MikeTheThinker

You can buy new badges on AliExpress, plus a quick strip and repaint= new-looking hub centres :)

I think you need part #4 on this catalogue page: https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/1z0601149/hub-cap-1z0601149 Note; the picture matches but it is shown against a different wheel. A quick fleabay for 1z0601149 brings up a number of options.

I see the water's a bit cloudy :)

A true inheritor of the "BUFF" appellation ...

"You're never alone with a clone" :)

I was given a 'rule of thumb' budget estimate recently for simple panel repair and respray; the panel in question had some small dents but no buckles and no corrosion. The estimate was £300 per panel. There are roughly 10 panels on an Octy so 10 x £300 less 20%(?) for doing them all at once? You might be better off looking for another Octy and selling this one on.

1. Liverpool – one in 210 drivers banned (3,154 people) 2. Bradford – one in 210 drivers banned (2,159 people) 3. Teesside – one in 213 drivers banned (2,207 people) 4. Llandudno – 1 in 244 drivers banned (1,737 people) 5. Wakefield – 1 in 248 drivers banned (1,691 people) 6. Blackburn – 1 in 251 drivers banned (1,577 people) 7. Leeds – 1 in 253 drivers banned (2,457 people) 8. Oldham – 1 in 254 drivers banned (1,470 people) 9. Sunderland – 1 in 255 drivers banned (713 people) 10. Halifax – 1 in 264 drivers banned (485 people) https://www.lancs.live/news/lancashire-news/town-lancashire-one-uks-worst-31495233

From Fleet News this morning: "Non-compliant brake fluid warning after stock still available A second safety warning has been issued for a non-compliant brake fluid that could impact stopping distances and degrade braking systems. The warning was issued by the Verification of Lubricant Specifications (VLS) after stock of Mannol Brake Fluid DOT 4 3002 was found to be still available and still non-compliant. In December 2023, VLS received a complaint claiming that the product failed in critical performance areas required for safe brake operation. " https://www.fleetnews.co.uk/news/non-complaint-brake-fluid-warning-after-stock-still-available?gutid=6419

You're right, of course. I was in the middle of doing something else and flashed on problems I used to have with the Citroens we had for some years.

Power steering fluid?

Before you abandon her have a word with a local body shop. There's nothing structural at risk behind the dents so they may be able to pull it straight and make it up. The insurers should offer you a retention price to keep the car they would write off; seems to run from 1/3 to 1/4 of the write-off offer.

Have you considered fitting higher wattage headlamp bulbs? I upgraded my mk1 to 100W with new bulbs and the headlamps worked really well without untoward beam scatter. Even Mr MoT passed the car several years running without query. https://vi.aliexpress.com/item/1005007488689896.html

Excellent budgie pics, Gromit :)

More 'kinell than Grinall ...

Bonnet pull is in the driver's footwell on both pre and post FL. Caution; ensure the pull is straight back/up from the footwell as pulling to the side may leave you with a piece of plastic in your paw and no bonnet release!

I've just had a look at the wiring diagrams from Mr Haynes fine manual (!) and note that all the courtesy lights are on the same power feed, so if the cabin interior lights are OK the problem is downstream. Can you check the feed wire to one of the boot lights? It should be Red/Brown and with the interior lights on (to show power is getting there from the control relay) you should show 12v to earth. If that's OK, try earthing the earth side of the interior light. If it lights your problem is downstream wiring to the switch, the switch or the switch earth. If no light, the bulb or the light fitting are faulty. I'll ferret a bit more later to see if there's anything helpful regarding the reversing sensors.

The flickering tail lights as reported earlier do strongly suggest an electrical problem of some sort.

Can you manually push the door window down enough to slide in and release the bonnet? If so you can then start to check the battery and work out from there.

Do the tail lights work OK? Also reversing lights, brake lights and number plate lights?

You may well have already tried this but if your car is set up to only open the driver's door on one fob button press you need two presses about 1/2 second apart to open the other doors.

This is a suspicion, but I've noted elsewhere that CANBUS-related fails often appear shortly after the device in question appears to operate OK, and my assumption is the direct connect circuit/s work ok on switch-on but whatever CANBUS test protocol the car computer is running eventually times out, the unit is flagged as 'failed' and the computer disables the power feed. A good case in example is the classic sidelight failure, where the car OKs the sidelight on switch on but some indeterminate time later flags it up as 'failing', only for the apparent problem to disappear again after an ignition reset. Such faults are often caused by poor connections which lead to a sensed high resistance via CANBUS resulting in failure. What to do about this? Check and clean all relevant connections - starting with the device in question and working back 'upstream'. You can do a quick 'earth quality' check using a decent multimeter but are earth connections are repeated through the car this test may not be reliable. Once connections are checked and cleaned, dose with an appropriate electrical contact spray - not WD40 - and close up as appropriate.

Is your car a facelift or pre-FL model? Also, are the headlights the gas discharge type?

Just FYI normally the nozzles are colour-coded to the fuel - black for diesel, green for petrol and sometimes red for high-octane petrol.

The Engine Management Computer adjusts the fuel/air ratio depending on a number of factors including engine and ambient temperatures, throttle position etc. It will richen the mixture for cold starts and running, then weaken it as things warm up, so maybe there is something in that to consider?

Some advice, please, regarding a replacement digi camera. I had until recently (it's just been burgled) a Canon T70 film camera and assorted lenses but it got set aside as I spent more time on two wheels and needed a 'pocketable' digi camera for convenience. Both are now history. I'm looking at relatively current digi (doesn't need to be new) and something which will give me an equivalent to the 35-70 lens I liked on the Canon. I have no aspirations to being a 'proper photographer' but would like more control of my image framing, composition and exposure than I can get via a phone camera. BTW I'm still using a Samsung S10 which is pretty good but relatively ancient. As a pensioner with two houses in need of fettling before I can liberate any funds from them I'm look for cheap to reasonable. Any recommendations out there?