Today I did something to my car (volume 2)

quadrifoglio verde

Started my preparations today for my trip to the ring in April

My air intake had a massive split in it, due to being 20 years old and made of rubber
http://i.imgur.com/nbH4osX.jpg

New silicone air intake and new jubilee clips fitted instead of the crappy click clips that were on it
Hopefully it should improve my fuel consumption as well from its measly 28 mpg

http://i.imgur.com/kcfQIfa.jpg

GvidoR

New car mats.
€6 for the set which includes 2 for the front and 2 for the back.

Noccy_Mondy

Nothing like a new set of mats!

CIP4

GvidoR wrote: »

New car mats.
€6 for the set which includes 2 for the front and 2 for the back.

I know it was said already recently but your ability to buy these things for next to nothing is unbelievable 4 mats for €6 :eek: credit where credit is due

GvidoR

I do love bargains. :P

Gavman84

one of the number plates lights was knackered so swapped it out

Offending article

All done two workng lights again!

JohnBoy26

That's a common problem on the mk1 focus as well. Water seems to get in somewhere and rot the connections.

shietpilot

Strange that they're like that! I swapped my reg plate lights recently and the connections and bulb holder were perfectly clean. Must be a bad gasket or something

joujoujou

Seeing those pictures I've very strong feeling they're giving lovely brown light.

Wise Old Elf

2004 mk1 focus had its NCT this morning. Passed no problem, emissions were fine, brake performance and balance fine, handbrake needs a bit of adjustment but not enough to fail.

Last year I got the local indie garage to do discs and pads on the front, all was fine, or so I thought. The NCT guy this morning told me to check the front right, that when they put the caliper back on they twisted it around, twisting the flexible brake hose. He implied he could have failed it for this but that he was having a good day!

Anyway, I took the caliper off and untwisted it this afternoon. First time going at a caliper/brake component. Reckon I could do the pads/discs myself next time. It's such a crap day I forgot to get a photo of it before though!

Gavman84

joujoujou wrote: »

Seeing those pictures I've very strong feeling they're giving lovely brown light.

No more brown light new unit in now so all good. Was only one was like that too other one is grand still! Easy job at least.

LollipopJimmy

Wise Old Elf wrote: »

2004 mk1 focus had its NCT this morning. Passed no problem, emissions were fine, brake performance and balance fine, handbrake needs a bit of adjustment but not enough to fail.

Last year I got the local indie garage to do discs and pads on the front, all was fine, or so I thought. The NCT guy this morning told me to check the front right, that when they put the caliper back on they twisted it around, twisting the flexible brake hose. He implied he could have failed it for this but that he was having a good day!

Anyway, I took the caliper off and untwisted it this afternoon. First time going at a caliper/brake component. Reckon I could do the pads/discs myself next time. It's such a crap day I forgot to get a photo of it before though!

Jeez, would have expected that to fail and wouldnt be an argument either. Fair play for fixing it yourself though, funnily enough brakes are one of the easier DIY jobs

Wise Old Elf

LollipopJimmy wrote: »

Jeez, would have expected that to fail and wouldnt be an argument either. Fair play for fixing it yourself though, funnily enough brakes are one of the easier DIY jobs

Yeah, it was decent of him to let it through. It wasn't kinked or leaking at least which probably helped.
It seems to have been a day for DIY. My neighbour gave me a hand doing the caliper earlier, then his clutch went, it was air in the hydraulic system as the fluid had gone low, so we bled that, then his feckin battery went so I had to tow him up off the driveway. He's back in action too

Wise Old Elf

Wise Old Elf wrote: »

2004 mk1 focus had its NCT this morning. Passed no problem, emissions were fine, brake performance and balance fine, handbrake needs a bit of adjustment but not enough to fail.

Last year I got the local indie garage to do discs and pads on the front, all was fine, or so I thought. The NCT guy this morning told me to check the front right, that when they put the caliper back on they twisted it around, twisting the flexible brake hose. He implied he could have failed it for this but that he was having a good day!

Anyway, I took the caliper off and untwisted it this afternoon. First time going at a caliper/brake component. Reckon I could do the pads/discs myself next time. It's such a crap day I forgot to get a photo of it before though!

Thats weird. In fairness, you'd actually have to put a bit of effort into twisting a brake hose and fitting the caliper rather than doing it properly.

shietpilot

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

Thats weird. In fairness, you'd actually have to put a bit of effort into twisting a brake hose and fitting the caliper rather than doing it properly.

