Today's saga

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Right then. Ladybower. Where did Me, Wicked Neo and Roger Red Hat get to?

Where do i begin?

Sam (RRH) turned up at my house about 930, we chatted for a bit and then went to ASDA to get some food supplies. While we were there, Simon (Neo) rings and says hes at South Mimms services. We leave to meet him. I keep telling Sam all the way there that this new chamade is definitely dog slow compared to my hatch, seems a bit dead over 4k. Still, we meet him there about 1115, no problem.

me on the left, simon on the right

Sam has his satnav thing set up in my car and sets our route. We leave south mimms about 1130. Due to confusion with the satnav, Simon gets on the M1 and I take a wrong turn and get on the A1M. No matter, the satnav tells me im an idiot and sets a new course to get us back on track. We rag it up the M1 (as much as I can with an unwilling car) to catch up with simon.

http://www.born-cynic.com/random/ladybower/DSCI0014.AVI

We continue on our merry way, me in front, Simon behind. Simon appears to have an obsession with using his windscreen washers, Sam and I both mock him. We get to about, oh i dunno, Newport Pagnell or somewhere and I need some petrol so we pull off into the services. We start ribbing Simon for his use of the windscreen washers all the time. He explains its because the crap is building up super fast every couple of miles. As i get out of the car i can smell burning oil and Sam agrees. Smoke starts coming out of the vent. We open the bonnet and there's oil everywhere Sad

So I pay for the petrol and move the car to the HGV park to investigate further. upon closer inspection, the only thing wrong is that the 2 distributor bolts are missing and the dissy is sitting very slightly away from the head. We all decide that must be where the oil is from and poach a couple of M6 bolts from other places in the bay and stick em in. Clean up the bay a bit, top up the oil and decide to drive to the next services and see if its still spraying out. Simon cleans his windscreen again with rag.

Next we get to some services around Nottingham somewhere to have another look. Car is running but still shit over 4k, just doesnt want to go over at all. Fuel economy is crap too at about 20mpg cruising on the motorway. We open the bonnet and sure enough the oil is everywhere again. We decide to see if swapping my ECU with Simon's will make it run better. Bad idea. This is where the fun really starts.

I put Simon's ECU in mine. It shows an ECU fault, with the little light on the dash flashing. It will start, but die straight away. Over and over. Like it primes, but doesnt continue to fuel after starting. Oh well, Simon's ECU is chipped after all, its just not compatible with my car for whatever wierd reason. Or so I thought. So we put my ECU back in. Now that doesnt work either. Same fault. Both ECUs work flawlessly in Simon's.

Tried all sorts, checked all the sensors to see if oil had contaminated them. Reset ECUs numerous times, Plipped doors etc. Checked ALL fuses. Bridged the fuel pump relay to keep it on. Nada. Still cranks and fires but dies straight away.

Numerous texts to Chet, and he suggests trying bump starting. I'm skeptical but prepared to give it a try. So we try it several times and still nothing. In the end we decide to tow back to Hatfield down the M1. My towrope snaps. Evil or Very Mad

I buy another one and off we go.

couple of hours later and we're home, at least.

To let off some steam and have a bit of fun after all, we go for a rag about in our hatchbacks Twisted Evil

Sam is impressed. Videos in the subscribers area soon!

Level 10 User Joined: 18 Jun 2004 Posts: 614

Well you made the effort that count's in my book.

Site Subscriber Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 2317

Is the 4k problem in all gears? Ie, 1st and 2nd?

Site Subscriber Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 1141

So who had the oil leak?

I thought it was you, but then the reg is in your mates vent and he was using his wipers lots (to clearn the oil) ?

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Yeah, he was driving behind my car, getting sprayed with the oil coming out the back of mine.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

mmmm an amusing day had by the 3 of us . . .

lol @ my obsession with the wash wipes, my windscreen was getting all smeary and could not see out of it, using the wash wipes and it only got worse, we found at out the services that this was caused by a fine mist of engine oil coming from neals car, the whole front end of mine now has a nice coat of neals engine oil, lol.

Like Neal said, we pulled everything we could think of, checked, double checked, cleaned, tightened up connections, checked his ECU in my car, got it up on the jacks to check the lambada, everything!

much scratching of heads ensued, texts to chet, everything tried and everything failed.

took us 3 hours to tow it back to Neals down the m1 doing a nice sedate 55mph.

