Conference terri::cars_uk

    
    You should have an alternator in an R reg car (my P reg Triumph had
    one with the 1500 TC engine).
    
    If the battery was almost dead when you got the car you'll probably
    need a full charge (overnight, say) before it comes back to life.
    You (I think) live and work in Reading and the car won't get enough
    of a run to charge a flat battery up on that kind of driving.
    
    If you go along to one of these tyre and battery places they'll almost
    certainly check out the condition of your battery for you, but first
    try charging it up (Make sure the terminals aren't loose too when you
    put the battery back in the car).
    
    Welcome to the delights of classic car ownership! :^)
    
    Mark

    Mark,
    	Yeah sounds like it makes sense, you have to expect these sort of
    problems when buying such an old car.........although I know people who
    have had massive problems buying a new car.
    
    I think I'll buy a charger (go halfs with a house mate) and then see
    what happens after an all night charge, good idea to let the garage
    check the battery I think ...
    
    Happy motoring
    
    Barry.
    
    P.S. I don't think this will be my last problem in this conference!!
    

    I would guess that it has an alternator.
    
    It's a series of eliminations you need. The alternator (if fitted) will
    recharge the charge taken to start under normal circumstances very
    quickly. As the battery ran down quickly it would either mean a
    knackered battery or one that was fairly dead any way.
    
    So, firstly, charge the battery fully, first having checked the water
    level is ok. While that's going on, check all battery connections, and
    leads therefrom, including earths, for cleanliness and tightness. Clean
    and tighten as required. Then check that the fan belt is at the correct
    tension, adjust if required. Replace battery and try again. If it
    happens again, but quickly, especially if you use your lights and
    wipers a lot, it's probably a knackered battery, one that refuses to
    hold a charge. If you use lights and wipers, and it takes several days
    top drain away, then it's possibly the alternator. Before you nip out
    and get a new battery, get it checked. If it's not knackered, get the
    alternator checked.
    
    Good luck, Laurie.

    Thanks for the advice, it clarifies it a lot.......I can see that I am
    going to use this conference a lot in the future ...
    
    Barry.
    

    
     Just to emphasise what Laurie said - make sure all earth's are good -
     especially the one from the battry. A bad earth can cause all the
     symptoms of a dead battry.
    
     Elaine 
    

Several years ago, by triumph Dolomite 1500 let me down on Christmas evening.
Basically, the battery had gone flat after 200 miles at Weatherby roundabout.
Problem:- brushes on alternator had worn out
Fixed in half hour (after a very nice man from RAC took my car on to Sunderland).
In my case, I had had no warning of failure - started first time in mornings
even after being left for a week, no battery warning light etc. If battery OK
after charge, try brushes on alternator - only a few pence.

	Dave

Sounds like it is fitted with anti-theft device to me...

    Got the battery problem solved, charged it up all night, started first
    time this morning.........weird how when I got back to the house last
    night it also started first time.......
    
    Conclusion - Either the battery is very tempremental, it didn't like
    being cold yesterday morning or I managed to flood it when I tryed to
    start it......
    
    Barry.
    

    Barry,
    
    I hate to spoil your elation, but you may not be over the problem. You
    more than likely are, but re-read my earlier note, and watch the
    situation over a week or two. The newly-charged battery could well lose
    its charge; winter really sorts the men from the boys in the battery
    department.
    
    Just a word of caution, that's all....
    
    Laurie.

    Yeah, thanks Laurie, I noticed that the needle on the charger did
    actually reach zero indicating that the battery was fully charged (as
    written in the booklet, so this cuts out one possible battery fault).
    
    But as you say I will have to keep an eye on it to make sure that it
    doesn't lose it's charge.
    
    Yours 'Charged-up-fully'
    
    Barry.
    

    You were right Laurie, the battery took about 36 hrs to lose a full
    charge, I did what you said about checking the earthing, belt, alt etc
    and still the battery lost it's charge.......
    
    So I took the car into Halfords to have the battery checked, the
    mechanic got his little gadgets out and found out that the alt was
    working fine and the belt and connections were OK so the battery =
    knackered.........instead of pratting about with shitty batteries etc I
    thought it best to invest in a new one = 27 quid with a 3 year
    guarantee, not bad value I think.....
    
    First problem solved, now waiting for the next...
    
    Barry.
    
    BTW- Did about 200 mile in the car this weekend and it seems to run
    really well !!

