What Have You Done To Your Coupe Today

[Mangoman]

I think the API and the ACEA mean different things. SH & SG are now obsolete and SJ was the most up to date in 2001. Since then there have been 2 improvements - SL & SM being the most up to date as from 2004 which is for all automotive engines currently in use.  Introduced in 2004, SM oils are designed to provide improved oxidation resistance, better wear protection, and better low-temperature performance over the life of the oil. Some SM oils may also meet the latest ILSAC specification and/or qualify as Energy Conserving.

API is a Rating for Gear Oils. ACEA refers to Engine Oils. A3 (Petrol) & B3 (Diesel) are more suitable for High Performance Engines.

I'm not saying A2/B2 is wrong just inferior to A3/B3 and would be recommended for our Engines now.

And as for "Additives" they are referring to things like "Slick-50" etc...

Of course everything is subject to personal choice.

[hughezee]

Not wishing to go down the oil debate route as it has been done many times and I do see your valid point, Bill and you are right. The later oils should exceed past oil spec's just like Honda's DW1, MTF3 or Type 2 coolant claim to do.  I recommend the 10w30 S&A oil only and by my own research and feedback from hundreds of customers. My research just for the Honda F series spans over 10 years to date. Nevertheless, I am in fact slowly moving to another oil of which 7 cars are in testing atm and all performing as well as S&A stuff so far

[PTR200S]

8 hours ago, Mangoman said:

I think the API and the ACEA mean different things. 

API is a Rating for Gear Oils. ACEA refers to Engine Oils. 

Yes they are different in that API is the American Petroleum Institute and does actually refer to engine oils too.

The ACEA is the European standards, Association des Constructeurs Europeens d'Automobiles ( European Automobile Manufacturers  Association) and also refers to oils using different clasifications to the API setup.

As you say the A classification is for petrol engines, B for diesel and C for catalyst I think? There is an E class for heavy diesel I understand from a mate into trucks !

Technically the A2 standard is now obsolete but as the Coupe was listed under API terms there should be no problems 

Good point on the additives, forgotten about the Slick 50 type of stuff... never used any of that that in my engines ! 

 

[Mangoman]

12 hours ago, hughezee said:

Not wishing to go down the oil debate route as it has been done many times and I do see your valid point, Bill and you are right. The later oils should exceed past oil spec's just like Honda's DW1, MTF3 or Type 2 coolant claim to do.  I recommend the 10w30 S&A oil only and by my own research and feedback from hundreds of customers. My research just for the Honda F series spans over 10 years to date. Nevertheless, I am in fact slowly moving to another oil of which 7 cars are in testing atm and all performing as well as S&A stuff so far

Thanks Stu.

I didn't know it was a recommendation by your good self...

Also I prefer 10w40 oils only because 10w30 operating window is from minus 25*C to plus 30*C. Whereas 10w40 has the same lower margin but it's upper operating temperature is 40*C +

I know we don't get many days over 30 degrees, but we do nevertheless. Also inside the engine compartment a lot higher than that!

So me, I like to err on the side of caution. I realise there is not a single oil that is everything to all, but 10w40 comes pretty close....

Although I will concede that with an A2 spec oil in can increase your fuel economy.

I'd be interested to know what you are testing now though???

[hughezee]

No worries Bill, Honda specifies 10W30 in numerous applications from 1995-2009 and I wasn't initially convinced, anyway regards the new oil it's a 5W40  Fully Synth

[Mangoman]

23 minutes ago, hughezee said:

No worries Bill, Honda specifies 10W30 in numerous applications from 1995-2009 and I wasn't initially convinced, anyway regards the new oil it's a 5W40  Fully Synth

That's ok, s'alright....

Ah, 5w40.

I was always using 10w40 in the R75 for quite a few years then decide to try the Petronas 5w40. Instant result was a much quieter start-up, (not that it was overly noisy to start with mind) and quicker warm-up aswell.....  Also it was a Fully Synth. https://www.mymesra.com.my/Passenger_Car_Motor_Oil-@-Syntium_3000_5W-40.aspx  And only about £28/5lts.

Maybe I will give it a go in the Coupe next time around.....

Thanks again.

[Laird_Scooby]

35 minutes ago, hughezee said:

anyway regards the new oil it's a 5W40  Fully Synth

Oddly enough i topped my Coupé up with 5W40 recently (following its "mysterious" oil burning period) and something i've noticed is a much quicker and quieter start up from cold and the engine is smoother and quieter too.

58 minutes ago, Mangoman said:

Also I prefer 10w40 oils only because 10w30 operating window is from minus 25*C to plus 30*C. Whereas 10w40 has the same lower margin but it's upper operating temperature is 40*C +

I have to agree Bill but the experience of putting 5W40 in mine tends to knock my thinking on its head. The C27 has been tried by many others on various synthetic oils and most report that it doesn't do it any favours. However i'm quite surprised by this one. I'll do an oil/filter change sometime in the near future with the 10W40 semi-synth i normally use (simply because i have about 3 unopened bottles of the stuff) and maybe look at a different oil, depending on how it goes on this oil. As far as i know it's the last of the Triple QX before they did something silly to the stuff (Stu knows what i'm referring to, i'm not sure if it's common knowledge so for now i'll have to keep quiet) so should be ok, if not i'll be changing it again soon after!

[hughezee]

I've tried plenty of 5w40's over the years and Mobil and Castrol didn't meet my expectations, so hope this one stands up to the tests its great value as well as being good for annual servicing IMO

[Mangoman]

I have to say I was using Mobil in the R75 for the first couple of years, but when I changed to Petronas the result was instantaneous. The Engine was just so much quieter and Smoother!

Also just the colour and texture of the Petronas was so rich and a luscious golden colour! 

