What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

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What's made you not grumpy but not smile either today?

Walk around checks this morning...

Both cars have done 2k miles since last oil change both of which were done in late September

So let's play a game... identify which oil is from which.

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Left or right? Toyota or Citroën?
 
Walk around checks this morning...

Both cars have done 2k miles since last oil change both of which were done in late September

So let's play a game... identify which oil is from which.

View attachment 462929

Left or right? Toyota or Citroën?
I'm thinking Toyota is lower mileage overall, so that is the cleaner oil, on the left.
(If correct, 1st prize is an oily kitchen paper)
I tend to not use a rag or paper. Oil checked first thing, before engine runs, so oil has drained overnight. Lift stick, view, replace. Strictly, oily paper, or rag, should be hazardous waste. It'll go in the bin, as it always has done.
 
Immediately after the MOT, Panda developed a scraping noise at the nearside rear. Not constant, but a 'swish....swish....swish', like a gently rubbing brake show on a slightly oval drum.
Removed drum this morning, shoes look ok, as does drum, wheel cylinder moves, and not leaking. Then I noticed a few glittery bits. Adjuster mechanism has slipped down, and is rubbing on the hub. A bit of levering, some twiddling to back the adjuster off, back in correct position, and some pushing and poking to try to dislodge it again. All seems good. Test drive has recentred the shows, handbrake working adequately, all quiet.
I wonder if the shoes should be shaped to hold the adjuster. These are flat, so nothing obvious to stop gravity and vibration encouraging it to slip. I will wait and see. Shoes have been in for about 5 years, so perhaps in another 5, will have to relocate the adjuster again. The other side seems fine.
 
I'm thinking Toyota is lower mileage overall, so that is the cleaner oil, on the left.

Correct... although for entirely the wrong reason. The Toyota is 800 miles short of 80k the Citroën just over 51k.

And that folks is why Puretechs are very sensitive to bad servicing.

Weird really given the engine the Citroën has been serviced every 6k it's entire life and has a lot less weight to move and is a similar spec and power output, almost like it's not built as well.
 
Hybrid 'Health Check' tomorrow... it had better pass this time. The first time in over a decade of driving my car has went over-due on a service item! (due to the brake system fault).

Next time someone tells you to buy a hybrid because of the money you'll save on brakes... point them to my thread about the circa-£4k 'brake booster' part :'-)
 
Correct... although for entirely the wrong reason. The Toyota is 800 miles short of 80k the Citroën just over 51k.

And that folks is why Puretechs are very sensitive to bad servicing.

Weird really given the engine the Citroën has been serviced every 6k it's entire life and has a lot less weight to move and is a similar spec and power output, almost like it's not built as well.
Friends Citroen C3 AirCross wet belt has just ‘left the building’…poor buggers a single mum who works in the dales, it’s out of warranty, so she’s getting it repaired and rid
 
Friends Citroen C3 AirCross wet belt has just ‘left the building’…poor buggers a single mum who works in the dales, it’s out of warranty, so she’s getting it repaired and rid

They have a 10 year warranty on the wetbelt IF it's been serviced correctly and all Ts have been crossed and all Is dotted.

However...other than the green meanie sitting outside I've never seen a Citroën where that is the case so probably unlikely.

I'll take a wild guess at about 7 years old and on the original belt and serviced out of the dealer network?
 
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They have a 10 warranty on the wetbelt IF it's been serviced correctly and all Ts have been crossed and all Is dotted.

However...other than the green meanie sitting outside I've never seen a Citroën where that is the case so probably unlikely.

I'll take a wild guess at about 7 years old and on the original belt and serviced out of the dealer network?
It’s been serviced, in her ownership, bought from local dealers nearly new…it’s not exceeded years but over mileage…it was recommended on last service, but lack of cash and a mostly absent (in child payments and time) meant she put it off till time and money allowed…I can’t say anything as I bought a full belt kit and water pump for my brava back in 2003 and it gave way just on the mileage, and yes, lots of bent valves
 
It's interesting experiment they've embarked on of fitting an engine that requires scrupulous maintenance to all the cars none car people buy and run on a budget.

