cleverdick

Thermal shock can cause this too (obviously), such as from driving through a ford. One to beware of.

I wonder if, at some point, somebody's seen fit to cake the indicator in conductive paint in order to restore full-length brightness? (It's a trade secret, y'know!) That would most certainly upset the dynamic balance of this precision instrument.

The esteemed John Watkinson, who's well-known in serious audio engineering circles, once stated that the term 'professional' simply means that you get paid for the job. It does not necessarily allude to any standard of excellence. I also had a suspension alignment issue on my '94 LS. I took it to a local Rolls-Royce mechanic (whose Pro-Cut lathe I'd been glad of in the past), and was astounded when, comparing the wheelbases on each side, he measured from stud-to-stud which - obviously - was completely meaningless. His assistant compounded the issue when, on discussing the rotation of one end of a coil spring WRT the other under load, talked in millimetres instead of degrees of rotation - without specifying the radius! (The case in point was the static twisting force on the lower damper bush, which can occur if the strut is assembled without the special service tool.) Put simply, they both had no idea (and charged me for the privilege of their ignorance)! I figured it out myself in the end. The cause was a lower control arm bush that hadn't been centrally fitted. I commissioned my local Toyota independent to do the realignment and the car drives as true as the day it was made.

Thinking back to the episode of the "wrong badge" car, and his public admittance of having driven it back from Reading with no MoT (if my memory serves me correctly) and hence no valid insurance: Surely this offense should also have been taken into account. I reckon he got of pretty lightly - all things considered, and his history. Unfortunately his type have no shame, they don't learn, and inevitably resurface in a different guise.

There's an old saying: "Lazy people take the most pains". Now, whilst I'm not suggesting for a moment that you're lazy, I can tell you from experience that the job's much easier with the undertray removed. (The Mk2 does not have an access flap below the filter.) It doesn't take 5 minutes, and also gives you the opportunity to carry out a visual inspection of the engine bay underside.

I don't know if the ECU capacitors in the Mk4 are surface-mount - but as a general rule they do not age as well as good quality through-hole types. Certainly, due to their lower, wider profile (and hence greater unrolled length), their impedance is often slightly higher for a given C value. However, a failing electrolytic capacitor will likely show abnormally high impedance (several Ohms at 100kHz) and much-reduced capacitance. But note that this is a chronic condition - caused by prolonged heat yes, but cooling won't improve matters once the damage is done. So I would suggest that failing ECU capacitors are not the cause of the trouble in this case.

Reported issues on Mk3 with cutting out after sustained high-speed driving? I don't know the cause - or the fix.

A good result of course, and our cars rarely fail the MoT unexpectedly. But nevertheless, this is would be a terrible time of year weather-wise to be without a car in case of failure. Why not get a new MoT in late spring, just for future peace of mind?

You'll see many an E-Class with rusted wheelarches - that's for sure!

It's all very well saying "use factory parts", but what if the manufacturer (e.g. Ford) won't supply them after 10 years - because they don't want you to do 100,000 miles in the same car - let alone 3 million? (Fortunately, most Toyota parts seem to be available 20+ years on.) I used to get angry at the Ford main dealer when I had old Cortinas and Granadas, because there were always parts for the current models but never the older ones. I once wrote to the Head Office and Technical Information Centre, asking what the design life was, and also after what age would they not issue safety recalls. They totally refused to answer. So I changed to Toyota and haven't looked back.

In reality a much gentler driving style in the US - with constant, moderately low speeds much of the time. Plus a more steady climate without sudden changes in temperature. It all helps.

Ambermarine, I think the pipe you are referring to is the screenwash line from the pump. I took out the entire wheelarch liner today - with some difficulty - and nowhere could I see the end of the sunroof drain hose. Putting it all back was even more of a pig of a job - requiring all parts and clips to be in the right place concurrently. (Believe me, I was not in a good mood!) I resorted to pouring water down the drain inlets with the aid of a small funnel and a combination of sleeving/tubing. Initially it wouldn't clear. However, after actually blowing down the pipe it eventually would. Therefore I hope I've dislodged whatever may have been causing a blockage. I'm still none the wiser as to where this sodding pipe actually emerges. Rather surprisingly, the water ran out of the sill seams some 30cm back from the wheelarch! (So it would seem that the sills are the drainage channels.)

Mine is a Mk2, yes. Interestingly though, the fracture is not exactly the same length on both sides of the car, and it doesn't look clean enough to be a deliberate feature. Maybe they all break here after a while? Anyway, I've applied a smear of Wickes all-weather clear sealant (not silicone but co-polymer) to each side and will see what happens. We're due for some heavy rain I understand, so I'll report back. Thanks guys... R

It shouldn't make any noise!!!

I'd heard of the Century, but did not know about the V12 I must admit. Note the assembly with a digital torque wrench - now why can't our fitters use those? I suspect Mercedes copied the idea with their Maybach concept. Serious mortgage territory.

I recently posted about the sunroof drain hoses - and I do believe that mine are clear (absent a positive visual ID). However, the problem persists. I have noticed a crack in the plastic moulding on either side, and I now wonder if this is the cause. I'd be glad to know if other members' cars have this 'feature'.

Thanks folks... :) R

Seems I have a common problem, i.e. damp headlining around the front left corner of the sunroof. ('94 LS400) Fortunately I've been able to dry it out reasonably effectively. So, on the basis that the drainage pipes are blocked, I have attempted to clear them with 5mm electricians' earth sleeving. I am able to push in the sleeving to a depth of precisely 137cm before it hits something. What, I don't know - and I just cannot see where the exit point is. (I have the real service manual and I can't find this information in it.) On the first attempt, there was a small plug of mud in the end of the sleeving, but it didn't look like enough to bung it up completely. Compressed air into the sleeve seems to flow freely. Does anyone know where the front drain pipes emerge? A clear visual is the acid test. Thanks in advance, Rich

Maybe someone mistook a 0 for a U or something - seems to be what happened with mine and been like it from first registration! I've never considered it worth the hassle of getting amended (and you can bet that it would be a hassle).

Same thing happened to me years ago with a Cortina 2000E - except I was in it at the time! (It was a 1975 model: I was so glad that I'd fitted seats with head restraints from one from a later year!) Might be a bit late in your case, but now that the book value of our cars is so low, the best course of action would be to strip as many parts off as you can and retain as spares for the next LS - or flog them on eBay. Seems to be the path of least loss. You say you got £250 - well surely those original alloys alone are worth more than that! Then there's the audio system, various trim items, the headlights of course - you get my drift. I still have two cratesful of stuff off my old 1990 LS - which is worth the space they take up just for the reassurance. Also, the good parts which I'd had fitted (such as PAS pump and alternator) I got transplanted onto the new car before scrapping the old. Stuff that wasn't compatible (such as roadwheels and refurbished climate panel) I sold on. Take your time in looking for a replacement - good ones are out there.

UKW = Ultra Kurz Welle - "Ultra Short Wave" otherwise known as "Very High Frequency"!

Erm... I don't think I've forgotten anything actually. Especially having had - and still using - a factory original system from a 1990 LS.

It's scrubbed up well, I'll give him that! But either the air is ice cold or it isn't....

It's true that the supplied scissor jack is not really up to the job. I've had the threads sieze on me, which means that irrepairable damage is done. I carry a compact trolley jack with me now (try Aldi or Lidl for the sort of thing), which really does take the effort out of it. (A wooden block is essential though.) Using a regular scissor jack, just inside the seam, will likely deform the sill or floorpan - or - if on the seam will mangle it - just as the previous owner of my car has done! The fins on the diff may be useful for a jack, but I suspect that their primary function is cooling.