What I did today thread...

[PeteB1]

Had my XC70 MOT'd Friday, the first one since I got it a year ago the beginning of next month with a fresh MOT.

In spite of 30k miles in that time and no more than routine maintenance, it went straight through with no issues.

I have always used the same non make specific independent for my MOT's for the last 10 years and I wasn't sure how they would do the brake test on the '70. They took it out on the road with the Tapley Meter decelerometer. The first time I've seen one of those used since I had a Land Rover tested with its transmission handbrake many years ago.

[ShadeTek]

I took my pollen filter out today to have a look at it. Looks like it has never been changed and is the cause of a bad smell when I initally turn the fan on. I also read that it is best to enable the "after-blow" for the fan in Vida set-up so that the fan comes on about an hour after the car has been parked up and the ice has melted. This will only happen when certain criteria are met. There are several types of filter depending on whether you have particle sensor, ECC or MCC and even a kit which looks like it contains a particle filter sensor for auto switching the air re-cycle in the car. I now need to replace the air filter, pollen filter and a fuel filter.

[ShadeTek]

After cleaning the gutters and fitting mesh in so they don't get clagged up with moss again I decided to give my car a pre-mot inspection. All was well until I looked at the rear box on top of the silencer. The top of it is rusting away from the edges and exposing pink insukation material. If I cover the exhaust pipe with the engine running I can hear the box hissing somewhere. I don't think it's an MOT fail but it will be needing replaced eventually. It looks like it is a one piece section all the way back to the cat.

Down the front end of the car both front control arm bushes are shot. I can remove them and fit polybushes. There's a good guide here:-

http://www.vpcuk.org/forums/showthre...hanging-shocks

[A lex]

I changed the drivers side dipped bulb. Luckily I have the hands of a chile and the patience of a saint.

I had to removed the ECU housing, but after 35mins the job was complete

[reggit]

Took a mate over to Cleveland so he could pick up an S60 he'd bought.

After borrowing my bi-fuel for a few days, he decided he had to have the same model as well.

[Georgeandkira]

Hello, I swapped the lamps and controllers for our 2005 Saab 9-5's self-leveling xenon headlights. Thus I was able to identify the bad controller. Later I contacted people who post frequently on the Saabnet and was advised that returning things to their original positions and finding a replacement from the same side as a donor car might just save me the hassle and expense of reprogramming. I'll give that a try. If I need to have a new or used controller (re)programmed, I won't be surprised. I also learned that the leveling data is provided from Hall effect sensors attached to the subframe elements on the passenger's side. They have levers which are moved by the control arms. These are susceptible to dirt accumulation and electrical connection corrosion. I now have more things to inspect. I don't know how much of the Saab's system could relate to anything on a Volvo but I think it's good to hear this kind of stuff. Plus, it's what I did today. Kira

[gjuk]

Took the mk1 escort out in the sun, got it sideways, burnt up some rubber. filled it up with super unleaded then did the same on the way home.

[ShadeTek]

Well today I fitted the offside inner CV boot which had mysteriously been holed and was leaking grease like the near side one. I have never taken the nearside half shaft out so this was unchartered territory for me! I pranged it out easily with a pry bar with a little oil loss and quickly had the axle clamped in the vise and had a new boot on it. While the boiler suit was on I decided to fit the new caliper boot on as it had rotted and let water in and seized the caliper up. Boot fitted and a quick excercise of the caliper and wound it in and fired it back out a few times using the tool pictured below, to check it was still free. I also have a mysterious oil leak at the rear of the oil filter which I think is coming from a gap between the filter housing and the sump. I can't see where exactly where it is coming from. I took it off for an inspection but it looked OK. I'll need to check it in a few days to see how bad it is going to get.

I also had a visit today from my friend who I gave my 850 to a few months ago and it is still going strong. Needs the rear wiper greased as it has siezed. Easy job...

[RM955I]

I dunno whether to be pleased with today's work or thoroughly cheesed off.

On the one had I did the n/s wishbone with no major hitches....hoorah: on the other the garage that pressed in the bushes has made a bit of a hash of it and knocked the bushes about a bit......and now I have the other side to do with little prospect of getting the other bushes pressed in.

I'm hoping that the supplier will take back the unused bushes and credit the amount against a pre-bushed wishbone.

[reggit]

Changed the rear droplinks as I have a rattling rear end - still got a rattling rear end Needs more investigation.

The ones on where odd and one side had play in the ball joints so not a wasted venture aat least.