The "Today I did something to my car" thread

Voodoomelon · 04-10-2012 07:59PM

That time of year again, gonna do a rear heated seat install. I paid nearly three times as much for this same kit about two years ago from the States, its the same damn kit from China for €65 odd:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/heated-seat-kit-2-seat-install-round-switch-seat-heater-seat-cushion-seat-cover-/180944725244?pt=UK_Car_Interior_Accessories&hash=item2a212564fc#ht_553wt_1031

Compared to the front seats, the rear should be a walk in the park.

Tallon · 04-10-2012 08:22PM

Voodoomelon wrote: »

That time of year again, gonna do a rear heated seat install. I paid nearly three times as much for this same kit about two years ago from the States, its the same damn kit from China for €65 odd:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/heated-seat-kit-2-seat-install-round-switch-seat-heater-seat-cushion-seat-cover-/180944725244?pt=UK_Car_Interior_Accessories&hash=item2a212564fc#ht_553wt_1031

Compared to the front seats, the rear should be a walk in the park.

Can you do it with any car?

How do you go about it?

Voodoomelon · 04-10-2012 08:35PM

Any car indeed, just involves getting the pads under the upholstery and wiring to 12v ignition. Did a writeup a while ago here.

Will stick the buttons either side of the lighter in the factory locations. Might get some factory buttons now I think of it.

YouTookMyName · 04-10-2012 10:09PM

Mar4ix wrote: »

did some dashboard light bulb change, now looks nicer , at lest may see in dark , where what is

Snip

Thats an avensis? Any tips on taking out the bulbs? 1 in mine is gone and i don;t know where to start.

eringobragh · 04-10-2012 10:23PM

Voodoomelon wrote: »

That time of year again, gonna do a rear heated seat install. I paid nearly three times as much for this same kit about two years ago from the States, its the same damn kit from China for €65 odd:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/heated-seat-kit-2-seat-install-round-switch-seat-heater-seat-cushion-seat-cover-/180944725244?pt=UK_Car_Interior_Accessories&hash=item2a212564fc#ht_553wt_1031

Compared to the front seats, the rear should be a walk in the park.

Jesus at that price I'd be tempted to do this to my leather seats on the mr2...do you find you use it alot?

ianofitz · 04-10-2012 10:37PM

Mar4ix wrote: »

this morning i discovered that somebody was in my car at some point from evening til morning ... well, i can blame only myself, as i "forgot" ... if you call that laziness .... lock the car... well central locking didn't work, so i left as is, when brought daughter from school ... rear left door and driver door left unlocked ... as i am living in quiet cul de sac, everyone know each other, never had any problems before.

So i discovered that rear left door, where kids seat is, not closed properly, and driver door was half way open ... thanks God, didnt rain, otherwise my car woul'd be like lil pool.

nothing is missing ... as i can recall nothing worth was in car ... glow compartment was open, and all rubbish all over seat.
I think that was kid, cos, i had there twix chocolate bar ... since i bought car, it was half eaten and left, radio with usb key still there ..
well... a good point is ... central lock started work ... mysteriously ... see how long. ... and cctv ip camera ordered ... as i suspect one of local kids/messers.

Neighbor said, that in somebodies car on our street was intruder also , so somebody keep goin around checking car doors.

Same thing happened to us a couple of weeks ago. Everything was taken out of the glove box and arm rest and thrown all over the front seat. All that was taken was about 4 euro in coins. Theres a Plumber across the road and the same thing happened to him but he had cheques in the van. Luckily they werent taken. We reckon it was just a homeless person looking for money. If he took the cheques obviously he wouldnt have been able to cash them

rocky · 04-10-2012 10:37PM

Replaced windscreen wipers with Aldi ones, no more squeeeeks...

Also passed the NCT, 1 hr 20 minutes later than booked. Do they normally run late in the evening? Galway centre.

Voodoomelon · 04-10-2012 11:05PM

eringobragh wrote: »

Jesus at that price I'd be tempted to do this to my leather seats on the mr2...do you find you use it alot?

From September through til April, non-stop.

Takes the chill out of the leather in 30 seconds.

challengemaster · 04-10-2012 11:10PM

How often do you sit in the rear of the 7er Voodoo? :pac:

eringobragh · 04-10-2012 11:12PM

Voodoomelon wrote: »

From September through til April, non-stop. Takes the chill out of the leather in 30 seconds.

I'm looking for another project :P ....I just don't know where to mount the buttons thats all thats stopping me :P ...no handy electric seats like you!

colm_mcm · 04-10-2012 11:17PM

eringobragh wrote: »

I'm looking for another project :P ....I just don't know where to mount the buttons thats all thats stopping me :P ...no handy electric seats like you!

Small round toggle switches on the console behind the gear gaiter?

eringobragh · 04-10-2012 11:38PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Small round toggle switches on the console behind the gear gaiter?

that could work actually

cheers ...the ebay guy he listed had some toyota switches (for rav4, etc)...but I've no blanks for them

colm_mcm · 04-10-2012 11:41PM

You have blanks beside the ignition?

eringobragh · 05-10-2012 12:22AM

colm_mcm wrote: »

You have blanks beside the ignition?

nope

theres 2 fog switches there...I'll double check though

Voodoomelon · 05-10-2012 12:23AM

challengemaster wrote: »

How often do you sit in the rear of the 7er Voodoo? :pac:

Just annoys me that not everyone in the car gets equal comfort!

eringobragh · 05-10-2012 05:04PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Small round toggle switches on the console behind the gear gaiter?