    Well, I'm glad you sorted that out. A new battery was wise, and at
    least you were sure that all the other parts were ok. It's always best
    to try to trace a problem through elimination before you start pulling
    things apart, or spending money. As I said, the winter is a real killer
    for a dodgy battery.
    
    It's getting cold with the roof down now isn't it! Time I invested in a
    hard-top methinks! At least I've got a heater!
    
    Laurie.

    What car have you got then Laurie ???
    
    Barry.
    

he's got a reliant robin. Or at least, it sounds like one.

    Don't take any notice of Watkins, he's terminally jealous.
    
    Take a look at topic 1262.
    
    Laurie.

    You lucky person you !!!
    
    Barry.
    

>    Don't take any notice of Watkins, he's terminally jealous.

Hah !

>    Take a look at topic 1262.

ok

>================================================================================
>Note 1262.0                      Healey Frogeye                       22 replies
>SUPER7::BROWN "Who is Laura Norder?"                 61 lines  22-OCT-1990 12:22
>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.				^
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.				|
.		       Meaningless drivel
.				|
.				|
.				-
>Purists may baulk at the fact that it's made of fibreglass, but I can tell 
.
.
.


Ok, a green reliant robin.

    No, no Mark, it's you that's green. The car is Colorado red.
    
    Laurie.

    Where does the wiring for the rev counter USUALLY lead to ????
    
    I've been clearing out some redundant wiring from the previous owner of
    my car (he had an alarm fitted) and have managed to disconnect my rev
    counter..........just wondered what the standard for most cars is ??
    
    
    Bazza
    

    Usually three wires. One to ground, one to battery + (or voltage
    regulator +) and one to the - side of the coil, ie tapping into the
    wire between the coil and the distributer. This senses the opening of
    the points and provides the signal to work out the engine speed.

    I get you, so if I follow the wire back from the coil then I'll
    probably find my problem connection.......
    
    Bazza
    

    Sometime the LT lead from the coil doesn't actually connect to the
    Tachometer, it just passes across the back of the casing via a clip.
    
    However, it is required in that position for the Tacho to work.
    
    JK
    
    p.s. This was common on cars a long time ago (-:

re: -.1

 This is the inductive type of tacho. I think that the introduction of
 electronic ignition put an end to this. I remember the old Midget/Sprite
 having this type of tacho ...

    Thinking ahead to MOT'ing my spitty ......electrically my car is sound
    apart from the fact that the horn and the hazard lights don't work. I
    know that you must have a horn to pass your MOT but I wonder if anyone
    knows whether the hazard lights HAVE to be working (BTW - all my lights
    do work but the hazard light switch and relay dont seem to )
    
    Bazza
    

    Hazerl lights must work if fitted (I think)

    Well there is a hazard lights button, but I don't know whether the
    relay is there ........
    
    Does anyone know for definate ??
    
    Bazza
    

>    Well there is a hazard lights button, but I don't know whether the
>    relay is there ........
 
On a GT6 the relay is on the front bulkhead, RHS when facing the radiator,
about 1 foot to the left of the battery. Also located there is the horn relay.

I didn't think that working hazard lights was necessary for an MOT though.

The problem with the horn (if original type) is likely to concerned with the
setting of the small screws on the top of each horn, when the horn on my old
GT6 was playing up it could usually be corrected by playing with the adjustment 
on those screws.

Hope this helps.

Nigel.

    
    On the MOT check list under LIGHTING EQUIPMENT there is
    the following.
    
    FRONT AND REAR LAMPS
    
    HEADLAMPS
    
    HEADLAMP AIM
    
    STOP LAMPS
    
    REAR REFLECTOR
    
    DIRECTION INDICATORS
    
    The hazard warning lights were not tested on the car I recently
    put through the MOT.
    
    Under GENERAL the horn is tested.
    
    JN.

If go by the rule of thumb that "if it's fitted it should work" you can't go
too far wrong with the MOT.  Sometimes they test things like that, sometimes
they don't.

If it doesn't work and it's not required by law...remove it or the switch...
a hole in the dash is prefectly OK :-)

    
    That's not a very sensible approach to take Jane.
    
    On that basis they could choose to fail you 'coz the radio didn't
    work! :^)
    
    I don't believe Hazards are covered by the test, and Jeff's list would
    seem to back this up (The Marcos doesn't have hazards, so I don't
    know), but, as in all things, it's better to be equipped with the facts
    than mere guess work (if you can) and this could easily be solved by a 
    quick phone call to the local MOT testing centre.
    
