Jay23Sx

If you want to make things a bit easier for yourself going forward, and just in case you ever have to switch MP3 players in the future, set iTunes to import music in MP3 format and not its own. Then any future music you import, which is stored in My Music\iTunes (I think - I'm a Mac user so it's different) can just be dragged onto a memory stick and work in most car stereos that accept a USB dongle. To change the settings you go to Preferences and select Import Settings - I'd recommend at least 192Kbs as well.

The new one is better than the 2nd by far, whether you prefer it to Tokyo Drift is another matter (depends if you like muscle or bright paint jobs). *but* people who are into cars take it all to seriously, these films are meant to be cheesy, not realistic. Unfortunately the 17/18 year olds in the Corsa's don't know that. Oh and if you do like the films, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker have signed up for the 5th installment already (not surprising, the 4th broke box office records for this time of the year).

Another one tonight, a blue VR6 at Tesco in Horsham - private plate with nice alloys, maybe a duff spoiler (it was raised). Was tempted to wait around to see who the owner was but had to get back in time for The Apprentice.

I don't know if anyone has noticed but Citroen has already started giving a £2k scrappage ... more companies may follow off there own backs.

Yes, that's probably me on the way to work.

I keep seeing a dark coloured K reg C in Crawley, often coming out of or going into the industrial area.

Was a bit of a bargain I must admit.

It's almost a year since this car rolled up outside my house, and almost 6 months since I passed my driving test, so I thought I'd post an updated pic. Apologies for the photo, taken at Cabot Circus car park in Bristol this weekend - the other half didn't realise the ISO was set in such a way the resulting picture is a tad grainy. I still like it anyway.

£2k is impressive, I'm not doing to badly myself but then I've probably replaced 1/5th of what you have, mainly because it's all been done by a garage. The car cost £700 and so far it's had: 4 x Tyres Real Wheel Bearings Tie Rod Ends 1 Ball Joint Expansion Tank Distributor Injectors Vacuum Valve Hoses (most of the coolant hoses) Fuel Metering Head (2nd Hand) Headlight (2nd Hand) Service Parts (Oil Filter, Fuel Filter, Air Filter, Oil Change, New Spark Plugs, New Cap, New HT Leads) And I reckon my total is about £1,500 or just under.

I know what that feels like, the car came with a squeaky PAS belt - VW sold me the wrong replacement belt but in the end just tightening it sorted it. Made quite a difference, the car actually feels like it has power steering now.

Oh, has anyone got any tips on tightening the belt? I understand that I don't want to make it to tight (so it has no deflection) but will it be obvious when I'm under there tomorrow what to undo etc. to achieve the result? I would look in my red Haynes manual but I can't find it :(

I wouldn't say that .. I got one from VW Spares (AVS) and it has been fine so far (although I will touch my desk just in case).

It's definitely a belt .. even though I can pin point one. You know that horrible noise you sometimes get from old cars as they pass you by which automatically makes you go "they really need to sort the fan belt" .. well it's that one :) I'm not sure if that sounds a little weird but it does.

Hi Everyone, Anyone had any experience of replacing one Sony head unit for another? I've been studying the manual for a little while now and I'm pretty certain that the loom's are the same on both - suggesting Sony have a standard wiring setup. In fact it looks like I just unplug the single connector from the back of the old head unit and connect to the new. Any feedback? The models are MDX-C5970 (that's right, MD still!) and CDX-GT50.

Cheers everyone, I doubt it's the pas pump as I've had experience of that (the car was doing it when I got it). Will check out the alternator belt.

Hi Everyone, My newly returned to the road 1.8 valver has just started to develop a squeal when pulling away (or even changing down a gear at a roundabout). Doesn't do it when standing still so hard to pin point engine bay location. Only lasts a few seconds and once it's done it a couple of times may not do it for the rest of the drive. Someone suggested it sounds like the alternator belt - any ideas? Cheers.

The items that I had to address to solve this problem: 1) Replacement fuel metering head (2nd hand) as the car wouldn't start at all (or cut out straight after starting) 2) Cleaned the ISV with carb cleaner as it had a really rough idle 3) Replaced a fuel injector as the car wouldn't start if it was already warm (weeping injector was flooding the engine) 4) Engine re-tune as it would cut out after about 15 minutes of driving and not restart until it had cooled down (GCS charged me £45 for this)

Just for clarification here are the actual words from my VT32. I've already sorted the number plate and I'll probably speak to GCS about sorting the brakes.

It's the rear brake lines but the brake efficiency didn't specify - it just had a note at the top to say that brake efficiency was 56% which was pretty much as low as it could go and get a pass. I know it wasn't handbrake as that's mentioned seperately - 16% efficient ! Again, as low as it could go and still pass.

Hi People, Just taken my 1.8 valver in for an MOT and it failed - but luckily only for a rusty headlight reflector. However I also had an advisory for the brakes - in particular the efficiency (56%) and the start of rear brake line corosion. Anyone else had similar and what's the best method to resolve before the next MOT ?

Cheers for all the options everyone .. I went for GCS in the end as they're 4 miles from me and that's about as far as the car would get before cutting out. Good report back, so thanks for the recommendation, they had a car which has been causing me no end of problems sounding as sweet as she did when I picked her up for £45 inc VAT. Essentially they told me that the engine was so out of whack on all counts all it took to solve was a general re-tune. They have advised that I could do with a new distributor though and the problem may crop up again if I don't replace it. W3RKD - care to quote for that ? :)

Strangely my passenger side front wheel keeps going down to 10psi .. not completely flat so that the rim is on the road, but still very annoying. As I get my tyres from the local tyre distributor I only paid £25 ex VAT for each wheel last time (hmmm, wonder if that's why!) so I might as well just replace mine.

I've had various problems along these lines with my valver and it boiled down to two things: 1) Weeping Injectors - they keep dripping fuel into the engine after the engine has been switched off, effectively flooding it and causing starting problems until the fuel has evaporated. I didn't have a weeping injector, but one that poured fuel out. 2) Distributor - the nice people at GCS actually got my car to run perfectly yesterday (Yay!) so I'm back on the road. It only cost £45 inc VAT as all it needed was a re-tune (apparently it was seriously out on all counts). However they also told me that if the problem comes back, including failing to start when warm, then I need to replace the distributor to solve completely.

I've got the Dub Power leads .. do the job nicely (and in red they match the paintwork - well come on, it was that or blue)

Hi People, Anyone know of a good garage in West Sussex (Horsham/Crawley) area for my KR ? I'm about done with tinkering myself so some recommendations would be appreciated.