Wibble’s Wittering - Cortina, Senator & occasional Skoda & family ramblings, soz!

[Wibble]

16 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

It's rather good! Saves being crushed by a lorry too.

Absolutely, the Main Street was a nightmare with HGVs squeezing through. My dad started the campaign for a bypass in 1977!

[AnnoyingPentium]

22 minutes ago, Wibble said:

Absolutely, the Main Street was a nightmare with HGVs squeezing through. My dad started the campaign for a bypass in 1977!

Yep tell me about it! The bit where the Co-op is was always a terrible bit!

[Wibble]

14 minutes ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

Yep tell me about it! The bit where the Co-op is was always a terrible bit!

Think that was Templetons in my day🤔

[Wibble]

The MOT reminder arrived for the Senator on Friday but I still have the unresolved ABS light problem, so thought I’d take another look today.

First thing I found was the headlining has dropped whilst we’ve been away, was ok when we left, bloody great! The crack in the screen has also spread across to the driver’s side. At least I can claim for this, if one is available, although I know the chrome surround isn’t. It seems to be deteriorating rapidly since being evicted from the garage by the Cortina unfortunately.

I previously removed and cleaned the rear sensors and also cleaned the trigger rings so today I stripped the front brakes off to clean the sensors and trigger rings. Sensors quite dirty but cleaned as best I could given the rings are in the way. No difference sadly.

I did some more research and saw a mention that ABS sensors were unobtainable for these ( no shit!) but that Opel Kadett E ones fit. Or Astra Mk2 I assume. Anyway, these are about £17 rather than £145 so I’ve ordered one to try. If this fails I’m seriously considering moving the Senny on as a project, after only 23 years together🙁. I don’t even know for sure that it is a sensor but after swapping the ECU and voltage resistor relay, the only thing left is the pump/module itself and I can’t keep pouring money into it.

[Bren]

22 hours ago, Wibble said:

The MOT reminder arrived for the Senator on Friday but I still have the unresolved ABS light problem, so thought I’d take another look today.

First thing I found was the headlining has dropped whilst we’ve been away, was ok when we left, bloody great! The crack in the screen has also spread across to the driver’s side. At least I can claim for this, if one is available, although I know the chrome surround isn’t. It seems to be deteriorating rapidly since being evicted from the garage by the Cortina unfortunately.

I previously removed and cleaned the rear sensors and also cleaned the trigger rings so today I stripped the front brakes off to clean the sensors and trigger rings. Sensors quite dirty but cleaned as best I could given the rings are in the way. No difference sadly.

I did some more research and saw a mention that ABS sensors were unobtainable for these ( no shit!) but that Opel Kadett E ones fit. Or Astra Mk2 I assume. Anyway, these are about £17 rather than £145 so I’ve ordered one to try. If this fails I’m seriously considering moving the Senny on as a project, after only 23 years together🙁. I don’t even know for sure that it is a sensor but after swapping the ECU and voltage resistor relay, the only thing left is the pump/module itself and I can’t keep pouring money into it.

It's why my current SD1 will be my last. Expensive parts and lack of availability means at some point they will be difficult to keep going.

[Wibble]

Yep frustrating and sad.

[High Jetter]

2 hours ago, Bren said:

It's why my current SD1 will be my last. Expensive parts and lack of availability means at some point they will be difficult to keep going.

Dibs?

[Wibble]

I am just having a grump though, or maybe I shouldn’t given recent experience 🫤Wiblet junior has been quite firm in his opinion and would like the Senator to stay, so let’s see what happens.

Anyway, to cheer myself up, I took the Cortina for a drive today which has lightened my mood somewhat🙂

[Wibble]

A good day today. Took the Cortina over to work as the ABS sensor I’d ordered arrived yesterday and nobody told me, so picked that up.

Stopped at the supermarket on the way home and came out to find two guys looking at the car.  Turns out they didn’t know each other, just spotted it and went to look.  Both were very complementary and one stayed and asked if I could open the bonnet so he could see the engine. He talked for a while and said  he’d never felt quite as he did now, it brought back so many memories for him. I opened a door so he could see the interior and he said he even remembered the smell! Me too! He left saying he’d better go or he’d keep me all day but said I’d made his day.

