Captain Duff

I would say that it is a warranty issue. Given the age of your car I assume that it was, like mine, fitted with the 'expensive' air con coolant HFO 1234yf in line with the EU directive that came in to force for new cars in 2011 (before a challenge by Daimler who pointed out it is a fire risk in crash situations), as opposed to the regular 'cheap' R134a gas that you can get topped up at the likes of Kwik Fit for £30-40 a pop. However, the point about 1234yf is that while it is expensive (largely due to a DuPont manuacturer monopoly) , unlike the cheap gas that normally needs a top up every 2 years or so as it slowly leaks naturally, 1234yf should not normally leak at all (to do molecule size I think) , hence it being considered 'greener' as it should last the lifetime of a car and so overall less gas is needed (and over the lifetime of a car it would also then be cheaper). So given 1234yf shouldn't ever need re-gassing, if yours does then that would to me indicate a leak in your system, and if there is a leak in your system and your car is less than 5 years old I would be insisting that it is treated as a warranty rather than a consumable wear and tear issue (not least because unless you find the leak a re-gas will not last very long). As an aside, the seals in the air con circuit apparently need the air con to be regularly used to stop them failing, so if you don't have it on all year round (like me) at least use it once a week for a good while.

I would say that it is a warranty issue. Given the age of your car I assume that it was, like mine, fitted with the 'expensive' air con coolant HFO 1234yf in line with the EU directive that came in to force for new cars in 2011 (before a challenge by Daimler who pointed out it is a fire risk in crash situations), as opposed to the regular 'cheap' R134a gas that you can get topped up at the likes of Kwik Fit for £30-40 a pop. However, the point about 1234yf is that while it is expensive (largely due to a DuPont manuacturer monopoly) , unlike the cheap gas that normally needs a top up every 2 years or so as it slowly leaks naturally, 1234yf should not normally leak at all (to do molecule size I think) , hence it being considered 'greener' as it should last the lifetime of a car and so overall less gas is needed (and over the lifetime of a car it would also then be cheaper). So given 1234yf shouldn't ever need re-gassing, if yours does then that would to me indicate a leak in your system, and if there is a leak in your system and your car is less than 5 years old I would be insisting that it is treated as a warranty rather than a consumable wear and tear issue (not least because unless you find the leak a re-gas will not last very long). As an aside, the seals in the air con circuit apparently need the air con to be regularly used to stop them failing, so if you don't have it on all year round (like me) at least use it once a week for a good while.

It should probably come from T-UK rather than your dealer using their own and DVLA registered owner records, although no harm in you giving a dealer of choice a ring, or possibly even registering if you are not already with 'my toyota' as it highlights any service recalls - https://www.toyota.co.uk/tme#/my-toyota/ Mine is booked in for the week after next at RRG to get this done as I'm also getting my Milltek replaced to the updated flexi-pipe version (weld crack was just starting to show at my 3 years service/MOT the other week), and I was asking Richard if he had ever come across the actual fault that it was for given that RRG Macc likely sees more 86's for work than the rest of the network put together and he hadn't seen or heard of any in the UK which underlines the lack of worry we should have (it would seem it may be more of an issue in tropical-ish countries that have far higher humidity than we do where a few wiring looms have suffered corrosion and shorting).

My understanding on the 'normal' air-con gas (as opposed to the expensive stuff on the 2012-14 GT86's) is that on most cars you should expect to lose around 10% of it a year and need to top it up in a re-gas every 18-24 months. If Mike's 15 reg car is from the beginning of that year then a re-gas is likely to be considered a standard wear and tear consumable and not a warranty issue, although if it really is blowing 'hot' rather than less cold I would be wanting it checked for leaks as it should still be having some effect and if there is a leak then of course a warranty claim is your best route as it will need finding and fixing.