    Mark

    Yeah thanks everyone, some good advice there.
    
    Don't whether my horns are the same as the ones on the GT6, but I think
    the horn relay is knackered. When I connected a wire straight from the
    + on the battery to the horn it made a dull sound (not very loud at
    all) but when the wires routed from the relay are attached and the
    steering wheel button pressed nothing happens.
    
    Possible causes of problem :
    	Wiring from relay to button knackered
    	Wiring from relay to horn knackered
    	Relay knackered
    	Power supply to relay faulty
    
    Suggestions for tracking down the problem please 
    
    
    Bazza
    

>    Don't whether my horns are the same as the ones on the GT6, but I think
>    the horn relay is knackered. When I connected a wire straight from the
>    + on the battery to the horn it made a dull sound (not very loud at
>    all) 

Bazza,

     Yes, these are the usual symptoms for the problems that I used to have.
The screw adjustment I mentioned does rectify the loudness level problem.


>    but when the wires routed from the relay are attached and the
>    steering wheel button pressed nothing happens.
 
Re. the problem with the horn button not working, this is a bit more 
complicated, maybe best if you give a call sometime (782 2172) I'll explain
what needs to be checked.

Cheers,

Nigel.
    

    
    Just phoned the place where I went last week. Hazard warning
    lights are not tested as part of the MOT.
    
    JN.

    Thanks Nigel I'll give you a call when I get the chance.....
    
    I would like to get my hazards working but if their not tested for the
    MOT then they can sit on the "well I'll get round to you SOMETIME"
    repair list...
    
    Thanks everyone
    
    Bazza
    

    Suggestions wanted for a problem :
    
    I was driving down southampton street when suddenly I couldn't get the
    car into gear. I had to stop by the road and keep trying the gears. I
    found that I could get all the gears when the car was stationary and
    the engine turned off but as soon as the engine was on I couldn't get
    the gears again. Found while being pushed that I could get 3rd and 4th
    but no others. There was still some feeling there when engaging the
    clutch so I presume that it cannot be clutch fluid related ie. a leak
    for example.......
    
    Have been told by various people that the clutch plate has probably
    shattered but as up to now it has been an excellant clutch and has
    shown no play then I find this hard to believe........
    
    I am thinking that maybe the slave cylinder has gone (probably more
    hope than anything as I have been quoted 200+ quid for the job)
    
    Any suggestions, similar experiences, advice, would be greatly
    appreciated....
    
    Bazza
    

    What kind of car is it?? 
    
    I suffered this problem on a MK2 Escort where the synchromesh
    disintegrated. For the amount of work involved in fixing this I was
    better off buying a gearbox from the scrappies!

    It's difficult to comment without seeing the car, but if I recall
    correctly, the Spitty has an hydraulic clutch. Do the following:
    
    1) Check the fluid level.
       If low, top up.
    2) Having topped up, pump the clutch several times.
    3) If it's low again, then you have a leak, most likely in either the
       slave or the master cylinder..
    
    If it's not low, either at step 1 above or after step 3, it means
    either there's air in the system, or something is broken. Pumping the
    clutch several times will compress the air enough to engage a gear, if
    you move quickly. If that's the case, bleed the system, and try again.
    You may have to bleed a few times.
    
    If it's none of those, it could be thrust bearing, or clutch cover, or
    clutch plate. Whatever, 200 quid sounds expensive to me...
    
    To be more accurate we need more clues...
    
    Laurie.

    The car is a spitty to answer the question.......
    
    The quote I was given was on the assumption that the clutch was
    actually knackered and the reason why the garage bloke said it was so
    high was because for the spitty, a clutch re-fitting is an "engine out
    job"......
    
    Bazza
    

    
    If the clutch slave cylinder is similar to the Midgets, then it is
    quite prone to wear.
    
    You'll find it under the car half way back along the bell housing.
    
    If it just needs some new seals, then its a fiver plus a cricked back
    ;^)
    
    Easy way to see if the seals have gone, there's either a puddle of
    hydraulic oil obn the floor, or in the lesser case the rubbers are all
    slimy.
    
    If the slave is relly worn out, you can normally get an exchange unit
    for approx 20 quid from any unipart agent.
    
