| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 16 Apr 2012 : 06:59:50 AM
quote:
Originally posted by VNSVLE
Welcome to the club CommaDora!!
You will have to do up a bit of an intro and some pics for us!!
Cheers
Thank you for the welcome ! My VN is currently off the road , and while i was looking for online help , i came accross this forum , and thought it would be a good one to join...seeing as i want to keep the car going, well....as long as we both live i guess !
At 220,000 general consensus is its the crank sensor...so i will be getting one put in this week...and hopefully that will get it back on the road ! |
| 21 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 19 May 2012 : 07:28:32 AM
OK..unlike a lot of ladies..i check my oil every week..and i sniff it too.....some of my friends think im nuts, well...it pays off. I checked the Dores oil , had a sniff..and it smelled like pure petrol ! I thought this is NO good....after all , with the problems i had with the ECU jammimg the injectors and causing flooding , maybe fuel had worked its way down into the sump. I had the oil changed that afternoon to avoid any long term damage. This is why it pays to check your oil....score one for me !
I do think it idles a bit faster with the new ECU. But then maybe its suppossed to be like that , as it has a new CSA too, so it may be more frisky than it was. |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 14 May 2012 : 06:49:36 AM
Thanks !! Heheheh...all true though !! |
| evl78uc |
Posted - 13 May 2012 : 2:23:09 PM
i must say i love the pic and the wording to go with it on ya chicky :D |
| Cartrite |
Posted - 11 May 2012 : 09:11:42 AM
The odometer failing is normal for a VN,cheap plastic gear wheel instead of Nylon.Easy fix but fiddly,replacement gear is on Ebay,also and many wreckers carry them. |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 11 May 2012 : 06:41:59 AM
Thanks for that advice on the instrument cluster....the odometer gave up the ghost 3 years ago...i didnt bother with getting it fixed as i have a rough idea what milage i do , but you never know when the speedo is going to cash it in.
Yep- ive always asked for the old parts....simply because id heard too many horror stories about mechanics...but im lucky now as my mechanic is also a good friend, so i dont have that worry anymore. He is a gearbox expert and when he is working on a gearbox , its interesting to see what goes where and does what...its demystified them for me a lot.
I find that manual very good , as i like to id various parts on my car, and can pretty much name most of them under the hood...i have a friend who can only id the battery..how sad for her !
The next thing to do is find a good secondhand bonnet, to replace mine , which was backed over a month ago.
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| Mechknight73 |
Posted - 10 May 2012 : 6:08:26 PM
In the case of the tailgate on my car, I paid a panelbeater to clean it up and paint it, but other than swapping out the glass, I did all the assembly work on putting it back together myself, with a little help from my housemate to hold it in position while I bolted it back on.
Another part that will often play funny buggers is the instrument cluster. To swap one out is a simple job; only about 6 screws and 4 electrical connectors are involved. At the back, they have a circuit board that gets tiny cracks in the conductors. I bought another one while I had the original on mine repaired. If your speedo "wobbles," or your gauges won't respond without a tap on the dash, this is usually the culprit.
The "outer body repair" can be applied to just about any part bar the shell itself. Even if your existing part is ok, you can always put in a better one, and have the old one as a spare to be checked. Also, if you know the part is stuffed altogether, look at the pictures in your service manual, and take it apart. It will help you to understand how it works, and even why it failed. Whenever I have something serviced or replaced, I ask the mechanic to put the old parts in a box for me. I want to know the why and how it failed, as well as keeping them honest. For example, if your invoice says "replaced radiator hoses, drive belt and radiator," if you see the old parts, then you know he's not lying. For me it's like an air crash investigation; I like to see how it failed, and if it didn't, haw far it was from failure. |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 10 May 2012 : 11:16:14 AM
Issue resolved !!!
Rebuilt exchange ECU in..and car running really well...no stalling , starts easy.....maybe idling a fraction too fast....but im happy its going again....34 days without it...when i got behind the wheel yesterday, it felt good !
The ECU played up on the bench when they were testing it....injectors are NOT suppossed to come on when you are on accessories ! |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 02 May 2012 : 06:33:56 AM
Do you mean something like Gregorys ? I have one of them...it looks confusing at first , but if you read it a few times , some of the points become clearer ! Cars used to be a mystery and a bit scary...but once you understand some of the basics , its not too bad.
I know what you mean about the parts though....cant do that for my computer cause it stopped , but im going to do that when i replace the bonnet some thoughtless twit backed over...i painted the old one to protect it a bit , while look around for another one.
Oh lol, that reminds me of a friend of mine...he bought a new MIG welder but had never used one before, they recommended getting an old tailgate to practice on , before he tackled his ute tailgate , which had a few small rust holes.....he felt so confident , he went straight onto his ute..and blew the tailgate full of holes...he ended up having to get a brand new one ! |
| Mechknight73 |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 4:39:52 PM
There is also a method I use, I call it "out of body recon;" you buy a part that you want to recondition. For example say like my VN, your tailgate is full of rust. You buy another one, and make absolutely sure the new one is perfect before installing it. In this way, you can take your time and have a good job done on the part to be replaced.
