Soot Monster

[Nick Jones]

3 hours ago, thebrookster said:

Yeah, this reminds me as to why I no longer do my own repairs on the modern cars..........

Well….. yes. Though financial considerations aside, the timings are tricky as well. He has a 40 mile commute at least 5 days a week plus occasional on-call, so being without a car is logistically challenging.  I did investigate the cost of adding him to my insurance for Sooty 1, but baulked at £88 for a week. Because he’s a “young driver”. Been driving just over 7 years (more than 100k driven we calculated, less than the 130k cycled over a slightly longer period), clean licence, no claims/convictions ever and ALL they care about is <25!!  My opinions on the UK insurance industry cannot be put in print….  

[Escadrille Ecosse]

36 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

My opinions on the UK insurance industry cannot be put in print….  

Yup... it's nonsense

[Mark]

Had a shock getting quotes for the 650 Suzuki I just acquired. Last bike owned in 2021, a 2015 Triumph tiger 800xc full comp £300ish same company since buying the bike new. Maximum no claims expired after 2 years, and the previous insurers no longer covered bikes. First quote now without no claims bonus £2700 full comp, really, i just laughed. Rang around, next was £1500 then £650. In the end opted for TPFT £320. 60 years old, access to other vehicles, never had an accident or claim in 43 years of driving cars and motorbikes, means nothing.  Car renewal just came in £200 more the  last year.

[Escadrille Ecosse]

2 minutes ago, Mark said:

First quote now without no claims bonus £2700 full comp, really, i just laughed. Rang around, next was £1500 then £650.

Eh!

[flatter4]

3 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

Well….. yes. Though financial considerations aside, the timings are tricky as well. He has a 40 mile commute at least 5 days a week plus occasional on-call, so being without a car is logistically challenging.  I did investigate the cost of adding him to my insurance for Sooty 1, but baulked at £88 for a week. Because he’s a “young driver”. Been driving just over 7 years (more than 100k driven we calculated, less than the 130k cycled over a slightly longer period), clean licence, no claims/convictions ever and ALL they care about is <25!!  My opinions on the UK insurance industry cannot be put in print….  

Too right - complete fraudsters.

....added to the difficulty for young drivers is that they can't have TP driving other cars cover on their own insurance (as old fellas like me USUALLY get - but watch out some policies even exclude that for oldies.....)

[JohnD]

It's not him, Nick, it's all the other little wastrels who are <25!

Could he become a she - it's very fashionable!

Reported road casualties Great Britain, provisional results: 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Sex	Age group (years)	2022	% change from 2019	% change from 2012
Male	0 to 16	38	27	-27
Male	17 to 29	346	7	-17
Male	30 to 49	366	-3	-4
Male	50 to 69	296	-8	10
Male	70 and over	231	-9	5
Male	All ages	1,277	-2	-5
Female	0 to 16	16	-16	-24
Female	17 to 29	74	6	-24
Female	30 to 49	85	52	-11
Female	50 to 69	85	-28	8
Female	70 and over	155	-16	26
Female	All ages	415	-7	0

Edited December 3, 2023 by JohnD

[Nick Jones]

Yes John, but I would contend that a clean 7 year driving record (which your aforementioned little wastrels presumably can’t match) ought be worth worth rather more than it apparently is.

And the graph you posted doesn’t explain why all out elderly relatives are getting roasted on their renewals just now…..

[Escadrille Ecosse]

30 minutes ago, Nick Jones said:

And the graph you posted doesn’t explain why all out elderly relatives are getting roasted on their renewals just now…..

Quite.

Depressing to see that the number of non-motor vehicle killed and injured has hardly changed over the years. It's not lile they are the ones doing the killing.

[Nick Jones]

Sooty just trundles on. Was pressed into service for our holiday Up North in June due to crap weather forecast making the Vitesse look like a poor choice. Regrettably proved correct except for the last day when we roasted in motorway queues in the big black estate with non-functional AC….

More recently…,.

Double trouble….. a driveway full of the maintenance-hostile misery that is the A4 B6. The nearer one is the Junior Sootmonster, shortly due an MoT. The further one belongs to a neighbour and recently failed an MoT with a short but nasty list of the usual horrors.  He was getting “sod-off” prices from local garages (because they are smart!), so for some unfathomable reason I volunteered.

Stupid boy…..

ABS sensor was definitely not-functional, but evicting it was a major battle.

Another broken rear spring…. I actually changed both. And changed all four of the upper link bushes at the front. Without undoing the pinch bolts of doom….. because they wouldn’t. Don’t recommend….. but alternatives are worse.

Suspect I’ll be doing this again on the Junior Sooty all too soon. At least the special press tool is already developed!

[Escadrille Ecosse]

Got a good Audi vibe going 

Bit of work there. None of it looking particularly fun.

The thing that looks like it's full of wood shavings???

Need to be careful about being too nice 

Good for Sooty though. Non functional a/c aside.

[Nick Jones]

On 7/29/2024 at 10:11 PM, Nick Jones said:

Suspect I’ll be doing this again on the Junior Sooty all too soon. At least the special press tool is already developed!

Oh yeah….. here we are

side one, second bush (first newly swapped one visible in the background. It hasn’t seen the MoT man yet, but as I was amazed he passed ‘em last year, I had some in stock and I’ve developed a tool…..

Was feeling quite positive at this point as they’d both been relatively obliging. Then I discovered that a track-rod end was fully bolloxed too and the bushes on the other put up a right battle…..

Hopefully there aren’t too many horrors in store at the rear ‘cause I’m bored with it!

