Zel's Fleet Blog - BX, Jag XJ-S, Sinclair C5, Mercedes 208D & 230TE, AC Model 70.

[Zelandeth]

So long as I can find the bits it shouldn't be too hard. I've pulled similar systems (intact) out of Saabs for sale and it's not that different a system really save for a few extra switches. Imagine one of those self-fit kits from the 80s would work too...but probably harder to find now than the actual bits from a Xantia! ...especially as I'd need to find the steering column shroud and stalk anyway as anything fitted *must* look stock as far as I'm concerned.

[CitroJim]

Zel, yes. in theory, any Hella Vacuum ABS should be good to work for you and I understand they were the industry standard back in the day and found in many cars...

They go back years too...

You may be interested to know they are based around a Zilog Z80 processor so basically, in the can is a little 8-bit computer...

[Zelandeth]

It must have been an obvious choice back in the day, flexible little processer. About the only one I really got to grips with machine code programming for a long while ago.

6502 on the other hand I never got my head around...though never had the chance to get to grips with a BBC Micro yet, that may have something to do with it, whereas I've tinkered with various Z80 machines...

[CitroJim]

6502 on the other hand I never got my head around...

Same here Zel, the Z80 I cut my machine code programming teeth on which stood me in good stead when I came to do a lot of work on 8-bit CP/M, writing stuff in a mixture of C and assembly.

Writing assembly for CP/M was when I first met a Microsoft products - the M80 assembler and companion L80 Linker. They were the best of breed and excellent...

But the 6502 I could never quite get grips with... Its machine code was a bit peculiar as I recall...

[Zelandeth]

Glad to report that I am now safely home. In the last year she did about 3000 miles, must be wondering shat on earth is going on, having done nearly 2000 in a week and a bit!

Save for the one fan gremlin glad to report that she has not missed a beat - though the rear spheres are *definitely* stuffed now! Get some new ones ordered tomorrow now I'm home.

Nice reward for such good service over the last week or so I reckon, nice new set of spheres and a service. She's definitely earned it!

[CitroJim]

Excellent to hear Zel

As said, sphere testing and swapping facilities available here if wanted...

[Hell Razor5543]

I don't know if I have mentioned it on this post, but AEP Direct do spheres at a good price, and recently manufactured (when I got mine for Gracie, some of them had a date stamp only a few months earlier). Make sure to include vehicle details when you order, so that they can make sure to send out the right ones.

[BenC5HDi]

... must be wondering shat on earth

This is a new expression for me. I shall ensure I try to use it as often as possible in normal conversation..

[Zelandeth]

Um...actually that was courtesy of my phone's touch screen and was entirely unintended. The s should have been a w...

[myglaren]

On the other hand, it was too good a chance to be missed

[Zelandeth]

Indeed!

Nothing much *strictly* car related today, though I did just spend half an hour or so dissecting the digital instrument panel from a 1984 (I think) Toyota Supra as I have a plan for a silly project involving it (PC status monitor). Have had the thing for going on 15 years now I reckon and have never really looked at it. Goodness there are a lot of electronics packed in there! Build quality is ridiculous as well (in a good way)...have to wonder what they cost back in the day.

Initial poking around seems to suggest that it does all the data analysis on-board, plugging into the car no differently to a standard dash, which is useful for my purposes as it should mean that driving it (once I figure out how to power the thing) will be a pretty simple matter of wiggling voltages on a couple of pins for the fuel/temp readouts and spoofing the hall effect sensor for the speedo, rev counter remains to be seen, but I suspect it too will be a simple matter of sending pulses to the right place.

Initial plan for working out power is to start with the clock module as it's the simplest with only four wires and appears to be the only off-the-shelf part. I'd be quite surprised if its power supplies aren't common with the rest of the board, so quite likely that when I find where it wants 12V and give it that, hopefully everything else will then spring to life. That would be the easy solution anyway!

[CitroJim]

That sounds an interesting project Zel!

[Zelandeth]

Just a silly project really!

Current plan is for speedo to be CPU load, fuel gauge for RAM state, temperature to be CPU temperature, rev counter not entirely certain, but may use it for network activity. May also just have it mirror the CPU usage meter graphically as that would probably look better visually.

Warning lights will probably get tied into activity for the various hard drives, or just have them do *something.*

Plan is to get the PC to just spit the data out via the serial port, then to use something like an Arduino or Raspberry Pi to actually drive the dash. Once I work out *how* to drive it.

[Zelandeth]

Oh oh...Xantia is unhappy. Nasty metallic dry bearing squeal/chatter from offside end of the engine. Whatever component or pulley that has been noisy since I got the car has finally had enough.

Will pull the aux belt off as soon as practical to confirm it's not timing belt related then track down the source - which with the belt off should be easy enough.

In fairness it's my fault as it's done this since I got it and I've always meant to sort it, but an excess of real life kept getting in the way!

My current money is on A/C compressor pully as the rattle has always stopped when the compressor was running - not so the whine though which appeared to be either the spring loaded tensioner pulley or the alternator.

We'll see! Either way, 107 is off commuting duty for the next couple of weeks, so it can get me around and save needing to expose the Saab to excess salt etc.

[CitroJim]

Hope it's just something easy Zel. If it is the A/C compressor then the bearing can be replaced and for now the belt run (with a short belt) can be changed to bypass the A/C compressor.

I forget now the belt you need but it can be worked out with a bit of string...