The Joy of Running an Old Shed (Vol 2)
Discussion
Well my shed Audi A4 convertible might not make it to the next MOT in a couple of weeks time - was hoping for another years worth out of it. 
Had a pretty constant TC light on even after changing the offending wheel sensor, tests were done and all wheel speed sensors were working correctly.
The ecu on the abs pump have a tendancy to throw up spurious error messages when they get a bit old apparently.
Sent the ecu away for testing and it was confirmed that it was throwing out the odd incorrect error message.
Got it back and plugged it in and the previous error messages were gone !
Then came a whole heap of weird stuff and more error messages than i started with !!
Currently got every TC/ABS/ESP error symbol/light displayed on the dashboard - don't think its going to get through the MOT like this ?!
Has been a very frustrating last couple of days
Had a pretty constant TC light on even after changing the offending wheel sensor, tests were done and all wheel speed sensors were working correctly.
The ecu on the abs pump have a tendancy to throw up spurious error messages when they get a bit old apparently.
Sent the ecu away for testing and it was confirmed that it was throwing out the odd incorrect error message.
Got it back and plugged it in and the previous error messages were gone !
Then came a whole heap of weird stuff and more error messages than i started with !!
Currently got every TC/ABS/ESP error symbol/light displayed on the dashboard - don't think its going to get through the MOT like this ?!
Has been a very frustrating last couple of days
SimonTheSailor said:
Well my shed Audi A4 convertible might not make it to the next MOT in a couple of weeks time - was hoping for another years worth out of it.
Then came a whole heap of weird stuff and more error messages than i started with !!
Currently got every TC/ABS/ESP error symbol/light displayed on the dashboard - don't think its going to get through the MOT like this ?!
Did the battery get a bit low on charge while the unit was away? Just wondering because my mid 2000s BMWs throw all sorts of random warning lights up when the battery is getting, tired so Audis may do the same. Then came a whole heap of weird stuff and more error messages than i started with !!
Currently got every TC/ABS/ESP error symbol/light displayed on the dashboard - don't think its going to get through the MOT like this ?!
Can you get the codes read again and maybe cleared, that sometimes works.
Might be worth seeing if a car the age that yours is needs to have functioning TC/ABS/ESP - if not are they part of the MOT?
Fingers crossed it may not matter. Like millions of others I drove loads of cars that had none of those features and never missed them!
I did ponder about the battery as I know all sorts of crap can happen, but the ECU was only away for a few days and it had a long run to get where I am now.
I can read/clear the codes so I have some control over things.
The same thing keeps coming up ' Rotation Rate Sensor, reference wiring' - think this is a yaw control unit. I don't know why it would stop working all of a sudden, it's under the back seat, wasn't touched by anything.
I can read/clear the codes so I have some control over things.
The same thing keeps coming up ' Rotation Rate Sensor, reference wiring' - think this is a yaw control unit. I don't know why it would stop working all of a sudden, it's under the back seat, wasn't touched by anything.
Might it have got wet?
I know quite a few BMW Z4 owners have had issues with those sensors which are under the passenger seat, usually because water gets in from leaks around the door membrane or seals.
Might be worth checking if the carpet is damp and having a look at the electrical contacts.
Hope you can fix it - scrapping a working car for some random electrical issue just seems wrong in a world that claims to be obsessed with sustainability.
I know quite a few BMW Z4 owners have had issues with those sensors which are under the passenger seat, usually because water gets in from leaks around the door membrane or seals.
Might be worth checking if the carpet is damp and having a look at the electrical contacts.
Hope you can fix it - scrapping a working car for some random electrical issue just seems wrong in a world that claims to be obsessed with sustainability.
SimonTheSailor said:
I did ponder about the battery as I know all sorts of crap can happen, but the ECU was only away for a few days and it had a long run to get where I am now.
I can read/clear the codes so I have some control over things.
The same thing keeps coming up ' Rotation Rate Sensor, reference wiring' - think this is a yaw control unit. I don't know why it would stop working all of a sudden, it's under the back seat, wasn't touched by anything.
A long run won't sort out a failing battery. It will still be failing.I can read/clear the codes so I have some control over things.
