joeninho

Thanks, JR. What do you mean by preload the piston with a G Clamp? I do have a G clamp. Just not sure where to put it. Edited to add that I haven't touched the brakes since starting the job. Yes, I think the pads were worn through.

Still struggling, guys. Can't get the plate for the rewind tool in to use it properly due to there not being enough of a gap between the piston and the caliper. Any ideas?

The missus is hoping she'll be driving this to work on Monday... I'm displaying supreme confidence...with you guys in the background!

JR, at the risk of sounding like a numpty, how would I identify the knurled adjusting sleeve? Cheers, J.

Dude, this is almost exactly the kit I have, although I grabbed a bar at random and I wasn't using the fixing plate part, which made it a huge pain in the ass. Hugely helpful. Thank you! J.

Hi AG, Yes, I am using a brake caliper wind back tool, although I do feel like a bit of a muppet in that I am not sure of the answer to your second question. It has two Tommy Bars with it and various fittings. Currently in the garage awaiting tomorrow's attempt! I just grabbed one of them and used it as it seemed to tighten the piston, although only in a limited sense, as mentioned above. Thanks, Joe.

Hi guys, I am currently in the process of changing the rear discs and pads on our Roomster. Disassembly has been ok. I have hit a bit of a snag with rewinding the piston. It doesn't seem to be winding in fully. The piston is not loose, yet it keeps turning when the Tommy bar goes clockwise. It comes out when going anti clockwise, so I'm fairly certain that it's being turned the right way. If you loosen it, it gets loose, then clockwise will get it tightened so far, but it stops winding in yet it keeps turning. Not sure I explained that very well! Any advice on how to get it fully in? There is a nut behind it on the caliper. Does this need to be held firm as you wind to get it fully in? Otherwise, I'm stumped! I would try just now, but the darkness has gotten the better of me. Photo included. Thanks in advance, Joe.

Hi guys, Not having much luck with the cars at the moment. Our 2009 1.4D Roomster is now playing up. It appears to be fine on cold starts, although when the engine is hot and you try to start it up, it stutters a lot and struggles to start, although it always starts eventually. Looks like this issue is becoming slowly, yet progressively worse. Any thoughts? Thanks, Joe.

Hi guys, *Just realised I posted on the wrong thread. Please delete, Admin. Now posted on Roomster thread.* Not having much luck with the cars at the moment. Our 2009 1.4D Roomster is now playing up. It appears to be fine on cold starts, although when the engine is hot and you try to start it up, it stutters a lot and struggles to start, although it always starts eventually. Looks like this issue is becoming slowly, yet progressively worse. Any thoughts? Thanks, Joe.

Thanks guys. It has seen better days, so probably best that I look for a replacement. Interesting one about incorrect oil, as it has had different oil put in on a couple of occasions. One to note for the future. Any thoughts on life expectancy with it at this stage? Or is it how long is a piece of string? Cheers, Joe.

Hi guys, Wondering if anyone can help with this one. I am driving a 2004 1.9PD Octy with 200k on the clock. Recently, it has been running really rough. In particular, when stationary with the engine running, there is a rapid tapping sound. This is noticeably loud. Also, when driving it sounds and feels really rough (loud). When accelerating at about 55-60, it gets really bad where you can often feel the vibrations in the seat and your feet. Occasionally, when you let off the accelerator, it feels/sounds like there is a slight grunt. I have attached an audio file of the tapping noise. Any ideas on what the issue could be? Thanks in advance, Joe. Car .wav

Great advice, John. Thanks for that. I'll give this a go in the morning. 👍 Joe.

Thanks for the reply, John. I still don't have a solution. Could you provide a little more info on what you mean by connect a lead to the starter cable? Thanks, Joe.

Hi guys, In short, battery totally dead, car deadlocked. Key won't open door, as it just keeps turning. I was planning on jump starting it to get it to the garage, as it was booked in for tomorrow - drop off today. I figured if I could open the bonnet, I could get enough charge in the battery to operate the locks and then jump start it. Any advice on popping the bonnet? Took bottom grill off. Can access bonnet lever that appears when boot is popped and can see the downward hanging hook. Tried looping some wire around this and pulling in various directions but no joy. No sign of bonnet cable. Been reading threads about the taking wheel and trim etc off. Was hoping for a quick solution to get it to the garage this afternoon. Any advice gratefully received. Thanks, Joe.

