Too damned hot to do it myelf

Roker · 29th January 2020, 01:22

What turned out to be a good project for a Rover 75 mechanical virgin to attempt, became a ' NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- that, it is 45 degrees in the shed this time of year". Hence i took it to a workshop to do, what was thought to be a long winded, but straightforward exercise to do belts, water pump and thermostat housings turned into a minor monolith. How wrong could i have been? Seems the job had been bodged in 2012 when last done. Elongated studs, bolts that were loose and a new waterpump that needed reaming of the holes to make it fit. Once all assembled ,the inlet manifold was ticking like Captain Hook's watch, so it had to come out again. Found a replacement for $100 and that solved that issue after a further 2 hours labour added to the bill. I am guessing the mechanic was either heavy handed connecting everything back in, or forgot to tighten plastic things in sequence and has twisted it causing flaps to fail.
Happy as a pig in proverbial I went to pick Reg up. Paid the bill ( which was probably more than most UK cars are worth these days and half the cost of my car's original purchase price 2 years ago). Got in it , turned the key and the battery light was on. Quick investigation showed it only charging at 11.5v. Knackered alternator that showed no signs of an issue when I took Reg in for the work. Linked? Who knows? Managed to scab a second hand one for the same $100 ( seeing a bit of a pattern here with my second hand parts man's pricing- but he also threw in a transmission cooler he didn't need, so may need that at some point).
Thinking it was a 5 minute job to fit the alternator saw me struggling again. 3 NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- hours as the pulley was fighting like Muhamnad Ali with one arm tied behind his back. Now working again and charging the battery properly..
Strange phenomena now appeared. The traction control light that was on from the day I purchased the car and still there after the traction control unit was replaced a month or so ago, strangely decided tp disappear. On top of that, the IPK screen now stays on whichever function you wish, rather than going off after a few seconds. It never used to do that, so no idea what that is all about. Any ideas of whether that is a problem or not? Quite happy that it does that tbh and can still scroll through the functions to turn it off manually, if i wish.
So. Have spent a king's ransom with this work, a service and 5 new tyres and a wheel alignment. Hopefully Reg is appreciative and starts behaving himself again.
Next job is the control arms and sway bar bushes. Wonder what will fall over unexpectedly when doing those.........watch this space.

COLVERT · 29th January 2020, 10:37

Just found this on another post in the forum.---

vitesse · 29th January 2020, 11:33

Now that your alternator is working as it should then I’m not too surprised to find that other units respond correctly, ie your traction control. While the traction control was faulty it overrides, as does the ABS etc, any functions up on the IPK after only a short time.

Let’s say you have the digital speedo activated, you can drive along for hours with it displayed but if you get an ABS fault then that overrides the digital speedo. Sounds to me that your car is functioning as it should.

Regards

Roker · 30th January 2020, 07:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by vitesse

Now that your alternator is working as it should then I’m not too surprised to find that other units respond correctly, ie your traction control. While the traction control was faulty it overrides, as does the ABS etc, any functions up on the IPK after only a short time.

Let’s say you have the digital speedo activated, you can drive along for hours with it displayed but if you get an ABS fault then that overrides the digital speedo. Sounds to me that your car is functioning as it should.

Regards

Thanks for that.Only drove a couple of these before I purchased mine and was that intent on listening for noises and feeling for vibrations that i never took much notice of functionality of the dashboard. The puzzling bit is that the full car service history i inherited from the previous owner. Each service for the past 10 years of paperwork, the alternator voltage was taken and recorded and varied somewhere between 13.5 and 13.9v with the traction control light having been up for years, apparently. Seems it was the original alternator, so eventhough the car has a relatively low 68,000km on it, it is still a 19 year old part and couod have gone at any time.
Not even sure why this model even had traction control, though i guess being a front wheel drive, it would be handy in the wet. Doesn't get too wet in our part of Oz , so it was never going to be a problem for me. It is just that i hate seeing lights up that should not be. A flashback to my Merchant Navy Engineering days. Illuminated lights meant, perhaps, a sleepless night up and down engine room steps trying to make it to the control room in time to stop a general alarm going off and awakening the entire ship. Ah memories........

vitesse · 30th January 2020, 07:56

I’ve never seen a V6 in Sweden without traction control except the V6 imported from UK by my daughter, which is now an ex-V6.
Having learnt to drive without ABS & Traction Control I don’t reckon I need it much having learnt to sometimes power the car out of skids during winter, and treat the brakes with caution. For many years I used SD1 Vitesses even in winter.
Don’t like alarms or flashing lights either, bells going off by themselves often meant a ship in distress on the 500khz frequency - I still shudder even when watching films when I hear SOS.

Regards

SD1too · 30th January 2020, 08:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by COLVERT

Jon; according to MarinaBrian the members of the "ever since" club are misguided. All these examples must be coincidence because of, in his eyes, the superb professionalism of everybody in the car repair trade. What's more, he says that no person outside this group could possibly be capable of maintaining their own cars to a higher standard, except himself of course.

Simon

COLVERT · 30th January 2020, 10:45

Ah !! The garage trade.------I don't really trust half of what they do.

