Eliana, my mostly-stock 2001 PFL

[inigopete]

I've been lurking on here for quite a few months, researching and learning, and through the summer I've been avidly watching eBay listings, AutoTrader and Facebook marketplace looking for an MR2 of my own.

...and today I went to collect her.

Meet Eliana, my blue* 2001 PFL. It's seen a fair bit of life but it's been well looked-after. It had just over 148,000 miles on the odometer, which would definitely have put me off if I hadn't read some of the advice on here, but it also had only two previous owners and a regular and complete service history up to 110,000 miles and a fairly complete history beyond that, including a recent partial exhaust replacement and a new roof.

IMG_4231 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

The good stuff:
- bodywork all pretty straight, VIN stickers all matching
- engine sounds OK, starts first time
- everything works - lights, power steering, ABS, rear window heater, A/C, original radio, aerial etc.
- it's pretty much stock, as far as I can tell
- new-ish soft top

The bad stuff:
- it's got three different brands of cheap tyres on it
- there's a few chips in the bonnet paintwork
- it's missing one bolt for the grill tray so it rattles!
- it's got one odd single rust hole in the o/s rear wing
- headlamps are a bit cloudy
- engine light is on
- handbrake does hold but is at the top of its travel

I'm aware of the handbrake issue and it's not an urgent thing but one to have a go at when I've got a spare weekend. The tyre thing is a bit more pressing, given how sensitive these cars seem to be to tyre choice and pressure. It felt a little odd when I took it for the test drive, I thought maybe the power steering wasn't quite right - and then once I'd picked it up I checked the pressures and the fronts were at about 19 and the rear 21! So inflating those to the right pressures (28f, 32r, is that right?) definitely improved the slightly sluggish feel.

I'm slightly concerned by the engine light - mainly because my choice of OBD reader doesn't seem to recognise the car. Does anyone have any experience with the FIXD reader and app (on iOS)? Their database seems to be very US-centric and doesn't recognise the car's VIN.

Obviously she needs new tyres. Currently the front are "Champiro UHP-1", rear ns is a "Mohawk M105" and os is a "Accelera PHI-R". I've never heard of them, I think they're budget options and probably known as "ditchfinders", especially when that mis-matched. I know this is a much-debated topic on here, I'm looking for something all-round (lol) rather than something like the Proxes which seem to be described as "extreme summer performance" tyres. Leaning toward Rainsports as I'll be driving the car in most weathers and some long motorway journeys and want good all-weather performance rather than crazy track grip.

I'm pretty sure the tracking's not right - might be the tyres, but at some speeds it feels like the front wheels are pointing in slightly different directions and the car seems to choose which one to give traction to, pulling slightly to one side then the other. Is this what's known as "tramlining"? I'm planning on getting all four wheels pointed in the right direction when I get the tyres changed... soon!

Overall I'm very happy with the car so far. She looks a lot better after my son and I gave her a thorough clean and polish yesterday and cleaned the soft top with Meguiars. My next step is showing the moving bits some love. There's not a lot of oil in there - I filed some grooves in the dipstick and it's on about 1/4 up the markers when cold, so I hastily bought some Comma XTech 5w30 - so another question will be "what oil"? I'll drain and change the oil and filter later this week, top up the coolant (Toyota pink?), check and clean the plugs and filters... anything else I should do while the car's off the ground?

As ever, I'd appreciate any advice you can offer.

* colour code 08M6 - Spectra Blue?

[inigopete]

Some more photos at my Flickr album

[Carolyn]

Any pink coolant will suffice.  A premium quality 5W30 fully synth is the way to go. 

Yep that's Spectra blue.  Nice colour!

I suggest downloading Torque Pro to your phone (about a fiver, I think) and then getting a decent plug in 'dongle' to go with it.  There's a few to choose from.  Then you'll be able to see and play with everything the car is doing electronically.

Ah, I see your an I-phone user. Torque Pro does not work on all versions of IOS.  May be another member can recommend a good app for I-phone.

