An happy 75 owner's blog

[Dorchester2]

So could the conclusion be that buying a good used fuse box (the one I've given link & picture above) I could get rid of that stupid problem? It's cheap.

However I think I'll wait my bucket load of fuses arrive to have some tries: your idea of a distinction between the car still or in motion looks very astute and might make sense.

But second question and much more important: is that box swap a fiddly job? In other words, with my rather limited mechanical & electrical ability, could it be done without harm for the car & tears for the painful worker?

Regarding your links for my fasteners, I'm impressed: how have you done? I looked on google to no avail, even not knowing the name of that fastener!

The last one is the closest in shape, even if the head should be full flat.
The only remaining problem might be the length. I'll have a bit of rummage when coming back from a few days escape next week.

But last question I'm still without any answer: what could be both cover bottom fasteners name & shape that are to be likely screwed in the back of the foot well?

[Dorchester2]

"I mentioned changing the relay as they can cause problems and I thought it would be a slot in type. If they are soldered into the board, it's worth doing more diagnostics to prove it's faulty before changing it.
BTW, good you got a 5th alloy."

I think so.
It may be likely, that need not to hurry as usual in delicate matters.

Thank you. For the alloy, nearly in touch.
I'll get it only when coming back, but it's a relief.
Just need a bit of work on some parts of the rim.

[Dorchester2]

"I think you got my message. If there is a possibility that fuse will not blow when stationary, then we do not have always the same behaviour, and more likely to be wire touching ground.
If you decide to swap fuse box, it should be battery off, unplug everything carefully, unbolt, replace and then plug in back.

I gave everything in the first link, regarding fasteners. If you open it, you will see that my searching words were "quarter turn plastic fastener".
For the size and shape, you will have to measure existing one and try to find closest match."

I was thinking of another possibility: a fuse blows when it's overcharged.
Hence the car being still less items are working & sucking the electric power. But engine turning for example I've my TomTom, a radio bluetooth & sometimes my cellular phone plugged on the cigar lighter...
Is it an option?

Ok for the front fasteners.

But last question I'm still without any answer: what could be both cover bottom fasteners name & shape that are to be likely screwed in the back of the foot well?
No happy 75 owner able to tell me which kind of screw he's got there?

[Dorchester2]

"Another fuse is for cigar lighter and another for radio, so in your case other fuse would be the first to blow, rather then horn, which covers only the horn (and cruise control switches, nothing else). Overload would need to come from horns themselves.

Regarding your last question, you are asking how same very fusebox cover is fastened on the other side, which you cannot see that easily?"

Ok for the first question. I thought that there might have been some link between both circuits while reading a few words in one of your last posts.

I can't have any clue about the 2 back screws for the good reason I haven't got any ! The cover went without when I bought the car. But I guess that they may likely be different than the front ones because they should be screwed into the bottom of the foot well.

********************

"For the 2.back screws my search came up with part number DCP6419 which is available at Rimmerbros in stock."

Thanks !

[Dorchester2]

It's hot here & I'm fed up with niggles!

Hence I was happy to have 4 days out driving my 75 with her new IPK.
Very useful to be able to read the speed in big figures and as I asked to be warned when trespassing 80 km/h to see that splendid red warning sign displayed with 80 km/h inside with a big bleep from the speaker.

Easy to get rid of it temporarily: just a little push on the computer button (on the end of the left rod) and hey presto comes back the speed display.
Handy!

But when a niggle is sorted, another one is coming in...
As common as all screws or bolts being easy to take off... minus one indeed!

This week it was the passenger door turn.
I told you I'd changed the right side mirror (the old one was broken) and that I didn't fully succeed putting back that infamous door card.
I couldn't take off the card completely because the two center fastening didn't want to come and I didn't want to break anything as well. So I tried my best to do the job despite that obstacle.
But I missed to put back in place the shutting rod.
Nevertheless the remaining elements were still working.

But my wife slammed her door once the car being on a slight slope on the right wheels and then the inside latch was unable to open the door which can be still be opened from the outside and can be opened & shut with the remote key.

So I've made an appointment at my mechanic's for Friday next.
And BTW I'll ask him to sort the horn problem as well giving him 2 or 3 fuses I've just received to play with.

No matter the money: better to have a fiddly work well done by a specialist than an awful mess by an ignoramus!

