WillieO

you might also have a small hydraulic fluid cooler for the power steering and HICAS system as well.

turbo feed pipe cracked maybe or oil cooler line

Dont think this has anything to do with the ecu. Either my O/S turbo has siezed without any warning or the waste gate is jammed wide open or a boost side hose is wide open. So far I dont know which. Gona take a look under first chance I get. But thanks all the same for the tips

Anyone actually seized one?

Look under and check it. It is prolly coming loose and hanging off on one bolt. If you let it get too loose the casting will crack and you'll need a replacement starter.

Damage to the AFM or the connector has been jarred loose in the bump? Maybe its idling in get home mode - does it rev past 2000rpm? this would also point to the AFM

Anyone know if the waste gate can jam open? Would that lead to no boost? Any ideas about the burning rubber smell?

After many years faithful service she seems to have lost her appetite for boost. Drives fine, accelerates OK but not proper hard and the boost guage doesnt rise past zero. I thought maybe a boost hose had come loose but having now checked them I can find nothing wrong so far. Engine sounds fine and ticks over sweetly. If I floor it then stop and take a look under the bonnet there is a slight burning rubber smell and it aint the wheel spin! I have a horrible suspicion the drivers side turbo might have seized. No warning, no noises, no smoke. If I take one boost hose to plenum off at a time it will start and run. I can get a puff of boost out of the passenger side pipe when the throttle is blipped but nothing from the drivers side. I can hear at least one turbo working when I floor it. Any ideas appreciated. It was fine last week too.

What I'meaning by loaded is with bodies on seats and a full tank, not just sat on its wheels empty car. I know what you mean by the toe in issue. Mine had 8mm rear toe in when I got it but it still scrubbed out the inside edges first due to the neg camber and this was on 265s. You would normally expect excessive toe in to scrub the outer edges! This is true on skinny tyres but not on wides with some neg camber. Previous owner had just had rear HICAS arms done and hadnt bothered to re track it on mine. Needless to say it handled funny in the wet and disappeared the rears in less than 3K. Mine is on 0 toe in rear now and handles well and wears much much better.

Should the the rears not be set up with zero negative camber - mabe even a touch positive to allow for the fact that the car is set up unloaded? with this big tyre width you want the wheel ultra square to the road when its loaded up. Any hard acceleration makes the rear squat a bit and with that comes negative camber anyway due to the geometry. You also get toe in as well. So I would think you want the rears also with zero toe in. Big power tends to pull the rear suspension out of shape enough to make it toe in under acceleration anyway. Thinking to wear patterns I'd go with what John says on the fronts - mine always wear slightly more to the outsides than insides suggesting more neg camber would be better. However rears are the opposite on wear suggesting to me anyway that less negative camber would be better. Mine is stock UK with new UK actuator rear shocks and its hard enough and with no spring sag and normal ride height but the stock top links are already maxed out on camber and its still slightly negative.

I have ran it dry once - kept thinking the light had only just came on for several days running and after 40 miles or so it spluttered to a halt. Had to put in 69 litres after 2 or 3 from a fuel can. Had it a long time and check full tank to full tank consumption the proper way. In winter running its less than 16mpg. In summer maybe 18 - 20mpg. You cant drive these without putting the foot down a bit! Sure it can do about 26mpg at 70 on the mo way but who does that? In more than 5 years ownership it never ever went over 30mpg. Think of the lack of depreciation instead! A diesel vectra might get 45mpg but it'll loose £400 a month just for being itself. Buys a lot of fuel! Prolly still better than an RX8 as well.

On my second set of 265's and 235's of this make and type and they're OK. The rears always seem to wear a bit more on the inside edges on the rear even tho I'm pretty sure all is well with the rear suspension. Maybe get 10k miles. The zed is not that great at keeping the rears square on the road under hard acceleration when it squats a bit. So the inside edges get pasted. With 285s on a premium brand this is a bit expensive when you have to bin otherwise fine tyres with the inside edge slightly worn.

Bell Direct can give you the same ncb on your second car. I have mine both for full business use.

Have a wiggle at the connector under the TPS when its ticking over high. Listen for changes. Un connect and check the connector pins for oxide there and re connect. Cured it on mine

Went through all this on mine and even had the wheels balanced several times to no improvement. Put up with it for years. Tried one more time at a different place asking them to balance for zero unbalance after reading a post on this and miracle cure. Smooth as silk at any speed. I think if you have non standard wheels - mine are 18" X 8.5" fronts with 235 tyres then balance is very critical. Seems many fitters think a 10-20g unbalance is acceptable. Maybe it is on many cars but it wasnt on mine.

And your insurer will be pleased to rodger you for some extra dosh too. Mine took extra £30 for the mod

This hose under the fpr going down to the fuel injector rail is a classic for fuel smell. Try looking under the car when it smells - without a fag in hand! - you'll see fuel pissing from the bell housing in cup fulls! It runs into the Vee under the plenum then down the back of the engine

plus different models have different oil coolers - UK one has a bigger cooler. 4 litres!

Been using Castrol RS0-40 for over 5 years and now its way past 140kmiles UK spec original turbos no oil leaks. So far so good:)

I have to admit I also junked mine thinking what do I need this big plastic box with polystyrene thermal insulation inserts on the positive terminal side for! It took up so much space and there is such little room around the battery as it is. I now have a couple of sheets of corrugated cardboard duct taped to the battery on that side with the silver duct tape helping to keep the radiated heat off it.

Dont let 90k make you believe the turbos are on the way out. My 92 is now on 141k on original turbos. Use good synthetic oil and regular changes and no stupid stuff when its cold and it will serve you well.

I tried the calcium one from Harrys and it needed replaced at 2 years. Now the replacement is showing signs of dieing again. Not sure these calciums are any better than good old lead acid. Also beware of junking the heat shield insulated battery case if you have a TT the battery may cook without it!

Check the connectors are not all furred up with the dreaded green oxide first! Saved me doing one.

And some have an icky little one for the HICAS and power steering fluid as well

HIDs use about half the current of traditional filament halogen bulbs so you dont need a big battery just for them as they use less power!