Okay guys, remember that panic last week when the yellow warning light popped up on the dash? Yeah, that stupid little engine symbol. Figured it was time for a proper look-see and catch up on some basic stuff for the F1 GT. Thought I’d walk you through exactly what I did yesterday.
Starting Simple, Getting Messy
First thing, gotta pop the bonnet. That latch is kinda stiff sometimes, especially if you haven’t done it in a while. Pulled it hard, heard that satisfying clunk. Propped it open with the little rod – always scared that thing’ll slip. Saw dust and leaves everywhere, honestly pretty embarrassing. Grabbed my little portable vacuum – not fancy, just one of those cheap handheld things – and went to town around the vents and edges. Felt like I filled a small bin just with leaves and fluff.
Next, the engine oil. Pulled the dipstick out. Wiped it clean. Stuck it back in. Pulled it out again. Was it low? Could barely tell against the metal. Definitely needed a top-up. Knew I had some of the special McLaren juice left over in the garage. Found it buried behind some detailing stuff. Sloppily poured it in, missed a bit on the intake manifold – swear word or two definitely happened. Wiped it off quick before it could stain. Gave the dipstick another few checks until it showed happy.
The Infuriating Air Filter Bit
Then figured, “While I’m here, air filter.” Bad idea. That housing is a nightmare to get off. Tiny screws in awkward spots. My fingers felt like sausages trying to undo them. Dropped one. Heard it ping somewhere down near the turbos – spent ten minutes sweating, cursing, fishing around blind with a magnet. Finally found it stuck to some random pipe underneath. Victory!
Got the housing open. Old filter was grey. Like, really grey. Probably hadn’t been done in… well, maybe too long. Threw it aside – huge cloud of dust. Put the new one in. Simple, right? Nope. Getting the housing back together and the screws started properly without cross-threading was another five minutes of frustration. Tightened them until my fingers hurt.
Dealing With the Dreaded Warning Light
Now, that warning light. Turned the key – just ignition, not starting it. Glaring yellow engine symbol still there, mocking me. Fine.
- Grabbed my basic OBD scanner. Not the fancy McLaren tool, just the cheap universal one.
- Plugged it in below the steering wheel.
- Paired it with the phone app. Took a couple tries to connect – signal always flaky in the garage.
- Read the code: P0101. Mass Airflow Sensor performance.
Sighed. Usually just needs cleaning. Unplugged the sensor connector carefully. Found a can of the specific sensor cleaner spray. Didn’t dare touch the delicate wires inside – just a gentle mist into the sensor tube itself. Let it evaporate for like twenty minutes while I had coffee. Plugged it back in, fingers crossed.
Turned the key. Lights on… lights off! The warning symbol vanished. Relief.
Wrapping Up With Cold Sweats
Figured I’d tackle tyre pressures while I was feeling productive. My cheap gauge gave three different readings for the same tyre. Utter garbage. Borrowed my neighbour’s decent one. Driver front was way low – like 25 psi instead of 36. Probably picked up a slow puncture somewhere. Filled it back up. Rest were just slightly off, topped them up. Sweating buckets by now, garage was roasting.
Shut the bonnet carefully, made sure it latched. Took her for a quick spin around the block. Couldn’t hear any weird noises over the usual glorious roar. Felt better. Not perfect, mind you – that tyre still worries me, might need checking properly. But at least the warning light’s gone, oil’s good, breathes a bit easier now. Simple jobs, but feels good ticking them off. Still got that tyre niggle, but that’s a problem for tomorrow.