    Until then you'll just have to practise your double de-clutching and
    heal and towing! ;^))
    
    Steve

Many years ago I had similar problems with a Dolomite clutch. Given the
commonality of parts with a spitfire, I guess its the same. Initially changed
the slave seals and bleeding the system did not solve the problem. On replacing
the master cylinder seals, discovered the small spring washer which allows fluid
back in from the tank was broken. 

In my case, the problem was intermittent. After a long spell at speed (30 mins 
or more) without a gear change, selecting a gear had to be done without a
clutch. The first time this happened, I had to coast through a 
garage forecourt on a roundabout on the A1 near Newark.

	Dave

>    high was because for the spitty, a clutch re-fitting is an "engine out
>    job"......

It isn't. It's dirty, painful and irritating, but there is no need to remove the
engine, slthough you do have to loosen a few things to allow it to move a bit.

M.

    Can you be sure about that........cos when I go to see the garage bloke
    I need to have my facts straight so that he doesn't rip me off !!
    
    Although he was recommended by the National Breakdown bloke so I
    shouldn't think they would use him if he was a con artist !!
    
    Bazza
    
    (desperately hoping it isn't something expensive)
    

    Even if it *is* an engine-out jobbie, which it isn't, 200 sovs is OTT.
    If I were going to work on a car, one like the Spitfire would be it.
    Talk about easy access!
    
    Have you not joined a club yet? They would advise you....
    
    Laurie.

I am sure. I did it. And a grotty job it was too.

But Laurie is right 200 squid is very OTT even if you did have to take the
engine out. Aren't Halfords <spit> still offereing their free fitment if you buy
the clutch from them ?

Have you tried any other garages ?

    Whats this about Halfords doing that offer........that would save me a
    fortune (sounds too good to be true)
    
    The reason for the 200 quid was that they say it takes a whole day to
    do the job so it would cost that much for just the labour (thats
    without parts)
    
    Bazza
    

Why not do it yourself ? As I say, it's a horrible job; but it's not difficult.
No special tools required (use a candle instead of a clutch aligner)

Halfords deal (if they still do it) is not as cheap as it could be because
Halfords charge a lot for their parts, but it'll be better than 200.

Failing that, why not try somewhere else. Where are you ?

M.

    Clutch change on a Spitfire is a gearbox out job.
    
    You need to remove the tunnel, seats and carpets (and dash support if
    you have one). The box comes out into the cabin.
    
    You also need to support the rear of the engine when you dis-engage the
    box from the engine.
    
    It is actually quite easy, but as previously mentionned, dirty... and
    one gets to swear quite a bit...
    
    I have had the problem you mention on my spitfire - it was the slave
    cylinder, and it took 2 hours to change due to a seased pipe union -
    make sure you have the proper pipe spanner if you have to change the
    slave/renew the rubber parts.
    
    Paul

    Why are you over a barrel?
    
    As I said, ask the club for a recommendation if you don't feel up to it
    yourself. If you're not in the Club, you should be, especially someone
    who is such a mechanical novice as you seem to be. Garages can see
    people like that coming, and that would probably explain the 200 squid
    for labour only (I still can't believe that!).
    
    However, quite frankly, anyone who wants to run an "older" car, who
    isn't prepared to get in there and sort it when the time comes, is
    looking at a *lot* of bills, for a *long* time.
    
    Now's the time to learn, you won't regret it. If you don't learn, you
    *will* regret it.
    
    Laurie.

    
    If you can't face changing a clutch yourself (if indeed that's what's
    needed), have a look in your local paper for these mobile mechanic type
    people.
    
    A good one will be well worth getting to know (for those jobs you can't
    face doing) and even a not so good one will be able to do a clutch swap
    for a fraction of the cost of a garage change.
    
    Maybe someone in here could recommend a good mobile service in the
    Reading area?
    
    Mark

    
    Quite often the smaller owner-run places can be quite good. They don't
    have the overheads of the big places, and they _are_ concerned about
    repeat business! There is one in Burghfield Common who has done a
    couple of jobs for me for a reasonable price. 
    
    I agree with the people who say that if you have an old car you should
    start learning how to fix it! - maybe this is not the place to start,
    unless you know someone who will give you a hand, but you should start
    collecting tools etc for the next time! :-)   As people here will tell
    you, the Haynes manual tells you how things _should_ come apart and
    back together again, what they don't tell you is what to do when the
    last bold (the one in the least accessible place) has seized in. 