I feel uneasy to work on this car. Surprising when I see all the jobs I've made on my bonnie 25. But I'm too impressed by my executive car and I want to enjoy her without doing any unfortunate harm.

At last the job I did was so bad I'd better to ask the specialist than doing a mistake and asking anyway the specialist to intervene afterwards. The cost is nearly the same and it may be done faster and without complaining to be utterly hopeless myself!

[Dorchester2]

Some update upon the horn 'affair'.

Well I guess some buddies are gone to enjoy their holidays and they're perfectly right.

While waiting for my right door locks sorted (hope so...) on next Friday, I had a close look in the morning on horns and their odd functioning.

First I had a look on the horn final wire after taking off the grille.
Nothing noticeable: the wires (at least the little of them I was able to look at) look sane, no bare part. Just to say the left horn bolt (when facing the car) looks recent and the right one genuine from the beginning. But hard to make a conclusion of that.

Then I had a try, pushing on the wheel right button 4 or 5 times then I pushed either on both buttons or a bit longer or both (I don't remind), a slight noise happened and no longer any sound from the horn. As you should guess, the fuse had just blown.

Hence I swapped it, and went again in front of the steering wheel.
This time I decided not to push too long on the buttons. First I pushed 10 times (yes you read it right!) on the right one, and 3 or 4 times on the left one: nothing wrong happened and the fuse is yet in place and working.

So I thought of two possible causes of the blown fuse 'syndrome':
1. Pushing both buttons
2. Pushing too long on one of them.

To be frank, I don't believe in the first hypothesis.
But the second looks much more credible that may involve the relay ability.

BTW I noticed that that F18 15A fuse wasn't the original one, unlike the huge majority of the others (I did not verify each of them because that position wasn't very nice for my poor backbone...).

And I think I may eliminate the case of an unlikely short cut as the blown fuse problem happened in the garage the engine being off and the car absolutely still.

At last methinks swapping the fuse box would be useless.
My horn is barely working twice a year and yes I need it for the MOT but otherwise...

But what do you reckon folks?
Any suggestion or idea very welcome.

EDIT: my cheap Chinese fuses are really on the cheapo making as well: small ones shorter & narrower, but they work.

[Dorchester2]

"Could a horn be faulty? What about disconnecting the horns in turn - so that each horn is tested on its own."

Thank you. That's another possibility I hadn't thought of.
But the wires being very short, it's a very challenge to disconnect each of them in turn when only taking off the grille. Very little room to play with.

Unless the problem become much more serious, I don't want to make a shamble for so little a concern at the moment. I can live with it.

Mind you that pushing on the button 14 times in a row is enough use for the 5 years to come to say the least!
Time will tell me if quick pushes are enough to avoid the fuse blowing.

[Dorchester2]

A few updates from Friday 13th
So my mechanic did his magic. Easy for a pro likely but not so plain sailing for clumsy people.
I'd told him the Haynes trick to take off both metal clips in the middle of door panel and he admitted it was very useful. Good old Haynes...
But I'd better to let him do that pig of a job.
The fact is that while putting back the panel, the speaker front card escaped and they had to glue it in place, as I think I've understood.
Anyway all is well that ends well and the whole passenger door mechanism is now 100% working.

He swapped spare wheel alloys but actually my original spare wheel was an iron one and not the crown alloy that is now in place.
The supreme luxury being that it looks far much better even I'm the only to know it!

I asked for the horns but he hadn't enough time to sort out the problem. But given the symptoms I'd precisely explained he thinks one horn may be faulty. To be followed...

[Dorchester2]

BTW 2 alloy edges sanded & repainted today, and a touching up upon a third one. The 2 remaining are faultless.
Alloys are now close to be mint!

[Dorchester2]

Bad luck for the fuse box cover fasteners!
Something rotten in the kingdom of fasteners...

The special front one I might have ordered would be fine and rather cheap (around £4) but the shipping price given for... £14 and finally as done by magic happened to be £17 on the last total just before ordering!

Preposterous! £17 postage for so tiny a parcel! That's a steal!
Order cancelled.

Regarding the 2 back fasteners coming from Rimmer, one isn't going too deep and the other looks too short!
Something's wrong in my foot well...
I understand why there wasn't any...
But what exactly could be wrong and what mistake could have been done in that foot well and why?

Mystery so far...

I must have a closer look with a thin and long screwdriver to see how the land lies in that area...
But could be painful for my backbone...