The only downside is that they have recently changed their Bottle Design - for the worse! But then I suppose what's in it that counts.

And if you are wondering why they do 4 litre Bottles? It's because most modern engines only take on average 3.5.......

[Laird_Scooby]

43 minutes ago, Mangoman said:

And if you are wondering why they do 4 litre Bottles? It's because most modern engines only take on average 3.5......

Which royally jars me off as the two Rovers take 4.5L and the Volvo takes 6L - total amount 15L spread across 3 cars. Means buying an extra 4L bottle of the stuff.......

[PTR200S]

5 hours ago, Mangoman said:

 

I was always using 10w40 in the R75 for quite a few years then decide to try the Petronas 5w40. Instant result was a much quieter start-up, (not that it was overly noisy to start with mind) and quicker warm-up aswell.....  Also it was a Fully Synth. https://www.mymesra.com.my/Passenger_Car_Motor_Oil-@-Syntium_3000_5W-40.aspx  And only about £28/5lts.

Maybe I will give it a go in the Coupe next time around.....

Thanks again.

I really ought to try the Petronas, my mate (funnily enough also Bill !!)  works for them and he tells me now that he runs 10-60 in his 4 litre tvr.

if you do try it, Bill, let us know how it goes in Coupe. Having just done mine it will be six months (Stu ! ) before i replace the Ultra. 

 

[Mangoman]

37 minutes ago, PTR200S said:

I really ought to try the Petronas, my mate (funnily enough also Bill !!)  works for them and he tells me now that he runs 10-60 in his 4 litre tvr.

if you do try it, Bill, let us know how it goes in Coupe. Having just done mine it will be six months (Stu ! ) before i replace the Ultra. 

 

Will do. Should be in November sometime - 3 months. Better start saving...lol.

[hughezee]

Getting on with it now

[Mangoman]

This reminds me to get my Rear Brake Slider sorted. But I'm just going to check the other side first.....

I plan to just remove the Caliper retainer and take that to the garage. It's only 2 miles down the road, and a pleasant walk.  https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/50.8828318,-1.3238887/50.8747033,-1.3547778/@50.8820824,-1.327226,620m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!4m1!3e0?hl=en

[Andy Mc]

Alarm on/off woes are so far solved. The initial clean up of the switch in the bonnet catch lasted a few months but the the car started arming itself again and alarm going off either within 5mins or an hour or so.

Decided to just pull the plug on it after being advised to do so, as you can't really kill an alarm with it being wired into various other parts such as central locking, stereo etc without it potentially buggering up something else.

But what a bitch of a plug to get too  and get any purchase on. Tucked behind the upright from the slam panel in front of the rads held by every clip imaginable. Persistence and blue air made it through and i now have a locked and alarmed car at last! Unless you break in through the bonnet 

[PTR200S]

Other than the alarm problem everything ok now ?..

[Mangoman]

Eventually replaced the Hazard Warning Button Illumination Bulb today. 

It had to be ordered from Belgium - ordered on the 16th and arrived at the Local Hendy Depot yesterday! £4.69. Not too bad I thought...  (Same place I got my replacement Fuel Relay).

And it is the smallest bulb I have seen! The bulb itself is only about 2mm long by 2mm in diameter. I'll have to wait until dark to see if it works.

* The old blown one* 

Another thing fixed.....

 

[hughezee]

I've managed to squeeze in a few job's on my coupe today, including an unusual one.

[Laird_Scooby]

Nice one Stu! I keep threatening to do mine as well, it's something nobody pays any attention to normally but if it looks scruffy it makes the whole interior look scruffy and dirty, even when it's not.

Same goes for the footrest, i removed the two screws, put it through the dishwasher then once dry gave it a squirt of Satin Black just to "liven" it up a bit and it helps set the footwell off nicely.

[hughezee]

Thank's buddy, didn't really do it for the aesthetics but you're absolutely right, looks much better and thinking of giving my footrest a clean now, would be rude not to.  

[Brett]

Looks much better Stu.

You will be surprised how many cars advertised on Auto Trader has dirty pedals.

As Dave said a small attention to detail makes all the difference.

BTW I must do mine 

[hughezee]

1 hour ago, Brett said:

Looks much better Stu.

Thanks Buddy

Also, I've just replaced my front anti-roll bar D bushings and impatiently loosened my original track rods ready for new ones when they turn up

[PaulS]

I finally took my repaired coupe in for tracking and headlight adjustment today - but surprisingly both were spot on and needed no adjustment.  Almost unbelieveable in my experience as I just set them up so that they looked roughly correct....  Great result!

[hughezee]

16 minutes ago, PaulS said:

I finally took my repaired coupe in for tracking and headlight adjustment today - but surprisingly both were spot on and needed no adjustment.  Almost unbelieveable in my experience as I just set them up so that they looked roughly correct....  Great result!

Why does that not surprise me Paul, top work fella  

[Laird_Scooby]

48 minutes ago, PaulS said:

both were spot on and needed no adjustment.  Almost unbelieveable in my experience as I just set them up so that they looked roughly correct....  Great result!

Definitely! It can (and does!) happen that you get it right "by default" and that's always good!

On the subject of tracking, while trawling for other information i found out why the cowboys who (allegedly) set my tracking correctly got it so wrong!

First, they'd incorrectly identified the model.

Second they mixed up toe-out with toe-in.

Lastly they'd not only confused 0deg 7' total with 7 degrees per wheel.

Hence they set it at a total of 14 degrees toe-out instead of 0 degrees, 7' (minutes) toe-in total - even that was wrong, should have been 0deg 8'.

The moral of this waffle is still keep an eye on it as they may well have got it wrong when they checked it!