StevesTruck

Yeah, they do fit at some filling stations. I dodged a bullet the other week nearly doing the same thing at a Shell garage. Personally, I'd keep the tank filled above half for as many miles as possible, so it keeps any contamination as diluted as possible, but that's really splitting hairs, and not one to worry about either way.

I don't know much about valeting stuff, but could be worth heating it up to see if it melts and reforms as it should? Stand the can in a bucket of hot water?

A litre should be fine, I'd always say buy an extra one just in case and take it back if you don't need it.

Last time it had an engine put in, the only thing they'd got to lend her was a Stinger GT. That and she's got a habit of picking up a courtesy car with a full tank of fuel and taking it back on less than fumes 🤣

I don't know how much they're sharing tech with Kia (I know if used to be a lot), but a mate of mine's got a Sportage that's on it's 3rd engine. 7 year warranty though, so she's not bothered

Washing up liquid's a bad idea. Dishwasher tablets work well though. I could be wrong, but - My instinct is, the heater matrix is blocked and the system's got a load of rad weld and/or crap in it.

That makes me think the easiest thing to do is pull a full beam with the brakes on off an old Ibiza/Polo/Fabia. I've not tried it on one of these cars, but on my old Polo, there was quite a bit of adjustment left in the compensator before the back end was anywhere near to going twitchy.

Yep, I can imagine the back end of a Grinall letting go in the wet would be quite an emotional experience.

The 1mm minimum on the grinall is probably because it's a legally a bike not a car as tyres go. Still not a good idea though.

Hard to say, wheel bearings are funny old things that can make all manner of noises. A drumming noise that changes with road speed is a fair indication, jack the front end up and give the front wheels a spin, see if one feels rougher than the other. Go in prepared for a fight with tight fastenings. It's going to happen. If you haven't got an impact wrench and can't borrow one, it's well worth looking at hiring one for the weekend, or the less scrupulous amongst us might be tempted to buy one, use it and take it back.

They're not bad to do if you replace the unit with the hub. You can buy the bearing by itself, but it's not worth the trouble. As above, make sure you've got the right sockets and spline bit before you start. If you can get your hands on a decent impact gun, it makes it an easy job.

Sounds a bit unusual, they don't normally beep either. I wonder if it's got an aftermarket immobiliser on?

If they're 185/60/14's, the price difference between a budget and a brand name tyre is that little that there's no point putting cheap ones on. We put a set of Toyos on dad's because they were that cheap, there was no reason not to.

We've all done it or got close to doing it. Check your breakdown cover, because they might cover for misfuelling. The misfuelling specialists tend to be pretty expensive for what they do. I'd be amazed if it needs any more that the tank draining, new filter and the system flushing through. Not a drama and you might be better with a trusted independant garage, or having a go at DIY'ing it.

There's nothing particularly specialist about adding a key on those. Whereabouts in the country are you? Someone might be able to recommend a better locksmith.

Depends if you're trying to catch Roadrunner

You can probably get it started in the right direction with a bit of rough improvisation. Use a pair of water pump pliers to wiggle the pot round a bit, give it a tap inwards with a little hammer and a bit of wood, or a squeeze with the windback with the adaptor taken off. Take baby steps, and repeat at length. If that doesn't work, try applying slight pressure with the windback took as you wiggle the pot round. The alternative is a wind back tool that's meant for these calipers only, so you should get a bit more clearance to get the tool in with not having to use an adaptor.

Sadly not, the outer seal isn't a perfect one, so there will still be a bit of water coming in if it rains. Can't see it really being an issue unless it really buckets down though.

Try, really carefully, threading a long bit of straightened, stiff wire down each of the drain holes. That will show you if they've come off, if they're blocked, and where they appear under the car. Personal opinion, this is worth doing once a year on any car with a sunroof to clear blocks before they appear.

If you can't feel the hard stop at the end of the racks travel, I'd say it's not a software issue but something physically affecting the movement.

Or one of the many dubious previous owners. I only use the finest Lidl Spring to dilute coolant.

I had what looked like an original belt replaced on a 15 year old, 160k, Ibiza TDI replaced a few years ago, 2 days after I'd done a track day in the car. The mechanic was a VW specialist and was pretty sure the whole kit was factory. When the belt came off, it hadn't actually broken, but it had cracks behind every tooth and holes in it. The tensioners were all grating when you spun them. The water pump was full of limescale. So yeah, it is possible to get away with it. I really, really wouldn't recommend trying it though 🤣

I think Pete's on the right trail with this. If not: Does it feel the same with the car jacked up so there's no weight on the front wheels or suspension? Ideally, followed by the same check with the car supported on axle stands under the lower arms, close to the ball joints? Other suspicion, but not as likely as Pete's is the topmounts have been undone, refitted and the bearings haven't survived it.

They go through a lot of heat cycles, so they're always tight. Best bet is to get the blowtorch on it before you even start trying to remove it. It's not best practice, but - If I'm not planning on using the sensor again, I've been known to stick the Stilson's on the body of the sensor. Worst case you snap it off and leave the nut at a convenient length to put an impact socket on.

As I understand it, it's a pretty negligible difference to be fair. There's plenty of cars on the road where a wheel's been fitted either with a brace or by a monkey with a buzzgun.