The same thing keeps coming up ' Rotation Rate Sensor, reference wiring' - think this is a yaw control unit. I don't know why it would stop working all of a sudden, it's under the back seat, wasn't touched by anything.
It may be worth trying a new fully charged battery.
Particularly if you can borrow one.
Well, listen to this chaps.
I was thinking of you over the weekend. I had a phone call at 11:00 at night to say the wheel had come of their Auris (2007 2.0 diesel).
I won't bore with the details of the long and protracted recovery which took 24 hours for a 20 mile trip, but when it was eventually trundled off the lorry in my yard, the rear right wheel was obviously misaligned.
On further investigation, the beam axle had snapped about 3 inches inside the wheel bearing, I haven't had the thing apart to have a look, but I suspect it's corrosion.
New beam axle, with a 10 year warranty, £155 from Ebay, but a bit of a sorry tale that a Toyota should let me down quite so dramatically.
I was thinking of you over the weekend. I had a phone call at 11:00 at night to say the wheel had come of their Auris (2007 2.0 diesel).
I won't bore with the details of the long and protracted recovery which took 24 hours for a 20 mile trip, but when it was eventually trundled off the lorry in my yard, the rear right wheel was obviously misaligned.
On further investigation, the beam axle had snapped about 3 inches inside the wheel bearing, I haven't had the thing apart to have a look, but I suspect it's corrosion.
New beam axle, with a 10 year warranty, £155 from Ebay, but a bit of a sorry tale that a Toyota should let me down quite so dramatically.
bearman68 said:
Well, listen to this chaps.
I was thinking of you over the weekend. I had a phone call at 11:00 at night to say the wheel had come of their Auris (2007 2.0 diesel).
I won't bore with the details of the long and protracted recovery which took 24 hours for a 20 mile trip, but when it was eventually trundled off the lorry in my yard, the rear right wheel was obviously misaligned.
On further investigation, the beam axle had snapped about 3 inches inside the wheel bearing, I haven't had the thing apart to have a look, but I suspect it's corrosion.
New beam axle, with a 10 year warranty, £155 from Ebay, but a bit of a sorry tale that a Toyota should let me down quite so dramatically.
In normal circumstances, one would of scrapped that at this point, but no this 2007 Auris is a working tool, in your case bearman as a shed rental, which will happily crack on with the new axle for a good few more years giving someone a set of wheels and freedom, to go about with - great shedding again, fix it and carry on..and this is why I hate this throw away society (most of the population) have become now, very sad.I was thinking of you over the weekend. I had a phone call at 11:00 at night to say the wheel had come of their Auris (2007 2.0 diesel).
I won't bore with the details of the long and protracted recovery which took 24 hours for a 20 mile trip, but when it was eventually trundled off the lorry in my yard, the rear right wheel was obviously misaligned.
On further investigation, the beam axle had snapped about 3 inches inside the wheel bearing, I haven't had the thing apart to have a look, but I suspect it's corrosion.
New beam axle, with a 10 year warranty, £155 from Ebay, but a bit of a sorry tale that a Toyota should let me down quite so dramatically.
Mr Tidy said:
Might it have got wet?
I know quite a few BMW Z4 owners have had issues with those sensors which are under the passenger seat, usually because water gets in from leaks around the door membrane or seals.
Might be worth checking if the carpet is damp and having a look at the electrical contacts.
Hope you can fix it - scrapping a working car for some random electrical issue just seems wrong in a world that claims to be obsessed with sustainability.
I do know of the water ingress woes. Last summer i found puddles of water under the drivers side carpets. Obviously got very worried as i had heard of control modules under the carpet, fortunatley they are on the passenger side and that was completely dry. Checked their again yesterday and still dry.I know quite a few BMW Z4 owners have had issues with those sensors which are under the passenger seat, usually because water gets in from leaks around the door membrane or seals.
Might be worth checking if the carpet is damp and having a look at the electrical contacts.
Hope you can fix it - scrapping a working car for some random electrical issue just seems wrong in a world that claims to be obsessed with sustainability.
