On 10/02/2024 at 11:46, D.FYLAKTOS said:

2) Some years later i was going to take my car for work when i saw some people gathered in front of my car, i said ''Oh no, accident" but when i get close they told me that there was a cat trapped and do not move it, i explain them that i can not stand all day and i had to go to work, they insisted that i must stay there till the cat goes away, i said to them ''Forget it, i have to go", they start shouting but my final answer was ''NO".

I looked beneath and there was no cat so it must be inside the engine day, i said to them that i will raise the hood so they can reach the cat by their own responsibility, so it happened, was a kitten and fortunately no damages.

That is not humane, I rather be late than to risk a poor kittens life

On 10/02/2024 at 10:46, D.FYLAKTOS said:

 

Maybe the Kittens like the smell of my 10W-40 Synthetic oil, i can not explain it otherwise

 

Cats often use the engine bay as a shelter, drawn by warmth of the engine. A neighbour found a cat in the engine bay after driving from Prague - some 80km.

On 10/02/2024 at 09:46, D.FYLAKTOS said:

i said to them ''Forget it, i have to go", they start shouting but my final answer was ''NO".

Luckily it wasn't your final answer.  Just to let you know if you had just driven off in this country that would have been deliberate animal cruelty which AFAIK is against UK law.  Not that it matters if it is legal law.  If I was there I'm sure I'd have helped with persuading you not to just drive off without me or someone else looking, even if I was the only one there.  You are old and experienced enough to know what attitude to at least adopt and when.

 

54 minutes ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

That is not humane, I rather be late than to risk a poor kittens life

 

You don't work plus you are not doing my job, a delay can cause problems.

Humanity is about Humans (only), i grew-up in country with cats-dogs-goats-birds etc and i know much better than others.

All i said to people is that there will be a solution and i can not wait for hours for the cat to decide when it's time to leave, the cat was not among the wheels so i raised the hood and that's it.

I didn't start the engine, that could drive the cat to jump left-right and hurt or die, i am not heartless and i didn't want damages plus blood in my engine.

9 minutes ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

All i said to people is that there will be a solution and i can not wait for hours for the cat to decide when it's time to leave, the cat was not among the wheels so i raised the hood and that's it.

I didn't start the engine, that could drive the cat to jump left-right and hurt or die, i am not heartless and i didn't want damages plus blood in my engine.

That's good to know.  As you're writing in a second language what you put before didn't come across well, it was just a mistake, we all make mistakes and most of us know we make many different mistakes everyday, that is human.

 

I bought and i will install in the next weeks a new expansion tank, the one that i have still has some residues from an older engine surprise that i faced.

In Greece we have "invented" a term, is ''pre-internet'' or ''pre-forum" period which means before we login in forum and exchange posts (and learning from others).

Many years ago i had installed a an extra hood insulations, those years there was a misconception that this extra layer will reduce the sound of the engine, protect the metal sheet from the engine bay temperature etc.

So i installed by myself a layer although i haven't see in internet something, the only information was from magazines and ''from mouth to mouth", looked like this:

https://www.speednik.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2020/11/protect-your-cars-paint-with-deis-under-hood-insulation-kit-2020-11-16_05-39-37_978574-1440x960.jpg

 

Few months ago i decide that i don't want it any more, i let the car in a mechanic to remove it plus to do some other things, after a day i start hearing a metallic noise from the front of the car, a ''tzzzz" sound which was louder in idle.

This made me extremely nervous and when i found time i start searching the reason, first i search by fingers but i couldn't reach something so i use a magnet attached in the end of a wire and started ''fishing" among all the gaps of the hood.

First a bolt dropped, for instance i thought that was the only one but as suspicious persons continue searching and then i manage to extract these two:

 

 

 

When the mechanic removed the extra layer didn't pay attention to those 2 sneaky runaways which manage to "snuggle" in the bottom of the hood (example) causing that rattle noise.

Now things went back to normal, the hood is lighter and the temperature from engine bay escapes easier.

Here's a photo from winter 2015.

What you see are the remains of a poor pigeon. God only knows for how long I drove around with that in my car.

Some animal rented my engine bay to make itself a nice restaurant. Probably a cat or a ferret.

 

 

Oh God, did you got any bad smell inside the cabin?

27 minutes ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Oh God, did you got any bad smell inside the cabin?

 

Actually no, as it was the coldest part of winter and what remained of the pigeon were just bones and feathers.

Another engine bay surpsise yesterday:

The main coolant hose popped-up from the radiator socket and coolant came out, today i am in the repair-shop.

For 3rd time in her life my Trusty is on the Road Assistance truck, ''wounded". 😪

Here is the main coolant hose, the mechanic had pushet it all the way back to the end and the clamp hose was a quality one but after 2 years 9same month, same hour) decide to ''escape''.

