Today I.....

Finally got the A2 out the workshop after a rear coolant pipe replacement (TWICE!, grrrr) also replaced some number plate fixings that had lost the end caps as I had some on the shelf in the shed. Having driven it 35 ft I now know I need to adjust the gear linkage so come here for some reading.
 
Today I.... had clear off some "white powder". After an unusually wet period (nov+dec) over here, it feels good to see the sun and put on cross country skies and enjoy that days are getting longer for every day passing by....
The DEFA electrical engine heater and coupe heater let me start a hot engine and ice free windows....
Every cold start I can avoid, feels real good ?

DBlue w snow s.jpg
 
Can’t wait to try my Calix setup! At the moment there’s no chance as the house we’re in temporarily while we look for our permanent home doesn’t have a driveway
 
Today I sussed a long standing battery drain problem.

This week I bought my 2nd A2, a 03 TDI SE with OSS, and it came with a battery drain issue, not major but at 180mA, it had killed a couple of batteries with the previous owner.

I traced most of it to fuse 36 and after disconnecting the CCCU and aircon controller etc, fuseway 36 was still pulling 110mA.
Last night I finally worked out how to read the current flow diagrams on Elsawin (I still don't know what the numbers refer to in the rectangular boxes though) and worked out that it could only now be the alarm siren box underneath the OS rear light.

So this morning, I pulled the lead to it, and the fuse 36 current dropped to zero :)

I've taken it into work to crack it open and see if I can work out what's wrong with it.

Andy
 
I think it'll be a dead battery. I fitted a replacement (slightly higher capacity) Nimh battery on the outside of the alarm siren case, and connected it, by short wires, through a hole (drilled and sealed with silicone) direct to the old battery leads, once the duff battery had been snipped out, leaving enough lead to solder to.
I used a junior hacksaw around the case join, to open it, and self amalgamating tape to seal it up.
Mac.
More info here:
 
I think it'll be a dead battery. I fitted a replacement (slightly higher capacity) Nimh battery on the outside of the alarm siren case, and connected it, by short wires, through a hole (drilled and sealed with silicone) direct to the old battery leads, once the duff battery had been snipped out, leaving enough lead to solder to.
I used a junior hacksaw around the case join, to open it, and self amalgamating tape to seal it up.
Mac.
More info here:

Thanks @Catnip64 Those videos are great, I now understand a lot more ?.

@PlasticMac Thanks, I'd seen your great post about the alarm siren and thought it could be a duff battery loading the supply, so I got it opened and powered on the bench and it was still taking 110mA from a 12.5v supply, I cut the battery legs whilst watching the ammeter and there was no change, the battery less pcb was still sinking 100mA.
On inspection there were a few smd transistors and resistors around D1 that were discoloured with heat and dodgy looking so I think its a gonner :(

Thanks both for your help.

Regards

Andy
 
Thanks @Catnip64 Those videos are great, I now understand a lot more ?.

@PlasticMac Thanks, I'd seen your great post about the alarm siren and thought it could be a duff battery loading the supply, so I got it opened and powered on the bench and it was still taking 110mA from a 12.5v supply, I cut the battery legs whilst watching the ammeter and there was no change, the battery less pcb was still sinking 100mA.
On inspection there were a few smd transistors and resistors around D1 that were discoloured with heat and dodgy looking so I think its a gonner :(

Thanks both for your help.

Regards

Andy
If you go for s/h, ask seller for pic of the date code before buying. Look for the most recent, and consider replacing the battery, even if it is OK.
Mac.
 
Replaced car battery today, well last night in fact, with a brand new Yuasa that I luckily already had handy


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
...learned that one of my A2s has factory Bluetooth.
I didn't even realize Bluetooth was even a thing back in '05, when my family had neither a mobile phone nor an Internet connection. :D

I owned a BMW 525d, E39 era 52 reg back in 2006 and that had bluetooth and a button on the steering wheel to take calls. That was cutting edge.

Ian
 
I owned a BMW 525d, E39 era 52 reg back in 2006 and that had bluetooth and a button on the steering wheel to take calls. That was cutting edge.

Ian
One of the reasons mine will be getting a new head unit so I can have cutting edge technology at my finger tips ! ??
 
Today I....... had snow on the way home from work again:
PXL_20210114_153443713.jpg

I do like All Season tyres - they might not be quite winter tyres, but they're so much better than summer tyres when the white stuff comes:
PXL_20210114_153452564-01.jpeg

One of the roads I travel along doesn't get gritted, but at least it had been ploughed before I got there (hence the tractor tyre marks!)
PXL_20210114_155033141.jpg
 
Back
Top