1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Feb 20, 2018 9:45 am

In practical terms Tom, the 100 is identical to the 096 battery - there are a few detail differences but nothing to get excited about.

If it's taken the charge then you should be ok. Is there one of those "Magic Eye" things on it? If so it should be green now if you look at it.

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That's what they look like, the small round window near the handle about halfway along.

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A couple of explanations of the function of the "Magic Eye" there, in simple terms if it's not green or dark, don't charge or jump start it, get a new battery.

If it is green or dark then charge/jump start it if necessary and just use it.

While you're cleaning the engine earth, also clean the body earth, just behind the battery near the ABS modulator.

When reconnecting the battery, +ve terminal first then the earth. Make sure you have the keys in your pocket as there is a chance the alarm may be triggered when you reconnect the earth. If so, try the lock/arm button first then the unlock/disarm button to silence the alarm. If the immobiliser doesn't reset so you can start the car, take the keys out, shut the doors, bonnet etc and press the lock/arm button 5 or 6 times in quick succession.
Now when you unlock it the immobiliser should disarm as well as the alarm.

When you start the car, make sure that in position 2 of the key before you turn to start the charge warning light appears on the dash and goes out when you start. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:01 am

Reconnected now, starts and runs fine - and no alarm! Have to find the instructions as to how to reset the windows now, they make beeping noises when used.

Earths seemed tight, so didn't mess with them - a job for the future.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Wed Feb 21, 2018 9:54 am

It's fairly simple Tom, using the drivers switchpack, open each window in turn, keeping the button pressed until the beeping stops. Now close them again holding the button until the beeping stops.

Same goes for the sunroof but you can get away with opening in the tilt position rather than sliding it back.

This should stop the beeping on the windows and restore your Lazy Locking.

A tight earth could be hiding a corroded, dirty earth which may have been the cause of your problems - hopefully not though! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by Alucard7002 » Sun Mar 04, 2018 12:21 am

I hate to say it but that battery is less than 2 years old! The receipt should be in the paperwork somewhere (Andrew Page IIRC)

It's not the correct battery for the 800 according to the lookup - it's actually for a mk7 Ford Transit! Basically the biggest sodding battery that would fit in the hole. :D

Even after leaving her for 3 weeks when away on business it didn't discharge but occasionally the alarm system can go dolally and discharge the battery overnight. Jump start or recharge and it's fine for months if not years. The other good one I did was the boot being left unlatched! (even with LED lights it's enough to drain the battery overnight!)

Hopefully just a fluke of 1990's Rover electrics. The fusebox has been resoldered so I know that's good but I do know I have an extra fusebox behind the dash centre on the passenger side. That runs the radio, LPG, heated seats and cruise (even though I never figured out the cruise)

If you do still have an issue please don't hesitate to get in touch with me directly and ask away! (Or ask on here and Dave will let me know! ;-) )
Dušan - head lunatic @ Four Paw Racing

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Tue Mar 06, 2018 8:11 am

It was fine after a charge, glad it was just a fluke! At least if it's just a wierd 90's electrics fluke that if/when it happens again I can just recharge it and carry on. I did think it was a big one :)

Thanks for the offer Dusan, will do if I get furhter problems.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:03 am

I recently bought some replacement fob buttons, as both of the fobs buttons on my 'in use' fob cracked, then proceeded to disintegrate. I've read a bit about fobs on here which is enough to be apprehensive about just pulling one apart to replace the buttons without knowing the consequences!

Can the fobs casing be opened without breaking the casing? And without requiring it to be re-paired to the CCU? I imagine opening it disconnects the batteries? If someone knows the best way to do this i'd be very appreciative.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:33 am

It's actually pretty simple Tom. Take the fob off the key ring to start :

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Then have a look at the part where it goes onto the key ring :

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You'll see it has a wider slot there to insert a wide, flat-bladed screwdriver and twist. Once loose, ease the rest of the case up and away.

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Remove the remains of the old buttons, fit the new ones and then Haynes it. (Rebuild is the reversal of stripdown)
While you've got it apart, i would take the opportunity to renew the batteries to be on the safe side, i believe the later RF fobs such as you have use the CR2016 batteries, older IR fobs like the one i've got (and the case used for the photos) use CR2032 but the changeover was about 1996 so pretty sure yours will be RF as the car is later than that.

Shouldn't need to re-pair the fob having the batteries out for such a short period but if you do it's press the lock button on the fob 6 or 7 times very rapidly while stood near the car. Try using the fob to open the car first though.
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Tue Mar 06, 2018 6:19 pm

Thanks Dave, will do them this evening.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Mar 06, 2018 7:49 pm

No problem Tom, have fun! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:15 pm

All done! It works too which is a relief.
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

User avatar
scoobyh123
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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Mar 06, 2018 10:49 pm

All good then Tom, well done! :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


Image
'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Mon Mar 19, 2018 8:08 pm

Small update time. New batteries seem to have drastically improved the range of the fob, before you had to be standing/leaning right next to the car - now you can unlock it from much further away, i'll have to test its range.

Post thermostat change the engine warms up really quite quickly, quicker than my other halves 2012 Kia Venga 1.4 diesel (not particularly challenging) and even quicker than my BX GT which previously held the quick warmth record! This has been great in all this cold/icy/snowy weather recently.

Also i'm getting fed up of thios car's jerkiness and rough idle, so hopefully the next part of the plan involves a new TPS. I have sent some PM's to enquire with those that I believe have the right kit to do it.

