Timmus in the South East

Hi Tom,

Looking forward to seeing you and Ian on the third, what time would you like me to be there? Postcode please.

Kind regards

Simon
 
Me too please.
I am due tomorrow after lunch but you can tell Tom that if his schedule is behind I can always drop out if he needs to find some extra time.
if his schedule is working out ok I will be there are planned (wherever there is) ?
Steve B
 
Thank you @timmus and @Proghound for today. Superb craftsmanship from Tom and warm hospitality from Ian. I learnt a great deal watching the master at work and loved chatting about all things A2. Drove home feathering the throttle and toggling the new DIS (managed an average of 52.4 mpg). However, I’ll need more practice with the cruise control to feel comfortable In traffic. Tom also fitted a chrome ringed shifter (kindly supplied by Ian) to match the new instrument cluster and even enabled anti-hijack with beep on locking. Thank you again gentlemen!
 
Thank you @timmus and @Proghound for today. Superb craftsmanship from Tom and warm hospitality from Ian. I learnt a great deal watching the master at work and loved chatting about all things A2. Drove home feathering the throttle and toggling the new DIS (managed an average of 52.4 mpg). However, I’ll need more practice with the cruise control to feel comfortable In traffic. Tom also fitted a chrome ringed shifter (kindly supplied by Ian) to match the new instrument cluster and even enabled anti-hijack with beep on locking. Thank you again gentlemen!
Yes second that thanks for today sorry had to rush off but very nice to meet you both.
 
Evening all,

I have just got home after a full afternoon of my A2 being pampered by @timmus. I now have the work completed that Project OEM has been wanting for a while.

Tom, thank you so much, it’s always very nice to have a catch up whilst seeing you giving my A2 your treatment.

Ian @Proghound it was very nice to meet you sir, your hospitality is awesome, thank you.

Kind regards,

Tom
 
Just adding to the chorus of approval here. Spent a "blink and you miss it" four hours at Ian @Proghound 's pad in Leighton Buzzard as @timmus did the business to my most recent A2, an '03 plated FSI.

On the list was:
  • Cruise control install.
  • xcarlink install, including microphone for hands-free calls
  • USB charging to central cubby hole beneath ashtray
  • Aux cable install.
  • Correctly remove/install 1.6 FSI ECU and create "How-to" tutorial for 1.6. FSI owners like me wanting to swap out an ECU
  • Restore Immobilizer function to ECU (Proboost/@A2Steve 1.6 FSI remap).
The chaps made me feel very welcome and Ian's hospitality was second to none, as the weather Gods' goodwill held firm. Another Ian's slot came to an end and he was on his way; a bit of car Tetris followed, then it was my turn.

After some discussion, and an interior teardown you have to see to believe, we agreed to forego the Aux installation this time, as much for reasons of efficiency as anything (maybe next time!).

Tom was good enough to provide a few extra fettling tweaks and features (anti hijack and audible doors closed and locked confirmation) and took the time to back up my ECU using "GIZMO the MAGIC BOX®™" having got immobilizer functionality back up and running on the Proboost ECU (Woop!).

Finally, as if I hadn't already been smiled on enough already, @Proghound kindly demoed the front door card removal and installation, which I am shortly to undertake on my original 1.4 SE of X plated vintage.

Concurrently, @timmus was troubleshooting a non-functional lumbar seat adjuster, quickly establishing the problem was either a wire within the chair itself, or a kaput motor. A project for another time, there, but the efficiency with which it was analysed was glorious to behold as I also learned the right way to do the door or card.

My cup runneth over, but it didn't stop there.

The handbrake on the car was almost at 70° and hadn't been picked up by my very decent (but generalist) garage in Byfleet. The specialist that is @timmus couldn't let that pass under his nose, so having established I was not up against the clock, he adjusted that to perfection, so it's now tightly engaged at about 30°.

