David Wardale

Forum Replies Created

Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 22 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • in reply to: Headligths order XJ-S 5.3 from 1990 #12737
    David Wardale
      @robertdavidwardale

      Hello Guy,

      I hope this may answer your question- I have a US car with four headlights. The outer headlamps have ONE bulb with TWO filaments, a high beam and a low beam. Three wire plug behind the lamp. The inner headlamps each have ONE bulb with ONE filament, high beam only. There is a two wire plug behind the lamp.    Does this match what you have on your car?

      Regards, Dave.

      in reply to: Non-starter: battery? #12541
      David Wardale
        @robertdavidwardale

        Robert, I’m glad you are having some success. Based on my own experiences, here is something else for you  to consider.When I acquired my own car, I checked and cleaned all the various connections on the convoluted battery cables.  Went over everything, or so I thought. About a month later, I went to start the car, turned the key to the “start” position, and- nothing. Silence.  On strike!  I tried a few times- not a click. Finally, after maybe six attempts the starter engaged, and the car came to life.

        I suspected the starter/ignition switch, and removed it from the car, and opened up the electrical part.The contacts had a coating of slight corrosion , and just needed  to be cleaned and lubricated. Not wishing to be stranded  somewhere, I wired a generic pushbutton switch into the starter circuit, and mounted it under the dashboard, within easy reach. Now I have a back-up. I find myself using the push button to start the car now.

        I suspect a “specialist” will advise replacement of parts rather than a repair, but that is for you to decide. Corrosion inside the starter/ignition switch is fairly common, I have discovered.

        in reply to: Power Steering reservoir location #12511
        David Wardale
          @robertdavidwardale

          Guy, if you have a V12, and if it was made around ’88, the P/S reservoir is down low, up front, LHS of the engine  ,close to the expansion tank for antifreeze.

          Dave.

          in reply to: Non-starter: battery? #12509
          David Wardale
            @robertdavidwardale

            Hi Robert,

            I have an ’88 with the V12. IF you’re car is wired the same as mine- here is something you can check.

            The heavy positive cable from the battery comes forward along the underside of the transmission tunnel to the engine compartment.It is connected to another heavy cable that runs from left to right , on the engine side of the firewall. At the RHS of this cable is where the connections are made for your starter.  BOTH ends of the firewall cable need to be checked for a poor or loose connection.Disconnect your battery(or you will have fireworks) and you should find both connectors covered by a rubber boot. You will find that there is more to it than just a simple nut and bolt, there are actually two nuts that need to be removed to clean everything up. A bad connection at either end will kill your starting efforts! Again- IF your car is wired the same as mine………

            in reply to: Changing brake fluid?? #12506
            David Wardale
              @robertdavidwardale

              Hello Dave,

              This particular Scouser did that job a couple of weeks ago. If you can jack up the car enough to get under the rear axle, you can do it yourself for nothing.

              Remove reservoir cap. Remove most of the old fluid using whatever means you have. I used a turkey baster.Put new brake fluid into reservoir, almost to the top. Go to each wheel in turn, and loosen bleed nipple until fluid starts to drip out.Gravity is most helpful here! You can put a piece of vinyl tubing over the nipple if you wish.Allow the fluid level in the reservoir to fall by half an inch or so.Close bleeder. Top up reservoir. Same procedure for next wheel. You don’t even have to take a wheel off- simply turn steering until you can reach bleed nipple.

              Bleeding the rear calipers is more fiddly, but it can be done.  Allow more time for fluid to drain when you do the rears as there is more brake line length.  Doing a fluid change like this means you don’t need a helper, and you don’t need to ever touch the brake pedal-gravity does all the work.I would imagine that you could use the same routine on your clutch, but as I have an auto, I’m not qualified to be giving advice with that!

              Dave the Limey.

              in reply to: DAC4292E : ELECTRIC SEAT BELT ECU #11529
              David Wardale
                @robertdavidwardale

                Pascal, the part number you are interested in is available from more than one supplier- here in the USA.

                After the seat belts in my car tried to choke me, I converted all the belts to manual operation- trouble free!

                Dave.

                in reply to: XJS-C Hood Louvers #11301
                David Wardale
                  @robertdavidwardale

                  Hello Russ,

                  One of the best things about car ownership is the way we can make changes to the appearance. You and I approached the “heat soak” problem with the same idea, but the results look completely different! As long as we are both happy – we win!

                  Perhaps next summer you can drive west on I-80 to Greenville, Pa. (where I live)  We have an annual car show called “Heritage Days”.  Then I will get to actually see another Cabriolet.  My own car is the only one I have ever seen, believe it or not- then we can compare notes properly.

                  You have a good-looking cabbie- is it black? Looks great with no dust.  I know because I have an old black pickup- hard to keep clean!

