Robsey's Thread of Random Ramblings.

[Robsey]

Welcome to 2021 everyone...

Hopefully no new unwanted challenges.

Looking back to early 2020, I did have a massive feeling of forboding in February.
When I went out at night and saw the sinister cloud formations and the eery glow from Venus high up in the north western sky, it just looked like a prelude to a horror movie.

Wow - who could possibly have known how things would have changed.
The sudden silence at night that you only normally got after a heavy snowfall.

For me, 2020 was a year of "numbness".
Like a movie going on around me, but not seeming real.

So far I have been blessed. Nobody that I know closely as a friend, colleague or relative has died due to Covid 19 / Sars 2.

I have had ill colleagues, who have since recovered and
I have lost dozens of patients - young and old. But I lose a lot of patients every year anyway. The nature of working with 11,000 disabled people.

As for me, my brain has seen new challenges, with no less than 36 new training courses to allow me to be deployed to almost any hospital ward should the need arise - in a therapy assistance capacity.

I have also learnt all about how a Campervan is constructed, how to draw VW wiring diagrams and
generally picked up a few practical skills that I had "forgotten" since leaving production engineering in 1997... wow 23 years already.

Indeed tomorrow marks 23 years for me in the NHS. Wow how time passes you by when you are not watching closely.

As for 2021 - who knows what lies ahead.?
The Cavalier is in limbo. I have neither time nor money to to put it back on the road any time soon.
Maybe I should sell it, and give someone else a chance to enjoy it.

The Vectra battles on, but is in need of a lot of tlc.
More than I can afford at present.

And the white elephant of a campervan... is like a ravenous teenager eating me out of house and home.

And don't even ask about the house... like an episode of hoarders full of van parts and tools and boxes.

Ah well nothing changes there then....

[Robsey]

Another update on the MG Maestro dash.

I finally got a handle on what is needed to get the chuffer to work.

In my very cluttered kitchen full of van parts, I have my EPAS steering collumn.
To control the amount of power assistance, the kit is supplied with a 100 k ohm potentiometer.



I connected the "pot" between the white / yellow wire on the cluster and ground.

For most of the travel nothing happened, but for a small part of the rotation, I was able to control the brightness of the gauges.

Based upon the amount of range used, I am going to assume that a 10 k ohm potentiometer would do the job.

So possibly another job ticked off the test list.

I think I am going to need a miniature covered hatch under the dash...
We are up to three variable resistors on the van now.

1 - Power Steering Assistance Control.
2 - Blower Motor Speed Control.
3 - Instrument Panel Brightness Control.
------------------------------------

I have come to the conclusion that some of the old wiring terminals are quite tired / dirty.

So I have just ordered fifty each of male and female spade terminals from my local VW specialist.

Hopefully a lot better than the ebay china-import garbage.
These are the proper brass connectors with location tangs. And very reasonably priced too.

[Robsey]

You may have noticed that I have not done any van work in the unit.
Instead - for the past four weeks I have been assisting Troy with the rebuilding the infamous 1984 Capri mk3.

We are still some way off... but getting there.
Hopefully be able to say "all done" next week.

[3cav3]

Can't believe how valuable Capris have gone. When I passed my test you could of picked up many with Mots from about £350. They used to stay available for weeks aswell. These days it seems they are always listed for telephone numbers and get snapped up in seconds.

[Robsey]

Finally tried a "10 k pot" on the dash tonight.
I am glad to say it works perfect
Proper Austin Rover / MG rheostats are harder to find than Robsey humour.
Only ever fitted to very few high spec vehicles.
---------------------------
Only the speedometer pulses to sort now.

I have not bought the relay (VSS unit) and pick-up sensor lead yet.

And I still need to work out how many teeth are required on the trigger wheel.

[Robsey]

SAAB CRUISE CONTROL IN A VW T25.

I have been looking at the wiring again.
Purely because I have another retro-fit in the pipeline.
(Saab unit into a VW).
It is the same as the GM unit, and will fit any vehicle with the necessary switches.
-------------------------------
There are three switches in the stalk.
One is closed until pressed.
The "O" / off button.

And two that are open until pressed.
The "I" (increase or set) button, and
The "R" (resume or reduce) button.
------------------------------------
Looking at the Module.
POWER FEEDS.

