July 2016 - Breaks and Breaks

It has been a very long time since I last reported on the Avi, and that's not because it's been quiet! 

In June of last year the car failed it's MOT... with the brake pipe 'apparently' bursting during the MOT test. I was not impressed with this and I was told the car was dangerous to drive so I had to fork up the cost to get this done so I could take the car home and do the rest. The rest being another excessively corroded brake pipe, which I made myself and replaced. The bracket for the headlight levelling sensor also was a fail item.However, this was always broken but I had always had it pushed together (hasn't affected levelling system) but a while back I pulled it down to remind me to replace it. What a mistake that was! It is not a part i could get so I had to make a bodged repair with Quik Steel which did do the job...eventually! It was round this time that I hit the 100,000 milestone on a trip to Goodwood!

I arranged an employee car show at my place of work in order to raise some money for charity. Of course, being my event, the Avantime was to be involved and I got quite a lot of interest from people intrigued and surprised by how amazing it is! Others were still confused about my enthusiasm and the point of the car, but then haters will hate. 

Having changed my job a couple of months later and covering 50 miles a day in my commute, I decided to take the old girl off the road with the good intention of doing some repairs on it, with regards to the suspensions knocks and the like. I very much wanted to do a full rebuild on the front corners and get some parts powder coated. Good intentions maybe, but I did not get off to a good start, with trying to remove the wiper arms to get powder coated, I actually ended up causing some damaged to the windscreen which just got worse and worse over the winter. Stupidest moment of my life, or at least one of them! I never did get the wiper arms painted, or the front corners rebuilt. 

One trip the car did get out to do was to go collect a job lot of Avantime parts! Some of them I wanted for my own Avi and some for any future Avi! I hope to buy a 2.0T later in the year to double my Avi count. The job lot was a little more than I was expecting and filled the car and I do now have more spares to shake a stick at! There are now countless wardrobes full of spares, some under the bed, across the garage beams and one box even blocking the rear entrance to the house... Things I do to keep this car going...

One of the biggest problems I've had with the car is finding that it became a V5... The idle became lumpy, performance tardy and the car juddery at low revs. Knowing that failed coils are pretty common, I left the car running and disconnected the front three coils individually to see if they were at fault. And they weren't... So I then decided to get to the back coils. I took the inlet manifold off which is a nightmare of a job and very little space to do! Then working blind at the back, I swapped front and rear coils over. I ended up losing my socket down the back of the engine! With the manifold back on, I could then leave the engine running and try the front coils again (that were the rear). I then found the coil that didn't cause the car to dip to 4 cylinders, and I replaced it for £20. The car now runs as smoothly as ever, but I do think some others might be on the way out as when cold, it can be quite lumpy but it is much better than it use to be!

Now back to the windscreen, so having contacted my insurer, it was as I expected; they could not get a windscreen. However, a new batch of reproduced windscreens had been arranged by the owners club with a UK specialised windscreen manufacturer. After direct conversations with them, a windscreen was imported back from a buyer in Europe and the windscreen was fitted, 8 weeks after the first enquiry. I was not so impressed with National Windscreens who fitted the windscreen. There is much mess to the dash that was not cleaned, and the clips on the left hand side a pillar trim had been broken and stuck back on with windscreen sealant the RH a pillar trim had some of the fabric worn away. Luckily I had a spare one from my job lot which I replaced this with. The washer jet hoses hadn't been put back properly and loop out the top of the bonnet and the side rubber trim on the exterior are not flush. The windscreen had to be done at their depot in order to fix up the heating element wiring but I was not impressed with the job and care taken! I guess I will have to finish their job for them. I hope to be able to find out soon if the heated windscreen works, only a couple of elements worked beforehand.

They did eventually come out, do a continuity on the car and windscreen which eventually proved positive. Still have no proof of it working but was getting nowhere with them. The wiring was still messy but was at least resoldered and shrinkwrapped. Clips inside the car replaced, although the grommet and the windscreen seal is still not sorted. The windscreen seal they said they would but never did and I just could not do with the hassle...!

Couple of minor jobs I have done however; taken the armrest off and repaired it properly so there is now less play in the hinge, replaced my stereo remote control with one with no crack in the screen and a battery cover (had to glue the backlight button) and replaced the engine temperature sensor. I replaced the sensor as the car does not get up to temperature but this has not seemed to solve it. 

Having taken so long to write this post, the car was in for another MOT. This time failing on a rear number plate light and the handbrake. The number plate light I assumed was a bulb, but oh no, it was something else. Some looking around found a lump of tape around the cable once I traced it back under the car. Taking this apart found that the wires had been cut into and held together with double sided tape! This had come away (no idea how it survived at least the 3 years I've owned it up until this point...!) so I soldered and shrinkwrapped this properly and it was all good.

