I'll AX this only once... though there is an Echo in here
Discussion
Well, I've still not painted the bonnet, but as my Citroën owning friend was visiting for the weekend, I employed the additional pair of hands to get some things done (once we'd changed the water pump on his C1).
First up were the front brake hoses which were an advisory on the MOT. They didn't look too bad on initial inspection, but having takena closer look, the perishing was obvious on both sides:
So on went a pair of new Pagid items:
The old brake fluid was black with silt in the reservoir. Absolutely bogging, so new fluid all round and all brakes bled up:
The pedal is now very firm, must try and remember that the first time I use it!
Also changed the oil and filter as it had been 6 months or so since the last time I'd done it, and while the mileage isn't high, that's part of the problem, lots of short journeys. Some 10w40 semi and a Bosch filter (lah Di dah) later, and I'm happier with the oil.
As we were there (and had the parts) also changed the HT leads for new ones as I had no idea how old the existing ones were, but they had French writing on them and were quite stiff....
Most importantly however was tweaking the 'new' exhaust. As mentioned, the MOT work was prompted by necessity, and getting it through the test. Unfortunately, in fitting it, it was 'good enough' i.e. gas tight and approximately in the right place, but hung rather low under the car.
Not normally a problem as there's usually only 2 + dog in the car, but when giving a friend a lift, it scraped on speed bumps. When giving 2 friends and their and our luggage a lift last week, it scraped on the flat on anything apart from a billiard table smooth surface....
Much easier with 2 people, we undid the clamps, wiggled it about and up to gain another couple of inches (baby) and then tightened it all up again. No before and after photos unfortunately, but it's now no longer the first thing you notice when approaching the car from the side!
Hope to geta bit more done tomorrow (stereo and 12v supply) but we'll see how time goes!
First up were the front brake hoses which were an advisory on the MOT. They didn't look too bad on initial inspection, but having takena closer look, the perishing was obvious on both sides:
So on went a pair of new Pagid items:
The old brake fluid was black with silt in the reservoir. Absolutely bogging, so new fluid all round and all brakes bled up:
The pedal is now very firm, must try and remember that the first time I use it!
Also changed the oil and filter as it had been 6 months or so since the last time I'd done it, and while the mileage isn't high, that's part of the problem, lots of short journeys. Some 10w40 semi and a Bosch filter (lah Di dah) later, and I'm happier with the oil.
As we were there (and had the parts) also changed the HT leads for new ones as I had no idea how old the existing ones were, but they had French writing on them and were quite stiff....
Most importantly however was tweaking the 'new' exhaust. As mentioned, the MOT work was prompted by necessity, and getting it through the test. Unfortunately, in fitting it, it was 'good enough' i.e. gas tight and approximately in the right place, but hung rather low under the car.
Not normally a problem as there's usually only 2 + dog in the car, but when giving a friend a lift, it scraped on speed bumps. When giving 2 friends and their and our luggage a lift last week, it scraped on the flat on anything apart from a billiard table smooth surface....
Much easier with 2 people, we undid the clamps, wiggled it about and up to gain another couple of inches (baby) and then tightened it all up again. No before and after photos unfortunately, but it's now no longer the first thing you notice when approaching the car from the side!
Hope to geta bit more done tomorrow (stereo and 12v supply) but we'll see how time goes!
Another successful day on the AX today with assistance from assortment friend.
The stereo is now an aftermarket job following the original one becoming intermittently faulty (wiggling the volume knob sometimes fixed it but not always). However, having bunged in the one from the Corrado as a quick fix, it was time to make it permanent, which included working out why it didn't havea permanent live and couldn't remember it's settings.
Right, let's have this out... Where do we start?
"See that pair of wires?"
"Yes, they were part of the loom adapter that came with it, what of them?"
"Well the red and yellow are crossed."
"......"
Benefits of a second pair of eyes, the stereo is now a permanent installation that remembers what it was doing from one ignition key turn to the next.
We also found the end of the DAB aerial that I'd been looking for installed by the previous owner. Now we can swap the Sonichi unit between my wife's works van and this.
That brings me onto the next problem, the lack of a 12v supply....
There was a lot of swearing, dismantling of the dash and articulation of hands to investigate why there wasn't 12v to the outlet.
The reason?
The fuse labelled up as controlling the heated rear windscreen (which works) had blown, and that actually controls the 12v supply. No I don't know either.....
The final thing was a little more serious, and involved the close bedfellow of old Citroëns, rust.
That B pillar corrosion that I'd spotted? Yes, not just corrosion but full LOS:
It's only a small hole though, despite its important location, and I'm happy to treat it to prevent it getting worse rather than breaking out the welding gear.
