Roadkill's 1992 Cadillac Eldorado

Roadkill · March 09, 2009, 04:56:30 AM

The next jobs are :

Grease the door hinges (they're dry as a bone and creak)

Clean the gunk out of the door latches and re-lube (I had an issue with a stuck latch during the cold weather).

Remove and clean the electric mirror control switch (both mirrors only move LEFT and UP - so I figure the motors are O.K - maybe the switch is corroded ?)

Trace and sort an irritating squeak (that's recently imerged) inside the car !

Try to re-fix the drivers door card (the lower portion is completely free and the card nearly comes off when you shut the door !)

Try to repair a small hole in the lower section of the rear seats . . not sure what I can do but it's worth a look.

Re-fix the plastic upper seat belt trim on the P/side - Evostick for teh win !

Have a look at the electric aerial (it doesn't go all the way down)

Fix cruise control !!! - I've replaced a portion of the vacuum hoses already but they're all utterly F*cked. I'm guessing they all need changing which is going to be an absolute pig of a job.

Roadkill · March 09, 2009, 05:01:20 AM

I've got a quote for re-painting and clear coating the roof (lacquer is peeling badly), re-painting and clear coating the upper D/S/F wing (it's got a deep scratch and lacquer is peeling), re-painting and clear coating the front lower spoiler (nasty crack in paint / big chip on P/S) and repainting the rear bumper (cracked paint on D/S corner).

However that little lot is about £400, cash, so it'll have to wait.

Roadkill · March 09, 2009, 06:21:46 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

The sway bar drop links are proper FOOKED. As in dead. I'll be looking for a new pair but, judging by the decay, it looks to me like they've been like that for a few years at least.

It's a fairly cheap and easy repair, though I don't think that's the source of the noise.

New links ordered - £16.14 . . . just need to get it from Carls, now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=390008406962&ih=026&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=390008406962&ih=026&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=

Roadkill · March 10, 2009, 04:49:36 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

The creaking noise hadn't gone away this morning

. . . But it has improved slightly . . . very slightly . . .

Roadkill · March 15, 2009, 04:56:36 PM

Today I've been . . . . . . .

Quoting: Roadkill

Grease the door hinges (they're dry as a bone and creak)

Done. Now smooth and squeak free.

Quoting: Roadkill

Clean the gunk out of the door latches and re-lube

Done. Doors now close quietly without effort.

Quoting: Roadkill

Re-fix the plastic upper seat belt trim on the P/side - Evostick for teh win !

Done. No evostick needed - turns out a clip needed adjusting.

Quoting: Roadkill

Try to repair a small hole in the lower section of the rear seats . .

Done. Carefully repaired using superglue and a pick. Hole sealed completely.

Quoting: Roadkill

Have a look at the electric aerial (it doesn't go all the way down)

Done. It now doesn't go all the way up but it does, more importantly, go all the way down.

Quoting: Roadkill

Fix cruise control !!!

I've re-routed a loose hose and, more importantly, located a further vacuum hose that had come loose. Will test tomorrow but I'm hopeful.

I also began tidying up the engine bay a little - don't get me wrong it's not bad - it just needs some wiring retaining and covering etc . . .

90 minutes well spent.

I just hope I've sussed the cruise control . . . . . .

FUBAR · March 15, 2009, 08:05:39 PM

Busy day then

Roadkill · March 16, 2009, 04:32:50 AM

Quoting: FUBAR

Busy day then

Busy 90 minutes !

I only got back from Suffolk at 2pm . . . had a cuppa hot water and a sit down, ventured out after 3pm and was done and in before 4.45pm.

On a sidenote THE CRUISE CONTROL IS FIXED !!!

I tested it a few times this morning but it appears to work, now . . . I'm gonna give it a proper test down the A5 tonight but I think it's sussed.

Unfortunately the "Resume" option does NOT appear to work, though which is odd - but it's a major improvement.

Also.

She just "rolled over" 40,000 miles as I pulled into work today - she's barely run in !!!

ianjpage · March 16, 2009, 04:51:37 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

THE CRUISE CONTROL IS FIXED

Quoting: Roadkill

40,000 miles

Blimey, barely worn in

HardRockCamaro · March 16, 2009, 08:02:51 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

Unfortunately the "Resume" option does NOT appear to work, though which is odd - but it's a major improvement.

Don't mean any offence, but are you using it properly?

Incursus · March 16, 2009, 08:10:57 AM

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Don't mean any offence, but are you using it properly?

Thats what she said! Woooooooo

Roadkill · March 16, 2009, 08:52:47 AM

Quoting: HardRockCamaro

Don't mean any offence, but are you using it properly?

No offence taken - not sure - hence I said :

Quoting: Roadkill

does NOT appear to work

I was merely using it like the one installed in the '94 'Maro . . . .