                  As an afterthought- I added an adjustable thermostat to my electric fan, so it would run for a while after shut-down. Did you do something similar?

                  Regards across the State,

                  Dave.

                  in reply to: Replacing right A pillar #10863
                  David Wardale
                    @robertdavidwardale

                    Hi Guy,

                    From memory the trim on the “A” pillar is riveted in place, so you will have to drill out the rivets to remove the trim. I used small stainless steel screws when I put mine back together which worked out pretty well!

                    in reply to: Cabriolet hard top #10724
                    David Wardale
                      @robertdavidwardale

                      Thank you, Laurence, I knew you could make it work. Easy for you, not so much for this old Liverpudlian!

                      Regards, Dave.

                      in reply to: Cabriolet hard top #10694
                      David Wardale
                        @robertdavidwardale

                        Laurence, I read it. I read it again.Better at working on Jags than computers .

                        Perhaps I will print out the instructions, and then I can read all the steps as I go.

                        Dave W.

                        in reply to: Cabriolet hard top #10683
                        David Wardale
                          @robertdavidwardale

                          Merry Christmas, Lloyd.

                          When I bought my car a few years ago, it came with both tops.The hardtop was attached to the car, and the softtop wrapped in plastic. I have been so pleased with the hardtop that I have looked at the other top briefly, and then wrapped it back up.

                          My hardtop makes no noise, does not leak, and I like the appearance of the car. If you want the “wind in your hair” experience, just remove the targa panels, and roll down the windows.   Additionally, my car is quiet at speed, and the A/C works well with the hardtop in place.

                          I would hope that there is no difference in colour , considering that your boxed top has not seen the light of day for so long.

                          I will try to post a photo, if I can remember all the steps involved.

                          All the best, Dave.

                          in reply to: Mildew and Mould #10275
                          David Wardale
                            @robertdavidwardale

                            Hello Laurence, Greetings from across the Pond!
                            The house in which I live has a basement. This can be reassuring when the weather forecast includes tornadoes. In the basement there is a de-humidifier which is on duty around the clock, keeping the relative humidity to a comfortable level. If you garage your car, you could control the humidity in the building, and your electricity supplier would be so pleased that they would probably start sending you an annual Birthday Card. Moving on to Plan “B”.
                            Recently, at the insistence of my wife, I have been equipped with hearing aids. Apparently I have not been receiving my instructions “loud and clear”.
                            The hearing aids came with a container containing dessicant beads which change colour as they absorb moisture. The container can then be microwaved to rejuvenate the action of the beads. Do some research on “Dessicant dehumidification”. This may work for you!
                            As I am at the keyboard , I want to wish all the members a Very Merry Christmas, too! As the weather here continues to worsen, my own car now has been hibernating for the past six weeks- however, today I am going out to the garage. I want to make a heat-sink for the ignition coil which sits in the “Vee” of the engine.I have already moved the ignition amp to a cooler spot, with a ducted cool air supply, and a fan which comes on when the brakes are applied. (Traffic situation)
                            Always something to do, and Winter has barely begun!
                            Dave.

                            in reply to: Alloy wheel tidying up and mild refurbishment #9970
                            David Wardale
                              @robertdavidwardale

                              Thank you, Mark! I suppose being retired does have SOME advantages!

                              in reply to: Alloy wheel tidying up and mild refurbishment #9848
                              David Wardale
                                @robertdavidwardale

                                You will! Just don’t get too aggressive with your choice of the coarser grades of sandpaper.Any scratches that you create will have to be removed eventually! I suppose Nitromors is a paint remover? Not familiar with the name. As an aside, the winters in western Pennsylvania are severe enough that my car hibernates for several months- long enough to spend time on projects like this! The wind sweeps down from Canada, crosses Lake Erie, picking up moisture as it does, and then deposits that moisture in the form of snow in my general area. Local weather forecasters call it “The Snow Belt.”
                                Dave.

                                in reply to: That Elusive Number #9717
                                David Wardale
                                  @robertdavidwardale

                                  I was out in the cold garage a while ago, and found the magic number. Clearly stamped- 3888.
                                  Regards, Dave W.

                                  in reply to: XJS-C Hood Louvers #9708
                                  David Wardale
                                    @robertdavidwardale

                                    For the benefit of anyone out there with a V12 car who is concerned about overheating, I thought I could add a few words about my own experiences.
                                     
                                    When I acquired my car, a few years ago, I read everything I could find, trying to learn as much as I could.It became clear that overheating was something best not left alone.Looking at my original heat-ravaged fuel hoses under the bonnet made changing them a first priority. All the fuel hoses were replaced, as was the radiator, thermostats, cooling fan and clutch,and radiator hoses.The engine now ran cool, below the “N” on the gauge. The engine heat that stayed under the bonnet after shut-down concerned me,and I thought long and hard on how to address that. Russ, the original poster, had louvers punched into his bonnet.That means – first, finding someone who can do that kind of work, then removing and stripping the paint on the bonnet, and finally, re-painting everything.

