Your fleet running reports
- integrale_evo
- Posts: 5799
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:58 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
Just keep an eye out for damage, on most cars getting the doorcard off a door you can’t open is a bit of a challenge!
Cheers, Harry
Re: Your fleet running reports
Yeah, apparently with these you can pop it out at the 'rear' of the door (towards the B-pillar) and getting it off after that will break a few clips, but clips are cheap and I imagine a garage has dozens of them on hand at any given time.
They're generally pretty good, been using them for a few years now and this is the first hiccup and I'm willing to lean toward 'bad luck' rather than 'incompetence'.
They're generally pretty good, been using them for a few years now and this is the first hiccup and I'm willing to lean toward 'bad luck' rather than 'incompetence'.
- Sundayjumper
- Posts: 8252
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
So have you been climbing in & out of the window - that rather fortunately does work now ?
- Sundayjumper
- Posts: 8252
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
It does seem crazy, but if it turns the repair into a plug & play job instead of a hour of cutting & soldering new wires, it's about the same for the customer.DeskJockey wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2026 8:22 am Last time I was there he was working on a 2022-23 Peugeot that needed some wiring replaced (known fault apparently), and a kit with five wires, two plugs, and an overall length not exceeding 10 inches, was £70+![]()
- DeskJockey
- Posts: 6405
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:58 am
Re: Your fleet running reports
True. Less money for him though.Sundayjumper wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:46 amIt does seem crazy, but if it turns the repair into a plug & play job instead of a hour of cutting & soldering new wires, it's about the same for the customer.DeskJockey wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2026 8:22 am Last time I was there he was working on a 2022-23 Peugeot that needed some wiring replaced (known fault apparently), and a kit with five wires, two plugs, and an overall length not exceeding 10 inches, was £70+![]()
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Driving a Galaxy far far away
Driving a Galaxy far far away
Re: Your fleet running reports
Off topic but I read you shouldn’t solder car wiring harnesses and it isn’t allowed as an OEM repair as it makes the wire stiff and susceptible to breaking. You should crimp one off instead.
How about not having a sig at all?
- Sundayjumper
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- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
M5. Having removed the fuse for that coolant pump last Sunday, the car has been fine. No battery drain. It even drives normally with no overheating or other warnings.
A new pump from BMW is £727.50. Add some labour and that's close to a £1k bill from a main agent.
I have purchased a s/h one from ebay for £38.45 and because my time is priceless*, that's the extent of the cost
But seeing as the car doesn't seem too bothered about it I CBA at this precise moment and will have another coffee and sit on the sofa a while longer.
*worthless
A new pump from BMW is £727.50. Add some labour and that's close to a £1k bill from a main agent.
I have purchased a s/h one from ebay for £38.45 and because my time is priceless*, that's the extent of the cost
*worthless
- Sundayjumper
- Posts: 8252
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
That is also true.DeskJockey wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:54 amTrue. Less money for him though.Sundayjumper wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:46 amIt does seem crazy, but if it turns the repair into a plug & play job instead of a hour of cutting & soldering new wires, it's about the same for the customer.DeskJockey wrote: Mon Jul 13, 2026 8:22 am Last time I was there he was working on a 2022-23 Peugeot that needed some wiring replaced (known fault apparently), and a kit with five wires, two plugs, and an overall length not exceeding 10 inches, was £70+![]()
- Sundayjumper
- Posts: 8252
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:04 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
Huh. I have soldered *loads* of wires over the years and never had a problem.Mito Man wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:59 am Off topic but I read you shouldn’t solder car wiring harnesses and it isn’t allowed as an OEM repair as it makes the wire stiff and susceptible to breaking.
I've done that loads of times too. More problematic than the soldering now I think about it.
- integrale_evo
- Posts: 5799
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:58 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
I have read this many times too, but I’m not sure how much of an issue it is. The only broken wires I’ve ever had on a car have been where it’s flexed in the middle of a run or where an aftermarket crimp has pulled out.Mito Man wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2026 9:59 am Off topic but I read you shouldn’t solder car wiring harnesses and it isn’t allowed as an OEM repair as it makes the wire stiff and susceptible to breaking. You should crimp one off instead.
Cheers, Harry
Re: Your fleet running reports
I don’t know if it’s an issue either. I’ve only done speaker wires and mainly crimp because I don’t want to use a soldering iron in the car, then drop it and born a hole through the upholstery 
How about not having a sig at all?
Re: Your fleet running reports
We don't have a single soldered wire on any engine because of them breaking.
Properly crimped terminals all the way.
Dave!
Properly crimped terminals all the way.
Dave!
- integrale_evo
- Posts: 5799
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 5:58 pm
Re: Your fleet running reports
I’d assume you’re also not using the 500 terminals for £10 and a £15 crimping tool off Amazon though…
Cheers, Harry
Re: Your fleet running reports
This is very true 
From HV to LV all proper terminals are crimped.
With car stuff it's more about what access you have also, when you have 10mm of wire left it would take a brave person to go grab a crimping tool and connector.
Dave!
From HV to LV all proper terminals are crimped.
With car stuff it's more about what access you have also, when you have 10mm of wire left it would take a brave person to go grab a crimping tool and connector.
Dave!
- Rich B
- Posts: 12270
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:22 pm
- Currently Driving: T6.1 VW Transporter combi
S1 Lotus Elise
Re: Your fleet running reports
I’m just out bleeding the coolant system on the Elise, i followed a step by step method i found and used a ezibleed to pressurise the system.
i’m sat in it running at the moment, it’s obviously a hot day and i’m stationary so i’m expecting slightly higher temps. It’s been a good 15-20 mins and it crept up slowly to around 94° on the dashboard, but 100° on my Davies Craig EWP & Fan controller, at which point the fan kicked in and lowers it back to 90 on the dashboard and 97 on the reader.
This seems a little too high to me, it’s dead easy to adjust too - it basically kicks in when the heat is 3° higher than desired. i reckon i’ll set it around 94, which is about 88 on the dashboard.
Im doing it as im typing and it seems to be working perfectly. So fingers crossed….!
I also found the source of a rattle - turns out my front bumper had a can of tyre weld in it! i wonder how long that’s been there!

