El Andrew

Yeah remember that oil runs down and has a tendency to gather on a low point so that spot may not be your leak. I saw some powder stuff recently to help trace leaks - you clean everything down and dust on the powder which makes the leak more visible. I had a decent crack in my sump which I covered in two layers of gasket goo (Permatex ultra black) until I could get it fixed. So what Puff is suggesting is a good plan if that is indeed your leak. Mine worked so well I almost regretted getting it fixed properly.

Hey Gaz. That's no fun! You are giving me flashbacks of the 4x wheel repairs and new tires I needed after that trip. A couple years back in Canberra there were tons of potholes after an extended rain period. People were claiming repair costs back off the ACT government so you could try contacting whoever operates the road and saying they've caused pothole damage.

Plus you can tell people you are licensed for a hectic UHPV. That's got to be worth at least $57.83 of the $81 cost.

Congratulations Keith - that's awesome news. Enjoy it mate. It's nice feeling settled and knowing you can do what you want with the place.

I'm not sure that's right based on the factory manual - says a dob at each end and the middle arrow is just showing the direction the parts fit together. But if I was doing one again I'd be inclined to add silicone along the whole length of the half moon seal.

Had the same issue. Mechanic had sump off so new half moons and resealed the sump. Front half moon failed within 12m and I replaced myself. There are a few recent stories like this and I noticed that the new Permaseal replacement I installed was slightly taller than the seal that was in there. (Inside limit is extended a little.) I wonder if there was a slight redesign at some stage and sometimes the wrong seals are going in, or if it is just a common issue and there was a redesign to resolve.

I might be wrong but I'm going to suggest that any leak that hits the sump is always going to gather on that seam. I reckon a leak from there is pretty unlikely. Recently saw a trick where you clean everything down and spray foot powder or something everywhere so that the path the leaking oil is taking is much easier to find. Front crank seal and front half moon seal can look pretty similar in terms of where the oil gathers too

I did the whole DBYD thing a couple of years back - is all online now and you get something back from each utility provider. The gas one came back just as "there are gas services at your property". The repair guy said if you ring the gas network provider direct they will come out for free and paint up where all the lines are and use their depth detectors to tell you how deep. I know for next time!

Yeah was digging a pit to connect up some new stormwater to the clay pipe. Gas was only 250mm deep and without warning tape so that's a bit annoying. I was still the idiot with the spade though. Gives you a decent fright when it goes [emoji23]

I had fun afternoon yesterday - hit the gas supply with the spade.

I might be remembering wrong, but I'm sure one of the hoses could just bridge the gap between the two hard connections once the cooler was removed and nothing extra needed

I *think* my info above might be incorrect based on some photos I can find. Yes you need two fittings if you are just using normal trans hose. One fitting is for the ZF but it looks like that is already 90 degree. Then you need to adapt the AN -8 male end of that ZF fitting to a 3/8 male barb. I think above I have details of a 90 degree adaptor for the second part, but it is a straight adaptor you need. So a -8 AN female to 3/8 barb male straight adaptor. Unfortunately I don't have the car to confirm.

If you have stat warranty have you taken it back to the dealer to check? Most mechanics will do the equivalent of a prepurchase inspection pretty cheap which would flush out any other warranty issues you can get sorted. Could potentially be the side diff bushes. I even had a bad clunk with a new Nolathane rear diff bush because the mechanic had installed it backwards!

Hey Keith. WRX life still going well here. I was in Adelaide over Easter and had a rental Tesla Model 3 which was another interesting automotive experience. Personally, would not buy: -The wind noise was awful. Sounded like a kettle was whistling at any speed above 30. Did some searching and apparently quite common. Can be rear view mirrors or can be panel fit. I suspect the latter as seemed to be coming from the bonnet and roof. -Steering feels very remote. Is like driving on a PlayStation. -Lane wandering warning was atrocious. Would tell you you were drifting from your lane when your weren't. Would not tell you when you were. Accurate maybe 30% of the time. -Ditto traffic light warning. Multiple alerts to say lights had gone green when they hadn't. -Ditto collision warning. Just about caused an international incident with the car automatically avoiding a small pothole. -The dash is sleek and minimal which looks nice. But having to look down and across constantly for a small digit on the screen for speed gets tiring real quick. You can configure shortcuts, but when it starts raining and lights and wipers aren't easily available it is annoying. Three button presses to get to the screen to open the glovebox! -The screen that shows traffic around was always inaccurate and erratic. A bit frightening if that info is the basis for Autopilot in other countries. -A lot of clunks and rattles for a car with 25k km on it. In fairness, it was a rental. The torque up to about 80 is great so I don't mind the idea of an electric car for commuting. But I'd get something from a more proven manufacturer that had thought out the features better. And having some key controls and information in easy reach or sight is much better in the long term for ease of use and safety than a minimal looking dash.

Maybe I should have said "waste of time in a street car in Canberra". Mine turned on once in 6 years I reckon and even then the transmission was well within its safe range. The manual override was a more useful option - I used to flick that on when the trans was warmed up and I was working it hard.