Hi guys, Apologies if their is a thread on this already. Tried searching boot latch/catch battery drain and couldn't find a similar thread. Octavia Elegance 1.9PD 2004. In the last few days, when I close the boot, it stays shut for a few seconds and then it pops open slightly. You can then hear the mechanism repeatedly trying to open and close. As the electrical mechanism is doing it constantly, it has been draining the battery and so my car wouldn't start this morning. Could anyone point me in the direction of a fix? Even another thread with this issue of there is one? Thanks in advance, Joe.

Hi guys, My question is actually about an 05 Touran, although I always get sage advice here, so here goes... Can anyone give me a rough cost for these jobs? Trying to decide whether to just get shot or give it a go. I have tools, but not done much other than the basics. Could you rate the difficulty of each of these jobs? 1 being easy and 5 being mega difficult. 1. Both front suspension arms rear bushes worn 2. Ns ball joint dangerous 3. Rear lower engine mount worn 4. Exhaust leak on flexy pipe on kat ( would need kat ) 5. Strange engine noise coming from dual mass 6. Fault still on abs module 7. Anti skid light on , due to abs fault Many thanks, Joe.

Great stuff, JR. Thanks for the info - I will give this one a go as well and pick up a cheapo from the seller you mentioned. I will keep you guys posted on the ooutcome...

Thanks for the replies guys and the very generous offer, Munfred. Much appreciated. My local garage put it through it's MOT today and fitted the spring free of charge, so that was a bonus, although it still feels like a hollow victory. Anyway the saga continues... They put the brake caliper for the near side rear as an advisory and said it needs changing soon. Well, they were not wrong! I have just driven the car home from the garage and the rear wheel is roasting hot. Some quick reading suggests the caliper is indeed the culprit, although I also read something about the handbrake cable, which is interesting, as I could move the car fairly easily by rolling the back wheel. Undeterred from my latest defeat, I am determined that my shiny new tool set sees some more action and so I think I will give the caliper a go. Is this one that I can reasonably take on? If it is, keep your eyes posted for a new thread! 🤣 Looks like my old Skoda could be a good proving ground. Thanks again, Joe.

Thanks for the post MicMac. Are you saying that it should be safe enough using only the trolley jack to compress the spring? I would say it is a good 8 or 9 inches. Got it down to 3 earlier then bottled it. My concern is having the spring compressed then bashing about near it with screwdrivers and hammers to get the bolt in. Read some random (non briskoda) threads talking about the danger of working with compressed springs. That gave me the fear! 🤣 If I am being a wuss, say so!

Ok guys. Not a complete success, although I did manage to reassemble with the aid of leveling the car, using a screwdriver and wedging a stone in there. Needs must! Not overly impressed, but nonetheless, I've skilled up a bit with the tips and tricks from all of you, so thank you. Now to see if I have the stones to take it off and try again based on MicMac's post... 🤔

We'll, I'm having a nightmare this morning, guys... So much for 15 minutes a side! 🤣 So, I used the trolley jack to compress the springs. With about 3 inches to go it was feeling a bit ropey, so I thought discretion is the better part of valour. Called my local garage and they will fit the springs for 30-60 mins labour. I'll be back to fight another day. Fair enough, so I'll just reassemble it then... At the moment, I cannot get these holes to line up. No amount of levering, hammering or swearing will get the arm to budge. Any thoughts? Pic below.

I'm happy to give it a go with the trolley jack. One of the reasons for posting was to get options on whether it was safe to do so. I would imagine that a compressed spring could do me some damage if it came flying out!

Another couple of pics to see if that will shed any light on matters...

I'm pretty sure it's the correct spring, as it looks identical when sitting side by side with the broken spring. Also fairly certain it's seated correctly, although any advice is welcome.

Hi guys, I'm pretty much a novice when it comes to car DIY, but decided to skill myself up. One of my coil springs broke and I decided to change it having read the historical briskoda threads and watching the videos. 15 minutes a side... What could go wrong! In the video, the guy has about one inch to compress with the trolley jack to make the holes meet up on the control arm. I have around 8/9 inches to compress. Should I be doing this with a trolley jack? That seems like a lot of compression. On the videos they are all pretty close to having the holes match up without any tension, so this seems a little odd to me. I've included a pic as a reference point. Probably shouldn't have booked my MOT for Tuesday! Updated to add it's a 2004 (54) Octavia Elegance Hatchback. Thanks, Joe.