Project HaeThere! (Coupé restoration)

[mjb]

Here's what I need to/want to/plan to do. I'll try to keep this updated. Lets see what I can get through:

DONE:
1. The engine mount. Easy job except it was an utter pig to get the mount lined up on re-fitting
2. Those awful wiper blades! Got me a 26" Valeo flat, but still trying to find a 20" one.
3. The spongy clutch and vague brakes. The hydraulic fluid is horribly manky. Thankfully with those lovely big alloys and awesome Brembo calipers, I can get to at least the front bleed nipples without even jacking the car up!
4. New pollen filter
5. Diagnostic socket. FAIL. Doesn't support ISO 9141-2 unlike cars made a couple of months later. Might build a manual k-line serial adaptor and have a play with it manually
6. Cleaned it!
7. Tyres inflated to my liking. 36psi front, 37psi rear
8. The overhead humidity sensor fan is buzzing. 30min job if it's just clogged with dust, an hour, some blu-tac and 50p if I have to botch a new fan in it
9. Bulb in the trip computer needs replacement.
10. BUY TAX!
11. I'm firing on only 5 cylinders. Erk!
12. Need to get my JVC head in there soon before I go mad - SOUNDS AWFUL. RE-WIRING NEEDED
13. New washer jets needed. The N/S one is rusted up and barely able to hit the windscreen. I'm going to get a set of Citroen mist type ones on there.
14. Back seats. Won't lock in the upright position
15. Rear glass needs cleaning on the inside. Not looking forward to that!
16. Rear brake pads need replacing if I can get the damn pins out
17. Gearbox oil needs changing
18. Gear linkages want cleaning + greasing
19. Handbrake cable tightened
20. Idle control valve. I'll give it a good clean to help it under load
21. Popping speakers on bumps. Need to check out old posts to see where the dodgy connector is - solved by switching stereos
22. Headlamp alignment is bad. N/S too high, O/S too low
23. Rear discs+pads+shoes needs replacing
24. Screw drivers door back on
25. Rear wheels running only on the inside edge
26. Overhead mirror replaced
27. O/S wing mirror replaced
28. New battery fitted
29. Idle control valve cleaned
30. Battery replaced
31. Crankshaft pulley replaced
32. New rear tyres
33. Clutch changed
34. New gearbox mount
35. Cruise control pump&valve removed for testing
36. Aux belt and tensioner replaced
37. Clutch changed AGAIN
38. Bottom engine mount changed with one from an ES9J4S
39. Cruise control fixed by replacing the vacuum valve
40. Tidied up the aerial
41. Front tyres replaced, so it's now running on 215/55/16W Firestone TZ300a's all around
42. Headlamp washers de-scaled
43. Door speakers and rear tweeters now working (wiring fault in the driver's door)
44. Folding wing mirrors now working (same door wiring fault)
45. Ashtray insert replaced and light re-fitted so I get the nice orange glow down there
46. Wiper arms replaced
47. High pressure PAS pipe replaced
48. New front brake discs (genuine Brembo)
49. New front brake pads (genuine Brembo)
50. Detailed
51. Both front drop-links replaced
52. CD changer removed to give some extra storage space
53. OEM Amplifier replaced
54. Cruise control stalk cleaned up
55. Aircon re-gassed
56. Washer fluid bottle cap replaced
57. Driveshaft intermediate bearing heat shield replaced

NOT DONE:

Ashtray light power line needs intercepting and wiring into the stereo harness.
Re-seal sump
Clean throttle body and inlet manifold
Replace drivers door speaker
Fix driver's door wiring
Replace stupid broken bits of plastic on the doors behind the mirrors
New mats
Replace top engine mount again
Fit Nürburgring sticker (after driving it next month )
Replace shock absorbers
Replace rusting brake pipe section
Replace heated mirror glass
Replace n/s foglamp
Replace lower cold air feed
Replace front wheelarch liners (already got)
Replace plastic undertrays (not the main engine bay one, the bits to the side) (already got)
Replace splitter
Repaint hastily painted wiper arms
Repaint wing mirror covers
Replace lighter socket
Replace gearknob and cables
Replace accelerator cable
Replace bonnet (for one that isn't more chip than paint)
Replace cat
Replace engine management sensors (IAT, CTS, MAP, TPS, CPS, speed sender, lambda)