Apparently 'Engine link' does the job, but I haven't used it.

[J88TEO]

Leaning toward Rainsports as I'll be driving the car in most weathers and some long motorway journeys and want good all-weather performance rather than crazy track grip

I have a set of Rainsports with rims if you are interested...almost new.

[McMr2]

I've been lurking on here for quite a few months, researching and learning, and through the summer I've been avidly watching eBay listings, AutoTrader and Facebook marketplace looking for an MR2 of my own.

...and today I went to collect her.

Meet Eliana, my blue* 2001 PFL. It's seen a fair bit of life but it's been well looked-after. It had just over 148,000 miles on the odometer, which would definitely have put me off if I hadn't read some of the advice on here, but it also had only two previous owners and a regular and complete service history up to 110,000 miles and a fairly complete history beyond that, including a recent partial exhaust replacement and a new roof.

IMG_4231 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

The good stuff:
- bodywork all pretty straight, VIN stickers all matching
- engine sounds OK, starts first time
- everything works - lights, power steering, ABS, rear window heater, A/C, original radio, aerial etc.
- it's pretty much stock, as far as I can tell
- new-ish soft top

The bad stuff:
- it's got three different brands of cheap tyres on it
- there's a few chips in the bonnet paintwork
- it's missing one bolt for the grill tray so it rattles!
- it's got one odd single rust hole in the o/s rear wing
- headlamps are a bit cloudy
- engine light is on
- handbrake does hold but is at the top of its travel

I'm aware of the handbrake issue and it's not an urgent thing but one to have a go at when I've got a spare weekend. The tyre thing is a bit more pressing, given how sensitive these cars seem to be to tyre choice and pressure. It felt a little odd when I took it for the test drive, I thought maybe the power steering wasn't quite right - and then once I'd picked it up I checked the pressures and the fronts were at about 19 and the rear 21! So inflating those to the right pressures (28f, 32r, is that right?) definitely improved the slightly sluggish feel.

I'm slightly concerned by the engine light - mainly because my choice of OBD reader doesn't seem to recognise the car. Does anyone have any experience with the FIXD reader and app (on iOS)? Their database seems to be very US-centric and doesn't recognise the car's VIN.

Obviously she needs new tyres. Currently the front are "Champiro UHP-1", rear ns is a "Mohawk M105" and os is a "Accelera PHI-R". I've never heard of them, I think they're budget options and probably known as "ditchfinders", especially when that mis-matched. I know this is a much-debated topic on here, I'm looking for something all-round (lol) rather than something like the Proxes which seem to be described as "extreme summer performance" tyres. Leaning toward Rainsports as I'll be driving the car in most weathers and some long motorway journeys and want good all-weather performance rather than crazy track grip.

I'm pretty sure the tracking's not right - might be the tyres, but at some speeds it feels like the front wheels are pointing in slightly different directions and the car seems to choose which one to give traction to, pulling slightly to one side then the other. Is this what's known as "tramlining"? I'm planning on getting all four wheels pointed in the right direction when I get the tyres changed... soon!

Overall I'm very happy with the car so far. She looks a lot better after my son and I gave her a thorough clean and polish yesterday and cleaned the soft top with Meguiars. My next step is showing the moving bits some love. There's not a lot of oil in there - I filed some grooves in the dipstick and it's on about 1/4 up the markers when cold, so I hastily bought some Comma XTech 5w30 - so another question will be "what oil"? I'll drain and change the oil and filter later this week, top up the coolant (Toyota pink?), check and clean the plugs and filters... anything else I should do while the car's off the ground?

As ever, I'd appreciate any advice you can offer.

* colour code 08M6 - Spectra Blue?

Welcome! A lot of self-confessed lurkers coming out from hiding these days, it's good to see 

Sounds like you're on the case but tyres and a decent alignment is a sound investment. Mismatched/underinflated tyres won't be doing you any favours with tramlining. Despite humble underpinnings these are quite sensitive cars, especially when it comes to tyres and suspension setup.

