Bangernomics

[W7Ford]

I'm pretty lazy and procrastinated on sorting ours for over a year, it was just when it got to to the stage where an MOT was due and the christmas tree wouldnt go away that I bothered to fix it, I suppose I was worried about how big a job it was going to be. It's been fine ever since.

I'm sure other parents in the school car park thought I had issues, randomly smacking the dashboard every day.

 

[albash82]

I'm pretty lazy and procrastinated on sorting ours for over a year, it was just when it got to to the stage where an MOT was due and the christmas tree wouldnt go away that I bothered to fix it, I suppose I was worried about how big a job it was going to be. It's been fine ever since.

I'm sure other parents in the school car park thought I had issues, randomly smacking the dashboard every day.

Well, I gave it a few whacks on the top and some taps on the front with no joy. Bit late though and was very self conscious for some reason. I'll try again in the morning

 

[legrandefromage]

Stress test, a hefty smack on the clocks will tell you, usually

It's a fairly quick turn around but am at home so can't tell you the computer that we use

 

[legrandefromage]

Oh and I may of inherited a Citroën Picasso 1.8 petrol!

 

[W7Ford]

I did remember that towards the end I worked out that continually tapping the clocks with my palm like i was patting a drum whilst trying to turn the engine over, the continual vibration took way less aggression than smacking the dash.

 

[Nabeaquam]

My first two cars were 1949 Fords, one a sedan and the other a coupe. $15 each. It seems everyone had a 1950 or older car when I was in high school. $15 seamed the going price for a rust bucket jalopy back then. I wish I had several of the ones my buddies had, especially my friends ink blue 3 window coupe Plymouth. We eventually took it to an abandoned gravel pit and broke everything on it and left it there to return to the earth. Real nice body with a shot motor. My third car was a 1959 MGA that I bought for $200. I fixed it up, drove it for 6 months and sold it for $600. That was in 1964-65. What a 19 year old nerd.

 

[albash82]

MGA's are so cool! My dad had a few MGB-GT's. First car I remember driving.

Got my focus booked in with an auto electrician. He's well versed in sorting these clocks by the sound of it. Does a couple a week I think he said!

 

[enc]

How do we define a banger?
Is it when a car reaches a certain age? Condition? Value?

 

[greencat]

Bangers used to be cars that cost around £500, were run for a few years and then either scrapped or sold on for a similar price to what was paid. I guess the entry price might have changed, but the economics probably not.

 

[albash82]

Stress test, a hefty smack on the clocks will tell you, usually

It's a fairly quick turn around but am at home so can't tell you the computer that we use

Just to say thanks loads for the original heads up about this impending fault.
I was towed to a local auto electrician who knew exactly the score. He said the thunp on the top wouldn't have worked in this case due to the immobilizer.
Anyway, £120 and it was fixed less than 24hrs after drop off, which was handy, since we'd have needed to cram all our weekend away gear (including massive pram) into the wife's Yaris (this car was a gift from her nana when she quit driving). I'd have made it work, but the focus was perfect.

So. Next job. Fix the aircon, before we drive 400 miles to Cornwall at the end of the month. Oh and 2 new front tyres.
Oh, and diagnose the baggy 'spenshun. I'll check drop links first as I've heard they're usually the culprit.