Shaun_E

Cheers Nick - that's exactly what I needed to know. Didn't get a chance to try it last night as, ironically, it was raining 😳.

Yellow SL #32

Just received my new half hood from Jill Judd (Soft Bits for Sevens) and it looks great. Before I try and fit it can anyone who's already got one give me any tips?

I think I understand how the side strap connects - have to popper it on where the hood/tonneau normally fits but not entirely sure how the main straps attach. There is a solid bar attached to the strap and I'm guessing that you drop that through the rollbar mount (sort of U-shaped) and that when pulled tight the bar wedges in place - does that sound correct?

Yellow SL #32

You might need a longer bolt for the harness as one of the mountings goes through the plate in the bottom corner of the FIA bar - check with Caterham on that.

Yellow SL #32

Myles - give them a call, tell them you are a L7OC member and you'll probably get the bulk buy price anyway. When I bought mine it was just over £200 including VAT and postage.

Yellow SL #32

How about the K02 kit from DVA.

Yellow SL #32

Is it a kit built car or a factory built car? Presumably it's pre 1998.

If it is kit built then visible smoke test only is required.

If factory built than it will have to pass an emissions test applicable to that engine.

Looking at your pictures, it's on a Q plate so must be kit built therefore you do not need to pass an emissions test.

Details on emissions tests here and here. The flowchart to determine which test is required is here - note the small box on the bottom right of the page which has the kit car information in it.

Yellow SL #32

Chassis are now zinc phosphate primed prior to powder coating - this helps prevent rust from "creeping" under the powder coat. You'll never stop the powder coat from chipping but at least now a single chip doesn't cause the powder coat to flake off in great chunks. Some people use helicoptor leading edge tape (super-duper armourfend!) on chassis rails or wishbones that are likley to get chipped

Yellow SL #32

Sounds normal - what do you think is wrong?

Yellow SL #32

This weekend the oil pressure on my 1997 Superlight (1.6SS K series) started to fluctuate wildly at motorway speeds from a normal 50psi to 200psi or higher . I am hoping that it is just the pressure sender that has failed and will replace it this week (it is a Stack unit).

Over the last few weeks the hot idle oil pressure has been dropping to a very low 15 psi which is a little worrying but again that could be the sender.

My question is:

Is it possible that the sender is fine and these are symptoms of a serious engine problem? Is it possible to get oil pressures or 200psi - could there be a problem with the OP relief valve? Would a low hot idle oil pressure be indicative of worn bearings - if so which ones?

I will report back once the sender has been replaced but would like to be prepared in case the sender is OK.

Yellow SL #32

It would probably be cheaper in the long run to sell the Roadsport and buy an R300 or R400. It depends how attached you are to your current car and what condition it is in versus the likely condition of an R300/R400 within your budget. Also would you use Caterham for upgrades or a 3rd party (DVA, Hellier, etc.)? An upgraded car is never worth as much as the "proper" version - it would always be an upgraded Roadsport and worth little more than a standard Roadsport.

Having just completely rebuilt my 1997 Superlight I am sure that I could have sold it and with what I spent on the rebuild plus what I would have got for the car could have bought an SLR or maybe even an early R400 (hell I could have bought that R500 going for less than £20k )...But I now have an as new chassis, it's "my car", and I know it inside out. I intend never to sell it and will upgrade the engine at the earliest opportunity - using a 3rd party rather than Caterham.

Really there is no easy answer to this and if you are buying new or very nearly new and can afford it, I would sell you rcar and buy an R400.

Yellow SL #32

Don't know about a new law, but recent research has shown that once tread depth drops below 3mm then wet braking perfomance drops dramatically see here

Not sure where that leaves us A048R users - we only seem to get 4mm to start with 😬

Yellow SL #32

New screen from Caterham comes with popper bases so you have nothing to do .

Yellow SL #32

Caterham sell the switch separately as well - I know 'cause I just ordered the kit from them yesterday and they asked whether I just wanted the switch or the kit.