Unfortunately a car where if save a pound on maintenance you'll be paying 10 after it.

This doesn't really help her situation obviously but might be worth running up the flag pole at the dealer and seeing what they say although you need proof you've not stuck crap oil in it and destroyed belt.
 
It's interesting experiment they've embarked on of fitting an engine that requires scrupulous maintenance to all the cars none car people buy and run on a budget.

Unfortunately a car where if save a pound on maintenance you'll be paying 10 after it.

This doesn't really help her situation obviously but might be worth running up the flag pole at the dealer and seeing what they say although you need proof you've not stuck crap oil in it and destroyed belt.
Yeah, she knows the ‘I told you so’, she’s paying for it now…doubt she’s getting it done at the dealers as they ain’t cheap!
 
Yeah, she knows the ‘I told you so’, she’s paying for it now…doubt she’s getting it done at the dealers as they ain’t cheap!

I meant to see if she can get this...

 
I meant to see if she can get this...

Come on, that's pretty much public admission that it's a sh***y design / flawed engine. They wouldn't be giving away money / compensation if they could argue it.

Really that's most of the issue when we slag German or high-end cars, it's not [always] that they're poorly/over engineered, but usually just require more stringent / intensive servicing and proper fluids / fuels etc...which never blends well with age combined with third and fourth owners and their local mechanics 👀
 
Come on, that's pretty much public admission that it's a sh***y design / flawed engine. They wouldn't be giving away money / compensation if they could argue it.

Really that's most of the issue when we slag German or high-end cars, it's not [always] that they're poorly/over engineered, but usually just require more stringent / intensive servicing and proper fluids / fuels etc...which never blends well with age combined with third and fourth owners and their local mechanics 👀
If that were the case, and I’ve worked on VAG and BMW, they wouldn’t try to get out of the known rust issues, particularly BMW 3 (right up to the last ones) and 5 series on rear sills and 3/4 panels. Audis that have subframe issues (mainly rear) and polos with the doors rotting out at the bottom like a MK1 Panda…and don’t get me started on electrics and electronics
Cars are pretty much of a muchness these days, but many still rely on their laurels, reputation and a largely loyal fan base…
 
If that were the case, and I’ve worked on VAG and BMW, they wouldn’t try to get out of the known rust issues, particularly BMW 3 (right up to the last ones) and 5 series on rear sills and 3/4 panels. Audis that have subframe issues (mainly rear) and polos with the doors rotting out at the bottom like a MK1 Panda…and don’t get me started on electrics and electronics
Cars are pretty much of a muchness these days, but many still rely on their laurels, reputation and a largely loyal fan base…

Indeed and no one mention BMW N47 timing chains...

It does make an interesting comparison to Fords handling of the same issue though..
 
Indeed and no one mention BMW N47 timing chains...

It does make an interesting comparison to Fords handling of the same issue though..
N47 was a disaster too, and not exactly in high end BMW group cars either to justify the whole 'extremely complex machinery that requires fine servicing'. They positioned the chain right at the back to "reduce vibration"... and definitely not, to make sure that by the time it was at 150k miles, the labour cost would effectively make it not worth maintaining to any informed owner. It was a bad design, but an intentional one. Perhaps there was some honest hope that 'wet belts' might have held up better... but sounds like much of the same to me. Personally, and I'm no engineer / expert, I thought oil and rubber was a combination that didn't mix.

I wouldn't put it past Peugeot to release an extremely high-performing car shampoo based on brake fluid, that cuts through grime and traffic film like nothing normal but so long as you use their specific after-treatment to mitigate the brake fluid chemicals, the paintwork on the car would stay pristine. Seems like a similar logic lol
 
Peugeot didn't design the wetbelt system.

Around 2010 there was a industry supplier called Dayco wandering round selling wetbelts as a solution to lower emissions and better performance. Both Ford and PSA (and indeed GM and VW) bought the system, however their implementation and responses to the issues caused were significantly different. To be fair the Ecoboost came to wetbelt issues late as few early ecoboosts lived long enough to suffer belt failure with all the other issues they had.
 
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