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Once again, one step forward two steps back!
peter030371 - 8/6/17 at 08:18 AM

This car building hobby can be so frustrating at times!

I had a few minor tasks to do (if there is such a thing) to get ready for MOT and Rolling Road. First job was to fit the passenger seat and harness properly which I did last weekend.

Seats
Seats


Next job was to fit the rear fog light, wiring came as far as the rear bulkhead but no further, so I did that on Tuesday evening. Not the best looking fog light but I wanted LED and on the last Striker in 18 years of ownership I only ever used the fog light for the MOT

The light has been fitted so that it can be removed with two screws and un-plugged and put away safe for the next MOT ( ) as it will get in the way of the rear defuser when I fit it later in the year.

Fog light
Fog light


Whilst testing the fog light I noticed that the indicator, horn and main beam switch on the steering wheel had all stopped working half hour of investigation and I found the fuse supplying 12V to the indicator module and the switches on the wheel had blown. It was a 2A fuse and the total load with everything one at once is <1A so I smelt a problem!

I replaced the fuse and carefully switched the power back on...the fuse held this time. The horn and main beam switch worked but no indicators. The indicators are controlled by a self-cancelling module from Signal Dynamics in the states. I checked the wiring to this and all seemed fine so with a lot of struggling to reach the module (now tucked out the way behind the dash, under the steering column) I got it out and tested it and its failed

Module should be under the column above the just visible relay plugged into the empty bullet connectors in the middle of the picture
Self-cancelling module out
Self-cancelling module out


Its a 'new' unit but I have had it for over a year so the warranty is out of date anyway the time delay to send it to the states for them to fix will no doubt take months. I have ordered a new one but its coming from the states and is not due for a couple of weeks.

So no MOT for me until much late this month and I had talked to them about doing the car before a rolling road session so they could check over the build for me.


SPYDER - 8/6/17 at 09:13 AM

You can't beat a bit of Schroth! And FWIW you don't require fog lights for MOT on a "Q" plate car.


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peter030371 - 8/6/17 at 09:41 AM

quote:
Originally posted by SPYDER
And FWIW you don't require fog lights for MOT on a "Q" plate car.



That's not what I have read/been told. This link here states that a single light is needed on cars used on/after 1980. Mine was SVA'd in 2005 and that is the date shown on the V5.


peter030371 - 8/6/17 at 09:52 AM

...and you have just made me notice that the 'ASM' feature on the passenger belt is missing.....after the price I paid for them I want/need/should get all I paid for


SPYDER - 8/6/17 at 10:16 AM

The Manual states...

b. Vehicles having a Q plate registration when presented for MOT are to
be treated as follows: For emission purposes only, all these types
are to be considered as vehicles first used before 1 August 1975. For
all other testing purposes they are to be considered as being first
used on 1 January 1971


And...

This inspection applies to the one rear fog lamp
which is required to be fitted to the centre or offside
of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980.


It doesn't matter when the SVA or IVA took place.


peter030371 - 8/6/17 at 10:57 AM

quote:
Originally posted by SPYDER
The Manual states...

b. Vehicles having a Q plate registration when presented for MOT are to
be treated as follows: For emission purposes only, all these types
are to be considered as vehicles first used before 1 August 1975. For
all other testing purposes they are to be considered as being first
used on 1 January 1971


And...

This inspection applies to the one rear fog lamp
which is required to be fitted to the centre or offside
of vehicles first used on or after 1 April 1980.


It doesn't matter when the SVA or IVA took place.


Which is what I argued with my previous Striker at several MOT's over several years with several testers (including the one that worked with my Dad at the time) and they all said it needed a rear fog light (and if fitted, which they were, the hazard lights must work).

With this new rebuild I have taken advice as I went along and hazards and rear fog light are needed according to that advice. Not a big deal to fit either but the fog light will never get used as driving a Striker in fog is near suicidal


yogibear1969 - 8/6/17 at 12:12 PM

I have used my foglight in heavy rain in France...a Striker is very tiny on a motorway and the visibilty helped! THe guys behind said without it they could hardly see me!
Edd


peter030371 - 8/6/17 at 02:46 PM

quote:
Originally posted by yogibear1969
I have used my foglight in heavy rain in France...a Striker is very tiny on a motorway and the visibilty helped! THe guys behind said without it they could hardly see me!
Edd

Hi Edd

Last time I got caught out in really bad rain (on the way back from a day at Cadwell, only a few miles down the road on a 3-4 hours journey) I pulled over and stopped. With track tyres it was really dangerous and I would rather arrive late than never

After a while the rain left off but my wipers then wouldn't work...called the AA and they agreed it was dangerous conditions to drive with no wipers (lots of surface water about) so recovered me all the way home, I had to sit a nice warm recovery cab for the rest of the journey after a hard days track driving

Anyway I have the fog light now but its going to get in the way later!


bi22le - 8/6/17 at 04:22 PM

Why are you using such a unique flasher system and not just a normal flasher relay?

I have a FIA style fog light on my striker. It has two connections to it with. I swap it from fog to brake light, as required. As my car does not see the road now and only track the "fog light" has been used as an additioal brake light for years. Worth considering while your doinb some wiring at the back end.


peter030371 - 8/6/17 at 08:26 PM

Because I like to make things difficult it also has an auto cancel and 'overtake' funtion which is good on steering wheel mounted buttons

I have a high level brake light on the top of the roll over bar, you can't miss that when it lights up


CosKev3 - 9/6/17 at 06:51 AM

I would be getting rid of that bunch of nasty bullet connectors whilst the units out!

A multiplug would be way more reliable/better looking/easier to use than that bunch!


peter030371 - 9/6/17 at 10:28 AM

quote:
Originally posted by CosKev3
I would be getting rid of that bunch of nasty bullet connectors whilst the units out!

A multiplug would be way more reliable/better looking/easier to use than that bunch!


Each to there own

Reliable.....why? A correctly crimped, quality brand, bullet is as reliable as a correctly crimped multiplug and often much easier to inspect. So I could say in this case a bullet is potentially more reliable in the long run with this possibility to re-inspect it again in the future as its not locked inside a multiplug.

Better looking.....your personal opinion which some may not agree with. However function over form wins for me, especially when it can't be seen with the bulkhead fitted.

Easier.....really? How so? Next time I want to discount one of several wires to change/test/ reroute something then a multiplug is a pain in the backside. As an example, here I was able to disconnect just the switch signals and try switching direct on the module with a test lead. Would have been a lot more difficult with a multiplug.

Don't get me wrong multiplug have there use and other parts of the car use a mixture of Amp superseal and Binder stuff as appropriate


CosKev3 - 9/6/17 at 10:56 AM

Testing individual wires is the only valid point there

Looks wise IMO they look amateurish, bit of a Sunday afternoon Halford's is the only place open type of job!

When trying to pull apart one of those connectors in a tight bunch like that it's easy to put too much pressure on the other connectors/wires as it pulls apart,a multiplug just unclip's with zero force required .


peter030371 - 9/6/17 at 11:20 AM

As I say each to there own