Dicky

Starting to wish i hadn't asked now. No No, really it's interesting, a bit like getting your head around black holes and dark matter. The trick is to pack in thinking just before your eyeballs rotate to a position where you can see the end of your nose

Thanks for all this interesting input. I don't really have any intention of using ice, even though it's crossed my mind a few times when driving in cold weather, the cars plenty fast enough as it is. Cleaning the throttle valve just made me wonder, because Ive never really thought about it much and had always assumed the air was forced in when driving at speed. Obviously not, so I stand corrected.

Now your talking

Just had another daft though while thinking about air density. What if you dropped a plastic bag of ice cubes into the bottom of the air filter box (so you don't obstruct air flow to much) would that then increase performance until they melted?

WOW..my brain hurts. Very interesting though. So just to be sure I understand..a hand will produce 0.75psi and there are 14 lbs in one stone, so Newtons foot, being 12" long, will increase to 13" if stroked 4 times a minute. YEP I THINK IVE GOT ALL THAT. ha ha

Did a bit of a service yesterday and cleaned the throttle valve amongst other things. This may seem daft to the more savey amongst you but I've only just realised that the air intake scoop, the one that pushes into the front of the air filter box, is completely closed off when the bonnet is closed. Air is obviously available via the front grill although not directly into the air scoop. I had thought the air was in effect rammed into the intake when driving but no. So what's all the fuss about getting more air into the engine to improve performance. It's seems as though the air intake is dependant solely on the vacuum produced in the plenum ?

Thanks Tricky. I don't necessarily think I've got a problem, it's just that when researching a possible MAF problem on my mates BMW I read an article suggesting that calibrations can go out as early as 3 yrs. My car pulls well enough but it's nice to be sure that everything's working ok.

I've heard that if you disconnect the MAF and you run the car, if the performance improves then you have a calibration problem. Anyone confirm this or could it cause damage ?

Better start pricing this lot up!!

Blow the tyres up

The car is in good nick generally for a 2004, however the ride seems a little less forgiving than it used to be, so I was wondering what I could do to get that old feeling back. I gather replacing springs and shocks isn't to big an ordeal, however replacing bushes and which ones seems a bit more of a job. Is there anything else....short of changing the driver of corse

If I wanted to recreate the type of ride I experienced when I bought the Z new, what would I need to replace. Would it just be springs and shockers or more?

I don't suppose the early Z's would have this Hot Blade arrangement. Mine looks like a thermistor mounted in the middle of the air flow tube, so I assume this type is more likely to suffer calibration drift? My mates BMW has a strange looking arrangement. It has what looks like a thermistor mounted to one side of the air flow tube, and more towards the centre is a structure (can't as what it is) and has a centrally mounted and angled air inlet grill mesh. Any idea what that could be?

Been reading a bit about the MAF since my pal,s 330d bmw unit seems to be causing him problems. He had a crash a couple of years back and suspects the Bosch mass flow fitted at the time may be hampering his cars performance. Anyway I read that these devices don't stay in calibration very long, typically as low as 30K miles which surprises me, the air flow sensing device apparently operates at around 200 deg C and deteriorates over time. Since they can adversely affect performance, consumption etc I was wondering if anyone can confirm or add to this or has a means of checking calibration. Oh and their not cheap to replace!!

Got 10 yrs out of mine so can't complain. Bought a Bosch to replace it and after 1 yr it wouldn't start the car. Having charged it it ran down again. I took it back and thankfully got my money back. However I did discover something which is when buying a battery don't just select one based upon the a per hour rating. Apparently you also have to select one with the correct CCA (Cold Cranking Ampersge) rating.

Mine did as well before I had them bled. However afterwards the pedal travel appeared much less, but now it seems to have gone back to where it was. I understand that pad wear should make little difference, and I don't appear to be dropping fluid anywhere, so all I can think is there must be problem elsewhere. I could be wrong but I fancy I'd read some time ago of members having this kind of problem

Had the brakes bled just before Xmas. After initial problems the main dealer finally managed to get the brake pedal rock hard (after giving them the bleeding order provided by the forum). I'm now noticing a greater travel on the pedal before resistance is felt. A friend suggests it could be a deteriorating flexi brake pipe expanding under pressure....anyone experienced this..? I was wondering if it might be a problem with the master cylinder. Can anyone help with suggestions please

Yep reverse was fully engaged. I'm thinking I may have revved the engine a bit to high to counter the slope but I'm sure a new clutch wouldn't whine so much. Can't comment on the night of the clutch pedal as I've nothing to compare its height to. I didn't take a mental note on its height when new. Im going to have to reverse up the drive again tomorrow so I'm going to take it very easy and see if it happens again.

I've got a 2004 Z with 76k of fairly normal driving on the clock. My drive is moderatly steep and I had to reverse up it today. The clutch didn't seem to like the experience because it made a fairly hi pitched whining noise as I drove up. Dipping the clutch and trying again produced the same noise,there was a little bit of a smell as well, however the car did move backward. Anyone else noticed this affect. Is it normal or do you think the clutch is on its way?

Many thanks guys and apologies for the late reply, I've been away.

Looking to fit the SGS struts but looked at the search results and those I read have insomnia spoilers fitted. So, since mine has the oem spoiler, do I still fit the uprated Nismo struts or are the standard replacement struts the correct ones? Thanks in anticipation

You live and learn. Lifting the window switch and keeping it up while the window lifts I suppose is manual then? One post I read referred to raising the window "manually". That probably makes sense to you younger guys but to me manual means I start looking for a winding handle

Not somewhere I'd want to sit.......dreadful but each to their own!

Needed to carry out this procedure today and found it and some of the previous comments made by others a bit confusing so thought I'd try to clarify it for those as challenged as me. I've edited out the unnecessary bits of the Workshop manual procedure and copied it below for reference. In order to carry out step 3) of the procedure you have to operate the "reset switch" located behind the door card, but if you take door card off to gain access you cant shut the door to operate the door switch as required by step 2)????? Another confusion was In the "CAUTION SECTION" where it states, do not use the window auto function to raise and lower the window. What is the "auto function"?? Other than the door mounted switches??? Anyway, the idiots guide is as follows... 1) remove the door card and allow it to hang by the wires and bowden cables. 2) locate the reset switch behind one of the circular black stick on discs. 3) use a G clamp to operate the door switch or get someone to help 4) turn on the ignition (don't start the engine though) 5) using the door window switch, raise the window right to the top 6) press the reset switch in and using the door window switch, lower the window right to the bottom. 7) release the reset switch and now raise the window right to the top again. 8) turn off the ignition, remove the G clamp and check window operation. Also note that if you've removed the larger of the two white plugs on the door window switch control panel You can experience poor connections due to the free socket not mating with the fixed plug correctly. I had to use a pair of snipe nose pliers to push the wires down to ensure contact with the fixed plug contacts. Resetting 1. With the door open, lift up and hold the power window switch until the door glass is fully closed. 2. Get inside the vehicle and close the door. â— You need to close the door so the door switch is fully depressed. 3. Press and hold the reset switch. While holding the reset switch, press down and hold the power window switch until the door glass is fully opened. 4. Release the reset switch.Then, lift up and hold the power win- dow switch until the door glass is fully closed. 5. Open the door to release the door switch. The door glass should partially move down. C CAUTION: â— Do not use the window auto function. â— Do not release the switch before the window is fully stopped

Same happened on my last set of Bridgestones. I had the tracking checked by two garages and both said it was ok. To be fair I didn't check tyre pressures every week so could have has some kind of wear due to that. When I got my current new set of new Bridgestones I measured the the tread depth when I got home and noticed the tread depth varied across the tyre width. The outside depth was 6mm the centre 8mm and the inside depth 7mm. I rang Bridgestone to clarify and they confirmed these depths to be correct. May have something to do with your problem?