After three years... 216SLi - 25/2 - behaving itself

[bub2006]

I was going to check over it this morning, then I remembered my mum's gone out in it instead of her Bini.

She really likes it.

Not good news mate. I made the mistake of having a car the Mrs liked. She took that along with keys for her car. I was stuck!

[saucedoctor]

It is, but there's one just above the battery too, that also has an ECU fuse in it.

 

Is there one in the engine bay fuse box called HAZARD LIGHTS? If so, pull it too. ECU is on the same feed. Remember, you're not trying to power down the ECU, it's the keep-alive circuit that needs to go down.

[strangeangel]

 

Cruisin' down the street in my R8
Jockin' the bitches, slappin' the hoes
Went to the park to get the scoop
Knuckleheads out there cold shootin' some hoops
A car pulls up, who can it be?
A fresh El Camino rolled, Kilo G
He rolls down his window and he started to say
It's all about makin' that GTA

 

Cuz the boyz n tha 'bridge are always hard
You come talkin' that trash we'll pull your card
Knowin' nothin' in life but to be legit
Don't quote me boy, cuz I ain't sayin' shit

[Ghosty]

Took the hazard fuse out while I checked the earth strap, then put it back in. (Does removing fuses need the ignition on?)

Nothing seems untoward with the earth strap. 

I'll see if the 'check engine' light comes on when I go out in a bit - though I'll probably have to divert to Lidl for some wiper blades...

[Ghosty]

Heated rear window also seems to be on the fritz.

Check engine light still comes on after a while.

Time to check all the fuses I think.

Set of mats and some wipers ordered - just plates and a Lex Service sticker from DMB and an AS sticker left to get for it.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

isn't there a self-diagnostic thing on these Honda ECU's? There was one on my Rover 827. You could get it to flash up a code to explain why it was putting the EML on.

[dollywobbler]

isn't there a self-diagnostic thing on these Honda ECU's? There was one on my Rover 827. You could get it to flash up a code to explain why it was putting the EML on.

 

Yes on the 1.6. That's been done. IIRC, it's the air temperature sensor that seems to be up the fritz.

[Ghosty]

edit: as DW said! The check engine light doesn't always come on, and never straight away, which is making me think it's an iffy sensor. 

[Ghosty]

Been out checking fuses/relays.

In the engine compartment fusebox there's a set of large screw-in fuses.

I noticed that 'R.R. DEF' is empty, and the relevant fuse was in the slot for the ABS.

There is no ABS.

HBOL (admittedly for a K series but...) says there's a fuse that does HRW, sunroof, mirrors, etc...

 

Google says 'R.R. DEF' stands for 'rear defrost'.

 

I'm off to move it and see what happens.

[Ghosty]

Success! Everything works now. I suspect Old Man was messing with it and just won't admit it (typical): it definitely wasn't me.

[mrbenn]

Nice work Ghosty! Looks like a great car after all the work you've done to it.

[Ghosty]

Drove to Rusholme to see some mates for the evening and all is well, car's gone about 60 miles now with no issues. Went there down A roads and it was fine, went back via Princess Road and the M60 and 'check engine' came on when I got on to the M60.

It's great, a real pleasure to drive, warm heater, good radio, everything works - but either the steering wheel in't on straight or the tracking is off. Hmmm.

Also, there's cold air blowing on to my right hand from somewhere and I can't work out if it's the dash vent or a door seal, or if it's coming through the door pull (???).

[KruJoe]

Glad it's running nicely for you buddy.

 

On these Rovers, there's a slider on the heater controls to allow a waft of fresh air to your face while you have the heater set to do other things. Is that slider working properly?

[dollywobbler]

That was a very Honda thing at the time. I remember my Civic has fresh air to the face. An option all cars should bloody have to be honest. Especially good if you need the demisters going like the clappers.

[Ghosty]

Oh, that's what that is....

[Eddie Honda]

That was a very Honda thing at the time. I remember my Civic has fresh air to the face. An option all cars should bloody have to be honest.

Volvos "airmix" since nineteen canteen.

 

 

(Bottom left slider on this old 200 series panel. Ditto 300 series and others too.)

[Richard]

Or every car in the world until they started feeding the fresh air ventilation through the heater box, a move that still baffles me and another reason not to drive cars newer than 1976.

[bub2006]

My van has two side vents blowing cold only, two vents in centre of dash and one near radio only blows hot. If I recall my 414 and booth 214s had the centre vents cold only

[Ghosty]

It's the side vents that blow cold on mine.

 

More trouble free miles today, and had the seats cleaned too. Stank of cleaning stuff so I put a green Magic Tree in, so now it smells of pine instead. Not sure if it beats the random smells it seemed to give off before. 

Today's observations:

The 'check engine' light comes on when I put my foot down to get on the motorway.

The headlights are abysmal.

[bub2006]

Abysmal headlights? I know your pain. I've a c15! Glad it's behaving for you.

[Guest Hooli]

C15s don't have headlights, they have dim & bright marker lights.

[bub2006]

And can I as hell as like find better bulbs to fit.

[vulgalour]

The headlights are abysmal.

Aren't they just? Osram Nightbreakers are considered to be the cure, find them on eBay for something like £15 a pair.

[Richard]

And can I as hell as like find better bulbs to fit.

Are they Tungsten? A pair of these should help. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292010534589

[bub2006]

They have the really big collars on them. I've standard h4 bulbs in at the minute but only halfords stock them with the collar instead of the 3 locating pins

[Eddie Honda]

http://www.dynamoregulatorconversions.com/led-headlamp-bulbs-shop.php

 

P43t to P45t converter rings?

 

Then you can whack in your own choice of bulbs.

[bub2006]

Thems the buggers I've been looking for. Sorry for derail. But thank you non the less

[Ghosty]

New wipers fitted, so travel in rain is now several times easier. 

I had the rear driver's door card off to get an old mangled security sticker out of the window, and look at the dodgy door locking motor. No idea what's wrong with it and don't quite have time to fix it at the moment, not an obvious fix. 

Can anyone advise?

Also, in removing the door card, the spring clip for the window handle pinged off into the stratosphere, does anyone know where I can source a replacement?

[Richard]

At least half of cars with keep-fit windows will have much the same spring so any scrapyard should be able to come up with one.

 

Incidentally you should fit the new spring to the handle then push the handle onto the spindle. Seems obvious but it took me about ten years to realise that.

[Ghosty]

So, IAT removed and cleaned, and getting all the crap off it just makes the car know it's broken faster - the light comes on after a couple of miles now instead of when you go past about 40mph.

 

It's this:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Standard-AX42-Intermotor-Air-Charge-Temperature-Sensor-fit-Honda-Civic-/380946921332#vi-ilComp

 

Which is also this part for mk1 827s:

 

http://www.rimmerbros.co.uk/Item--i-XHM176

 

but Rimming Bros. also want £35.

 

Googling the part number XHM176 gives a link to allbrit.de that want €83 and don't even have one in stock, and:

 

http://mgrovergenuine.co.uk/genuine-mg-rover-parts/mg-rover-xhm176-sensor-assembly/

 

£5.90 (plus that again in delivery). 

 

Ordering one of those.