Hey Guys,

I have posted here before about mod options for performance gains and recieved very good info and advise. Thanks

Im now going through the car and going to make sure everything is sound and if not fix it before doing a few mods. I have decided to keep it as close as I can to stock for resale value down the road.
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Here is were Im at with it so far.

Engine

The Fan belt needed replacement due to belt warning light: Fixed

Installed a new A/C compressor unit thinking it was a clutch bearing turned out to just need a new belt. was making the loudest noise! sounded like metal on metal: Fixed

Engine is very very strong and smooth but there is more than a small puff of smoke when starting up cold. I have concerns here? Less than a minute but more of a mini cloud!

This is from something I found on the web
"Start the motor and watch for blue smoke (especially when cold). A little puff of smoke is okay but continuing for more than a minute when first started from cold could be indicative of worn valve guides, piston rings etc (top end overhaul-expensive)."

AC/Heating

Blows hot air when fan is set at Zero?
When installing fuse in slot 24 for the heater blower it kills the fuse?
Was working fine when I purchased the car. Did not bother to test the AC
as it was dead winter at the time Will sort that after I recharge the
system.

Love to hear your thoughts

 

Love to hear and learn more about the lubrication system in regards to operating temps, and trouble shooting the related components? There seems to be one on mine that for the most part is alway in the red? My pressure gauge always reads 4.5 above 1900rpm and at idle its in the middle. The other gauge does nothing really? a few times it centers when Im at a red light or parked but not often?

 

Is the gauge pegged in the red from the moment that you start the car or after driving in traffic?
If it's after driving in traffic, feel the fender in front of the right front tire. If the fender is warm then hot oil is going out to the radiator, the thermostat is doing it's job and the cooling fan on the radiator isn't working. If it's cold then the thermostat isn't opening up.
My oil pressure is 4.5 bar cold, 3 after the oil is warm.
The oil tank level gauge won't register until the car is completely warmed up and oil is going out to the radiator, unless the level sender in the oil tank is bad. Ignore that gauge and check you oil via dipstick (engine running and fully warmed up).
Hope this helps.

 

yeah, the level gauge does nothing at all it stays in the red.

Im also at 4.5 when warm and about 3 at idle.

Thanks for the info Paul

 

The oil level gauge should tell you a reasonable 'guesstimation' (if the sensor is ok) when the car is running, hot and stationary, it won't work while driving (the oil is being circulated and not pooling in the tank). Check the dipstick in the oil tank at the same time as the gauge as Paul has suggested.

 

Looks like the gauge works just fine after adding 2-3L of oil. It does exactly what you said it should be doing. Being from the states I'm amazed at the cost of oil and fuel in Germany! I'm read in the middle of the two marks now. When warmed up the level gauge is level and the pressure is right above 2. I'm going to do a complete oil change soon myself so I know what has gone in. Don't think it was done correctly before I took delivery.

 

Going to try and trouble shoot the ac/hetaing unit.
Afte doing some research it could be I have some bad servos.
Heater blower fuse blows instantly when I install a new fuse?

I wonder if my climate control unit is crapping out? Not sure how to check
this unit.

 

Sounds like one (or both, but not likely) of the blower motors is shorted. A bad servo will just quit working and they don't draw a lot of current as they are a tenney-tiny motor like you would find in a slot car.
A replacement is (take a deep breath) approximately $700. These motors aren't designed to be rebuilt (I tried) so you have no option than to buy new.

I have my HVAC system apart as we speak. The servo motor that controls air flow between the floor and vents is toast. I'm screwing with it in an effort to get it working but it looks like I may be defeated

 

Yeah, the blower motors are not cheap, Pelican has them. It may be both that are done. Where do you get the servos? Seems like the A/C heating is the only reall nightmare I have found. Will make sure I know exactly what is bad before ordering new parts. Made that mistake with the AC compressor and all it was was a belt.

off subject but another nice upgrade I found was a new lighted key with crest :P

Ro

 

I was getting an ABS Warning light and what it turned out to be was a loose clamp on my battery connections. I have no more warning lights after getting this properly secured.

 

Did you take the entire unit out from the Dash Metal???

 

It can be accessed in front of the cowling, behind the fuel tank. Take the two screws out of the cover and all the servo motors are there.
I was not able to get mine to work correctly so I'll need anther. Good thing is that for now I just set the damper to put all the air through the center vents as it's a/c season.

 

Your smoke on start up is very normal.

The oil drips down and collects at the bottom then gets burnt off at start up.

The more regularly you run it the less smoke on start up...

 

Good to know Miles,

I only use it on the weekends so this may have something to do with it as you have stated. When I have more time I will check the plugs and and get a leakdown test. sometimes there is very little smoke at all now that im watching for it all the time.

 

Don't know about the smoke, really depends on how often you start the car.
1x a week and mine doesn't smoke at all or may be a little if it's cold and I had to park outside overnight.

On the other hand when I fired up the engine after the winter (idle for almost 7 months) I had to rush out of the garage or die on the spot from the fumes.