A bit harsh I think.

@ KARLOS - LANGUAGE LIKE THAT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED, PLEASE DO NOT DO IT AGAIN

By the way i want to read it!!!

Keep it up feeblebob

Why dont you start your own...??..

Just so long as you keep yours to yourself we'll all do much better.

I think its a great idea, I read it religiously..... Blaspheming is not cool.

Oh dear Karlos,

what the hell fault did Barnacle's widget show up at the weekend that's got you stoked up so early on a Monday. I'm still fighting the sleep

Right, can we leave it here and let Bob write his diary, if thats his wishes. Anymore, and your posts will be deleted.

Thanks

All,

Apologies for the stupidity of my post over the weekend. I have pm'd Barnacle seperately to apologise. Posting speeds and the like is sheer 'pub-talk' and this I assume is what the other post on the general chat forum is meaning, in terms of the 'Max Power' generation. I don't feel I am a member of that ilk, and have explained to Barnacle the circumstances of the event. Apologies to anyone who took offence to it.

For what it's worth, I did ask in my very first post on this thread as to whether anyone felt it was a waste of time, and after a bit of positive feedabck, I started. The thread continues to receive plenty of views, and as long as it does, I shall continue to write. If nobody read it, by all means, I wouldn't bother, I'm not stupid ;-)

If you don't like it, don't click on it.

My apologies people - monday mornings....


Keep it up bob

I requested we leave it please, thanks

OK, the maintainance starts in earnest this weekend. Plan is clean IAC, clean MAF sensor, clean EBV, remove pollen filter until I can get a new one, run the air con cleaning spray through the air con, clean and gease dump valve and check operation. Getting fed up of the poor starting. It will usually start fine but then rev to about 2k and steadily drop, any touch on the throttle means loads of revs. Thinking that might be the MAF sensor, knowing how a hot film one works now. Any muck on it and it would be a few minutes before the temp on the wire stabilizes. Check oil and water too. Putting together some lists for sorting each area of the car, i.e. fuel system and air intake path. I like to do things in an organized manner and feel it might provide some info to other forum members. After a straight induction pipe and a cone filter, will have a look on the tuning forum later to find out which is the best one, although the positioning seems to be always the same so it might not make too much difference.

Bought a workshop manual off ebay recently, plenty of good info in there. Cheaper than the haynes manual would've been if they did one.

Did some DIY maintainance over the weekend! At long last got my hands dirty. Removed my MAF sensor, and cleaned it with carb spray. I know the general feeling on here is not to clean it with this, but what's the worst that can happen? The thing that struck me was that the sensor had a decent coating of oil. The air inlet pipe down to the turbo also had a lining of oil. On the other side of the MAF sensor part, it was as clean as a whistle. To open a thread on the gen maint section of the forum to ask about this, but for now, I'm a touch nervous about the turbo, and/or the breather system, haven't checked the workshop manual CD yet to find where the breather system operates, but oil there can't be good. While the MAF sensor was off, I also removed the EBV to do that. From what I've read, I should possibly have got WD40 coming out of the other two holes when I sprayed it into one, but this wasn't the case. To check in gen maint also. Was meaning to do the IAC too but a quick trip to Halfrauds and a very unhelpful YTS layabout (stereotype ;-) ) later and it was going to cost about £24 for the tools, a Torx-30 bit and ratchet handle thing, so I'm waiting on a spanner mate to lend me the tool.

The result anyway on these two items is still a low boost reading on the gauge, but a smoother idle, more willing start up from cold and warm (it settles to a sensible idle speed much sooner), and generally a more willing throttle response. Quite pleased as it only took even me, half an hour to do it all, and of course that was being over careful not to lose bolts and to make sure everything went back in the right place.

Oh, and thanks to a lorry parking on the central reservation on the M1 at J30 this morning, I know the engine is OK when crawling at idle for an hour. It got hot, very hot compared to the usual running temps but without problems.

I remember the smell of burning plastic after fitting my air filter. On inspection I had left my Ipod shuffle on top of the engine!!

Hi, interesting idea the old diary. Read it. No probs. Got a couple of coop owners in Worksop, I think at least one of them is on this forum somewhere. If you want some coop chat over a non-alcoholic drink, you may be able to sort a prob or two I got with mine. Cheers.

