CitroJim's AX, C3 Picasso, Cycling and Running Tales

[CitroJim]

When you know how to release the clips, removing the instrument pod from an S1 AX is a piece of cake On the S2 AX and Saxo this is a horrible job in the extreme... I feared it was going to be just as horrible on the S1 but just the opposite - result!

All it takes is a PO No.1 screwdriver and a bit of gentle pushing from behind...

And in coming out the speedo cable automatically unclips

Bulbs all checked and replaced where needed...

That's as good as it gets... With only three bulbs it's never going to be very even and spectacular but at least it's all readable at night now

For the past two days I could only do indoor work as the neighbours had the the builders in and to make life easier all round for all of us I was happy for my drive to be given over to the builders...

Now that's all complete I can once again pull Bluebell out of the garage and do some proper work on her...

[Zelandeth]

Hope the builders are done quicker there than ours! We're on day seventeen now I think...to say I'm sick of it would be an understatement.

At least I vaguely think we're getting somewhere resembling close to done now...I think!

[CitroJim]

Hope the builders are done quicker there than ours!

All done now, it was not a big job, unlike yours Zel... 17 days I'd be crawling up the wall by now... One reason I only have the bare minimum done to ensure my house is maintained in good condition is I just can't tolerate all the disruption... Good job my house is a relatively low-maintenance one...

Soon it's going to need some BIG work done... Windows, new or refurbished conservatory, roof, barge boards/soffits, kitchen, central heating, plumbing and a rewire before a full redecorate and new carpets!

Be quicker and easier to knock it down and start again! Perhaps with a much bigger garage

I'm planning to move out whilst it's in progress...

One last little job on Bluebell today...

A new, improved design dashboard support bracket for the passenger side... This supplements the broken/cracked/weak plastic boss that allows a long bolt to attach the dash moulding to the A pillar... All S1 AX dashes break here and Bluebell is no exception...

I'll be making a new one in this style for the driver's side tomorrow...

[CitroJim]

Much of today was taken up with domestic work so just a couple of little things done...

I had a look at the radio speakers... I guessed they were the cause of the heavy distortion and indeed they were!

A good bit of the cone suspension is missing - in fact all of it!

Alasdair and I had already got a pair from a Pug 106 in a scrapyard but sadly...

A bit too big

Amazon has now provided...

Next up, the interior light... I'd already cleaned the door switches but this did not bring forth illumination...

The cause was very badly tarnished contacts in the light itself, especially the contact roller... Sorted with a fibreglass pencil and a squirt of contact cleaner...

Tested good on the bench but still duff when in the car... That had me properly puzzled until...

I discovered these Chinese LED bulbs are polarity conscious! Who knew? Explains why I once thought I had a load of duff ones

I like an LED as an interior light - much, much brighter than the traditional bulb...

[MattBLancs]

LED interior lights: yes, me too, well worth upgrading these. Especially when you can buy 10 from China for almost nothing.

That speaker is definitely past it!

[Michel]

Much of today was taken up with domestic work so just a couple of little things done...

I had a look at the radio speakers... I guessed they were the cause of the heavy distortion and indeed they were!

A good bit of the cone suspension is missing - in fact all of it!

All four speakers in 03 plate Xsara Picasso that inhabits my driveway were in that state when I changed them back in May.

[CitroJim]

Especially when you can buy 10 from China for almost nothing.

The source of mine Matt! I bought 15 for pennies and hence, until I found they were polarity-conscious, I thought there were several dead ones in the pack given their cheapness... Happily, they were all good once realisation had dawned

All four speakers in 03 plate Xsara Picasso that inhabits my driveway were in that state when I changed them back in May.

Both of the speakers in my erstwhile white S2 AX were in the same state... I think they may have had rolled foam suspensions at one time and sunlight/time seems to have been the destroyer... You can see shadows of the grille on the remains of the cone where it's been sun-bleached... I saw the same on the S2 AX speakers...

[CitroJim]

Santa called today Alas, nothing for me but he did bring a big box of goodies for Bluebell

Top marks to Autodoc... Despite Brexit they seem as good as ever... The only balls-up I made was to get twice as many front calipers than needed... I didn't appreciate they came as a pair and not individually Anyone want them?

I now have the makings of a second order for Autodoc...

Bluebell's plastic bumpers were looking very grey, old and scruffy so today I tried a bit of Auto Glum's Bumper Care cream...

What a difference It's even got rid of the ghostly remnants of the old 'GB' sticker...

I fitted the new speakers... Remarkably, size, fixing and connection-wise they are identical to the old ones...

They sound good

The radio is very good and it's lovely to have a no-nonsense one with a proper tuning scale and no digital silliness to make life over- complicated...

The tape deck isn't working but it soon will

Yesterday I did a repair on one of the rear light clusters... In removing it on the very first day I got the car to replace a blown bulb I clumsily broke a bit out of it... It really annoyed me so I did a repair... Normally I'm rubbish with sticky stuff and whilst it's not perfect it's better than having a bit missing from it

[bobins]

I fitted the new speakers... Remarkably, size, fixing and connection-wise they are identical to the old ones...



They sound good

The radio is very good and it's lovely to have a no-nonsense one with a proper tuning scale and no digital silliness to make life over- complicated...

I would have thought a pair of LS3/5A in the back and a Hacker in the dashboard would be more your style, Jim ?

[CitroJim]

I would have thought a pair of LS3/5A in the back and a Hacker in the dashboard would be more your style, Jim ?

I do have a couple of Hackers with car aerial sockets on them

I can go one better than that Bobins I have this old Bush convertible car radio that was designed to slip into a cradle when in use in the car and then be withdrawn and used as normal portable radio outside the car...

Sadly, I don't have the cradle and batteries are a problem these days as it uses the now more or less unobtainable PP7... The radio itself works well..

[myglaren]

We had one of those Bush cradle radios in my dad's Morris 1100

[CitroJim]

We had one of those Bush cradle radios in my dad's Morris 1100

Have you still got it Steve? The radio, not the car...

Not much car work today as busy doing other things including preparing for the Salcey Forest Duathlon on Sunday which entailed a nice ride out on my duathlon bike on what's been a gorgeously sunny, albeit chilly, day..

There will be no car work this weekend as tomorrow is the best day of the week - parkrun day

I did manage to find time to apply a bit of bumper snot to the front bumper and the mirror backs.. It's made a heck of a difference

I must now do Sally's bumpers, side strips and mirrors...

[myglaren]

No both very long gone. I wrapped the 1100 round a lamppost.

[MattBLancs]

Apologies I have not read the full blog (527 pages, by Eck!) But first image I've seen of the AX that wasn't a close up, "doing a job" image - what a lovely colour that is! Not enough bright coloured cars in the UK, far too much play it safe monochrome shades.

Also like the unusual font of the numberplate too.

Matt

[xantia_v6]

I nearly bought you a NOS tail light today, but the vendor only had LH ones...