Finally sorted that check strap. I buggered the rivet when removing it so a bolt will do for now.

@RobClubley - That "bolt" is a domed head set screw!  If that's a nyloc nut under it, then it should last out indefinitely given copaslip or white lithium grease treatments for weatherproofing.

27 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

@RobClubley - That "bolt" is a domed head set screw!  If that's a nyloc nut under it, then it should last out indefinitely given copaslip or white lithium grease treatments for weatherproofing.

I stand corrected. It is a nyloc nut

Latest catchup article

 

http://www.drivelife.co.nz/2018/07/project-rusty-robs-audi-ur-quattro-part-35-ups-and-downs/

The pinstripes are back.

Odometer is visible again.

Quick wash for the meet tonight then when I set off, the noise from the suspension worried me enough that I turned back. I've gone over every bolt in the front suspension and most of the rear but not the top mounts so they're my next place to check.

Also I found out where it's leaking - from between two pieces of metal where the back corner was repaired. Obviously something was not done properly.

 

 

Edited 14 July, 20187 yr by RobClubley

Three years ago, this happened...

I spent most of yesterday doing things on Rusty, but I don't feel like I made any progress in actually fixing anything.

About halfway through the day, the involuntary horn issue re-appeared!

Somehow the screw at the bottom has snapped, vibrated out and made contact with the horn slip ring. Causing random beeps when steering.

Then there was the intermittent starting issue. Left it ten minutes, no joy. Left it another ten, fired up fine.
Video: https://www.facebook.com/ProjectRustyquattro/videos/1413868148713477/

I pulled the carpet back, to check out the main power wiring.

It actually looks decent.

My "helper"

I replaced the third engine earth (now that I've located it )

It seemed to slightly improve the drop in voltage on cranking. But the issue is still there. Next step I think will be to completely replace the wire from ignition to starter as apparently it takes a somewhat circuitous route.

Then there's the suspension clonking, which concerns me. I jacked up the car and checked everything and it all seems tight.
Took Rusty to a local tyre place and we had a good look over the underside, swung off the suspension. All we could hear underneath was a creak from one of the rear wishbone bushes.

But it's more of a "something is loose" noise. Hoping to have time today to drop the suspension and check the top mounts and other bits I can't see.
I have a weekend in Taupo booked next weekend with the family and I really want to take Rusty. At the moment it's not looking good.

The pouring rain provided some more leak testing. The boot is leaking in two places at opposite corners - behind the wheel arch and behind the right rear light.
I also need to fix the holes causing a leak above the driver's footwell. That has been on the list for ages, but I need to get onto it now I'm driving the car.

So lots to do, and nothing fixed yet!

At the shops, refusing to start. The exact same thing happened in the same place last time too. And both times, leaving the car for a while fixed it. So random.

I had a Pug 309gti which had intermitent starting problems. It spent months at Peugeot and it never faulted with them yet every time I took it home or parked at the train station (only certain spaces) it would be a pig to start. 

 

It turned out to be if the car was parked on a slant (Left side lower than the right) it was just enough for an earth cable (I think) to move enough for it to not provide a circuit.  It took the best part of over 1 year to work this out. 

 

Keep plugging away, you will work it out.  

I may have posted this before, but my Dad had a similar "random horn" issue with a 1970 VW Type 1. It turned out to be a broken return spring behind the centre boss of the horn push.

It stood out on the morning school run.

I really need to spend a day concentrating on nothing but the electrics and starter. Just need to balance that with family and stuff, this is always my challenge!

As for the suspension:

 It is something relatively simple, but it's not a simple fix. The cap that holds the strut insert in place (silver bit on this photo) has come loose on each shock, allowing the cartridge to rattle around. Which is a bad thing!

 

Unfortunately this needs a special tool making, and means all four struts need to come out so that the tool can fit inside the spring. Bugger.

Edited 24 July, 20187 yr by RobClubley

I can't see the strut piccie Rob to give any thoughts, but in the past, I have used an adjustable "c" spanner to get the caps tight on struts with removable inserts.

Not sure if you could do that on your type, perhaps you could get the piccie working?.

At the end of the day it is just time rather than money, so hopefully not too big an issue in the overall plan of stuff.

Fixed the photo. Well I can see it anyway
Picking Rusty up today to fix myself. I can't really justify hundreds of dollars in labour for a job I can do myself, just to get the car ready for this weekend.

Assuming all the strut caps are the same, the adjustable "c" spanner should work through the spring coils unless it has to be done up to many stupid hundred N/ms of torque.

 

A motorcycle dealer could be your first call if you know the rough diameter of the strut cap, as they use many adjustment caps that require c spanners. I would slide a length of tube over the handle to get your tightening force.

