Bear Posted May 30 Author Posted May 30 This was offensive: So I bought a secondhand dashboard... Resisted the temptation to "do a quentin" Swapped over the Autocheck display module by dismantling everything very carefully... If needed, I could potentially swap the LCD itself, but I figured the PCBs would be compatible, they had the same chipset. Poor thing! Building up... Loosely assembled and test - I remember this part of Audi ownership better than Hugh Grant remembers "modern" cars have brake lights that work without ignition on 😂 How's it going? But Goldie, your engine is not running! See! Started up and let it idle, revved a few times, it stayed off. Pressed brakes, stayed off. Lights on... no warnings. But still no rev counter so trying the other module first. yes oui si, bangernomics, IronStar and 19 others 22
N Dentressangle Posted May 30 Posted May 30 Nice work - well sorted! That would have irritated me too. Good to see it fixed. I've tried to get Mrs D interested in having one of these rather than an antediluvian Volvo 240 estate, but no dice. Bear 1
Bear Posted May 30 Author Posted May 30 The next fix: New old stock! And I went over the bulbs... Wonderful... The oil pressure warning does pop up still - and the rev counter is still sitting af a fixed 1150 or so position. I suspect wiring, but will try an analogue oil pressure gauge to be certain. Popsicle, Wibble, Keymaster and 13 others 16
N Dentressangle Posted May 31 Posted May 31 11 hours ago, Bear said: The next fix: Who does stuff like this? 🙄
ruffgeezer Posted May 31 Posted May 31 2 hours ago, N Dentressangle said: Who does stuff like this? 🙄 It depends on their approach or perhaps background - I've mentioned before that my father in law was formerly an engineer on ferries, he will think nothing of spending half a day making a repair to something that instead of a replacement part being ordered and fitted a day later. I must say using his approach sometimes has helped me with some jobs, but other time it really isn't worth the effort. Westbay 1
IronStar Posted May 31 Posted May 31 3 hours ago, N Dentressangle said: Who does stuff like this? 🙄 My dad. When glove compartment hinges broke on his Felicia, instead of buying hinges from a scrappy for pennies he drilled the dash and tied it with a piece of power cable. I even offered to do it for him as we were still talking back then. Completely unnecessary. Absolutely mental. N Dentressangle and chodweaver 2
Bear Posted May 31 Author Posted May 31 How it started... How it's going: Nearly ran out of land: wuvvum, Schaefft, Keymaster and 13 others 15 1
Bear Posted May 31 Author Posted May 31 Fuel: Home: Fuel 2: (Many thanks to @wuvvum for including this lead!) Charger switched on again after well over a year unused. Yeay! I need to fix the online connection for the charger. And top marks to Wisbech for multiple road closures due to roadworks and accidents that added far too much time to my return trip 😕 Schaefft, Popsicle, mk2_craig and 9 others 12
Bear Posted May 31 Author Posted May 31 One last repair for the day... MrBig, Six-cylinder, Coprolalia and 7 others 10
Six-cylinder Posted June 1 Posted June 1 Back in Sep 2011 I had enough interest in electric cars to visit a test day called Ecovelocity at Battersea power station. A test route was set up around the power station and while not a public road at least the cars could flow and not get stuck in jams. I drove an Ampera and was impressed by how smooth it was and fascinated by the electric transmission like a train. privatewire, Bear and MrBig 3
Bear Posted June 1 Author Posted June 1 It really is hard to think of it being a 14 year old car. Apart from the crappy nav/radio system that was orphaned,... Fuel tank scared me though - no fuel at all after leaving A1 near Morpeth and somehow made it to Rothbury. It went from "some and blue" to "panic not enough to show remaining miles" alarmingly quickly. Won't make that mistake again! Six-cylinder 1
