Sticky something!

[dressur]

Wriggly isnt very well! Symptoms as follows:

Didn't want to start - although probably just cold!

Very juddery as I pulled out of my car park, then all the way down the road, every time I went over the speed bumps and then accelerated away, it felt like something was sticking - could feel it through my right foot. It wasn't cold car juddering, but a definite feeling of something not releasing, resulting in bunny hopping until I dropped down a gear and gave it some heavy right foot -then it was fine! Lasted about a mile then seemed to sort itself out

Any ideas?

[Rich]

Have you still got the black plastic throttle body? It sounds like the classic problems you get with them, especially when they get cold.

Rich

[dressur]

Have you still got the black plastic throttle body? It sounds like the classic problems you get with them, especially when they get cold.

Rich

That was what I thought, but didnt realise that being cold exacerbated the prob. Hoped I was just being paranoid and the car was just old, and cold!!

As far as I know, I still have the black plastic one - I certainly havent changed it, and I cant see anything in the invoices to suggest its been done previously.

[Guest]

I've got a couple of spare black plastic ones, you are welcome to them! I could swap it over and also finish your stripes. Maybe on Saturday? Will need to double check the I'm free, but can't think of anything.

[Rich]

Well it's not a bad thing to change it to an alloy one, especially if you go for the 52mm. You'll be on your way to 160 spec. and you do notice the difference. I'll keep an eye out for a second hand one and I'm sure Stewart will do the same... I know you're on a tight budget so we'll bear that in mind. Hmmm... Could do with one myself... for Smudge!

Stewart may have some other ideas too...

Rich

[dressur]

Well it's not a bad thing to change it to an alloy one, especially if you go for the 52mm. You'll be on your way to 160 spec. and you do notice the difference. I'll keep an eye out for a second hand one and I'm sure Stewart will do the same... I know you're on a tight budget so we'll bear that in mind.

Stewart may have some other ideas too...

Rich

I've got an interview with a granny housing company on Dec 1st for an ongoing temp role - if I wow them sufficiently, I should be ok financially fairly soon!
Is the current stickiness as bad as its going to get - ie - can I keep going for a bit without it going bang/doing any damage to the car?

[dressur]

I've got a couple of spare black plastic ones, you are welcome to them! I could swap it over and also finish your stripes. Maybe on Saturday? Will need to double check the I'm free, but can't think of anything.

Sorry Stew - didnt see this til I'd replied to Rcih several times! Would be great if you wouldnt mind - I've jsut done a bit of research and it seeem the 52mm alloy one would be a good thing to do at soem stage - just not quite yet!!

Got nothing planned for Sat - and have developed a new chilli recipe!!

[dressur]

And now - to add insult to injury, my handbrake light keeps coming on when I'm driving - and i can push the handbrake down, but it bounces up again. It's not on, but theres more play in it than seems normal- worth another nervous breakdown do you think?

[Dark Knight]

common problem Ally don't worry about that one! If Stewarts coming to look at the other bits that won't be too hard to sort out!

[Seb]

And now - to add insult to injury, my handbrake light keeps coming on when I'm driving - and i can push the handbrake down, but it bounces up again. It's not on, but theres more play in it than seems normal- worth another nervous breakdown do you think?

welcome to my world Ally - My handbrake light always does that, but you get used to it after a while! nothing to worry about!

Stew are the throttle bodies easy to fit? I might replace mine in a couple of weeks when i have sonme time off work?

[Guest]

Throttle bodies are really easy to replace, and normally you would do this to upgrade from the 48mm plastic to the 52mm alloy. However, it's quite an expensive mod for what little you gain out of it. But, if you are having probs with the plastic one, then it is worth the upgrade. Be carefull if buying an alloy throttle body, as there are also 48mm alloy ones, and some people try to pass them of as 52mm! Again, upgrading to the 488mm alloy if you have probs is worth it, but you shouldn't need to pay much for a second hand one. The 52mm is what was fitted to the Trophy/160's. Rob Bell has some very good instructions on changing them, so check out his site and follow the method he uses.

Handbrake light..... Really common problem. First thing I fixed on my F when i got it! You can do this yourself!

1 - go and make yourself a cup of tea whilst you contemplate starting work on this.
2 - park somewhere level, as you will need to take your handbrake off!!!
3 - lift out the cubby box under the armrest. Should just lift out.
4 - drink some tea and take a little rest, maybe have a cigarette.
5 - look in where you removed the cubby box and you will see a couple of cables going to a bracket, with a nut in the middle. This is the nut you need to adjust.
6 - have a bit more tea and get ready for the hard work you are about to do.
7 - take handbrake off and pump your foot brake a couple of times.
8 - you should see some slack, so now turn the nut to take up the slack, but don't go too much, just enough to take up the slack.
9 - don't over work yourself, so have a bit more tea, and another cigarette break.
10 - pump the foot brake a couple of times and put handbrake on and off, and check that the handbrake is now sitting down properley and the light no longer staying on!
11 - put cubby box back.
12 - job done, go for a drive, come back and make yourself another cup of tea and sit there feeling proud that you have just fixed your car!

[dressur]

Handbrake light..... Really common problem. First thing I fixed on my F when i got it! You can do this yourself!

1 - go and make yourself a cup of tea whilst you contemplate starting work on this.
2 - park somewhere level, as you will need to take your handbrake off!!!
3 - lift out the cubby box under the armrest. Should just lift out.
4 - drink some tea and take a little rest, maybe have a cigarette.
5 - look in where you removed the cubby box and you will see a couple of cables going to a bracket, with a nut in the middle. This is the nut you need to adjust.
6 - have a bit more tea and get ready for the hard work you are about to do.
7 - take handbrake off and pump your foot brake a couple of times.
8 - you should see some slack, so now turn the nut to take up the slack, but don't go too much, just enough to take up the slack.
9 - don't over work yourself, so have a bit more tea, and another cigarette break.
10 - pump the foot brake a couple of times and put handbrake on and off, and check that the handbrake is now sitting down properley and the light no longer staying on!
11 - put cubby box back.
12 - job done, go for a drive, come back and make yourself another cup of tea and sit there feeling proud that you have just fixed your car!

You're a very funny guy!!

[Guest]

You're a very funny guy!!

I bet you can picture that it is pretty much how it went when I did it myself!!!

[dressur]

You're a very funny guy!!

I bet you can picture that it is pretty much how it went when I did it myself!!!

I can actually!! Best way to work in my humble opinion!!

[Rich]

As long as you don't apply the same philosophy to replacing a leaky petrol talk...

Yeah, it really is that easy... I've done it too, but without the fags!

Rich

[dressur]

Funnily enough - it's been bugging me all evening that Stewarts plan sounded very familiar! Trawled back through my archives, and I wrote an article about 5 years ago about building a rabbit run! Very similar flavour, except that I didnt mention fags in case my mother read it!!

[dressur]

Well - I've just doene my handbrake again!!! It seemed to get worse after I did it the last time!!

At the moment - it seems fine, although there is still play in the handbrake - fingers crossed as it will be parked on the side of a hill in Devon most of next week!!!!

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