OV9

I changed the spark plugs on the ML the other day, managed to get them for £92 on a ECP/DFS super sale.

It takes 16 plugs and they were changed at 60,000 miles by Mercedes, a few days before I bought the car. Well, 16 of them were. The front plug on every cylinder was a little loose and greased. The back plugs were bone dry and far too tight. Full main d all history strikes again

So, because Of this changing plugs has actually made a difference. It starts with a lot more zing and throttle response is far smoother where before at low throttle openings it felt a little flat.

They also did a gearbox oil change at 60,000 but now I’m not so sure so will get that done next month when I get back.

Dave!

mik wrote: Mon Mar 04, 2019 11:36 am If you do change your bulbs, i heartily recommend the " +70% " Osram Xenarc Nightbreakers. If you are interested I shall point you towards my TLF thread.

ScottA recently fitted the new " +200% " Xenarc Lasers to his Golf, but I think the ballache of accesing the bulbs took some of the shine off the upgrade. (Pun intended)

Point away please Mik. I've just been looking here and it seems rather confusing.

Thread HERE

Everyone else must be happy enough with their lights as it has triggered zero interest.

Got mine off amazon. Each bulb has a code so you can confirm genuine.

Skoda Octavia vRS TDi DSG Estate not-a-seat edition

Interim Oil service done at 39k miles earlier in the week, along with it's first MOT <insert flying pic here> and a brake fluid change. £269 all-in, not too bothersome.

What annoyed me, was going to collect it and being told, oh your DSG oil needs changing at 40k miles, shall we book it in? Um, how about you told me this earlier and did it today, at 39k miles? Knobs. They're not getting that business now on principle.

I'm getting some very good quotes on a new vRS Challenge Edition and an M140i Shadow Edition via Car Wow however, so I've got my timculator out.

Ducati 748 biposto

Hasn't gone anywhere since the obligatory New Years Eve last-ride-a-thon when I got all the bikes out for a little jaunt each. It does however, need a big service now including belts and valves. I'm preparing to bend over for that one. Suspect it'll be £7-800.

BMW R1200RT SE

Nothing to report, new rear tyre scrubbed in and continues to be awesome in every respect.

BMW S1000R Sport

Has been out a bit recently on RoSPA group rides and some tutor training runs. Still bonkers-mental, but I rode it in damp and changeable conditions the other Sunday and I had a real lack of confidence in it's front-end grip. Not sure if it's me or the tyres yet. Have a moto-gymkhana event and a track day on it next month.

Rich B wrote: Tue Nov 13, 2018 8:49 am

Carlos wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 9:16 pm

Rich B wrote: Tue Oct 30, 2018 2:40 pm I do, but I’d rather have him in the back.

Things have changed and my niece still uses a rear facing seat and she's 4

The rear facing seat wouldn't fit in the E46 and you needed to buy an extended belt and recoding for something daft like £400+

I sold it and bought a new Mondeo which I owned for 10 months whilst my youngest was in a rear facing seat. I could feel my balls shrinking week by week

i tried the rear facing seat in the front seat isofix points this morning (with airbag disabled) - it’s so much easier to get him in and out (and get him properly strapped in) and he loved it.



I’ll be sticking with it - it’s a 5 minute drive on quiet roads to his nursery and we use the 320d for family outings/long trips.

i decided to try the carseat in the back (forward facing) today. I got bored of continually having to take the seat out when anyone else needed to go in my car. he’s 17 months old now so it’s well within the advised range and the carseat fits really well with the angles of the M3 backseat. I think he enjoyed looking where he was going for once!



This is as rock and roll as my car ownership has got recently!

Im racking up the miles with my new job though - I’m easily doing a tank a week on just the commute, and I keep thinking about getting something more economical.... then I get a moment of empty road and a chance to flex it and go back to thinking why would I want to get rid of this!

tim wrote: Wed Mar 06, 2019 10:48 pm M140i Shadow Edition

Careful now.

125i now wearing new front discs and pads, and the brake fluid's been replaced as well. Much wallet lightening!

Worryingly, a wheel bolt has gone missing somewhere at some point in time, and I'd not spotted it (I'm usually fairly hawkeye when it comes to the state of wheels and tyres). New bolt picked up from BMW for £4.

Still available if anyone's even vaguely interested. And there's plenty of room for manoeuvre in the advertised price...

Is it silver, and are the seats excruciating ?

Advertising cars is tricky, advertise it too high and no one wants it, drop the price and anyone watching it will assume it’s crap and no one else wanted it. Advertise it too low and you wish you’d advertised it for more!

If it’s the right price, it’ll sell!

Is there much point in changing brakes before selling? Will the average punter even realise if you don’t bring it up?

Mito Man wrote: Thu Mar 07, 2019 4:58 pm Is there much point in changing brakes before selling? Will the average punter even realise if you don’t bring it up?

Yes, if both the dash and idrive screen are lit up like Christmas trees, telling you to drive moderately otherwise you'll die in a fireball.

Fair enough, thought they were just crusty.

How much was that, £500?

JonMad wrote: Fri Mar 08, 2019 8:37 am How much was that, £500?

With VAT, not far off Jon.

Removed the rear beam etc from Compact #2. Relieved to see that the previous owner had done it properly and fitted E30 driveshafts at the same time as the LSD. Saves me having to try and source some.

Next I need to replace all the bushes, remove the rear beam from Compact #1, put this one back in its place. Before the next rally, which is next weekend. I should have started this a bit sooner. Oops.

get going!

In unrelated BMW shenanigans, on a private road that closely resembles the M62, I managed to clock 130mph on the GPS, and it didn't struggle to reach it.

Not bad for a near twenty year old tarts handbag of a thing.

Picked up some proper knobblies for The Compact. Six matching Yokohamas, four slightly used, two completely unused, £60 for the lot. Seems like a good deal.

As winters?