The new news 24 thread

[vulgalour]

how annoying, that's a register-to-view forum :/ Do I want to register to view one thread? Probably...

[MrDuke]

Thanks for the offer Mr Vette, I may do that if I can't get decent results with SRP and elbow grease.

 

In other news, it turns out the sunroof is nowhere near waterproof. It's not that the glass isn't sealing properly, there's ingress somewhere along the front edge of the plastic surround. Even if I push down on the roof skin, there's not quite enough space to squeeze any silicon under it. The only good thing is that water is collecting on the sun-visors rather than just dripping onto the seats/carpets, so a couple of towels wedged up there should keep me dry until I can figure out a proper* fix.

[cobblers]

Since I fitted golf engine to the t25, I'd dragged my heels about wiring up the Revcounter, temp guage etc etc - I'd had them all still working on the golf clocks which were sat under the bed in the back! I had a bit of spare time yesterday, so I decided to actually wire them all up.

 

Everything went really easily, but the revcounter wouldn't work. At first I thought it was a wiring error, but after plenty of testing, the revcounter itself was getting ground, 12v and a proper 0-12v pulsed signal, but not doing anything at all - It must have by coincidence packed in. This was a bit of a pisser, cos these are fairly well scene taxed and I haven't got £100+ for another one, so I decided I'd definitely have to fix it. The're "fairly" straightforward, so I cracked it open.

 

 

 

Here's the little PCB on the back. I first applied a little current (10ma) to the coil that moves the needle and that worked fine, so I turned my attention to the board itself.

 

It had some nonedescript chip on, but some searching round found that Mk1 golf revcounters have basically the same PCB, but a chip labelled "SAK215". I managed to find a datasheet for this with some basic info and stuff - I traced the circuit and it turns out that I've probably just got a rebadged SAK215. I ordered a new SAK215 chip from ebay china for £3, just in case, but I reckoned the problem was probably one of those big capacitors in the middle.

 

I used this excuse to buy a new multimeter that can measure capacitance (I really should already own one, but instead I have about half a dozen £6 cheapies that other electronic engineers sneer at, but I can't help being a yorkshireman!) and also got some solder braid for desoldering components. It's a million times better than using a solder sucker, which always leave a little bit of solder hanging on. I really didn't want to damage this PCB and I can't really test the parts while they are in circuit so I need to remove parts one by one. You really need to remove every spec of solder to get the components off without lifting tracks off the PCB.

 

I removed and tested both capacitors and to my surprise they were both dead on spec. This put a spanner in the works, so I got the little oscilloscope out and used my arduino to generate a signal (It's easier than digging loads of caps and resistors out and trying to build a 555 astable to generate it) with a mosfet on the output to give me a 0-12v swing from the 0-5v arduino signal:

 

 

 

I poked around a bit, and found there was no signal going into the chip at all. There was a pretty strange "filter" network of resistors, a capacitor and a zener diode. The resistors were all old and pretty unreadable, so Rather than try and understand it, I just measured the resistances and replicated it in LTspice and fed a signal in. Sure enough, with the measured values this filter network left about 0.1v on the output.

 

One of the resistors looked pretty ropey, and measured 33k ohms, and was essentially in a potential divider with a 1k resistor so I decided that couldn't be right (it would divide the 12v input signal by 34, hence the tiny voltage on the output).

 

Not being entirely sure what it "should" be, I consulted the datasheet for the chip and found it was expecting 1.6v peak to peak signal on the input. I played around with some values in LTspice and found that a 3k resistor in it's place would sort this. I dug one out and quickly soldered it on:

 

 

 

And, tadaa!!:

 

 

Once I knew this worked, I removed the old resistor and fitted the new one properly, and gave the rest of the solder joints a quick wetting over with some good non-ROHS solder (with loads of lovely lead in it)

 

 

While the clocks were apart, I figured I'd do something about the broken LCD clock in the middle. It's quite unusual to see one with a working screen nowadays!

 

I took an old set of clocks from a mk2 golf apart hoping the LCD would fit, and when I got them next to each other, it looked really promising:

 

 

But the actual pin connections to the LCD were different and it just showed rubbish on the screen.