i’m sat in it running at the moment, it’s obviously a hot day and i’m stationary so i’m expecting slightly higher temps. It’s been a good 15-20 mins and it crept up slowly to around 94° on the dashboard, but 100° on my Davies Craig EWP & Fan controller, at which point the fan kicked in and lowers it back to 90 on the dashboard and 97 on the reader.
This seems a little too high to me, it’s dead easy to adjust too - it basically kicks in when the heat is 3° higher than desired. i reckon i’ll set it around 94, which is about 88 on the dashboard.
Im doing it as im typing and it seems to be working perfectly. So fingers crossed….!
I also found the source of a rattle - turns out my front bumper had a can of tyre weld in it! i wonder how long that’s been there!

- Rich B
- Posts: 12270
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:22 pm
- Currently Driving: T6.1 VW Transporter combi
S1 Lotus Elise
Re: Your fleet running reports
i think it actually is - there’s a pair of clips under the bonnet which fits!

wish mine looked like that under the front bonnet!
Re: Your fleet running reports
Elises are always a gold mine of things lost things - usually under the seats, though. Tyre weld in the arch is a new one, but as pictures, must has slipped down.
It's about as useful in that arch as it is in actually 'fixing' a tyre to be honest
It's about as useful in that arch as it is in actually 'fixing' a tyre to be honest
- Rich B
- Posts: 12270
- Joined: Wed Apr 11, 2018 4:22 pm
- Currently Driving: T6.1 VW Transporter combi
S1 Lotus Elise
Re: Your fleet running reports
yeah, i tried it once on a puncture on the van - i might as well have just shouted supportive words into the valve for all the good it did.
- DeskJockey
- Posts: 6405
- Joined: Thu Apr 12, 2018 8:58 am
Re: Your fleet running reports
You could have tried inflating it's sense of self with flattery?Rich B wrote: Sat Jul 18, 2026 3:03 pm yeah, i tried it once on a puncture on the van - i might as well have just shouted supportive words into the valve for all the good it did.
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Driving a Galaxy far far away
Driving a Galaxy far far away