The grumpy thread

[grogee]

32 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Fabia's electrics are less than Fab once again. Keeps cutting out at idle, usually when steering. Thinking dicky battery (although recording a voltage that's correct and charging okay) or dicky alternator... maybe. Parts darts here we goooooo. Grrrrrr.

What do The Internet/Fabia Lickers Forum nerds say?

[Crackers]

It hasn't been a good few days for my hands. Saturday I ended up with a fairly big blood blister on my right thumb, from trying a bit too hard doing some karting.

Then, today I've slashed a pretty deep slice in my left forefinger which bled like all hell, and is now wrapped up in dressing and medical tape to immobilise it so it has some chance of healing. It genuinely didn't hurt an ounce, which is honestly a little confusing as it's a bit of a grizzly wound!

[RoverFolkUs]

1 hour ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Fabia's electrics are less than Fab once again. Keeps cutting out at idle, usually when steering. Thinking dicky battery (although recording a voltage that's correct and charging okay) or dicky alternator... maybe. Parts darts here we goooooo. Grrrrrr.

Fabias have electric power steering, I think? My finger of blame is pointing at the electrics of that interfering with something. Any fault codes, or rather any way of reading for fault codes without paying £40 and your left kidney for a garage scan? 🙂

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, grogee said:

What do The Internet/Fabia Lickers Forum nerds say?

I haven't made a post on Briskoda yet. I had messaged one of the fellas though and he pointed towards the alternator wire beside the gearbox, or at least that's where I think it is. Or a dicky battery, which when checked with a multi-meter is reporting slightly lower than standard before the car is started, but is charging fine once the engine is running.

20 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Fabias have electric power steering, I think? My finger of blame is pointing at the electrics of that interfering with something. Any fault codes, or rather any way of reading for fault codes without paying £40 and your left kidney for a garage scan? 🙂

You're right. Hydraulic PAS was a standard fitment on all Fabias. It does seem like something electric is pissing off things. I've got a basic OBDII fault reader, will try for experiment's sake to see if it pulls anything back. Thanks.

[RoverFolkUs]

13 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I haven't made a post on Briskoda yet. I had messaged one of the fellas though and he pointed towards the alternator wire beside the gearbox, or at least that's where I think it is. Or a dicky battery, which when checked with a multi-meter is reporting slightly lower than standard before the car is started, but is charging fine once the engine is running.

You're right. Hydraulic PAS was a standard fitment on all Fabias. It does seem like something electric is pissing off things. I've got a basic OBDII fault reader, will try for experiment's sake to see if it pulls anything back. Thanks.

Hang on we've contradicted each other there 😅

You're saying Hydraulic PAS, I'm 99% sure they're electrically driven hydraulic pumps. (Like Fords of that era) but not fully electric like Vauxhall's of that era. 

When steering at idle that's a lot more force needed, so if the pump is working hard and sapping energy it's possibly, as you say, pissing other things off! 

Whether that issue lies with the steering electronics or the battery/alternator needs further digging. 

Check all the fuses for damage, even if they aren't blown, I've seen a Fabia before with random electrical issues (intermittent side lights being one of them) and the problem turned out to just be a slightly overheated fuse that was damaged and  causing a poor connection. 

Have you checked the alternator under load? I.e you should be seeing at very least 13.8v, ideally 14.4v with every auxiliary electric thing switched on imaginable.

Faults codes would be helpful if present 

Parts darts would not be helpful 😉😁

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

You're saying Hydraulic PAS, I'm 99% sure they're electrically driven hydraulic pumps. (Like Fords of that era) but not fully electric like Vauxhall's of that era. 

Aye that's what I meant! I'm not long out of the swimming it's knocked seven bells out of me... 😆

4 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

When steering at idle that's a lot more force needed, so if the pump is working hard and sapping energy it's possibly, as you say, pissing other things off! 

Whether that issue lies with the steering electronics or the battery/alternator needs further digging. 

Check all the fuses for damage, even if they aren't blown, I've seen a Fabia before with random electrical issues (intermittent side lights being one of them) and the problem turned out to just be a slightly overheated fuse that was damaged and  causing a poor connection. 

Have you checked the alternator under load? I.e you should be seeing at very least 13.8v, ideally 14.4v with every auxiliary electric thing switched on imaginable.

