sorcerer

13 hours ago, Andrew888 said:

I'm sure someone will pipe up with the correct guess of this mystery part...

 

I didn't realise it was a quiz - to me it just looked like some random posting that had me scratching my head and wondering what was going on 

???

Ah right, didn't realise that the gadgetry they were using was so powerful.

It may not look pretty but in tests it took more than five minutes to defeat the Stoploc Pro Elite, which is why I hope the scrotes move on to an easier target instead of making lots of racket hammering, grinding or sawing it off  

25 minutes ago, m4rkw said:

Finally got a working techstream cable and disabled that annoying driveaway locking!  Also managed to turn off the lock/unlock beeps but then decided I actually prefer them :D

Just out of interest, why don't you like the autolock feature? Our 450h locks automatically when road speed is about 15mph but before we got a car that did that, I would always fire up the engine, lock the doors and then drive off. Maybe I'm paranoid but these days, I just don't feel it's safe to be driving around in an unlocked car.

I know this is a very serious topic and I certainly don't want to become a victim but in one sense I think it's a bit overblown.

I have an RX450h with keyless entry/stop/start and as we know, these systems work by proximity to the car. I noticed that when I approach the car, the interior lights come on and the puddle lights in the door mirrors activate. However, I have to be within six feet of the car for this to happen, which means that even using a relay box, the criminal has to be within about 12 feet maximum of the car, ie, 6 feet from key to relay box plus 6 feet from relay box to car.

I suppose that when parking in a public area someone could be close enough but when at home, surely it shouldn't be difficult to keep the keys more than 12 feet away from the car?

Having said that, I keep the keys in a Faraday pouch and also use a StopLoc Pro Elite steering wheel lock whenever I leave the car. Hopefully, the sight of the Stoploc alone will act as a deterrent and get the ne'er-do-well's to move on somewhere else.

In the RX connecting the phone as a phone and connecting the phone as a media player are two separate operations - connecting the 'phone' only gets calls, not music, so maybe you have to do the same?

DAB stations may need to be set but I don't know how you do it on a CT, sorry.

Looking at it logically, I don't see any reason why your plan shouldn't work - but I'm no expert so can't be held responsible for encouraging you to spend money if it doesn't  

If it was me, I'd be happy taking a punt on it.

Thanks Peter, good points.

I know what you mean regarding liking to do it or whether it's seen as a chore. I think I'll enjoy it if I can physically do it. I suffered a back injury a long time ago, bad enough to result in medical retirement, so my main concern is whether my back will stand up to it. I may end up going back to Rob and paying his labour charges but supplying my own products  

I've never really spent more than about £5,000 on a car before so I've always been happy to take it through a car wash. Having spent five times more than that this time, I thought I'd better give it a bit more TLC than your average car wash, so I've just been out and bought what you can see below.

I don't want this to turn into a "No, don't use that, this is better" sort of post because (a) I've already bought the stuff and I'm not going to go out and buy more, and (b) I've already done that to an extent.

Because I've not done any detailing before I've been looking on the forum at all the products you folks are using, then made a list and took it along to a highly recommended detailing place not far from where I live, http://thedetailingshack.co.uk/ (website currently down while they have a new one done but their Facebook page is here). My list contained a few Autoglym products but Rob, the owner and detailer of the business, said that they weren't the best (apart from the Ultra High Definition Wax) and took me through what he recommended and the reasons why, so I took his advice.

In no particular order, you'll see:

• Two Meguiar's buckets with grit guards

• Dodo Juice Born To Be Mild Maintenance Shampoo

• Dodo Juice Tribble Mitt sheepskin wash mitt

• Dodo Juice Born Slippy clay Lube

• Bilt Hamber Auto clay (reg)

• Dodo Juice Clearly Menthol Glass Cleaner

• Poorboys World Black Hole Show Glaze

• Bilt Hamber Cleanser Fluid (Paint and Finish Pre Wax Cleaner)

• Autoglym Ultra High Definition Wax

• Valet Pro Bilberry Wheel Cleaner

• Eight sachets of Meguiars Endurance Tyre Gel

• A selection of microfibre cloths

• Wooden-handled wheel brush

I think I paid about £120 for all that, which I thought was excellent. The only things in the picture that I didn't buy from Rob are the red microfibre towel (Autobrite Hellshine Reaper towel) as he didn't have one in stock, and also the Dodo Juice Supernatural Leather Cleaner and Leather Sealant as I already had those from about two years ago.

