daveparkin

I agree with you, it would definitely be better if the doors didn't open Sorry, couldn't resist! Yeah, I agree about the wheels - they are proper tasty.

I do hope this isn't a repost.... http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=26988

You need a director's chair with the same logo for when you are 'supervising' Bob...

Woo-hoo, Wales 2013 here we come 1. glrnet+1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 2. buster+1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17/th & 18th 3. Keyser +1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th & 18th 4. Wasso +1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 5. Will370z +1 18th 19th. Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 6. Paddy78 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 7. octet + 1 - 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 8. SMD+1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 9. atkin666+1 18th&19tg hotel booked 17th,18th& 19th 10. Ebized +1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 11. madmarky 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 12. Humpy +1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 13. Missniki +1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th &18th 14. Darren-b +1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 15. Ken 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 16. The Bounty Bar Kid 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th & 18th 17. jetset+1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 18th 18. Chris S+1 18th & 19th no accommodation 19. Bockaaarck + 1 18th & 19th - Hotel booked 17th &18th 20. 350Chris + 1 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 21. HaydnH, 18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th & 19th 22. AK350Z+1,18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th, 19th 23. DaveParkin+1,18th & 19th Hotel booked 17th, 18th, 19th See you there

Its all work, no pleasure...honest

yup, seems to be!

No, but the mods on it weren't dissimilar to the Smurfmobile....

Spotted this afternoon driving through the back streets of town after taking a wrong turn Sorry no pics, but I think the reg was something like MYTFINEZ.NP These cars get everywhere! Do you browse these forums?

Ooooo, tell, tell, you must, you must!! Over £7k worth of unneccesary parts fitted under warranty over a 2-year period, before finally getting an ECU patch loaded by my local HPC which cured it! Its quite a well known issue in the US, where there is an official Nissan patch for the ECU. Dave

Trust me, its the EVT Control... Just don't ask how I know...

Get your dealer to try an EVT (Exhaust Valve Timing) Relearn - different/well used oils have an effect on the way the EVT control actuators respond to the cam phase adjustment signals sent from the ECU. This problem can be worse when the oil is not really warm, but the coolant is warm enough for the ECU to start the EVT Control function, e.g. a couple of minutes after a warm start or 5-10 minutes after a cold start.

Nice one Graham, and congrats

Going from Fleetsbridge towards Wimborne along Gravel Hill - was it you? I was in my Night Blue Its only the third other Night Blue I've seen on the road in 2 1/2 years of ownership!

Lovely shot Will, where were you staying in Dorset?

Looks more like a Mitsi FTO than a Ferrari....

For the bleeding, if you've let the system drain completely, you might very well still have air trapped in the master cylinder or the ABS module. Its always best if you can avoid letting air in at the top, but obviously sometimes you have no choice, e.g. master cylinder change. If you're changing calipers, better if you can prevent the loss of fluid completely, either by sealing the top of the reservoir to create an air lock, or blocking the hoses at the caliper end. As I said before hose clamps are effective, but you have to be careful not to damage the hose and cause a bigger problem than you started with. Anyhow, given that air has got in the top, the system will need a very big bleed. The two-man method was always my favourite - have you tried getting an assistant to pump the pedal (say 3-4 times) with the bleeders closed, then holding it down on the last stroke while you open the bleeders, and them ensuring that the pedal goes quickly to the floor? Then make sure they hold the pedal down while you retighten the nipples. I have always managed to get a good firm pedal like this, as it really flushes any trapped air pockets out. Also are you bleeding all 8 bleed nipples (i.e. 2 per caliper)? If you can get a pedal like this, you might then still need to get the ABS module cycled and bled again at a garage. I'm sure it goes without saying - don't drive it anywhere unless you are confident the brakes are working well. Hope this helps, Dave

Do you really mean drained, as in completey emptied the fluid out of the system?

Nope, they seal on the cone at the bottom of the nipple where it sits into a conical metal seat on the caliper - i.e. it is a metal-to-metal seal a bit like a compression joint in plumbing. You can get a thread sealant specifically for them (I think its made by speed-bleeder), but that is only to stop residual fluid that is up the bore of the nipple weeping-out of the threads over time. It is not the threads that stop the bleed nipple leaking. My Brembos mysteriously started leaking from the bleed nipple threads one day, and I took the car to my local Nissan HPC with whom I had a warranty. They told me it happened quite often on GTRs, which also have Brembos. They took my bleed nipples out, cleaned-up the ends and swapped them all around - been fine ever since, but I'm not looking forward to the possibility of the problem returning after the next fluid change! Maybe you should buy some new bleed nipples all round? With respect to not being able to 'get a pedal' by bleeding, did you clamp the lines (you have to be careful doing this, as it could damage some lines) to minimise air ingress while you changed the calipers? Did the reservoir run dry during bleeding? In either of these cases, I would imagine that you could have pumped air into the ABS unit, and it possibly needs to be cycled during bleeding to get the air out. Unfortunately, you need the correct diagnostic kit and software to cycle the ABS. I don't know if this applies to the 350z, but it certainly does/did to some ABS equipped cars when i used to do my own spannering! Hope my ramblings might help, Dave

Thanks for the replies guys - motor factors it is

Glad you've sorted it. Have a good break, that's a lovely bit of France and a foodies heaven

I'll add me to the rich seam of OBD Scanners available in the Bournemouth area: Username: daveparkin Location: Poole/Bournemouth, Dorset OBDII Software: Gendan EngineCheck with ELM Interface, Tested on UK car

Firstly, sorry if this has been answered already, but I couldn't find anything in search. I have been away on business for the week, and then returned home on Friday to one of those record cold August mornings. The zed really struggled to crank, and I'm sure that's a sign the original battery is about to cry enough. Time to change it before the properly cold weather arrives. My question is does anybody have any opinion as to whether a genuine Nissan battery is worth having, or am I just better buying a quality replacement from a motor factors? Also, is there anything specific I need to know about changing the battery on the zed in partiicular to avoid problems with anything (e.g. immobiliser, ECU, Stereo etc.)? Thanks

My near-side rear wheel bearing went at 16-17k miles only, and was replaced under warranty.

This^^, or stick something to the inside of the door where it pushes on the switch so that it pushes the switch a bit further. Then replace the switch when you get home. Have a good holiday - whereabouts in France are you?