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General What did you do with your Panda today?

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General What did you do with your Panda today?

Leroypanda said:
6 monthly £18 oil and filter change through the dipstick channel due to a seized sump plug many years ago, no oil light reset needed couldnt do it even it did.
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There is no 'oil light reset' needed on the petrol versions. Only the diesel (where it is triggered by number of regions of the particulate filter, at roughly
20,000 mile intervals). Both also show 'service due' as a message on the digital display, which is triggered by miles covered or time since last service (whichever comes up sooner)...
 
Leroypanda said:
6 monthly £18 oil and filter change through the dipstick channel due to a seized sump plug many years ago, no oil light reset needed couldnt do it even it did.
Click to expand...

There is an Oil Change Reset function for the UniAir module, accessible through MES. I make a point of doing it now after I change the oil (as well as reset the Service Interval Mileage), just so I know it's all in order. Can't tell you if it makes much of a difference as I never leave oil in there for long enough for it to start turning bad, which is where the UniAir adaptation routines earn their keep. Once fresh oil replaces nasty, messy stuff that's been left in there for 2 years or so, the software simply needs to be told it's got a another sump-load of lovely new Selenia, so it can reset back to factory parameters and it will benefit from it.

So if you can't/don't reset Oil Change flag in the ECU, I'd suggest you don't leave oil in there for more than a year :)(y)
 
I recently applied a lawn treatment to the grass in my front garden as there were quite a number of weeds starting to establish. It's been great with very few of the weeds now visible but the grass is now growing at a ferocious rate. So yesterday I sharpened and re-balanced the mower's blade and cut the grass - looking good now.

I sharpened the blade because I remembered that when I'd changed the oil at the end of last year I'd only done just that. Normally I do an oil change and service on it at the end of the year so it has fresh oil in it for protection through the winter and at that time I also check the spark plug and blade sharpness and wash out the foam air filter so she's all ready to go in the spring. Then I do an oil change again half way through the summer. So I finished off by checking the plug and washing the filter - which Mrs J has not yet noticed is drying on the window sill in the kitchen prior to being re-oiled.

Having done that I gave the cars a check over - oil, water, brake fluid, washer reservoir, etc and checked tyre pressures. All good. As it's been some time since either car went anywhere I thought it might be interesting to see what their battery voltages were. Becky, the 2010 Panda, checked out at 12.22 volts - not ideal but I've checked her on a number of occasions previously over the last couple of years and she always seems to be around there so I'm not overly worried. Always starts fine and no issues with power steering (oops, shouldn't have said that should I?). Then I checked the Ibiza, which has one of these new EFB (enhanced flooded battery) batteries. Oh dear, 12.09 volts! and she was out for a good run last weekend. Not so keen on that! Mind you she spins over vigorously even when cold and starts easily and the EPS works fine but she has had a tendency for the stop/start to not work from time to time - but she's done that for the last couple of years anyway. So, feeling a little depressed about that - because I'm guessing EFB = expensive? - Think I'll keep a eye on battery voltages more regularly now though. Wonder what the parasitic drain is on this newer spec car with all it's electronics? Probably I will get a better idea if I check it say 24/36 hours after standing? before the lock down the most it would stand for, with out starting, would be a couple of days.

Ah well, I cheered myself up by taking Becky for a run down to the sea front and along towards Cramond then cut up towards the town and came back along the 40mph Queensferry road to get some good heat into her. She ran perfectly although I noticed that tappet "rattle" again on start up which I'm sure is just due to all the oil having drained down with her standing so long and having to be pumped back up again before it can squirt out of the oil jets in the cam cover. Only lasts a few seconds and then goes quiet.

Seems to have been quite a bit of rain overnight but the sun's shining nicely now, quite a bit of wind though. Think I'm going to do a bit of weeding today. Hoping that Nicola's going to let me visit the wee nursery I frequent and buy some plants for my tubs and hanging basket next week.
 
