What I broke today...........

[JOEPRO]

merc slk wiper blades are cheaper from the dealer (with trade discount) than from my local factors for bosch.

But the washer jet is £50!

 

[bricol]

Thanks Mercedes, guess it wasn't the anti roll bar link rattling then

Modern car makers - don't flatten the last coil and grind the end flat - instead make a deformed spring pan so the end sits into it - puts the point of max stress between 1-" and a full turn up the spring. Combine that with thinner steel, coatings that crack and start rust causing crack iniators . . and "bang" . .

Three replaced on other halves Fiesta in just over a year.

Hard driven Lancia with 1970's thickness of springs . . . lets just say they are now 34 yrs old.

When sorting out some issues on the rear of my Alfa 159 Q4, discovered both rear springs were snapped one coil up . . . can't say I'd noticed, suspect they were like it when I bought it - compared to the Lancia its a jelly to drive anyway. Got better when I took them out - Alfa code springs with coloured dots . . neither spring were the correct ones for the car, or indeed, for the same car! Cheaper to buy a complete set of four Eibach springs that just two Alfa ones - problem is it lowered it 20mm . . looks nice, but a grounds out on the silliest things - entrance ramp in and out of Hudds hospital for example.

 

[OJCar]

@boubon said "I 'think' I've blown the turbo on my Octavia,"

If your lucky it’s a split hose

+1 Had just that happen to mine, plastic pipe had popped out.
Pushed back in and a self tapper thro it as clip was tired.

 

[bourbon]

If that happened to me (again - last time was maybe 15 yra ago) on my Lancia, my first thought and check would be a hose blown off the intercooler.

Some cars, with plastic tanks on the intercooler, its the tank coming (part) off.

I've not worked on my cars for, what?' twenty years now. I don't even know where the turbo is! I think it's at the back. I've found the air box and there is a great big pipe across the back of the engine, Can't see anything obviously loose.

 

[OJCar]

I've not worked on my cars for, what?' twenty years now. I don't even know where the turbo is! I think it's at the back. I've found the air box and there is a great big pipe across the back of the engine, Can't see anything obviously loose.

On mine it was round the back of the engine, only accessible (or seeable) from underneath with the under tray off.

 

[dobbslc]

merc slk wiper blades are cheaper from the dealer (with trade discount) than from my local factors for bosch.

Yep I get genuine Toyota wiper blades from Roughtrax a they're only about £11 each.

 

[Farside]

No I haven't.

And I'm sure there are lots of examples of hugh prices too. But for general service parts they are usually very competitive.

I buy 20L of genuine full synthetic engine oil from my MB dealer for £60+ vat as one example. You won't find cheaper engine oil anywhere else....

Granted I get discounted prices for service items when I'm there as I buy alot of parts for my own cars from them.

I was pleasantly surprised when doing my Sh*tOldToyota, it was cheaper to buy OEM cambelt, waterpump and tensioner from the main dealer than from the local factor - who is generally good in price.
Same can't be said for VW dealer, who want an eye-watering €350+VAT for a new ignition key - I told them where it could fit.

 

[Cobbler]

I was pleasantly surprised when doing my Sh*tOldToyota, it was cheaper to buy OEM cambelt, waterpump and tensioner from the main dealer than from the local factor - who is generally good in price.
Same can't be said for VW dealer, who want an eye-watering €350+VAT for a new ignition key - I told them where it could fit.

Bit like my Skoda reversing sensor, looked on the web, £8. Rang Skoda, £88+ vat. Needless to say I got one off the web, when I fitted it, I found it had the Skoda part number on it & the same manufacturer, exactly t he same part.

 

[arther dailey]

yea like clockwork on the railway crossing and allways the 1st coil the quality of modern springs is diabolical its rare that springs ever used to snap . ive had 4 go in the last 15 years in winter i normaly try and miss potholes and go over speed bumps slower because the steel is more brittle when its freezing

I think you hit the nail on the head there , dont think the heat treatment is on par , and I do the exact same (more due to my back though) on some roads if the old bill were following probably get pulled suspecting drink driving

 

[bourbon]

UPDATE: Although the garage guy was on his own today (usually 2-3 mechanics and a receptionist. Family run business) he was good enough to take a quick look. Looks like that a pipe has blown off the bottom of the intercooler. The guy doesn't know the extent of the damage yet. It may just clip back on. If not. new intercooler. Better than a new turbo. Just been on Euro car parts If it won't clip on a new intercooler is £147.99 + fitting

 

[MattF]

I was pleasantly surprised when doing my Sh*tOldToyota, it was cheaper to buy OEM cambelt, waterpump and tensioner from the main dealer than from the local factor - who is generally good in price.
Same can't be said for VW dealer, who want an eye-watering €350+VAT for a new ignition key - I told them where it could fit.

