Sean's (& Ed's & Scott's) Astor GTi6

[Niall]

Ed the problem you have is your trying half arsed repairs. If you had of just booked it into the garage to get the running issue sorted, he probably would of sorted it ages ago and wouldnt of been as much hassle/stress for you.
Next time something goes wrong with it, just get it fixed properly!

[C2K]

This thread is full of fail! Need to enjoy it and stop worrying so much!

[Kwik]

Ed the problem you have is your trying half arsed repairs. If you had of just booked it into the garage to get the running issue sorted, he probably would of sorted it ages ago and wouldnt of been as much hassle/stress for you.
Next time something goes wrong with it, just get it fixed properly!

+1 tbh. If you attempt it and it works that's always a bonus but if it doesn't atleast you can say you tried and pay someone to do it properly

[Alee83]

It will all come right Ed. Patience and perseverance is all is needed.

Rallye is doing my tits in, that and the weather, so it is off to the garage on Monday and throwing money at it!

I hope you get it sorted soon to release your stress...

[Ed Doe]

Right chaps,


Massive thanks to Sam and Niall who came over this morning again for part 2 of the saga of fixing my car!

Hub sorted
Loom changed and sorted (after a few teething issues with the fuel pump mot priming, which turned out to be an earth not connected!
New battery bought (bosch silver top. I have no money left!!)

Still this issue with the temperature though.
It starts and runs up to temp normally and then as soon as it gets to about 85 whenever the car is revved pretty much it starts to climb. It jumps about a bit occasionally when driving, and now the fans don't kick in whereas they did with the original loom.

Does anyone have any bright ideas? I was going to change the blue temperature sensor for the xsi one Sam brought down, but it was different in style so decided to leave the existing one there...

I've definitely led the thing up, it's been bled so many frigging times, and after driving back from halfrauds in Guildford I double double checked again and it's definitely got no air in the thermostat that could affect the sensor (however it would do that...?) and the heater definitely blows jot in the car after like 3mins if driving from cold, so yeah I'm completely stumped. It's scary as seeing it shoot right up, and now the fans dint come on either (could just be its reading the correct temperature rather than whatever the gauge sensor is reading, but could also completely not be working as well....) it gets to me a bit!

It does drive a heap better with the wishbone and hub sorted though which is a bonus!

[Dum-Dum]

Have you tried swapping the plug for the ECU and gauge temp sensors over to see it behaves normally?

Does the car loose power when the gauge climbs (IIRC theyre mapped to start cutting the power after a certain point)

[Ed Doe]

So I'm not sure if it's just an intermittent issue, but when I give it some shit the temp actually reduces, hit then climbs back up when i start taking it easy again... I've not given it any abuse when it's climbed up right to the line bordering the red, I'd rather not kill it by accident. not knowing if the sensor is completely f*cked or just periodically misreading means I'm just erring on the side of caution for the minute... It doesn't feel any different even when taking it easy though...

[Dum-Dum]

Thats really odd mate.

The temp will be lower when hooning as the rad gets more airflow and so is cooler.

Do you want to borrow my IR thermometer and take a "working" 6 for a spin, check a few temps then take yours for the same journey and look for discrepancies?

[Niall]

Have you tried swapping the plug for the ECU and gauge temp sensors over to see it behaves normally?

DONT DO THIS!!!!!!!

They are not the same resistances. In fact, i think the dials one climbs in resistance with temp and vice versa for the ecu.

Ed, there is no issue with the coolant system. I am 99.9% sure its a electrical fault which will not affect the way the car runs at all so stop your bitching you little whore!

[Ed Doe]

Well in case any of you still actually care about this thread these days, I managed to sort the issue on Monday night

It was the gearbox earth. It was so loose I'm shocked it hadn't just completely fallen off!! Tightened it up, and boom, problems gone!

It still feels a bit lumpy occasionally, but I'm putting that down to the cold and the fact I can't remember when the service history mentions a changed fuel filter....

