Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

Special Circumstances

Interslice wrote: »

Anyone know what the little grid type thing is between the hazards switch and the temp control? It's like a speaker or something. Thermostat maybe?

yeah looks temp sensor for air con.
I've never seen one so obvious, usually out of sight near steering wheel in my limited experience.


Edit - the gauge... what does torque or other scanner tell you is the actual temperature? 70 sounds too low for normal position.

GvidoR

Did a bit of cleaning



Put the other seat in



Here's how the interior looked when I got it

Noccy_Mondy

I don't even want to know what them stains on the seats are.......

GvidoR

I don't either, they should come out though.

--

Since the Astra was parked up for such a long time, I sold the head unit that was in it (a crappy enough Sendai anyway) so it was left like this.



But since I'm going to be driving it, I put this JVC head unit in there. It has USB, AUX, Bluetooth and it powers on and off with the ignition - it's awesome. :P

biko

During lunchbreak did the plugs. Runs much smoother now, I tell myself.

Noccy_Mondy

GvidoR wrote:

But since I'm going to be driving it, I put this JVC head unit in there. It has USB, AUX, Bluetooth and it powers on and off with the ignition - it's awesome.

It's a bummer with them cars, and others with a display screen, that the screen becomes almost obsolete when one fits an aftermarket radio.

GvidoR

Noccy_Mondy wrote: »

It's a bummer with them cars, and others with a display screen, that the screen becomes almost obsolete when one fits an aftermarket radio.

It had an aftermarket radio when I got it. The display up there shows time and temperature so it's okay. :P

Interslice

Oil leak was freakin me out. Never had a car go below the minimum on the dipstick before! It had also used up all the ends of the oil cans in the shed. 2.5 litres of a 10-40 5-30 mix gone in 1000 miles :cool:. Rather than just buying more oil to leak out I decided to change the oil and filter and sort the leaks. It takes 4.5 litres so I would have had to buy another cans of oil to service it after.

Sump bung had pulled most of the threads and a previous attempt at a seal with a copper washer, plastic washer and mastic wasn't working(see the pic). So rethreaded the sump from an m18 to an M20. Tricky enough to do lying on your back so it went in a a bit of an angle. Just have to use 2 copeer washers now but it seals perfect.



A fine mess


The rest of the leak is from the rocker cover. Was going to seal it up with dirko but its only 17 euro for a new gasket. Will fit that tomorrow and rinse down the engine. Hopefully that'll be the oil leaks sorted.

Interslice

biko wrote: »

During lunchbreak did the plugs. Runs much smoother now, I tell myself.

It doesn't be all in your head i don't think. Only changed the oil and filter today but thought it was running a bit smoother after than before. I always find new plugs or an air filter make a noticable difference especially if good value was had from the old ones.

Toyotafanboi

New wheels to replace the mad looking yokes on the celica. Bridgestone S03 wheels 16" x 7" with decent rubber. Got them for handy money off of a lad breaking a celica on donedeal. Looking forward to cleaning them up and fitting them!

Noccy_Mondy

Are they the ones that should be on it as standard? Hard to beat putting new wheels on a car, has the potential to make a massive difference.

Toyotafanboi

Thanks they aren't the originals but they are the same diameter, width and offset as the originals and the rims themselves being made by bridgestone i'd imagine they will be a decent quality. The ones currently on the car are like chocolate.

Paid €200 for them. Less than most lads are asking for the OEM wheels and these have very good tyres so i'm happy. Will donedeal my old wheels for €100, someone will probably love them for a bora or a caddy van :P

Toyotafanboi

well, i got them on in keeping with my last "anti-detailing" post, i used an old paint brush, tesco brand alloy wheel cleaner and wd40, they came out great :pac:

rain tried to stop play early in the day, but i persisted.





and the money shot, for the (few) JDM wheel enthusiasts among us

Alanstrainor

Looking well!

Interslice

Suit the car down to the ground

joujoujou

Faulty (whining loudly) alternator replaced.

There's no appropriate one in my local breakers, so decided to buy different one, from the model up.

Housing is slightly bigger, although mounting holes exactly the same, as well as all the connectors.

And it's stronger - old one had 70A, new one - 80A.

There will be no photos, because I'm lazy.

GvidoR

Some bulbs had died on the Astra.



So I went down to the local motor factors and got these bulbs and replaced them.



I also got an oil filter and 5 litres of Valvoline 10w40 motor oil. It all added up to €50... I think it was a little much

Toyotafanboi

Doesn't seem too excessive for a good brand oil and filter. A h7 and h3c(?) Were probably around €15 for the pair i'd say?

GvidoR

Toyotafanboi wrote: »

Doesn't seem too excessive for a good brand oil and filter. A h7 and h3c(?) Were probably around €15 for the pair i'd say?

Well yeah, I suppose you're right.

€25 for oil
€8 for filter
€10 for HB3
€6 for H7
€2 for the two sidelights

and €1 discount :P

dodderangler

Not y car but some may find it interesting.
Done service on a sl600 v8 biturbo ( badged as a sl63 v 12 )
Some job on them spark plugs lads. No room what so ever to get a ratchet so took longer than expected. 16 spark plugs at 400 and something euro.

Plugs done

Done nice and clean and test drive time
Happy days

dodderangler

Last pic didn't load I don't think

GvidoR

That's a lot of plugs.

Pops_20

750 kms a week in a Glanza means more oil changes and more biscuits...

GvidoR

Oil change coming up, gotta get a tin of cookies. :pac:

CianRyan

Dodder, I know where you work.
I took the brown sofas today. Haha

joujoujou

dodderangler wrote: »

Not y car but some may find it interesting.
Done service on a sl600 v8 biturbo ( badged as a sl63 v 12 )
Some job on them spark plugs lads. No room what so ever to get a ratchet so took longer than expected. [highlight]16[/highlight] spark plugs at 400 and something euro.
[...]

Weird. I see 17.

wotzgoingon

joujoujou wrote: »

Weird. I see 17.

Same, I counted them yesterday but didn't bother saying anything.

Voodoomelon

Spent a bit of time on the car last night, nothing major, oil and filter change and two new lower control arms to replace.



Got a good deal on 20 litres of Castrol 5W30 on Amazon, shipping was only £14 from Germany. Worked out at about €9.90 a litre. Each oil change is 8 litres so 2.5 services from the tank.









Oil filter is a pain in the ass to get to compared to 4 or 6 cylinder models, it sits right at the back of the block under the car:



BMW TIS for tightening torques. Also used it for the control arms:



About 9,000 miles on this, left it a little later than normal:



First control arm on the driver side took about an hour. Spent an age trying to figure out how to safely detach the xenon auto-leveling sensor:



The bushing end also has to be tightened under load so its takes a while with no ramp.
New arm in:



Opposite side took 20 minutes flat, no sensor on that side.

State of the ball joints, pretty diabolical:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UdK1L0tzjo

OldMrBrennan83

This post has been deleted.

MetzgerMeister

What were the symptoms of failed ball joint voodoo? I've been getting a kind of crack/pop noise from my two front wheels whenever they go over a bump and I haven't a clue what's wrong but it sounds awful. I'm thinking strut mounts but can't be sure.