Sunday 10 May 2020

Bloody cars.



I'm one of those people who is far happier with a 2CV or Renault 4, than I am with a Nippon Whiz-Bang XX GT Super Turbo Special (Sport Mk 2).

It took me many years, but eventually I mastered the cleaning of plugs, tinkering with the distributor, filling with petrol, and topping up the oil. As long as there was a spark in the battery, I could make almost any car engine start.

Then came all the complications. Electric windows, automatic door locking, digital clocks, no choke, etc. It wasn't long before a car's engine needed to be plugged into a computer at a specialist garage in order to find any fault, and with such complicated engines, there were faults-a-plenty. I was totally lost!


Recently my car (The Compact Royce) spluttered a couple of times, and I panicked. I ran hot-foot to Mr Google and described my problem to him as carefully as I could. An answer came back almost at once.

It was the air filter.... I didn't even know it had an air filter.

So, I took all the details, consulted Amazon, and with little confidence I ordered a replacement. It arrived just three days later, and amazingly it was the right model, I chucked the old dirty one, cleaned out the interior of its container, and the new one fitted perfectly (above).

Since then I have suffered no more spluttering; clean air must have done the job.

p.s. I remember a couple of years ago having a slight problem with my chainsaw. My friend José asked if I'd cleaned the air filter. My reply was (you've already guessed) "What air filter?"

44 comments:

  1. My skills as a trained motor mechanic are pretty well useless now.

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    1. I think changing this filter is as far as I go these days. Technology has beaten me.

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  2. 50 years married to an auto electrician- I didn't need to worry. That filter looks pristine as it should.

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    1. Yes, the old one was very different, and the box it sits in was filled with muck; I had to Hoover it clean.

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  3. A good job done. Just the fuel and oil filters now and there you are set for another year. You will find that the warnings are still on but short of getting the software and a Lead to connect your laptop to the vehicle not much you can do about that.

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    1. I'm not changing anything else; my nerves were shot just changing the above!

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  4. You also need to do the same for your lawn mower. Wash it in some Fairy liquid.

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    1. My mower has one too? I presume you mean the ride-on? I'll have a look.

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    2. Yes. I'm surprised your engine even runs if you've never looked at the filter. Wash it and then soak it in engine oil, squeeze it out and put it back.

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    3. If it's a Honda it will be a paper filter. Don't wash those. Don't buy branded ones get half a dozen from Amazon and change them at least once a year.

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    4. I've just had a look at mine; it is tubular and made of paper. The Net suggests I tap it to get the bits out. I'll see if I can find a replacement; it hasn't been touched since I bought it in 2013.

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    5. They cost about a fiver top whack. Just get a new one.

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  5. As a long-time mechanic said to me "cars are just getting too complicated"

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    1. Why doesn't some innovative Co make simple cars again? With global warming looming, I would have thought that someone might re-manufacture the Mini Moke. I'd certainly buy one (if the price was right).

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  6. That's what I call courage.

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    1. I was very happy that it all worked out OK.

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  7. With all these breathing problems going around, not surprising engines are joining in. Pity we can't change our own air filters that easily.

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  8. I cannot even open the bonnet on my Corsa (does it open?) but then I am a woman.

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    1. Frankly, I think it's far better to get others to do all these messy things for us. As long as one can find mechanics who charge a reasonable price, it's a fair exchange of money for work.

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  9. I wouldn’t have a clue where to start when it comes to car parts and where to put them ..... I’m good at solving the computer glitches when they need resetting .... it takes me a while but I usually fix it. Hi five to you though ..... you are very good at solving problems. XXXX

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    1. I cheated. I looked at a video on YouTube, which showed me exactly what to do.

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  10. My dad and brother were both keen car engine fiddlers but I was never interested in how the thing worked. I just fill mine with petrol when it nears empty and take it somewhere for servicing. Just a typical woman I suppose.

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    1. I used to quite enjoy doing things when engines were still 'simple'. Getting my old 2CV ready for a 500 mile journey made me feel 'capable'.

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  11. Everything is too complicated these days, or is it just me being old? lol
    Briony
    x

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    1. I agree with you 100%. I can't understand why no-one is manufacturing simple cars any more.

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  12. Applause and kudos for changing the air filter! Well done! When I was a lad, any men who were lucky enough to own a car spent most of Sunday tinkering with it. At least it kept them away from their wives' nagging. "Shall we go for a nice drive to the seaside Sidney? Why do you wear those old trousers? You'll never a be a scout with your shirt hanging out! Don't belch like that Sidney - it's disgusting!"

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    1. Tinkering with the car or bike-n-sidecar was almost obligatory. Then it became washing the car whilst whistling non-existent tunes. Now it's browsing the Net for a bigger and faster SUV.

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    2. Now that COVID 19 is here we are looking for penny farthings and electric bicycles.

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  13. A lifetime ago I knew how to change a fan-belt, remove wheels and do an oil change. Nowadays I struggle to find the dust filters on my Dyson let alone air filters in a car.

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    1. I don't think I'd trust myself changing a fan belt. In fact I wouldn't trust myself with anything much.

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    2. I had the watch YouTube to find out how to open the bonnet and then broke the stay and had to go to the dealer to have it fixed.

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    3. My mechanic (now officially retired) is a wonderful guy. He's 'old school', and thinks about solutions rather than following the rule book.

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  14. Well done Cro! We struggle to even find the battery on our car, (it's hidden under a sort of plastic cover) - let alone anything else. I remember the days when you could go to the scrapyard and get a secondhand alternator or carburettor...not that I ever did this myself you understand! Do cars even have carburettors and alternators these days? Remember the days of a quick spray with WD40 followed by a bit of Holt's damp start too when it wouldn't wake up in the morning? Gosh, those were the days - as you say it's all to complicated and computerised these days, I'm sure they did it on purpose.

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    1. I do keep a can of WD40 in the car... somehow I imagine it would fix almost anything.

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  15. I'm beginning to wonder when mine ceases to run simply because its service is overdue. I'm also beginning to wonder when the garage is going to answer my question about when they will be able to service it. Or when does the warranty become invalid because it hasn't been serviced. It was much easier with a Haynes manual.

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    1. I've never had my car 'serviced'. I simply have things repaired as needed. My 2 yearly road-worthiness test tells me everything that needs doing.

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  16. I have never done car mechanics, perhaps that is precisely why we still have and drive not only our new car but the first car we bought 45 years ago.

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    1. 45 years? That must be a record. You win a cyber prize!

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  17. I once restored a Morris Minor and was happy to change the gearbox on my 1965 Volvo Estate or tune the twin Webers on my later Volvo 145S. All that is behind me. My current car has warning lights for just about everything even the washer fluid and the tyre pressure. Actually they are not only lights but voice and visual warnings. It's almost scary. I do top up the washer fluid when it tells me though.

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    1. You sound like a fully fledged mechanic. I wouldn't know where to start with a gearbox or carbs. I blame my father; he paid people to do absolutely everything. As a result I learnt nothing, until I met others who did know a thing or two.

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  18. I've discovered if you get all the numbers and letters in the correct order, you can order most anything successfully. Installation is another matter...

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    1. It's finding all those correct numbers in the first place that is often tricky. Even ordering this filter was filled with pitfalls.

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