Gentle Ben
Vee-Man
So this is the fabled Megane.
When I met my missus, we connected on a common love of the Renault 19. Sadly her 19 was beyond repair way before I met her, so she replaced it with the 19's natural successor - the Megane.
[BREAK]
Part 1 - The MOT
Now the car had no MOT when I got together with Sally, so keen to make a good impression I offered to get the car MOT'd. I took it to a place in town that ONLY does MOT's, apparently because they don't do repairs so there's no vested interested in the car failing, and if the car doesn't pass you don't pay. Now this has always concerned me because there's a financial interest in the car passing, i.e. perhaps a willingness to turn a blind eye to the odd worn tyre.
Either way if I put it through the car would pass and it would cost me the MOT, or at least I would know what it needed as a bare minimum to get passed.
By and large it flew through the physical checks, then came the emissions test and it failed on three counts - lambda reading, HC and CO. Sally had also told me it was drinking fuel - just 250 miles to a full tank.
Everything seemed to point to the lambda sensor. A free check of the sensor at a local Kwik Fit revealed a wiring problem; a new lambda was fitted and the emissions checked with no change and a fault reading was found at the lambda.
I took the car round the corner from my house to Brian, to MOT it and see if it failed his emissions test. Indeed it did. So I took a gamble on disconnecting the lambda just to see if the car would get through the test and thankfully it did; with the lambda reading dead on the limit. Fuel economy has also improved drastically.
So all in all a top result - 12 months' MOT with no outlay, apart from 15 minutes to disconnect the lambda sensor plug.
[BREAK]
Part 2 - Fixing Niggles
Right now it's time to address a couple of concerning niggles. We're toying with the idea of Sally getting rid of this so she can use my Vectra GSi and keep it in the family as it were. This then gives her a car we both like, and I get an extra space on the drive ready for Silver Streak's return.
Firstly, there's an awful knocking on acceleration/deceleration whilst turning. Occurs both sides so I'm assuming the CV joints are gubbed on the driveshafts. Also the front wheel bearings are droning like fuck.
Furthermore there's also this wee imperfection in the bodywork to T-Cut out:
Thanks to some ignorant cunt who was didn't leave any details or even an apology.
Anyway. A couple of weeks ago we purchased a pair of new wheel bearings from GSF in Lincoln, got the pair for just under £30 all in.
As for the driveshafts, we'd been quoted £160 for the pair, and then there was a door to source, so getting expensive.
So I kept my eye out on the forums and eBay. Then last week on eBay I found an identical car being broken. I made enquiries about the condition and availability of the driveshafts and a rear door and was pleased to be told all three parts were available. A price was duly negotiated and on Monday I ventured over to Stoke in the Escort van to collect my haul, freshly removed that morning.
Door :
Driveshafts and bearings :
Closer examination of the driveshafts revealed a couple of stickers date-marked with February '07. which seems to indicate these units are only a couple of years old which is a bonus!
I've set aside this weekend to get the lot fitted, all it needs then is a set of wheel trims and a bloody good wash and wax and it should be transformed both mechanically and cosmetically, bar the arches which are slightly rusted.
When I met my missus, we connected on a common love of the Renault 19. Sadly her 19 was beyond repair way before I met her, so she replaced it with the 19's natural successor - the Megane.
[BREAK]
Part 1 - The MOT
Now the car had no MOT when I got together with Sally, so keen to make a good impression I offered to get the car MOT'd. I took it to a place in town that ONLY does MOT's, apparently because they don't do repairs so there's no vested interested in the car failing, and if the car doesn't pass you don't pay. Now this has always concerned me because there's a financial interest in the car passing, i.e. perhaps a willingness to turn a blind eye to the odd worn tyre.
Either way if I put it through the car would pass and it would cost me the MOT, or at least I would know what it needed as a bare minimum to get passed.
By and large it flew through the physical checks, then came the emissions test and it failed on three counts - lambda reading, HC and CO. Sally had also told me it was drinking fuel - just 250 miles to a full tank.
Everything seemed to point to the lambda sensor. A free check of the sensor at a local Kwik Fit revealed a wiring problem; a new lambda was fitted and the emissions checked with no change and a fault reading was found at the lambda.
I took the car round the corner from my house to Brian, to MOT it and see if it failed his emissions test. Indeed it did. So I took a gamble on disconnecting the lambda just to see if the car would get through the test and thankfully it did; with the lambda reading dead on the limit. Fuel economy has also improved drastically.
So all in all a top result - 12 months' MOT with no outlay, apart from 15 minutes to disconnect the lambda sensor plug.
[BREAK]
Part 2 - Fixing Niggles
Right now it's time to address a couple of concerning niggles. We're toying with the idea of Sally getting rid of this so she can use my Vectra GSi and keep it in the family as it were. This then gives her a car we both like, and I get an extra space on the drive ready for Silver Streak's return.
Firstly, there's an awful knocking on acceleration/deceleration whilst turning. Occurs both sides so I'm assuming the CV joints are gubbed on the driveshafts. Also the front wheel bearings are droning like fuck.
Furthermore there's also this wee imperfection in the bodywork to T-Cut out:
Thanks to some ignorant cunt who was didn't leave any details or even an apology.
Anyway. A couple of weeks ago we purchased a pair of new wheel bearings from GSF in Lincoln, got the pair for just under £30 all in.
As for the driveshafts, we'd been quoted £160 for the pair, and then there was a door to source, so getting expensive.
So I kept my eye out on the forums and eBay. Then last week on eBay I found an identical car being broken. I made enquiries about the condition and availability of the driveshafts and a rear door and was pleased to be told all three parts were available. A price was duly negotiated and on Monday I ventured over to Stoke in the Escort van to collect my haul, freshly removed that morning.
Door :
Driveshafts and bearings :
Closer examination of the driveshafts revealed a couple of stickers date-marked with February '07. which seems to indicate these units are only a couple of years old which is a bonus!
I've set aside this weekend to get the lot fitted, all it needs then is a set of wheel trims and a bloody good wash and wax and it should be transformed both mechanically and cosmetically, bar the arches which are slightly rusted.
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