I suspect this explains the phone call I received earlier today while in a meeting. Sorry to hear you destroyed one but at least you've managed to find a replacement. Depending on how much of the air suspension has been removed, it should just be a case of swapping over the bits from your old one to the new one. What does the dash say? If it says EAS MANUAL when you turn the ignition on, it will have had either a bypass loom fitted (have a look for extra wires plugged in by the BeCM under the RH seat) or a couple of links fitted in the plug to the EAS ECU (under the LH seat).

The LPG system is much the same. The feeds to the petrol injectors will have been intercepted. If it has been done using a piggyback loom where the plug to the petrol injector is removed, plugged into a loom and then a plug on the loom fitted back to the injector. If that is the case, it is a swap over job. However, the other way of doing it is to cut the feeds and solder the LPG loom onto the cut ends. That isn't so easy to remove and refit. You'd need the inlet manifold, or drill yours, for the injector nozzles too.

We had the same thing only had to change them every 3 months, so we came up with the idea of the month and year, so it went Janu2018, April2018, July2018, Octo2018 and so on. A number of us were all using the same system for years until they decided to to come up with a different format which screwed that one completely.

Pierre3 wrote:

I will be honest - if I use different user names then I just forget who I am supposed to be, and on what forum !!!

I only started using Gilbertd as work gave me that as my login (despite my real name being Richard but known as Dick, some IT bod thought it was my real name) so I decided to use it everywhere else too so I didn't confuse myself.

I think we need a cross reference table somewhere so we know who we are talking to. I'm Gilbertd on here (and most other places) but Richard_G over there, Dtoyne over there is Marshall8hp on here and now we find that SamH here is Sam 1979 over there.......

Yes pictures would be invaluable. You can add pictures, you upload them to somewhere like Imgur.com then link to them using the Image box at the top of the box you type in.

Split diaphragm in the pressure regulator.......

Plug the vacuum take off, pull the petrol pump relay and start on gas until you can replace it.

You'd see it in the dark. Best way is to let the eye muscles relax so you aren't focussing on anything and you may see a glow around the leads. LPG does wear plugs faster than on petrol, I change mine every 10,000.

Seems I'm upsetting Dave more than you are Brian. The point I'm trying to make is why should a manufacturer supply spare parts with a car? It's unnecessary expense for them, it increases the overall weight, which influences not only the emissions but also fuel consumption, and reduces the storage space so benefits the driver in no way at all. Until he gets a puncture and finds that the flimsy jack and wheelbrace supplied won't allow him to change the wheel, if he even attempts it, but the same could be said for any other breakdown..

davew wrote:

Err..... because, unlike a flat, a blown bulb is not going to mean you are then motionless by the roadside and maybe in a danegrous situation ??

So why wouldn't they also supply a spare battery, coolant hoses, ignition coils and anything else that can fail without warning leaving you stranded in a dangerous situation?
davew wrote:

Your remark about manufacturers (albeit tongue-in-cheek) is correct: We have to 'ask nicely' and pay for stuff so they will provide safety equipment that might save our lives....
No, I most definitely did not say they are selling 'illegal' cars so your 'logical' extrapolation on that is incorrect too.....

I never said you did but if you were to buy a car in a country where a set of spare bulbs, hi-vis vests, warning triangle, etc is mandatory then without them the car cannot be used legally. So if a manufacturers supplies a car without them,the car itself isn't illegal but cannot legally be used.

Why aren't spare bulbs a valid comparison? You are correct, spare bulbs, along with a hi-viz vest (at least one for every person in the car and kept in the car not in the boot), warning triangle and first aid kit are mandatory in most European countries, a fire extinguisher in some and snow chains during winter months in some areas. But in most cases they aren't supplied by the manufacturer but the owner. The manufacturer will sell you a kit in a pretty bag if you ask nicely though. So if you follow that logic, car manufacturers are selling a car (in some European countries) that isn't legal for road use.......

Yes got it. Will be going over in 3 or 4 weeks so will have a look at the Etagas to work out how easy it is going to be to remove and then discuss what he wants to do after it has had the registration swapped.

What plonker gave you mod status?

I never said the space savers were B/S, but the statement that since a change in regulations stopped manufacturers from supplying them is almost certainly marketing B/S. Space savers work and are better than a can of gloop and a pump. The ones Mercedes supply are very good, when deflated the sidewalls collapse making them much smaller (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQuJZSRC4WQ) but once inflated they are almost the same size as a standard tyre. How the hell you deflate them to get them back in the well I've no idea though. The other links you posted are more accurate, manufacturers have stopped supplying spare wheels to keep the weight down in an effort to give improved emissions figures.

But if you think about it, why did manufacturers supply spare wheels in the first place? Many years ago tyre technology wasn't what it is now, road surfaces were much worse and punctures were far more regular so cars were supplied with at least one, and in many cases two, spare wheels. They don't supply a spare set of light bulbs, or a can of oil or coolant so the owner can replace or top them up, so why should they supply a spare wheel? If you look at the AA stats, callouts to flat batteries are the most common reasons for a visit, but manufacturers don't supply a spare battery. But, as Morat says, if they stopped supplying spare wheels, where would we put the LPG tank?

Agreed, it may be pretty manky but it's at least still in one piece. I modified one from an LPG cap when I did mine.