Then a third guy came over asking if he could take a picture, to which I said of course!

I love the smiles this car gives people🙂

Anyway, the ABS sensor for the Senny looks exactly the same except it’s plastic:

 Now I just have to get the original out of the bracket without fucking either hopefully 🤞

Currently being soaked with PB Blaster

[Wibble]

Continuing with the Senator ABS problem:

I’ve found PB Blaster to be excellent but this was too big an ask. With the bracket clamped in a vice and mole  grips clamped to the sensor, as soon as I applied the slightest pressure to twist the sensor, the bracket broke. The bracket that is unobtainable of course 🙁

A glimmer of hope lies with our latest recruit at work, who has worked with metal his whole working life and seems to be able to fix anything. He reckons he can make me a new bracket in metal, or 3d print one in plastic, so there is still hope. 

The water  pump, heater matrix and windscreen are on hold until I can get this ABS issue sorted as I don’t see the point in spending time on these when I can’t currently get another MOT. I still feel quite 🤔confident that I’ll get there though 🙂

[Wibble]

This is the bracket my newest team member knocked up for me over the weekend and the new sensor fitted perfectly:

 

So, as soon as I got home I slid myself under the car to see if it would fit. First attempt the tip of the sensor was fouling the toothed ring, so I fitted a couple of washer between the diff housing and bracket, plugged it in took it for a drive.

Gave it some beans to the end of the road and this is the result:

It’s only bloody fixed!! No ABS light and I can’t tell you how fucking ecstatic I am!!! It’s taken over 12 months but is now resolved. Onwards!! 

[danthecapriman]

🥳🥳🥳👍

12 months! That must have been so frustrating! 
Glad you got it sorted though, fingers crossed for the MOT.

[Wibble]

21 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

🥳🥳🥳👍

12 months! That must have been so frustrating! 
Glad you got it sorted though, fingers crossed for the MOT.

Thanks! @danthecapriman It’s been a nightmare and I was starting to think I’d never get it sorted and ready to throw the towel in, so I’m so happy now. Next is to phone insurers to make  windscreen claim and see if this is something also unavailable😬. I know the screen moulding with chrome insert is unobtainable so it will look different with a universal black surround but fingers crossed we can get a screen🤞

[danthecapriman]

1 minute ago, Wibble said:

Thanks! @danthecapriman It’s been a nightmare and I was starting to think I’d never get it sorted and ready to throw the towel in, so I’m so happy now. Next is to phone insurers to make  windscreen claim and see if this is something also unavailable😬. I know the screen moulding with chrome insert is unobtainable so it will look different with a universal black surround but fingers crossed we can get a screen🤞

Hopefully they’ll be able to find one somewhere. Probably be a few days wait to source it?

I was chatting to an autoglass fitter a while back while he was doing my old work van screen and he looked up all my old cars and the screens were available still, even the Mercury! I reckon you’ll be fine.

[Wibble]

4 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Hopefully they’ll be able to find one somewhere. Probably be a few days wait to source it?

I was chatting to an autoglass fitter a while back while he was doing my old work van screen and he looked up all my old cars and the screens were available still, even the Mercury! I reckon you’ll be fine.

Thanks for this, sounds promising then🤞These issues have been haunting me since the very beginning of my thread and I feel much more positive now 🙂. I’ll ring them tomorrow and see where we go….

[mitsisigma01]

I came across a website that did the rubber mouldings for windscreens and the associated trims .....

But can I fkin find it now....

No...

Sorry 

[Wibble]

2 minutes ago, mitsisigma01 said:

I came across a website that did the rubber mouldings for windscreens and the associated trims .....

But can I fkin find it now....

No...

Sorry 

Thanks @mitsisigma01I have the part number and have searched the world to no avail! So generic black I think it will be!