 

I had a backup plan though - I'd got a few cheap LCD temp sensors from china a few months ago, they were about £2 each so I just bought them because they would come in handy. The display size was about the same, so I dug one out and tried it in the casing for the LCD clocks:

 

 

It fitted great - needed packing forward slightly, so I used some of the pink anti static foam that motherboards and stuff come with, and it lined up great. The numbers are slightly bigger than I'd like, but it's neater than a broken screen:

 

 

There's about 120cm of cable leading to a temp sensor, which I'll drop into the "airflow channel" thing that runs across the front of the van to hopefully sense ambient temperature.

 

Anyway, with the clocks finally fitted back in the van, I started it up to see if they worked:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drYCFP_k3ps

 

Yeah, working great! Now I just need to find a new header tank with a level sensor to get rid of the flashing red LED and it's sorted. Also I really really need to give the clocks a good clean.

[myglaren]

how annoying, that's a register-to-view forum :/ Do I want to register to view one thread? Probably...

 

Ah bugger, completely ignored that it was in the members only forum. Sorry.

[Lankytim]

Wow, well done! I hate electronics, and I actually work for an electronics firm!

[myglaren]

Nice work cobblers.

 

You can come and do some soldering for me if you like - I need a new bass pot on my Harmon-Kardon sub. Died about nine years ago and the new pot has been sitting on my windowsill for the past almost seven years ready to solder in.

[vulgalour]

@myglaren: I put on my detective hat to find out more and found out the chap has the username of Oliverduggan and his refinishing company is Pallas Auto Refinishing, this in turn brought about some public links, which was handy.

 

So here's a public thread on the Traction Avant: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/vie ... =4&t=17950 which is precisely what I want to achieve with the Polo paint and should be doable if I put more effort into the paint itself and get some different finishing pads.

 

It also put me on to this forum: http://www.cleanyourcar.co.uk/forum/ which is probably going to be really handy for sorting out the finish on both my cars, neither of which are even close to the finish I want for them yet. When I'm done I want the black on the Polo to be a black hole of reflectiveness and the beige of the Princess to look like finest porcelain, whether or not I'll achieve this remains to be seen of course.

[myglaren]

Apologies volksangyl I should have remembered about his Pallas autofinishing site.

 

Excuse of the day is that the laptop keeps shutting down, the battery is about shot and the mains connector lead keeps parting - just had to go and resolder the damned thing again. Should buy a new one but you know how that works.

[vulgalour]

Apologies and excuses not required, you actually managed to help me find a forum I didn't know about that should prove very useful to me.

[sporty-shite]

New shite has arrived at Sporty Towers this evening.

 

 

Bought off R-R and delivered to my door by the seller. Comes with a spare set of BBS RAs and four coilovers. No T&T but looks fairly solid where it counts. A good clean and a bit of fettling should see it in regular service when the tax runs out on the Volvo at the end of the month. Quite pleased with it,to be honest, just hope it doesn't get bummed when it goes for test.

[skattrd]

Nice looking 'rocco SS. Helios blue if I'm not mistaken - if you need any bits give me a shout as I've got a lot of 'rocco spares lying around

[sporty-shite]

Nice looking 'rocco SS. Helios blue if I'm not mistaken - if you need any bits give me a shout as I've got a lot of 'rocco spares lying around

 

It is Helios Blue, yes. Thanks for the heads-up* on spares, might need a few odd bits when I manage to give it a good look over. Not sure whether to put it back to completely standard, or go a bit OMG_STANCE_YO on it. Got all the bits to get it low, so might do it, then put it back to normal if I don't like it.

 

*other corporate-speak dogshit phrases are avaialble.

[skattrd]

All my 'roccos have been dropped 30-40mm and to me they look and handle better like that. I wouldn't bother with any more as it starts to get impractical.

[vulgalour]

To compliment his BRIGHT RETINA SEARING RED Triumph GT6...

 

... the boyfriend has decided he needs something a bit more pedestrian as a daily, at least until he has the Trump all undersealed and cleaned to his own demanding OCD type tendencies. Queue the probably purchase of this 1.4 engined Rover 200 in five door flavour. He's comfortable with the K series lump as he's got one in his MG TF (now for sale to fund the Triumph and possible Rover) which he's got back into tip top condition and he's hopeful that the new purchase will serve him well as a slightly pedestrian daily driver, meaning the GT6 can be used for special occasions.