Bear Posted June 2 Author Posted June 2 Audi things today: The secondhand mirror arrived but it was an earlier type so the shell is plastic-riveted to the frame, and the mirror glass was slide the collar to release not clip on. So I glued the screwposts back on and carefully reassembled the original, reconnecting the motor linkage and clipping the mirror in with careful pressure. It now works perfectly and looks good! A light tap might kill it, though. Next: check the relays and while we're here... Which was an utter bastard to remove because of: But I managed it, obviously, turning a screwdriver bit between two fingers. Painful. If anyone missed my last 50 birthdays and feels bad, a new brake pedal cover is £25 and I just can't bring myself to spend that much on a piece that is functioning fine but it would look great with both pedals "new" 😂 There's another part of the accelerator to be investigated: (the accelerator cable sheath is broken so the sleeve is not applying the correct pre-tension - I may find somewhere down the line has been adjusted to compensate and regret touching this). This system is batshit, the cable loops around the engine bay to the gearbox, then a system of rods and pivots put it back in touch with the throttle body... More relays. They do appear to be correct so I think I need to check the autocheck board for problems. The rev counter jumping to a fixed reading and not moving, plus the oil pressure warnings, are probably related and I bet there's a bad capacitor or something on the autocheck board. Just a shame it's such a nuisance to get to! Coprolalia, privatewire, IronStar and 6 others 9
Bear Posted June 2 Author Posted June 2 Audi has a hidden message for anyone who wants to diagnose Autocheck issues... bangernomics, Wibble, IronStar and 7 others 3 7
Bear Posted June 3 Author Posted June 3 Wanted to check some details before ordering bits: (As I thought from the interior and year, my Audi is "Bamboo metallic" - 8/10 pandas approve). Walked past the Ampera and thought this looked a bit sad: A tarnished griffin, poor thing... Plastic chrome polish is good. Also works on lights, and a clay bar has helped the bumper's larger surfaces before I do some tidying. Old-school combustion reflected in the amp era... Popsicle, MrBig, privatewire and 6 others 9
Bear Posted June 3 Author Posted June 3 Well, I tried the Autocheck PCB I had spare. No rev counter, but no oil pressure warnings. However, the check display was showing things in the test that weren't applicable to this car - ECU, spinning wheel for traction, suspension lifting... So I put the old one back. No errors. Until I reconnected the radio. Then I got oil warning. The radio wiring is, of course, screwy. But it seems unmessed with: One connector has ground, 12V, illumination and remote switch (power antenna/amp/stuff) plus a white and blue wire. This is apparently the speed signal. The speakers are speakers, albeit weirdly joined. There is an extra connector for features this car probably didn't support like displaying radio data on the autocheck screen. The Audi has not gone far in the past year.. Here is the Mathewsons listing - where it looks like a non-runner, and not MOTd, which might explain the sale price somewhat! The sunvisors were attached and the dashboard intact, though. https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction/lot/604-1989-audi-100-avant-e-auto/?lot=37176 And then it appeared on Car & Classic Can't see more pictures, but it was also on eBay..: Annoyingly the eBay listing has gone as well. So from 135,382 in October 2024 we're now showing 135,850. Not too bad but what a lot of adventures this Audi has had! The main instrument cluster PCB is suspect #1 though I did find the green coil wire was bent down and maybe touching the casing of the coil. I've got a proper set of HT leads on the way with the tube/carrier for them which will tidy things up but it already had new plugs and the leads and distributor look recent. What I haven't done is try the newer PCB with the radio hooked up. I really think a transistor in the speed or rev circuit on the main instrument board that has gone, but the spare of that has burned traces so is no use for testing 😕 Next jobs: Cambelt and waterpump - ordered (along with the correct brochure and price list) Fight Audi Tradition's post-Brexit arseyness about the €200+ of parts in my online basket so they will sell them to me without me being a vat registered business (some pieces to weld into the back, some spring perches for the back, a throttle cable, and some Audi merch). Get the steel wheels stripped, de-rusted and treated, black powder coated, a new set of matching tyres, and give in to finding more plastic trims because the metal Audi 100 C3 ones are beautiful but don't cover the edge of the steel wheels so they look a bit crap. N Dentressangle, MAF260, Jim Bell and 4 others 7