Once a quick on-drive tutorial was delivered and undersood on the cruise and xcarlink, and a plethora of discussions about mountains, ecology, the morality of climbing Everest, Annapurna circuit, PayPal's founders, childhood nicknames, and Marmalade in the Dolomites were parked until next time, I was Surrey-bound, using the M-ways to get the hang of driving-by-hand controls, using xcarlink to pipe the sweet sounds of Sasha live at The Barbican through the Bose system.

Oh yes, "Death pipe" was mentioned too and I will be getting that part replaced as a precaution next service. The Proboost ECU should mitigate any catastrophic failure now, due to its lower operating temperature, and I hope maybe we might finally see some movement on a "group buy" project approach to getting that pipe specified and fettled. I understand it's the same part for the 1.4 petrol too (part 30 on the parts diagram), so I'm in for two, even though it's perhaps over-engineered for the cooler-running 1.4's coolant system.

My FSI is lusty and has 69k on it, so it and the 1.4 I've owned since 2003 are keepers, right now, so maintenance is still the keyword here (and I don't have no stinking PCP plan, bleeding me dry! ?).

My heartfelt and sincere thanks to both Tom/@timmus and Ian/@Proghound for your patience, friendliness, passion and expertise. Long may you remain associated with the A2 fellowship!

If you're new to the forum, I commend the South East chapter's @timmus roadshow.

James/@jaffa_jim signing out.

P.S. One final thing; anyone on here in the South East confident about a repair to the part of the air con system directly behind the front bumper on the FSI? It's got a leak and I'd like to get it sorted ASAP, but not for 400 quid the mobile air con technician told me it'd cost.
 
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Today it was upgrade's day!

Visited Tom in his South East tour and finally managed to replace few tricky parts like the D-pillar trim, replace the reg number lights with new ones (plus new stainless steel screws), fix the rear passenger overhead lights and replace the rear boot carpet with a fresh new one.

Thank you again @timmus for your legendary skills and attention to detail and of course @Proghound for being such a generous host. Nice meeting @Mightyleader too!



A2_01.jpg
A2_03.jpg
 
Visited Tom in his South East tour and finally managed to [...] replace the reg number lights with new ones (plus new stainless steel screws)

Now this is something I need to do on both my cars. Has anyone done a "how to" for when the rather exposed non-stainless screws holding the rear numberplate light assembly shear off? I've tried to use a screw extractor but no joy!

I think there's a way of doing it by dismantling the inside boot trim, but can't be sure if I imagined it?
 
A second visit to Leighton Buzzard to have Tom work his miracles (this time it is for my wife’s car).
There was a very strange issue with pairing a second key. I had tried several times and no result. Tom then tried the same process and also had the same issue. After eliminating all possible causes Tom finally tracked it down to a fault in the instrument cluster!!! Bingo, one cluster swapped in and everything g was resolved.
Tom did sone other bits and pieces for me and Ian looked after me too.
It was a very pleasant morning and I left with a huge smile on my face and at a brilliant price too.
We are very lucky to have Tom around!!!

Thank you!!!

Steve B
 
what's that new carpet? with the handle and the opening the other way around?
It's the version of the rear carpet that was originally fitted to cars with the basic DIS-based SatNav system. It's designed such that the navigation disc can be changed through the little opening, without lifting the whole battery-access flap.
In this case, because the navigation system isn't fitted, it provides access to an additional storage area. Not essential, but elegant and possibly even cute. :)
 
It's the version of the rear carpet that was originally fitted to cars with the basic DIS-based SatNav system. It's designed such that the navigation disc can be changed through the little opening, without lifting the whole battery-access flap.
In this case, because the navigation system isn't fitted, it provides access to an additional storage area. Not essential, but elegant and possibly even cute. :)
That's why I could not resist from buying it! A quirky, unique, rare detail providing an unexpected storage space. The excitement was short-lived: as soon as I put my spare wheel back in, it covered half of it!

A2_02.jpg
 
That's why I could not resist from buying it! A little unique, rare detail providing an unexpected storage space. The excitement was short-lived: as soon as I put my spare wheel back in, it covered half of it!
I suspect that, when using the original collapsible spacesaver, the access flap would not be obscured, but I could be wrong.
 
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