gjm

P1024 again points to the VVT - "VVT-Self-Learning Function Faulty Lower Learning Range (Bank 1)" Could just be coincidence that the fuel gauge (or more likely imo, the sender) is playing up.

Awesome. Great work.

It stopped raining this afternoon. And I deferred a look at an M-Sport E36 to stay home and sort dinner, and look at my car. (The jury is out on whether this was a good idea.) I pulled all the plastic cover stuff off the engine and decided to try cleaning the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve. Simple enough - it's at the right front of the engine, easily visible. However, the clamp/band around the pipe to the left as viewed from the front (I'll work out what it connects to later) refused to release. It's not so much a Jubilee clip, as a welded-in-place clamp belt. Yup, it is actually spot-welded to whatever is underneath. Removing it isn't a quick option. There was wet, dirty oil in the EGR housing, which I suspect can't be good. However, in the absence of any really good ideas, I chose the easy option and stuffed a plastic golf tee into the vacuum line connecting to the EGR housing. (Collected from the works 'do', last week. ) Initial impressions are that the engine is more responsive. Hmm. Maybe. I'm sceptical, but corroboration from other forums suggests it may be true. Reports are that cleaning the EGR valve (not really possible, unless you can remove it) can improve economy by up to 10%. Still, performance ain't the aim. Reliability and economy, while retaining existing performance, is. I'll give it a (careful) week and see how it goes.

I plugged the vacuum tube to the EGR with a plastic golf tee. Hard to tell if it has made a difference, but the car feels more responsive. (Must remember to turn off the ASC if I want to be enthusiastic in future!) I'll give it a week and see how fuel consumption is going.

I've confidence in my ability, and even though it would take me several times longer than any specialist, I'm happy the outcome would be good. Yup - ally blocks are generally known for this. The bolts are steel, so there is always the opportunity for problems. Throw in some overheating and there is a real chance of problems. If substituting a M52B28 for a M52B25, will the 2.5 engine electrics etc bolt up and work, or would I need all the 2.8 electrics and so on, too?

I had my fluid changed for me because I knew it needed doing and had no time to do it myself. Use good fluid - I had planned to use Penrite AFS-FS or possibly their DX VI. The key thing is to ensure whatever you use is appropriate. If you want to drop me a PM with your email address, I have several docs I can send you. The whole system hold 9+ litres of fluid; the gearbox hold about 4-4.5, so it is vital to drop fluid at the cooler too. You'll probably still not get all of it, but you'll get a lot more. Here's a pic from RealOEM showing where everything is (on my car) - I anticipate yours will be similar. It sounds as though you have a reasonable idea of what you're about. One of the important things is to fill the transmission gradually, ensuring the whole system is filled - you obviously can't drop several litres of fluid in and hope for the best! There are several threads on t'internet that help with this (I probably have some bookmarked). Check the electrical/electronic connections to the gearbox, too.

Let's assume the head needs facing, so factor that in. What else would, or might, need sorting? And what would the overall bill be, both for a DIY and a reputable specialist to sort it? (I'd phone a couple of specialists and ask, but this time on a Saturday night it's unlikely to be a productive exercise.) Guesstimates welcome. Just looking for a quick, rough, ballpark figure.

Obviously these aren't the sort of thing that will appeal to everyone, or even be useful. But if you have any interest, drop me a line. Make me an offer. I don't bite!

I'm wondering if when the gearbox oil was changed, a connection hasn't been nipped as well as it should have. Or perhaps old fluid was dropped on the engine under tray (currently held in place by cable ties...) Today started well. Then it rained. A lot. Again. And I don't have anywhere undercover I can work on the car at the moment.

P1031 isn't a transmission-related code... I think it has something to do with VVT, so elmarco's call on a cam position sensor could be right. Or it could be the VVT motor. Definitely fixable, if a little fiddly. Transmission light... When you say it goes into safe mode, is it locking into a single gear? Or does it still change gear, and if so, are you getting jerky changes (when the light is on)? Trans light can be brought on by many things, from low oil level in the 'box to duff wheel sensors, CANbus connection (the harness connecting to the gearbox) or even main battery - when was this last checked/replaced? If it is putting out low voltage, it may be sufficient to show as a fault due to low voltage on the gearbox sensors. Sorry I can't narrow it down any more. Getting a filter and trans sump gasket kit and changing the fluid is probably a good idea (how many miles / kms has the car done?) Make sure you drain as much fluid as possible, first from the drain plug on the gearbox (remove the fill plug first), and you can get a fair amount out by disconnecting the lines from the trans oil cooler. And make sure you fill the system correctly.

Link fixt. I'd missed a ':' D'oh. I just had to look and see who Lori is. So glad I made the effort. T'other one is a wagon and drag. ;-) Besides, Italy calls them lorries. At least, Ettore Bugatti did, when referring to the big green creations of WO Bentley... (I suppose that doesn't really count, eh?) And thanks for the welcome. I was thinking yesterday during my drive home, while looking at the Waikato and hills beyond, how lucky we are to be here.

It smells like old oil and it wasn't there before the trans fluid change, but was there immediately after. However, I'll check anything. Looks like it has stopped raining here and maybe (just maybe) the weekend will be pleasant. In which case I'll have to postpone checking the quality of the Christmas wine and get under the car first.

Lorry drifting.

I've seen much worse. (Has anyone here been in Essex on a Saturday night? ) The rear wing can go - it's rubbish. And $13k? Uh-uh. No way.

