ozieagle

Quote

Hi,

If removing the oil filler cap allows pressure to escape, there is s problem with your PCV setup, faulty valve or blocked hoses. It can also be the cause of your high oil consumption.

Herb

Hi,

The way to test valve seals is to find a respectable hill, start driving down it at a fair speed and then take your foot off the accelerator. If there is bluish smoke it indicates valve seals.

I don't know about additives, but one can only try. Continuing to drive won't damage anything, but your spark plugs may foul up with carbon. Just keep an eye on your oil level.

Herb

OK John,

Here's a write up, by a club member, about his experience with an MG3.

https://indd.adobe.com/view/dbee6f26-f58d-4e31-8d3d-b54773e95305

For some reason one has to download the file to be able to progress beyond page 1. Go to page 13.

Herb

Yes, all things can have good and bad events, same as cars.  Toyota had a world wide reputation for reliability, but some years back they had a real bad run, that tarnished it.

Our ZS has performed well, no issues. One gripe I had, but fixed, is that the wheels are held on by bolts, not studs. It's very hard lifting the wheel into position and getting a bolt started. What I did was to buy 2 bolts, of the correct thread and about 100mm long, cut the head of and turned a tapper onto them. Now it's much easier, just screw these bolts in, loosely locate the taper in the wheel holes and push onto the hub. fit some of the bolts and then remove these starters. 

There are some accessories available on the market. I've bought a dash cover and centre console. We couldn't find fitted seat covers, so I adapted ASX ones.

I'm also a member of an MG club, having an MGB, and quite a few other members have bought new MGs, and they all praise them.

Herb

Opinion only.

What we did was to buy an MG ZS. Trade in offered on our 12 year old Hyundai i30 was 4 to 5 thousand. We sold it privately, virtually over night, for $10,500. Out going for a roadworthy cert was $500. Thus our change over was only $14k.

Go to Car Sales and see what your Camry is bringing and consider what your change over would be. 

The ZS is the small SUV, little brother to the HS. We are quite happy with it.

Herb

What I think is going on, discount special, today, at "normal" price. Back to no discount and 25% extra.

Herb

Hi again,

Nice of your friend to offer the radio.

Any reasonably modern radio, from the 80s onward will work, just make sure you know which wire is which. The physical dimensions are the same, made to DIN specs.

Herb

Hi,

Unless you are totally committed to originality, you could buy a generic radio, off eBay, for less that $100. They have many features such as USB, AUX, SD card, FM, and maybe AM radio, bluetooth and probably others I can't remember.

Herb

Hi,

This mob sells them. You will need to know the lengths and the pressures.

https://www.strutsnmore.com.au/?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqs6lBhCxARIsAG8YcDjPKdKK5q6GZFDrVE4xQJig3qz64fmXNqNxtFhCanh1NjYyJOkmLhsaAv9qEALw_wcB

Herb

Saw this whilst walking the dogs

Herb

Hi John,

No, the engine won't suddenly die. With 1 litre oil every 2000 km you just need to keep an eye on the dipstick, and top up, when the level gets to the LOW point.

Obviously you are not mechanically mind, and thus at the mercy of mechanics.

I estimate that a refresh, done by a mechanic, would cost around $2k. Your trade in value would be small, like maybe $2k tops. 

If you are going the way of a new car, check out the MGs, good value for money. We recently purchased an MG ZS, with a couple of accessories, for $24500. Look up their website   https://mgmotor.com.au/

Herb

Hi John,

Using that much oil, in 500km, then the engine (mainly the rings) is pretty worn. You can keep driving it, but keep topping up the oil.

Personally, I would go to 20W 50 or heavier oil, to see if that reduces usage.  Next I would consider a refresh, which is new rings and possibly big end bearings, much cheaper than a full rebuild.

Herb

Hi 

No smell, unlikely to be coolant, unless only water is in the cooling system, White smoke (steam) is from a water source. The only places I can think of, where water can come from, are the cooling system or condensation. To be safe, keep an eye on the coolant level.

