2001 Seat Ibiza S 1.4 v 2001 Avensis?

the tool is used on the car and is about 30 quid, ingenuity and access to a lathe could improvise it.

As was mine and a similar era. ;-)

I took all my papers to the local Police stn and they suggested that 'Traffic' had got it wrong and I'd probably hear no more about it.

I did, I admitted guilt by letter (I was probably doing the speed they suggested but only knew it was between 50 and 70 because of the MM speedo) but with mitigating circumstances in that I wasn't aware of my vehicle being liable to any speed restrictions (I know, 'ignorance is no defence' etc [1]) as I assumed because it was insured, taxed and tested as a 'Private Vehicle' and was pretty close to it's car and traveler cousins, it would be treated the same.

I also felt (under the circumstances, I wasn't actually loaded, exceeding the road speed limit, the conditions, my driving (I'd noticed them behind me for a couple of miles), all papers and vehicle were up to spec and wasn't in any way rude to the Officer etc etc) that I should at worse be just fined (ok, I did do something 'wrong') but objected to the Endorsement as I was truly innocent as I wouldn't have continued at that speed, knowing a Police patrol car was following me if I had any idea I was doing something wrong?

The irony of it was that (like most of us) I have probably speeded (by mistake in 99% of the cases and when not directly dangerous) and would have held my hands up if stopped on any of them.

I *hoped* actual Policemen (rather than static cameras connected to computers) and the courts would have used some discretion on that instance but apparently not. Maybe they needed to get their numbers up that month?

Cheers, T i m

[1] A further irony was I was a regular DJ at the Police Training Centre at Hendon and it took my Sergeant / Instructor friend to check through the Vehicle Construction and Use regs in their library for me to find out *why* my MM Van was so restricted (apparently it needed two side windows of 2 sq ft or more along with the existing two rear windows of at least 100 sq inches to become a 'Multipurpose Vehicle' (or summat)).

Ok, not 'terrible' considering the bigger picture then.

Oooh, I sometimes have the former and I do have the latter. ;-)

Cheers T i m

(I forgot to look for the engine code but ... )

I've just got a HBOL for what looked like the right model (body-styling) but it says for the 1.4 engine AUB, BBY, BBZ, BKY and BXW?

The HBOL I got was this one (May 2002 - April 2008):

And the only other one is this:

But that one only goes up to Oct 99 and they styling is different?

So is it one of those crossover car years where I would need to get both manuals to cover all the bits (engine / chassis / trim) etc?

Cheers, T i m

2002 was the model crossover year.

Chris

... so could have say the later body styling with the earlier engine model?

I've ordered the earlier HBOL in any case (as I like them, when they apply). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[...]

Who would know? When I've come across this with other makes, the dealers can't always sort it out. Peugeot are particularly bad. I had one dealer argue until he was blue in the face that there were only two types of brake pad fitted to a specific vehicle, yet neither of them fitted. I eventually took a pad to them, and they supplied replacements, but their documentation showed them as for a completely different vehicle.

Haynes were OK in the sixties when cars were simple and few changes were made during production runs. They are much less relevant now, and are often full of inaccuracies that can be painfully misleading.

Chris

However, the manufacturers' information available to dealers is not much better - see my thread about Skoda a/c intermittent - the local dealer cannot tell me where to find the temperature sensor in the air intake to the heater/AC system, and his diagrams do not indicate that my model has this - in contradiction to the schematic from Autodata.

But presumably the manufacturers do make drawings to show how something is done in production? Or perhaps not ...?

Unless you had the car from new you can't be absolutely sure the brakes were fitted at manufacture. Many makers use the same spacing and PCD for the lugs that the brakes bolt on to throughout the range. This makes it quite easy to fit larger brakes from heavier or higher performance models of that maker. Skyline GT-R Brembo brakes bolt directly on to

200SX knuckle, disc is 324mm instead of 280mm (does need a 17" wheel). As do 300ZX callipers that use thicker 30mm discs instead of 22mm (S13), this gives a massive increase in resistance to fade. It is also common to swap the solid rear discs with single piston calliper for vented 300ZX/GT-R discs and dual piston calliper. 300ZX 5 bolt rear hubs bolt on to 200SX S13 inplace of 4 bolt hubs.

Once you have had a factory manual the HBOL is something you would never want to use ever again. These days it just gives up on far too many jobs and says "take it to the dealer". Or uses the expensive factory service tools instead of suggesting a cheaper (possible abuse of) alternative tool.

What Haynes were/(are?) good for is pictures of engine/gearbox strips/rebuild. These for the beginner are usually better than line drawings in FSM.

Could you not find a genuine factory manual for free online? Otherwise pay for it on CD on E-bay.

Peter Hill wrote: [...]

Somehow I can't see anyone fitting Brembos to a Partner van...

Chris

I've noticed that my 2008 Audi S3 has ventilated rear discs. I'd guess they were fitted by a previous owner as some sort of 'performance' mod - can't see any functional use.

[...]

If you are sure they were not fitted as standard, perhaps non-OEM ones have been used. Producers of non-OEM parts have to simplify their range; if some vehicles use vented, and some non-vented, it's cheaper for them to just offer the vented ones to all.

Chris

Not you or I by the sound of it Chris. ;-)

Agreed.

I don't think I've ever had dealings with a Pug.

My mate (at his garage) has had that many-a-time and has even scanned and emailed images of things like brake pads (faxed before that) to try to get the right part.

I've also been know to take a couple of air / oil filters when there is any doubt which one it should be (to return the unwanted one later).

Agreed, but as mentioned elsewhere, they can also be better than nothing and as long as you are ready to expect that they aren't always spot on, a 'good guide' if nothing else. ;-)

I also agree they were laid out better in 'the old days' when one section covered everything required. Now they seem to jump about all over the place in a way that might be better suited to the electronic version (if electronically linked and searchable etc)?

Cheers, T i m

Y not?

They done a Juke over with Gold Brembo's. That's one model up from a Micra and has the height of a van.

Then there was the TWR Ford Transit XJ220 mule. I think that wouldn't have done very well with standard Transit brakes.

It's not that simple to go from solid to vented.

Solid discs are about 8-10mm thick. The slot in the calliper is only about 2mm wider - 1mm clearance each side. Fully retracted with new pads the calliper has a pad spacing little wider than the disc thickness.

Vented discs start around 18-20mm thick, 300ZX rears are 18mm, 300ZX turbo fronts are 30mm and proper supercars will have thicker still. You can't even upgrade a vented disc without the calliper. Non turbo 300ZX had 26mm front disc and the calliper won't fit a turbo disc as the slot and pad spacing is too narrow.

[...]

Sense?

I think I would have noticed in advance if the vehicle I was working on was anything like those...

Chris