Car D.I.Y.

[simongt]

Long ago gave up car D.I.Y after I'd owned a run of VWs which even for fairly basic jobs, required 'special tool no. ****'.
And now modern cars are too techno for my wee aged brain - !

 

[Drago]

I top up the AdBlue on my 2008 every 2000 miles, basically when each even-thousand-miles rolls around.

I bought a 10 litre 'bottle' of the stuff from the garden centre because it was cheap. Now I know why. Its a cardboard box with a floppy bladder inside which makes accurate pouring challenging to say the least. I topped it up OK, but not without getting myself covered in synthetic piss during the process.

 

[Electric_Andy]

I top up the AdBlue on my 2008 every 2000 miles, basically when each even-thousand-miles rolls around.

I bought a 10 litre 'bottle' of the stuff from the garden centre because it was cheap. Now I know why. Its a cardboard box with a floppy bladder inside which makes accurate pouring challenging to say the least. I topped it up OK, but jow without getting myself covered in synthetic piss during the process.

I've always assumed that mine is topped up every year during the service, but what's worried me is how much you're supposed to put in? I've heard that you can overfill it. Surely there's a dipstick or something?

 

[november4]

Car ramps on sale if you are interested, payday10 code at halfords

https://www.halfords.com/tools/gara...utm_source=drytinder&utm_campaign=phgreferral

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I've always assumed that mine is topped up every year during the service, but what's worried me is how much you're supposed to put in? I've heard that you can overfill it. Surely there's a dipstick or something?

In my case, it's until it overflows, there's a countdown display on the instrument panel, that can be scrolled to

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

On Tuesday evening, whilst in Cumbria, a bulb blew in a headlight

I’ve bought replacements this morning, but on getting home, l can barely get my hand in to the unit, let alone unclip it!

I’ve done it, but it was damned awkward, not helped by having ‘strained’/twisted thumb at work a few days ago, & not being able to grip correctly
Not a lot of room between light-unit & bonnet-strut brackets

Sounds like our Citroen C5 !

Its predecessor, a (2011) Octavia was easy, 2 plastic screws, & the entire headlight assembly came out

The Kodiaq has its fog-lamps as part of the lens structure, which in itself is overlaid by the ‘bumper’, so that can't be done (not without good reason!!)

Some are pigs to change, including skin loss !

Took a while, & skinned knuckles!

 

[Hicky]

You’d think there would be loads of space in the engine bay of an XC70 to change headlight lamps….nope!

 

[Drago]

You’d think there would be loads of space in the engine bay of an XC70 to change headlight lamps….nope!

Do the headlamps not pop straight out like on the V70 and XC90?

 

[Jameshow]

Car ramps on sale if you are interested, payday10 code at halfords

https://www.halfords.com/tools/gara...utm_source=drytinder&utm_campaign=phgreferral

I've just brought a couple of sleepers to make a set of ramps as wasn't happy with those sort lifting a transit van!

 

[Deleted member 1258]

You’d think there would be loads of space in the engine bay of an XC70 to change headlight lamps….nope!

I remember being in the local Halford s having a bulb replaced and overhearing the owner of a 4 by 4 being told that they couldn't replace his bulb as it required too much dismantling to get to it and he'd have to take it to the dealer

 

[Hicky]

Do the headlamps not pop straight out like on the V70 and XC90?

They pop out rearwards as in the bulb itself but there isn’t much room on the drivers side. Still it was infinitely better than the other half’s ‘05 Clio!
FiL who is a trailer fitter and has no handed over the torch of looking after his car neglecting daughter to me said he just gave her a few quid and send her Halfords as he couldn’t be arsed haha
My focus was easy as!!!

 

[CXRAndy]

I've always assumed that mine is topped up every year during the service, but what's worried me is how much you're supposed to put in? I've heard that you can overfill it. Surely there's a dipstick or something?

Its extremely common for the post treatment tanks not to be refilled by the dealer. This causes all sorts of follow on problems with DPF blockages, regen issues. These then need sorting as well as a simple refill.
The likely reason they probably don't refill, is some vehicles have pre programmed replace dpf messages to coincide with the running out of the additive. Big money earner for those ignorant consumers

I have Agri vehicles which use Adblue. I bought an IBC container of the stuff. I get engine warnings when the tank is down to 30% of capacity.

 

[fossyant]

I've always assumed that mine is topped up every year during the service, but what's worried me is how much you're supposed to put in? I've heard that you can overfill it. Surely there's a dipstick or something?

It's called buy a petrol car, slightly better at not killing the planet than a diesel, and doesn't have an ad-blue system that will fail and cost you over £1k to fix.

 

[Jody]

It's called buy a petrol car, slightly better at not killing the planet than a diesel, and doesn't have an ad-blue system that will fail and cost you over £1k to fix.

Saw one yesterday where someone had mapped out their DPF but left it in place. Ended up burning a hole straight through it

 

[Drago]

It's called buy a petrol car, slightly better at not killing the planet than a diesel, and doesn't have an ad-blue system that will fail and cost you over £1k to fix.

Except adblue equipped diesels are almost all cleaner in every emissions department than petrol cars, nox, farticulates and co2.

Adblue systems only tend to fail because people are eejuts. Let a 15 litre Adblue tank get low enough to bring on the "fill me up" warning light and there's 10 or 12 litres of empty space above in which urea crystals will have formed. Do that enough times and those crystals start causing problems. Keep it topped right up and the problem is solved. That aside they're very simple with little to fail on its own.