Rob went through all the products and explained how to use them but I have to confess that I've forgotten. Not long after leaving his shop I got some bad news about a friend of mine that knocked me for six, so everything about detailing products went straight out of my head and this is really why I'm posting this now. I think I've got it right but would just prefer a bit of confirmation (or otherwise) from folks who know what they're doing.

I haven't got a pressure washer so can't use any snow foam, but what I'm thinking is this:

• Set up the two buckets, one with the shampoo
• Give the car a good hosing down
• Use the sheepskin mitt to wash, rinsing in the rinse bucket as appropriate
• Good hose down
• Use the clay lube and clay the car
• Use the Bilt Hamber cleanser fluid
• Apply the Poorboys Black Hole 
• Finally apply the Autoglym Ultra High Definition wax and job done.

Does that sound right? Correct order of doing things? Do I clean the wheels/tyres first or last, and when is it best to apply the Meguiar's Endurance Tyre Gel?

Lots of people said that I shouldn't go for a black car with Ivory (or is it beige) interior and that it would be a nightmare to keep clean, but we absolutely fell in love with this colour combination, it looks stunning. How often should I be cleaning/treating the leather seats and what do you use on the dashboard, any sort of product or just keep wiping with microfibre cloth?

Phew, if you're still reading - thanks  

1 hour ago, rich1068 said:

Also, I can understand the internet logic of shifting to neutral or park but don't feel it's at all necessary. Quite simply manufacturers would make it very plain that this is how you're supposed to drive an auto

It isn't necessary, that's already been decided - just personal preference and habit.

1 hour ago, rich1068 said:

No experience of the RX and only just picking up this thread but surely the hill start do da is irrelevant on these cars? As Mike says, being autos? I've driven plenty of manuals with hill start but none of them seem as complicated to operate as you guys are describing. They just hold the car for a period while you operate the bewildering number of pedals 

I'm only guessing so this may be complete ******* but, it may be something to do with these cars being eCVT as opposed to 'normal' automatics. In a normal auto the car will creep forward when in drive unless you have the brakes on, which I think is down to the fact that there is no 'clutch' to completely disengage and there's a constant 'drag' on the transmission fluid, resulting in creep (remember I said I'm only guessing). If you happen to be on an uphill slope then gravity will cancel out the creep, ergo you don't need 'hill start'

Maybe eCVT transmissions don't suffer from this fluid drag, so no creep, so on an uphill slope you'd start to roll backwards the second you lift your foot from the brake, ergo Hill Start is a good and useful thing.

I'm no mechanic, I don't know 

2 hours ago, ChrisM said:

I am sure I read somewhere that holding the car on the brakes when discs are hot could warp the discs or melt particles onto the surface creating ridges, possibly in the LS forum.

That would be correct in a 'normal' braking system where the braking is done by the friction of the pads against the discs, the result of which is high temperatures, but in hybrid cars like ours the vast majority of braking is done by the regenerative brakes, where there is no friction and so no heat produced to warp the discs - or at least not enough anyway. I believe it works in such a way that when the driver presses the brake pedal, the electric motors actually begin to turn in the reverse direction, which has the dual effect of slowing the car and also generating electricity to charge the traction Battery. The 'traditional' mechanical brakes only come into play when the car has already slowed down a great deal, so less friction and less heat.

1 hour ago, JeffL said:

John, I know you are talking specifically Hybrid/CVT, but just for the record, I've driven lots of different cars over the last 40 years all with petrol engines and conventional torque auto gearboxes. My wife the same but with petrol engines/CVT gear boxes. We've both always left them in drive when stopped at the lights or in a traffic queue, never any problems. 

I agree Jeff, there's no problem with leaving an auto in drive if you want to, and there's no problem with putting an auto into neutral if you want to, nothing bad will happen either way.

