Your fleet running reports

[Sundayjumper]

It definitely sounds like an interesting way to bring some excitement into your life “will my engine go bang today?!?”

I've never had full breakdown cover on any of my cars, and never needed it*, but if I go to Germany again in the summer and take the Disco I am definitely getting extra mega super platinum plus breakdown cover before I set off


* OK, once, my Calibra, Dec 1997, enjoyed a flatbed relay from near Edinburgh all the way back to Surbiton, thanks to my passenger's breakdown cover covering any vehicle they're travelling in. That was lucky.

[16vCento]

£5k on top seems an absurd amount to me or do they warranty the engine itself as well for that? Cants imagine turbos, manifolds and timing chain kit being more than £2k, £3k for a couple of days work seems a bit rich?

If they're using OE turbos they're not cheap.

Not sure about how much the non or modified manifolds are.

Budget for about 19.8 hours for remove and replace engine and ancillary parts, add a bit onto that if they're fitting modified tensioners and chains, manifolds etcs and it soon adds up.

[mik]

Budget for about 19.8 hours for remove and replace engine and ancillary parts

Not 20?

I think you should just push this possibility to the back of your mind, and just apply normal good practices of using decent oil, and heating the car up fully before fully deploying the go-pedal and rev range. It's not like all of them suffer broken cranks after all.

[Sundayjumper]

£2,650 for a pair of OEM turbots:

https://maltings4x4store.co.uk/garrett- ... -lr128704/

https://maltings4x4store.co.uk/turbos/g ... -lr056369/

I got a pair of aluminium inlet manifold from Aliexpress for £160. New OEM plastic ones are £300 each.

Other bits, not sure.

20 hours @ say £100 = £2,000

That's your £5k quite easily (assuming they're fitting OEM parts)

[V8Granite]

...bearing seems to spin causing crank failure...

I've not seen that said before, that the bearing causes the crank failure. Is that the main bearings ? Messes up the alignment of the crank, stresses it, CRACK ?

Good reminder about the oil pump, I need to check if that's been done, and also the idler on the front that likes to snap and throw the timing belt off.

My car appears to have had an easy life, cosmetically very good inside & out so I don't believe it was ever a "working" vehicle, and the tow ball is almost mint, definitely not been used much if at all.

Is all this because you have an issue with the engine, or they’re just so unreliable you have to plan £8k into ownership of a Discovery?!

The latter Broken engine is the worst case but seems common enough that you shouldn't ignore the possibility.

I've had it since the end of September and I've spent over £1300 just on replacement parts already. Mainly brakes & suspension. Fitted everything myself of course, so £0 labour, I guess the total would be £2500++ if you were giving it to a specialist each time. The only real issue with it right now is this boost leak that I'm hoping is the inlet manifold. New manifolds are here, I'm hoping to fit them over the Christmas break if the weather can stay dry and not too bloody cold.

Apart from all that I do quite like it, so I'm giving it a chance

I believe that the crank harmonics arent very good. So you have a twisting motion that emits a frequency up and down the crank. A good damper will make it so the point the frequency lines up is effectively ahead of the crank. When it keeps hitting at the same spot that point will fail.

Dave!

[V8Granite]

Pick a car you’re interested in and find a Facebook group dedicated to them, join it and see what comes up there. Especially the renaultsport ones, there’s some lovely ones pop up and are always cheap for some reason, despite being rare and desirable motors

From a 182 Facebook group.

I will collect it soon enough, deposit put down on a high mile silver 182. Wrong colour, needs pint but amazingly only a tiny bit of rust inside the filler car. Needs paint on the rear spoiler and a front wing (plastic) but….

Has a resonated scorpion exhaust that doesn’t drone and sounds great, cup dampers and H+R springs and oddly. I know of the guy selling it and he is sound.

Goes like stink, virtually zero rattles on the interior which was a surprise, excellent condition interior and really tight all over. Very pleased.

Kappa baseball cap and phoenix gold amp and it’ll be golden.

Hope the wife enjoys it as much as I think she will, if not it’ll be staying anyway!

Dave!

[jamcg]

Nothing front wheel drive handles like a renaultsport. You’ll be driving a tripod soon enough

[V8Granite]

I’ve already got a couple of adidas jackets so I’m a baseball cap away from being full Yoof.

