The Dark Wob

Is it an under floor cylinder? No help from gravity with them. The Minor trick of putting it inside a box section along with the steel brake pipe isn't too clever.

No, it fucking isn't. Worst aspect of the entire clan.....The only thing I have found that works on these bastards is jacking the pedal overnight. My master cylinder on the Minor is past its best and I am not looking forward to it - to the extent it is currently up the barn with a "No Brakes" notice on it.

cros wrote: ↑Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:59 am Is it an under floor cylinder? No help from gravity with them. The Minor trick of putting it inside a box section along with the steel brake pipe isn't too clever.

No, normal set up. Not like that Issigonis nonsense

My jag threw up a load of warning lights yesterday.

Gearbox fault, no cruise, no dsc, brake assist not happy, abs not happy. Didn't want to move.....seemed to actually apply brakes if you moved off.

So I ignored it. Got going a little and found only got one gear.......and then stuck on the engine management light.

Read the codes. Had 6 but only one pointed to a component as opposed to a difference of opinion between modules.....abs sensor.

Duly changed......smooth and correct operation restored and under 30 quid.

Happy till next time!

Does a low battery have the same effect on those too?

A low battery could produce much the same on my Jag, it used to on the Sov if it'd been parked for over a week.

Remote central locking is broken on the Clio and it was irrritating the heck out of me that I had to lock/unlock like a peasant. Remote central locking is done in the Body Computer that lives behind the fuse box.

One UCH (body computer) removed..


Oh dear


Oh dear oh dear


This doesn't look good.


The funny shaped square PCB traces are the antennas for the remote central locking. Which makes this chip the receiver chip for it.

Cleaned up with some IPA. Looks like there are a few whiskers growing between pins. Also the top left pins look like they've broken off the package.


On the back a trace was lost. I did try soldering a jumper wire.


Still no worky. Looks like I'll need a new UCH. Unfortunately NLA from Renault now, so will need to be a second hand job. Thankfully these are easy to get to the EEPROM that stores all the immobiliser data, so don't need to swap anything else.

Even if I could get it working, there is probably other damage elsewhere. Given second hand UCH can currently be had for £40, it makes sense to replace them while still easily got.

I fitted a tow bar to the Hilux Surf, having 2 big caravans and only a tow bar on the Peugeot expert made no sense.
Quite an easy job, it would have been easier if the correct bolts had been supplied with it!
I saw yesterday that BTCC have banned spectators this weekend so I expect Snetterton to do the same but, if I'm not prepared and they give it the green light, I'd be angry with myself.

DodgeRover wrote: ↑Fri Jul 31, 2020 1:01 am Does a low battery have the same effect on those too?

Yes...but worse. It checks up every yellow warning followed by the same in red. There are so many it takes a while

Today I saw a large battery left out for the tatters with some other bits. I stopped and put the battery in the boot as it was a big leisure one so about £12 in scrap I reckon. The house owner came in and we had a chat. Turns out he made concept cars until last week when he retired. He also showed me his fantastic garage with his 3,000 bhp dragster in it that he built himself, and the Reliant Ant he is restoring. Thousands of pounds worth of good tools in there too and he showed it to a tatty tatter in an old Citroen! Interesting chap.