I tended to find, when I had the Surf, that the local Toyota dealer was quite reasonable on price for service items. Used to get filters from them. Any cosmetic item was extortionate though.

 

[Blobber]

That'll be why there is no left hand steering then, looks like a hose has popped!

 

[OJCar]

That'll be why there is no left hand steering then, looks like a hose has popped!
View attachment 487681

"Thar She Blows !" © Captain Ahab

 

[GRW]

I think it broke itself (common apparently) - but 2-days-ago the dreaded ABS Light came on, on my 2006 Mk6 Fiesta 1.4tdci van. Bugger.
I've only just replaced an engine mount, lubed the gear linkage on the gearbox, it's chuffing Injector stopped chuffing a few weeks ago.... even the noisy clutch seems to have muted a lot - the wee van is running the best it ever has since I got it.... so something had to spoil it.

I was going to jack it up & check wheel sensors etc - when my near-neighbour (RAC Guy) who was working on his partners car brakes offered to plug his diagnostic in.... the outcome is that the dreaded ABS pump is goosed (code C1095). Reset no good, and I removed battery & tray to have a good look at the abs module, & managed to unplug it & visual check wiring & connectors - and nothing obvious. Damn.

It's an utter pig to get at (of course) - and looks much worse to remove/replace. On top of that - Ford apparently coded the abs module to the ECU (the profiteering scumbags), so buying a working used would still incur a shafting from a Main Stealer to code it. Damn.

I can ignore it. I could work out a wiring dodge to frig the warning light for next MoT - or I could get my module off the van, pay for my unit to be refurbished and then refit.

Anyone got any thoughts?

 

[Blobber]

I think it broke itself (common apparently) - but 2-days-ago the dreaded ABS Light came on, on my 2006 Mk6 Fiesta 1.4tdci van. Bugger.
I've only just replaced an engine mount, lubed the gear linkage on the gearbox, it's chuffing Injector stopped chuffing a few weeks ago.... even the noisy clutch seems to have muted a lot - the wee van is running the best it ever has since I got it.... so something had to spoil it.

I was going to jack it up & check wheel sensors etc - when my near-neighbour (RAC Guy) who was working on his partners car brakes offered to plug his diagnostic in.... the outcome is that the dreaded ABS pump is goosed (code C1095). Reset no good, and I removed battery & tray to have a good look at the abs module, & managed to unplug it & visual check wiring & connectors - and nothing obvious. Damn.

It's an utter pig to get at (of course) - and looks much worse to remove/replace. On top of that - Ford apparently coded the abs module to the ECU (the profiteering scumbags), so buying a working used would still incur a shafting from a Main Stealer to code it. Damn.

I can ignore it. I could work out a wiring dodge to frig the warning light for next MoT - or I could get my module off the van, pay for my unit to be refurbished and then refit.

Anyone got any thoughts?

There's a place you can send them off to get fixed, our local garage uses a firm, I can get the number if you need it

 

[GRW]

There's a place you can send them off to get fixed, our local garage uses a firm, I can get the number if you need it

Thanks!
RAC neighbour just had one done - he's got a place in Nottingham he's used many times that he highly recommends. It just cost him £244 to get an 05 Renault Espace ABS module repaired (turned around in 48-hours).

I'll get the details from him - perhaps it's the same Co! - Having options is always good
(I'll happily share his Contact also).

Cheers, G.

 

[Blobber]

Thanks!
RAC neighbour just had one done - he's got a place in Nottingham he's used many times that he highly recommends. It just cost him £244 to get an 05 Renault Espace ABS module repaired (turned around in 48-hours).

I'll get the details from him - perhaps it's the same Co! - Having options is always good
(I'll happily share his Contact also).

Cheers, G.

Sounds similar, they had just had a corsa one done, common problem apparently for the same sort of money

 

[Farside]

There's a place you can send them off to get fixed, our local garage uses a firm, I can get the number if you need it

I'd be obliged if you could drop me a message with their number, too.

 

[droopsnoot]

My mains-powered Katsu die grinder is getting very noisy and rough - I suspect there might be a bearing on the way out. Their web site (AIM tools) doesn't list any spares for it, though I might email them to check. I've had it since 2019 and it's had quite a lot of use, but I'd still rather spend a few quid on a bearing than £40 on a new one, which will inevitably creep up to £50 for the brushless version.

 

[Mark 5]

My mains-powered Katsu die grinder is getting very noisy and rough - I suspect there might be a bearing on the way out. Their web site (AIM tools) doesn't list any spares for it, though I might email them to check. I've had it since 2019 and it's had quite a lot of use, but I'd still rather spend a few quid on a bearing than £40 on a new one, which will inevitably creep up to £50 for the brushless version.

There will be a number on the bearing just match that up with a Fag or NSK brand, sealed or unsealed bearing unit, won't be much.