Smart Roadster wrangling writing

[Sigmund Fraud]

Splendid work !

Oh, and I think most of us have stories of fitting "removed from a running car, M8" parts without checking them. In my case, this includes small* parts that are easy* to replace again, like engines and gearboxes...

[Jimblob]

Sorry the replacement starter was duff. I bought it on ebay a few weeks ago, I'll try and get a refund for it and if I do I'll send you the money towards the new one

[Mac69400]

2 minutes ago, Jimblob said:

Sorry the replacement starter was duff. I bought it on ebay a few weeks ago, I'll try and get a refund for it and if I do I'll send you the money towards the new one

Not at all, Jim. It seems fairly clear from the interest you had that I've had an absolute bargain regardless. If you get any money back, put it towards the 504, and tell us all about it. 

[Agila]

It's better with a new starter anyway on a job like this, hopefully it sees the car out so it doesn't have to get done again.

Great thread. My balls were too small and skills/time too limited but what an epic little thing this will be when done.

[Mac69400]

No playing with the Smart today. Gives my hands a chance to heal up, though. 

[Mac69400]

The starter turned up this morning. I have stuff to do every morning, and I had to take a friend to an oncology appointment this afternoon. I reckoned I could squeeze a quick hour in on the car, and fitted the starter - after I'd checked it worked,  this time. Happy days. I started putting things back into the tiny engine hole, and realised I was running out of time. 

A quick tidy up of tools and I reconnected the battery briefly to lock the car, turned my back on the bastard thing and the bonnet blew shut. The battery is under the bonnet, or frunk, or whatever it's called. I already knew the keyhole in the passenger door was seized, so I now had a locked car with no way of getting in. Awesome. 

Off to the hospital to find out my friend has to stop her chemotherapy for a while. I think she's secretly relieved. While I was there, I saw my consultant by chance. Much to @R Lutz's delight no doubt, it turns out I'm entitled to PIP under SR1, because I'm expected to die within 12 months. Not only that, it's going to be backdated to the beginning of May. It's not a huge surprise, I've been dicking about with lung cancer for almost five years now. 

Anyway, while I was at the hospital I found out from evilution.co.uk  it was a piece of piss to break into a Smart Roadster. It's a very useful site that's well worth the few quid a year a subscription costs. 

So I did just that. It's a bit of a concern for the future, it took me 10 minutes to find what I needed and about 30 seconds to get into it. I need to research security measures.

The upshot is, it started on the key first try. While running it up to temperature, I found  a USB phone charger in the passenger footwell and a Bluetooth thing in the ashtray. I was able to connect my phone and listen to Eat Static on the drive. My poor neighbours. The only tiny problem is a bad earth on the NSR lights. It's a common problem and easily sorted. 

I ran out of time to get the bodywork back on and drive the thing, but I'm over the moon that it starts on the key. I drove it 120 miles back after we bumped it when I collected it so I know it drove well before I fucked about with it. Fingers crossed it still does. If it wasn't dark I'd still be up there fitting the bumper. What a day I've had! 

 

[dean36014]

Really sorry to hear about the cancer diagnosis.

[R Lutz]

8 hours ago, Mac69400 said:

Much to @R Lutz's delight no doubt, it turns out I'm entitled to PIP under SR1, because I'm expected to die within 12 months. Not only that, it's going to be backdated to the beginning of May. It's not a huge surprise, I've been dicking about with lung cancer for almost five years now. 

As much as I chased Fraud & Error for DWP, and some of my cases have appeared in the press, I fought for PIP to be payable to cancer sufferers as I nursed my mam to her death with cancer. Technically, she wasn't able to claim PIP.  Neither could women with breast cancer (my mam had ovarian cancer). I am sorry to hear of your diagnosis. 

[Jimblob]

It's a bit late to tell you (!) but I think the passenger door lock DOES work. There is a rubber ring  around the keyhole that I put there for cosmetic purposes but I recall it stops the key going in far enough to turn the lock...  

REALLY glad its working now and I hope you get to enjoy it prove the medics wrong for a lot longer than 12 months

[Mac69400]

Fantastic! Without a doubt I'll lock myself out of it again, so that's very good to know. 

It's Hymer MOT day today. Always a worry. The ex @ruffgeezer's dad's van passed last week, and I see the Smart could go in any time now. While I prefer summertime MOTs, I think three in a month might be a stretch. 

[ruffgeezer]

Congrats on the horrible van getting another MOT.

Well done on persevering with the starter. Im sure we've all had jobs like that in the past, I can think of a couple, I know.

We always used to put a few drops of oil into the bushings of new starter motors, I had an old oil can with whatever engine pil was about in it, but I'm sure a bit of 3 in 1 or similar would do the trick.

[Mac69400]

It's getting better at starting in this warm weather, too. Just needs some cheap tyres and a numberplate bulb and it'll be perfect. 

The starter is buried so deep now that it's not getting any oil. I hope never to see the bloody thing again!