8 hours ago, kentphil1 said:

Assuming all the strut caps are the same, the adjustable "c" spanner should work through the spring coils unless it has to be done up to many stupid hundred N/ms of torque.

 

A motorcycle dealer could be your first call if you know the rough diameter of the strut cap, as they use many adjustment caps that require c spanners. I would slide a length of tube over the handle to get your tightening force.

Thanks for that. The instructions say 130Nm and mention a "special wrench" which doesn't seem to be referenced anywhere by part number or description.

I found this, which might be it!

I've emailed Bilstein Germany, hope I get a response.

Well, the "Bilstein special tool" looks like a C spanner at one end, although I'm not sure what the other end does.

Yep. The other end is like a coilover adjuster.

Yep, as Ken said, looks like a fixed diameter version of my adjustable spanner.

 

Why not get a cheapish unit from a local toolstore to do the job you need right now, then you could order the correct tool from Germany to arrive without any panic.

For some reason this is my most liked Instagram photo ever:

So anyway that suspension. Got the car up on stands, and found that the front right and rear left caps were loose.

I bought a 52mm C spanner and used that to tighten them up. Worth a shot before taking all of the suspension out. After a 40km test drive we still have no rattles, so time will tell.

I pulled the rear light out...

And there's a hairline crack between the metal panels.

Some silicone sealant seems to have sorted the leak.

At the other side there was a hole where the new boot floor piece was welded in. This may only be a temporary fix but I have sealed it with some body filler

Some driveway shots

https://scontent.fakl1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/38512899_1437587569674868_5887504808163672064_o.jpg?_nc_cat=0&oh=52c887d79599f4c6f5227cd9c603ff29&oe=5C0DB6AB][/img]

And true to form, during my test drive I noticed the front indicator isn't working, rear wiper has somehow loosened so it doesn't work, and the driver's door central locking motor has stopped working. Sigh. And even though the car started fine with 20% battery when I set off, and again before I returned, it would not start to move from the drive to the garage. I left it for a couple of hours and it sorted itself out. Really need to spend more time on that issue.

I noticed my front indicator wasn't working, had to take the headlight out to get to the back of the indicator to check the wiring. I managed to drop a screw into the void of doom, never to be seen again, then got the light fixed, headlight back in, the last screw I put in snapped the metal clip it screws into, had to take it all out again to fix that. Old car life I guess!
I wonder how long it has been out. That bus driver who called me a ****er for not indicating at a roundabout may have had had a point.

Right, that battery drain issue.
Starting with the factory fuse box. The fuses for flasher unit, hazards, horn, brake lights, stereo, dome and boot lights, voice unit, central locking, mirrors, cigarette lighter are all live with the ignition off, as you'd expect.

I pulled out all of these fuses for these to see what happened overnight.

Almost everything I've added to the car is on switched live, but (assuming the battery monitor is accurate) something was draining it even faster. I thought maybe the alarm trying to go off. It went down 23% overnight.

In the morning I pulled the power out of the (no longer working) GPS tracker. Battery was reading 52%. This was the reading after 10 hours.

And overnight it went down by 1%.
Looks like that little thing was somehow eating rather a lot from my new big fat battery.

New GPS tracker is ordered. I've gone for this one

https://drivingsound.co.nz/product/mongoose-pt890-gps-tracker/

which looks more convincing than the cheap AliExpress/Ebay one I had previously, and it has a useful phone app.

Next jobs:
Fit new GPS.
Driver door central locking motor not working
Rear wiper not wiping, but motor is turning.

And of course that starting issue!!
 

I fixed the rear wiper - just had to tighten the nut a bit I like the simple ones.
Pulled the old GPS out, and I took a look at the heater control that isn't switching from hot to cold, and nothing's holding the outer sheath of the cable in place. it looks like a bit might be missing/broken at the back. I really don't want to take half the dash apart to look at it properly, so a few cable ties have sorted it for now. One day I will have to strip the dash apart again and fix a few things more properly.

Edited 9 August, 20187 yr by RobClubley

I think you might just need part 38 Rob unless the plastic backing that it clips onto is missing - http://www.oemepc.com/audi/part_single/catalog/au/markt/RDW/modell/AQS/year/1980/drive_standart/46/hg_ug/819/subcategory/72000/part_id/255798/lang/e

30 minutes ago, kentphil1 said:

I think you might just need part 38 Rob unless the plastic backing that it clips onto is missing - http://www.oemepc.com/audi/part_single/catalog/au/markt/RDW/modell/AQS/year/1980/drive_standart/46/hg_ug/819/subcategory/72000/part_id/255798/lang/e

 

That looks like a clip that could easily have gone missing over the years