Zel's Fleet Blog...Rover, Renault, Peugeot, Trabant, Invacar & Sinclair C5

[gazza82]

I had the Lexia kit too but on an old laptop which slowly lost functions .. like the built in mouse pad which meant carrying around a USB mouse .. think that was running Windows2000 ... bought the kit from AliExpress but when I tried to install the PeugeotPlanet s/w that came with it my anti-virus software went into spasm! I eventually downloaded a copy from PeugeotForums and that was fine.

[Zelandeth]

I had the Lexia kit too but on an old laptop which slowly lost functions .. like the built in mouse pad which meant carrying around a USB mouse .. think that was running Windows2000 ... bought the kit from AliExpress but when I tried to install the PeugeotPlanet s/w that came with it my anti-virus software went into spasm! I eventually downloaded a copy from PeugeotForums and that was fine.

Yeah, some of the cracked software can be of rather dubious origins. I had a similar system set up a few years ago. While I'm sure it was riddled with malware, it was on a computer which was used purely to run the diagnostic software and had no connection to the outside world, so I figured the risk was minimal. If the computer has any sort of connection to your local network, the internet and/or is ever used for anything else though obviously due care is needed!

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Nothing particularly meaningful been going on in the last few days really, but the Peugeot looks a good deal better having just given the exterior plastics a quick wipe down and the interior a really quick clean.



I feel like those chrome strips really don't belong on the rear bumper, but they are properly clipped in place. Guessing it's a replacement from an earlier model?



Taking off and repainting the guards on the lights is also on the list as they're a bit scabby in a couple of places. Was surprised to find they're actually metal - I was expecting them to be purely cosmetic bits of flimsy plastic.

Seats and some areas of the carpets still want going over with the wet vac, but it's generally looking a lot better.





Looks like it's been a long time since the interior plastics had any attention...



While I hadn't planned on moving it on anywhere near this soon, it looks like the Rover may be looking for a new home. Something that's very much on my bucket list that I wasn't even looking for has popped up with a very attractive price and apparently a complete lack of rust, so I'm going to follow that lead to see where it goes. If it works out though, the Rover will need to be moved on to both make space and to fund its acquisition. This was never really going to be a long term car though, it's been a fun summer toy though.

[Dick]

Those little vans are popular here.. am I right in thinking it has the same engine as my 2015 ford galaxy?

Wouldn't surprise me. I know the DW series engines were used by quite a few other makers, Ford definitely being one of them. Only vehicle I've ever touched with one in was a Transit Connect, but wouldn't surprise me if they were used in the Galaxy too - though I'd have thought in 2.0 form, Galaxy would be a lot of car for a little 1.6 to haul around.

Have to admit that this feels a lot more perky than I'd expected it to. I know I've been using a 1.9SDI Caddy as my daily for the last couple of years which isn't quick by anyone's standards, but this absolutely doesn't feel at all sluggish.

I must admit it's not as fast off the line as my old galaxy ..its not sluggish, it will carry everything I can pack in, including sheets of plasterboard, it will sit on the motorway all day and give up to 46 mpg.

[Zelandeth]

Really quick and simple job for the Peugeot ticked off today.





...My failure to take a "before" photo means you're a bit clueless as to what's going on there. I've changed the indicator bulbs as all four had turned almost completely white due to the coating flaking off the bulbs. The side/brake light bulbs were also very blackened so probably at the end of their lives - those were also changed while I was in there.

As you'll all be aware though there's an immutable law of the universe that says you can't ever complete a job this simple on a car without spawning at least one more task. So of course I found one.

Why is it that nobody in the history of the universe has ever done a tidy, professional job of wiring up the electrics to go with a tow bar?





What a mess.

I'll deal with that later.

It's actually all working (well the vehicle lights are anyway - I've no idea about the trailer socket) so I'm filing that under "Do Not Poke" for now and I'll sort it properly when I've got a bit more time on hand.

That offside cluster - or rather the guard on it - appears to be the cause of one of the rattles from the tailgate. The guard is actually touching the tailgate when it's closed. I'll see if a bit of carefully applied violence can gain me a bit of clearance when I go back in to sort out that wiring butchery.

Found a freebie under the bonnet, wedged down between the side of the ECU and nearside wing.



Wonder how long that's been there.

Tomorrow I've got a good bit of driving to do to go look at the potential new purchase - couple of hours each way looks like. I did look at taking the train, but at £200 plus change with no assigned seat and four hours each way with two changes my response was "Hell no...I'll just drive, thanks."

[Dick]

Do not poke it .. how long will you be able to resist .. what are you off to buy now does it have wheels or is it a rare old calculator????

[Zelandeth]

Do not poke it .. how long will you be able to resist .. what are you off to buy now does it have wheels or is it a rare old calculator????

Oh that wiring won't be left like that for long. Just didn't have time to totally redo that mess today, so as it's not actively causing issues I told myself I wasn't allowed to touch it, thereby making it stop working!

Very much a wheeled contraption I'm off to look at, one that's been on my bucket list since we'll before I could drive, and was always one which drew my eye at shows. Something I thought I'd well missed the boat on, so quite excited to potentially get an opportunity to own.

It sounds like this car hasn't been in regular use for a fair while but is largely rust free and is in running , driving and more or less stopping condition, which suits me just fine. Recommissioning work and the inevitable months of minor gremlin hunting I find quite satisfying, but I'm not kitted out for major bodywork jobs at the moment. Hoping this is better than the last one I looked at (would have been about 15 years ago) which was a collection of beautifully shiny panels that were held together it turned out on closer inspection were held together by a vaguely car shaped block of rust. Never a good sign when you can make the windscreen move by lifting the driver's door...suffice to say on that occasion I ran away quickly.

I could give you lot pointers to see if you can guess, but kind of tricky without immediately giving the game away given how distinctive a car they are.

[Dick]

Cool.. is it french

[Zelandeth]

Cool.. is it french

Nope!

[Zelandeth]

300 miles plus change done in the Peugeot today, mostly in horrific traffic thanks to the M1 being closed right about where the halfway point in my trip should have been. So traffic was absolutely horrendous both ways. Return trip was nearly four hours - should have been two plus change.

Observations: One. I'm extremely glad I sorted the squeaking clutch pedal, or that would have driven me insane. Two. The Partner is a bloody awesome thing for covering distance on any sort of road. Only thing it really wants for is cruise as she would far rather be doing 80 than 70 on the motorway. Used barely half a tank of fuel, so 500 miles on a tank looks to be entirely doable.

So what was so special I was willing to do a 300 mile round trip just to look at?

I'll tell you tomorrow if you can't guess. However it's always been a bucket list car for me, and suffice to say I was impressed with what I saw and have left a deposit. I now just need to arrange transport to get it home.

The car does run, drive and apparently stop - however hasn't been in regular use for Quite A While so will want to be properly recommissioned really before it does anything beyond a gentle bumble round the block at walking pace. So it will not be making the trip here under its own power. So I'm sending out a few messages to see if our usual suspects with regards to transport are likely to be in the area over the next week or so.

This does mean I'm officially DEFINITELY over capacity though until one moves on!

[Dick]

With your taste of broken electrical gadgets is it one of these
https://images.app.goo.gl/rQc1zCZ1jbSZF2dF8