    I agree about small, local garages, especially for an older car. Mark's
    quite right, the biggies are only any good for a new car, under
    warranty. I only go near them for spares, I do everything else myself,
    wherever possible. Only in the case of needing expensive special
    tools, and not having easy access to a loan or a hire, will I use a
    dealer.
    
    Assuming it is the clutch itself, and we still don't know that, try a
    local owner-trader, especially one that's been recommended. Often,
    they'll let you help them, so you can learn how it's done for yourself.
    Many moons ago, I used to work for one such owner, who was only too
    happy to let people too skint to pay the full whack, use his brains and
    facilities. He used to say "Do this, and that, then come and get me."
    and leave them to it.
    
    Maybe a DECcie would come and help you do it yourself... I would, but
    Brussels is a bit far!
    
    Laurie.

    Well basically I have only recently come into car ownership, so I
    really do not have much equipment and facilities to do a reasonably big
    job like removing the gear box for example.
    
    Thanks for the advice mentioned earlier and I will look into it
    although the car is being moved to the garage on Friday so I will then
    go and have a look at it. If it is a comparitively small job then I'll
    do it myself but if it is complex then I'll have to decide what to do.
    
    Thanks again for your help
    
    Bazza
    (see yer at the next problem - probably my MOT in 3 months)
    

>>    (see yer at the next problem - probably my MOT in 3 months)
    
    Well, one point to remember is that you can put your car in for
    an MOT test up to one month before the end of the current one.
    
    If it passes, the new certificate will then be dated from the
    expiry of the current one.
    
    If it fails, you then have up to a month to sort it out, unless
    it is actually deemed to be 'unfit for road use' or some such term.
    
    J.R.

- large hammer

essential equipment when working on a spit.

    That has given me hope.......if you're not particularly mechanical and
    you managed to do the job in 5 hours......I have most of the equipment
    (or can borrow it). What I think I'll do is get the verdict and cost
    from the garage and if unreasonable, bearing in mind what you lot have
    said, I'll have a go at it myself.
    
    Bazza
    

    Ah yes...
    
    The large hammer, very important, how could I forget  - incredibly 
    effective for seized bolts - just hit them hard once or twice.
    
    Paul

	When dismantling an old Cortina, I found it useful to use some 
	penetrating oil.  Apply oil and leave overnight.  I never needed
	a large hammer.  Heating nuts with a hot air paint stripper helped, but
	you must be careful of petrol.  I can't remember using my impact
	screw driver (with socket head).  Good sockets also helped.

	Dave

    
    Invest in a nut splitter too!!
    
    Nuts are easy to replace, but can take hours of swearing and nuckle
    grazing to remove. The splitter just cuts through the nut and breaks
    the join.
    
    Very effective on old cars.
    
    Mark

    Next problem coming up :
    
    After doing a 2 hour run yesterday I noticed that my car was jerking a
    little bit as if some thing was holding it back then letting it go then
    holding it back again and so on. I think this was happening as I
    started to get into built up areas ie. when accelerating from almost
    stopped. It couldn't be the engine being cold cos it was a decent run
    and it feels like a blocckage on the fuel but it doesnt happen all
    the time. Suggested causes :
    
    - Blockage in fuel pipe
    - Twin carbs out of synch
    - Crap in petrol tank being sucked in and causing temporary blockage
    - Tempramental car
    - .........
    
    Any suggestions please ??
    
    Bazza
    

    These symptoms are also typical of ignition problems. Check the
    following, sort of in order of importance:
    
    Distributor, is it clean, dry, all contacts good, not cracked?
    Points, are they good, adjusted correctly?
    LT leads, connections each end good?
    HT leads, are they all good, connecting properly at each end?
    Plugs, are they new, gaps ok, electrodes not crapped up?
    Rotor arm, clean, including carbon "brush"?
    Earth straps, clean and tight?
    
    Electrical bits are generally easier to play with that petrol, and, I
    feel, more likely to be your problem. Nevertheless, it's worth cleaning
    the carb out, bunging some Red-Ex in yer petrol, and fitting an extra
    filter in the feed to the carb.
    
    Laurie.

    
    Don't forget the condenser.... worth replacing while you're in there!

    Ooops, forgot that! always a favourite for this sort of thing!
    
    Laurie.

If it's an injection engine (can't remember what it was)  check for cracks
in the injection feed toobs.


Just had that one, leaves flatspots all over the place !

