Honda Civic EGR Valve Replacement

This documentation details how to remove and replace the EGR Valve on a 2004 Honda Civic 1.6 with a Petrol engine.

You may need to do this if you're getting an engine management light (MIL) with diagnostic code P0401 (EGR Flow Insufficient). Some people prefer to start by cleaning the valve rather than replacing it - the process is exactly the same as detailed here, just that you'll put the old one back on after cleaning it (remember to order a new EGR gasket though).

Honda used a variety of engines in different models of the civic though, so your EGR may be different. Before starting, pay close attention to the first picture in this document to check that your EGR location is the same (the EGR valve is the thing within the blue sticker on it in the photo).

 

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Integrating against the RequestRouter Alt-Svc Hints API

Version 0.4 of RequestRouter introduces a new feature - an API designed to give edge devices (such as delivery appliances) hints to allow them to generate an RFC 7838 Alt-Svc header to further optimise routing for clients located behind a DNS server that does not support the EDNS Client Subnet (ECS) extension.

This documentation provides a reference implementation, allowing an OpenResty based edge device to connect back to the Alt-Svc Hints API, whilst minimising the potential latency impact to some extent.


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Vauxhall Corsa D Headlight Bulb Replacement

The Vauxhall/Opel Corsa D was designed and manufactured whilst GM was firmly in control of production. As a result, the simple task of replacing a headlight bulb has been made needlessly complicated (and frankly, shouldn't be legal).

If you're stuck on the side of the road reading this, then the bad news is this isn't something you're going to want to try.

In order to replace headlight bulbs (particularly the dipped beam) on a Vauxhall Corsa D it's necessary to remove the front bumper. It is, at least, relatively straightforward to do, just a little involved.

This documentation details the procedure to follow.

 

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Saab 9-3 Door Lock Unit Repair

The central locking door lock mechanisms on Saab 9-3s (and 9-5s) are known to occasionally malfunction/stop working. When you hit the central locking button on the remote, the affected door often won't lock (or won't unlock if it was already locked). The issue tends to start out intermittent and then worsen with time.

A new unit is currently around £140 (without labour), but they can be obtained second hand on ebay for around £30. Replacing them is incredibly easy.

It is also possible to strip the unit down to repair it, however, it's not without it's risks. While the door lock unit is removed the door won't latch closed (and certainly won't lock), so if you damage the unit trying to repair it, you're going to be in a tricky position. The route I took was to buy a second hand unit from ebay, fit that and then look at repairing the original (so I've got it on the shelf if the replacement starts exhibiting the same symptoms).

This documentation details how to dismantle and repair the locking unit mechanism

 

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Gearbox Rebuild on Generic Chinese RC Car

I bought some cheap(ish) remote control cars from Amazon, although they're pretty good fun (and have taken some abuse) longevity has been somewhat mixed so far. An early failure was caused by the pinion being improperly fastened to the motor's shank, leading me to strip down the car to repair it.

These cars also suffer from another issue - common to almost anything remote control with a gearbox: when you give it to a kid, they have a tendency to sometimes crash into things and not subsequently release the throttle, leading to stripped teeth in the gearbox.

That's exactly what happened with one of the cars, marketed on Amazon under the mouthful of a name "Remote Control Car RC Cars Karting Car Electric Remote Control Off Road 2WD 1:16 Scale 2.4Ghz High Speed Racing Buggy Off-road Fast Radio Controlled Electric Model Cars" (though the box says "Warrior"). Although it can happen to almost any RC Toy, in this case it wasn't helped by the manufacturer using a brass pinion but plastic gearing.

This documentation details the process I followed in order to replace the damaged gear and rebuild the gearbox

 

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