Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.

76

General Discussion Area / Car vs Bike

« on: 06 December 2013, 20:27:32 »

Driving home from work along a Cornish A road in the dark this evening.

100 yards ahead of me, near the crest of a hill & next to a turning it all got a bit weird. Two cars drove off the road and onto the grass. I stopped behind a transit. Oncoming cars had all stopped, some drivers got out and ran across to something I couldn't see.

After about 10 minutes the transit driver did a 3 point turn and left leaving me looking at a bike lying in the road. No sign of the rider so I assumed he was sat at the side of the road with all the people who had got out of their cars.

After about 20 minutes an ambulance approached from behind and parked in front of me and more blue lights came from the other direction. The crew spent about 15 minutes in front of the ambulance where I couldn't see them before they brought the stretcher back again with someone on it wrapped head to toe in a blanket.

Road is closed to all traffic now....

77

Omega General Help / Smell of burning

« on: 19 November 2013, 20:47:01 »

Driving home in the dark the traffic slowed several times. It seemed as though a vehicle ahead was in difficulty. After negotiating one roundabout there was a strong acrid smell of burning.

The inside of my car now stinks of burning. I can't tell whether it is a result of something that I was following or whether I have an electrical fault. Everything appears to be working and I can't find any obvious source of smoke. I took the powersounder out last year & haven't fitted the new one yet.......

Any ideas?

78

General Discussion Area / Android - Custom ROM howto

« on: 29 September 2013, 21:38:59 »

Following on from a discussion on Chrisgixers thread about garage wiring which bifurcated and became increasingly off topic:

79

General Discussion Area / Google streetview goes underground

« on: 27 September 2013, 21:34:23 »

to explore the Large Hadron Collider

80

General Car Chat / Signum - How does it compare to an Omega Estate?

« on: 16 September 2013, 21:25:42 »

Following on from TBs thread about whether to stick with Vauxhalls I am going to face the same question in a few months time. My saloon is one of the youngest at 10 years old and it will hit 200k miles sometime next year.

There are times when I need to carry something that won't fit in my saloon (even after removing that stupid Bose shelf). 26mpg is painful with prices rising continuously but I don't want to drive a car with less performance & comfort or higher sound levels.

81

General Discussion Area / Alternatives to Duracell?

« on: 14 July 2013, 16:12:27 »

As above really.

For years I have used Duracell alkaline batteries happy in the knowledge that they wouldn't leak before they went flat.

Over the last year I have had leaking Duracells in torches and clocks. I haven't had a problem with the smoke alarms but I suspect that the 9v batteries are better able to contain the leak in the rectangular outer casing.

82

General Discussion Area / First ******* of Spring

« on: 28 March 2013, 20:13:18 »

It must be spring. Spotted at the side of the A38, hitched to a 4x4, on the Cornish side of the Tamar bridge was the first caravan I have seen this year.

Don't know if it had broken down or was waiting for a group of vehicles it could pull out in front of to form a convoy

83

General Car Chat / Tyre temperatures?

« on: 11 March 2013, 22:43:14 »

Hopefully not to contentious a subject..... (and CEM is allowed to have a different answer to anyone else)

what are the temperature ranges of:
Summer tyres?
Winter tyres?
M&S (mud & snow)?
any other categories?

Is it possible that manufacturers are playing fast & loose with their labelling & selling tyres that are good for 50 degC (in say Turkiye) in a country (UK) where 25 degC is a hot summers day?

84

General Discussion Area / DNS failure

« on: 09 March 2013, 19:17:55 »

My home internet ground to halt earlier this afternoon. I have had letters through from TalkTalk telling me that they were going to migrate me from Nildram/Tiscali/Opal (delete as appropriate) to TalkTalk so not a massive surprise.

A quick trawl through the logs on the mini-server that I use as a gateway revealed a total failure of DNS. I switched off the broadband router for a minute, switched it back on and DNS and internet was restored.