As for the engine light, could be anything but fingers crossed it's 'only' an oxygen sensor, pretty common.

If you're underneath have a good poke about for rust, they don't suffer too badly but better to get it in check for many more years' peace of mind. I'd be checking the rear subframe/cross member and have a look around at the front. There have been a few reports of things getting a bit crusty and I found this to be the case on mine.

[inigopete]

Oil and oil filter on order. Generic pink coolant on order (thanks @Carolyn). Different OBD reader on order - the FIXD one is going back, I've done a bit of research and found a decent iOS app and a reader that will work with it, will report back later in the week.

Any recommendations for an air filter? Searching on here brings up a baffling (no pun intended) range of posts, I'll go for an OEM unless there are any reasons against it... although a recommendation on where to find it would be useful. MrT?

Sorry, I'll probably post quite a lot of newbie questions on here as I try and make this car nicer. Thanks for your understanding!

[Carolyn]

All very sensible questions. We like to help. 

OEM air filter will be just ducky. That filter goes in a lot of Toyotas, so your local parts shop will probably have one.

B.T.W.  Do you have any oil on the engine to the right and slightly below the exhaust manifold?  It's very common for the chain tensioner O ring to leak.

If you look for 'chain tensioner' in the 'how to' section, all will become clear.  I'm happy to send you an O ring that works better than the OEM one (not much of a challenge!), courtesy of the club.  Just PM me with your address and I'll get one off to you. 

[Topdownman]

Congratulations on the purchase, I hope you checked that it is ULEZ compliant!

Standard pressures for FL are 26F and 32R, not sure if the PFL is different but you should find a sticker in the door jamb or glovebox with the pressures on.

Definitely take the front plastic cover off under the bonnet to see what state the steering U/J is in. You may well need to give it a wire brush and it will no doubt need some grease.

Worth cleaning the MAF sensor too.

Happy tinkering!

[Gaz mr-s]

General servicing bits are cheaper on ebay. Single delivered for under £9. For future oil filter buys, the 2zz Celica-fit is slightly bigger & usually similar price.

Very strange that it has a good service history & no-name tyres.  If you get a bargain set of Rainsports, they'll do with Winter coming up.  If not, Hankook K125 & Falken ZE310  are better & still work in cold temps.

Car wandering, - check the top strut nut on the front shocks. Best done with a brief rattle with an impact gun.        If affected by throttle input, check the rear suspension.

And with wet weather on the way, check the rubber gaiters on the rear end of handbrake cables. If cables aren't seized there is a fix.

[Joesson]

@inigopete
Hello and welcome.
While your under the Frunk plastics checking the UJ have a look at the rear bottom of the radiator, best checked to be OK before changing the coolant.
I have Apple iPad/ phone  and use Car Scanner, a free app, that also has option to buy an upgrade that I've not needed to date.

[puma2]

  welcome
great start with some pictures 
nice looking and your list of bad points are definitely able to sort without to much hassle.
get tyres changed  1st thing mind before anything.

new roof looks good to any info on were it was   done.

follow the rest of what people have said on the other post

then get out and put the roof down and enjoy you 2

then come back and lets un no where you been and what you are up to     

[inigopete]

After the "FIXD" OBD reader promised much and delivered nothing (it's on eBay now), I bought a "Veepeak" one from Amazon and downloaded "Car Scanner ELM OBD2" for iOS and... got some results!

IMG_4302 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

P0175 _and_ P0172. A quick search on here suggested it might just be a grubby MAF sensor, which would be relatively good news, so I added that to the list.

First up, jack up the car, get the axle stands underneath and have a look round... it all looks pretty clean! There's the "new-ish exhaust", looking good. The front brakes and suspension are rustier and grubbier than the rear, I pre-emptively sprayed a squirt of Brunox on every thread and nut that looked like I might need to adjust it soon.