    Thanks everyone, I'll try that advice
    
    Bazza
    
    (BTW - No its not injection, its a spitty 1500)

>    Any suggestions please ??
 
Probably also worth checking that the float chamber valves are clear and that
there are no leaks around either manifold on to the block, both gave good
impressions of problems on the GT6.

Cheers,

Nigel.    

    I've also had similar from a loose exhaust to manifold joint. As the
    engine rocks it opened and closed varying the back pressure.
    
    Richard
     

    Hello everyone again......
    
    After getting my car through MOT, I have incurred a small problem.
    
    During MOT they have weakened my mixture and also I discovered quite a
    big leak in the exhaust manifold gasket, which has now been fixed. This
    has lead to the car pinking badly. Before, it used to only pink when I
    put my foot down hard but now it seems to do it virtually all the time.
    I assume that this means it is out of tune, but I have heard that quite
    a lot of difference can be made quite easily by :
    
    Turning the ignition on
    Removing the distributor cap
    Then twisting the dist. body until the points open.
    
    I am not sure that this is right so please could someone spell out,
    in simple steps, the right process.
    
    Thanks a lot 
    
    Bazza
    

richen your mixute back up, or retard you ignition timing.  That should fix it.

-Al

    As .-1 says, richen the mixture a little first, you'll probably have to
    re-adjust your slow running too. If the problem still persists, then
    retard the timing slightly. The simple way to do this, is as follows:
    
    1) Mark the positon of the distributor with a ltittle scratch on the
       engine, and the body of the dizzy.
    2) Loosen the one or two bolts that clamp the dizzy to the block. Not
       too much, just enough to tap the dizzy body round a tiny bit. The
       direction depends on the rotation, I can't remember on the Spitty.
       Just remember you want it to fire earlier, and that it fires when
       the points are open.
    3) Tighten back up and test drive. A little experimentation will get it
       close enough, just remember where it was (marked as in 1) and don't
       move it too much.
    
    Laurie.

    A quick addition to -1
    
    You can do this with the engine running. You will probably need to
    adjust your slow running again. If you do do it with the engine
    running, keep the revs low as the weights/vacuum will start advancing
    the timing.
    
    Laurie.

One way to be sure that you're going the right way with the distributor, is that
the idle will rise if you're advancing the timing (you don't want to do that) and
the idle will fall if you're retarding the timing.

-Al

    Cheers people, I THINK I get that.....I'll try it as soon as poss.
    
    Till the next problem
    
    Bazza
    

Hi everyone,
	Its me again with the latest problem.........

I went on a trip on the weekend and after about an hour and a half most of my
gauges, my overddrive and a few other things died completely. After a little
investigation I found that the top fuse in my fusebox had blown........so I
just replaced it. On the way back from London the same thing happened again.

Its a bit suspicious that the same fuse would blow on consecutive journeys so
I presume I have a problem somewhere.

The fuse protects :	flasher lamps
			stop lamps
			windscreen wiper motor
			heater motor
			fuel gauge
			reversing lamps
			water temperature gauge
			overdrive unit }
			rev counter    } not mentioned in Haines but still went
			speedo         }


Any suggestions as to what could be the problem and how to go about finding the
fault would be GREATLY appreciated !!

(BTW - what I was thinking of doing was to get a voltmeter across the fuse in
       question and using the things mentioned above to try and get a current
       fluctuation.)

(BTW2 - the fuse didnt blow on the way to work this morning)

Barry

    
    Speedo went? The light or it stopped reading? I don't think the
    Spitfire EVER came with an electric speedo (does any car?).
    
    Mark

    
    So me Renaults have electic speedo`s
    
    Tom.

    
    Sunbeam's and Mini's have electric speedo's.
    
    Cheers,
    
    	MattB

    Would anyone like to answer my question then ??
    
    Barry
    

    It would appear not Barry :-)
    
    You wern't causing overdue stress on this fuse by, say for instance
    reversing, braking, wiping the screen, blowing hot air and filling up
    with petrol were you?  Spitties weren't made for such parallel
    processing. Perform these operations serially.
    
    OK Barry being semi-serious here.... what rating is the fuse that you
    replaced?  The fuse only blows on long journeys right? If that's the
    case then it could be to do with one of the objects connected to the
    battery via this fuse going "wonky" (techo Ford speak there).
    
    My advice "check for object wonkiness". What if you were to replace the
    fuse with one of a higher rating ?
    