Aluminium filler and mesh to the rescue, once or had been treated with the K-rust.
Followed it up witha protective coating of Hammertite and that will hold it for now. If it looks bad again in the spring, it's welding time.
For now however, I have a Reliant Scimitar to work on over winter....
The stereo is now an aftermarket job following the original one becoming intermittently faulty (wiggling the volume knob sometimes fixed it but not always). However, having bunged in the one from the Corrado as a quick fix, it was time to make it permanent, which included working out why it didn't havea permanent live and couldn't remember it's settings.
Right, let's have this out... Where do we start?
"See that pair of wires?"
"Yes, they were part of the loom adapter that came with it, what of them?"
"Well the red and yellow are crossed."
"......"
Benefits of a second pair of eyes, the stereo is now a permanent installation that remembers what it was doing from one ignition key turn to the next.
We also found the end of the DAB aerial that I'd been looking for installed by the previous owner. Now we can swap the Sonichi unit between my wife's works van and this.
That brings me onto the next problem, the lack of a 12v supply....
There was a lot of swearing, dismantling of the dash and articulation of hands to investigate why there wasn't 12v to the outlet.
The reason?
The fuse labelled up as controlling the heated rear windscreen (which works) had blown, and that actually controls the 12v supply. No I don't know either.....
The final thing was a little more serious, and involved the close bedfellow of old Citroëns, rust.
That B pillar corrosion that I'd spotted? Yes, not just corrosion but full LOS:
It's only a small hole though, despite its important location, and I'm happy to treat it to prevent it getting worse rather than breaking out the welding gear.
Aluminium filler and mesh to the rescue, once or had been treated with the K-rust.
Followed it up witha protective coating of Hammertite and that will hold it for now. If it looks bad again in the spring, it's welding time.
For now however, I have a Reliant Scimitar to work on over winter....
Edited by darkyoung1000 on Sunday 7th October 19:13
A little bit of work on the AX yesterday, mostly because of the water that has insisted on getting in to the car while it's stationary.
I suspect this was what made the sound deadening wet and contributed to the corrosion of the floor.
I couldn't see any obvious drain holes in the sunroof, so I'll come back to that if my other investigations and work don't yield results.
Opening the bonnet didn't show any obvious blockages in the scuttle tray:
However, on the driver's side there's a piece of plastic designed to stop water getting into the blower intake, which was so old it had crumbled in places. So the simple matter of removing the plastic trim piece to get at it began. Two 10mm nuts anda Phillips screw.
At least the nuts were easy....
Some time later a knackered and probably unobtainable piece of plastic held in place with three crumbling fastenings was revealed:
Bodge time (although if anyone has one of these bits of plastic, please let me know).
Until then, an old SRAM chain box, some scissors and some silicone sealant later:
I could also see daylight through where the bonnet release cable passes through the bulkhead, so added a grommet to try and keep the worst of the water out of there too.
The original grommet seems to have been pushed into the dash, and until I dismantle that to get at the fan blower resistor which now only works on max, then it will do for now.
Bad news is that there's still a leak between the engine and the gearbox. Good news is that the leak isn't the newly installed driveshaft oil seal as I feared it might be.
I suspect this was what made the sound deadening wet and contributed to the corrosion of the floor.
I couldn't see any obvious drain holes in the sunroof, so I'll come back to that if my other investigations and work don't yield results.
Opening the bonnet didn't show any obvious blockages in the scuttle tray:
However, on the driver's side there's a piece of plastic designed to stop water getting into the blower intake, which was so old it had crumbled in places. So the simple matter of removing the plastic trim piece to get at it began. Two 10mm nuts anda Phillips screw.
At least the nuts were easy....
Some time later a knackered and probably unobtainable piece of plastic held in place with three crumbling fastenings was revealed:
Bodge time (although if anyone has one of these bits of plastic, please let me know).
Until then, an old SRAM chain box, some scissors and some silicone sealant later:
I could also see daylight through where the bonnet release cable passes through the bulkhead, so added a grommet to try and keep the worst of the water out of there too.
The original grommet seems to have been pushed into the dash, and until I dismantle that to get at the fan blower resistor which now only works on max, then it will do for now.
Bad news is that there's still a leak between the engine and the gearbox. Good news is that the leak isn't the newly installed driveshaft oil seal as I feared it might be.
@helix402 - glad you enjoyed the thread despite your dislike of French metal. I confess, I have a hatred of Renault Lagunas that runs deep.... This however has a certain charm about it from its simplicity.