Dave, your method sounds like a wonderful idea but knowing me i'd fudge it up and have a non-driveable 800, so i'd rather not risk that and get it replaced and checked directly with the Rover diagnostic kit, fingers crossed there are folks with the know and the kit.

I also have a new feeler blade to correctly gap the spark plugs and a pair of rocker cover gaskets to put on, which I will do as soon as the risk of losing fingers to frostbite passes! Interestingly all this snow seems to have cleaned the Rover for me, as its melted the dirt has been rinsed off quite nicely.

I did have some seats lined up, i'd had to have bought an off the road white 820 from 500 miles away but if I could have MOT'd it and swapped the seats all would have been good (depending on what it needed to be MOT'd of course). I was awaiting interior photo's of said car but it seems someone else snapped it up first! The beige leather search continues...
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 12:19 am

Good to hear you're slowly but surely making improvements to the wee beastie.

My method would work Tom, as long as you're methodical you'll still have a drivable car even if the calibration isn't spot-on. Chances are the MEMS would sort itself out if it was only a bit out but obviously the only way of knowing for sure would be to put it on the machine.

As you know, water expands when it freezes so works it's way under/round the dirt - when it melts it takes most of the dirt with it.
Quite some time ago, i won a sunroof in "Your Car" magazine and part of the prize was to go to the factory in Birmingham, have a tour of the factory, lunch out etc while the sunroof was being fitted.
Middle of winter and round where i lived at the time, the sugar beet campaign was in full flow so all the roads (and the cars too!) were covered in thick, black, sticky mud.
Me being me picked the only snowy day of the year (22/1/1988) to have the sunroof fitted and i left in a black car and got there in a yellow one! All because the snow had melted off the car.

Have to keep hunting for those beige seats then Tom! Good luck! If i hear of any i'll let you know.
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


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'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by TomSaintJames » Sun Mar 25, 2018 9:51 am

I got around to doing the rocker cover gaskets yesterday, only posting today as it got too dark to take a finished photo! I took the car for a drive first so the engine was nice and hot to work on (a little too hot first off!) - I hate being cold.

First off, I cjecked tghe gaskets that I bought against the spare engine this car came with, and I seem to have bought the correct ones, which i'm glad about as there were many to choose from on ebay. Exhaust cam rocker off revealing oily, gunky sealant.
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The original rocker seal was compressed almost flat, compared to the new one that had a definite 'ridge' that should hopefully seal this all up.
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Gunk cleaned off, and as much dirt/marks/stains removed from the mating surface as possible.
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Plastic cover scrubbed, including the underside and mating surfaces. Also new gasket slotted in, fitted nicely which bodes well. I very much didn't* clean this in the sink while the other half was at work today...
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Back together! It wasn't flat, when pressed down the plastic had warped so the middle wasn't touching the metal whereas the two outer ends were, so I started tensioning the securing bolts in the middle first in the hope that it would seal well. I also put a little more tension in the brass coloured bolts that look like they secure the cam surrounds, they didn't move much at all which is good!
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Intake side things were much the same, but more oily - so much so that the wrapped wires/pipe under the 'head' of the inlet manifold which is almost touching the cam surround behind the engine was saturated with oil! Again, cleaned the mating surface as much as I could, also cleaned the metal around the spark plug recesses etc (this was tricky as access is difficult here). I put some more tension in the inlet side brass coloured bolts, these moved much more than the exhaust side, some moved half a turn (one more than that!) so hopefully that in itself will reduce the oil leak.
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Again, I did not* scrub the inlet cover in the sink...
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These wires ran between the rocker covers and the cambelt cover and looked really tatty, so wrapped a load of black insulation tape around them to prevent further wear/rubbing or whatever (and to tidy them up).
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Then all back together! I even found myself cleaning all the gack off of the HT leads, goodness knows why ut they're a nice bright red again!
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I intended to have the plugs out to gap properly but ran out of daylight, so that's a job for another day, I did however use my BIG socket job to tighten up the thermostat housing nolts - I noticed pink crystals around here so must have seeped post 'stat change, I also used my tiny socket to tighten all the jubilee clips in the area for completeness. I think a reasonable amount of the total oil leak came from up top here judging by the oily state of the sides of the engine, so i'll keep an eye and see if any difference has been made.

After a drive, whatever wiggling/disconnecting/reconnecting of HT leads hapenned, the car is back to feeling as powerful as it did when I first had it at the top end - which i'm quite pleased about :)
I'm by no means a Saint, nor a James - but a Tom. My cars are:

1985 Citroen BX19 GT Bleu Romantique
1999 Rover 820 Si Fastback British Racing Green

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scoobyh123
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Re: 1999 BRG 820 Si Fastback

Post by scoobyh123 » Sun Mar 25, 2018 12:53 pm

All good stuff Tom! It's often the little and/or PITA jobs that make the biggest difference, glad the running seems to have improved!

Good call on cleaning the HT leads too, any dirt on them can cause misfires. Also leaky rocker gaskets will allow air into the inlet manifold via the PCV and breather systems so you might even find throttle progression is a little smoother now as well. :wink: :D
Cheers,
Dave

'02 Honda CR-V SE Executive
'99 Jag S Type 3.0 V6 SE


Image
'94 827 Sterling saloon
'88 Volvo 760 V6 Estate
'95 827 Coupé LPG gone but not forgotten!

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