Now that things are working again my logs have stopped showing errors connecting to root DNS servers but I am still getting the following errors. I am guessing that the problem is with the image server & not my end

Code: [Select]

Mar  9 18:42:52 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'images.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 208.
96.10.221#53
Mar  9 18:42:52 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 66.33.206.206#53 resolving images.omegaown
ers.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#36336: invalid response
Mar  9 18:42:52 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'images.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 66.3
3.206.206#53
Mar  9 18:42:52 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 66.33.216.216#53 resolving images.omegaown
ers.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#36336: invalid response
Mar  9 18:42:52 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'images.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 66.3
3.216.216#53
Mar  9 18:42:54 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 66.33.206.206#53 resolving shop.omegaowner
s.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#46135: invalid response
Mar  9 18:42:54 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'shop.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 66.33.
206.206#53
Mar  9 18:42:54 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 208.96.10.221#53 resolving shop.omegaowner
s.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#46135: invalid response
Mar  9 18:42:54 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'shop.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 208.96
.10.221#53
Mar  9 18:42:54 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 66.33.216.216#53 resolving shop.omegaowner
s.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#46135: invalid response
Mar  9 18:42:54 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'shop.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 66.33.
216.216#53
Mar  9 18:43:05 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 66.33.206.206#53 resolving theboy.omegaown
ers.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#48140: invalid response
Mar  9 18:43:05 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'theboy.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 66.33.206.206#53
Mar  9 18:43:06 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 208.96.10.221#53 resolving theboy.omegaowners.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#48140: invalid response
Mar  9 18:43:06 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'theboy.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 208.96.10.221#53
Mar  9 18:43:06 zaphod named[1532]: DNS format error from 66.33.216.216#53 resolving theboy.omegaowners.com/AAAA for client 192.168.39.121#48140: invalid response
Mar  9 18:43:06 zaphod named[1532]: error (FORMERR) resolving 'theboy.omegaowners.com/AAAA/IN': 66.33.216.216#53

85

General Discussion Area / EEPROM programmer

« on: 07 October 2012, 21:20:52 »

Bugger

I need to test some MODbus/TCP software that I am writing. I have a MODbus/TCP interface and a MODbus/RTU meter that I want to talk to.

I haven't used used the interface since I moved house (5 years ago) and I had forgotten the IP address so I dug out my old (WinXP) laptop (that I haven't used for 2 years) and fired up the configuration software.

All was well, it found the interface and showed me the IP address  unfortunately there was a button marked 'Update Firmware'.......... and I clicked it ........... At first I thought I had got away with it as the progress bar worked its way steadily through 20%....25%....30%. At about 40% the programme died  I restarted the programme but the interface wasn't to be found and the LEDs on the interface blinked reproachfully at me.

The good news is that I have a firmware file and that the EEPROM in the interface is removable. The chip is an AM29F040B in a 32 pin PLCC package. The bad news is I don't have a programmer.

Not sure what to do now. The interface costs about £300. Programmers seem to cost about £400

86

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Alternator Failure

« on: 17 June 2012, 23:59:02 »

Set off this afternoon from Hastings to go to Cornwall. Got as far as Chichester before the alternator warning came up, all the instruments went to zero and various warning lights started going on and off seemingly at random 
Pulled into a layby, checked the connections & fuses but couldn't find anything obviously wrong. Restarted engine and & no warning lights  set off again & the symptoms resumed. After a few hundred yards the only light still showing was the spanner light &the engine was running sweetly so we carried on. At the next roundabout I realised that the gearbox was in 'limp home' mode (ie 3rd gear) but there didn't seem to be any immediate reason to stop so we carried on to the Rownham services on the M27 and called the AA.
The AA van appeared after about an hour and confirmed that the alternator wasn't charging made some phone calls and discovered that none of his contacts had a replacement alternator. He put in a request for a recovery lorry & left. 
About an hour later another van turned up (no recovery lorry available) & propoed to use one of his spare batteries to allow me to drive to Honiton (the edge of his patch).
I am now sat in a supermarket car park in Honiton in the dark with a knackered alternator waiting for the next AA man to materialise.
Wish me luck
PS anyone know what a new alternator should cost me?