As for the remaining half, well, I don't trust that either.

I have personally experienced driving away with wheel nuts not tightened after a tyre change and with the back brakes trying to lock on after the shoes were renewed.--- I took the car back and showed the mechanic the correct way to fit them. --

genpk · 30th January 2020, 11:57

We got to remember these cars are getting on age wise and thus more parts
need doing.
Once done we get another few years out of them.

29th January 2020, 01:22	#1
Roker Regular poster 2001 Connoisseur Join Date: Apr 2018 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 47 Thanks: 22 Thanked 72 Times in 8 Posts	Too damned hot to do it myelf What turned out to be a good project for a Rover 75 mechanical virgin to attempt, became a ' NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- that, it is 45 degrees in the shed this time of year". Hence i took it to a workshop to do, what was thought to be a long winded, but straightforward exercise to do belts, water pump and thermostat housings turned into a minor monolith. How wrong could i have been? Seems the job had been bodged in 2012 when last done. Elongated studs, bolts that were loose and a new waterpump that needed reaming of the holes to make it fit. Once all assembled ,the inlet manifold was ticking like Captain Hook's watch, so it had to come out again. Found a replacement for $100 and that solved that issue after a further 2 hours labour added to the bill. I am guessing the mechanic was either heavy handed connecting everything back in, or forgot to tighten plastic things in sequence and has twisted it causing flaps to fail. Happy as a pig in proverbial I went to pick Reg up. Paid the bill ( which was probably more than most UK cars are worth these days and half the cost of my car's original purchase price 2 years ago). Got in it , turned the key and the battery light was on. Quick investigation showed it only charging at 11.5v. Knackered alternator that showed no signs of an issue when I took Reg in for the work. Linked? Who knows? Managed to scab a second hand one for the same $100 ( seeing a bit of a pattern here with my second hand parts man's pricing- but he also threw in a transmission cooler he didn't need, so may need that at some point). Thinking it was a 5 minute job to fit the alternator saw me struggling again. 3 NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD-NAUGHTY WORD- hours as the pulley was fighting like Muhamnad Ali with one arm tied behind his back. Now working again and charging the battery properly.. Strange phenomena now appeared. The traction control light that was on from the day I purchased the car and still there after the traction control unit was replaced a month or so ago, strangely decided tp disappear. On top of that, the IPK screen now stays on whichever function you wish, rather than going off after a few seconds. It never used to do that, so no idea what that is all about. Any ideas of whether that is a problem or not? Quite happy that it does that tbh and can still scroll through the functions to turn it off manually, if i wish. So. Have spent a king's ransom with this work, a service and 5 new tyres and a wheel alignment. Hopefully Reg is appreciative and starts behaving himself again. Next job is the control arms and sway bar bushes. Wonder what will fall over unexpectedly when doing those.........watch this space. __________________ http://badges.fuelly.com/images/sig-metric/815496.png Last edited by Roker; 29th January 2020 at 01:27..

29th January 2020, 10:37	#2
COLVERT This is my second home R75 Saloon. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: France/or Devon. Posts: 14,003 Thanks: 3,851 Thanked 2,167 Times in 1,816 Posts	Just found this on another post in the forum.---

29th January 2020, 11:33	#3
vitesse I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gävle Posts: 2,531 Thanks: 395 Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts	Now that your alternator is working as it should then I’m not too surprised to find that other units respond correctly, ie your traction control. While the traction control was faulty it overrides, as does the ABS etc, any functions up on the IPK after only a short time. Let’s say you have the digital speedo activated, you can drive along for hours with it displayed but if you get an ABS fault then that overrides the digital speedo. Sounds to me that your car is functioning as it should. Regards

30th January 2020, 07:56	#5
vitesse I really should get out more....... Rover 75 Saloon Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Gävle Posts: 2,531 Thanks: 395 Thanked 823 Times in 652 Posts	I’ve never seen a V6 in Sweden without traction control except the V6 imported from UK by my daughter, which is now an ex-V6. Having learnt to drive without ABS & Traction Control I don’t reckon I need it much having learnt to sometimes power the car out of skids during winter, and treat the brakes with caution. For many years I used SD1 Vitesses even in winter. Don’t like alarms or flashing lights either, bells going off by themselves often meant a ship in distress on the 500khz frequency - I still shudder even when watching films when I hear SOS. Regards

30th January 2020, 10:45	#7
COLVERT This is my second home R75 Saloon. Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: France/or Devon. Posts: 14,003 Thanks: 3,851 Thanked 2,167 Times in 1,816 Posts	Ah !! The garage trade.------I don't really trust half of what they do. As for the remaining half, well, I don't trust that either. I have personally experienced driving away with wheel nuts not tightened after a tyre change and with the back brakes trying to lock on after the shoes were renewed.--- I took the car back and showed the mechanic the correct way to fit them. --

30th January 2020, 11:57	#8
genpk Posted a thing or two Rover 75 Saloon MGZT Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Perth, AUSTRALIA Posts: 1,663 Thanks: 3 Thanked 461 Times in 299 Posts	We got to remember these cars are getting on age wise and thus more parts need doing. Once done we get another few years out of them.