Yes, that's my understanding too, it uses different parts so you would likely only change the A/C system over to the normal cheap gas if it was part of an accident repair or similar. In any case hopefully for the majority of us on the original pricey gas (cars made between 2012 and late 2014) it will do what it was meant to and will indeed last the life of the car without needing any top ups - and if it does it won't be pricey at all

http://europe.autonews.com/article/20130824/ANE/130829947/toyota-switches-back-to-banned-refrigerant-in-europe

There were a hundred of these I thought (it was a UK only special edition, modified on import by Toyota UK) but according to these registration stats it looks like 59?! - https://www.howmanyleft.co.uk/?q=toyota+gt86 I always absolutely loved the look of the Blanco, great look with the decals and wheels plus obviously very rare (I've yet to spot one) - http://www.curriemotors.co.uk/toyota/news/gt86-blanco-special-edition/

The expensive gas was/is meant to be greener because unless there is a leak or other damage to the system it should in theory last for the lifetime of the car, whereas 'standard' gas needs topping every couple of years because the different type gas molecules gradually escape (a bit like when you blow up a balloon and even where there is an air-tight knot there is leakage through the rubber material itself over time), which means that costs aside in theory the expensive gas is better for the environment as over the life of a car you need to use a lot less of it. The reason the expensive gas is expensive is that it is not widely manufactured and so there is a supply and demand issue. It is also worth pointing out that while our cars were made with the 'expensive ' gas from launch in 2012 and in line with the then EU directive, as that directive was later challenged and revised newer cars from around (I think) 2014 have the standard gas that needs re-topping every two years, and this has occasionally led to some confusion with less on the ball dealers applying the revised service schedule wrongly to older cars where the air-con should not need servicing (other than periodic sanitsing when it starts to get smelly, and that is possible to DIY cheaply with a 'bomb').

Heads up for some interesting stuff on sale in Lidl from Monday 18th including a pressure washer for £40 and a dash cam for £30 - Lidl car products

"A horrified driver was treated for shock after he accidentally crashed a £150,000 Lamborghini into a luxury car showroom. The man, believed to be a photographer setting up a shoot, ploughed into the front of Amari Supercars in Preston, damaging up to two other cars inside, both thought to be Ferraris." Ooops! Although on the bright side for him it did make for some really good pictures

How can a car that has only been in production since 2012 be 6 years old?

The OEMs are free under warranty if water damaged though...

As has been said this is a standard (and common) warranty fix as it just needs a new gasket, although given the amount of water in there (and despite the fact that it can be dried out) I would be tempted to try for a new complete light unit. Very often the problem is that the lights get screwed on too tight which then means the sponge rubber of the gasket is not allowed to do its job properly (although the design is inherently iffy so far as potential water ingress is concerned). However if you do decode to get after-market lights such as Valenti's (I've got them and love them) then the first point I'd make is that it is one of the simplest DIY mods to do - just peel back the carpet behind each light (after levering out the plastic clips) and remove the 4 retaining bolts, unclip the wire and gently pull the unit out horizontally (they have a little plastic positioning pin on each unit in addition to the 4 bolts so don't yank as this could snap off). Before you refit with the Valenti's I would do an added bit of prep - the Valenti gasket is perfectly adequate in terms of thickness, but comes supplied loose, so for added water resistance I would highly recommend getting a small tube of weatherstrip adhesive to glue it on and create a very good watertight seal, this video shows the best technique for this - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF62JXlSufM - I also smeared on some silicone grease on the top part of the gasket where it fits against the panel to further deter any water forcing its way through where it hits the lights at the top edge, but that may be OCD overkill! Tighten the new units so they are firm and not wobbling, but don't over do it as it will mess up the gasket seal. Dead easy, 30 minutes to swap over the pair max

Yes, I get the horses for courses, and that the MX5/124 is in the 'roadster' box and GT86 in the 'sports coupe' one (although the contents of those boxes can easily spill from one box to another). In terms of looks I actually prefer the standard 124 (looks a lot nicer than the new MX5 to my eyes), but it was more the fact that unlike the Mustang (and leaving aside the price difference) the 86 and Arbarth 124 look on paper to be potentially interesting performance/handling competators at the smaller/lighter RWD end of the spectrum and a track/road head to head would be very interesting (perhaps in the case of the 86 the Cosworth version would be a better price/paper 0-60 match).

http://www.topgear.com/car-reviews/124-spider/first-drive-0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GglRPaz0Yo Love the look, love the sound, love the roof, not so keen on the price (around £29k, £10k more than the standard 124 Spider, or MX5 come to that), but is it a serious rival to the 86 or not?