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

We DO NOT want photos of Dave!’s tripod

[V8Granite]

It’s ok, the wife has owned that whole area since 2013

Dave!

[GG.]

Smart (and car dealers in the UK) is/are a nightmare.

Currently at Mercedes Brooklands and have been for about 2 hours. Picked the ForFour up - new gauge cluster seems to be all working and engine was running well. Took it down to the petrol station to fill up… “service due 9,999 miles ago”… OK so they haven’t reset the service light when they’ve fitted the new cluster - annoying but I can get that done near home.

Then… press the radio - turns on… but touchscreen does not work and will not respond to any inputs. Back we go to Mercedes. Now sat here whilst they reboot, do software updates, disconnect the battery and install a patch to see if any of those work. FFS.

Oh and they haven’t bothered to wash the car despite having it a week. They are literally all as shite as each other. This is MB UK headquarters.

@Gavster Did you discover any Smart specialists in London whilst you had the 451?

ETA - currently on the last of the three options to fix it - the firmware patch…

[Gavster]

Smart (and car dealers in the UK) is/are a nightmare.

Currently at Mercedes Brooklands and have been for about 2 hours. Picked the ForFour up - new gauge cluster seems to be all working and engine was running well. Took it down to the petrol station to fill up… “service due 9,999 miles ago”… OK so they haven’t reset the service light when they’ve fitted the new cluster - annoying but I can get that done near home.

Then… press the radio - turns on… but touchscreen does not work and will not respond to any inputs. Back we go to Mercedes. Now sat here whilst they reboot, do software updates, disconnect the battery and install a patch to see if any of those work. FFS.

Oh and they haven’t bothered to wash the car despite having it a week. They are literally all as shite as each other. This is MB UK headquarters.

@Gavster Did you discover any Smart specialists in London whilst you had the 451?

ETA - currently on the last of the three options to fix it - the firmware patch…

The only smart specialist I found was even further out NE around Woodford. They know a lot about Smarts (they even used to make big brake kits for them) however in my dealings with them they were very disorganised, might be worth a chat though

https://www.smarts4you.com/

[Nic]

Quite a few interesting sub 5k cars here and their stock always looks immaculate:

https://www.heeltoecarslimited.com/stock

Bought my boxster from him, he’s decent.

[ZedLeg]

Bloody hell, he does have some nice stuff at decent prices. Feel like that’s going to be my new idle browsing material

[Jobbo]

Wow, when did you last see an Alfa 146? Excellent stock list.

[integrale_evo]

Looks in great condition too. Although I’d prefer a 145 for quirkiness points. 146 probably more rare though.

[GG.]

Smart (and car dealers in the UK) is/are a nightmare.

Currently at Mercedes Brooklands and have been for about 2 hours. Picked the ForFour up - new gauge cluster seems to be all working and engine was running well. Took it down to the petrol station to fill up… “service due 9,999 miles ago”… OK so they haven’t reset the service light when they’ve fitted the new cluster - annoying but I can get that done near home.

Then… press the radio - turns on… but touchscreen does not work and will not respond to any inputs. Back we go to Mercedes. Now sat here whilst they reboot, do software updates, disconnect the battery and install a patch to see if any of those work. FFS.

Oh and they haven’t bothered to wash the car despite having it a week. They are literally all as shite as each other. This is MB UK headquarters.

@Gavster Did you discover any Smart specialists in London whilst you had the 451?

ETA - currently on the last of the three options to fix it - the firmware patch…

So the Smart couldn't be fixed on the Saturday morning meaning I left it at Brooklands and dejectedly made the c.2hr train and cab ride home

We will see what they can do with it but if they suggest the head unit / screen is borked and requires replacement at £xxxx and we cannot get to the conclusion that they will pay for most / all of it, then it will be getting flatbedded back home whilst I work out what the next steps are.

End of year running report - costs for the (not so) Smart:

£50 MOT
£350 Service
£450 VVT solenoid and plugs
£1250 O2 sensor and replacement gauge cluster

So £2100 and comfortably in excess of 25% of its value

[Rich B]

Smart (and car dealers in the UK) is/are a nightmare.

Currently at Mercedes Brooklands and have been for about 2 hours. Picked the ForFour up - new gauge cluster seems to be all working and engine was running well. Took it down to the petrol station to fill up… “service due 9,999 miles ago”… OK so they haven’t reset the service light when they’ve fitted the new cluster - annoying but I can get that done near home.

