720 replies to this topic

[dasupersprint]

That's a big step, knowing the value of the car ;)

It means it's (nearly) finished!!

 

And when one is doing small jobs like dash or companion bin upholstery, the end is not that far away!!

 

Mine is not very valuable at the time, but takes every day some more pennies haha.

 

 

PS: thumbs up for the small details like "arrière" or "droite" from a native french speaker ;)

 

 

Bien vu pour les mots français!

 

Knowing the value is more for the insurance than me, because I don't want to sell it even in the long term, and I know I won't ever see again the money that it cost me to repair.

 

Tomorrow is my technical inspection, I hope I come back with the sticker of approval!

[dasupersprint]

The Mini failed the technical inspection...

 

For three electrical things....

 

1. Right side high beam doesn't work. Probably my bad not to check, I really hope it's just the bulb that is out, my boys have been playing with the lights a lot.

 

2. Wipers too slow. It's true that they are slow,  didn't think it would be problem. The wiper motor and rack are the only thing that I didn't take apart on this car...I will soon and try to clean everything, and maybe wait for a order of parts if necessary.

 

3. Dash lights not bright enough. That one puzzles me. We all know the dash lights wouldn't be really bright on a cheap 70's car...and they work as original... It was sunny outside and we couldn't see them. I think this one was just to mess with me. I don't know what to do else than put LED lights in place? Bypass the rheostat that control the current?

[Quinlan minor]

Dash lights not bright enough. That one puzzles me. We all know the dash lights wouldn't be really bright on a cheap 70's car...and they work as original... It was sunny outside and we couldn't see them. I think this one was just to mess with me. I don't know what to do else than put LED lights in place? Bypass the rheostat that control the current?

LEDs are probably your best chance. Testers are used to them and forget what incandescents looked like back in the day.

 

I have a similar squabble, most years, because the rear brake test doesn't reach the same indicated level they're used to seeing from two and a half tonne, disc-equipped 4x4s. " The handbrake's OK, though." Sheesh!

[Syma]

The Mini failed the technical inspection...

 

For three electrical things....

 

1. Right side high beam doesn't work. Probably my bad not to check, I really hope it's just the bulb that is out, my boys have been playing with the lights a lot.

 

2. Wipers too slow. It's true that they are slow,  didn't think it would be problem. The wiper motor and rack are the only thing that I didn't take apart on this car...I will soon and try to clean everything, and maybe wait for a order of parts if necessary.

 

3. Dash lights not bright enough. That one puzzles me. We all know the dash lights wouldn't be really bright on a cheap 70's car...and they work as original... It was sunny outside and we couldn't see them. I think this one was just to mess with me. I don't know what to do else than put LED lights in place? Bypass the rheostat that control the current?

This is what I put in my car to increase the dash lights. It comes as a set but DO NOT USE the bulbs for the turn signal, ignition, and high beams. They will burn out. Fortunately those ones are bright enough that I just used the 4 bulbs, two for centre gauge, one for temp and one for oil pressure

 

https://www.ebay.ca/...872.m2749.l2649

[Magneto]

On the wipers, I find that it's usually the little gearboxes that have gotten stiff over time - the grease gets old and hard - before you take everything apart, take the wiper arms off and  try to spray some penetrant into the shafts - it's a little hard to do but give them a good squirt and then run the wipers a bit and see if they don't improve. Maybe that will at least get you thru the inspection as I doubt you'll be driving much in the rain? Then you can always pull the assembly out at a later time and fix them if needed.

Edited by Magneto, 28 April 2020 - 04:23 PM.

[dasupersprint]

On the wipers, I find that it's usually the little gearboxes that have gotten stiff over time - the grease gets old and hard - before you take everything apart, take the wiper arms off and  try to spray some penetrant into the shafts - it's a little hard to do but give them a good squirt and then run the wipers a bit and see if they don't improve. Maybe that will at least get you thru the inspection as I doubt you'll be driving much in the rain? Then you can always pull the assembly out at a later time and fix them if needed.

 

I already took everything apart and put new grease. But then I blew the fuse when trying them. Will retry tonight, and I will add a ground wire from the motor to the body too.

[timmy850]

I’d also add some rainex or similar to the windscreen, it makes it a bit more slippery for the wipers.

On a dry windscreen they’re pretty poor from all the friction

[dasupersprint]

I took care of the wipers. I found that the main cause could be the inner brushes in the motor that were in bad shape. So I sourced a new motor from a friend, that saved me the wait for a overseas order.

Still, I cleaned everything, put new grease in the rack, lubricated the wheel boxes, put RainX on the windsreen. I also had two sets of wiper blades, one Bosh and one Wipac. The Bosh has a lot more friction going against a dry windscreen. Guess witch one was on the car at inspection...

 

Now they are faster than fast

 

 

 

Edited by dasupersprint, 30 April 2020 - 05:12 PM.

[dasupersprint]

I fixed the high beam problem too. The wires were inverted for high and low beam.

[Magneto]

I've found the wipers move just fine on a dry windshield when everything is clean and freshly lubed.

 

Good job on the high beams, it's easy to mix those up.

Edited by Magneto, 30 April 2020 - 05:41 PM.

[Gilles1000]

Nice!

These are at least two issues sorted!

Concerning the dash lights I agree with you, they are not what one can find nowadays...

 

Hope you will get that MOT tough!

[dasupersprint]

So I changed the bulbs behind the dash for LEDs.

 

Back on the worktable...

 

 

Those LEDs are so cheap they break if you look too hard at them

 

[dasupersprint]

Before/After. That will have to do, because I can't do anything else

 

 

[dasupersprint]

I received a tachometer so I installed it. It even works! That's a must have, I think. Plus, it's the smallest and cutest tach ever

 

 

 

[dasupersprint]