[Doggy]

Sure you haven't overlooked anything, Matt?
Got yourself a project there alright - I wish you well with it & hope you keep us 'posted'. We'll all give you lots of encouragement & well-meant, daft suggestions so it takes even longer.
Impeccable timing with the Wiki too

[eoin27]

4. The non-folding auto-folding door mirrors are going to be interesting. I'm suspecting either the switch or more likely a wiring issue between the switch and the ignition. I'm looking forward to that one

I think the folding mirrors can be deactivated by the main dealer, so that might save you having to take apart the switch. Actually, maybe they should still work with the switch even if deactivated

12. Bulb in the trip computer needs replacement. No idea how to get it out on this one. Yet

If by trip computer you mean MFD, then there is two plastic covers on each side of the MFD that can be easily prised out, four torx screws later and you have the MFD out, there are three bulbs in it.

[steve_earwig]

I'm thinking you should start with number 7, in case it's something nasty.

3. The overhead humidity sensor fan is buzzing. 30min job if it's just clogged with dust, an hour, some blu-tac and 50p if I have to botch a new fan in it

I thought that was one of the temperature sensors My D9's was noisy so I got Pug to order me a new one while it was there for it's cam belt (yeah, I know, I know ) Imagine my surprise when it was 60 quid

[Welly]

Hopefully you can fix most of that cheaply (or for free) yourself.

I'm worried about the grinding noise and the miss-fire though. Have you grabbed the drive shafts and gave them a good old rattle? When I had the Mazda V6 it would sometimes miss fire until I noticed a HT lead was arcing some of the spark over to the block

[mjb]

Sure you haven't overlooked anything, Matt?

Yes it's a big list, but you know how anally retentive I can get about my cars (remember when I first got the saloon and took it to kwik-sh*t because the tracking was something silly like 0.00000001 degrees out? )

Most of that list is easy fun stuff. The only things that should cost money are the cruise control (breakers yard job, but I'll pull mine apart first), grinding and the ignition (probably need a new coil pack, but I'm going to splash out on a set of plugs regardless, maybe a set of HT leads too if Pug don't charge the moon for them)

I went to a Coupe Club meet yesterday and got to feel a D9 clutch. Feels very similar to the separate units of the D8s, so something's definitely amiss. I'm now thinking one of my problems (perhaps the slippping problem too if the mechanism relies on that spring to provide negative pressure on the master cylinder) may be the spring attached to the pedal. I'm going to have a poke around later

If by trip computer you mean MFD, then there is two plastic covers on each side of the MFD that can be easily prised out, four torx screws later and you have the MFD out, there are three bulbs in it.

Superb - thanks! The the usual dashboard bulbs I take it?

[Captain Jack]

JHC Matt! And I thought I had problems.... As you're in Swindle, maybe we can "help" each other out, eh?

[mjb]

As you're in Swindle, maybe we can "help" each other out, eh?

No, I'm in Stoke. My old saloon's near Swindon though...

Most of the stuff above isn't really a "problem", more "minor imperfection"

[eoin27]

The the usual dashboard bulbs I take it?

Yep!

[mjb]

Urgh. Well I've been under the footwell and found the layout different to the D8 and typically, much higher up and harder to get at . Couldn't see how to detach the master cylinder from the pedal either. Looking at the Haynes now, "the pushrod is retained on the pedal by a clevis pin and spring clip". What's one of them then?

