Annoying useless purple floppytop sent to the bridge

[Slartibartfast]

Quick request for advice:

 

I'm considering stripping the Donor down and selling the various parts on. Has anyone done this before and had success? Having searched ebay there don't seem to be that many Cabrio parts up there, and those that there are have all sold, so it seems like it might be worth doing.

 

Also, does anyone fancy giving me a hand? I know I'm new to the forum but I thought it might be a good excuse for a mini-meet for anyone who might be in the area. I can provide beer and potentially even a barbecue if I can get permission from the bods at work to use the ones here.

[Jazoli]

If you have somewhere to store the car then it can be worth doing, problem is if the hood is the first thing to sell (and it probably will be) the rest will deteriorate pretty quickly if left out in the open, and most of the other bits are the same as a normal megane so there'll not be much else to sell of value, I'll buy the window rubber trims off you if they are in good nick for starters, along with the other bits mentioned earlier, I can't offer a hand though as I'm too far away 

[Pillock]

Because I'm lazy and allergic to searching threads, where in the world are you?

[Slartibartfast]

Because I'm lazy and allergic to searching threads, where in the world are you?

 

Petersfield, Hampshire.

 

If you have somewhere to store the car then it can be worth doing, problem is if the hood is the first thing to sell (and it probably will be) the rest will deteriorate pretty quickly if left out in the open, and most of the other bits are the same as a normal megane so there'll not be much else to sell of value, I'll buy the window rubber trims off you if they are in good nick for starters, along with the other bits mentioned earlier, I can't offer a hand though as I'm too far away 

 

I've got two plans for that, either get it stripped as quicly as possible, Pimp My Ride style over one or two days on a weekend, or cover it over with a tarp.

[Stanky]

Oh, that reminds me, I found a tarp/groundsheet thing in the garage at the weekend which can be used to cover it over if required. It'll need some bungee cords or something to attach it to the car but is available for use if required.

 

(Obviously) I'm up for helping dismantle. We should save some boxes to store things in otherwise it turns to a massive heap of unlabelled 'stuff' really really quickly and is a nightmare to re-assemble or sell.

[fraser.innes.3]

This was mine after an altication with some ice and a ditch.

 

[Slartibartfast]

Nasty. Is that a hard top? If so, good job it was on there or I guess it wouldn't have ended quite so well for you?

[fraser.innes.3]

Slid into the ditch at less than 5 mph. Only needed new wings, bonnet and quarter light.

 

After it was righted I started it up and drove it home. That pissed off the recovery company as they didn't get the full recovery fee. It would have been an extra £200 to recover it to my place about half a mile away.

 

These cars were sold in Califoria, not many I bet, but soft top rules over there mean that a roll cage has to be integrated into the roof. The roof is a bit scraped, but the stricture is sound.

[Slartibartfast]

So, this thing. Ugh. I've just lost all love and enthusiasm.

 

I got a bit of it back looking through the photos I posted here which reminded me how awesome it looks when it's washed, but when I go home I just see the thing sitting there, being useless, and I feel useless and everything is misery and sadness and regret and ennui and despair and stuff, I'm sure you guys can relate.

 

The main problem is the complete and total lack of any cash at all to spend on this thing. Out of the problems that would stop it going through an MOT/being useful at all that I knew about:

 

• Headlight pointing off into space Sorted that, swapped headlight unit from the donor car, all good. Still need adjusting, probably
• Wipers Also sorted. By buying wipers (radical and extraordinary thinking, yo)
• Battery battery from the donor holds charge well, result
• Coolant - reservoir is empty. Could be a leak, could be something else. It's had just water in it. I've got coolant and deionised water to go in there. Still have this to tackle.
• Airbag light - EPIC FAIL on fixing this. I've already cleaned the contacts for the pretensioners under the seats, didn't work. So I swapped the drivers airbag unit from the donor in. All the while being terrified it was going to explode and horribly disfigure me. It didn't. Also it didn't fix the problem. Also also the middle bit doesn't squeeze in properly anymore to work the horn, which implies I've got aligned something right. Frustration. Couldn't get the passenger airbag unit out of the donor because I couldn't figure out how to get the lower part of the dash off. Could also be the computermabob controller thingy and I don't know how easy that is to change. Also not sure of the wisdom of changing in the unit from a similar but slightly different car.