@eyersey1234 - it's lack of anything complicated to go wrong was a great part of its appeal. It feels like the spiritual successor to the 2CV (the fact that the 3 door AX had a wine holder in the door helps with that image I think).
Given that the last runabout was killed off by the fuel pump failing....and being a £700 fix before you coded the ECUs to talk to each other, simple is definitely the order of the day. The fact that this also means it only weighs 750kg is a distinct plus too.
@eyersey1234 - it's lack of anything complicated to go wrong was a great part of its appeal. It feels like the spiritual successor to the 2CV (the fact that the 3 door AX had a wine holder in the door helps with that image I think).
Given that the last runabout was killed off by the fuel pump failing....and being a £700 fix before you coded the ECUs to talk to each other, simple is definitely the order of the day. The fact that this also means it only weighs 750kg is a distinct plus too.
Eyersey1234 said:
I wasn't knocking it for being basic, sorry if that's how my post came across. I prefer relatively basic cars with them having less to go wrong as the car gets older.
Not at all, you and I are definitely in agreement that a more basic car is a lot less trouble to maintain as time goes on! Definitely part of why I love it is the keep fit windows, central locking that consists of sitting in the centre of the car and living all the doors, and the lack of power steering.In the days of failing £1200 electronic handbrake actuators, I know where I'd rather be!
@mattyprice4004 - thanks. Every time I do something that isn't absolutely necessary, I curse myself for the stuff I'm not doing on other vehicles...but then I get in and chuck it's understeer-prone body at another roundabout, and I'm smiling!
@helix402 - I forgot to say about the welding... Awful is probably a compliment
Still form follows function and all that - good job really!
With the interior carpet freshly sodden after all the rain in December, I have concluded that either the fix to the scuttle try didn't work (possible) or that the water is getting in elsewhere.
Favourite candidates include the sunroof itself, and the drain channels for the sunroof. Water appears to be mostly getting in to the passenger side footwell, so I need to strip out the interior, dry everything out, remove the headlining and the sunroof, remove, clean and refit the seals, clear the drain tubes and see where that gets me.
Back seat out, ready to remove the front seats and the screws holding the trim. Size 2 Phillips is perfect for the screws.
Torx bits for the seats.
3 visible and 2 hidden 10mm nuts for the centre console
Size 2 Phillips again for the handbrake surround
Out comes the carpet with a bit of wriggling over the gear lever and handbrake!
The sound deadening was sopping wet, mouldy and tore apart like tissue paper. It's going in the bin and will be replaced with some Dodo shiny silver replacement when that arrives next week. Feels terribly bling, but it will be lighter and cheaper than finding the original stuff.
The carpet is now sat in a room with the dehumidifier, and more work will be done tomorrow.
I did take the opportunity to silicone spray the doors as well, as these were creaking slightly (probably due to all of the moisture in the interior
If I get time, I have a new resistor for the fan motor to fit as well, but I'll see how tomorrow goes!
Favourite candidates include the sunroof itself, and the drain channels for the sunroof. Water appears to be mostly getting in to the passenger side footwell, so I need to strip out the interior, dry everything out, remove the headlining and the sunroof, remove, clean and refit the seals, clear the drain tubes and see where that gets me.
Back seat out, ready to remove the front seats and the screws holding the trim. Size 2 Phillips is perfect for the screws.
Torx bits for the seats.
3 visible and 2 hidden 10mm nuts for the centre console
Size 2 Phillips again for the handbrake surround
Out comes the carpet with a bit of wriggling over the gear lever and handbrake!
The sound deadening was sopping wet, mouldy and tore apart like tissue paper. It's going in the bin and will be replaced with some Dodo shiny silver replacement when that arrives next week. Feels terribly bling, but it will be lighter and cheaper than finding the original stuff.
The carpet is now sat in a room with the dehumidifier, and more work will be done tomorrow.
I did take the opportunity to silicone spray the doors as well, as these were creaking slightly (probably due to all of the moisture in the interior
If I get time, I have a new resistor for the fan motor to fit as well, but I'll see how tomorrow goes!
That's a good shout - I did take up that suggestion today, and can rule out the windscreen seal and the nearside doors. No obvious evidence of water ingress when a jug of water was poured over them! It wasn't all plain sailing though....
The front sound deadening can't be removed without taking out the dashboard, pedals and everything else (possibly the bloody windscreen for all I can tell). I'm afraid I don't have the time or energy to be that dedicated at present with an upcoming house move!
So I soaked up as much as I could with towels, jammed material underneath them and have left the dehumidifier in there doing its thing....