    Gary.

    Watch out for the fuse going again and note what equipment you were
    using at the time.

    Look for an intermittent short to earth.
    
    Laurie.

    
    Is the fuse of the correct value?
    
    What items on the protected list were in use prior to the fuse
    blowing?
    
    Does any of the protected items run very warm when used?
    
    Try disconnecting some of the protected items.
    
    Try to measure the current of these items, is it wrong?
    
    Dave

    The fuse was the one recommended in Haines ie. 35 Amp blow, 17 Amp
    continuous.
    
    I didnt really note what I had used on the journey but it could have
    been the flashers which, me being a sensible driver, I use all the
    time.
    
    Laurie, could you say that again but in thicko speak please.
    
    I havent had the fuse blow on a short journey yet but as this problem
    only started happening recently then I suppose I might not have used
    the suspect device !!
    
    Surely putting a higher rated fuse in would simply defeat the object of
    having a fuse box ??
    
    Barry
    

    Ok.
    
    The fuse protects the devices 'down-stream', from damage. It does this
    by blowing when the current drawn by those devices exceeds its rating.
    If it consistenly blows, then either the fuse rating is too low, or
    there is a fault in either the wiring or one of the devices. This fault
    manifests itself in an excessive drain of power, such that the fuse
    blows. Either, a device is faulty, or the wiring is. It is most likely
    that this fault will be a 'short', which is a direct connection between
    the power source, and earth. Most devices operate by passing current to
    earth, but they consume some of it on the way. When it 'shorts' out,
    all the power flows through, hence the fuse blows.
    
    Look for bare wires, unprotected terminals, spark-marks, etc.
    
    Laurie.

    Replace the fuse with a cut-to-length six inch nail. Then watch for the
    smoke and that will be the location of the problem.
    
    
    Simon
    (does this really need a smiley)

    Thanks for the suggestion Simon but I think I'll pass.
    
    Checked all the lights last night and they're all ok so it couldnt be a
    blown bulb causing the fuse to blow.
    
    Also checked everything electrical worked fine.
    
    Used everything on the circuit on the way home and the fuse didnt blow
    so I am starting to think that maybe it only happens on a run.....ie
    when the car is hot.
    
    When I made the journeys on the weekend the weather was extremely humid
    and so the car was very hot......also I have a removable stereo which
    was bloody hot when I arrived at my destination (almost too hot to
    touch).
    
    Does anyone think that heat may be relevant somehow ??
    
    Barry.
    

    And don't read this months Which? on car fires, and how 45% catch fire
    due to electrical or mechanical failures. 
    
    dougie
    

    
    
    re .88
        I find it suprising that only 45% of cars catch fire due to
    electrical or mechanical failure, how do the other 55% manage it
    ?....sorcery, freak weather ?? 
    
      :-)
    
      Alan.
    

Re: .89

Car itself (electrical etc) 45%
Deliberate (arson)
External to car (blow torches etc) (other big chunk%)
Post-Accident (highest fatalities (suprise suprise!))  8% ?

    Falling asleep whilst smoking?
    
    Huw. :-)

>       <<< Note 1603.89 by ODDONE::BELL_A1 "two wheels and 138bhp...." >>>
>                   -< not much else to cause it really.... >-
>
>    
>    
>    re .88
>        I find it suprising that only 45% of cars catch fire due to
>    electrical or mechanical failure, how do the other 55% manage it
>    ?....sorcery, freak weather ?? 
    
    I believe hitting the central reservation at 100 mph has been shown to
    be a contributory factor.
    
    Dougie
    
    

    my experience of Citroen 2CV's is that they catch fire as part of the
    design of the car. If you open the bonnet and look at the way the
    engine is cooled using cardboard tubes this is the only conclusion I
    could come to. I tyhink it's a good thing as it means you don't have to
    worry about the bodywork corroding over time as it does'nt last that
    long.
    
    just remember to never completely fill the tank up, as you never get
    the cost of the petrol back from the insurrance :-)
    

>    
>    re .88
>        I find it suprising that only 45% of cars catch fire due to
>    electrical or mechanical failure, how do the other 55% manage it
>    ?....sorcery, freak weather ?? 
    

	There's been quite a few recently where the petrol tank has been filled
	up and the car left outdoors.

	The petol increases in volume, it leaks from the petrol cap, Vrooom!

    	Heather