Also interesting is that the mot-history checker says "driver's airbag obviously defective" but when I bought it it had a clean MOT. I suspect SHENANIGANS.

 

Also, I did all of the swapping and faffing a couple of weeks ago. I went out last weekend and was greeted with this:

 

 

 

 

So not only is it useless it's now a biohazard. I don't THINK the roof leaks, but I think in the very heavy rain we've recently had the roof has just got saturated.

Anyway, next job is the coolant flush. I've got ramps from Stanky, I'm going to try not to kill myself. Also, he has raised the idea of doing a tandem coolant flush as his Datsun also needs doing. It's always more fun working on a car with someone else.
 

[Stanky]

Let me get the gearbox fixed in the Almera and then we can do a coolant flush-a-thon one afternoon soon. All being well the 'box will be sorted by monday coming then I need some new numberplates for it and a coolant flush. I've also got all the gubbinz I need for the flush so will bring it all over and we can pollute the local groundwater sort them both out.

 

We can also swap out the shiny interior bits, is the instrument cluster identical? if so, we could change that out for the donor one and see if the little light of despair illuminates on the new one too. Some kitchen disinfectant will sort the steering wheel right out and a ice cream tub full of cat litter in the footwell is a cheap and easy fix for a damp problem.

 

if the light of despair re-appears after the cluster swap, I'd suggest a code clear. Shiters - what is the cheapest device that you know of to read and also clear fault codes on a renner migraine cabrio? I'm a bit out of my comfort zone but can you get an OBD thingy that you can connect to torque and clear as well as read codes? I'm after something similar so a generic one that'll do Nissan Almeras from approximately 1997 as well as Saab 9-3s from approximately 2004 would be superb if it exists?

 

Its not unheard of to rock up at an MOT, clear the fault and hope like hell that it doesn't instantly re-appear. if it makes it through the test then roll with an airbag light on until the next one. And don't crash.

 

Any other advice (sage or otherwise) for this? Its a ticket away from the road, so if we can overcome the airbag light then I think we're all set.

[strangeangel]

Excuse my ignorance but isn't removing the bulb from the airbag light a viable option?

[doobietoo]

I would be up for a days *fettling in fact I wonder if we could set up a regular *fettling day at various peoples locations a bit like the "man shed" thing but for cars as you say it is always less of a chore if you have company.... I also sell a few bits on ebay and the like so can give you some pointers if it helps...

[Jazoli]

 

if the light of despair re-appears after the cluster swap, I'd suggest a code clear. Shiters - what is the cheapest device that you know of to read and also clear fault codes on a renner migraine cabrio? I'm a bit out of my comfort zone but can you get an OBD thingy that you can connect to torque and clear as well as read codes? I'm after something similar so a generic one that'll do Nissan Almeras from approximately 1997 as well as Saab 9-3s from approximately 2004 would be superb if it exists?

 

I have one of these and it cleared fault codes on my renault floppytop, and pretty much every other car I have tried it on, used with the torque app it is a very cheap way to turn off eml and airbag lights although there are no guarantees from me.

 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0076EBRYG?keywords=bluetooth%20obd%20dongle&qid=1449001580&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4

 

Edited to add as I just remembered it wouldn't turn the airbag light off on a 1999 clio so probably won't turn it off on the megane either,

 

 

Excuse my ignorance but isn't removing the bulb from the airbag light a viable option?

 

 

No because the light has to illuminate then go out for mot purposes, the bulb could be wired to the oil pressure light though

[Dave_Q]

Yo Wolf, I have one of those bluetooth thingys that I never use you can have for £0, just PM me your address.

 

Also re: the airbag light, my wife's Fabia got a fail for airbag obviously defective when actually the light was staying on to show that the passenger airbag was turned off because baby.

 

Explained to the tester and passed on the retest.

 

I presume the airbag light is actually staying on at the moment?

 

Can't be much to the airbag system on these, occupancy sensors in the seats often a good place to start but it might be one of those that actually needs the fault clearing.

[Slartibartfast]

[Re airbag light disconnect ruse]

It might well be. The instrument cluster comes out really easily. Do they use an ODBII reader during the MOT? Because that would rumble that ruse.

 

I forgot to mention that I did clean all that gunk off (while, like, covering my mouth with my hand, because mould can't get through an impenetrable barrier like that) but hitting it with some antibacterial or some mild bleach solution is a really good idea that I didn't even think of, as is the cat litter.