yes oui si Posted June 4 Posted June 4 On 01/06/2025 at 11:15, Six-cylinder said: Back in Sep 2011 I had enough interest in electric cars to visit a test day called Ecovelocity at Battersea power station. A test route was set up around the power station and while not a public road at least the cars could flow and not get stuck in jams. I drove an Ampera and was impressed by how smooth it was and fascinated by the electric transmission like a train. That pearl white is the best colour for them. @Bear - I really admire how you get stuck in with the small improvements to things
Bear Posted June 4 Author Posted June 4 58 minutes ago, yes oui si said: That pearl white is the best colour for them. @Bear - I really admire how you get stuck in with the small improvements to things Well, thankyou - but IMO the small improvements are just attacking the big problems before they get big. For example, cleaning the Ampera boot stuff was actually more about getting the moss and debris out of the drain channels and seals, like the gap between the window and spoiler, so they don't end up keeping water against the couple of surface paint/old-school early rust warning bubbles under the chrome strip. I vacuumed and cleaned the boot floor area today, I like the way they designed the granny charger storage in there. The Ampera works fine as transport as it is, but I've bought a few small bits to tidy up the bumper fit and finish at either end, and cleaned a couple of the wheels - a precursor really to cleaning up and regreasing the calipers, since I do the back of the wheels when they're off. I really like the inner edge behind the spokes when it's clean. Audi parts I'm really hoping they will provide are the throttle cable and the rear spring perches: They aren't too bad, but they are bolt on so I think if I get new ones and fit them now, perhaps with some new dampers and coils, it'll mean a few MOTs without issues. New springs and dampers would make it look a lot nicer from an MOT tester's angle of view too. These supports have rusted at the bottom, for the rear valence - the only bit of rust I've found that isn't a bolt-on piece. The plastic tub in the boot can be removed I think, leaving a nice working area to clean up and repair the rear valence underside and replace the supports while there's still lots of good metal. But the great thing is the Audi can just rest and wait for repairs, and this is doing the hard work and short trips for pennies in the meantime. It really should have been a SAAB. Wibble, flat4alfa, Popsicle and 8 others 9 2
Bear Posted June 5 Author Posted June 5 These are allegedly 14-inch wheel trims. They do not fit my 14 inch wheels. Shame, because they look great. Anyone want a set of stainless steel Audi wheeltrims for £65 posted, polished and ready to fit wheels that are smaller than Audi C3 Typ 44 wheels? Would trade for plastic 44601147 trims...
mat777 Posted June 6 Posted June 6 On 04/06/2025 at 18:32, yes oui si said: @Bear - I really admire how you get stuck in with the small improvements to things I echo this sentiment - it's easy for Bear to be modest but having seen him transform 2 rather scruffy cars of mine, the devil is in the detail and he really does go the extra mile with the tedious, thankless and often ignored tasks that make the last 5% of difference! 12 hours ago, Bear said: These are allegedly 14-inch wheel trims. They do not fit my 14 inch wheels. Shame, because they look great. Anyone want a set of stainless steel Audi wheeltrims for £65 posted, polished and ready to fit wheels that are smaller than Audi C3 Typ 44 wheels? Would trade for plastic 44601147 trims... You know what would really look awesome on that car, and suit the whole 80s futuristic aerodynamic ethos? A set of M👀n Discs! The proper, spun aluminium ones that is, not the shitty chrome plastic ones that seem to adorn a lot of old VWs... As you can see, they definitely suit 80s cars And they're probably not that much more expensive than tracking down a matching plastic set .... https://northhantstyres.com/products/14-brushed-s-steel-moon-disc-rdc01-14?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21904489391&gbraid=0AAAAA-PeZZvvk3hW3PqlsQb0cD4FLloqV&gclid=CjwKCAjwo4rCBhAbEiwAxhJlCbRccR9URmvKwx7E8HerwdGlb6g-OI22KJSww4hCOufTyx_M7eDEWRoC9aEQAvD_BwE YKYWT Bear, privatewire and yes oui si 2 1
Bear Posted June 6 Author Posted June 6 I was looking for non-plastic ones! A bit worried that like the C2 1979 stainless ones they won't actually fit though. I have found a set of new plastic ones, but the price is not comfortable...
