Unless you use a BlackBerry properly (i.e. email, rather than just using it for BBM), my iPhone wipes the floor with it.

Why would the speedo move?

(afaik speedo is done off ABS sensors on the hubs).

Will check the driveshafts when I have some free time.

Quote from E.Reiljans :

I said "for students" :P

But not all students. In fact i'd say at least 90% of students don't have access.

Quote from E.Reiljans :

wat.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/academic/dd759402

MSDNAA (if thats what your refering to) is by no means free, *some* education establishments are part of it and they pay quite a lot of money to do so.

Plus, it only gives you a one-user license key to use.

Quote from Forbin :

I've never heard someone refer to wheel spin as "spinning out."

"Spinning up" maybe, and someone mis-hearing?

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

Just to clarify, you keep saying it was just idling, does the engine still rev up, or does it idle even with WOT?

Can rev it to redline in any gear (or neutral).

Quote from Forbin :

Is there a clutch adjustment that suddenly went out of whack? Is the clutch hydraulic or cable-actuated?

I have no idea. I *believe* it's hydraulic, but only because theres some sort of fluid that goes in above the pedal itself.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Does the gearbox crunch if you don't use the clutch when you put it in gear? If you are gentle, can you feel the dogs on the gears locking together or the syncromesh working?

Goes into gear with a little force no matter what the RPM, no sort of crunching at all.

I'm not quite sure what I can feel through the gearstick to be honest - it just feels "normal".

Quote from tristancliffe :

I wonder if the loud bangs you heard were driveshaft bolts coming loose, falling out and hitting the underside of the car as they departed company.

I wouldn't think so - the clattering has gone on for 1-2 minutes before, and it's happened several times before (maybe 5?)

Quote from tristancliffe :

I'd look under the car at the driveshafts. Are they connected at both ends?
Can you see if the clutch arm is moving as someone presses the pedal (which will remove the hydraulic system from the unknowns).

I will have a go with all the stuff next week, thanks.

Quote from tristancliffe :

Can you tell the local garage that Mr Clutch want less money? Maybe there are mobile mechanics that will do the job for a fair amount?

I'll have a go, but as it's happened at 4 on a Friday I can't get through to anyone anymore.

The garage I called are usually quite cheap for this sort of thing, but I still think i'm looking at ~£500 from a normal garage.

Worryingly, they originally quoted £1080 including DMF (which to my knowledge virtually never fails on my car), but refused to guarantee their work if a new DMF wasn't fitted, nor would they inspect the DMF once it was out.

Quote from Forbin :

How could this not be the clutch?

I honestly can't believe you're even asking this.

Like I said, I thought it was the clutch... but my Dad wasn't so sure. Taking it to a garage to fix is going to be expensive (as in, it's going to be very difficult to take a "dead" car to a garage, and once it's there I really don't have much choice other than pay whatever they deem wrong).

After posting my rant on Facebook, Tristan commented again suggesting it might not be the clutch, which is whats prompted me to ask.




If it *is* the clutch, the local garage want ~£750 to fit a new one. Mr Clutch in Norwich want ~£320, which is a lot better, but getting my dead car 35 miles could prove a pain, especially if I turn up and it's not the clutch.

Quote from Forbin :

Your clutch is clearly not engaging properly. How could this not be the clutch? Being able to go through the gearbox, while the engine is idling, with or without the clutch, is a clear indication of this.

My Dad was under the illusion that if I can engage gears, and that engaging gears with the clutch is easier than without, the clutch must be doing at least something. But he's not a mechanic of course.

Quote from amp88 :

Gear linkage?

When it's in first, I can feel a little bite as I release the clutch which I dont get in neutral, which suggests something is obviously changing down there as I change gear.


And from Tristan on Facebook:

Quote :

Clutches don't just 'go'. They slip for ages. Unless it's the hydraulic part of the system, but they will tend to pump up for a long time before they actually stop working altogether.

To Add - Changing gear is possible with or without the clutch, but harder without the clutch.

Got a problem with the ZT.

Was driving along a country road, let off the throttle to slow for a bend, as I came out I realized I was doing ~800 RPM (idling). Changed gear, still coasting along. Realized something was wrong, coasted to a stop at the side of the road.

Once i'd stopped, I tried to pull away - I put it in first, and as I let the clutch I could feel it bite a little but give up. Can put it in any gear I like (with or without the clutch) but it's got no drive in any (even reverse), and doesn't stall, just sits there, idling. No weird noises, either when idling, changing gear or when it's "in" gear. It just sounds like it's constantly idling (because it is).

Clutch feels normal, but have had an odd loud "clattering" occasionally (i.e. maybe 5 times since I've had the car), getting more frequent up until the other day. Normally turning the engine off / on fixes this, but not the other day.