I was able to put the old girl back on the road for a short trip to the lake district taking on Hard Knott Pass in Cumbria! It was a hot day and the road was very steep being a 30% climb in places, so she was worked hard. All was well but there was a lot of rain coming back on the M6 on the Sunday, and I had noticed at the services and when I got home that there were some strange electrical problems that had suddenly appeared. The radio/CD player has stopped working, the left sidelight no longer works (not bulb) and the buzzer to let you know your headlights are on have stopped. In addition to this the car was dead the next day, but when recharged on a trickle charger has been fine since on that front. The other issues I assume water has got in somewhere and caused a fuse or grounding issue. Will take some investigation I think...!

 

As always, I hope to actually do some jobs now she is again off the road. I will powder coat the wiper arms this time! Also try and solve these electrical problems. 

June 2015 - Rollercoaster Romance

Despite all the money spent recently, the Avantime has rewarded me with a persistent transmission oil leak. I could not find the source of leak as it stretched the bottom of the transmission but no higher. I suspected it was coming from the dipstick tube, which I have removed several times. I ordered some new O rings from Renault for £3.24, but several weeks later they have still not left France... After giving the car a rest for a few weeks while borrowing another car, the leak ultimately stopped, and with topping up the transmission oil, I've not had another leak since.

With the 100,000 mile switch looming, i had been contemplating swapping the car for a cheaper to run 2.0T. However, after all the money I have invested and the relationship I have with the car, this consideration quickly faded and my thoughts towards getting the car to the condition I want it in returned. I am using a car for a few weeks instead of the Avantime, with the hope of looking into some of the issues before the MOT next month.

At my place of work, i arranged a car show to raise money for charity, and of course being my event and always looking for an opportunity to show off the Avi, I secured a place in it. Instead of seeing to the oil leak, I made the unusual decision to change the headlights 4 days before the event. This ended up using three whole evenings right up to the night before!

When I bought the car the euro deflectors were left on as the car was only really used to travel abroad. Over time the residue had burnt on and the multiple attempts to remove were not successful, only causing more damage to the lenses. As part of a purchase I made from a breaking car, I bought the xenon headlights. Removing the bumper proved tricky. Removing the vent panels was OK, as was the bolts along the top and bottom of car. However, i noticed that all of the bolts holding the bumper on at the bottom were missing and it appears that the wheels have rubbed through the edge of the bumper, causing damage on both sides. This might be the feeling I get when the wheels 'bounce' at full lock. They must be getting stuck on the bumper... The fixings in the wheel arches were like nothing I have ever seen before. They were like rivots with metal blob prongs at the back and no drilling or man handling could get them off. The plastic trim of the bumper split before the rivet gave way. 

Ultimately it seems that the bumper needs replacing, and I have seen some new ones still available. But this is a task for the future. Having wrestled the bumper off, I took the headlights off. As I knew the headlights worked, I swapped the xenon bulbs and the xenon ballasts if possible. I only did this on one as the other one had rusty bolts. Having done this I fitted them and cleaned them. Paint on the old headlights and grill seems to suggest that the bumper was repainted at some point. I decided to replace the lower grill with one I purchased from a breaking car. Although a small point, a white stain on the lower grill always caught my eye and would not disappear despite my agents I tried! I tried to be gentle but the old grill just broke when trying to be removed. The new one had some breakages between the rows, which I superglued and then refitted. Having testing the lights, they seem to be working OK! I'm not sure if they are level, but the MOT next month will tell me that.

March 2015 - Addressing Long Term Problems!

Now I have the car back, I've started to address some of the long long standing issues!

I put some money away for the £805 cambelt change (with water pump) done at MGC servicing in Nottingham. It was recommended by the forum and they have conducted several of these cambelt changes on Avantimes before, so this was my preferred choice, despite being 60 miles away!

That is one worry off my mind for another 5 years, although it does seem like a lot of money to not address any known fault!

Another thing I chose to address was the ground points for the front electrically heated windscreen. To access them I removed the body panels with the faux-vents in and the mounting panels. I then sanded back the surface on the car and ground strap on both sides and used electrical cleaner. Unfortunately it hasn't fixed the problem. The windscreen only has one or two electrical lines working so the fault must lie elsewhere but it was worthwhile trying and I was able to clean up the bits I removed. 


The transmission oil is something I wanted to change since I bought the car. I purchased 10 litres of Fuchs 4400 ATF as this is equivalent to the recommended grade of J3309 for the Aisin-Warner SU1 transmission in my car. This transmission was also used in GMs and Volvos. 

