Veggie and Activa tales but now rental reviews blog!

Tell us your ongoing tales and experiences with your French car here. Post pictures of your car here as well.
KP
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Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 12:11
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Unread post by KP »

Right,

Well i have now got as far as trying to lift the dash out but cant...

When i try to gently lift it the drivers side still seems to be stuck.

I have taken off the bolt holding it on the drivers side A pillar area, and the 10mm one down the steering column.

I've taken the dashboard itself out and can see 2 big 13mm or maybe 14mm nuts. Do these need to come off?

Taken the 3 10mm bolts off from within the scuttle area and the 2 13mm ones on the pass side that hold the dash to the pillar and that side is free but the drivers side still remains stuck :(

HELP ANYONE please :(

Not tried to the take the matrix hose's off on the engine bay side but still thinking they will come off easy enough with some tweeking as they have been off enough :D
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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

I know your problem Will...

You need to ease the lower part of the dash moulding out over the fusebox and relays. It needs to be bent down to clear the electrical items and relays may need to be removed to make it easier.

Are you sure too you have all the 10mm bolts out from this region? Theres one that hides and plays tricks on you in that general vicinity.

Make sure the ignition switch is disconnected and the airbag/wireless loom is unbolted as these also can cause the dash to bind.

No need to touch the 13mm nuts exposed when the instrument pod was removed.

Don't forget to disconnect the tweeter wires under the mesh grilles on the top of the dash.

A fairly determined pull is needed to get it moving.
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
KP
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Unread post by KP »

Ok Jim i'll go hell for leather on any 10mm's in that region and try to lift it over the fuse box. As things come out i have been kind of cleaning as well so will be better to take pics as they go back in and doing the bulbs on my dash too.

Also are the centre vents and switche's meant to come out before the dash as i can't get that bit out either??

Thanks Jim :)
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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

Centre vents and switches must come out Will..

prise out the two vents using a screwdriver on the outer edge by the pivot and pop them out via the groove leading to one of the pivot holes. Do the RH one first and the LH one will come out easier.

Then you'll see two tiny Torx screws in the back of the vent assembly. Remove these and the vent and switches will come out as a unit.

Note that behind the wireless there is a 10mm bolt going into the bulkhead and another to the left of the wireless aperture that screws into the passenger grab rail hoop.

The heater control panel has to be unscrewed but it stays loosely in place. Push it backwards into the dash so that it will not impede dash removal.
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
KP
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Unread post by KP »

Got the one behind the wireless and to the left of it, also got the vents out but the 2 diagonally opposed torx head bolts just turn and dont seem to come out...

Heater control panel i have pushed back as well after unbolting, it only goes back a cm or two...
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DickieG
Monaco's youngest playboy
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Unread post by DickieG »

KP wrote:Got the one behind the wireless and to the left of it, also got the vents out but the 2 diagonally opposed torx head bolts just turn and dont seem to come out...
If you're talking about the ones behind the centre vents they're standard self tappers with a Torx size 10 head, are you using the correct size driver?.
KP wrote:Heater control panel i have pushed back as well after unbolting, it only goes back a cm or two...
That's normal.
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KP
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Unread post by KP »

Ok onto re-assembly now and have come unstuck. I cant see how the wiring loom for the left hand side of the dash and the indicator stalk(4 connectors all in) routes to the dash and the stalk.

I have a feeling that i will need to pull the dash out again to put this right but does anyone have a picture or diagram that could help me on my way please??

Ta,
Will
KP
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Unread post by KP »

Right dash is back on and wiring is going in ok but the switch's to the right of the steering wheel have me confused as to which colored connectors go onto which switch :(

Also going to replace some dash bulbs and the clock bulb by nipping to halfords now after i reseal the scuttle trim.

Also washed a bit of the carpet and will now let it dry out too.




Thanks for all the helpful tips guys and especially Jim :)
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CitroJim
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Unread post by CitroJim »

Will,

Good work!

I replied to your plugs/wires thread in the Citroen forum. Hope it helps...
Jim

Runner, cyclist, duathlete, Citroen AX fan and the CCC Citroenian 'From A to Z' Columnist...
KP
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Unread post by KP »

Cheers Jim :)

its taken me a lot longer due to the wiring glitch and also i have cleaned and stripped everything as it has come out and still have the steering column and wheel to put in so far and then the radio and the last few switchs which can be done during my lunch tomorrow after i get the wheel back on tonight to drive it to work :)
KP
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Unread post by KP »

Well it lasted a few days...

