Utterly hacked off....

So great excitement last weekend as I prepared the car for MOT. Tuesday morning organise insurance and set off to the garage.
About half a mile down the road the rear brakes start to bind up... after three quarters of a mile I am at a standstill.
Somehow manage to get it onto a nearby garage (luck) nearly frying the clutch in the process, where they magically free off the brakes and I'm on my way again.
But, by the time I get to the MOT place, the brakes are once again binding up.
So I leave it there, to get a call about an hour later to say the brakes have freed up and the car has rolled into another customer's car... But no damage!
Get a call this morning to say it won't start and the brakes are solid.
Get there with a trailer to find it has thrown the water pump belt and the fuel pump relay has melted the fuse. Try a smaller fuse, blows instantly, try a bigger fuse, it heats up.
No fuel pump noise.
Trailer it home, push it into the garage, not forgetting to compound my mood by scratching it on the doorway as it goes in.

Joyous day.

thats a bad day pal, i feel for you, keep the faith, you know how great they are when they work right. leave it 24 hours then go and fix it

Rupert, I have only ever seen you smiling, I'm sure you will have it sorted in no time at all.

[BIG_MVS]

Keep the faith Rupert, don't forget it's been off the road for god knows how long so your bound to have teething problems.

Rupert, I dont know if your 24v Atmo has its fuel pump circuit modified, but if it is the standard circuit, there is no fuse in it. Also you will not hear the pump running until the engin is being cranked or is running as the fuel pump relay (or Rev counter relay according to the manual) is energised from the coil, the same point that drives the rev counter. Circuit available if you want it.
With regard to the brakes, if, as BIG_MVS says it has been laid up for a long time with its hand brake on, I suspect there is some seizure in its mechanism or the cables are seized, and as you drive the brakes will expand with the heat and effectivly apply them...stop for a while, and they cool down.
I hope I am not teaching my grandmother to suck eggs, but thats my thoughts at the moment.
Hope this helps

[phildini]

Rupert don't worry I felt the same way about my 610 recently, i have had so many set backs. My lovely super shiny paintwork got damaged when the hose from my compressor shot off and took a chunk out of my door. Then both of my cats decided to play with my passenger mirror ( which took me for ever to alter so it would take the temp sensor ) and now it looks like it's cracked, i guess where they have suspended themself bungy style. Got all the door cards back in, now the drivers window has stoped working and lots of other issues....... I guess thats what happens when a car sits around for years..... but hey that's all part of our fun hobby

Yep, you are all probably right. I'll leave it til Saturday and jack it up to see WTF is going on.

As for the pumps.... There is an A610 pump and also a second priming pump. I think the A610 pump is on the return, the primer is on the flow. I'm not entirely certain, so perhaps it breaking will mean I'll have to work it out and then understand it better. The pump's fuse is near the new ECU so the wiring bears little relation to the original. (Espaecially as it was an atmo and is now injection).

However, John C, oh ye of great electrical knowledge.... I would love to get some of the gauges working again. The engine has senders for oil temp, oil pressure, revs and water temp but I've no idea which terminals on the dash multi plug go where!

Got some lovely wiper arms from our leader today, so have til next Friday to get the free retest....

(Espaecially as it was an atmo and is now injection).....1989 GTA Atmo 24V !....

........now you tell me

I would love to get some of the gauges working again. The engine has senders for oil temp, oil pressure, revs and water temp but I've no idea which terminals on the dash multi plug go where!

When you have sorted out your other problems are ready to get these going let me know ....the only one that would be a problem is the "oil temp" unless you have an extra gauge for that?

Getting there.... but now the starter motor has packed in.

It has a solenoid attached. I've wired it direct to the battery and hit it...

Anyone know any other clever trick to get it working ... other than taking it off and taking it to a repair shop?

Rupert,
Can you let me know what numbers you use for the National Lottery?
I want to ensure mine aren't the same as yours !

Yep no problem:

1, 4, 6, 35, 38, 41 & 46.

(geddit)

Meanwhile, I took the starter to a recon place and also an A610 alternator I had which fits the engine better....

Think I'll try and tidy up the interior til they're done. Still hoping to make Prescott!

[phildini]

"rupert" ............... Still hoping to make Prescott!

How about Bromley?

Rupert, before the winter my engine was running 100% and the drivers electric window was working fine. Now electric window don't work and the engine is all lumpy....... The Saga Continues...... But it will be at Bromley!!

My driver's window stopped working recently without any warning - no go-slow or anything.
It was the switch. Took it to bits and cleaned it and now the window is working just fine. Worth a check before taking the door apart.

God that sounds just like the sort of thing that happens to me

[phildini]

"jonc" My driver's window stopped working recently without any warning - no go-slow or anything.
It was the switch. Took it to bits and cleaned it and now the window is working just fine. Worth a check before taking the door apart.

Cheers i will have a look at that