Weekend itinerary

Think it should be put in "how to" as it is.
The pics tell all.

@talking cars: Good to hear I can scratch the yellow off. Do you have tips how tot do this best without leaving too many scratsches? I took the plate off last year and like the change of colour but dislike the light pattern of it.

Well with my car now in good condition. ALL new hoses, ss under floor pipes, etc I will be going into N Wales for a run this week end

The driving dutchman wrote: @talking cars: Good to hear I can scratch the yellow off. Do you have tips how tot do this best without leaving too many scratsches? I took the plate off last year and like the change of colour but dislike the light pattern of it.

IIRC gently with a Stanley blade.

If one doesn't need the indents it should be quite easy to make a replacement.

Not quite sure why you would scrape the yellow off and refit it ?!?! Ive noticed no difference in light paterns and its not only the colour change the illumination is much brighter so im happy with the outcome

Lambda sensors is todays question ...
After I fixed my door handle and put a new expansion cap on and toped up the coolant I desided to clear the mil light and see the dlcs its throwing out and again ive got fuel trim bank 1 code followed by cylinder 2 miss fire and low fuel miss fire after I spoke to a mate whos a mechanic he said it sounds like a dodgy lambda sensor .. which ive also read on a post on another forum so im quite happy with that diagnosis .

but there is a pre cat and post cat lambda sensor fitted to the tf so how do I no which one to change?

Im strangly attracted to changing the pre cat sensor .im sure ive read some where that the above fault codes are tell tail signs of pre cat lambda sensor issues but just want to check with you guys first

Changing the pre cat sensor is a very serious job. I would be absolutely certain that is the issue before attempting it. Do you have the torque app on your phone? If so you can actually see the readout from each lambda sensor. :shrug:

Wouldn't a faulty probe throw up a fault probe code?

Ive had the pre cat sensor removed when I changed the middle section of the exhaust a few months back obviously had to take it out of the old exhaust and fit into the new exhaust ...was easy to do any further info on why its a serious job to do??.

Tc - I thought that but apparently it only throws up that fault code when it fails completly and what im getting is apparently early signs of it playing up

ive read all the common faults of the dtcs and ive experianced none of them which from what ive read is to presume its a faulty lamda sensor most likly pre cat ..

If you've recently had it out then it shouldn't be a problem. The issues are difficulty in removal, and the sensor pulling out the threads on the collar.

I use my torque app to monitor the lambda readouts, and recently spotted a fault on the post cat lambda. It turned out to be a poor connection on the plug. Separated the plug and socket, cleaned the terminals and the lambda started working again. So worth trying that before removing/swapping the sensor.

Ive been havin trouble with it since I got the car .within a day of ownership the engine light came up with the fault codes mentioned in my previous post and the same codes come up every time the engine light comes on (3 times in 6 months)
the backbox was changed to a straight through performance item and I changed the middle pipe which houses the pre cat lambda because the flexi part was split and blowing so the lambda was removed (quite easy to be fair) and fitted into the stainless item ... thinkin now I should have changed it then but at the engine light hadnt come back on since the first occurance so thought it was ok and that it was a bit of oil that had gone down the exhaust after the head gasket was changed.

as and when I change the cat ill fit a new lambda with the new cat but even though the cats as old as the car I think its internals are still in good nick even if the outside metal is a bit crusty

Don't be tempted by either cheap cats or cheap lambda sensors. In my opinion it's false economy.

I fitted a cheapish lambda sensor, it failed in a week. People who fit the ebay cheap cats will be lucky to get through one mot before it needs replacing.

I also had a cheap cat fitted and had to go through all the 'get it red hot and ask them to test the emissions first' syndrome to pass the MOT. You could actually see the levels suddenly drop as the cat finally reached enough temperature to just pass. I fitted an oem replacement and it flew through the emissions with no drama, virtually zero figures and no Italian tune up required.
The MOT guy says it's a very common problem because the cheap ones contain just enough reactive material to scrape through.