Kiltox's 1997 Rover 216 Cabriolet (30/05 - Fixery)

[Kiltox]

Just collected a shitty MK4 Astra van - 2003 03 with 165k miles.  1.7 DTI

Drives OK but the MOT has expired
Fuck off big crack in the windscreen on the passenger side (is a passenger side wiper mandatory or can I remove it to reduce the swept area? )
Central locking weirdness - the motor in the tailgate whirrs every time I press the brake pedal!
Something weird with the alarm/immobiliser - starts flashing the hazard lights until you turn the ignition on, not sure what's going on there

Seems to run and drive OK, not sure what the plan is for it yet 

If you'd like to give it a loving* home, PM me about rescue opportunities but I might tart it up and use it 

[SiC]

R.e. the flashing lights. Sounds like it has an alarm fitted. The remote central locking will turn off the alarm when unlocked on the fob and when locked (either fob or door lock) it will re-arm. Starting the car turns off the alarm.

 

I suspect the fob is broken and you're using the key? If so, then someone may have disconnected the alarm module to shut it up. If it has a key fob, new cr2032 battery, stick key in ignition and turn ignition on. Press and hold a button (iirc it's the unlock button??). Doors will lock and then unlock to signify it's resynced.

[Jams]

Screen shouldn't cost more than 100 quid mate. In my experience they fail any cracking now swept area or not!

[Kiltox]

R.e. the flashing lights. Sounds like it has an alarm fitted. The remote central locking will turn off the alarm when unlocked on the fob and when locked (either fob or door lock) it will re-arm. Starting the car turns off the alarm.

I suspect the fob is broken and you're using the key? If so, then someone may have disconnected the alarm module to shut it up. If it has a key fob, new cr2032 battery, stick key in ignition and turn ignition on. Press and hold a button (iirc it's the unlock button??). Doors will lock and then unlock to signify it's resynced.

This sounds spot on - using the key in the door because the fob doesn't work! Got a stack of batteries so I'll give it a go

[Kiltox]

Screen shouldn't cost more than 100 quid mate. In my experience they fail any cracking now swept area or not!

Had a quote of 135 ex vat so far

[SiC]

An MOT'd running, diesel Astra van, even rotten and tatty to fuck is worth >£800.

 

Worth getting it into an MOT first and see if it fails on anything else? Windscreen fail when it happened to my Civic was covered on the free retest.

 

Chip for key is attached near the key blade. Don't loose it! Unlike the electronic bit on Renault's, the electronic bit on these age vauxhalls is purely for electronic locking. I'd imagine a timpsons type place should be able to clone the immo part of the key.

 

Op-com should be able to remove & disable the alarm function from the body module. If it can't, feel free to pop down to Bristol to play around with it on my Tech 2

 

The 5dr hatch Astra G I had, contained no alarm at all out of the factory. So must have been an option. Maybe even a dealer fitted option?

[SiC]

Boot lock I bet is earth's in the rear or wiring loom buggered. Maybe the high level brake light is shorting against the central locking actuation wire?

[Kiltox]

It's had a replacement tailgate aparrently so I guess the wiring loom is chopped to fuck

[SiC]

I bet it is then

 

Good luck with that one

 

I bet it's full of scotch locks.

[Jams]

Had a quote of 135 ex vat so far

The robbing bistards! Screen is 28 plus vat! Top trim will come out do you don't need one!

[Kiltox]

The robbing bistards! Screen is 28 plus vat! Top trim will come out do you don't need one!

Wow - £28 ex for a windscreen?? That is insane cheap isn't it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Where can you get a screen for £28 then? That's mental.

[Kiltox]

I bet it is then

 

Good luck with that one

 

I bet it's full of scotch locks.

Probably. To be fair I'd happily lose the central locking on the boot to shut it up but we shall see

[Norbert]

What's the betting that when the new tailgate was put on, the central locking motor was connected to the switch live for the high level brake light? Therefore every time brake pedal is pressed - brake light circuit goes live - power to motor?

[Jams]

Wow - £28 ex for a windscreen?? That is insane cheap isn't it?

I forgot to say I'm in the trade that's what it would cost for a company like bobs bouncy windscreens to buy in! Then add in a trim 10 quid glue etc etc but there not an expensive screen

[Jams]

Where can you get a screen for £28 then? That's mental.

I'm not sure if you could walk in off the street and pick one up for that. I work for an national company and even I have to go to other sources to obtain glass. But there's huge suppliers like master autoglass pilkingtons laddaw etc

[Kiltox]

That's really helpful thanks - puts it into perspective when getting quotes. Labour can be a bit pricey here but it shouldn't be that bad!

[Kiltox]

Hmm. Poking round the Volvo tonight and I think I'm going to need to replace the brake servo which aparrently needs the engine dropping slightly on RHD cars for removal

 

Fuck.

[Kiltox]

Hmm. Poking round the Volvo tonight and I think I'm going to need to replace the brake servo which aparrently needs the engine dropping slightly on RHD cars for removal

Fuck.

Don't need to worry about this - found one of the suspension mounts is a bit more than crusty so it'll be going to the bridge.

 

Moved my attention to the van - pleasantly surprised to find a very new looking Bosch S4 battery under the original Vauxhall battery jacket

 

Disconnected the rear locking motor for now to shut it the fuck up - silence is golden!

[Kiltox]

Volvo is off to the bridge tomorrow

[SiC]

 

Getting big a loss on it?

[Kiltox]

Nah I don't have much in it to be fair - better to cut it loose now than sink anything into it

[SiC]

HAHA!! I should have said that at the start of my Saab ownership!

[Kiltox]

You know, that SAAB would meet my requirements almost perfectly....

[SiC]

So would have been that auto Scenic that you sold to your FiL

 

I'm kinda starting to like the bastard Saab now...

[Kiltox]

Nah the Scenic doesn't have enough grunt for motorway work

 

I'll probably just end up hiring a car again - £150 for a week in a BMW 320d touring ain't that bad

[SiC]

Well auto with cruise, so set the cruise and let the gearbox try to keep the speed.

 

I do remember distinctly how god damn awful that accelerated into motorway speeds...

 

All noise and not a lot of progress accompanying that noise!

[Kiltox]

The fact I got it down to 24mpg and my FiL gets nearly 40 says a lot about how I drove it

[Kiltox]

Volvo's off to make some Swedish quality baked bean tins

 

Hate scrapping cars.

[Kiltox]

Had a look under the Astra today - rear brake pipes are pretty bad and beyond the wire brush and grease approach.

 

Pleased that the flexi hoses are available with pipe the right size and shape included - £11 NOS on eBay will see those right without having to worry about the bends.

 

Will also need to cut a bit out that goes towards the front of the car - thankfully they are only bad near the wheels and further along they seem fine

 

Last time I did brake pipes I fucked it right up so I am hopefully going to overcome my fear of them!