[steve_earwig]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clevis_pin

I presume the spring clip is a folded piece of metal, with a slot in one side and a hole in the other. You force the slot onto the clevis pin and the hole snaps over the end to hold it in place. Removal by pulling away the side with the hole, then sliding the slot off. (Hope that makes sense )

[jasper5]

Some clevis pins have a "C" clip on the end, fitted in the slot.These are often referred to as "Jesus clips" as when you try to remove them, they flick off at great speed with the common saying, "Jesus! Where did that go".

[mjb]

Right, so I've got to find a pin. Couldn't see one. The trouble is there's a lot of plastic on that connection and I don't particularly fancy having to replace the master cylinder if I can at all avoid it Oooh servicebox reckons the master cylinder's only £34 and the slave £21!

Think I'll change the fluid first anyway then try looking at the spring at the weekend if that ain't fixed it

[mjb]

UPDATED

3. The spongy clutch and vague brakes. The hydraulic fluid is horribly manky. Thankfully with those lovely big alloys and awesome Brembo calipers, I can get to at least the front bleed nipples without even jacking the car up!
Fronts got done without hassle the other night, did the rears and re-did the clutch today

4. New pollen filter
Took a LOT longer than expected. Firstly the compartment was literally full of leaves. The filter was pitch black. I don't think it's ever been changed So I cleared the crap out, changed the filter and almost put the plastic panel back. Snapped one lug and simply couldn't get the middle (of the car) lug to hook on the body

5. Diagnostic socket. FAIL.
The 1999 coupé doesn't support ISO 9141-2 unlike cars made a couple of months later. Might build a manual k-line serial adaptor and have a play with it manually. I'm no stranger to reverse engineering protocols. Should be ok if I can get the ECU to speak to me

6. Cleaned it!
Wish I didn't though, the bodywork's covered in stone chips

7. Tyres inflated to my liking. 36psi front, 37psi rear
ooooh yeah

2. The wheel bearing/CV joint noise. Doing my head in.
while I was doing the rear brakes I spun the wheels. Nearside is noisy but spins ok. Offside is noisy but doesn't turn freely.

8. Need to get my JVC head in there soon before I go mad
Ordered a PC2-36-AMP from http://www.nexxia.co.uk which will let me plug the car's ISO connector into the line outputs of my JVC instead of sending the speaker outputs to the coupé's amp

12. Bulb in the trip computer needs replacement.
Bought the bulb, not changed it yet

7. I'm firing on only 5 cylinders. Erk!
Had a play with my oscilloscope and managed to pick up clear signals from all three HT leads and coils by induction.
WTF could it be? I've re-plugged everything I can see but it's not made any difference. There's a definite smell of petrol in the egg sauce though allong with white smoke, it's hesitant on accelerating/revving, low on power, can hear popping on high throttle positions, so I'm sure it's a cylinder down. It even SOUNDS like the engine in a VW Bora V5!

On Monday I'll be ordering the following:
6x NGK plugs from eBay (unless the dealers so plugs cheaper - there's none in Halfrauds/Motormania)
Inlet manifold gasket
Citroen mist-type washer jets
2x rear wheel bearings. I'll see if ECP/GSF have them
(possible, from ebay) courtesy light unit with temp sensor+fan (unless I can stop the fan noise tomorrow)

I'm half tempted to get a stalk adaptor when I have the money. I'm actually finding it really useful now I've been using it for longer than the 20 mins it usually takes me to replace the head unit

[Doggy]

7. I'm firing on only 5 cylinders. Erk!
Had a play with my oscilloscope and managed to pick up clear signals from all three HT leads and coils by induction.
WTF could it be? I've re-plugged everything I can see but it's not made any difference. There's a definite smell of petrol in the egg sauce though allong with white smoke, it's hesitant on accelerating/revving, low on power, can hear popping on high throttle positions, so I'm sure it's a cylinder down. It even SOUNDS like the engine in a VW Bora V5!

Compression test?