I've never taken mine through a wash or allowed anyone else to wash it from new and have always washed it carefully but still see plenty of swirls in the sunshine - it's the nature of modern soft points/lacquer unfortunately. What you could try though is a filler glaze before you wax as that should get rid of most of them. I like Autoglym Super Resin Polish, but for a black car I don't think you can do better than Poorboys Black Hole, it's an easy wipe on wipe off and then layer your wax on top (which will help it last longer - but any filler glaze is always a temporary (2 or 3 months) solution. Also if you don't already give it a clay once or twice a year before glaze/wax as a good prep - the G3 clay mitt (Halfords) is really easy, use your normal car shampoo to keep it wet and gently glide it across the panels and it picks up all the crud/old wax leaving a perfectly clean and smooth surface in a matter of minutes.

As you say, you were changing the tyres anyway (you wonder what sort of dork would consider putting £40 a corner tyres on a RWD sports car in the first place) so are not out of pocket, and the tyre damage was not obvious from an external inspection. I would just put it down to a lucky escape and start enjoying the car

Doing anything nice today Alec, or just dodging the rain?!

I'm not so sure mate, the Cusco strut brace has 4 bolt points, one of which is over the outside one of the two bolt points of the OEM struts (it is slightly raised at that point to fit over the OEM bars), whereas your Summit has 3 bolt points, none of which include where the OEM bars (or the Summit 3 pointer) is, and as I say the 3 pointer looks to have a lip where those to bolts are that make it look like it is raised more. Certainly it is something that anyone else probably also needs to be aware of if they have a separate front strut bar that isn't also a Summit to ensure everything would fit.

Jake, yes those Bosch AR20U and AR22U in your link will fit and are what I've had on for the past 18 months or so. Very good wipers, bit of judder at first but not for a long time now (and it was possibly the glass sealant I had on then thinking about it), but those cheapo 'Aerowiper' ones look worth a go at the price too! That said. depending on whether you want to change the look I think the OEM ones are very good too depending on the replacement price.

I've been very tempted to get the 3 pointer in the past, but when I've looked at the pics would I be right in thinking it would only be fitable (is that a word?!) either on its own or with the Summit strut that you've just sold as the 3 pointer seems to have a bit of a lip around the two bolts at each tower which is different to the original flat-ended OEM bars? I've currently got a Cusco (with the cylinder brace) and would be sad to lose it really, and I'm not sure it would it that fit over the Summit - does any know?

I've been very happy with my Goodyear Eagle F1 AS2's (wet grip was more than enough to tempt me to keep them on all over the very mild winter rather than swapping to my Yoko winters that I use the year before), but there are some new versions out of a number of highly regarded performance tyres this year that may make some decisions now a little harder - the Conti SC 6, the Eagle F1 AS3, the Michelin Pilot Sport 4...

I've renewed my Toyota Roadside too over the past couple of years as it does seem to be cheaper than getting the equivilent cover direct from the AA (or RAC for that matter), although I've thankfully never needed to use it. In response to Lauren's point about the nearest dealer, this is I think only half right looking at my booklet which says: Recovery - The AA can usually sort things out at the side of the road or arrange swift repair at a local Toyota Centre. If not, they'll take you to a single destination of your choice" This is in addition to onward travel - free replacement car for 48 hours; or £150 per person for B&B up to max of £500; or £150 for each person for onward travel arrangements, up to max of £500. In other words in theory you could get the car towed to RRG Macc while you get either a hire car, train or B&B.

Renewed my insurance today with Chris Knott after spending a couple of days on the comparison sites and ringing round. They took 10% off my best quote (which was actually the renewal quote with Quote me happy/Aviva - and that was £200 less than anything else) and matched the £330 excess on my existing policy (which included declared mods - Prestige wanted a £3,000 excess!!!). Fantastic painless service, mods understood (I lost count of the times I was asked what a strut bar was, one company even asked what an air filter was ffs) and everything explained well. Money saved will now go towards my 3 year bubble payment

But neither is the plastic that makes 'standard' number plates reflective, it is the reflective coating painted/printed on them that makes them so and not the base material. Aluminium plates with raised lettering are perfectly legal under UK/EU law so long as they have reflective paint (and the other requirements like the manufacturers name and post code etc.), and a number of companies sell these (just think about all those reflective road signs - made of metal!). I think the confusion arises where people have non-reflective metal plates in 'vintage' or US styles which are illegal, although non-reflective metal plates can be legally used on cars also covered and registered under vintage road tax arrangements (40 years old plus).