It's 14.4v to the battery IIRC. My Grampa checked it while I ran the car with air con, heated mirrors, and other unnecessary shite. I'll check fuses as well.

I'll see what comes back re: fault codes, as well. I'm at wits end, it knows I've not long been paid as well...

[RoverFolkUs]

15 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Aye that's what I meant! I'm not long out of the swimming it's knocked seven bells out of me... 😆

It's 14.4v to the battery IIRC. My Grampa checked it while I ran the car with air con, heated mirrors, and other unnecessary shite. I'll check fuses as well.

I'll see what comes back re: fault codes, as well. I'm at wits end, it knows I've not long been paid as well...

Hmm, ok, 14.4v is ok really. Next thing to check would be the cranking voltage, get someone to start the car and see what the lowest reading is on the multimeter. It shouldn't drop much below 10.5v, if it goes significantly below then that means a cell is probably goosed. 

I've seen (petrol) cars that crank, start, then cut out after about a second due to a low battery, normally you'd think if it has enough juice to crank, it would run, but alas not always 

Would be interesting if nothing else to see if there's any faults pinged up. Given it correlates with steering, it'll be sods law its in a module other than ECU that a generic scanner will refuse to talk to 

[AnnoyingPentium]

3 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Hmm, ok, 14.4v is ok really. Next thing to check would be the cranking voltage, get someone to start the car and see what the lowest reading is on the multimeter. It shouldn't drop much below 10.5v, if it goes significantly below then that means a cell is probably goosed. 

I've seen (petrol) cars that crank, start, then cut out after about a second due to a low battery, normally you'd think if it has enough juice to crank, it would run, but alas not always 

Would be interesting if nothing else to see if there's any faults pinged up. Given it correlates with steering, it'll be sods law its in a module other than ECU that the scanner will refuse to talk to 

I'm back over at my Grampa's on Saturday so I'll investigate the issue further then. I took the car up to the swimming pool car park and it was mostly okay. Only threatened to cut out once but it picked itself back up. Was doing about 20mph, clutch in, and braking for a junction. Had headlights, and an indicator on... and also the stereo, A/C, and heated mirrors. Wasn't giving the steering any input at that time though.

[RoverFolkUs]

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMLP52uM1/

What a complete and utter prick this idiot is

Bragging and finding it absolutely hilarious that his bald, illegal tyre blew out while doing 80mph on the motorway. 

Doesn't matter to him because it's a "works vehicle" 

Makes my blood boil that ignorant pondlife like him speed along in deathtraps putting other people's lives at risk 

[RoverFolkUs]

3 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I'm back over at my Grampa's on Saturday so I'll investigate the issue further then. I took the car up to the swimming pool car park and it was mostly okay. Only threatened to cut out once but it picked itself back up. Was doing about 20mph, clutch in, and braking for a junction. Had headlights, and an indicator on... and also the stereo, A/C, and heated mirrors. Wasn't giving the steering any input at that time though.

The car did swimmingly well to not FTP in that case 

[/gets coat]

Anyway...

Worth checking the earth connections too actually. There's a gazillion on Fabias, one on the gearbox, one under the drivers headlight, a few under/behind the passenger headlight all off the top of my head 👍

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, RoverFolkUs said:

The car did swimmingly well to not FTP in that case 

🤣

Just now, RoverFolkUs said:

Anyway...

Worth checking the earth connections too actually. There's a gazillion on Fabias, one on the gearbox, one under the drivers headlight, a few under/behind the passenger headlight all off the top of my head 👍

I had issues with the one that's connected at the inner wing... it used to cause the PAS and ABS to pack in suddenly at low speeds and for all the electrics to just keel over and die, also sending the central locking into a wild frenzy. Went to take it off at one point and it sheared clean off. It's now mounted to the top of the strut tower with a second earth strap pinched off of an old Nova going down to a mounting area near the PAS pump on the same side. 

[RoverFolkUs]

5 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

🤣

I had issues with the one that's connected at the inner wing... it used to cause the PAS and ABS to pack in suddenly at low speeds and for all the electrics to just keel over and die, also sending the central locking into a wild frenzy. Went to take it off at one point and it sheared clean off. It's now mounted to the top of the strut tower with a second earth strap pinched off of an old Nova going down to a mounting area near the PAS pump on the same side. 

