Car D.I.Y.

[Electric_Andy]

Today I will have one more go at getting my Pioneer head unit to work. Over the last 18 months it occasinoally turns itself off randomly. Sometimes it turns back on when I wiggle the head unit. So I've come to the conclusion that it's the pins on the removable face, that make contact with the head unit, which are obviously not making contact as they should. I'm going to try a few things like gently prying the pins out so they are more proud. If that doesn't work I'll get a new head unit.

 

[JhnBssll]

That looks really smart. What do the orange markers in Pic2 tell you? Or is that a reflection?

The camera module gets steering angle data from the steering module so the orange lines move as you steer to guide you. Had to calibrate the camera module for this to work properly, it needs to know the cars wheelbase, camera height, camera angle etc to correctly calculate the trajectory lines

 

[Electric_Andy]

The camera module gets steering angle data from the steering module so the orange lines move as you steer to guide you. Had to calibrate the camera module for this to work properly, it needs to know the cars wheelbase, camera height, camera angle etc to correctly calculate the trajectory lines

Wow. Awesome tech, and I commend you for being able to understand it. As you might have guessed, I've not driven a car with anywhere near this much technology

 

[Drago]

That will require the life support system retrofit, as well as the optional rocket motors. I believe they're prohibitively expensive

It's all good fun though and I'm learning as I go - as with most things I do, it's more about the journey than the destination. For example I don't use the reversing camera, I'm much happier using the mirrors

Even for someone my height the reversing camera is a godsend in the XC90. Otherwise, it'd by like reversing a Sherman tank blindfolded. The screen rises out the top of the dash, which i quite like. Mr's D's has the big touchscreen, and it's very user friendly and all that but looks awful covered in covid-19 prints.

 

[screenman]

Just one of the dents from this morning no paint or filler, I had packed the tools away before I remembered the after photo.

 

[keithmac]

Just one of the dents from this morning no paint or filler, I had packed the tools away before I remembered the after photo. View attachment 524113 View attachment 524114

Amazing how you can get it that flat again, great skill involved there.

 

[cosmicbike]

Had the back end of the Volvo 240 up on stands yesterday to check the clutch. It requires quite a bit of force to get into any gear when stationary with engine running, and reverse is terrible. Stationary is no problem, so I thought it might be dragging. Sure enough, rear wheels hanging in free air, engine running, clutch down any movement to a gear spins the wheels up. Looks like new clutch then, happy days. Defo a driveway job with ramps, so it's on the list of to do's.
Found another hole in the exhaust at the same time, so that got a Holts bandage this evening, making a total of 3 big patches now repaired. Needs a new system from Cat back really, but that's £102 I could do without spending at the moment.

 

[keithmac]

Even for someone my height the reversing camera is a godsend in the XC90. Otherwise, it'd by like reversing a Sherman tank blindfolded. The screen rises out the top of the dash, which i quite like. Mr's D's has the big touchscreen, and it's very user friendly and all that but looks awful covered in covid-19 prints.

I'd discounted the XC90 as being too big for us but seen a few about recently and taken a bit of a liking to them now..

 

[Drago]

You need to try one Mr Keith. More comfortable than you humanly thought possible, they shrug bad weather contemptuously aside, and you quickly start to dig the whole languid, laid back nature of the car.

 

[gbb]

You need to try one Mr Keith. More comfortable than you humanly thought possible, they shrug bad weather contemptuously aside, and you quickly start to dig the whole languid, laid back nature of the car.

It's not my kind of car personally, too big, probably too expensive to maintain properly (again, for me personally) but the description sounds perfect for me, I like a laid back, relaxed driving style. Vauxhalls seem to give me that at the price I'm willing to pay. I had a Lancia years ago, hated it, constant gear shifts, too sporty, similarly I had a 2007 Ford Focus, hated that with a vengeance, horrible suspension, engine, just the whole package didnt suit me. Ironically, the Focus put me off a Volvo V40 D2 I was offered as an ex company car at a reasonable price, possibly a mistake but being based on the same platform made me reluctant to consider it.

 

[Drago]

I must admit, I don't mind Poxhauls. Cheap to buy, cheap to maintain, cheap parts, easy to work on, two a penny, and many of them are at least still assembled in the UK. When I was in the job the Corsas and Ashtrays were much more tolerant of harsh treatment than the festers and Fucus, which were a little fragile for that environment. Hard plastics and thick un-sexy seat material came into its own with body armour, boots and equipment being banged and dragged across it dozens of times daily. Not quite as sharp to drive as the Fords, but a little more stable and predictable at the limit as a result so I preferred them.

We had one old Model G astra 1.7 and some handsome devil turned up the fuelling on the mechanical pump, and it went like a missile. It became known as the Tarmac Terrorist and refused to die despite being first pick of anyone coming on duty, and lived well beyond its programmed replacement date to become the oldest car on the fleet by some margin. KX53OHC, where are you now?

 

[Deleted member 1258]

We had one old Model G astra 1.7 and some handsome devil turned up the fuelling on the mechanical pump, and it went like a missile. It became known as the Tarmac Terrorist and refused to die despite being first pick of anyone coming on duty, and lived well beyond its programmed replacement date to become the oldest car on the fleet by some margin. KX53OHC, where are you now?

Passed its MOT in September 2016 with 150000 on the clock and thats it.

https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/

 

[oldwheels]

I used to do a lot of work on cars but now all I am willing to do is turn the key to start and expect it to go as it should. The local garage looks after everything else.
My assistant at one time drove appalling old bangers. He had a Standard 8 which had virtually no brakes and in emergency he rammed it into reverse. Broken half shaft and phoned me for a tow. We stopped at a scrapyard for another one and this happened so often we could change one in minutes with our eyes shut.
When it finally failed he got another scrapper but eventually ended up with a retired hearse. You could not make it up.

 

[Drago]

Just one of the dents from this morning no paint or filler, I had packed the tools away before I remembered the after photo. View attachment 524113 View attachment 524114

Amazing, a fantastic skill.

 

[screenman]

Amazing, a fantastic skill.

Thanks, every job like that one is a challenge but very satisfying at the same time, certainly saves the customers a lot of money as well. I did not time it but I am guessing at an hours work. I seldom take before and after photo's and people keep telling me that I should.