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Sunday 17 April 2011

BMW E46, N42 engine, crank sensor.

The best way to change the crankshaft sensor on a N42 BMW engine is to remove the inlet manifold.
The sensor is located just under the starter motor.

With inlet manifold removed.

BMW recommend changing the two camshaft sensors at the same time, these are easy, right on the front of the cylinder head.


Tuesday 12 April 2011

Hyundai Coupe clutch slip

Just a quick post on a problem I've come across a couple of times in my workshop. The problem is with the Hyundai Coupe clutch, it suffers from slipping. This could always be lots of things like, oil contamination, worn out clutch disc, slave cylinder, pipe work, air, adjustment or master cylinder. However, I have found that this particular model suffers from the clutch master cylinder breaking internally!

The small pin on the right should be connected to the section on the left and compress and hold the spring.

The problem this creates is that the clutch will not fully release because hydraulic fluid can't flow back in to the master cylinder, this will give clutch slip. Of course, if the car has had this problem for some time, then the clutch will have suffered and may need to be replaced.

It is possible to repair the insides, as its only a pin that has worn out of its retainer. Pattern master cylinders are only about £50. We have problems getting the right cylinder before, but managed to use the insides of a new one that was almost the same, and put them into the old body. This was a very satisfactory repair.

Saturday 9 April 2011

The real plug 'n' play.




Like many people, I have a wireless network in my house. It's used for desktop PC's, laptops, mobile phones, PS3, Xbox and the Wii. It works great and I would not like to ever be without it. However, it does have a few limitations, speed and stability being the main problem areas.

I suppose I've been demanding more and more from my 'wi-fi', such as - online gaming and HD video streaming. Though wireless is OK ish for gaming, it's not great and you've got know hope of decent video streaming. 

My solution was 'HomePlug'! What brilliant technology!

I bought these Solwise Piggy MK2.

HomePlugs use your existing house electrics to shoot network computer data to every plug power point in your house! For example; I needed to make a wired connection to my PS3 in my lounge, to my computer upstairs. Normally this would be done by drilling some big hole in your walls and running lots of Ethernet cabling from one machine to another. But what I did was plug one HomePlug in to a power point next to my computer and another next to my PS3. Then using an ethernet lead i connected the HomePlug to my machines, this then creates a physical link between the two.

This is not my network, there are lots of different setups.


The results are amazing, the tech actually works. My wireless had a max of 54 mbps (you never get this) but my Homeplugs are 200 mbps (you ain't getting that either). I am getting about 130 mbps now and my videos are streaming faultlessly!

The technology standard has sorted itself out a bit so HomePlug IS the standard to the Powerline technology. You can add to your network anytime, just buy any brand of HomePlug and it should work!

They are getting faster, as always. The current speeds available are : 85 mbps (sometimes called 'turbo'), 200 mbps (sometimes called 'AV') and Gigabyte.





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