Herb

Hi John,

It could well be just condensation .Have a smell, coolant has a sickly sweet smell.

Herb

Hi,

Oil usage doesn't have a norm, as it depends on mileage driven, long or short trips. Short trips, with lots of cold starts are what wear an engine. long continuous runs are good.

I have two classic British cars that have done about 50,000 miles (not km), each, and they hardly use any oil, between changes.

As KAA said, keep an eye on your dip stick, over the period of a couple of oil changes, to learn what your engine uses, if any. 

Thicker oil, like the 15W 40, help reduce oil usage. In my cars, it is recommended to use 20W 50 oil. Thicker oil tends to fill the wear gaps better.

Herb

Hi,

Years ago a workmate used silicon oil, and he was wrapped. Water just ran off. 

I have no personal experience with it so can't offer a recommendation.

Herb

Yes they are LT tyres.

Consider the weight distribution of a camper van, nearly empty at the back, with the weight of the engine, passengers at the front and very little at the back.  I would expect that the rears would not need 65 psi, as there will never be a 1/2 - 1 ton load in there. As is my compressor was struggling to get to 60 psi, a small diaphragm type.

I know about under inflation, and about over inflation.

Herb

I have recently bought a Hi Ace camper van. Went to check tyre pressures, and the manual states 47psi in the front, I'm OK with that, but the rears are specified as 65 psi. Maybe this is for a fully laden vehicle, but seems a bit high for a camper van. There is no loaded and unloaded info.

Any insights?

Thanks

Herb

Hi John,

The 15W 40 or similar rating just has to do with the thickness of the oil. Translated the 15W means that in winter (cold) the oil has a thickness like straight 15 grade oil. The 40 is for hot conditions, and the oil behaves like a 40 grade oil. AN early name for these types of oil was viscostatic, meaning its thickness was constant over a wide temperature range.

I agree with your mechanic that an older engine can happily do with a slightly thicker oil, since the various clearances in the engine would have increased, due to wear. The heavier oil will improve your oil pressure as well.

Herb

Hi John,

Nothing bad about machining the rotors, as long as they are still within thickness spec. I think it comes down to the relative costs, new or machined. 

Have you been experiencing brake shudder, where the car shudders a bit when braking? If not I don't think your rotors need machining. New pads have an abrasive coating on the surface, to bed them in.

Herb

Fair price?

A mate of mine was quoted $700 to do that job on a VW.

Typically pads are around $100-150. rotors say $100 each, plus labour. Seems $400 is pretty good.

No worries, Gary, glad to help.

Herb

Hi,

Here is a simple way to do what you need, using a double pole double throw switch.

Herb

Hi,

On other cars I have used motors from Jaycar. About $22 each.

https://www.jaycar.com.au/master-door-lock-actuator/p/LR8815?pos=1&queryId=8c15ea33d11ace2de30137167940194f

Note that there are two types, a master and a slave. The master controls the slave(s).

I have retro fitted them to my two classic cars, and for years now I've only had one fail. Not sure why you are having such a high failure rate. Maybe you need to check the linkages and the lock mechanism for undue stiffness. 

Another thought, is your electrical system OK or is the alternator putting out too many volts.

Herb

Did you wash the car just after having a drive? If so you may have still had the disks hot and when hit with water they warped. I've had this happen before. You will need to have them ground or replaced.

Herb

OK, I had to remove this lens, come hell or high water.

I started to pry it off, with a set of special hook pries, starting from the windscreen out. It came off, with a bit of reluctance. After it was off I saw that there are 4 tabs that hold it on, see picture. I didn't like what I found. The bulb was floating around loose, in the lens. There was a self tapper screw across one of the terminals, so off with the assembly. Whilst fiddling with it I created a spark (probably blew a fuse, somewhere) so now to find the battery. Again everything about looking after a battery, but no info on where it is located. Ultimately found a UTube video which shows where it is, underneath the sink cupboard, as this is a motor home conversion. Gave up for the day.

Herb

Late edit.

The battery actually wasn't under the sink cupboard, but just in front of it, behind the passenger seat, on the LH side.