IMG_4303 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

IMG_4305 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

The sump plug was TIGHT, as was the oil filter. But some Newtons and Metres on the plug, and the old hammer-a-screwdriver-through-it trick on the filter, got everything loose and the oil flowing quickly. And thick, dark and opaquely - probably about time for a change!

IMG_4304 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

(side note: should that big cog be visible from underneath the engine? It's normally slightly covered by the nappy, but should it be exposed?)

IMG_4306 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

I removed and cleaned the MAF with some contact cleaner - it looked pretty good before, tbh, which was slightly concerning until I spotted, between the coolant reservoir and the rear light, something didn't look right.

IMG_4309 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

I don't know if this had contributed to inadequate air / fuel too rich, but it certainly didn't help. I loosened the coolant bottle and moved it up out of the way and re-attached the air feed pipe. I checked the air filter while I had it all apart, it looked clean and fresh and there was no crap in the bottom of the air box. Which, if it hadn't been getting enough air, makes a bit of sense.

IMG_4308 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

Next to the plugs. They're NGK BKR5EYA, cheap and cheerful but they don't seem to be unhealthy. I gave them a good wipe and screwed them back in.

IMG_4311 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

Last job before the oil goes in, replacing the chain tensioner O ring. Carolyn very kindly sent me a new one so I followed her excellent guide and swiftly removed the old, squared, ring and fitted the new round one. (image above: old ring on left, new one on right). Everything went back together nicely and the little "tick" as I turned the crankshaft told me the tensioner was doing its job again. I wiped some of the oily gunk off too.

Then, new oil filter (it felt tiny! I'll go for the Celica one next time - thanks Gaz), sump plug in, and 3.5 litres of Castrol Edge 5w-30 fully synthetic glopped their way in like magic honey. Fit the oil cap again, wipe everything down, top up the coolant, wipe off again, and it's time to move on to the front. Not before trying to remove these two bolts again - they are totally stuck, and starting to round off. Any tips before I get the mole grips / Neji-saurus on them?

IMG_4313 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

...which is where a combination of fading light, not having read the manual and needing to go and pick up my son from school stopped me taking the cover off, or even working out how to do it. But I did get chance to take a photo of the steering universal joint.

IMG_4314 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

Ugh. I think "crusty" describes it well. I hastily sprayed some 3-in-1 on it as a very short-term fix and vowed to find a new one, and one of those Snelbaard / LMR dust boots to keep it protected. I imagine that will help the feel of the front end, but I'm still researching tyres too. If anyone has any recommendation for non-track tyres with good grip, good economy and good wet weather performance (and probably relatively stiff sidewalls) that come in stock PFL fitting, please let me know. The Falken ZE310 front / Hankook Ventus Prime3 rear combination is looking OK, but I'm still wary of having different tyres front and rear...

[inigopete]

Sorry @puma2 I meant to answer your question - "somewhere near Bristol" was all the seller could remember. It feels like canvas, but I don't know how a mohair roof feels, so I don't know if it's the famous Swansea guy who's replaced it. I washed it with the Meguiars stuff and rinsed it, but it's _still_ feeling soapy every time it gets wet, so I'm going to rinse it some more this weekend and let it dry properly before treating it with the waterproofer I've bought.

Still on the list: look up how to get the front cover off, check everything under there. Replace the dead interior lamp. Look for a good SUJ - there seem to be some cheap ones on eBay, not sure I trust how cheap they are. And adjust that handbrake!

[mr2garageswindon]

I have fitted numerous steering uj's from TCB Performance.
Great quality and a fraction of the cost of OEM.
Give Paul a shout, he will sort you out.

[Joesson]

@inigopete

I'm pretty sure I can't see that much of the starter ring, and that there is at least a partial cover over it. The sort of thing our affiliate used part supplier could fix you up with.
Your UJ is indeed crusty, but you are doing now what I did in 2011 and on with my 2002 car.
I did remove my  heat shields fixings but over 10 years ago. Yours might need even more soaking . Be sure to use a six point socket, not a multipoint as they will round off.
If they do proprietary nut removers may help. Otherwise it will be a drill out job.
Dependent upon whether you intend to keep the OE manifold as to what you do from there.
Good to se you are getting down to it.