Pin A - This needs to have 12v applied to work.
Pressing the "O" button on the stalk cuts off the 12v supply to this pin - and to the module.

Pin D - This is the clutch switch return wire.
This needs to have 12v applied for the module to work.
Pressing the clutch pedal cuts off the 12v supply to this pin.

Pin F - This is an ignition live feed for the brake circuit.
This needs to have 12v applied for the module to work.
-----------------------------------
CHASSIS GROUND / EARTH.

Pin E - This is the only ground wire for the module. This should be a good, clean and secure connection to the vehicle body.

With these connections, the module is almost "ready" to work, but we have not looked at the control pins.
------------------------------------
CONTROL PINS.
Turning On.

Pin B - Is wired to stalk pin d ("I")
At rest, there is no voltage on pin B.
Pressing the "I" button engages cruise control by briefly applying 12v to the pin.

Pin C - Is wired to stalk pin c ("R").
At rest, there is no voltage on pin C.
Pressing the "R" button resumes cruise control by briefly applying 12v to the pin.
---------------------------------
Turning off.

Pin D - This is the clutch switch return wire.
This needs to have 12v applied for the module to work.
Pressing the clutch pedal cuts off the 12v supply to this pin and to the module.

Pin G - This is the brake switch return wire.
Pressing the brake pedal applies 12v supply to this pin and to the module.
This is the only pin that turns the module "off" when 12v is applied.
--------------------------------
SPEED SIGNAL.

The car needs to tell the module how fast it is going.
Connect pin K to a blue/red wire on the speedo, radio or dual info display / fuel computer.
---------------------------
FEEDBACK

You can get a dash tell tale to work.
Pin J provides a ground for a light bulb when the cruise is engaged.
So - connect Pin J to the negative side of your bulb. Any ignition live feed to the positive side of the bulb.
----------------------------
Redundant Wire.

Pin H is not needed - unless you wish to test / program the module using Tech 1 / Autoscanner.
---------------------------
Somehow it all makes more sense now.

[Robsey]

The cruise module arrived today.
Complete with loom plug and actuator cable.

The module is the same as the Vectra-B unit -
But the Saab wiring colour codes are completely different.
And there is no pin in position "J"...


Well there is now, as I have moved the pin in slot H to slot J.
(H would have been for diagnostics).

Another nice wiring project for the summer.

Only three wires to the front.
B - For the Set or Increase switch.
A - For the Off switch
J - For the dash tell-tale.

The other wires can all stay around the engine bay in the back.
C - Resume / reduce signal. We can ignore this. Leave it open circuit.
D - Joined to ignition live on pin F.
E - Ground wire.
F - Ignition live (from coil feed wire)
G - Brake light voltage (from rear cluster)
H - Diagnostic pin. Not required.
K - Speed pulse signal from VSS in the engine bay close to the gearbox drive shaft.

[Robsey]

Okay then you lovely people.
I recently ordered a VSS (Vehicle Speed Sensor) for a Corsa-B or -C without ABS.
The good old orange relay that is not a relay at all.
According to Vauxhall it is a control unit.

So here it is.



Original GM hologram packaging.
A well travelled unit that has gone from GM Brazil, to Russelsheim in Germany, to a dealership in central England, to my works in south Manchester.



For a change, GM made it easy to understand what the pins do.



Pins are as follows:-
IN1 - Goes to one side of the pulse pick-up sensor.
15 - Ignition live 12 volt supply.
IN2 - Goes to the other side of the pulse pick-up sensor.
OUT - Goes to the instrument panel.
31 - Chassis or ground connection.

Looking at how this is wired in the Corsa / Combo, I realised that the longest cable run is from the off-side front wheel sensor to the control unit - mounted in a fuse box behind the nearside headlamp assembly.

And the signal wire to the instrument panel is pretty long too.

[Robsey]

As I worry about emf, rfi and other sources of interference for the signal,
I will be using GM CAN data twin cable in an extra thick insulation sleeve to make the long run between the speed sensor to the control unit (in the main fusebox of the van)
Green wire and white wire.

Ignition live and ground wires can be kept very short.
Black wire and brown wire.

