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D3 - Engine Bay Everything under the bonnet

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  #11  
Old 4th November 2018, 11:38 PM
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I had done my headlights with the 3M kit on two occasions but they only lasted a few months.
I popped round to the chap that does all the painting on the fleet cars that I was involved in. His comment "No gaurantee but come round Saturday morning". Probably 30 mins sanding and polishing with air drills, spraying with clear varnish and drying in the paintshop oven. Still good some 9 months later.
Cost to me . . . . zilch.
Of course I complained but his answer was I desrved it'cos all I've done for them???? All I've ever done is drive him and his family to/from the airport and then he has always paid the company for that.
Must be my good looks
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  #12  
Old 5th November 2018, 02:12 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tc4332 View Post
Cost to me . . . . zilch.
Of course I complained but his answer was I desrved it'cos all I've done for them???? All I've ever done is drive him and his family to/from the airport and then he has always paid the company for that.
Must be my good looks
Can't comment on your good looks Ray, but you obviously have a way with the men, as well as the ladies.
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  #13  
Old 5th November 2018, 07:34 AM
snapdragon snapdragon is offline
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Thinking about this more, it does sound like it could be this thick cable/crimp, simply because if it was the motor getting hot, the heat soak from the engine and the mass of the engine and motor would make it take much longer to cool down than it does.
I am thinking the charging while driving must be making the connection hot, and maybe the consumers such as heated seats and window and then when I stop, it is too hot and hard to start. Charging volts shown on a cigar lighter with LCD is low too at only about 12.6v.

I need to find it, leave the carpet loose and see if it does get hot, or put a slice of candle on it then try and recrimp/solder it. Might also be worth testing the voltage across it as it should be zero.
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  #14  
Old 5th November 2018, 08:26 AM
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Fingers crossed it isn’t too difficult a fix Snap’ or that we’ve led you away from a fault elsewhere.
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  #15  
Old 10th November 2018, 10:34 AM
snapdragon snapdragon is offline
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Well, nice weather this morning, so got to this cable junction box.
You have to remove plastic covers from front and rear of seat rails to expose triple square bolts that you then remove the fronts and loosen the rears.
Slide the seat back all the way and tip back until it rests on the rear seat.
Now pull up the front carpet and foam until you can see the box nestled to the right of your right ankle when it is on the throttle peddle. It is behind a black aluminium shield that takes 2x 10mm nuts to remove.
Then you unclip the plastic over the opposite edge to the 2 x nuts.
I opened mine and it was a mess, looks like it has been hot and sooty and white powdery residue, even the carpet foam is singed where the thick cable comes up into the bottom. I doubt it will catch fire, but is a massive design fault/ QC problem that existed from the factory.

I think when the battery is low, the charging from the front 180A alternator and consumers will overheat the cable, and cause a low charge voltage - that is why we have so many battery issues. Then in reverse, when trying to immediately restart the car, the already hot cable has too much contact resistance and just gets hotter and hotter so not enough current can get to the starter from the battery in the boot.

Still wondering what to do at this stage, I guess cut off the heat shrink...

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Last edited by snapdragon; 23rd April 2020 at 09:18 AM.
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  #16  
Old 10th November 2018, 10:51 AM
snapdragon snapdragon is offline
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I cut off the heat shrink, it is very tough and thick stuff- it came off easily from the cable sheath, but from the metal, it is stuck on really well and seems like melted burned glue and corroded, maybe by corrosive fumes.

Attachment 20422

Last edited by snapdragon; 23rd April 2020 at 09:18 AM.
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  #17  
Old 10th November 2018, 11:17 AM
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I’m following this thread closely as I’ll likely need to sort mine in years to come. What did the OP from the other thread do Snap’, did he use solder or something?
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  #18  
Old 10th November 2018, 11:54 AM
snapdragon snapdragon is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Johnmed View Post
I’m following this thread closely as I’ll likely need to sort mine in years to come. What did the OP from the other thread do Snap’, did he use solder or something?
Yes 2M of it, he only posted that one post on here, so don't know if it's worth messaging him. I have just been out for blowlamp gas and I've got plenty of solder. Got some foil and aluminium backed heat resistant foam so going to have a go this afternoon. I also ordered some 18mm and 24mm heat shrink tubing but will arrive and have to be fitted another day. Not sure how the solder will flow into this to be honest. Will try and video it if I can get the camera fixed somewhere.

Here's another 4E0971224J for sale on ebay, doesn't look very clever either (crusty and discoloured)
New cable is about £180 from TPS.

Attachment 20424

Last edited by snapdragon; 23rd April 2020 at 09:18 AM.
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  #19  
Old 10th November 2018, 12:40 PM
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Seems to be a real electrical bottleneck that connection.
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  #20  
Old 10th November 2018, 01:10 PM
snapdragon snapdragon is offline
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Well, I have had a go. Very hard to get hot enough without setting the car on fire. In fact I just blew a CO2 extinguisher on it as some tiny flame caught alight on a bit of foam above the pedals so thought better safe than sorry, car very smoky inside. I cut just under 1mm gap in the insulation so I could see the copper cable where it enters the connector. Got connector really hot and fed some solder into the gap but not sure it flowed down inside. Also tried to crimp tighter with molegrips, but the connector is very hard/thick 18mm in size. It's raining now so will put back together later. Not sure this will be successful. In hindsight, cutting a coke can open would make a good shield, but the stuff I used was OK, just the fact that all the heat has nowhere to go but up above the pedals.

Attachment 20427

Last edited by snapdragon; 23rd April 2020 at 09:18 AM.
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