It worked nicely on the carpet overnight, which is dry and ready to go back in whenever I find the source of the problem and reassemble:
The sound deadening was absolutely bogging and will go in the bin:
Other work completed today was to take out the sunroof, check the drain holes (both free), remove both seals, wash them, and reinstate with a bit of instant gasket where required:
Part of the problem is the seal around the glass which has perished. It should clamp the glass tightly with a ribbed internal section, but this has widened over the years and no longer grips the glass as it should. I suspect that this is where the water is getting in and possibly dripping onto the carpet, but it still seems a lot...especially as the headlining around it is dry.
Second hand ones on eBay are £40, so I'll see how this gasket fix goes (I suspect I know the answer....)
Investigations into the nearside rear door seal showed a little bit of rust. Oh, a small circular section that is out of keeping with the rest of the B-pillar:
I know what I'm going to find when I investigate, but that's not going to stop me.... It's no good painting over rust.
There was also a small patch on the inside of the door which I wire brushed back and treated:
At least this one didn't go through the metal!
All patches have had a couple of coats of K-rust, but I'm going to need to do something about the small hole in the B-pillar. Probably what I did with the hole in the top of the same B-pillar.
Hopefully get some more done on it this week and the coming weekend, as I don't like having the 'just jump in it' car off the road for too long. Still, at least the dog is going to work with my other half in her van a bit more, so he doesn't need the AX quite so much!
Now the Scimitar is up for sale, that will also be one less project to deal with, so I will have more time to spend on the rest of them.
The front sound deadening can't be removed without taking out the dashboard, pedals and everything else (possibly the bloody windscreen for all I can tell). I'm afraid I don't have the time or energy to be that dedicated at present with an upcoming house move!
So I soaked up as much as I could with towels, jammed material underneath them and have left the dehumidifier in there doing its thing....
It worked nicely on the carpet overnight, which is dry and ready to go back in whenever I find the source of the problem and reassemble:
The sound deadening was absolutely bogging and will go in the bin:
Other work completed today was to take out the sunroof, check the drain holes (both free), remove both seals, wash them, and reinstate with a bit of instant gasket where required:
Part of the problem is the seal around the glass which has perished. It should clamp the glass tightly with a ribbed internal section, but this has widened over the years and no longer grips the glass as it should. I suspect that this is where the water is getting in and possibly dripping onto the carpet, but it still seems a lot...especially as the headlining around it is dry.
Second hand ones on eBay are £40, so I'll see how this gasket fix goes (I suspect I know the answer....)
Investigations into the nearside rear door seal showed a little bit of rust. Oh, a small circular section that is out of keeping with the rest of the B-pillar:
I know what I'm going to find when I investigate, but that's not going to stop me.... It's no good painting over rust.
There was also a small patch on the inside of the door which I wire brushed back and treated:
At least this one didn't go through the metal!
All patches have had a couple of coats of K-rust, but I'm going to need to do something about the small hole in the B-pillar. Probably what I did with the hole in the top of the same B-pillar.
Hopefully get some more done on it this week and the coming weekend, as I don't like having the 'just jump in it' car off the road for too long. Still, at least the dog is going to work with my other half in her van a bit more, so he doesn't need the AX quite so much!
Now the Scimitar is up for sale, that will also be one less project to deal with, so I will have more time to spend on the rest of them.
I have the day off tomorrow to hopefully finish off getting the interior back in. Light rainfall following fettling seems to have resulted in an improvement!
I got some anti rust primer on the door and floor:
Followed up by some ISOPON and Hammerite:
Then after some swearing, lying upside down, loosening the dashboard retaining bolts, some more swearing and some gentle persuasion, I managed to get the heater blower out. Hopefully I can get the resistor out and replace it without breaking the fan housing.
The Scimitar is sold and leaves tomorrow, so fingers crossed for a productive day...
I got some anti rust primer on the door and floor:
Followed up by some ISOPON and Hammerite:
Then after some swearing, lying upside down, loosening the dashboard retaining bolts, some more swearing and some gentle persuasion, I managed to get the heater blower out. Hopefully I can get the resistor out and replace it without breaking the fan housing.
The Scimitar is sold and leaves tomorrow, so fingers crossed for a productive day...
'Merde' is an appropriate word to utter when having wrestled the blower motor out and ever so carefully dismantled the fragile 25 year old plastic, you discover that the arrangement you are looking at clearly has no place in it for the new resistor.
The only option seems to be to buy a new motor, as the resistor in this one seems impossible to find new.
For now however, I've realised that I can live with the binary nature of the blower and put it back in again having carefully reassembled the ancient plastic. If I need to get it out again, I now know the trick and can do it without taking out the interior.
