I'll AX this only once... though there is an Echo in here
Discussion
bolidemichael said:
I suppose that it wasn't you that I saw in Bodiam, Kent, on Boxing day riding a black Ducati 749, then!
- Not me guv! My OH was in London on a (very long) shift at Haringay, but I was back in York by that point!My wallet incinerating package of trouble is also red
InitialDave said:
darkyoung1000 said:
I agree about the upsidedown part as well, everyone loves getting covered in gravity assisted spatter right....?
No joke, wear ear protection, don't f
k about with that. I have measurably worse hearing in one ear after dropping a molten blob down it. You can really hear it frying the hairs in the wax! Got very lucky with that one.Could you use one of those remote thermal probes to compare to optimum running? Or could it just be the current climate also lowering the ambient temperature too much to get the best mpg (is that really a thing)?
Good the see the AX continuing to excel at all the random tasks and mileage you throw at it.
Good the see the AX continuing to excel at all the random tasks and mileage you throw at it.
darkyoung1000 said:
bolidemichael said:
I suppose that it wasn't you that I saw in Bodiam, Kent, on Boxing day riding a black Ducati 749, then!
- Not me guv! My OH was in London on a (very long) shift at Haringay, but I was back in York by that point!My wallet incinerating package of trouble is also red
Spinakerr said:
Could you use one of those remote thermal probes to compare to optimum running? Or could it just be the current climate also lowering the ambient temperature too much to get the best mpg (is that really a thing)?
Good the see the AX continuing to excel at all the random tasks and mileage you throw at it.
It has kept on ticking away - I'm waiting for warmer weather and time off to have a proper dig around the cooling system and investigate. The Corrado was overcooling very badly with a dicky themostat (according to the oil temperature reading) which made me assume it was that. I'm not sure the investigation is going to be before our trip to Wales in March unfortunately, but whenever it is, I'll fire up my FLIR camera to see if I can get a better idea of what's going on here. The correctly fitting thermostat works, as there was a rush of coolant and the radiator and fan kicked in. Good the see the AX continuing to excel at all the random tasks and mileage you throw at it.
It doesn't then produce heat in the cabin once you get to a certain speed indicating it's cooling too efficiently (or the heater matrix is full of crud - hopefully this).
I do idly wonder if the thermostat is opening at the correct temperature for the engine, with the adjustments I've made. Looking at the Haynes manual, the TU3 engine (1.4) from the GTi has a different operating temperature range (93 - 95 degrees) wheras the others are 88-100 degrees:
I'll do another drain and flush of the entire system first though!
Cambs_Stuart said:
Always good to see the AX running about. I can't remember seeing another in public for a long time now.
It's still a fun thing to have around - I do think that most of them have rotted away now in the UK - the last time I saw one (well 3) in the wild was in Le Mans last summer. I'll keep it going as long as I can!bolidemichael said:
darkyoung1000 said:
bolidemichael said:
I suppose that it wasn't you that I saw in Bodiam, Kent, on Boxing day riding a black Ducati 749, then!
- Not me guv! My OH was in London on a (very long) shift at Haringay, but I was back in York by that point!My wallet incinerating package of trouble is also red
). On a day to day basis, I probably get more enjoyment from riding the 250!RDMcG said:
Don’t know how I missed this- incredible skill in keeping the car fully operational . Very impressive .
Likewise - sorry I missed your comment, and while kind, it's a pretty basic thing really. TUn engine is fitted to so many things, it's just keeping on top of the rust!Not much has been happening with maintenance but it proves itself to be as versatile as ever.
Volume 3 of 'who needed a Volvo estate anyway?' - replacing a panel on the car port damaged by Rat Boys:
It did smell gently of bitumen for a day or so afterwards....
We then went on holiday to Wales with the dog - a high risk strategy with the weather at the beginning of March, but it turned out to be lovely and barely rained all week. Cracking cottage in the middle of nowhere, just south of Harlech.
In Harlech, there was this, which of course we had to drive down (it's one way) as well as walking up. No brakes were cooked as it's quite short, but you wouldn't want to run out of stopping power!
Perhaps most importantly, the old sticker was looking rather tatty, so has been replaced:
I have some works planned for Easter, and the weekend after when I'm on call.
One of the rear doors has stopped responding to requests to open - I suspect the rods have become detatched, so that will be a doorcard off job as it will be an MOT fail.
There is a cat to be fitted to the exhaust, as the AX GT exhaust fitted, is of course, before there was such a requirement.
Various rust prevention issues
Some servicing (oil, plugs etc.)
Oh yes...and this cropped up on eBay, so it seemed rude not to buy it. They were fitted to some AXs, seemingly at random, from the 1.0l to the GTi (although the GTi had drop links), just not this one. A 19mm thick ARB (the diesels were 21mm) which might make the dog a little more comfortable on cross country runs. The bolt holes were there in the new wishbones I put on, so according to the book of lies, it's a 3 spanner problem. I look forward to wasting a day on it while hoping that the improvment in handling is worth the 0.4% increase in weight....
Cambs_Stuart said:
That area around Harlech is amazing, the beach is beautiful. I took my youngest there a couple of times last year. That 40% slope by the castle was interesting in the rain. The legacy was far happier going up than down!