Leaving just the speed signal wire to run from one side of the dash to the other.
(Fuse box to instrument panel).
Blue wire.

Wires crimped and soldered.
Just waiting for a suitable socket on the fusebox.



As said previously...
Just need to make up a "rotor" / reluctor ring

[vexorg]

Unless the speed signal is a differential input then the green/white wire wont protect you from noise.

[Robsey]

Okey doke.
Hopefully not too big a hassle.

On such an old speedo, I presume it will not make any more difference than the 40 year old electronics.

[Robsey]

Hmm - that bloody speedo!!!

I was going to test the speedo against the pulses from the VSS.

But on powering up, I realised that the gauges were playing up again.

Initially the speedometer would not come out of test mode, therefore staying at 288 mph and kmh.

Hmm - something shorted - I think.
99.9% of the time it has been the two TO-220 ICs on the back casing of the cluster.
Normally this causes flickering, but today we had full brightness.

Then, after a while - no gauges at all..
Oh no, not again.
That is three times now

If it has failed three times already, then I don't think that it will last long in the van.
Probably break down on the first day of use.

So something in my head said throw it all against the wall in a big girlie paddy strop.

Alas - I put it all away and contemplated seriously about sacking the whole idea.

Yes it would be nice to have the fancy pants digital cluster...
but somehow the drab basicness of the original VW analogue cluster seems more appealing. At least for my sanity.

[Robsey]

Well - after several attempts to get the Maestro dash working, I have given up on that idea.

I checked my "spare" ribbon connector and it 'looked' fine.
But I could not get the gauges to fire up.
I also noticed that the self test function has stopped working

Ordinarily the fuel light, brake fluid and oil pressure lights would illuminate but flash off once per second - but not today... just a vague flicker off every second.
And the charge light would not illuminate.

So - unless I find a fully working dash cluster, which would work perfectly well (plug and play with my conversion loom), I am putting that to bed.

Please don't ask me to fit the Astra GTE cluster from the Cavalier - lol

[James McGrath]

Sorry about the Maestro dash Rob. I know you've put in a lot of work towards it.
All good experience for next time though.

[Robsey]

James was almost left to hold the fort, whilst I was "forced" to have a holiday on the south coast.
A 4 1/2 hour drive south covering nigh on 270 miles.

Normally this area is pants for mobile phones and internet coverage... but so far this week I have been able to get good access from our holiday bungalow.

I will give you a clue where we are...



The home of Gay's Creamery, although I am no fan of clotted cream... but the pies and scones have been very nice. You have to sample the Cream Teas... it is the law!!



The weather has been crazy, with all days peppered with rain, sun and gale force winds...



A sinister sky overlooking the main town centre church... eek!

The change in food has made me a bit windy too.

Whilst here, there is little to do other than see the sights, and walk for miles.

I have kept my eye out for camper van ideas.
A 1983 van nestled on a single track road nearby.



Wheras the wife has been stopping every 200 feet to talk to the local / visiting wild life.



And she also has a passion for wild bluebells.



I will be back to normal service in the rainy city very soon.

I ought to mention that we also brought the mother in law with us... which is great, as she has done 95% of all the cooking and buying of supplies.
Her choice, not ours, but greatly appreciated.

[Robsey]

Well got back home this afternoon.
Back to normality.

Before I had gone away, I had ordered and fitted an instrument cluster repair kit for the van.
(Not for the Maestro cluster sadly).

It replaces the VW flexible pcb foil with two rigid circuit boards and a few wires.
The kit came fully assembled ready to fit.
It just needed fitting to my cluster.

Here is my exact kit fitted on the supplier's test bench.
The main circuit board.


And the board for the warning lights and illumination.


At first, I could not get the gauges to work.
And so I gave up and headed south to contemplate for a week.

It took me until about Wednesday to get an epiphany, and realise that I was supposed to have transferred my voltage regulator from my flexible foil, to the main rigid board.

I had wanted to make a few changes anyway, so on getting home today I swapped a few LED colours.
He had fitted yellow LEDs for the charge light and my planned cruise control light. (Normally Oxy sensor on USA "Vanagons" or glow plug light on diesels).