Yellow SL #32

Some brands of helmet have removable linings. e.g. here and in carbon too! Theres a few others on GPR's site.

Yellow SL #32

Ooh...one of my hobby horses 😬.

The regulations are here. Interpret them as you will. My interpretation and that of my local MOT tester is that as long as the indicators can be seen while standing at the rear of the car, 1m to the side then they pass.

Instead of a separate lamp, the side repeater might be part of the front direction indicator if it includes a wraparound lens.

Lamps incorporating a side repeater are marked either with an 'E' mark in a circle or an 'e' mark in a rectangle above which is a number 5. Some vehicles are fitted with a wraparound lens with no European approval markings. These can be tested by standing approximately 1000mm to the side of the vehicles rear bumper with indicator on. If amber light can be seen coming through the front lens (not a reflection) this is acceptable.

Yellow SL #32

Is the flasher unit a standard part I can pick up in Halfords? If so, is there a part number? Stupidly I didn't think to bring the unit with me.

Yellow SL #32

Thanks for all your suggsetions here's an update:

Left the ammeter in series with the battery for several hours last night and the reading wavered between 16 and 17mA - the difference being that the immobiliser was armed this time - I guess the flashing LED was causing the fluctuation.

I removed each fuse one at a time and found that removing the flasher unit fuse (or the unit itself) dropped the current draw by about 3mA - I will get a new flasher unit just to be sure.

I checked my previous battery that has been stood for a week and that was reading ove 13V so I have indeed wasted my money on a new battery.

I have left the new battery disconnected so will see what happens to that.

Zak - I think a cut off switch may be my only (easy) solution. If I fit this according to the instructions there will still be power to the ECU - might this still cause a problem? How did you fit yours?

I will check the ammeter is OK.

I will check the cranking voltage again but it was over 9V last time I checked it.

Yellow SL #32

Edited by - Shaun_E on 23 Jun 2005 08:27:13

BOSS - thats what I don't understand . I measured 13mA yet the battery still drains. The battery is brand new. I put it on charge when it was delivered and then fitted it. Cranking is fine - even after 24 hours and a drop to 12V it still starts the car easily. I have the previous battery sitting in the garage so will check the voltage on that but suspect that it will be fine too and that I wasted my money replacing it.

Darren - thanks for the offer but I'm not around on Sunday. I will be trying to fix it again tonight and will post back on here with my results.

Somehow, between me reading the 13mA and closing the garage door the Amp pixies arrive and start draining the battery. ☹️

Wish me luck!

Yellow SL #32

Quick potted history:

1. Car left without conditioner for 3 weeks - 4 week old Red Top 15 battery goes flat

2. Recharged battery and now made sure that I put it on the conditioner when not in use

3. Go away for weekend with car and car not driven for 48 hours (boozy weekend 😬) - battery goes flat

4. Get home and recharge - battery will last 24 hours but not 48

5. Buy multimeter and test current drain - only 13mA so should be OK for weeks without conditioner

6. Battery manufacturer (DMS) say that letting it go completely flat will have reduced it's capacity - I buy new battery and an Optimate charger/conditioner

7. Drove car and left without conditioner for 24 hours - new battery drops to 12V

So basically my measurement of 13mA must be complete rubbish. This was between the battery earth terminal and the earth strap. I will re-measure the current drain again tonight but either it is an intermittent fault or I just can't read an ammeter . Assuming I can finally measure a high current drain I need to look for potential sources. I'll start with pulling all the fuses again and failing that check the alternator and starter connections. If I still can't find it then I am going to have to call in a professional . Oh and anyone want to buy a 2 month old Red Top 15?

Yellow SL #32

Jase - presuming that your battery is at full strength, could it be the cable to the starter? Either one of the connections is loose or the cable itself is degraded in some way. I did read a post somewhere about the connector at the end of the cable not being firmly attached. I suspect this is the best area to start looking. If this resolves your problem please can you come and sort out my electrics too 🤔

Is the solenoid a separate item or was it replaced with the starter? If separate then could be that - loads of posts on here about solenoid fixes.