I'd also recommend buying a full service manual. Even if you don't feel confident in doing the job yourself, it can give you some clues as to exactly what's wrong. |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 1:11:23 PM
That is a good idea, but as im an older lady..im pretty dependant on getting workmen to do things for me..i just havnt the knowledge to do it myself. |
| Cartrite |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 08:53:28 AM
I would be replacing the ECU from a wrecker to see if that the problem before buying a new one. |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 06:17:33 AM
Okies.....now maybe it was me that had the clue in the first place....the very first time ( a month ago now) when it cut out and just rolled to a stop...i heard a weird squirting noise under the hood....now ive often had the car on the key , and have never heard this...but people thought that was normal....the auto electrician said..err..no it wasnt....the injectors and fuel pump were running from the moment i hit the key , and just dumping fuel in it...he is pretty sure the *driver* in the ECU is gone , which is pretty common apparently ( got 220,000 on the car) so he sent the ECU off for bench testing to make sure...waiting for results to come back...if it is the ECU that has gone , i will get it rebuilt or buy a rebuilt one...he reckons $ 450. So...still waiting, but hope to hear this week.
I think it really helps to know your car....what sounds it normally makes and how it feels , then you can help the mechanic by telling him the cars symptoms...after all , its almost like a Doctors visit. I hadnt liked the sound the engine was making for a month prior, it was kind of *surgey* and i know it used more fuel the week prior....all clues to the problem !
Thanks for asking Jas ! Will let you know how it goes , because it may help someone else down the track , as our VNs are now 22 or so....and problems are going to show up. |
| jas89 |
Posted - 01 May 2012 : 12:52:33 AM
did the auto electrition work it out mate? |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 25 Apr 2012 : 4:11:59 PM
Thats why i now have it with an auto electrician..i told them to check all the wiring into everything, so if its a wiring problem into the DFI , they will pick it up. Its the later 3 coil one , and only about 5 years old , so i hope it hasnt gone yet. Maybe the plug into the CAS is gone (happened to a friend) and not the CAS ? Hopefully the AE will find something...its getting frustrating ! |
| jas89 |
Posted - 25 Apr 2012 : 09:57:34 AM
hmm are you sure the CAS was installed properly? i have seen them not installed correctly causeing this, also should check the wireing that plugs into teh dfi module, very commoon for it to short,snap the wiring |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 25 Apr 2012 : 07:16:22 AM
Any way you cut it..its STILL a HOLDEN on top of a FORD !!!!
 |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 25 Apr 2012 : 07:12:35 AM
OK..whats happened since.....i took the car to a garage , and diagnostics were put on....the crank sensor signal dropped out , a new crank sensor was put on...and the car ran sweetly ...but , this is interesting...the new sensor was put on at around 3pm.....so the car was driven back out to my place....next morning...whammo..same old problem.....i rang the garage and the mechanic couldnt believe it...he was surprised !
Now the interesting thing is..the car will not start in the morning , just turn over and not catch...but as the day warms up.....by lunchtime it may catch , but at around 3-4 pm..there is a spot where it will start and run like normal ! This was the time the new Crank sensor was put on.
Anyways , its been off road for 3 weeks now...on Sunday it wouldnt even start in its sweet spot....so i caved and got it taken to an Auto electrician....i told him to go over every bit of wiring , every circuit , every sensor, the DFI , the ECU.....that way i want to either eliminate the *Electronics* side , so i can concentrate on the mechanical , or if its electronic..get it sorted !
Another friend , who is a mechanic , suggested leaky injectors...we will see....all i know , is all my friends who are betting on various fixes havnt been right yet ! |
| jas89 |
Posted - 17 Apr 2012 : 11:25:33 AM
check for erro codes, sounds like fuel problem (leak etc), CAS or Idle air control valve |
| CommaDora |
Posted - 17 Apr 2012 : 06:35:10 AM
quote:
Originally posted by VNSVLE
What is it doing??
Apologies for going OT..
Well, it did all the usual things a long time ago , computer before 50,000, water pump, ect....but its been good as gold for a long time. I also get it checked over every year, and if a problem seems to be looming , i get it fixed .( I believe in spending the penny to save the pound) Last year i replaced both the water and the fuel pump , even though they werent playing up, and this year did tierod ends and swaybar links...so i thought i was doing well !
Last week , i backed out of the garage , and started down the drive...and it stalled. Really , i tell you , i just sat there because i didnt believe it...it never stalls ! After a while it started again (with difficulty) and i put it back in the garage.
There WAS an orange engine light on the dash as i was driving it back. So i had a think....the last week , it seemed to use more fuel , but id put that down to *i must be imagining it* and there is a strong smell of fuel under the bonnet when it stalls. Its hard to start, runs for 5 mins , then stalls.
So smart me diagnoses the MAP sensor (after reading my Gregorys manual) i bought a new MAP sensor and put it in....now , this took care of the orange light ! Plus it now starts well , but...after 5 mins...stalls...then is very difficult to start until its been left for an hour...it seems to be flooding itself.
A friends VP did both the MAP and crank sensor at the same time and it had similar symptoms. Anyways , i have a friend who is bringing out a scan tool today...so im looking forward to getting some answers from the pesky computer ! Knowing my luck , its probably the comp that has conked out..... |
| jas89 |
Posted - 17 Apr 2012 : 01:17:58 AM
theree like no VN's here where i live anymore, there used to be heaps..... |
| VNSVLE |
Posted - 16 Apr 2012 : 10:32:18 PM
What is it doing??
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