With the weather warming up a bit over the last 2 days, and the hub and electrical issues finally sorted, I was finally actually able to start enjoying the car again... and GOD it's fun!! Such an awesome car to drive now imo, it's so sharp, turn-in is brilliant, and the balance through corners is epic too!! The only issue is how much of a heap it looks from the outside at the moment. It's not been washed since the Christmas meet, and the roads to work get very muddy and generally minging at this time of year! You can hardly read the numberplate at the moment its so filthy!


Small bits to get done now are:

1. fit gearbox and replacement upper Baker engine mount
2. Fit new Baker adjustable top-mounts (due to be ready soon!!)
3. fit Oil cooler later in March when the weather starts to get warmer
4. Fit upper strut-brace when the baker mounts have arrived (cba modifying it to fit the compbrake ones)
5. Check out a squeeky rattly creaking noise from the rear-end when turning left *insert MAGNUM! comment here*
6. Find a storage place for my seats, and sort out bolts to put the runners back on them (currently I've nicked a few to bolt my Monacos in the car with!)
7. Change the gearoil



So, does anyone have any ideas on MOT regs with airbags? My car had the side-airbags in the seats as well as the standard ones. I've removed the stock steeringwheel airbag, and obviously the new buckets don't have airbags either. Do I have to fit the stock wheel and seats for MOT, or can I just plug resistors into the airbag wiring under the seats and chuck it in and pass ok?

[C2K]

Ed, i'd be interested to see how you get on, since my Rallye is in the same situation and i'm unsure if the new rules have come into force yet.

[samass]

Resistors and chuck it in I'd say, as long as the lights aren't on

[Ed Doe]

Ed, i'd be interested to see how you get on, since my Rallye is in the same situation and i'm unsure if the new rules have come into force yet.

So I'm the test dummy then??

I think they come in in April this year. Which is no good for me really as my MOT isn't due until May. I just don't want to be caught out with my old seats in a million pieces with no time to get the standard shite back in the car and connected up before getting it MOT'd... I'd rather have it all stored ready in one place so I can spend a morning putting it all back together and not be stressing about it

I'll be chatting to Lynx a bit later as I need to cancel the appointment I had with them to fix the electrical issue on Saturday morning. I'll be getting the car mot'd with them anyway, so if they reckon it'll pass then I'll chuck it in as is...

Resistors and chuck it in I'd say, as long as the lights aren't on

Thing is I really don't fancy it being refused and not being able to move it to work on it and not having a car to get about in in the intermediate period!! It needs to be as painless as possible lol!

[Jimmyboycheck]

remove airbag light bulb

[vlj]

remove airbag light bulb

It has to come on with the ignition then turn back off again

[Ed Doe]

remove airbag light bulb

Thing is, AFAIK in the new rules, they know if a car was supposed to have airbags from the factory. So if the light is removed they will fail it for having the airbags removed. If the car had airbags, the light has to come on and then go out again. BUT if it's patently obvious that the seats and the wheel have no airbags in them, I'm probably not gonna get it through!!

However I've heard talk of their being slightly different rules for cars used on track-days. I'm hoping my car may fall into this category and may therefore not require the bits mentioned above... However really I do need Lynx to clarify...


EDIT: Where the hell have you been in recent times Jimmy?! Have you still got the Wallye?

[C2K]

I might end up beating you through an MOT then it seems. I'm in the process of giving mine a once over, doubly nervous as it's the first MOT with me and I have a feeling the previous owner got a dodgy ticket, given that I found at least 3 things that would've failed MOT and I haven't touched them.

[Ed Doe]

I might end up beating you through an MOT then it seems. I'm in the process of giving mine a once over, doubly nervous as it's the first MOT with me and I have a feeling the previous owner got a dodgy ticket, given that I found at least 3 things that would've failed MOT and I haven't touched them.

Good luck man! Do report back what the craic is with the buckets etc.
Do you have a harness bar for the shoulder harnesses btw? Mine are bolted in to where the rear seatbelts are bolted....