Extensive water testing shows that the sunroof seal is improved and the most likely candidate is the near side front door seal. It seems to get in between the seal and the A pillar and then make its way down to and over the cill. You can buy it by the metre from The Big River Corporation, so there's enough on the way to do both front doors.
Having completed the touch up painting, it was time to put everything back in the interior, I can do the door seal relatively easily when it arrives, and I need the car working again. In with the sound deadening then Dodo Mat which seemed to strike a good balance of cost and quality for the area to be covered:
Looks... shiny.
Really shiny.
Really, really shiny!
Very easy stuff to apply, just a matter of cutting it to size, peeling off the paper, and sticking it on. Having done that, I put the interior back in (which I'd given a good clean) and went out for a night shift.
How good can £30-odd of sound deadening be in comparison to the OE mouldy rag?
Bloody brilliant, that's how good!
There's less engine and road noise, and while it's still apparent that there's a mighty 60hp being extracted the other side of the bulkhead, it's been muted. Success (although that wasn't the original purpose of the exercise).
Actual progress on the original problem next time I hope unless something else gets in the way (like moving house).
The only option seems to be to buy a new motor, as the resistor in this one seems impossible to find new.
For now however, I've realised that I can live with the binary nature of the blower and put it back in again having carefully reassembled the ancient plastic. If I need to get it out again, I now know the trick and can do it without taking out the interior.
Extensive water testing shows that the sunroof seal is improved and the most likely candidate is the near side front door seal. It seems to get in between the seal and the A pillar and then make its way down to and over the cill. You can buy it by the metre from The Big River Corporation, so there's enough on the way to do both front doors.
Having completed the touch up painting, it was time to put everything back in the interior, I can do the door seal relatively easily when it arrives, and I need the car working again. In with the sound deadening then Dodo Mat which seemed to strike a good balance of cost and quality for the area to be covered:
Looks... shiny.
Really shiny.
Really, really shiny!
Very easy stuff to apply, just a matter of cutting it to size, peeling off the paper, and sticking it on. Having done that, I put the interior back in (which I'd given a good clean) and went out for a night shift.
How good can £30-odd of sound deadening be in comparison to the OE mouldy rag?
Bloody brilliant, that's how good!
There's less engine and road noise, and while it's still apparent that there's a mighty 60hp being extracted the other side of the bulkhead, it's been muted. Success (although that wasn't the original purpose of the exercise).
Actual progress on the original problem next time I hope unless something else gets in the way (like moving house).
The AX has been working hard for us over the last couple of months - incredible just how much stuff you can fit in when you're doing a house move on the cheap....
With many, many more loads like that, plus some asbestos tip runs, general tip runs and random trips for decorating equipment, there's been a lot of round town mileage.
We're finally fully in to the new place (which has no garage), and so it's been living either in the back yard or on the street out front. No different to previously, but making me very aware that I hadn't fixed the seal and when driving in the rain, you could see the water running down the trim by the NS door.
Finally last night I found some time :
Confirmation that the old seal was perished was gained when discovering how wet it was around the A pillar, and how much residue it left on my hands! You can tell the new one is effective, as shutting the passenger door is now much more difficult than it was....
Unfortunately our time with the trusty AX is drawing to a close. The lack of external space, more difficult parking arrangements, and the happy fact we're now 10 minutes walk from the centre of town means that we just don't need it any more.
I'll be genuinely sorry to see it go, it's allowed me to re-live my underpowered, understeer happy urban days, and really connected me with driving due to a lack of power steering and crash protection.
The plan is to get a year's MOT on it and then sell it to a friend of ours who is looking for a first car. There may yet be more updates depending on what the tester finds though!
With many, many more loads like that, plus some asbestos tip runs, general tip runs and random trips for decorating equipment, there's been a lot of round town mileage.
We're finally fully in to the new place (which has no garage), and so it's been living either in the back yard or on the street out front. No different to previously, but making me very aware that I hadn't fixed the seal and when driving in the rain, you could see the water running down the trim by the NS door.
Finally last night I found some time :
Confirmation that the old seal was perished was gained when discovering how wet it was around the A pillar, and how much residue it left on my hands! You can tell the new one is effective, as shutting the passenger door is now much more difficult than it was....
Unfortunately our time with the trusty AX is drawing to a close. The lack of external space, more difficult parking arrangements, and the happy fact we're now 10 minutes walk from the centre of town means that we just don't need it any more.
I'll be genuinely sorry to see it go, it's allowed me to re-live my underpowered, understeer happy urban days, and really connected me with driving due to a lack of power steering and crash protection.
The plan is to get a year's MOT on it and then sell it to a friend of ours who is looking for a first car. There may yet be more updates depending on what the tester finds though!