Bear Posted June 6 Author Posted June 6 How it started (HT leads) How it's going... I always liked this detail on Audi 5-pots - there's an arrow on the plastic cover. It shows you how to slide it back to get to the cables. There's a clip behind that slides and releases the whole module. Next up: But first of all... twenty years from now: "Amperas have shit brakes". This car has quite a lot of history, this looks far too old for just one missed brake fluid change! I hope it doesn't have too many shenanigans to change it privatewire, Jim Bell, Coprolalia and 2 others 5
mat777 Posted June 6 Posted June 6 5 hours ago, Bear said: I was looking for non-plastic ones! A bit worried that like the C2 1979 stainless ones they won't actually fit though. I have found a set of new plastic ones, but the price is not comfortable... Do you know anyone (local shite?) with a car with "normal" 14" wheels and trims? Could be worth swapping over one to see whether the fitment is your wheels or the Audi trims.... I'm wondering there's any German metric weirdness going on with either party in the non-fitting debacle
yes oui si Posted June 6 Posted June 6 Older trims are often only designed to fit certain wheels. I've had some that were literally only a couple of mm over/undersized and had to get different wheels to fit them. Unfortunately they weren't as universal as they are now in terms of steel wheel inner lip sizing, and often changed wheel suppliers. Bear and mat777 2
Bear Posted June 7 Author Posted June 7 Got the Audi price list today... Imagine being able to afford this in 1989... No wonder they're relatively rare! Better look after it then... Rain, why today? Belt looks alright. Not sure if that's a timing mark or abuse... A bit of cleaning before waxoyl attack Lower cover off - hex cap screws had been chewed up and the lower timing cover is a bit bent, I've cleaned up the latter and will get some new titanium or stainless of the former... Can feel a bit of play in the water pump even with the tensioned belt in place. But... do I really need to take off the backing plate? Annoyingly... it looks trapped behind this... And speaking of trapped, even on this one the pulley has to come off to change the belt. Bloody Audi 😂 So, enough tinkering for today. Does mean no adventures tomorrow. Got new mats from Amazon for the Ampera. Absolute crap. Where will I find new genuine ones... N Dentressangle, yes oui si, Coprolalia and 2 others 5
Zelandeth Posted June 7 Posted June 7 Lordy, that is expensive. My Saab 900 was £13K plus change in the same year, and I know they were considered to be pretty expensive. Such a strange looking layout with the radiator and engine shoved to the side on these. Seems like with the engine so far offset there must be a big left-right weight offset. Bear 1
wuvvum Posted June 7 Posted June 7 For Ampera fettling stuff, I would suggest downloading the service manual - it's quite a large document (8,110 pages) so not really emailable, but there is what should be a working Dropbox link here, courtesy of a nice chap on the SpeakEV forum: 2012 Chevrolet Volt Opel Ampera Service Manual.pdf Bear 1
Bear Posted June 7 Author Posted June 7 3 minutes ago, wuvvum said: For Ampera fettling stuff, I would suggest downloading the service manual - it's quite a large document (8,110 pages) so not really emailable, but there is what should be a working Dropbox link here, courtesy of a nice chap on the SpeakEV forum: 2012 Chevrolet Volt Opel Ampera Service Manual.pdf Thankyou! That's very useful - the Ampera has two pieces on the way... one of which I will need to paint but can you believe I managed to get a new charging port door for £20?! wuvvum 1
Bear Posted June 7 Author Posted June 7 12 minutes ago, Zelandeth said: Lordy, that is expensive. My Saab 900 was £13K plus change in the same year, and I know they were considered to be pretty expensive. Such a strange looking layout with the radiator and engine shoved to the side on these. Seems like with the engine so far offset there must be a big left-right weight offset. The crank is relatively central, and Passats and five-pot B2s share the same design (I remember the nose-mount for the engine vividly because when my dad punted his Passat GL5 over a hedge and into a field the engine moved two inches forward in that mount!). His Passat was £9750 - not really a GL5, a Topic but with the 2.0 five cylinder instead of the 1.8 in the previous Topic. N Dentressangle and yes oui si 2
wuvvum Posted June 7 Posted June 7 22 minutes ago, Bear said: can you believe I managed to get a new charging port door for £20?! Don't think I've seen one that cheap before!
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