Your fleet running reports

[JonMad]

At the event yesterday everyone seemed to be leaving their bonnets open. I felt I should too. I didn’t want to feel left out.

[Coaster1]

At the event yesterday everyone seemed to be leaving their bonnets open. I felt I should too. I didn’t want to feel left out.

Very good. I’m going to start doing that at car shows now

[Coaster1]

That’ll teach me not to have fun with bikers in the future.

* no bag of revels offer please, the windscreen was replaced in 2014 already.

[JonMad]

ouch. but better that than the paintwork.

Megane fuel filler cap won't unlock. I found this out at a helpfully quiet Shell garage this morning having not driven far from home. A reasonable excuse to WFH for the day. Manual release is easy to get to and will let me put fuel in again. The actuator is consistently locking the cap but inconsistently unlocking it again. Will try some WD40 on it.

[Richard]

Turns out, my car doesn’t really like starting anymore. It’ll do it, but requires a few goes. This was try 3 this morning. Last night at work it took 2 tries.

It’s actually only a mile to home, so perhaps the battery is a bit flat and needs a lovely long drive to charge it up?

Any sensible ideas?

[Rich B]

Because Fiat.

[Richard]

Because Fiat.

This is of course a concern

[JonMad]

Sounds like it's turning over the starter ok, so I'd suggest not the battery. But I'm clueless so that could be 100% misleading advice. You're welcome

[GG.]

* no bag of revels offer please, the windscreen was replaced in 2014 already.

Ouch - that's quite an impact - as others have said - be thankful it wasn't a dent in the aluminium bonnet!

Weirdly I'm almost hoping I get a crack in the screen at some point. I believe the one on my car is original and its starting to look like I've driven for a long period behind a gritting lorry

[Coaster1]

ouch. but better that than the paintwork.

It was on A272 just outside Petersfield. I was stopped at the lights, a couple of bikes pulled up behind me. Light went green so I floored it; bikes were of course quick, saw the lead bike positioning himself to pass so I backed off; two bikes went past (second rider thanked me) and I proceeded to chase.

Great fun for a couple of miles in the twisties, roads looked cleaned but heard a couple of loose stones kicked up by the bikes hitting the car. Should have backed off then but I thought since the car had PPF so no biggie. Next thing I knew, loud bang, windscreen damaged.

I stopped the car to inspect, then gingerly went home.

Checked the insurance policy and they use National Windscreens, so booked the car in for next Monday.

The PPF has done its job, the front still looks very clean. It’s supposed to last 10 years to provide me ‘guilt-free’ motoring. Apart from the windscreen of course.

GG just go out for a hoon following bikers

[Richard]

Sounds like it's turning over the starter ok, so I'd suggest not the battery. But I'm clueless so that could be 100% misleading advice. You're welcome

Once the car is going though, everything is fine

[Carlos]

Sounds like it's turning over the starter ok, so I'd suggest not the battery. But I'm clueless so that could be 100% misleading advice. You're welcome

Once the car is going though, everything is fine

Full tank of super unleaded and a 100 mile Italian tune up

[Ascender]

Golf R is due its first oil service so I'll get them to check out the creaking suspension which is particularly obvious at low speeds.

[ste]

It was on A272 just outside Petersfield. I was stopped at the lights, a couple of bikes pulled up behind me. Light went green so I floored it; bikes were of course quick, saw the lead bike positioning himself to pass so I backed off; two bikes went past (second rider thanked me) and I proceeded to chase.

Great fun for a couple of miles in the twisties, roads looked cleaned but heard a couple of loose stones kicked up by the bikes hitting the car. Should have backed off then but I thought since the car had PPF so no biggie. Next thing I knew, loud bang, windscreen damaged.

I stopped the car to inspect, then gingerly went home.

Checked the insurance policy and they use National Windscreens, so booked the car in for next Monday.

The PPF has done its job, the front still looks very clean. It’s supposed to last 10 years to provide me ‘guilt-free’ motoring. Apart from the windscreen of course.

GG just go out for a hoon following bikers

Lovely bit of road, baiting bikes along there is lots of fun.

[Sundayjumper]

I finally fitted the Powerflex gearbox bush to the Porsche yesterday, after buying it about 18 months ago

After waggling the engine about a bit while figuring out how to do it I noticed a little puddle of oil on the floor and my heart sank, thinking I'd damaged an oil line or worse. It was black and definitely oil but didn't smell like engine oil. It smelt rubbery. I peered up to see where it was coming from and it turns out it was the engine mount. The o/s had clearly dumped most of its oil just then but the residue on the mounts showed they'd both been dribbling for a while. I think Sunday must have finished it off; it was a fairly bumpy venue.

There's various options for replacing these but most come in around £400 for the pair. Erk. After some research I found that Type911 do a sensibly priced kit using aftermarket 993 RS-spec mounts and some appropriate hardware to make them fit the 996. Ordered yesterday and they have apparently already been despatched. They *should* be very easy to fit.

So far the gearbox mount definitely lets more engine noise into the cabin but I've not noticed any additional vibrations etc. There was lots of hoo-ha on the 911 forum about these a while ago with people saying the NVH was unacceptable that actually led to the Powerflex boss joining the forum and updating the design. Fair play to Powerflex there. Mine seems OK so far and if anything I'd expect it to quieten down as it beds in.

But we shall wait and see what it's like when the new engine mounts are in.

[Jimmy Choo]

At the event yesterday everyone seemed to be leaving their bonnets open. I felt I should too. I didn’t want to feel left out.


36467596-0D5A-4116-804C-C4669FBD9F15.jpeg

[Nic]

Finished off the 500 mile running in period that the garage wanted me to follow at under 5000rpm, running I oil dropped and refilled with the proper grade oil and new filter and ive been throughly enjoying it since. As you can see I can’t quite get used to how small it is

Not sure if I mentioned how much I disliked my e46 330d here, it was a jack of all trades type of car that wasn’t that quick, wasn’t that fun to drive, wasn’t that frugal and was cramped inside. This afternoon I came across an e46 330d facelift so the later 215bhp engine and it was barely quicker than the Lupo up to 90, decision justified to get rid imo.



Golf is going fantastically, went to Goodwood last weekend and stole the above snap off the internet of me on track with it. Pembrey this Friday next.



X5 did it’s job perfectly, averaged 26mpg which is about what it does without the trailer and Golf and only a single mpg less than what my e46 did.

[JLv3.0]

That last photo is just fucking win

Out of interest, how swarfy was the oil out of the Lupo? Rebuild etc.

[mik]

Turns out, my car doesn’t really like starting anymore. It’ll do it, but requires a few goes. This was try 3 this morning. Last night at work it took 2 tries.

It’s actually only a mile to home, so perhaps the battery is a bit flat and needs a lovely long drive to charge it up?

Any sensible ideas?

Have you accidentally activated the stop start system?

[Jobbo]

Sounds like it's turning over the starter ok, so I'd suggest not the battery. But I'm clueless so that could be 100% misleading advice. You're welcome

Once the car is going though, everything is fine

Would imply battery then - if you only drive a mile each way it’s not getting enough charge to replenish what it uses starting the car.