Not mentioned on here is that seal on the steering column through the cabin bulkhead. Mine was in tatters and I replaced with a new 'un from TCB.

[Carolyn]

Yes, the plastic push-on cover for the bottom of the flywheel is absent.  Not that it matters a whole bunch, but it does keep road muck out of the starter ring.

[inigopete]

Hmm. Engine light back on again after second drive. Fault codes P0172 and P0175 again. And there's a bit of a lag when I put my foot down, the engine seems to pause before revving. It felt much nicer and sounded quieter with the new oil though!

The MAF looked very clean when I removed it, and I cleaned it anyway and put it back carefully. How could I tell if it's failing?

I've searched on here and found this post - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?msg=265972 - which lists the things I'll have to check next:

It could be the MAF, but .. here's what the BGB lists:

    Injector leak, blockage
    Mass air flow meter
    Engine coolant temp. sensor
    Ignition system
    Fuel pressure
    Gas leakage on exhaust system
    Open or short in heated oxygen sensor (bank 1, 2 sensor 1)
    circuit
    Heated oxygen sensor (bank 1, 2 sensor 1)


What it's actually telling you is that according to the O2 sensors, the built in map is causing the engine to run rich.  When it does so, the ECU starts to remove fuel and eventually stops removing it when the O2 sensors go back to reading 'stoic' (14.7:1 air/fuel ratio) under closed-loop conditions.

The fuel trims are then stored and are applied continually - in closed and open loop.

The ECU doesn't light a CEL until the adjustment is more than +/-38%.


So what your ECU is telling you is that it has removed 38% of the fuel from your fuel maps - if this is a sensor fault, then you are now running very very lean, dangerously lean in fact - fortunately you have a knock sensor that will also retard timing if it's so lean the engine begins to knock (which it almost certainly would be) so you'll just be losing power and heating things up a lot more than you otherwise would.


This particular CEL uses 2-trip detection logic, so if you clear it you'll need to drive at least twice before it will come back on.

Personally I would be tempted to do what Stu says, but not simply reset it and then forget about it - reset it and start checking components.

First: Make sure the O2 sensors are operating correctly (if you only have a code reader rather than an OBD-II scantool, you'll need to use a multimeter) - their output should flipflop between <0.4V and >0.55V.

Secondly: Check for exhaust leaks upstream of the O2 sensors (between the head and O2 sensors) - though I would expect that to light a "Too LEAN" code, rather than too rich.

Thirdly: See if you can borrow a MAF - they're not cheap, unfortunately.

[Carolyn]

Unfortunately the MAF does not throw codes.  So if it's not working correctly you can only guess at it by looking at other symptoms.

The fact that the engine is rich on both banks kind of rules out ignition components and O2 sensors ( as a double failure is unlikely).  An exhaust leak at the cylinder head probably wouldn't affect both banks (although if it's in the critical spot, it could) and it's unlikely to result in rich running.

If the car has its original MAF, it won't hurt to replace it anyway and it's the quickest way to spot a faulty MAF. 

I have a couple of spare used ones, that have been well stored, and I'm happy to send you one, but I can't guarantee it will be good. 

[inigopete]

That's very kind of you @Carolyn, thanks, but I think it's probably best I buy a new one this time.

Next stop, finding out how to test if the O2 sensors are working; the seller said the engine light had been on for a while (and the mechanic at the last service had said he couldn't make it go off!) so it's not inconceivable that both are duff. I've had a quick search on here but couldn't easily find out how to test them - any hints?

Edit: answered my own question again, with a bit more searching - this post - https://www.mr2roc.org/index.php?msg=625566 says

MR2.com says:

Testing O2 sensors on the workbench.

