Foeux

Here's hoping I have fixed it. There was also a peculiar process for restarting the car. Leave it with ignition on for 6 mins, turn off and then turn on again. Something to do with immobiliser. Cheers, F.

Right, it is back and the water can't get in. However, a new issue has arrived. The battery I think is goosed which has led to all manner of problems. Dodgy alarm behaviour, headlight washers doing their thing on their own, error for headlight adjustment on dash, cut out once, non-start etc. Chucked a thumping great bosch silver in and it seems to have cured it. Anyone else experienced similar problems when a battery is past best? If it isnt battery then this car may be a real pig! F

I am not treating this (frankly cheap beater of a) car to a complete underbody overhaul. I am simply having new metal plopped in where the tin mice have been and am then covering it over with whatever schmoo the bloke doing the work reckons is good. It's localised and quite easily done so I am doing it. As for treating the whole underside, there is this sort of thing that costs the earth... Madness Take her on steady, F.

I think the rear arch repairs will run to a few hundred quid (£300-400). When all is said and done and it has cost me £1500 I will come back and hang my head in shame...

When I've a little more time I'll upload some tin-mouse pics and some pics once it is repaired. Thanks, F

Dear Esteemed Peers, I have returned once more to the fold. I left when I sold M420HPC (Gary Lineker's old motor) and I sulked, moped and rued the day I sold it. I have another one, it hasn't quite the charm of the first but then it didn't cost £500 and I haven't V-maxed it on a french dual carriageway yet. It is all the things the old one was and more (some is good, some bad). It is brisker. It is better nailed together. The brakes aren't wobbly and by heck are they strong. It is rustier. It has brighter lights. It has touch screen satnav. However, in essence it is still the same fun car the old one was. The rust I am having sorted before it becomes a true pig. The inner rear arches are (I now know) prone to tin-mice and this one has had it bad. Paying someone to chase all the rust away, fabricate new panels, weld through primer everything he can reach behind the rust, weld the new panels in/on, seam seal, paint and then underseal. That will be the biggie done. I hit a pheasant at close to 3 figures on a private road the pther day and that obliterated a xenon headlight. £30 later, I had a spare one from ebay. I ran the restorer pads and compounds over it and it is as new. Will self-service it from here on. Won't be using it till the rust is treated but I am please to be back. Best, F

Had a look for nipped. Wasn't one sadly... If shot, I'd love to take you up on offer. As it is brakes a lot better now. ABS working and good power again. Odd. Will replace hoses and report back. Also going to stick some more serious brake pads in it.

Ah... I took of brake res cap but did not loosed bleed nipples. How easy is MC seal to 'flip'? Thanks for replying so swiftly.

Dear All, I just did a 3000 mile charity drive around Europe in my LS400. It was excellent and incredibly fast. I wont do any 'willy waving' but we were all startled. Anyway, going really fast means some serious stopping at times. Unsurprisingly, we warped the discs (3rd set) and cooked the fluid needed changing. With pals, it was jacked, and bled (furthest from master cylinder first) like any other car. Pedal felt rock solid. Engine turned on and the pedal goes straight to the floor. So I consulted the interned and found that there is an 'ignition on/ignition off' protocol. Did it this way, pedal felt rock solid, straight to the floor. tried activating abs on gravel. no real improvement. When discs and pads were changed, they were very very clean and the pistons in the calipers all pushed back in with moderate thumb pressure. It has had over 1.5l of fluid, some air has come out and fluid expelled on each corner is now crystal clear. What am I doing wrong and how do I fix it? Usualy a competent DIY mechanic but this has me (and the lexus dealership in bristol stumped.

So, guided by the numerous UK and US threads on the benefits of changing coolant temp sensors, I decided to do mine. Would the performance increase? Would it stop the bugger running rich the whole time? Would it be impossibly difficult? It took maybe 45 mins total, including a cuppa. It is frustrating how much has to come off to get to the sensor. I tried to cheat but soon realised there were no short cuts. With everything off, a deep 19mm was all that was needed. No coolant was lost and the only fumble was dropping the old copper washer and carefully placing the new one. The sensor that came out was grubby but not visibly damaged. Everything went back easily enough and the car started a treat. Since doing that it has done 200 miles and I can report that: It no longer runs rich once warm. It reaches idle RPM faster. It has perhaps filled out the mid-range a little. It no longer does the juddery thing it used to do when coming off mild throttle. In short, it is easy to do and cured rich running.

When renewal comes up, be sure to ring Chris Knott as they are real people (brokers) and do "proper insurance". Havig had to deal with Admiral outside of just renewing insurance, I will never use them again (nor elephant or diamond). F

I am all for having the right kind of cover but is sounds like you are being done over a bit. Who are you with and what mileage and extras have you got on the policy?

I use Chris Knott for every day insurance and Footman James for classic. Classic on the lexus is <£200 and a mere £46 for a Peugeot 205.

I took my fobs apart and they had a little corrosion in. Contact cleaner, emery board, new battery, done.

Chris Knott are very very competitive: 0800 917 2274 (Option 2, Option 1) Footman James are even more competitive: 0333 207 6120 This is only my own experience, yours may differ.