[Slartibartfast]

Yo Wolf, I have one of those bluetooth thingys that I never use you can have for £0, just PM me your address.

 

Also re: the airbag light, my wife's Fabia got a fail for airbag obviously defective when actually the light was staying on to show that the passenger airbag was turned off because baby.

 

Explained to the tester and passed on the retest.

 

I presume the airbag light is actually staying on at the moment?

 

Can't be much to the airbag system on these, occupancy sensors in the seats often a good place to start but it might be one of those that actually needs the fault clearing.

That's really awesome of you. I shall PM. The car starts up and all the lights illuminate as usual, then the airbag light goes out for a few seconds (the duration of the self test I guess) and then stays solid on and the SERV light illuminates at the same time. I'm assuming the airbag light causes the SERV light but I've just remembered what "they" say about assuming.

[Eddie Honda]

 

Excuse my ignorance but isn't removing the bulb from the airbag light a viable option?

No because the light has to illuminate then go out for mot purposes, the bulb could be wired to the oil pressure light though

 

Cod. If the bulb is not present, then it can't indicate a fault, therefore it can't fail for a fault it can't indicate.

 

That's for SRS/Airbag lights. ABS on the other hand has to come on and go off.

 

https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/common-mistakes-made-by-mot-testers/

 

(Resident MOT testers welcome to comment)

[Stanky]

Nope, no fault code scans during the MOT - the just check that lights on the dash go on, then go off again as expected. The persistent light may be a stored fault code which just needs wiping. They don't always come back right away - or at all, in some cases. Its not a guaranteed fix, but you never know - if it can keep the light off for 60 minutes while they test it you'll be fine*.

 

The new seats might help as well, as the occupancy sensors might be in better nick. I think that was what all the rammel under the seats was when we took them out.

 

I woudl hazard a guess that 'SERV' indicates that 5000 or 12,000 miles have elapsed since the last time the service counter was reset. My old Golf used to do a similar thing with codes 'OEL' 'OEL2' and 2 others which were German for minor service and major service. An arcane procedure could reset them without special tools being needed.

[Jazoli]

Cod. If the bulb is not present, then it can't indicate a fault, therefore it can't fail for a fault it can't indicate.

 

That's for SRS/Airbag lights. ABS on the other hand has to come on and go off.

 

https://mattersoftesting.blog.gov.uk/common-mistakes-made-by-mot-testers/

 

(Resident MOT testers welcome to comment)

I think you are probably right and I'm mixing up my lights

[Stanky]

In that case, with the spare cluster we have, we can work out where the airbag light is, remove or disable it, and fit the spare cluster and see what happens. Then we have the original in case we do something catastrophic to the spare one.

 

Is that the only light thats on and shouldn't be?

 

A sunday spannering session might be good, as suggested by Doobie. As I said the Nissan could do with a few bits doing to it - headlight replacement, coolant, numberplates, possibly radiator depending on the condition of the original - which is always nicer to do socially. We could make a day of it at some point in the near future?

[Slartibartfast]

I'm definitely on board with that plan

[Sloth in a bowl]

Petersfield, Hampshire.

 

 

 

I is confused, if you live in a relatively civilised place like Petersfield, why would you risk body and soul by going to Hayling? or was that where the car was bought from as it looked perfect for Hayling cruise scene.

[Slartibartfast]

I live on The Island but work in The Field.

The donor car is at work, the patient is at home.

[fraser.innes.3]

So, this thing. Ugh. I've just lost all love and enthusiasm.

 

I got a bit of it back looking through the photos I posted here which reminded me how awesome it looks when it's washed, but when I go home I just see the thing sitting there, being useless, and I feel useless and everything is misery and sadness and regret and ennui and despair and stuff, I'm sure you guys can relate.