Edited by darkyoung1000 on Tuesday 19th March 18:06
@PenultimateSpiderman thanks very much for the information, it might not help with the sale, but I'm very glad I now know that
I think the friend I'm selling it so will be glad as well!
Got the MOT done today, it didn't pass, but the list to fix before I sell it on isn't horrendous...
Being a mid - 99 s French hatchback, it was going to be rust or electrics. In this case, it's both! Lucky me!
The repeater I'll take a look at this weekend (I missed that on my quick once over).
The oil and exhaust gas leaks I knew about. The oil leak will involve splitting the engine and gearbox, so that's unlikely to happen...
I'll fix the minor exhaust leak, free off the caliper and add some more corrosion protection to the underside.
I'm also aware I need a washer pump as the rear windscreen no longer gets wet.
After that, it's may be a tearful farewell (until something goes wrong and the offer to help out in fixing it is made).
I think the friend I'm selling it so will be glad as well!
Got the MOT done today, it didn't pass, but the list to fix before I sell it on isn't horrendous...
Being a mid - 99 s French hatchback, it was going to be rust or electrics. In this case, it's both! Lucky me!
The repeater I'll take a look at this weekend (I missed that on my quick once over).
The oil and exhaust gas leaks I knew about. The oil leak will involve splitting the engine and gearbox, so that's unlikely to happen...
I'll fix the minor exhaust leak, free off the caliper and add some more corrosion protection to the underside.
I'm also aware I need a washer pump as the rear windscreen no longer gets wet.
After that, it's may be a tearful farewell (until something goes wrong and the offer to help out in fixing it is made).
@Fastdruid - welding God I most certainly am not, I used the dotting technique to good effect though! Some good tips there for the future though, thanks.
Before sending the AX to its new owner a few hours ago, I managed to to the following yesterday.:
Following the Book of Lies lived up to its name
The AX is 1994...and after 10 frustrating minutes of carefully trying to not damage the plastic or the wing while heaving backwards on the indicator, I though "sod it," gave it a twist et voilà :
MOT successfully obtained, I gave it an oil and filter change (5w30 fully synthetic) , tightened up the nuts on the exhaust clamps to reduce the leak (a cheap fix), vacuumed the interior then broke out the wire brush.
This and a large part of the underside are now covered in Waxoyl. In also pleased to report that last year's repair shows no signs of rot.
Form follows function.....
I also took the OS front wheel off, cleaned up the caliper and found the hole in the rear washer line where the wheel had rubbed through. I replaced it with a new line...and it still doesnt work.
Were it still with me, I'd investigate further, as it is tough this chapter in my automotive history is at an end for now. Thanks for reading, and if I get to do any more work on it, I'll let you know!
Before sending the AX to its new owner a few hours ago, I managed to to the following yesterday.:
Following the Book of Lies lived up to its name
The AX is 1994...and after 10 frustrating minutes of carefully trying to not damage the plastic or the wing while heaving backwards on the indicator, I though "sod it," gave it a twist et voilà :
MOT successfully obtained, I gave it an oil and filter change (5w30 fully synthetic) , tightened up the nuts on the exhaust clamps to reduce the leak (a cheap fix), vacuumed the interior then broke out the wire brush.
This and a large part of the underside are now covered in Waxoyl. In also pleased to report that last year's repair shows no signs of rot.
Form follows function.....
I also took the OS front wheel off, cleaned up the caliper and found the hole in the rear washer line where the wheel had rubbed through. I replaced it with a new line...and it still doesnt work.
Were it still with me, I'd investigate further, as it is tough this chapter in my automotive history is at an end for now. Thanks for reading, and if I get to do any more work on it, I'll let you know!
@kitchski my apologies for not answering your question 9 months ago... Its safe to say, not really. They're a friend of ours who is learning to drive, but hasn't had the opportunity to use the AX much, which leads me onto this update.
The Corrado needs it's front wheel bearings doing and I'm reluctant to drive it until they've been done. Hence, we've been leant the AX back.
it's done sterling work collecting Christmas Trees, being borrowed by elderly in-laws, and this weekend, a longer journey.
With the Corrado still out of action, we visited friends in Norfolk, here's proof that we made it!
It was not all plain sailing though. 10 miles outside of York, the temperature light came on. The one I knew about, that has cropped up in November, but because the car isn't mine any more, I hadn't don't anything substantial with, only topped up the coolant.
that's exactly what I did on the side of the A64 this time too.
When we got to Norfolk, a farm workshop allowed me to investigate, and revealed nothing obviously amiss. Hence, I cleared the radiator with a compressor, tightened up the jubilee clips I could see, topped up the coolant and replaced the horrible pressed steel factory fit item that I thought was leaking...
