Your fleet running reports

[Mito Man]

Kinda glad the grinder I used to cut some springs and bolts held together as it must have been 15 years old.

I would add never trust someone else’s work on a dangerous tool. Bought a drill press from Machine Mart, it was pre-assembled by someone in store. Turned it on and the arbor fucked off to narnia and smashed the guard off in the process.

[Matty]

Where is it?

In a place only those without fear dare to tread.

Scotland.

Apparently it'll be ready to go on Wednesday, so fingers crossed. I've bought some Irn Bru to help me blend in. I assume I rub it over my skin, so I can pass through without being noticed.

Do you need a delivery driver? I’m off next week and can fly up from Southampton. Odometer may have extra 1500 miles though.

Leave the GT3 with me as collateral and we have a deal

[McSwede]

12 weeks and 9500 miles into the M140i experience and I'm staggered at how well the MPSS's are lasting on the rear. Quite astonishing when you consider how often they light up. Thanks heavens for a lot of motorway miles. Speaking of which i need to slow down the rate at which I am clocking up miles so have been using the train for my jaunts up to Scotland over the previous three weeks. Also added bonus of not having a long drive after very boozy events is much appreciated!

Next week the kind souls at BMW are loaning me a 530e from Monday until Saturday so it'll be interesting to see what their hybrid offering is like to live with as I yet again venture North of the Border for work stuff and another big day/night out.

[Alex_]

M235i still in the garage getting repaired. I was given a Kuga for a courtesy car but got upgraded to a 'super premium' vehicle yesterday. Fvck me it's a lovely thing

[Sundayjumper]

I have fitted the "proper" towing electrics to the Touareg and thought I'd do a quick post because it's interesting in a techy way.

The car already had a towbar & wiring fitted when I bought it but the wiring was just the most basic system - nothing more than an extension from the car's rear lights via a relay down to the trailer socket. It works in terms of making the lights light up, but nothing more.

For any kind of slightly modern car there will be a more integrated way of doing it. Westfalia are the go-to brand and seem to supply most of the manufacturers with their OEM systems.

Now, with module and correct wiring in place, when the trailer is hitched up:

The car can recognise if a bulb is out on the trailer
The reverse sensors are disabled
The car's rear fog light is disabled, in favour of the trailer fog light
The alarm will go off if the trailer is unplugged while the car is locked
The gearbox shift pattern is modified
The ABS & traction control is adjusted
There is an active stability programme that recognises if the trailer is swaying and uses the car's ABS system to steady it
I think it adjusts the suspension too if you've got air shocks

Most noticeable in driving is the gearbox. It lets the engine rev a bit higher before shifting (a bit like sport mode) but also makes the shifts longer and softer (the opposite of sports mode) to help keep things stable.

I didn't know any of this six months ago. It's pretty neat.

[JLv3.0]

it's interesting in a techy way.

It really is!! Crazy the amount of parameters it affects!

[Swervin_Mervin]

Anyone tried Michelin PS4? It's the other option to the F1s. Normally I just plump for the latter as they're never disappointing. But the PS4 seems to have been the highest rated by some margin in recent Evo tests.

Given I'm only changing the rears I can't decide if it's worth bothering switching brands the, but I'm curious

[Swervin_Mervin]

it's interesting in a techy way.

It really is!! Crazy the amount of parameters it affects!

+1.

[ste]

Agreed. A friend was recently looking at F15 BMWs to tow his track car. He spotted his ‘perfect spec’ and was going to buy and retrofit a tow bar. I advised him to wait and get a factory fit one as it integrates with so much of the car.

My e70 would do the things above including changing the air suspension to towing specific settings. Best though IMO was the reverse cam would account for the trailer and draw its reversing arcs taking the trailer into account and if you were unhitched, could zoom in on the towball as you reversed to hitch and guide you right under the trailer hitch

[JLv3.0]

Anyone tried Michelin PS4? It's the other option to the F1s. Normally I just plump for the latter as they're never disappointing. But the PS4 seems to have been the highest rated by some margin in recent Evo tests.

Being pedantic I think it's the MP4S that everyone is hand-party'ing over right now.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Yeah I get the fuss over the them but might be a touch ott for a 12yr old mid range daily hack

This is the test I'm referring to http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/20 ... e-Test.htm

Mind, it's a bit inconsistent as they rank the F1 low. Yet im this later test it's 2nd to the PS4S http://www.tyrereviews.co.uk/Article/20 ... e-Test.htm

[Sundayjumper]

...stuff...

I forgot one - it disables the tailgate release button inside the car so you don't inadvertently whack the tailgate into the trailer.

[Sundayjumper]

...the reverse cam would account for the trailer and draw its reversing arcs taking the trailer into account...

Have you got screenshots of that, or a link ? Trailers are tricky devils when reversing, to know where the trailer's going to go the car must have known the dimensions of the trailer and had a way of measuring the angle between car & trailer. If you simply drive straight backwards the trailer will fairly quickly veer off to one side.

[mik]

Anyone tried Michelin PS4? It's the other option to the F1s. Normally I just plump for the latter as they're never disappointing. But the PS4 seems to have been the highest rated by some margin in recent Evo tests.

Being pedantic I think it's the MP4S that everyone is hand-party'ing over right now.

Being pedantic I think you’ll find it’s the MPS4S.

[Mito Man]

...the reverse cam would account for the trailer and draw its reversing arcs taking the trailer into account...

Have you got screenshots of that, or a link ? Trailers are tricky devils when reversing, to know where the trailer's going to go the car must have known the dimensions of the trailer and had a way of measuring the angle between car & trailer. If you simply drive straight backwards the trailer will fairly quickly veer off to one side.

Google the ford back up assist if you want to be impressed with the amount of electronic crap you can get related to towing.

[JLv3.0]

Anyone tried Michelin PS4? It's the other option to the F1s. Normally I just plump for the latter as they're never disappointing. But the PS4 seems to have been the highest rated by some margin in recent Evo tests.

Being pedantic I think it's the MP4S that everyone is hand-party'ing over right now.

Being pedantic I think you’ll find it’s the MPS4S.

Goddamn you Mik

(you're right of course but then you know that already)

[Sundayjumper]

Google the ford back up assist if you want to be impressed with the amount of electronic crap you can get related to towing.

Is that the system fitted to ste's X5 ?

[Mito Man]

Google the ford back up assist if you want to be impressed with the amount of electronic crap you can get related to towing.

Is that the system fitted to ste's X5 ?

Yes.

[Sundayjumper]

Google the ford back up assist if you want to be impressed with the amount of electronic crap you can get related to towing.

Is that the system fitted to ste's X5 ?

Yes.

Nice

[integrale_evo]

Step daughter has managed to bounce her lupo off a sign post, nice post shaped dent in the rear 1/4 , one corner of the front bumper scraped, both corners of the rear bumper stoved in, one wheel bent.

RAC gave it a quick once over and put the spare on which was cracked so she went and got a couple of new front tyres. I've just been out in the dark, cut a hole in the inner 1/4 and shoved as much of the dent out as I can, used a variety of levers and a block of wood to make the bumper corners curve the right way round again and clipped a couple of bits of trim back in

Shame as it was a nice little car and still worth as much as we paid for it a couple of years ago.