Going to lbs and being nosey....

[Mr Pig]

Anything 'technical' i.e. computer side of the car - it's off to a garage.

I bought an old laptop, diagnostic software and a cable that plugs into the car's ECU. It's pretty cool actually :0) You can look at everything; fuelling level, MAF output, revs, oil temp, TPS output, in total about twenty parameters, on the computer whilst the engine is running. You can set it recording and go for a drive so that you can look at it later. You can reset the ECU and tell it to change to change things, even switch cilinders off. Unfortunatly you can't remap the ECU with it, it's a learning ECU but it's not programable, but it's still a very useful bit of kit.

 

[Maz]

I bought an old laptop, diagnostic software and a cable that plugs into the car's ECU. It's pretty cool actually :0) You can look at everything; fuelling level, MAF output, revs, oil temp, TPS output, in total about twenty parameters, on the computer whilst the engine is running...

Was the software specific to your model of car? What software was it, out of interest?

 

[fossyant]

Mr Pig - I know you can....but I drive a Nissan, so the electrics don't go wrong (like the wife's Toyota) - so bugger that.........Despite my car's apparent 'electro gizmos' it's still easy to fix under the bonnet..whoo....

And it's 6.5 years old with sat nav, computer screen controlled heating, audio etc....etc.. and good on fuel and emissions...before I get linched... doesn't move much off the drive Monday to Friday though ! Then uses £20 a month on fuel..........

 

[Mr Pig]

Was the software specific to your model of car? What software was it, out of interest?

My car is a 1999 Nissan Primera GT. The software was originally written for the Nissan Skyline but because the ECU in the GT is similar it works fine.

The Skyline ECU is programmable, unlike the Primera one, so some of the functions in the software don't work but other than that it's perfect.

There are a number of programs available for my car, some are free but the one I have cost about £60. I bought the cable too but some people make their own.

Whatever car you have my bet is that someone will have written software for it, you just have to find it. Mine came from a guy in Australia.

 

[Mr Pig]

I drive a Nissan, so the electrics don't go wrong

Yes they do. Sometime you just don't know about it.

As they get older some sensors etc deteriorate. They still work but are not as good as they were. Also, things like the TPS (throttle position sensor) are a lot easier to set with the computer. You can do it with a multi-tester, by sticking the probes through the cable insulation, but the computer lets you see everything at once.

It's pretty much guaranteed that some of the settings and sensors on an old car will be out and getting them bang on makes a difference. Econemy is better and the engine runs sharper/smoother.

The only reason I bought the computer is that I had an issue with the car that I couldn't sort, in fact neither could the dealer! Never did find the fault, came up with a workaround.

 

[yenrod]

Oh, cassettes are easy, you press 'Eject', fish the old one out and put the new one in, and close the door...

I suppose you might try to put the new one in upside down....

<realises this whole joke may be lost on a large proportion of younger forummers>

<sigh>

Cassettes.

They went out years back love - DVDS now girl or even flash memory!

 

[yenrod]

I, most wk.ends call in and see a mate who runs a bike shop.

I occassionally get bored at those that come in (whilst rummaging thru the shop and seeing for any good bits...) BUT sometimes you get a really interesting one -I'll be totally aghast at the situ. but my mate'll say 'what..:?:' as though he's seen it all before.

 

[mr_cellophane]

Never did find the fault, came up with a workaround.

Was that when you bought the bike !

 

[fossyant]

My car is a 1999 Nissan Primera GT.

Sorry to hijack the thread - are you on NPOC ?

Nice motors the GT - I've got a P12 - so really don't want to touch electrics - much more complex than my bike !

 

[LordoftheTeapot]

Oh, cassettes are easy, you press 'Eject', fish the old one out and put the new one in, and close the door...

I suppose you might try to put the new one in upside down....

<realises this whole joke may be lost on a large proportion of younger forummers>

<sigh>

I'm looking to replace my reel-to-reel

 

[Mr Pig]

Sorry to hijack the thread - are you on NPOC ?

I was. I haven't visited it for ages, although I'm still a paid member.

I don't know what I'll do when the GT dies as I really don't want a car that's as complex as they are now. I wouldn't touch the electrics on a P12 either. I really don't know what I'll end up with next.

 

[Baggy]

Reading andy_wrx's post reminded me of a guy who had gone to the trouble of bringing his bike in to the LBS to complain angrily to the owner that he'd got a puncture only 2 days after it'd been serviced (as if being puncture-free was part of a service guarantee).

Was in our LBS once when someone was complaining that their tyre had gone flat and had perished...after being in his shed for 18 months. He was going ballistic, complaining it was a new bike, only used once and that they LBS should replace the tyre free of charge as it was obviously of poor quality...

It does amaze me that people will pay £10 or so to have a puncture repaired, but then there are plenty around who don't want to get dirty, don't know how to do it, don't have the tools...

There are many things I'd rather pay someone else to do as I'd either make a hash of it or it would be bad for my blood pressure.

 

[Brains]

£8-£10 for pucture repair !

You lucky sods, it's £17.00 in Evans in the City but that does include VAT and the tube and it's a while you wait service.

I used my bike to cycle to a meeting on the other side of the City, so was fully booted and suited and did not have my pannier with rain gear, pucture kit ect on board. I had a flat front tyre and no way of fixing it and did not fancy a 30min walk, so had Evans fix it whilst I waited for £17.00.

I then claimed it off the company as the taxi fare would probably have been £10 anyway and they'll get the money back with the other taxi fare that I save them all the time by cycling to meetings when possible

 

[Joe24]

I'm startin up my own service where i go around mending peoples punctures while there at the side of the road.
I'll charge £10. Think of the money

 

[Dayvo]

I'm startin up my own service where i go around mending peoples punctures while there at the side of the road.
I'll charge £10. Think of the money

Yeah! Use £15 worth of petrol to fix a pun*ture for a tenner!