[Nick Jones]

^^ This little bastard has put its ABS light on…. Again. Code reader says it’s the left rear sensor and it’s an electrical fault as the code comes back immediately when cleared. This means almost certainly that the sensor itself is crushed by the corrosion of its mounting hole.  Joy….. I do so love this job - NOT!  
 

In better news, this morning the actual Soot Monster passed its 25th MoT with no advisories.  They don’t make ‘em like that anymore….

[Escadrille Ecosse]

6 hours ago, Nick Jones said:

In better news, this morning the actual Soot Monster passed its 25th MoT with no advisories.  They don’t make ‘em like that anymore….

That's nice 

[Nick Jones]

4 hours ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

That's nice 

It is. I need it the next few days!

[Nick Jones]

The other pestilential VAG product in the family, the bandit Skoda, has been deemed surplus (and too decrepit even for us!), so a new battery was blagged from Halfords under warranty and it was put up for sale. Of course it was at this point it decided it would no longer start. Crank…yes. But not run….. this is a new game. He nearly called the knacker!

After much telephone discussion and googling we established that it would briefly run on easy start and also that it would run, though very roughly if the cam sensor was unplugged.  This tended to suggest that the cam timing had moved….

Long story short, we investigated the cam belt and found it to be in ok condition and still correctly tensioned, but no longer quite in time. Only conclusion was that the adjustable cam pulley (standard) had moved just enough to be a problem. Put it back in time (after some jiggering about with a confusing selection of timing tools - always rotate by hand before attempting to start!!!) and it fired right up.

Now up for sale again!

 

[Escadrille Ecosse]

They know you know...

Success though 

[Nick Jones]

38 minutes ago, Escadrille Ecosse said:

They know you know...

Yeah…. Seems so….

[Nick Jones]

Bandit Skoda has gone to live with someone else - who apparently aims to save it. Brave.

Meanwhile the A4 remains without the RL ABS sensor….. (oh, the anticipation )

And, Sooty had an oil and filter change, because oil is cheaper than engines.

 

[Nick Jones]

Sooty is still dragging itself around. Particularly filthy at present due to rally setting duties (it got to do the route 3 times in 5 days!) as the lanes are still really grim.

It’s acquired a new stink of diesel, which seems to be the injection pump sweating from every joint…. The internet suggests I’ve done well to get this far without renewing the seals. Apparently the relevant seals can be removed without taking the pump out - if you are very careful! Though as the drive belt and various tensioners are also overdue for renewal, might be better to take it off altogether…..

And the turbo still needs changing. 

Think the front subframe bushes want changing too……

It might have to have a couple of weeks off come summer!

[Escadrille Ecosse]

Tough old burd. Obviously has a bit of a rubber 'thing' going on in her old age 

[Nick Jones]

On 11/8/2024 at 7:32 PM, Nick Jones said:

Bandit Skoda has gone to live with someone else - who apparently aims to save it. Brave.

Meanwhile the A4 remains without the RL ABS sensor….. (oh, the anticipation )

And, Sooty had an oil and filter change, because oil is cheaper than engines.

 

Bandit Skoda has been seen around a few times, so clearly it has been saved.  It’s a survivor!

Sooty has had another oil and filter change but the other outstanding jobs remain outstanding.

However, the A4 Junior Sootmonster has an MoT shortly so I could no longer ignore the ABS sensor….

Here it is….. That cap-head bolt is always a massive problem as it’s through-drilled into the suspension link and right in the salty spray zone. The fact that the flange on the sensor is aluminium is the final nail in hopes coffin. This time I tried giving it all a good toasting first but just waste of gas as the bolt was so rotten where it goes through the flange it just snapped at the first hint of force.

The sensor was stuck fast in its hole too. This is what kills them - crushed by rust!

Further into the beating it to fragments process….

After removing calipers, disk and backplate you still don’t get a straight shot at the bolt. That means removing the hub - an 18mm Allen head (don’t have the tool) done up ridiculously tight. No thanks. Access from behind is too limited for a drill. So I drilled a not entirely straight hole and filed it. Inelegant but effective.

General mayhem….. Even sorting the cable run is a nightmare.  

Got there in the end. Also did oil and filters change and its owner hoovered it out. Shop vac has gained alot of weight!

 

[Escadrille Ecosse]

All rather challenging. Fair play though 👍

[Nick Jones]

If I never have to do another it’s just fine with me!

[thebrookster]

As much as I complain about my Ranger and it's propensity to consume a minimum of one front ABS sensor a year, this makes me realise how much better off I have it!

Ford fortunately mounted the sensor vertically above the hub. So even when it snaps off like yours has it is a relatively simple job to drill out without requiring any disassembly. Well, other than removing the wheel.

You do seem to have a slight penchant for taking on the more difficult jobs, it has to be said Nick!

[Nick Jones]

1 hour ago, thebrookster said:

You do seem to have a slight penchant for taking on the more difficult jobs

Just dealing with what comes…. Having had 3 older Audis which were (and in one case still is) remarkably trouble free and reasonably maintenance-friendly, the wider family has moved on to more recent models which are not only less reliable but maintenance-hostile too. The B6 A4 is especially foul to work on. This particular example was ejected from my brother’s household for going wrong a lot and being expensive to fix. Unfortunately they appear to have sent it to “Baboon Garage” and it still bears scars of deeply untalented attention. The current keeper has done ok with it - nearly 70k added to the original 100k odd, but it’s caused me some cussing and skinned knuckles along the way.