stevie_b

Lubrication by Bisto!

Thanks Harvard, I've had a brief look at the undertray, and couldn't see any oil. I could see a very small puddle of something (it was a wet day), but dipping a rag in it confirmed it was just water. I've also felt around the oil filter to ensure it was on tight enough and didn't leak. I haven't checked the sump plug for leaks yet, but I'd be surprised if there were any. There's no tell-tale oil on the garage floor, and I've never seen any blue smoke out the back of the exhaust (whether engine is cold or warm).

With reference to the post linked below, before I start I'd like to point out that I'm currently wearing a short satin skirt and if I squash my chest up a bit, it looks like I've got man-boobs. I'm also combing back my long blond hair. http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showpost.php?p=1404373&postcount=172 Thank you. Now, on to my question. Whenever I squat down, my knees usually give a loud click! I'm 31, but it sounds like I've got knees of a 71 year old! They've been like it for as long as I can remember (since I was 18 ish). I can tell when they need to "click", although I try to avoid doing it if I can. It feels like something (cartilage?) is out of place, and needs to pop back in place again. Sorry if all this sounds gross. Should I be doing anything to stop permamenet damage from being done? Cod liver tablets, maybe? Does anyone else suffer from clicky knees?

I check the engine oil level on the dipstick most weekends. I recently did an oil change, the the level was 1 or 2 mm above the max mark (yes I know, it shouldn't have been over the max at all, but I really didn't think this amount of overfill would make a difference, especially to an NA). All was fine, and the level didn't budge at all after 3-4 weeks of fairly sedate driving (which is normal for me). Then I did a motorway trip at faster speeds than I usually do, doing around 90 leps (not from cold though, I always let the car warm up with sedate driving before going above 3000rpm!). I checked the oil level 2 days after the trip, and it was halfway between the min and max mark. I checked again the day after (following some more sedate driving), and it hasn't moved. Does anyone else find that spirited driving causes the oil level to drop? Is this normal? What I'm most concerned about is, is this a symptom of an underlying problem with the health of my engine? Thanks

Nic, Just out of interest, is that the same as the workshop manuals that CJ sourced and printed for the club about a year ago? If yours are different, I might download a copy...

"Naughty, naughty sat-nav! Leading me into the path of a speeding train like that."

AFAIK it's legal for it to be in kph. It's just up to the driver to observe any speed limits in force. Someone more knowledgeable may be along soon though... As for costs, the conversion is usually done by a small box of electronic tricks no bigger than a matchbox. They cost around £30-50 to buy, and for someone who works on cars, it should be a quick job to be fitted (remove instrument cluster from dash, then cut and solder 2 or 3 wires). Maybe £50-75 labour, although again I might be way out?? Thor ones are good, and they come with instructions that novices like me can follow!

Speed delimiters work by fooling the ECU that you're going slower than you really are. On an unlimited car, an electrical signal goes from the speed sensor to the ECU, and this tells the car how fast it's going. If it reaches 180kph, the ECU will prevent it from going any faster (by limiting the fuel feed possibly, the details don't matter for this discussion). Top Speed delimiters (TSDs) are small electronic box of tricks that usually work in one of two ways: 1) the best way is to make a ceiling speed that is passed to the ECU. The output of the speed sensor is intercepted by the TSD, and if it goes above, say, 170kph, then an electrical signal equivalent to 170kph is passed to the ECU no matter what your actual speed is. The car is fooled into thinking it's going at 170kph, so the ECU allows it to go faster. 2) the not-so-good way is to divide the speed signal from the speed sensor before passing it to the ECU. Let's say we have a TSD that divides the signal by 2. If the speed sensor reckons you're going at 100kph, then the ECU will be passed a signal for only 50kph. When you're going 180kph, the ECU thinks you're doing only 90pkh, so will allow you to go faster. Of course, the limit would still be reached if you ever get to 360kph, but that's unlikely to ever happen. The 2nd way is worse because there are other electrical circuits in the car that rely on the speed signal, for example the power steering. Below a certain speed (let's say 30mph) the driver gets full power steering assistance. The 2nd TSD method would mean that the driver gets full assistance at 60mph (the ECU thinks you're doing 30, remember?), which would make the steering feel too light and skippy.

Welcome to the club! You'll find lots of friendly advice here.

I'm going to Thruxton on Sunday for the touring cars!

You must be paid much better than me! What do you do, and are there any vacancies? If I spent a grand a month on mine, after mortgage I'd have nothing left. Zip.

I reckon it's definitely worth it. It's not that expensive (in the region of £50 perhaps to get it done). It's a great preventitive measure.

I think the supra has this already built-in (the second aerial), although the reception from it is supposed to be quite poor. I can't rememebr much physics either, but I think the ideal length of aerial is propertional to the wavelength of the signal you're trying to pick up. CB radios (for those who even remember them!) use large wavelength radio waves, hence the massive whipcord aerials. All with the AFAIK caveat!!!

I was outside the Trocadero in London last night, and saw some of the cars taking part in the next Gumball 3000 rally. Saw an armoured personnel carrier turn up (!) : good luck to anyone who's going to complete the rally in that!!! Also saw a jaguar XJ220 driven by the organiser. A rare beast indeed. They were just parking the vehicles up in a huge lockup. Couldn't get close enough to see the other cars in the garage in any detail, suffice to say they looked very expensive and fast.

Nooooo! I've just seen this. I'm another lurker who hasn't met you in the flesh, but go for it! You'll be missed.

What's it about? I thought it was a ganster-type film... [hijack, sorry this has been discussed before]I think The Ring is the best horror film around (US version: I haven't seen the original Jap one). Very little gore, if any. It's all in the mind....[/hijack] I've seen Saw 1 & 2: Thought the first was brilliant (but very sick), but didn't like the 2nd quite as much (just as sick, inevitably not as original)

Nooooooooo! (but I understand your reasons for needing to sell). Greg, you've been a real credit to the club, and I hope you can stick around after it's sold.

Thanks for the kind words! I'm sure I've had occasional thread chats with you on the forum from time to time. Keep dropping by, will you?

Very good! Not a pansey, but a wild fern. The type you get in woods and forests. I kid you not. I ahven't a clue what triggered it, but it's a pretty strong fear. (and a tad embarrassing sometimes ).

I fear spiders too, but I've got another one.... a certain type of wild outdoor plant.

Most fears are completely irrational. I know... I have one. The button thing is weird, no doubt about it, but as TonyP said, it's very real for her.

If ever there's any argument about which one gets to drive it anytime, then I believe the fairest way for them to settle it would be a mud-based wrestle.

Right, so *that's* what the boot's for.

I agree, would be interesting.

Nic, how much do you do the clamps for? (unchromed)