Poor Panda hasn't been driven for about two months, so I thought I should put the battery on charge first. Before connecting it up I tried starting the car - engine turning over well, but not firing. Probably a low battery effect, I thought, but I measured the battery voltage before putting it on charge: 11.99V according to my Fluke, so not too bad.
Charged the battery for about 8 hours and tried the starter again. Still not firing, but I persevered a bit longer and the engine started as soon as it started firing. I wonder if it took time for the fuel to get through after so long, or might the fuel be a bit stale from the last refill in January ?
Still, I'm impressed with how well the battery has lasted: 7.5 years and counting, and its first six months were stationary because I bought the car as a 6 month old pre-reg.
 
chr1s said:
Poor Panda hasn't been driven for about two months, so I thought I should put the battery on charge first. Before connecting it up I tried starting the car - engine turning over well, but not firing. Probably a low battery effect, I thought, but I measured the battery voltage before putting it on charge: 11.99V according to my Fluke, so not too bad.
Charged the battery for about 8 hours and tried the starter again. Still not firing, but I persevered a bit longer and the engine started as soon as it started firing. I wonder if it took time for the fuel to get through after so long, or might the fuel be a bit stale from the last refill in January ?
Still, I'm impressed with how well the battery has lasted: 7.5 years and counting, and its first six months were stationary because I bought the car as a 6 month old pre-reg.
Click to expand...

Hi Chris

Glad you got it going

Im going to ask a technical question..

Did you leave the key at MAR to let the pump in the fuel tank prime the engines fuel rail..?

Its sensed.. so only runs when rail pressure is not up to required level ;)

Charlie 2012 panda Ebbw Vale
 
varesecrazy said:
Hi Chris

Glad you got it going

Im going to ask a technical question..

Did you leave the key at MAR to let the pump in the fuel tank prime the engines fuel rail..?

Its sensed.. so only runs when rail pressure is not up to required level ;)

Charlie 2012 panda Ebbw Vale
Click to expand...

Possibly not. I thought about this afterwards.:eek:

Normally I put the key in, then put my seat-belt on before starting, so my routine adds a delay for the fuel pump. This time I wasn't going anywhere so I didn't put my seat-belt on, and I may have turned the key straightaway.
 
Binned some of the P.P.E. that had accumulated on the rear seat.

Went for a drive from Castle Douglas to Kirkudbright, then to Dalbeattie and back home for a nice strong coffee.

Lovely sunny weather and all the trees and grass very green, courtesy of all the rain we get here.
 
Becky (our Panda) took Mrs J to the doctor's and then shopping for milk, bread etc (basics). She's now going to spend the next few days sitting at the kerbside (Becky that is, not Mrs J) outside our house because "that damned van" is back! It reappeared the day before yesterday.

"That damned van" is a very large, high top, Mercedes Sprinter. It's about half as large again as a transit and the problem is that, apart from being inappropriately large for our narrow street, it completely blocks our quite pleasant view of the street.

P1090344.JPG

You are just presented with this wall of white metal! It parks up at about 16.30 hrs and departs at 05.45! Like all diesels it "rattles" loudly when cold and has woken me and, more to the point, Mrs J, for the last two days running.

It belongs to the boyfriend of the daughter of the family who live opposite. I, and several other neighbours, have had "words" with him before - without result, he's pretty aggressive - but he then disappeared about 7/8 months ago. Seems he's back! Hoping he'll take the hint when he sees Becky parked where she is. If he doesn't I may have to turn Mrs J loose on him!
 
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Phils panda said:
View attachment 211134

View attachment 211135
A nice morning for a much needed clay bar..
The amount of Traffic film that came off .
Click to expand...
I've seen people talking about clay bars but really don't know what's involved. How do you do it? Is this something different to using a polish with a very mild "T" cut type abrasive? - Which is what I've always done when I want to clean up slightly "dull" paintwork.
 
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