I do not have the software or equipment to check the transmission oil temperature (oil level to be checked when oil is at 75deg, C) so I made the decision to just replace the exact amount of oil removed. The gearbox contains 7.8 litres, and I could only remove 3.5 litres at a time. I removed the intake system, and the transmission dipstick in order to drain the oil. I measured the thick and dark old oil, and then measured the new, red, clear oil into the dipstick tube. I have done two flushes so far and intend to do a third to ensure the oil is as clean as possible. 

I have not driven the car so much after the change, but the gearchanges do seem smoother and sharper. However, there is still a long pause between engaging drive from neutral, and also when the car selects neutral when at lights. (foot on brake with transmission in drive). The engagement of drive does seem better but this might be a separate issue which I need to look into.

On another note, my Mum kindly got this t shirt made for me, which I think looks great!

December 2014 - Reunited

A couple of days before xmas, I collected the Avi from storage. I was surprised how well it started and drove and I went on to do hundreds of miles over 2 weeks. The armrest was broken again while in storage but I fixed this again by taking the middle stack apart to get underneath.

So to garnish with the new gifts. I put in the cotton air filter which ensures longevity and improved intake air flow. The brand new centre caps from France were fitted and I also got around changing the front brake pads from when one was excessively worn down from a seized slider pin before I left.

The transmisson oil is sat waiting, just need a dry day and somewhere flat to have a go at it. It desperately needs it though and this month (January) I will book the car in for a cambelt change. Which I have definitely needed to save for! It is a labour intensive job on the V6 engine in such a tight package. 



Up on the list is importing over some new alloy wheels from France and getting fresh rubber on them too. I also need to get a new radiator on while changing the headlights and maybe (if finances allow) get the front bumper resprayed. 

In the meantime, I will enjoy having her back, the comfort, the driving experience and the joy of having something so special, unique and relaxing to drive. 

October 2014 - The Concept 'CoupeSpace'

A surprise to me was that a couple of days before going on a prearranged trip to the Mondial de L'Automobile 2014 (Paris Motor Show), I found that the Avantime Concept (CoupeSpace) of 1999 would be presented in an exhibition at the show.

Sure enough when I was there, there it was! It's amazing how similar it is to the road car, the proportions largely similar, the body surfacing the same but details differing and improvements to the chassis integrity through the window pillars could be seen for production-level crashworthiness.

The car looked great and it was a great opportunity to see it. It must have been amazing to see that car in 1999 and then to see it become a reality in 2001/2002! 

I also spotted a grey Avi on the streets of Paris too!

September 2014 - The To Do List

It has now been 3 months without the Avi, and should be another 3 months before I have it back. I've had plenty of time to ponder over the work that is awaiting me!

Before I left I MOT'd the Avi, so it would be ready for when I return. It failed on a sticking front caliper which had caused one of the inside pads to drastically wear down. I worked out the seized slider pin, and replaced them both. I did not have time to source a new set of pads, but will do that as soon as I am back. Otherwise that that, there were no advisories when it passed on the caliper. Not bad for a 12 yr old car!

So the list...

1. First job would be to change the engine oil and filter as it has been stood for so long!
2. Then to replace the front brake pads, as one has badly worn
3. I bought some replacement trim for the gear lever and a new catch for the armrest
4. The gearbox oil needs changing, and I have been meaning to change it since I got the car!
5. The Carpets need shampooing, and the engine bay steam cleaning, which will make the car look     much better. 
6. The cambelt is about due, to I hope to get the cambelt changed on the Avantime at a place recommended by the forum. It's an engine out job so I'm saving up now for the bill!
7. The radiator has had better days, so I will replace that. I need to remove the bumper, so while I am doing that I will replace the damaged-by-euro-reflector headlights with the replacement parts i bought and hope to then get the bumper resprayed and the grill detailed
8. I would like to have the tip changed on the custom exhaust I bought with something that is closer to the original twin pipe style and that is parallel to the ground rather than the badly fitted tip
9. That is the start, but the wheels need refurbing, the paint sorting, rails repainting and the passenger side wing mirror base repainting but that is for the future!

Future posts will follow to show how that work goes!

June 2014 - Auf Wiedersehen!

On the 30th June, I am going to Germany for 6 months and unfortunately will be without the Avi for all that time! To make sure she stays preserved and well looked after, I have put the car into automobile storage, kept in a dehumidified brick building in Herefordshire.

I will sure miss the Avi, but will take the opportunity to save money and buy some parts for when I get back and get on addressing all it's problems!