255 replies to this topic

[cowie165]

What are your thoughts? Does it deliver!

 

lol, haven't fired it up yet. Nothing is broken under the hood so no urgency right now :-) It's installed on the laptop so I'll connect it up for the work commute on Monday and see what the datalogging looks like.

 

Ok so I did make a trip to a pick a part on the Central Coast. Reevesy gave me a headsup there was a RevE sedan there. w00t. Found bits:

 2016-11-26 14.28.20.jpg   265.37KB   11 downloads

 

So the sedan was a Heritage, which was cool because of the common trims. Boy, the leather seats in those models look pov. The seat itself I mean. No support and definitely grandpa-spec. Anyways, I found all the bits I needed in just one trip and I was stoked. (Thanks Reevesy!) Came home and fitted the red cover for the puddle light. Remove the funky JDM seatbelt clasp and swapped in a regular one from the Heritage. No more Bush Mechanics and click/clack into the passenger side...

 

I fit the RevDE rear armrest latch but it didn't line up! Long story short - ended up tapping an M6 hole and fixed it up. All sorted.

 

Still chasing an electrical gremlin. More of the T5 LEDs in the dash ring are flickering or dead. Whenever I press the brake I get the beep-beep like the car is in reverse. Plus the HVAC dims at the same time (to the headlights-on dimmed setting). Weird. I haven't reconnected the cigarette lighter and some other bits in the centre console - might be causing the issue. I've ordered a new set of T5 LEDs and will replace the lot and get the dash back together. Hopefully that'll sort it.

 

Oh and my safety boots had a major blowout... haven't put them on in a year. nek minit....

 

 2016-11-26 14.28.37.jpg   285.17KB   11 downloads

 

Suuuucks.

[motoboy76]

Hey Cowie was the plastic cover over the alt, power steering pump still there...

[cowie165]

I actually think it might still be there. Didn't look under the hood of the heritage too much other than note the engine was still there

[cowie165]

 1fb4p2.jpg   158.82KB   8 downloads

 

So these flickering LEDs have been bugging me. They're causing gremlins in my dash and to be honest bit of a headache. I bought a replacement set but then kept googling to learn some more. It's one of those facepalmers.

 

On my bike I've put LED blinkers on there. The different current draw affects the system voltage (and they flash too fast, just like when you have a bulb out). The fix is to change the blinker relay to correct the flash rate. I figured the car wants to work the same so I need to put a resistor into the dash illumination power to correct the flicker. Then I read that there are LEDs out there now that have built-in resistors to reduce the supplied current for the same voltage. So in to Jaycar this morning to check things out.

 

The Jaycar T5s on the left. eBay-spec on the right. You see the Jaycar ones have resistors actually inside the fitting. This should do the trick and finally fix this rock show.

 

 2016-12-04 12.53.39.jpg   190.17KB   8 downloads

 

Oh and there's a neat S14s2 across the road. And a filthy BE5 in the driveway. Living 4kms from a coal yard and working next to a construction site = dirty 24/7

 

 2016-12-04 12.53.44.jpg   312.64KB   8 downloads

[Reevesy]

I'm using the Jaycar ones. Had no issues with them except that they seem a bit loose in the holders and don't seem as tight as the factory globes

[Jimbo]

Filthy or not, dang she looks good!

Did you take a gander under the oil cap to see the build date?

[cowie165]

Thanks Jimbo. She's all clean now and ready for the ball.

 2016-12-04 18.52.34.jpg   288.97KB   9 downloads

 

I just went and checked the oil cap. The big hand is pointing to the twelve, and the numbers inside are 00.

 BNnqA.jpg   41KB   9 downloads

 2016-12-04 18.53.20.jpg   202.17KB   9 downloads

[Jimbo]

Ah sweet! So yours would have just been within the last 6 months before the facelift Rev D came through mid 2001. Making yours a build date of '00 but a MY01 as the build dates are September to September.

I checked myPlates and 00-RSK is available......... you could technically get away with it 

[cowie165]

Ugh. Sucks dude, now I want it.

 

But need tune, pipes, coilovers, wheels, blah, EJ207, manuel, blah

 

Would be so cool. Grab some sweet legacy surrounds and bob's your aunty's husband

[patrick27s]

Ah sweet! So yours would have just been within the last 6 months before the facelift Rev D came through mid 2001. Making yours a build date of '00 but a MY01 as the build dates are September to September.