Job jobbed.
Until the light came on again around Doncaster. Throttle back, heating on max and it went off again. Good enough for now, but more work required. There's another horrible pressed clip at the back of the block, coolant to be flushed, and I think I might change the oil at the same time to look for contamination.
Not my car anymore, but definitely my problem to fix!
The Corrado needs it's front wheel bearings doing and I'm reluctant to drive it until they've been done. Hence, we've been leant the AX back.
it's done sterling work collecting Christmas Trees, being borrowed by elderly in-laws, and this weekend, a longer journey.
With the Corrado still out of action, we visited friends in Norfolk, here's proof that we made it!
It was not all plain sailing though. 10 miles outside of York, the temperature light came on. The one I knew about, that has cropped up in November, but because the car isn't mine any more, I hadn't don't anything substantial with, only topped up the coolant.
that's exactly what I did on the side of the A64 this time too.
When we got to Norfolk, a farm workshop allowed me to investigate, and revealed nothing obviously amiss. Hence, I cleared the radiator with a compressor, tightened up the jubilee clips I could see, topped up the coolant and replaced the horrible pressed steel factory fit item that I thought was leaking...
Job jobbed.
Until the light came on again around Doncaster. Throttle back, heating on max and it went off again. Good enough for now, but more work required. There's another horrible pressed clip at the back of the block, coolant to be flushed, and I think I might change the oil at the same time to look for contamination.
Not my car anymore, but definitely my problem to fix!
The AX has still been on loan to us (although the owner may be selling it soon) and so I wanted to get the problem fixed...
Since the Norfolk trip, there has been a little bit of investigation, but no conclusive reason as to why the problem of the light coming on was occurring. Unfortunately on a trip back from Leicestershire, it couldn't make it up the hills on the M1 without the warning light illuminating, and this was with the blowers on full, travelling at 50mph in top gear.... Something had to be done, especially as it did this after I'd changed the coolant. Time to get stuck in....
I found a new radiator, as while it wasn't leaking, it seemed like a good idea to do, and a new thermostat, which I had identified as the most likely culprit.
As you can buy a lot of radiators for the AX, I was careful to buy the one that fitted the gap, and had the locating prongs in the correct place.
I also managed to buy one with an extra spout in the expansion tank that takes a different sized radiator cap. Which I didn't have. Merde.
Still, as the old one wasn't leaking, I was able to flush it out and re-use it having (thankfully) carefully removed it.
I removed the old thermostat and tested both in a pan of boiling water. They both worked fine. I replaced the old one anyway on the grounds that I suspect the old one was sticking causing intermittent problems. I hope....
Before reassembly, I had to deal with a few things, as three guesses as to what you find on mid - 90s French hatchbacks....
Some wire brush and hammerite later, it was time to reassemble. Then bleed the system.
The first part of this is easy, the second part isn't. It requires an extra pair of hands, a large plastic bottle to act as a header tank, and somewhere to dry your shoes afterwards.
However, eventually there was an almighty burp from the system, a lot of bubbles, and some quickly warmed hands on the plastic bottle indicating the system had bleed successfully.
Proud of this achievement, I took it for the MOT....
Since the Norfolk trip, there has been a little bit of investigation, but no conclusive reason as to why the problem of the light coming on was occurring. Unfortunately on a trip back from Leicestershire, it couldn't make it up the hills on the M1 without the warning light illuminating, and this was with the blowers on full, travelling at 50mph in top gear.... Something had to be done, especially as it did this after I'd changed the coolant. Time to get stuck in....
I found a new radiator, as while it wasn't leaking, it seemed like a good idea to do, and a new thermostat, which I had identified as the most likely culprit.
As you can buy a lot of radiators for the AX, I was careful to buy the one that fitted the gap, and had the locating prongs in the correct place.
I also managed to buy one with an extra spout in the expansion tank that takes a different sized radiator cap. Which I didn't have. Merde.
Still, as the old one wasn't leaking, I was able to flush it out and re-use it having (thankfully) carefully removed it.
I removed the old thermostat and tested both in a pan of boiling water. They both worked fine. I replaced the old one anyway on the grounds that I suspect the old one was sticking causing intermittent problems. I hope....
Before reassembly, I had to deal with a few things, as three guesses as to what you find on mid - 90s French hatchbacks....
Some wire brush and hammerite later, it was time to reassemble. Then bleed the system.
The first part of this is easy, the second part isn't. It requires an extra pair of hands, a large plastic bottle to act as a header tank, and somewhere to dry your shoes afterwards.