 

Next phase is to get him on the forum, obviously, especially so if he does bag the Rover.

[michiel]

That GT6 looks very nice!

[Shep Shepherd]

Had TV2's rear tyres replaced this afternoon, just in time for me to take it off the road for at least a week in order to get its ABS module refurbished

[skattrd]

Just filled up the Volvo again, another (almost) £100 fill up, I'm not sure if I can live with this compared to similar mileage from the boring for £80 a time. I do like the volvo, but £30 a week difference in fuel costs adds up quickly. I may sell the bx to try and justify keeping it.

[dieselnutjob]

the rear view mirror on the 607 has been annoying me by rattling, and I couldn't figure out how to remove it

neighbours son is an Autoglass bloke so I asking him but the whole bracket fell off the glass when he tried. He glued it back on (he thought it had been bodged before hence the rattle) but said leave it an hour or two before refitting

 

This morning I went to refit and cracked the windscreen It was sheer incompitence

 

So went to work in the 604. This failed on a main road though I managed to crawl to the side in two cylinders before total stoppage. The autochoke seems to stick on and it will stay running but you can't engage D because it just dies. So I sat there for 5 minutes at 4000rpm and then it got warm and I could continue to work.

 

This evening I changed a CV gaiter on the 806 that probably didn't need changing. I think it must have a pin hole in it though because it had spread black grease in an arc all around the CV joint and I could hear air going in/out of somewhere if I squeezed it. In my mind it had totally gone but once the drive shaft was off I found it wasn't. Hope I haven't done the wrong side Even though the right of the car was on the ground and the left jacked up about 18 inches (so a crazy angle) I still lost 1/2 litre of transmission oil. Poured most of it back in through the reversing light switch hole afterwards.

 

Not my best 24 hours of motoring / tinkering

[Guest]

With some slightly better 460 news, I dropped the dealer-extra boot liner into it yesterday evening.

It proved a bit of a twat to fit, but I'm pleased I managed to snag it. The bloke had held on to it for me for about 8 months - he was miles away, so I made the most of my trip north from Dover.

 

 

It put up a bit of a fight when I tried to load it into the C4 as well. All done now. I wished I'd gone and stuck it in on Friday - I'd have avoided the all the bollocks that occurred the day after, for one thing (see GOM thread).

[dollywobbler]

Oh dear. Bad month for breakdowns! Wife went out in the Mini. I then get a call to say it won't start and that the ignition lights won't even come on. Now, my wife is an expert at leaving the lights on in the Mini - I've rescued her several times, albeit not since we moved. The battery couldn't have gone flat in such a short space of time though. I suggested wiggling the battery cables in the boot but no joy. So, load tools and stuff into the BX for the Knight in Shining Armour thing.

 

Started by checking that the engine earth strap was still in place. It was. Then decided to bypass the battery earth strap with a jump lead. Bingo!

 

 

Followed my wife back, just in case the lead came off and she found herself rolling to a silent, electric-free halt but no problems - other than a dimwit in a Ford Ranger pick-up (a blonde lady) overtaking both of us and then almost smashing head-on into a Skoda Octavia. I think I know who the woman is and I thought she was an idiot before this...

 

Time to order a new battery cable then as the Mini is still for sale!

[cobblers]

I know it's far from "shite" but today I've been working on my mates split screen van. He wanted a decent stereo, but not the usual fancy new stez, so we got an old Blaupunkt thing full of valves and all sorts of bollocks that have gone in the bin, and a Parrot 9100 kit that's mainly a "hands free kit" but it takes USB, line in and also does bluetooth music off his phone. I was going to try and build the lot into the old blaupntk stereo, but in the end I just used the facia.

 

Anyway, it was only about £100 and it's ideal for stealth stereos in all kinds of shite:

 

 

It's even got line out so you can use it with a proper amplifier - it's got a built in 4 channel 4 x 20W amp which would be OK for most people.

Overall deffo worth a pop for the money - I've built him a tuned ported sub box hidden in a cupboard and 4 speakers around the van and it sounds genuinely very good, especially in and old shit van like that.