Back at neals and his battery is now too dead to even try out another ECU.
Cup of rosie each and neal says . . my hatch still goes Twisted Evil

lets go for a rag in the hatchs, i suggested we play chase the clio with roger but he declined lol.
so 45 minutes of madness and mayhem ensued round the back roads of hatfield with 2 almost indentical hatchs.
Was loads of fun but we called it a day when mine started getting really bad brake fade and i almost went up the back of neals hatch as we approched a right hand turn.

Shame the scooby driver did not want to play, and i bet ppl round the way did a few double takes when not one but two blue hatches went past them at over 100mph hehhehe.

So even thou we did not make it to the Lady Bower, we still had a grin on our faces at the end of the day Smile

Mr Quoter-vator Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 7405

what a downer....

gutted for u mate...really i am, must be very disheartening

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

Some Pics

Neal arrives at South Mimms Services

Uh oh, Neals car starting to smoke

Pit Stop

Roger Red Hat (Sam)

Nice R5 GTT near Neals

Neal sums up the day

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Wicked Neo wrote:

Loving that picture! Shocked

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

ahhhhhhh...

Oh the joy of it all.

and rofl at the windscreen.

what made me chuckle the most out of all of it, (only neal will get this)

was that white R5 doing random manovers on the m1.

hehe.

how ever, 120+ eating everything on the road, being closely follwed by another identical car is much fun ;)

Site Subscriber Joined: 10 Jun 2004 Posts: 2317

The convoy up the the RR scottish meet should be good then...a whole stream of 16v's!!!!!

Retroholic Joined: 12 Feb 2004 Posts: 5685

I thought it started while you towed it? I can't understand why bump starts work but it does for my mates chammy too Confused

Sticker looks good Very Happy

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

huwwatkins wrote:

The convoy up the the RR scottish meet should be good then...a whole stream of 16v's!!!!!

and that is going to happen when?

we were talking abuot this..how its all talk, then...........

"tumble weed blows across"

new post

"Retro ren meet" and away we go again...

and must admit, the chammy next to the hatch looks rather sexy.

(i must get a grip!! No 19's roger! no 19's!!)

edit.

how ever. this has to be for me, the nicest R5GTT i have ever seen, paint has gone a bit bloomy, and tiny specs of rust, part from that....shes a stonker. (same one as in neos pic, but taken with more light)

Site Subscriber Joined: 04 Mar 2005 Posts: 116

i'm loving those wheels neal, cool Cool

Site Subscriber Joined: 29 Jan 2005 Posts: 1108

Love the pic of Neal arriving at south mimms services, that looks like one mean bitch ass of a car that you don't wanna mess with lol. The headlights even seem to have flames in them Laughing

Forum Moderator Joined: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 19978

simonds what car are you lookinn at? the 1.4 look alike?

Anyway if its not starting with a bump start, or off the key then its not going to go is it.

Anyway I doubt it was sparkign cos of the oil fillign the dizzy and going ont he leads.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

It does spark Chris, like i said, it cranks, starts up and runs for a second, seemingly just long enough for the primed fuel to run out.

Going to have a play with the immobiliser in a bit.

Forum Moderator Joined: 18 Feb 2004 Posts: 7432

Chris H wrote:

simonds what car are you lookinn at? the 1.4 look alike?

Oh get over it Smile

OK so it doesnt have a 'specific 16v bumper', a 1.4 doesnt have the vent, twin headlights, body coloured bumper, that colour paint, or foglights in some cases...so i think you can tell.

FCS Event Manager Joined: 04 Jan 2005 Posts: 3680

The Saga continues . . .

my ph2 hatch is dead . .

went to start her so i could take it to work to use the jet wash on it and nothing . .

doors plip ok, all ignition lights come on, no ECU fault showing, turn the key, fuel pump primes and thats it . . . arghhhh

Site Subscriber Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 2281

Well at least you guys made the effort, I'll let you off! Very Happy

Hope the cars are back in action soon....both of your cars look sweet!

Site Subscriber Joined: 13 Oct 2004 Posts: 4722

oh dear neo..

starting to make me worried now :-/