I'm not sure they were changed or if that is around the time that manufacturers decided to stop supplying them to save weight/cost. I've just checked the IVA test manual which originally came out in 2007, when the IVA replaced the SVA, and it has a list of amendments. The only amendment in the tyres section is minor rewording to account for the fact that VR and ZR rated tyres do not need to have a load rating and that space saver tyres must have the yellow speed warning labels on them. No mention that a spare is mandatory with an amendment in 2012 to say that they no longer are. I suspect it is just bullshit on the part of the company flogging space saver spares. As for not having one for the IVA test, it's like a lot of things on the IVA and MoT, if it's fitted it should work and meet the regs but if it isn't then it isn't included in the test.

I had to change the offside rear on my P38 on the A1(M) up near Leeds. Fortunately, there was a very wide hard shoulder so with the nearside wheels on the grass I was well away from the traffic. As I always carry a trolley jack it took less than 10 minutes to change the wheel. But, I got a flat on the works van, also offside rear, on the M11 on a stretch with only two lanes and a very narrow hard shoulder. Getting my big motorway spec hi vis coat out the back, putting that on, sitting on the grass wondering if the AA would get there before someone drove into it was a much nicer way of spending the time.

Those space savers are intended purely to get you home (they have a very soft compound rubber and only have 3mm of tread when new) and must also have bright yellow stickers on them with the warning not to exceed 50mph. That's one thing that is checked on the IVA test, if it has a spare it must be legal, if it has a space saver it must be clearly marked with Max 50mph/80kph (in English) but if you don't have one there is nothing to check. I've taken cars built for the Russian market for IVA test and they have the yellow label and speed marking in English, French, German and Russian on them. However, the tester said that if they didn't meet the marking requirements, all I needed to do would be take it out so there isn't one. The Road Hero you linked to would fail the IVA test (so would also fail EU Certificate of Conformity) as the sticker isn't bright yellow and it is too small.

The engine still is sweet as a nut and everything else is all working as it should too, it is purely that he can no longer afford to run it on a daily basis. His son is now learning to drive and has bought a little Corsa so he's using that to go to work. Quite what he will do come next year when he needs to get the Granny to shows and use the caravan I've no idea.

At least the tacky V8 badge will come off without leaving any marks if you pour hot water on it, much like the bullbar is only secured using the front bumper and slam panel mounting bolts. I bought the rocker cover gaskets when he first got it from you and we were going to do them one weekend but one or other of us was busy or he was using the car so they never got done. I've still got the gaskets in my garage, genuine LR ones too, not pattern.

Not aware of any regulation that says a car doesn't need a spare wheel. With fleet vehicles companies will often not allow an employee to change a wheel for H&S reasons (driver gets hit while changing a wheel at the side of a motorway, company is liable under H&S legislation as they have not fully exercised their duty of care for the employee). Despite me being employed as a fairly highly paid engineer, I have not had training as a vehicle technician and am not allowed to carry out any work on the works vehicle other than routine daily checks to confirm it is roadworthy (eg. count the wheels, check the dash display to show it has oil in it, etc). Although it has a spare wheel, a jack and a wheelbrace, if I get a flat tyre, I call the lease company breakdown hotline which routes me straight through to the AA. On every occasion I have had a flat (3 or 4 times now), by the time I've felt it the tyre sidewalls are buggered so it needs a new tyre. If I didn't have a spare (or that was flat too), then I would be recovered by the AA to the nearest Kwik Fit for a new tyre. It may be the same with a personal lease too as it isn't the drivers car.

That's how it works with company or leased vehicles, you aren't expected or allowed to do anything yourself. With privately owned vehicles, most drivers under the age of 40 wouldn't know how to change a wheel anyway......

Although as standard the Niro doesn't come with a spare, one can be ordered as an option. The space for it is under the boot floor filled with lumps of sound deadening if you don't have it.

Anyone on here or know anyone that might be interested? This is the car that used to belong to Austin, OldShep, and was bought by one of my neighbours a couple of years ago. He's been using it to tow his Granada to shows, tow his caravan and also to get to work and back. However, the company he works for have moved their depot so it is now costing him over £120 a week just to get to work and he can't afford it.

In the time he's owned it he's fitted a stainless cat back exhaust, a pair of new rear tyres (will need fronts in the not too distant), one rear brake calliper (he has a brand new replacement for the other side but not yet fitted), and a front bullbar (which I think looks bloody awful but it's secured by existing bolts so can easily be removed without leaving any marks). Faults are minimal and mainly cosmetic. The drivers seat base needs a good clean and has sagged a little on the outside edge but doesn't have any splits in the leather and the headlining is drooping, The interior just needs a good clean. The nav system works and has the most up to date disc in it and the DSP amp is fine. The stereo is intermittent and he was told by someone that it was the amp in the boot so he removed the sub and CD changer, couldn't find anything wrong so put it back. When doing that he noticed that if he wiggles a connector it works on and off. When I say the DSP amp is OK, that's going on the fact that when it works, it works on all speakers. Under the bonnet, there are signs of a slight leak from the throttle body heater but he tells me he's only had to put a litre of OAT in it in the entire time he's owned it. The cruise control doesn't work as the hose to the brake pedal has a split in it somewhere (checked by blowing down it). There's no book symbol on the HEVAC but the AC clutch doesn't kick in so suspect a lack of refrigerant (might need a regas or worst case, a condenser). Both rocker cover gaskets are leaking slightly but have been since he's owned it. He's regularly given it an oil and filter change and when he first got it, we replaced a noisy idler and put a new serpentine belt on it. First registered October 2001, 130,000 miles, MoT til May.

However, he is only looking for £1500 for it.

If no-one else steps up, I'll be dropping my missus off at Gatwick on the 23rd.