The more I think of it the more it sounds like an Earthing issue more than anything else to be honest.

When it cuts out/almost cuts out, do the rest of the electronics cut out as well like radio for example? 

Even if not, if you've got a poor ECU earth, since all engine management systems usually run on the switched earth principle, if the ECU loses its Earth then all sensors, coils, injectors lose power too. 

Switched earth/switched live doesn't make any difference, if you lost one then things are still going to stop working but worth a mention anyway.

Assuming you know how to check the quality of an earth connection - check resistance between the negative post and the earth point itself, should be as close to 0 as possible. 

Although given that it's intermittent, it could be loose Earth connection rather than a poor one

Steering may just happen to be coincidental

Aren't modern cars fun!

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 minute ago, RoverFolkUs said:

When it cuts out/almost cuts out, do the rest of the electronics cut out as well like radio for example? 

Nope. It's as if it's sitting on the second position when you turn the key. As if I've never started the car!

1 minute ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Even if not, if you've got a poor ECU earth, since all engine management systems usually run on the switched earth principle, if the ECU loses its Earth then all sensors, coils, injectors lose power too. 

Switched earth/switched live doesn't make any difference, if you lost one then things are still going to stop working but worth a mention anyway.

Assuming you know how to check the quality of an earth connection - check resistance between the negative post and the earth point itself, should be as close to 0 as possible. 

Although given that it's intermittent, it could be loose Earth connection rather than a poor one

Steering may just happen to be coincidental

Will check that, thanks!

2 minutes ago, RoverFolkUs said:

Aren't modern cars fun!

I'm honestly at wits end... I could see myself doing a Basil Fawlty with it.

[sheffcortinacentre]

9 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

What if you can get your mitts on an 8-track portable? Then just run it through the aux input?

Got some.

[sheffcortinacentre]

9 hours ago, GrumpiusMaximus said:

I was going more for the 'TechMoan Stack'.
 

 

Different make but got one of those & a new cartridge that's an FM radio powered by a 9v battery.

[RoverFolkUs]

26 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Nope. It's as if it's sitting on the second position when you turn the key. As if I've never started the car!

Will check that, thanks!

I'm honestly at wits end... I could see myself doing a Basil Fawlty with it.

Check the temp guage to see if that goes to zero, since it's ECU controlled it will give you an indication if it's the ECU shitting itself due to loss of power etc

Hopefully Basil Fawlty will not be required 😁

[Minimad5]

6 hours ago, jakebullet said:

We wasn't super impressed last cafe visit when person on the till is wearing a lanyard saying "I have autism and may be slow. Please be patient". Not a nice way to treat your staff at all.

You do realise the general public are cunts ?

So some folk deem it necessary to wear such things to try and avoid cunty customer shouting and ranting at them. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[GeorgeB]

On 3/13/2022 at 8:22 PM, mat_the_cat said:

Almost witnessed a smash today

 

 

Oh yeah, those dangerous people overtaking safely. Shouldn't be allowed.

[mat_the_cat]

6 minutes ago, GeorgeB said:

Oh yeah, those dangerous people overtaking safely. Shouldn't be allowed.

Your words, not mine.

I've not criticised the driver, but when two people have both taken action to reduce the risk of a crash, and the result is missing out on a collision by less than 2 seconds, it's difficult to argue that it was a safe decision. I only slowed by 10mph, but the oncoming car braked rather more. Do you really think they've judged the closing speed accurately, and worked out they can make it? Or just lucky this time?

[Dick Longbridge]

13 minutes ago, mat_the_cat said:

Your words, not mine.

I've not criticised the driver, but when two people have both taken action to reduce the risk of a crash, and the result is missing out on a collision by less than 2 seconds, it's difficult to argue that it was a safe decision. I only slowed by 10mph, but the oncoming car braked rather more. Do you really think they've judged the closing speed accurately, and worked out they can make it? Or just lucky this time?

I wouldn't take the poster seriously, fella. Your video clearly shows the car overtaking you dangerously. 

[jakebullet]

2 hours ago, Minimad5 said:

You do realise the general public are cunts ?

So some folk deem it necessary to wear such things to try and avoid cunty customer shouting and ranting at them. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Yes, but the shop have given them the lanyard to wear. It's the "may be slow" bit. It's unnecessary, and to tutting entitled grannies slow means slow , a polite* way to say retard / simpleton / low IQ. It's not speed of service.