[C2K]

Mine has plates welded into where the ISOFIX brackets would be, and has eyelets screwed into them, like so:

[rickye]

My miami blue dturbo went through mot and the airbag light didn't come on and go out before u started it, so did the civic and the bulb was took out of it and clearly said airbag on the wheel

Both in the last couple months n both standard every other way

[Ed Doe]

That looks pretty tidy man Nice seats too, Monacos right? Same as mine

Hmm, might have to look at how my shoulder harnesses are mounted. I'll take some photos when I get a chance and bung em up, see what people think of my mounting points...

[C2K]

It looks alright, it was built to the MSA blue book for hillclimbs so is technically ok, though i want to add the other leg of the X and the shoulder bar to the cage. Yes they're Monacos, they're mint as he bought them brand new so they'd be in date for competition.

[Jonny b]

Not the greatest of pics but my harnesses go the the upper seatbelt mounts, my mot guy said don't worry about the airbag seeing as on a ph1 the light Is on the wheel, suppose they could get finicky if you have the light on dash but no airbag! Just have to wait and see

[Jimmyboycheck]

remove airbag light bulb

Thing is, AFAIK in the new rules, they know if a car was supposed to have airbags from the factory. So if the light is removed they will fail it for having the airbags removed. If the car had airbags, the light has to come on and then go out again. BUT if it's patently obvious that the seats and the wheel have no airbags in them, I'm probably not gonna get it through!!

However I've heard talk of their being slightly different rules for cars used on track-days. I'm hoping my car may fall into this category and may therefore not require the bits mentioned above... However really I do need Lynx to clarify...


EDIT: Where the hell have you been in recent times Jimmy?! Have you still got the Wallye?

yeah still got it. dunno really busy a lot of the time and never know whats going on. Not really in the loop these days it seems.

however things are starting to settle down and have been gearing myself up to get to some more meets

[Ed Doe]

Not the greatest of pics but my harnesses go the the upper seatbelt mounts, my mot guy said don't worry about the airbag seeing as on a ph1 the light Is on the wheel, suppose they could get finicky if you have the light on dash but no airbag! Just have to wait and see

Surprised you get away with the seatbelts mounted as they are; isn't that quite bad having them so high?
Yeah that's the issue, Iv'e got a lot more airbags than you in the car!!

yeah still got it. dunno really busy a lot of the time and never know whats going on. Not really in the loop these days it seems.

however things are starting to settle down and have been gearing myself up to get to some more meets

Fair enough!! What you been up to? Is work going well? Get back in the loop man!!
I hope you're still keeping the Rallye as fresh and polished as when I last saw it!!

[samass]

I'm pretty sure as long as the warning light isn't on, they shouldn't complain too much, but i'd imagine having buckets and the win wheel will go down in the advisories

[Ed Doe]

Yeah probably!

Tbh, I think I may have to sack off the rear seats before MOT also, as I dont have belts for them, so that'll go down as a major unless I've taken them out IIRC?

Dunno why they're still in tbh, no one can sit in them now anyway haha!!

[vlj]

Yeah probably!

Tbh, I think I may have to sack off the rear seats before MOT also, as I dont have belts for them, so that'll go down as a major unless I've taken them out IIRC?

Dunno why they're still in tbh, no one can sit in them now anyway haha!!

It will fail without rear belts but the seats there. I had the seats in as a place to store them but hadn't fitted the belts and he told me beforehand it would fail, so took them out there and then.

[samass]

yep, the seats will have to come out if there's no belts. rip em out, you dont need the weight! might as well take out the carpet too... and the spare wheel, and the head lining... and the dash, well, everything really!

Whens the test due anyhow?

[Ed Doe]

yep, the seats will have to come out if there's no belts. rip em out, you dont need the weight! might as well take out the carpet too... and the spare wheel, and the head lining... and the dash, well, everything really!

Whens the test due anyhow?

I know, I need to strip the rear of the car tbh, just don't have anywhere to store the interior!

Spare wheel is already gone

Test is in May