 

The main problem is the complete and total lack of any cash at all to spend on this thing. Out of the problems that would stop it going through an MOT/being useful at all that I knew about:

 

• Headlight pointing off into space Sorted that, swapped headlight unit from the donor car, all good. Still need adjusting, probably
• Wipers Also sorted. By buying wipers (radical and extraordinary thinking, yo)
• Battery battery from the donor holds charge well, result
• Coolant - reservoir is empty. Could be a leak, could be something else. It's had just water in it. I've got coolant and deionised water to go in there. Still have this to tackle.
• Airbag light - EPIC FAIL on fixing this. I've already cleaned the contacts for the pretensioners under the seats, didn't work. So I swapped the drivers airbag unit from the donor in. All the while being terrified it was going to explode and horribly disfigure me. It didn't. Also it didn't fix the problem. Also also the middle bit doesn't squeeze in properly anymore to work the horn, which implies I've got aligned something right. Frustration. Couldn't get the passenger airbag unit out of the donor because I couldn't figure out how to get the lower part of the dash off. Could also be the computermabob controller thingy and I don't know how easy that is to change. Also not sure of the wisdom of changing in the unit from a similar but slightly different car.

Also interesting is that the mot-history checker says "driver's airbag obviously defective" but when I bought it it had a clean MOT. I suspect SHENANIGANS.

 

Also, I did all of the swapping and faffing a couple of weeks ago. I went out last weekend and was greeted with this:

 

 

 

 

So not only is it useless it's now a biohazard. I don't THINK the roof leaks, but I think in the very heavy rain we've recently had the roof has just got saturated.

 

Anyway, next job is the coolant flush. I've got ramps from Stanky, I'm going to try not to kill myself. Also, he has raised the idea of doing a tandem coolant flush as his Datsun also needs doing. It's always more fun working on a car with someone else.

The Renault dealer approved fix for the airbag light is to remove the connecting blocks from under the seats and solder the wires. Makes it difficult to remove the seats but your airbag light goes out. I was told this by an old school Renault dealer mechanic. I actually changed the connectors to military spec and no more airbag light.

 

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

[Sloth in a bowl]

I live on The Island but work in The Field.

 

The donor car is at work, the patient is at home.

That must make for a joyful commute for you then. How bad is getting off and on the island each day?

[ruffgeezer]

I'd be willing to bet it's a fault with the clockspring behind the steering wheel, I suppose it you took it off the old one first, you could just plug it in to your car with the spare airbag and see if that puts the light out. (you may need to wipe the fault code memory too!)

[Slartibartfast]

That must make for a joyful commute for you then. How bad is getting off and on the island each day?

 

It's not bad, usually about 30 minutes. I've definitely done worse. Traffic off the Island is generally fine. The only time it's ever been a serious problem is when some idiots at one of the various utility companies decided to close half the road to drill during commuter time (they're not allowed to do that). That added 1:30 to the commute, but they got shut down after a couple of days and told to do it at night like they're supposed to.

 

The Renault dealer approved fix for the airbag light is to remove the connecting blocks from under the seats and solder the wires. Makes it difficult to remove the seats but your airbag light goes out. I was told this by an old school Renault dealer mechanic. I actually changed the connectors to military spec and no more airbag light.

 

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

 

That's not a bad plan at all. I'm swapping the seats anyway, so it could be incorporated into that process. Is there a reason that I couldn't use those circular crimp plugs that are usually used for car radio wiring?

 

I'd be willing to bet it's a fault with the clockspring behind the steering wheel, I suppose it you took it off the old one first, you could just plug it in to your car with the spare airbag and see if that puts the light out. (you may need to wipe the fault code memory too!)

 

I hadn't even thought of the clockspring. I can swap that from the donor. The horn works, though.

[binhoker668]

+1 on Autoglym-ing the rear screen.  Looks salvageable to me too.  Or at least improveable?

[fraser.innes.3]

It's not bad, usually about 30 minutes. I've definitely done worse. Traffic off the Island is generally fine. The only time it's ever been a serious problem is when some idiots at one of the various utility companies decided to close half the road to drill during commuter time (they're not allowed to do that). That added 1:30 to the commute, but they got shut down after a couple of days and told to do it at night like they're supposed to.

 

 

That's not a bad plan at all. I'm swapping the seats anyway, so it could be incorporated into that process. Is there a reason that I couldn't use those circular crimp plugs that are usually used for car radio wiring?

 

 

I hadn't even thought of the clockspring. I can swap that from the donor. The horn works, though.

The airbag light is always the passenger seat pretensioner. The seat is not moved for ages, then when it is moved, the connectors are disrupted.

 

Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk

[fraser.innes.3]

These are the connectors that I used. Picked them up 25 years ago during my previous life as an electronics engineer.

 

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Sent from my Hudl 2 using Tapatalk