Yellow SL #32

I bought a good digital multimeter from maplins a few days ago to try and resolve the problem. With the multimeter in circuit it showed a current flowing of 13mA - I pulled every single fuse in turn and no change to the reading so I suspect the problem is the battery side of the fuse box. I'll try the alternator connection first then.

I presume the immobiliser (standard Rover MEMS) draws the same current whether armed or not.

Yellow SL #32

I thought that I had solved my battery drain problem but apparently not. Although I could only measure a 13mA drain, my brand new (replacement) Red Top 15 battery is still losing charge. I bought a new Optimate charger/conditioner to keep it in good condition and it's fine with the charger connected.

I left the car without the Optimate connected for 24 hours and the battery voltage has dropped to 12V - this is a huge reduction in the battery capacity so there must still be a large current drain and I must have not measured it properly ☹️.

What are the most likely suspects? i.e. what should I disconnect to eliminate as the cause?

I'm at the end of my tether on this .

Who can I take the car to to get it fixed? Should I use a Cateham service agent or an Autoelectrician?

Help please before I go off the car completely.

Yellow SL #32

I used Autoglym bumper black but it doesn't last long. I now have a full set of new switches which I'll fit when I put the new dash in. A full set of the rocker switches comes to less than £50 from Caterham so it's not that horrendous and compared with polishing them every couple of months it has to be a bargain!

Yellow SL #32

Caterham will charge close to £600 for it but there isn't anything majorly scary. Details below:

Engine oil Drain and replace

Engine oil filter Replace

Differential oil level Check and top up

Gearbox oil level Check and top up

Screen washer fluid level Check and top up

Screen washers Check operation and alignment

Coolant hoses Check for condition, leaks and security

Alternator drive belt Check tension and condition, replace if necessary

Carburettor Check and set balance and idle settings

Lights and bulbs Check all lights and replace bulbs as necessary

Switchgear Check operation

Wheel nut torques Check for tightness

Clutch Check operation

Handbrake operation Check and adjust

Brake pads Check for wear, replace if necessary

CV gaitors Check condition

Tyres Check condition and advise if replacement necessary

Seatbelts and harnesses Check for condition and operation

Horn Check

Wipers Check condition and operation, replace if necessary

Steering joints and gaitors Check

Trunnions (Classic only) Lubricate

A frame bush Check, replace if necessary

Wheel bearing endfloat Check and adjust

Brake discs Check for condition and wear, replace if necessary

ECU diagnostics Check if possible

Headlight alignment Check and adjust

Exhaust system Check mountings and exhaust condition

Clutch cable Check condition and adjustment

Suspension security Check and retorque bolts

Suspension bushes Check and replace if necessary

Wheel alignment Check and adjust if necessary

Brake pipes and unions Check for security and leaks

Air filter Clean or change if necessary

Battery Check security, condition and connections, top up

Engine mountings Check

Spark plugs Replace

Sump foam baffle Replace

Fuses Check sizes and integrity, replace if necessary

Steering rack Check security and lubricate if necessary

Wheel bearings Repack

Brake hoses Replace

Coolant Drain and replace

Brake fluid Replace

Fuel filter Replace

Fuel lines Check for security and leaks

Coil lead Replace

Distributor cap Replace

Rotor arm Replace

Road test To check dampers, brakes, steering, instruments etc.

Yellow SL #32

Myles - your post is a bit worrying. I am insured with Egger Lawson and when I first took out the insurance was told that the standard Rover immobiliser was acceptable. However I have just completed a renewal form that states Cat 2 required - I ticked the box to say I have it as I believed that it is Cat 2. If this is not the case then I could be in trouble if the car was stolen.

Anyone else with Egger Lawson and got any comment?

Yellow SL #32