Your fleet running reports

[speedingfine]

Bit disappointed the screen doesn't flip like off of the 90s. Any dot matrix dolphins?

[mik]

Not having AndroidAuto/CarPlay is a pain, moreso when you've got nowhere to mount a phone...or in fact any storage at all.

I’ve got a brodit mount in mine. Don’t think they make them any more, and obvs it wouldn’t fit yours anyway. This is the only one I have seen for later cars.


https://www.gregsraceparts.com/products ... -mount-kit

[Matty]

Bit disappointed the screen doesn't flip like off of the 90s. Any dot matrix dolphins?

My mate had the Pioneer dolphins. I was a hardcore Kenwood man myself.

I’ve got a brodit mount in mine. Don’t think they make them any more, and obvs it wouldn’t fit yours anyway. This is the only one I have seen for later cars.


https://www.gregsraceparts.com/products ... -mount-kit

Yeah, that's what the previous owner did, but I wanted a tidier solution, and figured it would be "simpler" to just swap the HU. I've just made an attempt to contort myself to get access to the rear fusebox not sure they could have made it any more awkward to get at...and was too concerned about dropping it down into what looks like a pit of no return if I do.

[Matty]

Actually, I'll ask the hivemind here.


So, old headunit had a twin RCA for the subwoofer (well, into the amp, which feeds the sub).
New headunit has a *single* RCA lead, and a wire for "subwoofer power switch"

The schematics here, however, suggest only one of those RCA cables to the amp are used, am I reading that right? Two Phono leads, one goes to "Not used" and one goes into "Sub Out" in the HU
And I assume the sub power switch isn't used, as it looks like it's just powered from the main ignition?

[Gavster]

Actually, I'll ask the hivemind here.


So, old headunit had a twin RCA for the subwoofer (well, into the amp, which feeds the sub).
New headunit has a *single* RCA lead, and a wire for "subwoofer power switch"

The schematics here, however, suggest only one of those RCA cables to the amp are used, am I reading that right? Two Phono leads, one goes to "Not used" and one goes into "Sub Out" in the HU
And I assume the sub power switch isn't used, as it looks like it's just powered from the main ignition?

From what I remember - and Sundayjumper or Harry will know better:

Single RCA must be a combined mono output for the sub. Not sure how you get that into the L/R on the amp, maybe a Y-splitter?

If the sub's amp already has something connected to the remote power terminal, then you should be fine, as that just needs to be a switched live, usually connected to the ignition in some way.

[Jimexpl]

Actually, I'll ask the hivemind here.


So, old headunit had a twin RCA for the subwoofer (well, into the amp, which feeds the sub).
New headunit has a *single* RCA lead, and a wire for "subwoofer power switch"

The schematics here, however, suggest only one of those RCA cables to the amp are used, am I reading that right? Two Phono leads, one goes to "Not used" and one goes into "Sub Out" in the HU
And I assume the sub power switch isn't used, as it looks like it's just powered from the main ignition?

Yes, that looks correct, but given that the graphics appear like they found it on a Windows 3.11 machine from when they were building FWD Elans I don't know if I'd believe it!
I've been drawing wiring schematics this morning for a plant room...
On the mono question, nearly all sub amps sum L+R to mono, so it shouldn't be a problem.

[Jobbo]

Our R5 is home. 7 weeks with the Renault dealer awaiting repair - the air-con failed at the beginning of the first heat wave. After it had been with them 5 weeks Renault sent parts and they were wrong. I got pretty fed up at this point and when they were threatened with us rejecting the car, they took parts off a car in stock and fixed ours.

So, don’t buy a Renault 5 and think parts supply is any good. Very, very disappointing. I’ll be taking it further because a nearly new car should never be off the road for the best part of 2 months awaiting parts for a simple repair. We could have had a new one built and delivered in that sort of timescale.

Glad to have it back though.

[Alex88]

Sounds like a ballache, Jobbo. Glad you finally got it back!

Speaking of 7 week delays... I collected the Mustang from Modurstang today, which has been with them for about 7 weeks as well. That's on top of the 2-3 weeks it was with them the first time round - when they returned it to me still not working properly.

It still isn't.

They'd recommend a new oil pump to solve it's hunting idle issue. The rationale was that the cam phasers, which they'd recently replaced, didn't appear to be getting sufficient oil volume at idle.

SJ (and others) predicted this wouldn't work, and they were right.

The issue didn't reoccur until much later, but it's definitely still there.

On top of that, I'm also dubious about the sports cats I had fitted. The car stunk of fuel/fumes and the cabin was HOT. I could feel it through the centre console and gearstick!

I've absolutely had enough of cars. This has cost a fortune and the car doesn't feel right at all. It doesn't bark on start up anymore, and sort of coughs into life. It pulls fine, but is clearly upset at low speed and especially at idle.