I may be able to mount them on the side of the seat frames there's a plastic over there and it would be nice and discreet

Voodoomelon · 05-10-2012 10:35PM

Got the Aldi battery charger, nice bit of kit for €19.99, much more functionality than Halfords cheapest €35 one.

Battery was about 70% charged, so this will be a nice top up.

colm_mcm · 05-10-2012 10:38PM

Wowzers that's tiny, my 80s charger is the size of an Xbox

Modern technology..

Voodoomelon · 05-10-2012 10:50PM

It's actually pretty big, the battery is a monster.

Mar4ix · 06-10-2012 08:23AM

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Got the Aldi battery charger, nice bit of kit for €19.99, much more functionality than Halfords cheapest €35 one.

Battery was about 70% charged, so this will be a nice top up.

Have you checked liquid level in battery , there is less charge in that battery with reason.... unless you drive very short distances and you have too big battery for car, and it not capable charge it.

bd2012 · 06-10-2012 01:13PM

Shiny new Nct this morning

. So treated her to a spit and polish inside and out
http://i.imgur.com/Igd1B.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4XHeQ.jpg

And the obligatory mileage shot

http://i.imgur.com/gHvlB.jpg

Mar4ix · 06-10-2012 01:51PM

bd2012 wrote: »

Shiny new Nct this morning . So treated her to a spit and polish inside and out
http://i.imgur.com/Igd1B.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/4XHeQ.jpg

And the obligatory mileage shot

http://i.imgur.com/gHvlB.jpg

Nice, clean car there. what engine does it have ?

EDIT:

FYP

Voodoomelon · 06-10-2012 01:54PM

Mar4ix wrote: »

Have you checked liquid level in battery , there is less charge in that battery with reason.... unless you drive very short distances and you have too big battery for car, and it not capable charge it.

The battery is only 9 months old, the voltage reading in the picture was the voltage as it was counting up, the reading was actually 12.31V, about 70% charge.

The battery is to spec, I drive short distances, hence the charger.

bd2012 · 06-10-2012 02:04PM

Mar4ix wrote: »

bd2012 wrote: »

Nice, clean car there. what engine

Nothing fancy. Standard 1.9 tdi lump. But she's mine

dgt · 06-10-2012 02:41PM

Diesel pump adjusted a bit more, now it's the way I like it

and the result was another smokey video.... Bah!

Heh heh heh

Went bananas opening bolts.... It made very short work of the crank pulley bolt on the Xantia and 2x 2.8 Sofim engines :cool:

Rearranged the boot and put the tools in a proper box

No more jack flopping about everywhere

Still plenty more to do, I'll be back...

vectra · 06-10-2012 02:45PM

Voodoomelon wrote: »

The battery is only 9 months old, the voltage reading in the picture was the voltage as it was counting up, the reading was actually 12.31V, about 70% charge.

The battery is to spec, I drive short distances, hence the charger.

I found the battery in my vRS was never at full charge as the stereo would shut off with warning beeps afoer about 40 minutes most days when I was cleaning. You Think I should invest in one of those?
Also
Does the battery have to be disconnected/removed to charge?
Been yonks since I had to charge a battery

Voodoomelon · 06-10-2012 04:31PM

From what I've read, batteries begin to sulphate if left for long periods in a low state of charge.

Lots of useful info on batteries in general here: http://www.meeknet.co.uk/e38/E38_Battery_Drain.htm

You don't have to take the battery out of the car, I just couldn't figure out a way to get an extension lead out a window/door of the house over night without leaving something open.

dgt · 06-10-2012 08:08PM

dgt wrote: »

I'll be back...

I'm back

Enough of he 406 for the day, onto the Seicento...

Brakes and exhaust needed seeing to.

Out!

Photobombing 406 :pac:

But why? See what some orangutan did making up a decat :rolleyes:

So I left that and focused on the brakes. Master cylinder to be precise

Very easy to take out, plenty accessible

Seeing fluid like this really annoys me

Absolutely ridiculous :mad: "I'll cut the cat off, weld it arsewys and save by not doing a tap with the brakes" :rolleyes:

New master cylinder in situ

Bled thoroughly, still a bit spongey but I'll sort that when I have the time (car won't be on the road due to the lack of a down pipe!)

renofan · 06-10-2012 10:41PM

I didn't do much on cars today....jobs on the house came 1st.

Serviced the Micra and also tried to siphon the petrol out of my Laguna. It has between 3/4s and half a tank and I haven't driven it on the road since last November......but the bloody thing has an anti-siphon thingy in the fuel neck so that didn't work. Is there something I can put in the fuel to stop it going off? I start the car every few months and let it get hot until the fan cuts in etc. The heater matrix is leaking and I had to wait a while before I got one at a price that wasn't crazy and then with the wet summer and doing up the house and no shed means its still waiting to be fitted so it could be another while before its back on the road....just don't want the fuel going off in the tank.

Toyotafanboi · 06-10-2012 11:20PM

renofan wrote: »

I didn't do much on cars today....jobs on the house came 1st.

Serviced the Micra and also tried to siphon the petrol out of my Laguna. It has between 3/4s and half a tank and I haven't driven it on the road since last November......but the bloody thing has an anti-siphon thingy in the fuel neck so that didn't work. Is there something I can put in the fuel to stop it going off? I start the car every few months and let it get hot until the fan cuts in etc. The heater matrix is leaking and I had to wait a while before I got one at a price that wasn't crazy and then with the wet summer and doing up the house and no shed means its still waiting to be fitted so it could be another while before its back on the road....just don't want the fuel going off in the tank.

if you lift up the bottom of the rear seat, i'd say you can remove the in tank pump from there and siphon pretty easily

The "Today I did something to my car" thread

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