Use a high impedence DC voltmeter as above. Clamp the sensor in a vice, or use a plier or vice-grip to hold it. Clamp your negative voltmeter lead to the case, and the positive to the output wire. Use a propane torch set to high and the inner blue flame tip to heat the fluted or perforated area of the sensor. You should see a DC voltage of at least 0.6 within 20 seconds. If not, most likely cause is open circuit internally or lead fouling. If OK so far, remove from flame. You should see a drop to under 0.1 volt within 4 seconds. If not likely silicone fouled. If still OK, heat for two full minutes and watch for drops in voltage. Sometimes, the internal connections will open up under heat. This is the same a loose wire and is a failure. If the sensor is OK at this point, and will switch from high to low quickly as you move the flame, the sensor is good. Bear in mind that good or bad is relative, with port fuel injection needing faster information than carbureted systems. ANY O2 sensor that will generate 0.9 volts or more when heated, show 0.1 volts or less within one second of flame removal, AND pass the two minute heat test is good regardless of age.

Interestingly in the same article it also says if the car thinks the O2 sensor is faulty it will not switch to closed loop operation and will therefore run rich in open loop on the Base map, but wouldn't you get an error code if an O2 sensor was not working properly?

...time to get the O2 sensors out and play with the blowtorch!

[Gaz mr-s]

Re your picture of the maf & your comment 'looks ok' suggests you are looking at the visible blob. I believe it's a temperature sensor, - the maf is up inside the plastics. If you have the car running & unplug the connector it'll alter the running of the engine. If it doesn't, suggests it's fubar.

Any 4-wire Toyota sensor with a long-enough cable will work.  Just depends on your luck on ebay.  Usually the cheapest method is a DOX 0209 Universal sensor.

Unless Falken or Hankook have dropped a size in their list, BOTH were available in both sizes.

Heatshield nuts. I haven't removed them myself, but have dealt with various iffy bolts on the car. 
These have not failed on me yet. 
https://www.screwfix.com/p/erbauer-bolt-nut-remover-set-6-pcs/6083D?kpid=6083D&ds_kid=92700055262507123&ds_rl=1244066&gclid=Cj0KCQjw-NaJBhDsARIsAAja6dP3p_iYPIEwlmnskCvJoVO4txdGJSlQO3p3FwCP_5YQ0znPlVsdbF8aAvpOEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

An alternative is the same type made by Irwins. It's a bigger set, but costs more.

Sometimes the heatshield needs cut off.

[inigopete]

@Gaz mr-s you're a star - thank you! - that did the trick...

IMG_4368 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

All four bolts came out, after a bit of a soak with Brunox too. And then, of course, I realised I'd need an oxygen sensor socket. Oops. One of these arriving tomorrow - 22mm 3/8" socket with cutout:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B09Q3LX2SY

Eliana's getting new shoes tomorrow too - Yokohama Advan Fleva V701s, in the right sizes (185/55/15 F, 205/50/15 R), after I realised not only do the tyres not match but the fronts are currently 205/50/15 as well, which won't have helped the handling. Getting the tracking adjusted too, at least on the front. Can most garages do the rears as well (and, if so, how?) - I'm going to ask when I drop the car off.

Thanks for the tip on the MAF - disconnecting it while the engine was running caused the engine to stall, so it looks like it's doing something. But disconnecting the oxygen sensors made no difference to the engine running at all - is that normal, or an indicator that both have failed? (this is entirely possible).

[Gaz mr-s]

@Gaz mr-s you're a star - thank you! - that did the trick...

As I said, haven't failed me yet, & a few folk on f/b groups have bought them too.

So why didn't you heed Hankook or Falken advice?  According to tests, the Fleva aren't near as good.

Unplugging the sensors should've brought on the EML.   In terms of them working, use an OBD that can look at the Sensor voltages. The manifold sensors spike fast. They should be comparable.  Torque pro to an Android phone does, for instance.