No probs mate, will bear it in mind!

Dodgy headlight this morning, neraside wasn't on when I pulled in for £20s worth of Gordon Browns retirement fund, but when I got to work it was OK. Have been a bit unimpressed with the lighting but up until now it hasn't bothered me. With the dark nights drawing in, I might plump for a set of the Xenon kits on the group buy. TBH, it's how I've done a few cars in the past, buy upgraded parts as the old ones fail. Once these exams on Friday are out of the way, I'll get going on the idea.

Can't recommend enough the IAC valve clean. Finally borrowed a torx-30 bit and wrench and did the clean last night. For a 15 minute job, I'd recommend it to anyone. The car now idles properly, and starts a lot easier. It holds a slightly lower, happy idle and setting off from cold, there's a lot less of the hesitation between gearchanges. It feels even crisper and more responsive than when I did the MAF sensor clean. Excellent, I actually feel like doing more of the jobs I've been meaning to do.

After the drive up to Cumbria on Friday night, the first time I've driven any distance in the dark, I've put myself down for the group buy on the HID kit. I think the're some sort of aftermarket bulbs, but I needed to use my fog lights to get any proper light. A bit embarassing actually. Time to get the car sorted for it's first winter with me. Want to :- get my coolant flushed and changed with a proper anti-freeze mix, oil flush and change (and rocker cover gasket change while I'm at it, pools oil on the inlet manifold side of the block), 3 new wipers and clay the windows for a proper clean, sort the windscreen washers as per the how-to on here (they're getting worse), and of course fit the HIDs when they arrive. I've got a couple of bulbs out in the high-level brake light, so they'll get done too, and I can also clean out all the dead flies and dust in there. 4 new tyres would be nice but I'll have to wait and see how funds are.

It's funny how such a small improvement in the car can rekindle your enjoyment of it.

Hi,

What is the IAC valve?

Thanks

Alan

Idle Air Control valve

Many thanks

Apologies, gents, got so carried away with ranting about the improvement, I cut it to an acronym. It's all this working in IT (Information Technology), DYK (don't you know). :-)Lol (etc, etc...)

Looking to get my fuel pump and a few other bits done next week, hopefully. The hestitation is starting to feel a bit like running out of petrol, so don't want it to run lean. I can sit there with it idling and blip the throttle and for 6-7 seconds after, there's a whining noise from the rear seats. Since no-one's sitting there whining, I assume it's the fuel pump. Have been meaning to get it done anyway, so s'ppose it's OK.

Also offside rear tyre has gone down and when I stopped at the local garage this morning to inflate it, the machine didn't 'see' it, so that'll be a new valve at the very least.

Apart from that seems OK at the moment still, just wish I could afford to get some more done. Gets me to work and back though so it'll all come.

Saw a mint dark red T-reg at Morrison's car park in Stavely yesterday lunchtime. Very nice. Dark grey standard wheels with the red abarth centre caps, and an aftermarket exhaust. Must be owned by an enthusiaist, someone on here I assume.

Just come up from Rotherham to Workington, real pleasure as usual. Just came up, no probs. Recently had that shocking old Avon rear offside tyre changed for a part-worn (the shame). It had a nail in it and apparently had been run for too long at too low a pressure. It was also apparently 9 years old! It's a part worn Goodyear Eagle or something, the tyre bloke said the Avon coming off wasn't round! This was why every other block on the tread was worn but the others not. This amazed me, I didn't know this could happen. I wondered if this would cure my wobbly steering wheel and sure enough, no steering wheel shake any more. Just need to get enough cash together at one time to get that set of T1-Rs, it's only going cost about £280 all for the 4.

Anyway, another most enjoyable 187 miles, love that car.