My only point is that when I was learning to drive back in early 1975, I had an absolutely fanatical driving instructor who used to rap my knuckles with a wooden ruler if I didn't put the car in neutral at traffic lights. Obviously, the habit became deeply ingrained in my psyche and it seems completely alien to me now that I've got a hybrid and I have to leave it in drive - but I am getting used to it now after two months of ownership  

47 minutes ago, paulrnx said:

Try driving the car round bends rather than relying on something that isn't designed to do what you're expecting it to. Unbelievable. Am I the only person on here who thinks that relying on radar guided cruise control to maintain a gap going round a sharp bend and declaring it to be a fault is complete and utter nuts?

No, we all thought that but were just too polite to say so 

17 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

There is no need to select neutral, no matter what the transmission type.

But nothing bad will happen to the transmission if you do. You don't need to select neutral but you can if you want  

I did follow the link you gave and yes, I agree that there is slight wear of certain components, but I think it's so small as to be insignificant and it doesn't harm the transmission. It may shorten the life of the components by three months before the rest of the car dies anyway.

I bought one of my previous cars at 70,000 miles and I have no idea how the previous owner(s) used to drive it. I went on to put another 120,000 miles on it, always selecting Neutral at the lights, and the box was as good as always when the rest of the car died around it and the whole thing went to that great scrapyard in the sky.

In the end, I think it comes down to individual habits and personal preferences and as I said at the beginning, I'm only now, after two months of ownership, becoming comfortable with breaking the habit of a lifetime and leaving it in Drive.

18 hours ago, steveledzep said:

Your list is very similar to mine John.  Your car is very similar too.  Great music and a great car too. 

You're obviously a man of impeccable taste Steve  

If a band called Whole Lotta LED ever play around your area, I highly recommend that you go to see them. They aren't a 'looky-likey' sort of tribute band with wigs and costumes, but they just concentrate on the music of Zep and by 'eck, they do a fantastic job of playing it too. I know they're playing Narberth in November - I don't know how close you are but the name always sticks in my memory because I got a set of speakers from eBay and went to Narberth to pick them up!

Thanks for everything so far guys 

I've just been to pick up my wife from work and thought I'd give Hill Start another go and I'm glad to say that it works - but only of a fashion. 

Both Ray and Edward above said that you have to stomp hard or apply a lot of pressure to the brake pedal so I did. Lo and behold, I got a single beep and the amber flashing light that Edward mentioned came on, so I felt very happy and took my foot off the brake pedal but just a couple of seconds later I got two beeps, the amber light went out and the car started moving forward. This happened on even the slightest of inclines and it didn't matter if the car was in Drive or Neutral, it still happened.

Doh! Maybe I've been a bit thick. It's only just dawned on me now as I sit typing this out - can you move your foot completely off as I was doing or are you meant to keep your foot on the brake and the Hill Start just gives you enough time to move from brake to accelerator without rolling?

1 hour ago, SLACKBLADDER said:

Put radio one on or Dire straits on full wind down the windows cuz 60 is the new 30 and stop putting it in neutral  cuz you will ***** up and select the wrong one and if I'm behind waiting you'll get the Sc grumbling at you hehe  I'm older than you 

Don't worry Les, I'm a life-long rock fan and my favourite band of all time is LED Zeppelin but I've also got in there lots of AC/DC, Dire Straits, Rolling Stones, Deep Purple, Free, Bad Company, The Who and so the list goes on 

30 minutes ago, Verbout said:

 

Now come on Garry, we've discussed this before in various topics. That guy says that you don't need to put the car in Neutral, but he doesn't specifically give any examples of anything bad happening if you do - because nothing bad will happen. I've driven nothing but automatics for more than 30 years and put over 120,000 miles on one car with auto, always putting it in neutral when I stop and the box was as good as ever.

...still not convinced I'm doing things right. It's been two months now since we picked up our pride and joy and we're loving every minute of it, it really is excellent!

However, 43 years of driving has LED to some very deep-rooted habits, chief amongst which is that when sat at traffic lights or in other queues, I have always put the handbrake on and put the transmission in neutral and anything else just seems so alien! Is it really true that I shouldn't be doing that now? Is it really true that for a hybrid, I should keep the car in gear (in 'D') and keep my foot on the brake or at least put the parking brake on but do not take the transmission out of 'D'?