[dieselnutjob]

I have been wondering about audio on my 607 for ages. I wanted an ipod adapter because I have one on the 806 and it's brilliant. The actual ipod is hidden in the dash and can be controlled through the steering wheel controls. The car stereo just thinks its connected to a CD changer.

 

The thing is that the 607 has a weird stereo that no one supports, even though it uses the same CD changer as loads of other PugCits. The CD changer is controlled using a VAN bus and with other PugCits this seems to connect in through the blue mini-iso connector. On the 607 the VAN bus uses pins on the power plug and only the left/right audio goes through the mini-ISO.

 

I guess I could try and make up my own wiring to adapt from 607 weirdness to normal PugCit. The other option is to just cut the left/right audio feed and connect them to a bluetooth adapter, as my new phone has this special bluetooth APT-X mode which apparently (with the right bluetooth adapter) gives CD quality audio.

[DSdriver]

DS Safari passed its MoT with one advisory (the bottom ball joints semi knackered) and the Toyota Corolla sold to the only person who answered the ad. Quite a good day really.

Other news: The engine I bought on ebay for the DS saloon has been rebuilt and is ready to go in the car next week.

[vulgalour]

Stripped the interior out of the Polo today, there's only the seatbelts and a couple of bits of plastic left in really. When the car was put on the road last year, my floors were nice and sound, but I was aware that some numpty had put a trolley jack under the driver's floorpan and put a bulge in it. Today, on inspecting under the carpets, that bulge now has a rusty crack so it'll need welding. I suppose it's good I found it now rather than at MoT time as I can actually do something about it easier with all the carpets and whatnot pulled out of the car.

[cort16]

Ive just my first proper drive of the SD1 in 15 months and now I remember why I spent ages welding it up. It's ace!

[sporty-shite]

Mrs S's new daily was collected today. A techno blue 02 reg Beetle Part ex from a local dealer, needs a good clean and a couple of niggly jobs, but came in cheap enough. She's well pleased, so that's all tht matters. Photos willfollow once I've cleaned it.

 

Now, I need to shift the 480......

[trigger]

Ive just my first proper drive of the SD1 in 15 months and now I remember why I spent ages welding it up. It's ace!

 

Yay!, It makes all the effort worth while when they still drive as you remember them.

 

Today I first cleaned the black vinyl roof on the 'Tina, I've been told by a few people to try boot polish so I decided to pop to Sainsburys this morning and buy a tin of Kiwi polish, I tell you what, I wish I'd used it before instead of wasting money on Autoglym stuff, it's ace and give it a really nice shine.

 

I then popped to a local body shop that i was recommended for a respray quote, again they quoted £1500-£2000 which looking at the TR6 they were restoring i think they are more suited to the work then then other places I'd been too.

 

I also gave the engine a clean this evening with some oil degreaser and my cheap, shitty pressure washer, it's come up looking pretty good considering and it had the added bonus of actually starting afterwards too which was nice.

 

Considering i feel like shit today with a cold i think I've done pretty well really.

[cort16]

I was a bit worried I was going to hate it and the initial trip to the petrol station wasn't great as it was barely holding an idle. It always has been grumpy when it's cold but it seemed especially bad today. Once it was warmed up and I'd blown all the shit out the exhaust it was great again. It's never been fast but I forgot how well it handles. Not GR9 for speed bumps though.

It still needs a sand and polish, the arches fitted and the interior given a serious scrubbing then it's done.

[CreepingJesus]

^Great news, it's been a long road hasn't it?

You reminded me of the test drive I had of my neighbour's 2600SE years ago: I was all for buying it after firing out of a wet roundabout with the back end planted. Brilliant cars, and I can see why the police had so many - perfect for the approved technique!

Pity the insurance quotes rendered it not a dole money car. I didn't buy it, and shortly after it collected a big rock up the sump, and was broken for spares by a local SD1 specialist.

[cort16]

Yip it's been a long road. It put it into the garage in April 2011 to weld up a small hole in the inner wheel arch and found untold amounts of grot. They're okay to drive standard but mine has the rimmer bros heavy duty suspension kit so it's a good 5 inches lower than a standard SD1. It also had loads of new bushes, suspension and brake bits before I bought it which is why it was so worth saving. I think they're great looking cars too.