Suspension sinks on Sundays! C5 X7 that works hard + 206 GTi HDi (and 406 Coupe and 306 HDi). - MattBLancs

[MattBLancs]

C5 returned to usual weekend duties,

Boot-i-full

Getting the Coupe MOT ready - have spotted some CV grease on the outside of the outer right hand rubber boot. No obvious holes but it's definitely getting out somewhere! Gave a wipe but is greasy again, so it's definitely escaping from a hole in that boot at some point.

[mickthemaverick]

Your grease leak reminded me of a prank we played on a colleague many years ago. He bought himself a brand new Allegro and we couldn't resist the opportunity. Every day he left the car parked in the Exchange car park while out in his BT van, and everyday Bob poured a small amount of diluted antifreeze on the floor under his radiator which was cleaned up every night after the car had gone home. Thus the chap parked at different spaces day after day but always came back to find the apparent leak. Needless to say he was baffled because his coolant level was checked as ok by the dealer he had bought the car from on a few occasions and he just didn't catch on!! I don't actually know the end of the story because I moved to a new office but I'll ask Bob next time I see him and find out!

PS Your lad isn't mischievous is he?

[MattBLancs]

Like the prank Mick!

Reminds me of a similar mysterious brake fluid / oil from axle / who knows leak found on a rear wheel that was, after a lot of tinkering...

... Finally discovered to be "preferred spot for local dog to spend a penny" (I.e. Against the wheel!)

PS Your lad isn't mischievous is he?

At the moment, age 4 I think he's still in the "butter wouldn't melt" phase!



Last MOT had advisory for tyre cracking, what's the collective view on these?

Tread depth ok, date code 3619 ie halfway through 2019. Avon ZV7

[MattBLancs]

P.s. the squiggle to the left of my finger is part of the tread pattern obviously! Sidewalls look good to me

[mickthemaverick]

Change it - it may or may not fail but the consequences of a failure may be minimal or catastrophic but not worth the risk - life could be threatened!!

[mickthemaverick]

Blown up you can see minute cracks beginning just under the tread which could meet up with the inline cracks causing a delamination. Definitely change it!

MTM Modified

[MattBLancs]

Change it - it may or may not fail but the consequences of a failure may be minimal or catastrophic but not worth the risk - life could be threatened!!

Thought it'd be the expensive one of the two routes forward!

Think it's MOT failure territory? (booked in for the 5th, so time to sort tyres before then if not)

I'd hoped to get these to last a little longer (and give me breathing space to clean, sand and respray the wheels to get them looking their best, or less tatty anyway)

OR

Succumb to my idles thoughts about changing for different wheels and swap the wheels and new tyres to suit the new wheels as required. There's a 308 wheel a few Coupes are wearing that looks lovely (think 17" wheel) but to be honest I also keep wondering about the 16" Nimrods on my wife's 206. The Brembos on the front make wheel swaps more of a "give it a try" exercise, so the nearby 206 wheels could be easily test fitted even if I seek out another set. (206 future a bit in the balance at present)



Edit:
Thanks for the close ups!

[MattBLancs]

I'm not sure if the microcracks on the wheel edge are infact just scuffs from chucking it round corners (it's a fun car to nip about in, and, well, I do!!)

[mickthemaverick]

Think it's MOT failure territory? (booked in for the 5th, so time to sort tyres before then if not)

That will depend entirely on the tester, some may fail it as it was reported last time, others may report it again, but regardless of that I'd change it for your own safety!!

[mickthemaverick]

Yes chucking it about may well be the cause but that doesn't really matter, the fact is cracks only grow, they never reseal so the tread structure is weakened which is where the danger lies!! You should have seen the state of some of my rally car's tyres after a single road rally!!

[MattBLancs]

Tried to do a close up myself, don't look bad on the shoulder in the flesh really.

Surprisingly the 2017 vintage "Autogrip Grip200" on the back have no cracking in the tread root and generally look in good health.

6 year old tyres I'm well aware are ready for a change in age grounds alone, so was a surprise to find the newest ones are perished and the cheap rubbish is ok.

Hmm, think I'm up for four tyres here!

[MattBLancs]

Oh and the spare is ancient, obviously!

[myglaren]

I found Sailun Atrezza tyres to work very well with my C5. The only ones to never need balancing and the only ones not to vibrate at 70-ish. I used to buy them from Oponeo but when I wanted them for the Civic they had none.
National Tyres do them but I wouldn't want anything to do with that crew.
The last ones were only £160 for the four.

[MattBLancs]

Wow that's cheap!

National: I wouldn't be bothered about even entertaining a trip to kwik fit for new tyre for the Coupe - as the MOT has lapsed it'll be four loose wheels in the boot of the C5, so their options for "up selling" a set of brake pads or whatever would be severely curtailed!

I've used BlackCircles and MyTyres in the past, both have links with garages very local to me so convenient for that job.

In terms of tyre brands I tend to default to Uniroyal as a good wet weather tyre at middle of the road sort of price. Rainsport 2, and 3. The 2 l Coupe has RainExpert as they have deemed no one with 205/60R15 drives in a spirited manner!

The C5 had a new pair of Goodyear efficient grip performance 2 which I would deem "fine" was bother about the Uniroyals and their soft side walls on such a big heavy car. Have since read on here lots of folks don't like these goodyear things, but also tyres generally seems to be a massive minefield of differing opinions!!

[mickthemaverick]

As I posted elsewhere I got a set of almost new Goodyear Efficient Grip Performance tyres for the Subaru in September and so far they have been excellent in both wet and dry conditions. The AWD feature of my car may help or hinder, I don't know, but I am very happy with the £150 I spent!!

MTMO