However, eventually there was an almighty burp from the system, a lot of bubbles, and some quickly warmed hands on the plastic bottle indicating the system had bleed successfully.
Proud of this achievement, I took it for the MOT....
Thanks both, I'm not sure I should be spending much time on it really, but I can't help myself. Also, as the owner has been very helpful in letting us have almost unlimited use of it, it seems the least I can do!
Anyway, to the MOT....
Would you Adam and Eve it? A pass?!
Not sure what the owner has planned for it, however, it has a year's ticket (less than optimal brakes, but a year's ticket).
I might just do a couple of things to improve that sheet though....
Anyway, to the MOT....
Would you Adam and Eve it? A pass?!
Not sure what the owner has planned for it, however, it has a year's ticket (less than optimal brakes, but a year's ticket).
I might just do a couple of things to improve that sheet though....
darkyoung1000 said:
As mentioned in my other thread on the Corrado (snip) it's off the road with some issues for at least the next month.
Oh ho ho ho.....casting back to my first post on this thread....and here we are again 3 years later..... The Corrado is going to be investigated over the weekend for its expensive engine issues, and the AX has been lying idle.....so....back in contact with the friend we sold it to, and I should be getting it back this weekend.I’m absolutely not going to dedicate a load of time that I should be spending on the Corrado or the Morris on this AX. Oh no. Definitely not.....
Someone help me, I’m clearly sick.
Collection day! Taxed, insured and with a few months left on its ticket, time to return it to the household!
Arrived to find the bonnet up, the battery on charge and the spare wheel on which was looking a little deflated...
Still, the wheel that should have been on has had the puncture fixed....so I'll just bend the brace trying to undo the nuts....
OK, I'll settle for pumping it up a bit and coming back to it later.
Time to break out the jump charger....
Woohoo. A cracking 8 mile run back home reminding me what a joy this car is to drive!
Seemed like a good idea to tackle those wheel nuts before I forgot and ended up with a flat that I couldn't change. Hellfire they were tight, I only just managed it with the enormous breaker bar!
Yes, I might need to tackle that sticking caliper soon as well, I remember putting those pads on, and it hasn't done that many miles....
Then, having investigated the Corrado, I swapped the two over, and washed it. The Corrado is skulking in the background in shame...
Arrived to find the bonnet up, the battery on charge and the spare wheel on which was looking a little deflated...
Still, the wheel that should have been on has had the puncture fixed....so I'll just bend the brace trying to undo the nuts....
OK, I'll settle for pumping it up a bit and coming back to it later.
Time to break out the jump charger....
Woohoo. A cracking 8 mile run back home reminding me what a joy this car is to drive!
Seemed like a good idea to tackle those wheel nuts before I forgot and ended up with a flat that I couldn't change. Hellfire they were tight, I only just managed it with the enormous breaker bar!
Yes, I might need to tackle that sticking caliper soon as well, I remember putting those pads on, and it hasn't done that many miles....
Then, having investigated the Corrado, I swapped the two over, and washed it. The Corrado is skulking in the background in shame...
Kitchski said:
Good to see it progressing still. What paint did you use on those wheels (so I never use it myself 
)
I've got a pair of AX GT alloy calipers for refurb, but you'd need bigger wheels for those. Alternatively, if the caliper rebuild doesn't go swimmingly, you can retrofit Saxo Bendix calipers from a 3-stud model too. They're cheap and easy to come by.
Sorry for the delay in replying, I had completely missed your comment! The paint was £10 from Aldi... )I've got a pair of AX GT alloy calipers for refurb, but you'd need bigger wheels for those. Alternatively, if the caliper rebuild doesn't go swimmingly, you can retrofit Saxo Bendix calipers from a 3-stud model too. They're cheap and easy to come by.
. that probably tells you all you need to know!
Thanks for the tip on the calipers as well, I'm hoping to get to those before Christmas, so we'll see.
On the wheel front, well let's just say that as the decision has been made to keep the AX (my wife and I both love driving it, we're going big, rather than going home.
It's booked in for a full wheel refurbishment at the same place that did the Corrado. It's probably the same as the value of the car.... so we're doubling down and going to get the bonnet resprayed as well!
Still no luck with the paint code, it's just not on the door jamb or the stut top where conventional wisdom says it should be. The paint place think they can match it though, so fingers crossed.
These will be going on to replace the 25 year old Michelin tyres on the back:
The reward for all this TLC? The windscreen washer has stopped working. Time to cover my lap in washer fluid and dig the pump out of the wheel arch (because there are 3 possible parts that fit of course).
Firstly however, I have a supercharger to refit in another car so we can have transport while the AX receives its attention!
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