cal16v's WIP

[cal16v]

Sometimes the simplest things...

4 LED globes into the back of the speedo. How long could it take really?

Well, first my rant...

Why VDO chose to run traces through the equivalent of cellophane I'll never know. Really? Much cheaper than a phenolic resin board and a few mounting screws... by how much? The cost of the mounting screws? Seriously?

4 globes swapped in and the unit and surrounding mouldings all back in place only to find the rev counter now isn't working. And because I'd taken out the cable at the gearbox end my first thoughts were I hadn't seated the cable in the drive correctly. Out with the cable again, and the drive gear this time only for it to all check out. So I put it all back in again having fitted a new o ring to the drive.

My eureka moments and nothing more than a little common sense, so it's no surprise when it dawns on me that the rev counter is not mechanical and therefore has nothing to do with the cable. So I continue to follow the crumbs laid down by common sense and determine that the cause of the failure is in the speedo unit, especially considering it was working before I removed it.

Needless to say after removing everything again it doesn't take long until I see the broken cellophane where the replacement globe had torn the ground trace clean in half. Thanks VDO you cheap b!@#$%

[Cliff]

Oh dear... a link wire/soldering iron or silver paint (that stuff for repairing heated rear windows) should get you on your way again. Not sure it can cure your frustration though but I totally get it!

[cal16v]

I should have mentioned earlier it's all working again. I did use a wire link but added 2 small copper eye terminals which I screwed through the trace and into the back of the speedo. I then soldered the wire to the terminals and then the terminals to the trace for good measure.

[cal16v]

On somewhat of a brighter note this morning I received the following in the post;

The seller very kindly included the relays and the additional harness required. I like that the elements themselves are edged taped and even the additional wiring is properly harnessed. The elements also can be trimmed to tailor the fit with additional edge tape supplied to complete the job properly.

[cal16v]

Ok I have a question...

Today I replaced the last of the oem globes being the headlight switch. Now finished with all LED'S in place. But I noticed that with the engine switched off and the headlights on, the globe in the switch doesn't light up. All the other switches light up though as expected. With engine lights or the engine running the globe lights up. Engine running and lights switched off and the switch globe stays on. Go figure...

Anyone else have the same?

[cal16v]

Referring to the above problem is now solved. I ended up wiring the globe to the dimmer feeds. Now the switch lights up only when the lights are turned on. Switch off and the globe doesn't light just like the rest of the dash switches.

[cal16v]

Started fitting the Regupol underlay in the rear sections of the floor. It moulds to the contours very well while remaining substantial... it's 10mm thick. Plan is to top it with a thinner layer of foam underlay before fitting the carpet. I'll post up some pics when I do the front section.

[cal16v]

Just laying out a plan for the new heated seat wiring. Found a shifty spot to mount the relays

[cal16v]

Ok, front underlay in place. Unfortunately I'm still waiting on the new carpet... was supposed to be here today

Anyway the task is not rocket science but some pics of what I used and how I went about things.

Fluted board 5mm... to level to base floor

Marking to cut around rear heater ducting

Regupol underlay in place

Just need to finish taping the foam around the edges in the passengers footwell (I ran out of cloth tape ) and layer either side of the tunnel to build up the carpet layer to finish flush with the sides of the center console.

[cal16v]

Better late than never.

[cal16v]

New carpet is now in place and I'm getting ready to send off the front seats for recovering.

Am a little disappointed in the number of hard creases the carpet arrived with from the manufacturer. I know in time these will fall out but as its the middle of winter here this will take some hot summer days and weight in the right places. Fit was good in the rear, not so good in the front but some strategic cuts and tucks and it looks ok now.

Pics up when the seats are done.

Also waiting on a time slot to have the exhaust finally tidied up... off with the rear rice bucket box to be replaced with a new muffler/twin tip arrangement.

[cal16v]

Finally remembered to fit the uprated boot struts (430N to 470N) I had bought a while back. Nice sure lift and hold now

I'm trying to figure out why the fuel flap pin sometimes fails to retract... I hear the solenoid working so maybe it's just an alignment issue? (While trying to sort this I had a crazy idea to fit a brolly tube from the B pillar to above the wheel arch, solenoid activated like in a Rolls...) Ha ha


Anyway now that the carpet is in it's time to run the permanent wiring for the heated seats and tuck that all out of the way. Refit the consoles blah blah

Exhaust booking for Tuesday morning fingers crossed.

[cal16v]

Another little task completed...

[cal16v]

Exhaust booking for tomorrow confirmed. Spent the day tidying up the consoles, leather gaiters etc. Seat wiring is now finished. Just all the little bits that always seem to get overlooked. Freshened up the seat belt stalks as they were badly faded.

Next job in the interior is to convert the heater panel to LED's and think about filling that empty shelf below with some gauges. Would dearly love an oil temp gauge somehow so if someone knows how please let me know.

TIA

[cal16v]

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