Got towed home, so the car is now parked on the drive.

Technical details - 2004 MG ZT 135+ Diesel Manual, almost 104k miles, been cared for well, been mine for just over a year. Full details - www.tinyurl.com/JakgZT



I originally suspected the clutch (only because it seems to be the most common point of failure on the owners clubs), but my Dad is not so sure (as the pedal feels fine and you can engage any gear)


Any suggestions as to what it could be?

A guy on my course is in his late 40's, and just got a starred first in his first year (80%+ in everything the module, UEA Computing department has only given out a single digit number in it's history).

If you want it, you can do it.

Quote from RasmusL :

but it's pretty easy to find..

I totally failed... any hints?

Quote from TehPaws3D :

...

I can't be bothered to explain why, but immensely glad theres an ocean between the roads we drive on.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

£130 is a bit rich.

When the G25 was new, i'd agree - however now the G27 has somehow become a £200+ wheel, and the G25 is discontinued so £130 is actually a very fair price.

Quote from tristancliffe :

<ideas>


I'm not telling you which of the above are purely attempts at humour (even if they are bad attempts), which are ones I strongly agree with, and which are a mixture.

If I thought all of those were not only serious, but actually a good idea, how much of a crackpot does that make me?

Quote from SidiousX :

TL DR; Being able to drive is annoying as shit.

Although you've intentionally made that confusing to read, the US has one of the "easiest" driving tests in the developed world.

Quote from Boris Lozac :

What's a clap? That was a high-five you Irish bastard

Because I don't think this particular piece of slang is used outside of the UK / Ireland, "the clap" is slang for Gonorrhea

A clap is obviously a... clap.

Quote from dawesdust_12 :

What you don't see is Jack using his phone as a GPS in his crotch.

Embarrasing confession - I use my satnav on *every* journey (even driving to work, a journey i've done 500+ times...

(although not in my crotch - it just means if I get stuck in a traffic jam I can just navigate around it with 2 clicks).

I'm all for it, if all other drivers on the road are ALSO forced to pass the same tests...

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

You are aware of what the "slow" markings mean aren't you?

Yes, they denote "slow" for the two corners at either end of the straight section, and have exactly nothing to do with your point.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

I couldn't specify on the types of buildings as I cannot be bothered to download the footage to slow it down

Then perhaps you shouldn't refer to it as a "village" when all you could see actually see was a single large building and a few walls?

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

At about 0:54, all the way through you're on the right-hand side of the road.

if by "village" you mean "small industrial estate", and by "the whole way" you mean "40 feet" then yes.

Last edited by Jakg, Mon, 23 May 2011 18:44.

Quote from P5YcHoM4N :

all the way through one village

Quote from BlueFlame :

No, I said I'd bump them if they were driving like an ass defensively and blocking me from overtaking on a motorway/dual carriage etc.

Quote from BlueFlame :

I'm pretty sure it's illegal to do so in many countries. People just deem it to be safe when they 'have people to see and places to be'.

..........

Quote from Boris Lozac :

Wow, pretty unsafe rule. In Serbia you can't overtake a column (2 or more vehicles). People do it all the time though, it's just against the rules (and rightly imo).

Why is that a good idea?

Heres two perfect overtaking opportunities on my drive to Uni.

1 & 2

Imagine that both those stretches are totally empty, except for three cars in a row. You've got a miles worth of clear road ahead, they're going at 40 MPH (i.e. 20 under the limit) and you can be passed in around 5 seconds.

Sure, some roads are dangerous to overtake one car on - but a blanket 2 car overtake rule is stupid.

EDIT - I'm not sure what driving is like everywhere else, but in the UK everyone is really impatient. Most people want to get to where they're going as fast as they can, but you get the odd few who want to cruise along at 40 everywhere. Most people want to go faster, but lack the balls to actually overtake, so instead sit about 10 feet from their bumper for the whole journey, which makes individual overtakes really difficult, thus why I use blocks.

On my drive to Uni it's got several long stretches like in the map links, but the queues of people following that one person can get very long, which is why I usually end up doing infrequent large block overtakes than slowly bunnyhopping my way past.

Quote from S14 DRIFT :

Although at 0:55, I would have personally stuck to my side of the road as there was a hidden junction on the right...

That turning goes into a clearing where they dumped a container and left it there. On the way down the hill you can see straight into the clearing (which is of course empty and has been for the last 4 years).

Again, it's really hard to judge this stuff without actually seeing the road properly, as a low-res, distorted (high FOV lens) view doesn't do it justice.

I was more thinking of people looking at the scenery... I'd love to see what a typical drive to work looks like Serbia for example (and without having to do a boring Google Streetview runthrough).