Also, I hate to admit it but I seem to have morphed into my parents. As a kid I hated being dragged off for a Sunday afternoon trip to the seaside but now, as a 60-year old adult, I absolutely love a good long bracing walk along the prom and then (if the weather's not too brilliant) just sitting in the car for a couple of hours, maybe even longer, watching the world go by. Being big music fans, we always used to have the radio or CDs on while we sat there. As yet, we just haven't had the chance to do this but when we do, and having heard stories of just how easily the small 12v Battery can be drained, is listening to the radio for long periods even possible in a stationary hybrid car?

I think I read somewhere that the way to do it is to make sure that the car is in the "Ready" state but that means that the daytime running lights will be on, the instrument panel will be illuminated and all the car's computers will be ready to move off but they won't get that instruction, so will that do any damage to anything or is having the car in the "Ready" state the way to do it and completely safe?

One other thing that bothers me is that before buying this car, I had a test drive in a 12-plate RX450h Luxury. While out on the drive, the salesman demonstrated 'Hill-Start Assist and if I remember right, after coming to a stop on a hill you press down a little harder on the brake for a couple of seconds and a buzzer sounds to indicate that Hill-Start Assist is active. I think I'm right in saying that the Advance is the next model up from the Luxury so I would have thought that our car should have Hill-Start Assist but I can't get it to work. How do I find out if it is actually fitted on my car because if it is, it's faulty, but if it was never meant to have it anyway then that must be the reason it's not working 

3 hours ago, JeffL said:

I know it's not a Lexus but it is Japanese! and as I don't want to sign-up to a Honda forum, thought I'd ask you friendly guys and girls about a new battery for my wife's 2005 Honda Jazz 1.4 Petrol CVT. She usually only uses it twice a week for a 4 mile journey to the shops, then back home again. (cheaper to use a taxi, I know, but that's another matter). Due to the low miles the battery eventually goes flat, so I was charging it every 6 months, more recently every 3 months. This time it's lasted 2 months. Obviously need a new one. Do we buy the standard one for the car or is there a heavy duty one available and would that be a benefit or not?  The handbook says the spec is 12V - 28 AH/5 HR or 12V - 35 AH/20 HR (don't know what the difference is, not mechanically minded myself), but the one we bought 7 years ago, (mileage 12,000), the invoice says H31 500 SAA E02 and 38B19L-MF. The car has now done 20,000 miles. Which type and make of battery should we buy? Thanks

You probably know that Honda, like most other car manufacturers, don't make parts like batteries, exhausts, tyres etc., etc. All they do is to buy them in from the people who do make them and probably put on a markup for acting as middleman before selling on to you. You don't need to go to the main dealers for any parts like these, so I suggest you just look for a decent brand of battery like Yuasa, Varta, Bosch or Exide to name just a few, and buy from any motor accessory shop or specialist Battery shop if you have one near you (we have Longton Battery Services near us). You can go in and talk one-to-one to the guys who deal in/with batteries all day, every day and benefit from their knowledge and expertise.

1 hour ago, Steve said:

yes, basically the server was throttled and was running out of worker connections, i increased the maximum workers and it has improved. I will keep an eye on it.

Thanks for feeding the hamsters Steve    Any particular reason as to why it was throttled? Something going wrong with it or just too many of us trying to use it at the same time?

5 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

The 4.3l engine has a threaded cap.

In more than 40 years of driving I've never come across an oil cap that is threaded, so I hold my hand up - you learn something new on here every day  

37 minutes ago, ambermarine said:

My understanding of his complaint was that although they had offered to change the part he wanted to vent is spleen on somebody because he had fitted the part , as any business got a department that deals with the customer cocking it up.

No, but again, if you order a part but the incorrect one is delivered or damaged on arrival, there is no telephone support anymore. That, in itself, may be enough for some people to avoid using that company in the future, which is what the guy is ranting about - not that he fitted the part; not that they have web support* but simply that they have discontinued telephone support so they can't deal with problems as effectively or expediently as they used to.

*It's not beyond the realms of possibility when one has to deal with 'web-only' support that the online form doesn't have the correct option that fits your circumstances or the situation is complex and has to be explained to another human.

1 hour ago, ambermarine said:

Well the problem this guy on the video had was self inflicted, you should always check the parts before placing them on the vehicle and he knew he was placing an incomplete part on the car .

I do agree there, but it doesn't alter the fact that if something goes wrong, you can't just phone them up anymore and talk to someone one-to-one. A situation that's already difficult when separated by thousands of miles has now been made even more difficult.