Then… press the radio - turns on… but touchscreen does not work and will not respond to any inputs. Back we go to Mercedes. Now sat here whilst they reboot, do software updates, disconnect the battery and install a patch to see if any of those work. FFS.

Oh and they haven’t bothered to wash the car despite having it a week. They are literally all as shite as each other. This is MB UK headquarters.

@Gavster Did you discover any Smart specialists in London whilst you had the 451?

ETA - currently on the last of the three options to fix it - the firmware patch…

So the Smart couldn't be fixed on the Saturday morning meaning I left it at Brooklands and dejectedly made the c.2hr train and cab ride home

We will see what they can do with it but if they suggest the head unit / screen is borked and requires replacement at £xxxx and we cannot get to the conclusion that they will pay for most / all of it, then it will be getting flatbedded back home whilst I work out what the next steps are.

End of year running report - costs for the (not so) Smart:

£50 MOT
£350 Service
£450 VVT solenoid and plugs
£1250 O2 sensor and replacement gauge cluster

So £2100 and comfortably in excess of 25% of its value

You're taking an £8k car on a 2 hour journey to a main dealer? Just find a specialist - they’re cheaper and chances are WAY nearer!

[GG.]

Smart (and car dealers in the UK) is/are a nightmare.

Currently at Mercedes Brooklands and have been for about 2 hours. Picked the ForFour up - new gauge cluster seems to be all working and engine was running well. Took it down to the petrol station to fill up… “service due 9,999 miles ago”… OK so they haven’t reset the service light when they’ve fitted the new cluster - annoying but I can get that done near home.

Then… press the radio - turns on… but touchscreen does not work and will not respond to any inputs. Back we go to Mercedes. Now sat here whilst they reboot, do software updates, disconnect the battery and install a patch to see if any of those work. FFS.

Oh and they haven’t bothered to wash the car despite having it a week. They are literally all as shite as each other. This is MB UK headquarters.

@Gavster Did you discover any Smart specialists in London whilst you had the 451?

ETA - currently on the last of the three options to fix it - the firmware patch…

So the Smart couldn't be fixed on the Saturday morning meaning I left it at Brooklands and dejectedly made the c.2hr train and cab ride home

We will see what they can do with it but if they suggest the head unit / screen is borked and requires replacement at £xxxx and we cannot get to the conclusion that they will pay for most / all of it, then it will be getting flatbedded back home whilst I work out what the next steps are.

End of year running report - costs for the (not so) Smart:

£50 MOT
£350 Service
£450 VVT solenoid and plugs
£1250 O2 sensor and replacement gauge cluster

So £2100 and comfortably in excess of 25% of its value

You're taking an £8k car on a 2 hour journey to a main dealer? Just find a specialist - they’re cheaper and chances are WAY nearer!

They are few and far between in this neck of the woods unfortunately. I normally take it to a Mercedes independent specialist near us who as the Merc diagnostics and access to their service system and can update the online service records but the initial problem with it was the failure of the instrument cluster and they didn't want to touch it as effectively half the parts are Renault shared or bespoke to the car and required coding that they couldn't do.

As it turns out Merc called me 5 minutes ago... apparently the screen has a crack in it. I couldn't see that when I was trying to get it to work on Saturday but apparently they had to remove the head unit during the process of replacing the gauge cluster. Why they would have to do that isn't clear but anyway they have held their hands up and said we'll replace the unit.

All very puzzling - either the tech knew they'd fucked up and broken the screen and didn't tell anyone and maybe, you know, hoped I wouldn't notice! Or, alternatively, its a difficult problem for them and the guy has intentionally done it this morning so they can just order another part of their insurance presumably covers it as a accidental damage replacement which is easier than spending hours continuing to diagnose it and then a big argument with me.

Very puzzling but at least they are fixing it.

[Delphi]

Powered tailgate on the XC40 has stopped closing properly. Car's warranty ran out back in April, but it's a known issue with the powered struts. My current options are :-

1) Try and fix it/bodge it until the car goes back in April

2) Speak to dealer and see if Volvo will do something out of warranty. Apparently, a few people have had success getting Volvo to pay for the whole lot but this seems to be dealer dependent but only by paying an £160 inspection fee first.

3) Book it in and cough up the £800 for new struts (Fuck that).