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It was my 'A' series engine that laid a real, thick, blue smoke trail, every time I deaccelerated then accelerated, until that uncle taught how to replace the very worn and broken valves!!

The problem here was that the valve stem rubber seals would become hard and would start riding up and down on the valve stem, instead of staying in the recess designed to hold them in place. On my van, I used to lay a smoke trail deliberately, by doing what you describe, if someone was sat too close behind me.   

I've hundreds of them  .... tiny 1.5mm up to 19mm & probably bigger. But as above, no 7mm or 11mm (did actaully have a 7 but it wouldn't fit in)

Same when I got the XE. One end needs a 7mm long hex key and I think that's an 11mm at the other end. Probably the same manufacturer of calipers. Fancy picking the two sizes that nobody will have in their toolbox.

Yup, XE uses Teves/ATE brakes, and are 7mm at rear and 11mm at front.  Worth ensuring you have both, and I'm staggered you haven't had to change the pads at the front yet

Additionally, when you do, the wear sensors are stupid money from JLR - something like £25 a pop last time I bothered checking.  If you're not in a hurry, they are around £2 each from Ching Chong land, which makes it almost worthwhile replacing them rather than pissing around trying to short them.

Oh, I have changed them several times and consigned the wear sensors to the bin.

………
Doesn't stop him driving a 17 year old S Class though ……

There’s a 1998 (W140 as opposed to W220 I believe) Mercedes Benz S500 around our way. I don’t know the guy but he doesn’t hang about in it, which is brave considering the mpg.    He drives like he’s racing someone and he’s clearly local judging by the lines he took on the B4011 when I tagged along behind him.    I was impressed. 

They're pretty agile considering the sheer bulk

Nowadays we take multilink suspension for.granted, but when the W140 came out it was a big deal...

My 2006 CLS 500 was decently quick considering it's cooking 5 litre V8 only churned out 306BHP.

………
Doesn't stop him driving a 17 year old S Class though ……

There’s a 1998 (W140 as opposed to W220 I believe) Mercedes Benz S500 around our way. I don’t know the guy but he doesn’t hang about in it, which is brave considering the mpg.    He drives like he’s racing someone and he’s clearly local judging by the lines he took on the B4011 when I tagged along behind him.    I was impressed. 

They're pretty agile considering the sheer bulk

Nowadays we take multilink suspension for.granted, but when the W140 came out it was a big deal...

Got back to a note on the windscreen.

"THANK YOU FOR YOU'RE INCONSIDERATE PARKING !
NEXT TIME ALLOW SPACE FOR OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR VEHICLES....."



I wouldn't mind, but it is perfectly in the space... Centred and straight

Still at least they spelt 'their' correctly.

Oh, and definitely a girl from using a circle for the dot of the exclamation mark 

But then messed up on ‘you’re (you are) as opposed to ‘your’ (belonging to). 

Sorry, that sounds pedantic but is intended as tongue in cheek. 

Indeed 

It's so passive aggressive it's almost sad. I mean they were pissed off enough to write the note and put it on the car, but didn't leave any way of contacting them to have a grown up conversation about it. Especially if you're wrong

A mate of mine is doing an EV conversion on an old Morris Minor based post office van.

The one I saw the other week was a green Morris Minor van, with the blue smoke, so not electric!

Nice to hear that some have survived in any form, even though, if they were like my A40, they should be a pile of rust by now

Battery fires smoke like a chimney 

It was my 'A' series engine that laid a real, thick, blue smoke trail, every time I deaccelerated then accelerated, until that uncle taught how to replace the very worn and broken valves!!

………
Doesn't stop him driving a 17 year old S Class though ……

There’s a 1998 (W140 as opposed to W220 I believe) Mercedes Benz S500 around our way. I don’t know the guy but he doesn’t hang about in it, which is brave considering the mpg.    He drives like he’s racing someone and he’s clearly local judging by the lines he took on the B4011 when I tagged along behind him.    I was impressed. 

Got back to a note on the windscreen.

"THANK YOU FOR YOU'RE INCONSIDERATE PARKING !
NEXT TIME ALLOW SPACE FOR OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR VEHICLES....."



I wouldn't mind, but it is perfectly in the space... Centred and straight

Still at least they spelt 'their' correctly.

Oh, and definitely a girl from using a circle for the dot of the exclamation mark 

But then messed up on ‘you’re (you are) as opposed to ‘your’ (belonging to). 

Sorry, that sounds pedantic but is intended as tongue in cheek. 

Got back to a note on the windscreen.

"THANK YOU FOR YOU'RE INCONSIDERATE PARKING !

NEXT TIME ALLOW SPACE FOR OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO GAIN ACCESS TO THEIR VEHICLES....."



I wouldn't mind, but it is perfectly in the space... Centred and straight

Still at least they spelt 'their' correctly.

Oh, and definitely a girl from using a circle for the dot of the exclamation mark 

......

To Andy's earlier point, the pistons are aluminium and  .....

I believe that some MB calipers even have some kind of plastic piston 

I have heard that rumour in relation to them... Possibly lacquer or something but the piston is definitely aluminium from the corrosion on it.

Someone on MBWorld is constantly slagging MB off about inferior parts and crappy electrical components... Doesn't stop him driving a 17 year old S Class though Plastic pistons were another of his observations.