Got a FL C coupe as a courtesy car which makes a change from the A classes they normally give out.

McSwede wrote: Mon Jan 03, 2022 1:15 pm I've just changed the dip and main beam bulbs on the E90 320d. It's a shit job, especially the O/S mainbeam. I had to dismantle the airbox to be able to get my hand in. When removing the bulb the retaining spring clip came out and dropped down into the assembly. It was a sod of a job getting it back out and then reinstalling the bloody thing as there's sod all room. The others weren't too bad as I'd taken the from wheels off. Wheels now back on and correctly torqued up.

I still need to do an oil/filter change but had forgotten about the tool to remove the oil filter housing so that can wait a few days until I've bought one. The air filter is only fairly new and is really clean but the cabin filter was grotty so I hoovered it and put it back in until I get another one.

Enthralling update time!! Turns out I haven't seated one of the main beam bulbs properly so it's lighting up the tree tops when you go down the road As sods law would dictate, it's the O/S one which is a shit to access

Also ordered rear break discs and pads so that'll keep me busy this weekend along with the oil service.

Turn the wheel to point to in and there's an access flap in the wheelarch liner

Tbh I change them from the top though amd once you know how the clips work it's fairly straightforward

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 12:05 am Turn the wheel to point to in and there's an access flap in the wheelarch liner

Tbh I change them from the top though amd once you know how the clips work it's fairly straightforward

You can't access the main beam via the flap it's only from above with the bonnet open and airbox moved. Dipped was fine via the wheel arch flap.

Ah ok. I never bothered with the wheelarch access tbh. I don't recall removing the airbox though when I did mine, but maybe it's a slightly different layout.

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:10 am Ah ok. I never bothered with the wheelarch access tbh. I don't recall removing the airbox though when I did mine, but maybe it's a slightly different layout.

I physically couldn't get a hand in there without shifting the airbox. I'm really pissed off that I have to do it again

McSwede wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 11:17 am

Swervin_Mervin wrote: Wed Jan 05, 2022 10:10 am Ah ok. I never bothered with the wheelarch access tbh. I don't recall removing the airbox though when I did mine, but maybe it's a slightly different layout.

I physically couldn't get a hand in there without shifting the airbox. I'm really pissed off that I have to do it again

The first time I had to change a bulb on mine was because one had actually exploded

So I had to rig up a hoover with successively smaller hoses taped together to get into the unit. Took me fooking ages to get it all out

Had to come up to Manchester for a flight and timings were out for company offered travel options, so I said I’ll drive.

I left at 1830 and around 200 miles later, just before 2200, I arrived. Obviously wasn’t going too quickly even though traffic was very light all the way (in fact I cruise controlled it at 70 indicated) and I had a small pit stop to “recharge” aka put fuel in and have a pee.. Averaged 34.2mpg in the M4 which is the most I’ve seen from any of my cars in years!

Interestingly (to me), my mate has calculated he gets over 15% better mpg from s u/l compared to normal e10, so despite a 7-8% price difference, he is getting better mp£ on e5. After a quick google, there’s lots of comments on twitter making similar statements, but does anyone have any first hand knowledge regarding this?

Also, 171.9 for S U/L at Oxford services.. f me!

I will need more fuel tomorrow, but there seems to be a shortage of s u/l around MAN..