I'd rather have got her than the regular staff. Normal* ones are hired on their ability to sound posh than to actually do the job properly. Too busy yapping, not my job m8 types. 

[carburettor]

3 hours ago, Minimad5 said:

You do realise the general public are cunts ?

So some folk deem it necessary to wear such things to try and avoid cunty customer shouting and ranting at them. 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️

Whilst shopping today there was a young lady in Primark with the usual work name badge and another more personal badge, it read please be patient I’m  deaf. She did have a speech impediment with that familiar lack of properly formed words in her speech. But you have to give these people credit for the willingness to pull their weight in society. 
I’m certain no one meant any nastiness towards disabled (less able?) people on here btw.

[Spurious]

Awaking the Audi from the winter slumber and I was going to check over the brakes and lube up the sliders/boots on the caliper. 

The lug nuts have seized on. Fack. 3ft breaker bar is bending but not shifting them. I think it's overdue that I buy that impact wrench I was promising myself.... I'm afraid I'll do damage bouncing on a breaker bar, they're only 17mm bolts. 

[Spurious]

9 minutes ago, Spurious said:

Awaking the Audi from the winter slumber and I was going to check over the brakes and lube up the sliders/boots on the caliper. 

The lug nuts have seized on. Fack. 3ft breaker bar is bending but not shifting them. I think it's overdue that I buy that impact wrench I was promising myself.... I'm afraid I'll do damage bouncing on a breaker bar, they're only 17mm bolts. 

This will be bloody why. I forgot the garage had to swap about the tyres. Fookers probably used a rattle gun as I always use a torque wrench for tightening lug nuts.

[Dyslexic Viking]

It is quite normal for the so called professionals to over tighten wheel bolts and wheel nuts. On the Vivaro I had to use a 2 meter pipe on the braker bar to loosen the wheel bolts on it.

[Spurious]

39 minutes ago, Dyslexic Viking said:

It is quite normal for the so called professionals to over tighten wheel bolts and wheel nuts. On the Vivaro I had to use a 2 meter pipe on the braker bar to loosen the wheel bolts on it.

They've lost my return business now. Too late to go back really. 

I remember the day I got the MOT done, I was nervously sitting in a cafe waiting, not becuse of the MOT but rather we'd put an offer on a house the day before and was waiting to hear from that. My mind was clearly elsewhere... 

 

EDIT 

They're off. All 100kg of me bouncing on a 5ft pipe I Found in the garage. 

So, 3 hours of faffing with plusgas, breaker bars wheel lugs and I didn't even get the job I wanted doing done.  They are torqued to the correct 110nm now however. 

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, Spurious said:

This will be bloody why. I forgot the garage had to swap about the tyres. Fookers probably used a rattle gun as I always use a torque wrench for tightening lug nuts.

I had the same issue as my local garage had overtightened the bolts on the Fabia. Was 17 1/2 stone of me on the breaker bar to get the feckers off.

[Spurious]

6 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

I had the same issue as my local garage had overtightened the bolts on the Fabia. Was 17 1/2 stone of me on the breaker bar to get the feckers off.

Imagine you'd the piddly little VW wheel brace at the side of the road trying to change a tyre. You'd be stuck if you didn't have breakdown cover... 

[AnnoyingPentium]

Just now, Spurious said:

Imagine you'd the piddly little VW wheel brace at the side of the road trying to change a tyre. You'd be stuck if you didn't have breakdown cover... 

Correct, thankfully I've got breakdown cover that I've not had to use (touches the fake wooden coffee table that is in front of me) so far. I tried using that with the expectation that the wheels hadn't actually been off on the Fabia, stupid wee thing was hopeless. The garage clearly FUBAR'ed a wheel bolt as I had a brand new and shiny one there. I didn't know that until I took the nut covers off.

[HillmanImp]

I'm watching an episode of Quantum Leap that was set 30yrs in the past from its broadcast date. 

But the actual episode is 32yrs old now, being broadcast in 1989.

It's just made me realise that programmes from the late 1980s are as old now as the Phil Silvers show was when I watched it, and it was fucking ancient wasn't it?

Christ, I'm old. I should've stopped with that but I then worked out that in 1989 Duck Soup was as old as The Monkees tv show is now and I'm doubly depressed.