Just picked mine up- with a few issues

[madmarsie]

Happy days, just collected my n reg 400 from cambridge and driven 150miles back. WHAT A COOL CAR!!! . Anyhoo, now i have a couple of issues(am sure there will be more a i dig deeeper)

Firstly, does anyone have a photo of what all the switches/warning lamps are for?

1-no instrument lights?
2-what i thought was the panel light dimmer (next to the boot switch) actually controls the speed of the fan blower??? as well as the alloy one on the dash so i am guessing an earth fault
3- head/side/fog light buttons appear to be in the wrong order (side light nearest driver, then head then fog nearest centre)
4- no brake lights
5- engine fans running all time, good in traffic jam on way home but rest of way was below 70 degrees on guage
6-no high beam warning

Thanks in advance for any info you can give me
Cheers
Paul

[shake n bake]

Left side under the steering wheel side on the dash will be a button switch, that's your dash lights.

[shake n bake]

Do you know if your new ones had a dash change? Congrats on the purchase by the way, pics up soon please!

[ianwayne]

1. There's another push button by your left knee that turns off instrument lights
2. Early models have an additional blower for the footwell controlled by the rotary switch you describe. Only good for roasting your right leg if I remember correctly (I now have a W reg Chimaera that doesn't have this)

Others may be able to advise on the rest

[madmarsie]

Thanks guys on both counts. Found the switch at the other side of the column so panel lights all good. And yes, the rotary switch on the outside of the column fires up the lower blowers so all good there too.

I now think the light switches may be correct, i assumed the buttons tallied up with the logos below them (i.e side light nearest centre) but have now go high beam light and i can see they arent so hopefully thats how they should go

brake lights next

[ukdj]

madmarsie said:

Happy days, just collected my n reg 400 from cambridge and driven 150miles back. WHAT A COOL CAR!!! . Anyhoo, now i have a couple of issues(am sure there will be more a i dig deeeper)

Firstly, does anyone have a photo of what all the switches/warning lamps are for?

1-no instrument lights?
2-what i thought was the panel light dimmer (next to the boot switch) actually controls the speed of the fan blower??? as well as the alloy one on the dash so i am guessing an earth fault
3- head/side/fog light buttons appear to be in the wrong order (side light nearest driver, then head then fog nearest centre)
4- no brake lights
5- engine fans running all time, good in traffic jam on way home but rest of way was below 70 degrees on guage
6-no high beam warning

Thanks in advance for any info you can give me
Cheers
Paul

1) as others have said check switch by left knee for instrument lights on/off

2) again as others have said early cars had extra blower in driver footwell

3) have seen that switch order before but this can be changed easily just need to take the lower panel out and move the switches around

4) Check the brakelight switch on the pedal assembly ( take the wires off and touch them together & check if you have brake lights if so the switch is the issue, can be opened & repaired or 10-ish part Peugot 205 & some fords too I believe.

5) Previous owner may have added a fan overide switch either under dash or sometimes on the stalk (pull back or push forward to activate) if not that check the otter switch (two wire connector) located either in the swirl tank or radiator, this may have been shorted together to get the fans running if the otter switch is kaput.

6) possible blown bulb in the blue tell tale, check this when you take dash panel off to move switches around.

Regards

UKDJ

[l6rth]

My n Redg chim light switches are in the same order as yours so I wouldn't change that, the illumination on the dash is in the same order so it must be right.

[madmarsie]

I have swapped the icon display around so now starting from the centre

switches-
fog light
dip beam
side light

icon display
fog light-orange
high beam-blue
side light-green



Before i swapped it -
switches-
fog light-lit up side light icon orange

side light- lit up fog icon green

so i removed the icon display and turned it around. Now all is as it should be. Apart from clock still wont work.

[madmarsie]

Also fixed the brake light switch with a landrover switch i had

[madmarsie]

Now most of the minor problems have been sorted its time to start on the more major ones. Got a nice prezzie from the postman yesterday morning


So i started to strip the old standard brakes


and found the cause of the brake judder


Comparison of old vs new


at the same time i did the rear brakes


So now have a full set of new upgraded brakes. Unfortunately i cannot test them until next week when my new wheels turn up
Paul

[Chuffmeister]

I remember going to see your car about October 2012 advertised in Essex. The brakes vibrated quite badly then. It mustn't have been driven much since if they're only just being replaced now.

[madmarsie]

I got it from a dealer in cambridge last weekend but the previous owner was from Dunmow. I was warned about most of the issues to be fair so was expecting an interesting drive home. The car has only done 2500 miles in the last 12 months so i think you are right

Edited by madmarsie on Sunday 1st June 11:38

[Chuffmeister]

TBH, I found it quite an honest car and at a reasonable price, especially compared to the one I had seen about 40 minutes earlier that day. The owner was pretty enthusiastic about it. Hopefully, it will get the TLC it deserves now and bringing back up to scratch.

[madmarsie]

Thats the plan mate, i have already spent a small fortune . I think the guy who owned it previously was a genuine enthusiast but with little or no mechanical skill, hence the massive pile of receipts and invoices. I enjoy working on it as much as driving it so it will be a long termer but the starting point is good. The dealer i bought it from used to own a main TVR dealer and raced in the tuscan challenge back in the day. He could remember selling it to its original owner back in 95 (when it was purple)
Paul

[madmarsie]

Front brakes fitted. 16" rear wheel with a 5mm spacer and it was just catching so i took a tiny bit off the corner of the calliper with a file. Still very close but at least it clears with the minimum of spacers fitted. Just got to wait for my new (2nd hand) rear wheels to come now



When i am happy that everything is OK then the wheels will be refurbed and the brakes painted up
Paul

Edited by madmarsie on Sunday 1st June 18:13

[madmarsie]

Another box of goodies arrived today, this time from Tim at ACT. Just got to fit it all now . Be a job for when o get back from my jollies in a couple of weeks time
Paul

[Classichims]

I really wish I'd not looked into that box, the stainless twin water pipes, I've got to have one, Jeez, this site is bad for the wallet.
Have fun with that lot, I've just replaced loads of important little bits including the stainless ? Pipe, love it.
Nice one Paul, I'll be onto Act first thing, lol.

[madmarsie]

i know the feeling mate, i just think i am getting on top of the jobs, then come on this website and realise different Ah well, easy come-easy go