87

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Haunted Sunroof went Too Far this time

« on: 30 April 2012, 22:42:32 »

Torrential rain over the weekend was partly why I didn't use the car until this morning.

Unbeknown to me the haunted sunroof must have tilted itself open sometime on the way home on Friday.

Seats weren't very wet............

I never use the thing (intentionally) so wondering whether to pull a fuse or disconnect the multiplug on the PCB.

88

Omega General Help / Crank Position Sensor?

« on: 07 February 2012, 19:44:09 »

Usual symptoms. Running sweet as a nut one minute, next minute I am sat at the side of the A38 with a dead engine and a mixture of homicidal (90+mph) and geriatric (35mph) drivers flying down the two lane A38 with me pulled over as far as I was able before I ran out of momentum.

AA turned up in 10 minutes and the previously lifeless engine sprang into life first turn of the key

After moving to somewhere a little safer the AA man plugged his wireless code reader into the fuse box and retreated to his van to interrogate it remotely.

After a bit of tooth sucking he returned with error code P0725+ 'engine speed input circuit'.

'Crank Position Sensor then' I said innocently 'I have got a new one in the boot'. Oh no says AA man, that would be a different code..............

After 30 minutes (with Omega idling sweetly next to us) discussing what else might give a speed reading AA man turns to go and the engine cuts out again. No new codes.

I am fairly certain that fitting my new CPS will fix the problem but I need to be somewhere stupidly early tomorrow. If I was 100% confident then I would be out there now fitting it but if there is a chance that it won't work then it is better to make my apologies for tomorrows appointment.

Any thoughts? I changed the crank sensor on my previous Omega after almost identical symptoms. My abiding memory is of how awkward the access is to anything at the back of an Omega engine

89

Omega Electrical and Audio Help / Losing my memory

« on: 20 December 2011, 18:50:26 »

I have got into the habit of using the memory function on the mirrors when I am reversing into a tight parking space. Did it today while parking at Torbay Hospital. Spent a few hours crawling around looking at steam pipes, had a chat with Dave about BOSE  and then set off back to the office.

When I pressed the memory button to move the mirrors back up to the normal position nothing happened, pressing the adjustment buttons on the drivers seat didn't work either. The mirror adjustment buttons work (or they do if I move the rocker switch far enough ) and the passenger seat switches still work the passenger seat.

Does the memory module have a separate fuse to the seat motors? I'm guessing that I have a comedy chafed wire under the drivers seat somewhere but I don't want to go near the air bag or seat tensioner wiring loom if I don't have too...............

90

Maintenance Guides / Auto gearbox selector switch removal and cleaning

« on: 07 March 2010, 10:06:36 »

Credits to MarksDTMCalib and alenalper

Here are a few pics which might be useful.







The last picture shows how you align the switch before tightening up the bolts (note, this should be done once its on the box, the picture was taken like this just for clarity)

1.      Put the car in neutral.
2.      Remove the selector lever from the mode switch.
3.      Remove the cover.
4.      Loosen the two 10 mm. mounting screws.
5.      By rotating the mode switch you can line up the slot in the mode switch housing with the selector shaft bushing.
6.      Insert a 2,4 mm punch (3/32 in) in the slot.
7.      Tighten the two 10 mm. screws.





Using a multi meter.

1.      Put the car in neutral.
2.      Disconnect the mode switch connector. It’s located in front of the air filter box and it’s the biggest of the three you’ll find there. (black).
3.      Connect a multi meter set to resistance between terminals 1 and 4.
4.      Loosen the two mounting screws of the mode switch and find the range of electrical contact by turning the entire mode switch.
5.      Then fix the mode switch to the middle of that range and tighten the two mounting screws.




This is a link to the original thread here