                                    As my paintwork was in good shape, I did not want to do that, and, knew of nobody who had the equipment to punch louvers in sheetmetal.
                                    Here in the USA, Jeeps are very popular- in fact my wife and I both have Cherokees for daily use. There are many sources for aftermarket parts, including bolt-on louvers.
                                     
                                    I did some computer searches, and found an outfit called http://www.Americanrockrods.com. They manufacture many different styles of louvers. I chose the style shown in the photos. They came with holes already drilled around the edges, so they can be bolted, or riveted in place. That was unacceptable to me, so I trimmed each louver, leaving me with a border about one half inch wide all the way around the edges. My plan was to use double-sided automotive tape and GLUE them in place.
                                     
                                    Now for the critical part.My car is not meant to be a “Concours” show-winning vehicle. Reliability is much more important- arriving at the destination without concern. Disposing of the damaging heat was more important,too. After deciding where I wanted to locate my vents, and applying several layers of paper masking tape to protect the paint, I measured three times, and cut rectangular holes in the bonnet. After cleaning up the raw edges, paint was applied with a small brush for rust protection. The louvers I selected were unpainted aluminium. I wanted to paint them the same colour as the car.
                                     
                                    The next critical part- The louver sections are completely flat. The bonnet is not- it is slightly convex- meaning that the louvers will not sit properly all the way around. The louver sections should be very carefully shaped over a wooden block of some sort until they lie perfectly flat on top of the bonnet. This is important because the louver assembly will try to push itself away from the bonnet when glued down! Small annoying gaps could appear! I applied my 3M double -sided tape to the louvers, and then painted them using heat resistant primer, and heat resistant clear coat , after applying the colour. This ensured that the visible edges of the tape had colour on them, also.
                                     
                                    After the louvers were attached to the car, I installed an adjustable thermostat wired to the electric fan that the V12’s have, which means that for a period of your choosing, the fan will run and blow much of the trapped heat out through the vents, away from your vulnerable hoses and wiring! The amount of heat that escapes is surprising! About a month later, I moved my ignition amplifier away from the engine, and installed a ducted cool air supply for it- but that would be a story for another time! I do not know whether some of the parts available here are also available in the UK, but hopefully some inspiration can be put to use…..

                                    in reply to: XJS-C Hood Louvers #9659
                                    David Wardale
                                      @robertdavidwardale

                                      Here are a couple of photos of the louvers I’ve fitted on mine

                                      Photo 1078
                                      Photo 1079

                                      Dave

                                      in reply to: TARGA PANEL LOCKING MECHANISM #9640
                                      David Wardale
                                        @robertdavidwardale

                                        They above photos look quite familiar!
                                        Living as I do in the USA, I never know which products are for sale in the UK. For example- “Loctite” is a brand that makes several chemical adhesives- one of which is “Red”. It is a liquid, that when applied to a nut and bolt will prevent the two from loosening, until heat is applied. It works very well.
                                        I was able to push the rods back into both plungers, probably less than 1/4 inch, applying the red loctite first. Then I placed a center punch over the plunger and rod, and smacked it with a hammer, crushing the plunger just enough to grip the rod.There was enough adjustment available in the mechanism to let things still work, ie, catch and release.If Loctite, or something similar , is available- this may work! My repair is two years old, and I DO remove the tops sometimes!
                                        Another way to tackle things would be to run a thread on the rod, and make an insert that would locate in the plunger with an internal thread to match! (If all else fails!)

                                        in reply to: Alloy wheel tidying up and mild refurbishment #9590
                                        David Wardale
                                          @robertdavidwardale

                                          Here is the photo of my wheel Laurence

                                          Photo 1063

                                          in reply to: Alloy wheel tidying up and mild refurbishment #9478
                                          David Wardale
                                            @robertdavidwardale

                                            Hello Laurence,
                                            I am exploring your site, and discovered this question, and thought I would respond. I wasn’t impressed with my starfish painted wheels, either, and, starting with the spare, succeeded in sanding off all the dull grey/silver paint. I started with a coarse grade of sandpaper, and worked my way to finer and finer grades, ending up at 2000 grit.Application of scratch-remover followed, and finally – polish. Rather like finishing a car body after paint work! The result is I now have a full set of polished aluminum (aluminium) wheels, that look really nice. Each wheel took around six hours of work. If I knew how to (easily) submit a photo, I would!

                                          Viewing 20 posts - 1 through 20 (of 22 total)