Stunning isn’t it? The dog was in seventh heaven, and the mountain walking around Barmouth was spectacular as well. Interesting you managed to drive up it, the one way system must be new!
The MOT is looming, and work has not been kind in finding time off.
Booked in for the stone chip to be repaired this Friday.
Universal 2” diameter 200 cell cat should arrive tomorrow for a garage to weld it into the AX GT stainless system.
A pack of plugs are in the post as it’s not always catching first turn of the key and I can’t recall changing them.
Good job there’s not another weekend night shift coming up, and that my OH doesn’t need the car every day to get to the stables…..blast!
Booked in for the stone chip to be repaired this Friday.
Universal 2” diameter 200 cell cat should arrive tomorrow for a garage to weld it into the AX GT stainless system.
A pack of plugs are in the post as it’s not always catching first turn of the key and I can’t recall changing them.
Good job there’s not another weekend night shift coming up, and that my OH doesn’t need the car every day to get to the stables…..blast!
Had a G reg 3 door 1.4 RD AX at the same time as my dad had a 5 door AX 1.0 litre 4 speed back in the day. Mine was so much better in snow and ice as the 1.0l was so light it spun the tyres, whereas mine just dug in and was a hoot.
My 1.4 diesel consistantly did 55mpg driven hard or slow, needless to say it was always driven extremely hard, which didnt do the diesel engine any harm at all. In 1993 it was costing me 4.5p per mile during a university placement with diesel around 54p a litre, 17.9p was the public transport rate so made a few bob.
My AX was at its best with a roofrack and huge plastic kayak on the passenger side to balance my huge weight.
The AX was great around London as it was so small and easy to park , but the 201 mile one way trip twice a week I did for many years got a bit tedious and back pain inducing so it was replaced by a very comfy 22,000 mile J Reg Citroen ZX Aura 1.6i that had incredible handling with passive rear steer.
My 1.4 diesel consistantly did 55mpg driven hard or slow, needless to say it was always driven extremely hard, which didnt do the diesel engine any harm at all. In 1993 it was costing me 4.5p per mile during a university placement with diesel around 54p a litre, 17.9p was the public transport rate so made a few bob.
My AX was at its best with a roofrack and huge plastic kayak on the passenger side to balance my huge weight.
The AX was great around London as it was so small and easy to park , but the 201 mile one way trip twice a week I did for many years got a bit tedious and back pain inducing so it was replaced by a very comfy 22,000 mile J Reg Citroen ZX Aura 1.6i that had incredible handling with passive rear steer.
Investigation work on the underside of the AX today to see whether fitting a cat to the exhaust was possible, and having a good poke around before the MOT.
The upshot I’m going to wait for the MOT and see on what and how badly it fails before working out what to do.
The list of things I spotted were the cat (and therefore potentially emissions), the rear flexible brake hoses….and the potential killer of all old French hatches….the rear beam.
Looks like the offside rear isn’t as good as it should be, and there maybe some play in the wheel as a result of the rear beam failing. That might explain the rubbing on hard cornering too….
Time to start looking for a new axle, just in case.
The upshot I’m going to wait for the MOT and see on what and how badly it fails before working out what to do.
The list of things I spotted were the cat (and therefore potentially emissions), the rear flexible brake hoses….and the potential killer of all old French hatches….the rear beam.
Looks like the offside rear isn’t as good as it should be, and there maybe some play in the wheel as a result of the rear beam failing. That might explain the rubbing on hard cornering too….
Time to start looking for a new axle, just in case.
Having decided to wait until after the MOT before starting any work, I of course found another thing that couldn't wait.... The rear offside door that has been playing up, but opened after a bit of lock jiggling... from the inside. I didn't think to check it from the outside, and the handle flopped about uselessly.
I think that's an instant fail, and having found I can get a new axle, thought I should fix that at least. So...removing the interior trim from a 30 year old hatch...
Is actually really simple, like most things AX. The window winder prys off with no screw, as does the door handle release, which just leaves two torx bits holding the handle on. Then work your way round the panel with your prying implements of choice.
There's then the (well sealed) vapour barrier obscuring the internal workings of the door handle. Rather than make a mess of it prying it off, I cut a small pocket in it.
The issue was simple and involved re-seating the mechanism, of course it shouldn't have slipped off in the first place, but I think that's down to the lock getting stuck, and trying to open it with gentle persuasion....
I sealed up the cut with gaffer and then refitting was the reverse of removal.
Let's see what this afternoon's MOT brings....
I think that's an instant fail, and having found I can get a new axle, thought I should fix that at least. So...removing the interior trim from a 30 year old hatch...
Is actually really simple, like most things AX. The window winder prys off with no screw, as does the door handle release, which just leaves two torx bits holding the handle on. Then work your way round the panel with your prying implements of choice.
There's then the (well sealed) vapour barrier obscuring the internal workings of the door handle. Rather than make a mess of it prying it off, I cut a small pocket in it.
The issue was simple and involved re-seating the mechanism, of course it shouldn't have slipped off in the first place, but I think that's down to the lock getting stuck, and trying to open it with gentle persuasion....
I sealed up the cut with gaffer and then refitting was the reverse of removal.
Let's see what this afternoon's MOT brings....
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