The radiator sprung a slight leak as documented in another post but is now being replaced byt the radiator people and will be sent to me this week i hope.

Also i think the head is gone and the battery is being drained badly by the door open issue still. Need to take the battery out and trickle charge it at some point but will pick the charger up from my mum and dads on thursday.

not had much time of late to look at it as i refuse to work on cars when the heat is this bad as i just get bad tempered with thigns and make them worse :( also add into that i did my back in last week thanks to a FJORD S-Max pile of poo that i had to use to get long crendon and back in a 5hour stint(they do go well for a 2.0hdi :D ) and then manchester and back the next day and my back just said enough was enough so spent friday afternoon, eve and night in bed and felt much better saturday and recovered by sunday :)

Currently driving a Passat R TDI(110bhp i think) that feels ok but stalls very easily and the assist brake is very annoying sometimes if you forget to turn it off...
Going over to manchester via woodhead pass makes me miss the activa so much more, and Rachel saying that i should buy a better car once i pay my loan off in the next 8 months will free up £310 a month which is used C6 territory...

Im thinking of buying something electric for the trip to work and back or maybe something like the GM Volt, and then having the activa for weekend fun and go for a V6 conversion over time.... distant dreams eh!!

I may have to face facts and fix her up and sell her on as we have had 2 visits, 1 when rachel was out, asking if they could take the car away. i simply ask if they have £800 plus to pay for it. they laugh and i stand there and just say im serious :D they soon give up and haven't been seen since!

I do have some of the engine bits off but need to drop the top mount off (which im sure a rubber bush has failed in as well, the far back one) and then tilt the engine forward and get the boost pipes off and see what i can get at on the turbo to drop the turbo and exhaust down off the back of the block and then think about the head. time is never my friend with these things and i can only see it being done at a weekend when the kids are away or taking a day off work to do it :(

I can exchange servers for anyone who wants the job :D lol
KP
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Unread post by KP »

well not much has happened recently with the xantia. It moved back a few feet the other weekend and then back again under its own power but that was it.

Lots of bits removed so by own power i mean cranking while in gear....

Just not getting enough time to sort it really at the minute which is getting me down and this week im doing Microsoft 70-640 so fingers crossed ill be MCST by the end of friday after the exam :? then a week back a work and then 70-642 so really cramming it in then i'll have to decide if i want to do 70-646 and become MCITP or go for enterprise admin if im successfull as im getting the week long courses for £395 which is a bit of a bargain! then maybe get a new better paid job :D

Currently this week im in a 59 plate 207 verve 1.4.... its slow going and drinking petrol quite bad compared to even Rachels SSS.
Last week i had an LDV MAXUS LWB that was horribly slow and likely one of the worst vans i have driven in years :( couldn't even read the radio display while driving and felt very poorly torqued...

Brother has had some vibration problems with his C4 VTR+ recently so drove it a bit and i think its just out of balance on the passenger side wheel.
His Mrs has a Yaris (y reg) wher ethe back box decided to part company. it has had a new one put on with new gasket but it sounds like it needs re-tightening as its still noisy....

Rachels SSS is still going and we are just waiting for the new passenger seat cover to arrive as some threads have come out of it... its only real fault so far :D

Also picked up a nice very good nick Karcher 620m pressure washer with various attachements and 20m of Hozelock hose on a real and 30m of 13amp reeled extension cable for said item and it works a treat :) been doing the paving slabs out the back with it and have given it a good clean as well and checked the accesible seals on it. weights about 20kg maybe more i'd say but is great and for free im really chuffed :D Won't be used on the cars though other than if i take the activa alloys off as they are too harsh on cars paintwork :)
jgra1
(Donor 2021)
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Joined: 27 Nov 2005, 20:07
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Unread post by jgra1 »

good stuff Will.. i got a free yellow Karcher but it doesn't seem to work :( will have a look into it one day ..
KP
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Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 12:11
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Unread post by KP »

At the moment i truly miss the activa :(

The hire car i have is very poor. i cant believe they sell cars this slow in this day and age :(
KP
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Joined: 10 Jul 2006, 12:11
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Time to say goodbye to the activa...

Unread post by KP »