Not sure what to do now. Will have to speak to Modurstang in the morning and ask for my money back. I'm not using them again.

[Matty]

Thanks - I bought a Y RCA which didn't work, so guess it could be the fuse...time to pull the interior apart to get to the amp

Yes, that looks correct, but given that the graphics appear like they found it on a Windows 3.11 machine from when they were building FWD Elans I don't know if I'd believe it!

I wouldn't have been surprised to still see Win3.11 at Hethel back in 2016

[Matty]

Our R5 is home. 7 weeks with the Renault dealer awaiting repair - the air-con failed at the beginning of the first heat wave. After it had been with them 5 weeks Renault sent parts and they were wrong. I got pretty fed up at this point and when they were threatened with us rejecting the car, they took parts off a car in stock and fixed ours.

So, don’t buy a Renault 5 and think parts supply is any good. Very, very disappointing. I’ll be taking it further because a nearly new car should never be off the road for the best part of 2 months awaiting parts for a simple repair. We could have had a new one built and delivered in that sort of timescale.

Glad to have it back though.

It's not an unfamiliar story - seem to be reading more of it, but not sure if that's just frequency bias.

However, article I was reading a while back about ever increasing wait times for parts now. Combination of cars just being more complex, but also manufacturers/dealers not wanting to store expensive parts, so they get ordered on demand. Turns up, broken, or need a different part to resolve it? Start the order and wait time again.

[JonMad]

Calling all tow-ists. Some dodgy electrical connection going on with my (awesome, Brenderup) trailer. Connect it up, standard 7 pin connector, test the indicators, brakes, lights, hazards etc, all good. Sweet off, then occasionally when driving along, and either when indicating or just randomly, suddenly it decides to throw an error related to the trailer left turn signal. At that point, indicating left causes the car indicator to flash in double time, and the trailer one not to flash, as a warning light pops up on the dash. At some point on the trip, the error may clear itself and all is well again, then again later it will decide to stop working again. Always just the left indicator. I tried contact cleaner on the car and trailer side and can do so again but that didn't clear the issue. I also have a trailer electrics tester box that shows no issues when you plug that in. Annoying as I'm not about to just hook up the trailer for a drive to test it - it only gets connected if we're off camping somewhere.

[jamcg]

Have you opened up both connectors? The wires usually terminate in screw terminals or pillar terminals, both of which like to loosen with vibration

[JonMad]

Have you opened up both connectors? The wires usually terminate in screw terminals or pillar terminals, both of which like to loosen with vibration

ahh, no, I've not done any investigation other than unplugging it and plugging it back in again
Thanks.

[integrale_evo]

Does the trailer use traditional bulbs (lamps if any electricians are looking) or a led system?

If normal old filament bulbs my first thing to check would be the condition of the bulb itself and its socket, making sure everything is nice and clean.

A double speed flash is a normal way for a car to tell you the indicator is out, I assume the towing module somehow changes the overall resistance to do the same to warn you if a trailer lamp is out.

[Mito Man]

In your plug you see the domes with the + shape. Get a flathead screwdriver and spread them out a tiny bit so they make better contact with the female end.

[Sundayjumper]

It’s a slightly iffy connection somewhere. Trailers are awful for it, the lights are often not very high quality, they tend to sit around unused for ages and corrosion sneaks in.

I’d open up the lights and have a look in there. On my old trailer I actually soldered the bulbs into place as I was fed up with this kind of behaviour.

[Sundayjumper]

Also, wot Mito said. Maybe run some sandpaper around the pins as well.

[Simon]

Our R5 is home. 7 weeks with the Renault dealer awaiting repair - the air-con failed at the beginning of the first heat wave. After it had been with them 5 weeks Renault sent parts and they were wrong. I got pretty fed up at this point and when they were threatened with us rejecting the car, they took parts off a car in stock and fixed ours.

So, don’t buy a Renault 5 and think parts supply is any good. Very, very disappointing. I’ll be taking it further because a nearly new car should never be off the road for the best part of 2 months awaiting parts for a simple repair. We could have had a new one built and delivered in that sort of timescale.

Glad to have it back though.

Please tell me you said "Don't you know who I am?" at some point during the exchange with them?

[Sundayjumper]

Not sure what to do now.

I don’t remember the whole history, but removing the sports cats & putting the original system back in would be my first step right now. It may or may not help but it’s a slightly random variable that can easily be removed from the equation.

Then reading the live data when it’s idling for some hints. A specialist absolutely *should* have done this right at the start but as per my recent post about my neighbour’s 1-Series, maybe they didn’t.

[Alex88]

Thanks - I agree. I kept the originals and will get them welded back on. Will then take it from there