I do still have to check the main ecu which is at the bottom of the screen which i'll do tomorrow.
I would like to try another battery but can't get my hands on one at the moment.
Just can't understand its gone from one simple error code of a wheel speed sensor to more illuminations than Blackpool !!
Just posted the ABS ECU back again..........
QBee said:
A long run won't sort out a failing battery. It will still be failing.
It may be worth trying a new fully charged battery.
Particularly if you can borrow one.
Thinking about it I bought a Yuasa 5yr guarantee battery from Halfords last year.It may be worth trying a new fully charged battery.
Particularly if you can borrow one.
Might drive it back there tomorrow for them to test it ....
SimonTheSailor said:
QBee said:
A long run won't sort out a failing battery. It will still be failing.
It may be worth trying a new fully charged battery.
Particularly if you can borrow one.
Thinking about it I bought a Yuasa 5yr guarantee battery from Halfords last year.It may be worth trying a new fully charged battery.
Particularly if you can borrow one.
Might drive it back there tomorrow for them to test it ....
Out of my 3 shed fleet, I went from two working and one with a bad oil leak on Friday, to two not working and one with a bad oil leak by Sunday morning.
Shed 1, 2005 Nissan X Trail, urgently needs new brake pads.
No problem, went and bought them, only to discover that the locking wheel nut removal gadget has done a runner.
Nowhere to be found.
Shed 2 - wife's 1999 Saab 9-5. She couldn't get the key out of the ignition, and nor could I. We had this problem 5 months ago and replaced the iginition barrel and keys, so for this to happen again was at least familiar territory. I tried everthing I could think of, including moving the auto gear lever back and forward to get the car to register that it was in PARK, all to no avail. Car runs, but you can't lock it and can't leave it anywhere with the key visible in the ingition.
Shed 3 - my 2002 Saab 9-5 - still got the oil leak that nobody can accurately locate.
Sunday morning I called the RAC out.
6 hour delay, but I was working and my wife was cooking, so only the dogs were bothered, and they just went back to sleep.
RAC guy came within 5 minutes of the estimated time mid-afternoon.
Saab took one look at him and allowed the key to be removed after about 90 seconds of trying. Always the way.
It is still actually doing the fault occasionally, but I managed to fix it and think it is the gear lever position sensor, so will research that next.
While he was there I congratulated him on his quick fix and asked tentatively if he knew how to get locking wheel nuts off without the gadget.
He smiled, got out his removal kit and proceeded to remove all 4 nuts with tool, hammer and long bar and without a lot of trouble.
Nissan can now have its pads changed when I have an hour to spare.
And I think I have located the second Saab oil leak to somewhere near the turbo, so today I will put a sheet of cardboard under the engine, start the car and let it run, and see if I can see where the oil/burning oil smoke is coming from. Boroscope ordered from Amazon to help with looking around the awkward bits at the rear of the engine
So, Cinderella, you can go to the meetings 100+ miles away on Thursday. With possibly a choice of shed transport.
And park your scruffy shed next to the rows of shiny electric company cars.
Shed 1, 2005 Nissan X Trail, urgently needs new brake pads.
No problem, went and bought them, only to discover that the locking wheel nut removal gadget has done a runner.
Nowhere to be found.
Shed 2 - wife's 1999 Saab 9-5. She couldn't get the key out of the ignition, and nor could I. We had this problem 5 months ago and replaced the iginition barrel and keys, so for this to happen again was at least familiar territory. I tried everthing I could think of, including moving the auto gear lever back and forward to get the car to register that it was in PARK, all to no avail. Car runs, but you can't lock it and can't leave it anywhere with the key visible in the ingition.
Shed 3 - my 2002 Saab 9-5 - still got the oil leak that nobody can accurately locate.
Sunday morning I called the RAC out.
6 hour delay, but I was working and my wife was cooking, so only the dogs were bothered, and they just went back to sleep.
RAC guy came within 5 minutes of the estimated time mid-afternoon.
Saab took one look at him and allowed the key to be removed after about 90 seconds of trying. Always the way.
It is still actually doing the fault occasionally, but I managed to fix it and think it is the gear lever position sensor, so will research that next.