Are the Caddies different . . . ?

Roadkill · March 22, 2009, 04:02:36 PM

Hopefully Titsy would've sorted the issue with the leccy mirrors soon . . . they've obviously been attacked before because there's clear evidence that they've been taken apart previously . . . That said Titsy thinks he knows the problem so hopefully that's another job ticked off the list, shortly.

Here's some piccies of the sway bar drop links . . . proper fooked.

New ones are currently with Carl.

ianjpage · March 22, 2009, 04:32:00 PM

theys seen better days!!!

Titsy · March 22, 2009, 06:30:24 PM

Quoting: Roadkill

Hopefully Titsy would've sorted the issue with the leccy mirrors soon . . . they've obviously been attacked before because there's clear evidence that they've been taken apart previously . . . That said Titsy thinks he knows the problem so hopefully that's another job ticked off the list, shortly.

Chris is going to take the switch unit to work to fix it... It seems only right that an Alps product go back to Alps to be fixed...

Cunning Plan · March 22, 2009, 07:19:35 PM

Thats alot of car! Looks awesome, great dailey!

Incursus · March 23, 2009, 04:24:32 AM

Quoting: Titsy

Chris is going to take the switch unit to work to fix it... It seems only right that an Alps product go back to Alps to be fixed...

Warranty ran a few years ago and its a classic case of customer abuse!

Customer fault description:
Door mirrors not adjusting up or down.
ALEU-MK confirm fault.

Visual inspection:

Witness marks on the case suggest disassembly. Cracked D-Pad cover suggests excessive force used in a further attempt to dissemble the unit.

Excessive scratching on the pin connecter and PCB suggest the unit was then attacked by a wire brush.

Corrosion of the PCB pattern shows evidence of liquid contamination suggesting some numpty left the window open!

Conclusion

According to the disassembling mark, we assume that the part was disassembled in the field after shipment and immersed in liquid.

We appreciate if you would check the above accident in the field.

Roadkill · March 23, 2009, 04:56:41 AM

Soooo - is it fixable ?

Incursus · March 23, 2009, 05:01:47 AM

Quoting: Roadkill

Soooo - is it fixable ?

Already done.

Subject to in vehicle testing.

If not I'll ask some questions in Japan....you never know might be some NOS hanging around

Roadkill · March 23, 2009, 06:03:57 AM

Quoting: Incursus

Already done.

Ta.

Andy · March 23, 2009, 08:47:47 AM

Question: Is the sway bar the American equivalent of an anti roll bar?

I'm really not good on suspension, just trying to get my head around what I'm looking at.

Gator · March 23, 2009, 08:55:21 AM

Quoting: Andy

Question: Is the sway bar the American equivalent of an anti roll bar?

I'm really not good on suspension, just trying to get my head around what I'm looking at.

yep same thing

Roadkill · March 28, 2009, 08:46:35 AM

Big upz to Titsy and Chris who, between them, diagnosed and fixed the dodgy power mirror switch.

That's right - My mirrors now move in all directions !!!

That's another off the list . . . . .

I also tackled some highly involved electrics, too . . . I purchased and replaced an interior bulb above the drivers door - with Titsy's assistance.

All interior lights now work, too.

Next jobs are to try and track down that irritating interior squeak and attempt to re-fix the drivers door card . . . . .

Roadkill · March 31, 2009, 11:26:12 AM

Attacked the door card today . . . seems a tiny self-tapper has popped out within the door card so I just need to use a slightly thicker screw to fix the issue.

It's worse on the drivers door, by far, but I noticed the passenger door is getting bad, too, so I'll do both.

Quite an easy fix - hopefully - and will be invisable, too.

Roadkill · May 28, 2009, 03:28:02 AM

. . . . Door card sorted by the way.

In fact nothing's gone wrong with her since I've had her - she's been utterly faultless.

She's now telling me she needs an oil change so will organise getting some filters and oil - she'll have to wait until after mid-june, though, as I'm too busy in my "free" time at the mo'.

On a side note I've just worked out my recent MPG . . . .

30.96 litres or 6.81 gallons did 115 miles-ish.

Now those 115 miles were ALL short journeys (under 8 miles), all of which was around town, stop-start-stop-start for roundabouts, some of the time the air-con was on (I tested that and it works fine, btw) and ALL of the time I had a trunk rammed-full of crap (future car-boot stuff).

So the result - 16.9 MPG - all around town.

That's actually MORE than what I'd guessed !

HardRockCamaro · May 28, 2009, 05:04:43 AM

Mine returned that commuting 11 miles from the edge of London to the centre.

That's pretty much as bad as it gets.

On a recent run from N Wales back to London, a distance of 300 miles, I got 32mpg.