Did you take note of MAF cleaning above? 

[inigopete]

So why didn't you heed Hankook or Falken advice?  According to tests, the Fleva aren't near as good.

I read quite a bit about them on here - the V701s seem to have a similar "feel" to the original Bridgestones, and I'm after all-weather grip and long-distance efficiency. The Flevas seem well-reviewed here too.

Unplugging the sensors should've brought on the EML.   In terms of them working, use an OBD that can look at the Sensor voltages. The manifold sensors spike fast. They should be comparable.  Torque pro to an Android phone does, for instance.

Ah, thanks - the EML light was already on, so I'll reset it on the OBD app and see what gets triggered. I'll find out this afternoon if I can monitor the sensor voltages too.

Did you take note of MAF cleaning above? 

I did, thanks - it's had a thorough clean, if the O2 sensor voltages are doing sensible things then I'll order a new MAF.

[inigopete]

The new tyres were fitted on Friday, and they're a revelation. The car feels fun to drive!

Previously it had 205s all round (stock PFL wheels) and the front felt a bit sluggish and tramline-y. And the garage said the tracking was out by about 4 degrees. :O

The steering feels light and easy, it feels like it goes reliably where I want it to, I can take my hands off the wheel and it rolls straight - I hadn't realised how bad it was before, but the difference is huge.

And the Flevas are noticeably more efficient - they're significantly quieter, for a start. Not only can I turn the radio down a couple of notches, but I find myself cruising along in one gear higher on known roads and hills; I haven't put any numbers on it yet, but I'm looking forward to finding out.

After a bit of a drive, with the engine warmed up, I pulled over and plugged the OBD reader in and looked at the sensor voltages. Perhaps the sampling rate was a bit high but the O2 sensor voltages seemed to be pretty jumpy:

IMG_4369 by Pete Owen, on Flickr

(that's the time in minutes and seconds on the X axis) - I don't know if this is a sign they're both knackered, what would the output look like if they were dying? I'm trying to find out before coughing up for two new sensors. I reset the EML but it came on again within two drives, with the same P0172 and P0175 error codes, so it's not happy about something there.

[inigopete]

Ordered a new MAF sensor and fitted it, reset the EML on the OBD reader and... it's stayed off!

Immediately after I fitted the new MAF, the tickover seemed to drop down to about 500-800rpm and the engine was "pulsing" between the two. But the throttle response seemed entirely different, much more immediate. The tickover thing didn't correct itself on the second drive, so I did the ECU reset thing of disconnecting the battery for about 15 minutes.

That seemed to fix it. Starting up from cold later on, the engine immediately revved to about 1500rpm then dropped gradually down to about 1100 tickover. Later in the drive, stopping at lights for example, it was sitting comfortably about 900rpm, which sounded about right. It's feeling much nicer to drive, less lumpy and more immediate when I press the accelerator - which is fun!

Of course, if it's not one thing it's another - I didn't put the cover on when it rained heavily overnight, so the inch-long section of slightly deformed seal on the driver's side window has let in a small trickle of water and made the carpet soggy. And out of nowhere I've started having The Aerial Problem - it extends normally, then at full extension the motor makes grinding noises for about 5 seconds before stopping. And when I turn the radio off, the grinding noise starts again and the antenna doesn't retract unless I press lightly on the top of it.

A bit of research on here (this forum is brilliant) and I now know it's the teeth on the bottom of the extender mechanism that have worn out. I don't know how this could have been related to the heavy rain, or if it's just coincidence - or my car deciding to drip-feed me one problem after another! - but given that I also need to remove the o/s rear panel to clear out the crap in the wheel arch and patch the rust hole, this is a task for Another Day.

I was given a stretchy cloth cover with the car, one designed for an MG-F, which sort-of fits but I also don't know if it's actually waterproof. Does anyone have any recommendations for a waterproof cover? There seem to be a handful on eBay around the £30-40 range but I don't know whether I'd trust them any more than my current one.