Activa back on the road

[holmedog]

Hi everyone just got my Activa back on the road after running wifes old puma for 6 horrible months. Put it through its m.o.t after replacing the p-bushes and a hand brake cable. Only to find the Active ram on the front was starting to leak and the heater matrix possibly gone too.
I say prossibly gone, because i don't think it is the head as the heater still blows both hot and cold. What makes me think it is the matrix is when i got into the car for the first time in 6 months and started her up i got smoke or steam coming out of the vents and it smelt like cat p**s in the car. Then when i put my hand on the carpet in the footwell it was p**s wet through.

Also as the Activa has been stud the battery has gone flat and caused the rev counter to trpi all the way over to the red.

Any helpfull advice is greatly appreciated.

many thanks holmedog.

[CitroJim]

Excellent news on the MOT

Yep, heater matrix for sure. No worries. Get it sorted. Not hard just tedious... Lots of articles on here how to do it. Several of us are veterans... For the supper (if we ever get one ) you can bypass the matrix by disconnecting the matrix pipes and putting in a bypass pipe. Disconnect on the respective steel tubes where the matrix pipes terminate proper...

Rev counter: Turn the car upside-down. That’ll fix it If you don't fancy this as it is admittedly a bit messy as LHM runs everywhere, you can either take the instrument pod out (not too bad on an S2) and tip it upside-down or work a small wire in therough the trip reset hole and flick the needle back. Some drill a tiny hole to do this..

Weepy rams can be fixed: RAM Repair Guide

[holmedog]

Thanks for that Jim, I hear you have to take out the dash board to do the heater matrix so i could do that at the same time as the rev counter.
I had a good look at your instruction on how to do the ram it looks quite tidious and unfortunately i do not have all the special tools so i'll have to find someone to do it for me if i can the ram off. The wife still insists on me getting rid of the Activa but as i keep on reminding her i wouldn't get enough for it to get a new car, that keeps her quite.

[CitroJim]

Yep, it is a dash out job to do the matrix

Agreed, the ram does need a bit of specialist attention but like the heater matrix, it's not as difficult as it looks and if corrosion on the lower body of the ram is not too bad you can often escape doing the bit on the lathe...

I've done a rear ram in a rally field before now... That one can be done in-situ but the front one must come off and both the hydraulic unions and the top and bottom balljoint nuts can present a challenge if they've been there a while... Plus Gas, good 18 and 21mm spanners and a really good 17mm flare nut spanner are the secrets...

When you do need to remove the front ram, come back to me and I'll tell you in detail how to do it...

[bxzx16v]

Would love to see some pics of your Activa

Mark

[holmedog]

I would love to put some on here but i've tried an failed miserably several times. I can't even get a picture of my car on as an avatar as everytime i try,it says the picture is too big,no matter how much i reduce it,it is still too big.
Give me a driveway to lay,drainage problem to solve,garden wall to build or even a roof repair to do and it's no problem. But computers oh my god i can't figure the damm things out. I will have a get a mate of mine to sort it he's a computer geek and then some.

[myglaren]

Have you a PhotoBucket account?
For the avatar, upload using the 100 x 60 option, that should do it.

For posting images, see Andrew's guide here

[holmedog]

Thats my baby finally getting somewhere with this picture malarky

[CitroJim]

Thats my baby finally getting somewhere with this picture malarky

Excellent stuff Holmdog You've done something there that I can't do and I'm supposed to be an Admin

[holmedog]

Still waiting for that fine weather weekend so i can do the heater matrix and Activa ram.

[Deanxm]

You and me both, the sun is very shy this year.

D

[holmedog]

Whenever i get the time to do the work on the car it rains,when the sun shines i'm working my arse off,doing jobs for other people to pay for the work i need and want to do my Activa. What mods you got on your Activa dean. what bhp you got and torque figures if you don't mind me asking

[Deanxm]

the prev owner said 200bhp but digging through the receipts i found the Superchips rolling road printout which had it at 185hp and 260nm from memory but i dont know at what boost setting, it feels good for about 185 though and is very torquey, it will pull from idle in 5th without any drama, lately ive been running it on 95 ron so keep the boost to 12psi, it really prefers 98ron fuel though if you are running 15+psi. It does move along rather well.
Gave citroJim a Grin @12psi anyway.
If i was keeping it i might look at changing some gear ratios as 1st and 2nd are a bit short and so is 5th really.

The ecu has been chipped by superchips up in london somewhere, bigger intercooler, manual in car boost controller, cat back stainless exhaust and a Re-circ DV

D