Car D.I.Y.

[Fastpedaller]

Its not likely a transformer, but a 3 legged regulator. They have thermal protection if they get too hot. A higher Watt rated regulator would be better.

I generally want double the capacity of the power unit than the load demand

Ok, I think I understand . Why would the one in my kit car fail in the same time frame as the one in the Ka+, even though it's done only 1/10 of the hours or mileage, and when the battery wasn't even connected?

 

[CXRAndy]

Ok, I think I understand . Why would the one in my kit car fail in the same time frame as the one in the Ka+, even though it's done only 1/10 of the hours or mileage, and when the battery wasn't even connected?

Don't know, there is not always an obvious reason.

A quick test to see if overheating is the cause, set up a fan or hairdryer on cold to blow air across the regulator. If they operate normally, you have your answer

 

[Fastpedaller]

A bit more investigation today has revealed:-
Ka+ has 5V to the mini usb, but it seems this cuts after a while and reverts to the internal battery of the dashcam, hence the cutting out once the internal battery has been drained. I didn't do an exhaustive test because having used the cam via the lead direct from the 12V acc plug, it will possibly take soem time to drain the internal battery. Wife will report back tomorrow after using via the ign-feed hardwire.
Kit car - no voltage readout on meter - I've not had a chance to look into whether the fuse has blown, but think that's unlikely.
My thinking is....... regulator on kit car has failed, regulator on Ka+ is overheating and cutting out. I suspect (as they've both been used ok for over a year) that it's a very weird coincidence given the very diverse usage of both. Maybe it's a combination of overheating due to heat wave ambient temperature and electrical heating both occuring at the same time leading to failure?

 

[Pinno718]

Did the gruppo on the Porker with Lanoguard. 750ml to do the whole shebang. It now smells like a sheep. I must have got some on the exhaust. I now know what a warm sheep smells like*.

*No funny business you lot.

 

[VinSumRox]

Did the gruppo on the Porker with Lanoguard. 750ml to do the whole shebang. It now smells like a sheep. I must have got some on the exhaust. I now know what a warm sheep smells like*.

*No funny business you lot.

Don't know what you mean 🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑

 

[fossyant]

Yes yes. Me and Fossyant both use it, rate it very highly.

It's good stuff

 

[fossyant]

Need to replace the front pads on the Vivaro shortly. Best done before MOT/Service package as I no doubt £60 for a set of Brembo pads DIY will be much less than a dealer replacement during the 'service'.

 

[fossyant]

Here's a weird puzzle for car DIY. I fitted a front dash cam to my Wife's car (ka+) and my kit car, and both dash cams have been working ok for over a year. On both cars I hard-wired the supply via an aftermarket transformer powered from an ignition activated fuse on the fusebox. The one in the Ka+ started giving problems a couple of weeks ago - it kept turning off and on, and it seemed as though it wasn't getting the electrical feed via the mini USB connector. It will only continue a few seconds using its internal battery, hence the turning on and off, although it has enough juice (if left unused for a long period) to retain the date and time settings. I unplugged the dash cam in the ka+ and replaced it with the one from my kit car, but the problem was still there, so I switched them back again. If using a 'plug in the accessory 12v' feed to the mini usb, the dashcam works as expected. So, we have a short-term fix. I checked the feed from the fuse box with a multi-meter, and it's correct, so my initial though was the transformer (12V to 5V had fried itself).
Now here's the real puzzler...........
Last week the dash cam in the kit car stopped working! I haven't had a chance to check the supply with the meter, but since I previously used the car (the dash cam was working ok at the time) I'd removed the battery and put it on smart-charge in the garage. Similar problem, and again if It's powered from the accessory plug it works ok. The only (weird and obscure) reason I can think is if both transformers have failed due to high ambient temperature within the cars during the recent heatwave. Anyone got any other ideas? ETA I'll get the multi-meter on the fuse box of the kit car to ensure there is a feed when I'm next able to stop fixing the Wife's car problems.

Bets on the hardwire kit going wonky on both. Try a new one. Not expensive.

 

[Fastpedaller]

Bets on the hardwire kit going wonky on both. Try a new one. Not expensive.

New one on its way. I agree - I can't see how it can be anything else

 

[Adam4868]

Not really DIY but gave my daughters new car a bit of a valet....polished and waxed,tyres and alloys cleaned,vacuumed and polished inside all ready for her to go out with her friends and fill it with rubbish from the drive through 😁
Only bonus is it was 90 quid cheaper for me to be on the insurance....actually love the car to drive myself !

 

[Pinno718]

Wax on, wax off.
Nice job Adam san.

[edited]

 

[Drago]

Not really DIY but gave my daughters new car a bit of a valet....polished and waxed,tyres and alloys cleaned,vacuumed and polished inside all ready for her to go out with her friends and fill it with rubbish from the drive through 😁
Only bonus is it was 90 quid cheaper for me to be on the insurance....actually love the car to drive myself !
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My BiL (the nice one) has a Golf 1.0 turbo. They not really my thing- I love tiny cars, I love huge cars, but practical in-between sizes leave me cold. Nevertheless, its a nice drive and gets up the road surprisingly well.

 

[Drago]

Replaced the woeful washer jets on the van with improved versions from a Passat.

Standard Jets are regular squirty ones and for some reasons are a serious PITA to aim, bending my wiper jet tool when I tried.

The Passat ones spray a fine mist and while there is some minor up/down adjustment they don't need the aim adjusting as such. Straight swap without any tools required, and theyre perfect. A vast improvement for a mere £8.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I’ve got a broken interior door handle
It was possibly damaged in the high winds of a few weeks ago, but has recently broken all together

Is it just a push-fit, or does the door-card require removing all together? (I presume not)
I think l have some ‘trim-removal tools’, to take the infill panel out without chewing up the edges with a screwdriver
Just got to find them!

 

[Drago]

Thats bad Mr T.

My guess. The top part strews in. Them outer textured part ofnthe handle is a panel that looks like it can be prised off with a trim tool which will then reveal the mounting screws. I think, at any rate.

Looks like the top screw has pulled through the handle. A washer to increase the size of the screw head might salvage it.