[mitsisigma01]

The website did it by the profile of the rubber .... I can't remember which car I was searching for, something obscure and the rubber was cut and glued/formed/welded to suit if you had an old one to measure from or supplied by length ..... I did have it saved ... somewhere 🤷🏼‍♂️

[Wibble]

Thanks @mitsisigma01, I’ll have a look but I spoke to a windscreen guy some time ago and he said the chrome insert had some kind of teath which would be destroyed on removal and was irreplaceable. I’ve seen other Senators on line that no longer have the chrome surround, I guess for this reason. He strongly recommended I don’t let a general auto glass type outfit do the replacement, as it needs an experienced fitter but I don’t see that I’ll have much choice. Let’s see what happens I suppose but today ends on a good note🙂

[Wibble]

Rang insurers today and got put through to Auto Windscreens. Chap there probably needs to find a job he enjoys more. Really disinterested and can only follow the set script. “Where is the damage?” “Crack from passenger side bottom corner, to driver’s side eye line”, says I. He responds, “ Is it longer than 4cm?”🤔

He then offered next available slot at their Reading branch for 20th September. I explained that the MOT expired last week and I’d rather not drive that far without one. He then said, “What are you saying then?” I repeated myself and he said “Oh, do you want a mobile fitter then?”  “Er, yes please” I replied. “No appointments available” he came back with. “What, ever!?” Says I. “Oh, OK, I’ll  put you on the list and they’ll be in touch when an appointment is available, I’m putting you through to our payment system now so you can pay the excess, do you want new wiper blades for only£31.95?”, “Er, no, thanks for your help”.

Actually the most amusing call I’ve had for a while but doesn’t fill me with confidence for what’s to come😆

[AnnoyingPentium]

They tried to sell me wiper blades too when I had the windscreen done on my car. I declined since I'd bought some a month earlier.

[Wibble]

Yep, mine are new too and didn’t cost their special offer price of £31.95 !

[Wibble]

Here we go then, call from Auto windscreens today. “Just want to check if the screen has an antenna built in?” It doesn’t, I think earlier ones did but I’d been asked this yesterday by their fine ambassador. Maybe they knew him and thought they’d better check! Anyway best to be sure.

They asked me to hold whilst they checked stock…..”All our suppliers show this as out of stock, I’ll look into this and call you back this afternoon”

Still waiting…..

[mitsisigma01]

Have you learnt to read German and looked on German forums 🤔

[mitsisigma01]

Or even German windscreen suppliers 🤔

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Or even German windscreen suppliers 🤔

Google translate works for me😁. I have spent the last year trawling European sites for parts and have found a screen in Germany but it’s collection only. 
Still waiting that call back from Auto Windscreens….

[Wibble]

Still no call back and the one I found, whilst it would fit, has no top tint and has the antenna I don’t need. I’ll be calling them Tuesday but hoping this doesn’t become a similar saga to the ABS sensor.

What really pissed me off about that whole ABS saga was that when searching by part number, or description, it always said there were no alternative parts that would work, which I now know is wrong. It was only by chance that some Lotus Carlton Facebook page was lamenting on the unavailability of ABS sensors and someone posted simply “these fit”. Who knew?! I came across this by chance in my weekly google search for them, as I don’t do Facebook. And why hasn’t someone shared this secret before, even specialists?! It would have saved a whole year of grief for me for £17 fucking quid and not the £145 for unavailable ones with correct part numbers!

I hope any other Senator or Carlton owners know this now. Hopefully a google search by them might show this, “Opel Kadett E or late Vauxhall Astra Mk2 ABS sensors fit Carlton’s, Senator Bs and Omega As even though they are a different part number!”

Sorry, rant over, frustration vented😔

[mitsisigma01]

On 9/15/2022 at 6:41 PM, Wibble said:

Google translate works for me😁. I have spent the last year trawling European sites for parts and have found a screen in Germany but it’s collection only. 
Still waiting that call back from Auto Windscreens….

Road trip 🍻🍻🍺

[Wibble]

1 hour ago, mitsisigma01 said:

Road trip 🍻🍻🍺

😆I’d so love that!!🥢🥃🍺

[mitsisigma01]

Whereabouts in Germany?

And whereabouts are you?