In the local VW Group parts weren't available other brands except VIKA so i had to compromise.

I can't say that i am happy.

That doesn't look great at all, photo suggests the hose might be too short, or perhaps wrong shape, or other end was given too much "spare", or the radiator inlet wasn't positioned correctly for some reason. For many years now I prefer (well made good quality) silicone hoses as they are so much more durable than the replacement hoses I could get and NOS (kept correctly) had disappeared or been used up as far as I could find anyway. When it's possible, pay more and fit once is my motto it usually works out less expensive in money and hassle not to mention possible other damage.

2 hours ago, nta16 said:

photo suggests the hose might be too short, or perhaps wrong shape, or other end was given too much "spare"

The length-diameter was for this radiator

https://kritosparts.gr/Part/KOLARO-PSYGEIOU-NEROU-ANO-SKODA-FELICIA-11210141101/e92511210141101

This was the older

The main problem was that the radiator's plastic socked was broke and a half part of it was ''available'' to get the hose inserted.

The mechanic pushed the hose as deep he could and tighten the clamp closest to the main radiator as he could.

For 2 years i haven't even a drop as leak but suddenly...boom !

1 hour ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

The main problem was that the radiator's plastic socked was broke and a half part of it was ''available'' to get the hose inserted.

Fair enough, I forgot that. I think back then sleeving or inset might have been suggested - but you got 2 years out of a temporary fix so not bad.

The mechanic suggested me if i didn't want to replace the radiator to insert the hose again back and tighten the clamp and this could last few months or a year but my answer was ''NO".

I don't know if there are silicone hoses for Felicia as exist for other brands

https://www.mishimoto.com/automotive/silicone-hoses.html

but if i bought a universal silicone hose and bent is a bit in the end towards the thermostat would be like the factory style, i mean a bit wider.

No you would want the hose made for the job.

Another (unpleasant of course) surprise, Top Mount.

The previous mechanic in the Koni rebuild task at 2023 told me that the top mounts were ''OK'' but recently i had some vibrations when i was in uphill in 2nd gear, i had to brake and downshift in 1st and then i had to accelerate.

I went to my mechanic and raise it in the lifting jack and telephone me that would be a good idea i to replace them.

MONROE MK069

6U0 412 249

6U0 412 355

The mechanic said that in the driving test the front suspension was ''more tight'' than before but i have no personal experience because those days due to the good weather i am using my small motorcycle to go to work.

In few days i will go to a small Mountain Road near by for some turns but i wonder do i need

a front-end alignment or not?

1 minute ago, D.FYLAKTOS said:

a front-end alignment or not?

How new or how much tread left on your front tyres, were the tyres on before Koni rebuild - but then you know you won't be settled unless you have alignment checked and if it's checked unless the place doing it is honest they find need for adjustment anyway.

Edited 25 May25 May by nta16

On 25/05/2025 at 18:07, D.FYLAKTOS said:

Another (unpleasant of course) surprise, Top Mount.

Monroe is very poor quality

On 25/05/2025 at 18:07, D.FYLAKTOS said:

a front-end alignment or not?

always

Hi-tech situations, now VIKA coolant hose with marking on it. 😄

On the other hand, i think the mechanic put the radiator fan screws in reverse.

Thankfully he paid attention when i said to him to put the fibre washers (vibrations).

13 hours ago, Thefeliciahacker said:

Monroe is very poor quality

always

6U0 412 355, few examples:

https://kritosparts.gr/part.aspx?expression=6U0%20412%20355

https://www.maxxparts.eu/code/6U0412355

https://www.getparts.gr/index.php?category_id

Done today.

After few kilometres in a small Mountain Road and in City Traffic: the front-end is a bit more tighter than before, no vibrations starting from traffic light in low rpm or going from 2nd to 1st (and accelerate) for example while braking due to a front car sudden deceleration.

Is 2020-12 manufacturer year and month or "best before" date. 😄 I used to fit top hoses that were crazy at less than 12 months old, which is why I went over to (purpose made from ) silicone hose kit (three-ply as four ply was difficult to fit in some circumstances) a fit and forget solution (I know you can't get such kits for your model).

3 hours ago, nta16 said:

Is 2020-12 manufacturer year and month or "best before" date. 😄

That's why i wrote ''Hi-tech situations''

VIKA now delivers ''fresh'' products to your door.

On the other hand i don't think i can find silicone hose for Felicia with the extended end (to thermostat).

4 and a half year old isn't that fresh but I suppose at least it has had time to settle and perhaps lose some of it "rubber" smell and excess black colouring. 🙂