While he was there I congratulated him on his quick fix and asked tentatively if he knew how to get locking wheel nuts off without the gadget.
He smiled, got out his removal kit and proceeded to remove all 4 nuts with tool, hammer and long bar and without a lot of trouble.
Nissan can now have its pads changed when I have an hour to spare.
And I think I have located the second Saab oil leak to somewhere near the turbo, so today I will put a sheet of cardboard under the engine, start the car and let it run, and see if I can see where the oil/burning oil smoke is coming from. Boroscope ordered from Amazon to help with looking around the awkward bits at the rear of the engine
So, Cinderella, you can go to the meetings 100+ miles away on Thursday. With possibly a choice of shed transport.
And park your scruffy shed next to the rows of shiny electric company cars.
BenS94 said:
If it happens again, could you not put a hat or something over the keys in the ignition when parked, then use the internal central locking to lock all doors bar one? Had a similar issue with an old Clio but you could remove the keys.
That's a thought - as you most likely know, the keys in a Saab sit just behind the gear lever, as it is a transmission lock, not steering lockKicked the tyres, topped up the washer fluid and headed off at 5am on a 400 plus mile, 10 hour round trip, passing through Brecon with 3 inches of snow en route at times in the trusty £500 Mk1 Focus 1.6 last week, she never missed a beat, loved the twisties (even on the £35 budgets), and was toasty warm inside the whole time, with a lovely clear heated screen. Got back home fresh as a daisy.
If someone had bought the jigs off Ford and started building these in India I would buy a brand new one in a heartbeat.
If someone had bought the jigs off Ford and started building these in India I would buy a brand new one in a heartbeat.
Edited by PAUL.S. on Tuesday 5th March 13:15
The previously unimpeachable Civic has been immobilised by a small rusty screw straight through the tyre tread. Should hopefully be repairable as the wife's decided we need at least one more modern car on the drive, so the Civic will be moving on in a couple of months, and don't fancy fitting a new tyre.
bodhi said:
The previously unimpeachable Civic has been immobilised by a small rusty screw straight through the tyre tread. Should hopefully be repairable as the wife's decided we need at least one more modern car on the drive, so the Civic will be moving on in a couple of months, and don't fancy fitting a new tyre.
PAUL.S. said:
Kicked the tyres, topped up the washer fluid and headed off at 5am on a 400 plus mile, 10 hour round trip, passing through Brecon with 3 inches of snow en route at times in the trusty £500 Mk1 Focus 1.6 last week, she never missed a beat, loved the twisties (even on the £35 budgets), and was toasty warm inside the whole time, with a lovely clear heated screen. Got back home fresh as a daisy.
If someone had bought the jigs off Ford and started building these in India I would buy a brand new one in a heartbeat.
Ford should bring them back. It would save the brand. If someone had bought the jigs off Ford and started building these in India I would buy a brand new one in a heartbeat.
Edited by PAUL.S. on Tuesday 5th March 13:15
Talking of Ford's and Focus's.........what do we think a 2006 1.6 Titanium 5dr maybe be worth ? With 65K miles and 18 stamps at the same Ford dealer, cambelt done recent , excellent condition.
Worth a lot more because of service history and mileage or still an 18 yr old Ford so this history doesn't add much on ?
Worth a lot more because of service history and mileage or still an 18 yr old Ford so this history doesn't add much on ?
SimonTheSailor said:
Talking of Ford's and Focus's.........what do we think a 2006 1.6 Titanium 5dr maybe be worth ? With 65K miles and 18 stamps at the same Ford dealer, cambelt done recent , excellent condition.
Worth a lot more because of service history and mileage or still an 18 yr old Ford so this history doesn't add much on ?
We recently sold a 2000 W reg astra mk4 1.6 85k. It had a service history but not full, but did have a recent cam belt change and MOT history was clean with 4 decent tyres. Got £850 for it. I reckon you are going to do well if you get £1300. Worth a lot more because of service history and mileage or still an 18 yr old Ford so this history doesn't add much on ?
At £1250 you’ll not struggle to sell it. Its the sort of car you should be giving to a relative.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff