Dicky

You didn't kiss and hug the wife for buying it? WHAT! Urggggggh do I have to?

Thank you chaps but I have to admit to other misfortunes while doing my servicing the day before. First, having changed the coolant I went to start the car to warm it up and get the coolant recirculating when warning lights started popping up. I'd left the air intake up to the throttle controller off. Now my engine management lights on all the time. Then didn't I take off the radiator cap to check the level before it had cooled down and got a green coolant shower, very nice on a hot day. Ha ha ha the joys of diy

Decided to do a little 5 min job under the bonnet this morning, but before starting I quickly checked the oil level having changed it yesterday. I started the job, trying to get this brass coloured washer thingy into position, it pinged out of my hand and guess where it landed. Well done, you got it right first time. Yes it bounced once and went straight down the oil filler hole, the one Id forgotten to but back earlier. I didn't bother putting it back straight away because as we all know there's no way something like this can happen. Well after I got up off the garage floor I got out my torch and lookd down this deep dark hole but couldn't see a thing. Contemplating having to begin major surgery I took one more look down the hole and got a tiny reflection off the edge of this washer thingy. Dead lucky cos there was maybe only 0.000000001mm of it's edge showing. I didn't dare use a piece of wire or my extension grabber tool thingy cos I couldn't control them easily and may have pushed it out of sight. BUT wait there. The wife bought me one of those useless DIY mechanic tools as a stocking filler last Xmas. It had a magnet on the end of a car ariel with a led at the end for recovering your keys when you drop them down a drain (As if). I thought I'd binned it whien she wasn't looking but after stripping the house down to the floor boards I found it. But was the brass coloured thingy, brass or brass coloured steel????! Testing it on another of those thingy's I was relived to find it was not brass. Lowering it down the dark deep hole I heard a " CLICK" and yes I had it stuck to the end. As you know already, the wife is always right, and I couldn't stop myself kissing and hugging this wonderful and extremely useful proffessional mechanics tool, I mean Xmas prezzy. The best I've ever had. I'm now thinking of having it mounted, framed and hung on wall as a reminder to all mankind that if something bad can happen it bloody well will !

All done, thank God. The rear wheel Brembo mounting bolts are most awkward to get at and needing to use the socket extension doesn't help either, but managed. Not as much a pain as changing the spark plugs as it happens, but there sorted as well now. So that's new discs and pads all around fitted, oil and filter changed, coolent changed, K&N filter cleaned. Going to clean the throttle controller tomorrow and that's about it. Thanks again for everyone's help

Dead right young man. Car on the ramps tomorrow and since I'm on my 2nd Brown Ale,I'll murder it tomorrow ha ha

Thanks Alex, it just seems bloody tight and I'm scared I'll damage something. I've search the net and as you say the numbers apear to be right. More bottles of Newcastle Brown Ale required then before tomorrow

Yep same as me. Hope someone who's done the job can confirm for me

I'm loosing confidence in this manual, its for USA cars but I'd hoped it would still be relavent. The torque setting for the wheel nuts are quoted as 98.1 - 127 N·m ( 73 - 93 ft-lb) which sounds like your caliper torque setting

Can anyone please confirm for me that the Brembo calliper securing bolts (2 big ones, 19mm I think) are torqued to 152.1 - 154.9 N·m ( 113 - 114 ft - lb) as indicated in the Workshop Manual. It's seems mighty tight and I've been unable to reach the required setting due to length of my torque wrench and access probs with the car on low setting axel stands. If it's right I'll have to run it up the ramps tomorrow and try again. All discs and pads now changed, starting on the servicing tomorrow.........getting to old for this now me thinks.

Just came across a 2004 spec on the net for Brembo brakes (which does include the a Rotors) and the thickness ( new) is quoted as 1.18" which is 30mm. So I assume there much the same as the Pagid Rotors, so I think I'm going to take the replacement thickness to be 28.3 as stamped on my new Pagid rotors. Unless I here from someone who knows better

No idea. The car is a UK version with a brembo abrakes, but when they talk about Brembo brakes does that just apply to the Calipers or does it include the rotors as well?

Sunny afternoon so decided to check and expected to have to change my discs(rotors) given they've done 70k now. When I measured the front rotor thickness (avoiding the wear lip at the edge) they were 28.3mm. I looked at the workshop manual (BR section) and it says Standard(New) thickness 24mm, change at min thickness 22mm and quotes the Rotors as CLZ25VD. I looked at my new Pagid rotors and they measure 30.5mm and stamped along the edge it says to replace at 28.3mm What's going on. Either my vernier is all to **** (it seems fine) the manual is all to ****, I'm all to **** or my discs are getting fatter like me!! Help, my brain hurts

Bloody tyres are a pain in the arse. There seem to be as many recommended brands as there are members. Choosing the right tyres is always a mystery to me. No matter how much I read I'm none the wiser. I suppose we all want the best tyres at the right price (the latter being the main problem) but everyone's got their own preferences. Is their no definitive answer to this question. Is it possible for those connected with the trade or who have an inside track on this question to resolve it down to say 2 tyres for every day driving with the odd excursion into the extreme when we feel the need. I may be asking the impossible but choosing the best value tyres is like picking up someone at a disco, which one will cost the least, go the longest and give the best overall performance. I'm probably asking the impossible, but for the less well informed like me it's a nightmare.

Thanks lads for all your input, I feel so much smarter now. But starting to wish I had'nt asked...£240 for the Banana Bar, Ouch! Just hope mine are ok when I check them. No knocks or rattles from the front as yet, or maybe I should turn the music down a bit and have a good listen, but then again I might hear something that frightens me.ha ha

Been reading about BANANA BARS and DROP LINKS with regard to the front suspension. I assume these are nick names but could someone tell me their correct names cos I've looked at the drawings in the manual and can't find any reference to the former names. Also are the same items associated with the rear suspension. Doing a service soon and would like to check them as the old gal's getting on a bit now (the wife as well!)

It's the engine type I believe. DE engines fitted up to 2006 I think, then HR thereafter

Many thanks young man for the help

Sorry to hijack the thread ........BUT.....(which always comes after an intro like that) Any problems getting the discs off? I've heard they can be a pig. Doing mine as soon as there's a dry spell

Battery drain on my car with doors locked and alarm on is approx 0.7A. If your battery was only half charged and if it's say a 60A/hr battery then it will be flat in around 43hrs.

Look at page 41 in the General Information section of the Workshop manual there's a diagram showing the info you need. I believe there's a copy of the manual on the forum probably in the " Guides" section of the 350z forum (under FAQ) Have been unable to copy and paste my copy onto this post.

To be fair that's how I view this gadget is more about how it looks that any benifit gained. However my daughter wants to spend the ££,s to get one so I guess she'll have to learn in the school of hard knocks. Thanks for yours and everyone's input.

What are the benifits of snow foam washing over using hot water and car shampoo in the normal way?

Cheers young man

Anyone tell me if its best to run warm water through my pressure washer and snow foam attachment or is cold water better or just as good

Just in case you didn't know my seaweed tells me that in March and April were all in for a huge deluge of snow, country wide. So a couple of snow tyres will be a must. Ha ha All together now, sing along....Why are we waiting, Oh why are we waiting, Oh why............