I'd honestly be worried about the condition of the hose after all that. You have to remember that the brake hose is twisted already and it's being pulled back and worth as you steer. I'm wondering what condition it is in after a year of that :eek:

pablo128

Wise Old Elf wrote: »

Yeah, it was decent of him to let it through. It wasn't kinked or leaking at least which probably helped.
It seems to have been a day for DIY. My neighbour gave me a hand doing the caliper earlier, then his clutch went, it was air in the hydraulic system as the fluid had gone low, so we bled that, then his feckin battery went so I had to tow him up off the driveway. He's back in action too

Good man. It's nice to be able to repay a favour.

pablo128

Snotaul Goodman wrote: »

Thats weird. In fairness, you'd actually have to put a bit of effort into twisting a brake hose and fitting the caliper rather than doing it properly.

Ah I've seen it a good few times. On some cars it's easily done. Generally it doesn't affect the braking, but the pipe ends up sitting arseways and there's a high chance of it rubbing the tyre or rim, and that's where the danger is.

LollipopJimmy

Wise Old Elf wrote: »

Yeah, it was decent of him to let it through. It wasn't kinked or leaking at least which probably helped.
It seems to have been a day for DIY. My neighbour gave me a hand doing the caliper earlier, then his clutch went, it was air in the hydraulic system as the fluid had gone low, so we bled that, then his feckin battery went so I had to tow him up off the driveway. He's back in action too

Gotta love the logic of the NCT, potentially fatal fault and he let's you on but an insufficiently illuminated number plate and you'd have been in retest city. Only in Ireland

joujoujou

Lack of number plate light is not a fail anymore. Just advisory.

Although I agree with your logic in general.

rizzee

GvidoR wrote: »

I do love bargains. :P

Are you going to share where you got them?

I only have a passenger one and 2 rear, I need a drivers side one badly!! Is there anywhere I can buy a single one? The other 3 are like brand new and they're fitted so want to keep them

job seeker

GvidoR wrote: »

I do love bargains. :P

Teach me your ways master..

Top Dog

rizzee wrote: »

Are you going to share where you got them?

I only have a passenger one and 2 rear, I need a drivers side one badly!! Is there anywhere I can buy a single one? The other 3 are like brand new and they're fitted so want to keep them

I don't know where he got them for €6 - but Lidl have sets in since Thursday at €7.99

http://www.lidl.ie/en/Offers.htm?action=showDetail&id=36394

Ded_Zebra

Not everything was done today and unfortunately no pictures taken but over the last while the 166 has got a small bit of TLC. It passed the NCT back in January so in the eyes of the law it was good to go for another 14 months, however I was't happy with the suspension. New top and bottom arms went in the front and it was much improved!! . However, one of the new lower arms is squeaking thankfully the supplier is going to cover the cost to replace it as well as the labour.

The next thing was new discs and pads on the front. The old discs were warped and the pads were squealing. New ones are now perfect.

The front left wheel arch liner was smashed out of it when I hit a pothole so that was replaced with a pre-owned replacement!

Then it was on to minor stuff, the drivers door card developed a rattle that was a little annoying so today i pushed some foam pads into the gap between the door card and the door. Problem solved

Next, since I got the car it's had crappy radio reception. It's grand around Dublin but when I go home to Wicklow it's sucky. Today I changed the radio antenna amplifier and now it's excellent :cool:

Then finally I gave it a wash (the first since its NCT ) and also washed the interior mats.

So yeah, not the most exciting post but that should keep the car rolling happily for the next while.

YbFocus

Great days work deb!

Ded_Zebra

YbFocus wrote: »

Great days work deb!

Well it was't all today and it wasn't all done by me :pac: I refuse to work on my daily these days. Just not worth the stress. Mechanic did the suspension and brakes. I did the little things

Oh also just remembered, I replaced the fuse for the cigarette lighter too. The silly little things do a lot to make the car much better to live with day to day.

YbFocus

I done an egr in a friends car yesterday, won't believe how bad it was

Need to get near a laptop to throw it up!

GvidoR

rizzee wrote: »

Are you going to share where you got them?

I only have a passenger one and 2 rear, I need a drivers side one badly!! Is there anywhere I can buy a single one? The other 3 are like brand new and they're fitted so want to keep them

The car mats were from a discount store called Q2 in Carrick-on-Shannon. :P
The LED bulbs were from eBay.

I have one more bargain surprise coming soon.

YbFocus

He's bought a Maserati MC12 from ebay.de for €49.76

canhefixit

Got couple new tyres on the 05 connect this morning and noticed around the altenator is wet with oil, i never noticed any drip marks on drive, now im thinking were the hell is that leaking from? is that the pump beside it? are they prone to leak? oil level hasnt moved so if its a leak its a tiny one, for now anyway!

shietpilot

Went down to Kilcock Car Distmantlers today to get some wheel nuts that were designed for alloy wheels.

Took 20 wheel nuts off a Mondeo that just came in. 4 of those were secure lock nuts. I opened the glovebox and found a new lock nut socket and a 2 euro coin on the seat.

Paid 10 euro for the lot. Success :P