My Style 45s are for sale. No idea if the price is right, fair, just or whatever... Someone let me know if it isn't?

Those who have read of the joy of owning a high mileage car will know I have been debating replacing the standard, original, Style 45 rims. Well, here they are, for sale. The rims are all 16x7J et47, and weigh 10.5kg each, without tyres. The tyres are all used. Michelin Pilot Sport 3 on the front, Michelin Primacy LC on the rear. One rear is well enough worn that it may be good for 'play', but I doubt it will pass a WoF; the others all have WoF-able tread - I'll check exactly how much for anyone who is interested. Two of the other tyres show signs of rubbing on the sidewalls, but all 4 hold air without any issues - I've owned the car for over a month, and while I have checked every week, the pressures have remained constant. I've had no punctures, and have seen no signs of any puncture repairs. Pics (description of location on vehicle if for my reference as much as anything else): Front left: Front right: Rear right: Rear left: As you can see, all rims have at best some marks, at worst some kerbing. There are no huge lumps missing, no flat spots (that I have noticed), and no buckles that I have felt in driving. Previous experience with a slight wandering sensation have been shown to be road surface related; on any half-decent piece of road I have no issues at all. Collection is obviously preferred, but make it worth my while and I'll deliver in south Auckland. Or I can get them to central Hamilton most weekdays. Price... There are these on TradeMe right now, at $230. (Lots of others too, of course, but these are the same as mine. ) I'll sell my rims and tyres for less than these rims. So, $200 for the set of four? I'd really like them gone this weekend if at all possible!

And if they come to that conclusion, they are probably right. Paying someone to be unemployed is often more expensive than actually paying them to do something useful. Getting the unemployed to do something can sometimes be a real challenge, though.

It's GM all over though. Travel the globe, buy interesting car companies, and close them down. Look at Saab - post GM buyout, they were stripped of intellectual property, suffered near-total lack of investment, and were then closed. Of course, being Holden there may not be much intellectual property... Seriously though, it is a great shame. Ford's cessation of rear wheel drive production was a nail in the coffin of motoring enthusiasts. This is really very bad news.

Yup... Gets pretty filthy, doesn't it? It'd certainly been a while since the filter was replaced. But it's worth another look.

You need an E46! I thought I had replaced this already, and was sure it wasn't especially tricky.

I'm intrigued as to which supercharger kit is fitted - there are 3 options: http://www.g-power.de/1228.html?&L=1 Not that it'll make any difference to my ability to purchase!

Micro filter... Which one is that?

The EU4 engine was built from September 2003. I've seen suggestions that the EGR valve can be cleaned and disabled on the EU3 engine, but if going to the trouble to remove it for cleaning, surely simply not putting it back (and using a suitable pipe to replace it) is a better idea? I'm not sure what error codes this might raise, or if some sort of 'disable' configuration would still be required. The EU4 engine had much more stringent emissions controls and the EGR valve is different; it has some sort of electronic interface. It can still be deleted/removed, but obviously there is a little more to consider before starting that process. There's an option for each here. A cheaper option is to remove the vacuum pipe and stick a golf tee in it. If the engine is an EU3 it's kind of job done; if its EU4 what ever you do will raise the EML, but that can be mapped out. For me though, I'd prefer to do the job properly. Incidentally, the EU3 and EU4 injectors for the M47TUD20 are different and have to be coded; the EU3 injectors use a 6-digit code, the EU4s have a 7-digit code.

If I was driving on a billiards table, 20s might be lovely. As it is, 17s are more about looks than anything else. Filling the arches a little better, that sort of thing. Aesthetics. Cleaning 20 spokes 4 times over isn't going to be the most fun I could have... Clean them once, wax them, and it should be possible to just hose them clean for a while after that. I'll find something, somewhere, sometime... Like this...? Only 16 spokes so they'd be much easier to clean than the Alpinas... Style 127. And only available (originally) in 19s; I guess replicas may be available in other sizes. I'd obviously like to be using less fuel, but what I'm getting isn't unreasonable. If the EGR valve hasn't been cleaned, it's generally regarded as being a major contributor to reducing economy. Perhaps it'll stop raining this weekend long enough for me to have a look. One thing of minor concern is that ever since I had the gearbox fluid changed, there has been a smell of old engine oil coming through the vent in the centre of the dash, but normally only when I stop: it doesn't seem to be there while actually moving, and it is only that vent, too. At first I thought it was just some oil had got dropped on the exhaust, but 2.5 weeks later and it is still doing it. I've not been under the car to have a look for any leaks but there is no sign of anything being dropped on the ground when I've parked overnight.

In the background, with everything else that I'm considering and planning, the question of wheels rolls on. I'm pretty much settled on 17s. (I have an immediate solution, so there's no rush.) However... Style 22s? Y'know, the E36 Motorsport ones. Sunflowers. Whatever. I've not seen a pic of a E46 Touring actually wearing them, but they are a good-looking rim. There is this pic with style 22s resting against the fitted wheels: Or... 17" 20-spoke Alpinas? OK, these are (probably) 18s, but you get the idea. Opinions invited! Fuel economy isn't really changing. 10 miles per litre, 16km per litre, or a little over 6 litres per 100km. Had a quote for a hybrid turbo, but at over $2300 that will have to wait. Fingers crossed the fitted turbo isn't in too bad a condition!