As I was waiting around for a BT chap to put me a phone line into my flat yesterday, I thought I'd spend a bit of time with the Coop. Took the scuttle panel off to have a look at the pollen filter, and as I thought, it was black and full of seeds and stuff. Took it out, put the blowers on full and plenty of air! There was also a lot of clegg in the drain channel under the panel, some of the wiring running under there was on the 'floor' of the area so had caught lots of leaves and generally blocking it all up. Spent some time with various brushes and pokey things to clear it all. I'm hoping this reduces the heavy windscreen misting, if the drain can clear properly as it's meant to, less moisture should be caught in the leaves and gunk. Used the Forte air con treatment while I was under there and it smells nice now, just a can of aerosol stuff, and sprayed it into the air intake with all the windows open, and changed the air direction every 20 seconds or so to make sure all the channels got a blast. I also discovered the reason why the scuttle panel is missing so many screws, it doesn't seem to fit properly. It is fine at the drivers side, all snug etc, and the hole for the wiper spindle matches up correctly but the passenger side looks all out of kilter. I tried a few spare screws and they were a distance from the receiving holes. Is this common, or is it just a bad part? Did notice that the two air vents at the far ends of the dash don't seem to do much, blocked/pipe come off? Anyone else had the same thing? With that being the case, it would be rude not to stick a widget in there. Polished the outside of the windows with Autoglym car glass polish, and the inside of the windcsreen. Wipers have been juddering a lot recently, so felt it was worthwhile giving the screen a proper clean first as opposed to just going for new blades. Worked a treat, much better, no judder, like having anew screen.

Forgot to add, really need to do the rocker cover gasket. Far too much oil around there. Shouldn't be hard to clean once it's done, but it looks messy and that doesn't suit.

Hey bob are you planing on doing the gasket your self?
Its important to get a torque wrench to minimise the chance of cracking.
9Nm

Oh yes. I've been told this many times! It doesn't seem to be too much of a job, I'm not too bad with the spanners, not because I've done lots before but I make sure I know exactly what I'm going to do (many thanks of course to everyone on this forum...), have all the correct tools and most importantly....plenty of time. And then I just double and triple check every step I take. I've got quite a logical mind for stuff like that so haven't had a problem dabbling so far.

Afternoon Everyone,

Been away for a bit, fed up of the weather and all that, but am starting to get a bit of cash together so need to start to getting things done.

The most worrying thing is a whine from the engine that occurs hot or cold, and matched the engine revs, so I'm thinking bearings in a pump somewhere, oil, water, power steering? Need to get it to Brum to get it looked at but time is an issue. Will Likely post in tech probs tonight and still want a widget although I fear the list of faults it chucks out might kill it!

OK, resurrecting this thread. Car is booked in for MotorMech on the 15th (anyone else there that day?) for some servicing and to get some bits and bobs fixed. Should be the first of many visits, looking forward to having the car seen by a specialist, never a bad thing. Pricing up some Motul 300v, not bloody cheap stuff, eh? But should be good for the car long term. Looking for some Silkolene goo for the box too. Now that I'm a full-blown member, I might check out opieoils.

Car is filthy with this weather but I have a feeling that once I've had some work done and can see and feel the car improve, I shall keep the old girl a bit better fettled.

Bob Threads going well and informative. Keep it going.

I've been doing the same sort of thing in the hope that it might help others over on my own site. Do it for all the cars I have. It's helped a few in the past so I reckon yours will to.

Did the evil deed and started to spend money on the car. I have a dreaded feeling it's one of those 'where does it stop' kind of moments... Now I've snapped the top of it, it's going to become a money pit. Service now, then a 28RSR later...hmmm....

Anyway, bought last night :

Forte fuel system cleaner
5x NGK BKR7EIX
Set of LED dash bulbs
Set of TurboRevs HIDs
GTEC1

To be ordered tonight :

6 litres of Motul 300v
2 litres of Silkolene Silktran box oil
Pair of wipers from the group buy
Pair of LED sidelights

To be ordered to arrive before next Wednesday :

K+N panel filter
Fuel filter
Rocker cover gasket
Idle air control valve
Lambda sensor
Thermostat
Walbro fuel pump

Car is going into MotorMech on Wednesday and getting ECU codes read, amongst the above stuff. As well as a genral checkover of the car, hoping to get throttle angle checked, the boost gauge backlight changed to switch on with the ignition and not the lights, fit my oil breather kit, sorty my indicator cancelling and bizarre wiper stalk, compression test and air-con check and re-gas. I have no idea whatsoever if all this can be done in one day but I hope most of it. Car should be a bit different when I get it back. I think now life's improving and I'm a bit better off, I might get the car booked in once a month to get items knocked off the list. Clutch is still in need of replacement and, hey, there's all sorts to do but I reckon a few bits every now and agin should see it improve. Here's hoping ;-)