I checked myPlates and 00-RSK is available......... you could technically get away with it 

00-RSK means we are obliged to do a photo shoot of our cars

[CRUISN]

 
But need tune, pipes, coilovers, wheels, blah, EJ207, manuel, blah
 

Overrated. Keep it neat, clean and reliable. Winning.

[cowie165]

Finally made time to start on a few fiddly jobs.

 

Replaced the alternator with a GD one from Rob. The thread on the driver's side was cactus so needed a longer bolt and a nut on the rear. Otherwise good to go. That said, I'm confident the original alternator was fine. More on that in a bit. Engine bay needs a clean but lots more jobs higher on the list right now.

 unspecified.jpg   139.26KB   7 downloads

 

Also swapped out the LEDs. The Jaycar ones wouldn't fit into the bulb connector/holder/cup thing - the diameter was too wide. So I used a different set that I'd also ordered for some reason. They fit fine.

 s-l500.jpg   24.95KB   7 downloads

 

Messed around with the polarity (hate that job) and got them all working. But the light spread was poor and it created bright spots on the rings. Unhappy with the result I pulled them out. Ended up using the 'chassis' from the original LEDs combined with the actual LEDs from Jaycar. I put new LEDs into old sleeves (so fiddly!), some messing around with polarity again and voila, done. The Jaycar LEDs have the frosted finish and spread the light so much nicer.

 unspecified2.jpg   91.53KB   8 downloads

 

[cowie165]

I think Reevesy said the same thing about the Jaycar LEDs not quite fitting.

 

Ok so on to the next problem. Every time I press the brake pedal, I get the reversing beep/chime, and the HVAC dims like I have the headlights on. Every time. I'd hoped it was a voltage thing caused by the original LEDs. But no, still present.

 

Same as this dude. (His issue was an unspecified dodgy wire somewhere in the trunk)

 

SYMPTOMS

Beeping reverse chime. Dimming HVAC. No spoiler brake light, and no reversing lights. Apparently (according to SWMBO) the reverse lights flash on when I put it into reverse but they don't stay on.

 

TESTING

All other brake lights work. All taillights work. No blown bulbs.

There's 12V present at the spoiler brake light connector.

Checked connectors/wires and to my untrained eye the look fine.

Checked ECU and TCU and no fault codes on either.

 

DIAGNOSIS

This began after I had the interior out and laid the dynamat.

So I'm thinking this might be a ground issue. The radio is connected but cigarette lighter, etc is all still disconnected. I read somewhere that the rear lights use the radio harness ground, but it was forum not FSM. Read the FSM, found the diagram this morning but now can't find it again! I've removed the rear seats in case I crushed a grounding wire but nothing suspect seen.

 

Next thing I'll try is to put the radio/centre console all back together and see if it fixes itself. Lots of other car jobs to do while on vacation time so really bummed to be messing around with this still

[cowie165]

Found the page. It's a body ground.

 

 Untitled2.png   122.72KB   6 downloads

 

Now to find where GB-9 and GB-11 are. The symbols represent indirect terminal grounding points. I wish I was smarter at autoelectrics...

[cowie165]

Just found the SOB!!

 

 2016-12-28 15.42.42.jpg   125.98KB   6 downloads

 

When you wiggle it, just a little bit... everything works.

 

Looks like some pov-spec/non-OEM wiring and no idea why it's there but it's either a bad join or it's getting crushed in the boot hinge. So happy I found it. Mood improvement by 1000% and I'm off for a brew. Will fix later today.

[Jimbo]

Nice find Mark!

Gotta love that feeling of nailing a little gremlin like that.

Looks like the wire has been twisty tied and taped. Replace the wire?

[CRUISN]

That's a winning find. Nice work indeed!

[cowie165]

Thanks gents! The 'modder' who messed up that loom has cut all but one wire from that connector and then added two of those nasty wire taps, two crimped connections (in the yellow sleeves) and two soldered but uncovered joins (tape /= heatshrink). One of those uncovered joins was the ground wire. Every time the boot lid is closed the mess of wires gets bent almost 180' back on itself. Enough boot closures and the crappy join failed.

 

Fixed the ground with proper joins and connectors. I've put the rest on the to-do list for down the track. Lights tested; good to go. Stupid beeping sound finally gone.

[motoboy76]

Top find there Cowie...

 

Always nice to sort something that has been bugging you that os for sure...

[patrick27s]

Great find! Now you just need to find time to put those coilovers in and sell me your suspension haha

But seriously nice work!