Charge light has now been changed to red... and back to yellow again
Cruise light changed to green.

He had also fitted 5mm 3 volt 'warm white' LEDs in the illumination slots.
I changed these to SMD 12 volt 'Ice Blue' LEDs, meaning that I had to bypass the step-down resistors.

By 11:00 pm tonight, it was all converted and working to my satisfaction.



Now then... back in October 1982, the van was manufacured with a yellow LED for the high beam.
Although I have had a blue LED and light filter fitted...
I am tempted to revert it back to yellow again.

Damn.. I am so indecisive.

UPDATE -
I have made a 'final' decision.
Battery Light yellow.
High Beam Light blue.
No more faffing, or else I will end up breaking something.

[Robsey]

I have also got a spare bare edge connector - just in case I ever get that bloody Maestro cluster to work again - lol.



The two rows of holes are to give extra strain relief on the wires.
I may have to 'open up' the holes, as the 80s Maestro loom wires have the old-fashioned thick-wall insulation on them.

[ilovedmymantas]

... back in October 1982, the van was manufacured with a yellow LED for the high beam.
Although I have had a blue LED and light filter fitted...
I am tempted to revert it back to yellow again...

…UPDATE -
I have made a 'final' decision.
Battery Light yellow.
High Beam Light blue.
No more faffing, or else I will end up breaking something.

Now, are you really sure this time ?

I must admit I do like a blue dash, not too glary and it disrupts brainwave sleep patterns, ideal for those long journeys!

I can see why back in the day they used yellow for high beam though, it's much more noticeable than the blue trend that followed.

[Robsey]

Yes I have settled on my choice.
.... unless I can get that digi-dash to work.



All lights and gauge needles in operation.

[James McGrath]

I think you've made the right colour choices there Rob. Looks spot on!

It has a hint of the Millennium Falcon about it:



Glad you enjoyed the holiday. Nice to have a break away. I could do with one about now.

[Robsey]

I think you've made the right colour choices there Rob. Looks spot on!

It has a hint of the Millennium Falcon about it:

I hope the van will not be as unreliable as the Millennium Falcon was back in the original Stars Wars..

Hmm - left up to the missus, the whole dash and interior would be lit up like that. She loves her blue lights and gadgets.

I think the VW Gamma radio will also fulfil the red and blue components.

[Robsey]

Well my random search goes on.

Although I have put the digi dash to bed (for now at least).
I was surprised to find than my old dinosaur speedometer in the van, has the facility to produce a speed pulse !! - who'd a thunk it??

This would still be useful for my planned Saab cruise control, Gamma radio speed dependent volume control (Gala) and of course Corsa-C EPAS power steering.

Reading through various forum threads, and looking at my local VW T25 specialist website, it appears that there is a magnetic disc behind the speedometer head on vans with the 1983-onwards clip-on speedo cable.

Mine is such a unit



Earlier screw-on cable units do not have this.

Then it is still possible to buy three different pulse pick-up units that screw onto the back of the speedo head.



Two are purpose made units costing over £60 a pop.
Eek!!
one giving 4 pulses per cable rpm.
The other giving 8 pulses

There is another aftermarket variety (GoWesty of the USA) costing half as much, complete with a long loom specifically for the VW vacuum controlled cruise control.

Although this summer I plan to work on the Cavalier, it is still all good information for later in the van rebuild.
You know I like a project with a challenge.

[Robsey]

Oh dear - look what I have found...
No idea if it works or not, but it is the uber rare Vanden Plas version of the MG clocks.

Blue instead of red.



I just happen to have everything to make up a conversion loom.



VW 1987 onward connection.



Austin Rover / MG connections.

[Robsey]

Here we go again

Check Control actually works.



And here it is at rest...



My heart dropped at first...
Turned on the power supply - and nothing.
Then I realised that I had connected the wrong 12 volt wire in the VW connector.

I had connected the permanent live in the VW connector.
However this is not connected to the Maestro plugs.

Changed to the ignition live wire, and it sprang into life.
Yay!!

Now that it is working, it is being packed away safe - away from my meddling fingers.

[iangsi]

I knew you couldn't resist the allure of flashing lights. . What's the difference between the two rover dash's. ? Apart from the colour.