60six
Posted a lot
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Posts: 1,664
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Apr 14, 2013 23:48:56 GMT
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Recently, my SAAB 900 central locking completely stopped working, and even though it is only a 2 door I can't possibly leave it broken. It plays on my mind every single time I get in the car, and today I started tracing wires, checking fuses etc - Finding out what colour wire to look for etc and after much headscratching and fumbling about under dashboards (bloody hard work on a SAAB) - I stopped, had a cup of tea - and sat in the passenger seat.
On the right hand side footwell wall I noticed something metal protruding out the carpet - upon further investigation I realised it was a rusty two-pole switch. Flicked the switch, tried the key in the door and "KerrrLUMP' - central locking.
Now I have to work out WHY.
Why add a switch that activates and deactivates the power to the central locking? When you flick the switch nothing happens - no solenoid click or anything. I just can't figure out the use of having the passenger being able to switch the locking on and off.
I can only think of it being for something like a trick that an AA man did on an astra mk3 estate I had when I locked the keys in the car - He took of what appeared to be the reversing light switch, put 12v current up it, and then tapped the bumper with a rubber hammer - This activated the central locking!
In a crash, there is a sensor that opens the doors if they are locked. Don't know if my saab has this, but having it on a switch would make some sense for security purposes....
I have also had a car with a switch hidden under the passenger seat which would cut EVERYTHING out. I don't want to be reminded of the fun I had with that one ..... and another with an ON/ON switch, wired to the dashboard lights which turned them ON, and ON. No dimming, nothing. On, then On again. Even though I knew what it did I would still flick it in the hope of something else happening .... So what was the switch for? Why have a switch if it is on all the time? ArrgH! Maybe it was an artistic statement? Maybe there was an OFF/OFF switch I never found?
Anyone else have any peculiar DIY additions on any of their cars?
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Some 9000's, a 900, an RX8 & a beetle
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Apr 14, 2013 23:58:25 GMT
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The brakes lights on my Imp only worked if you had the electric fuel pump turned on ... ?
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I don't have any pics of it, but a friend of mine bought a landrover with a mobile phone holder made from wood. The guy must have spent ages carving it, painting it and mounting it in the dash. Shame it only held a 3310.
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R.S. Autotech. Servicing/Repairs/Diagnostics.
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unitybonez
Part of things
Blowing Pintos
Posts: 870
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The on/on switch tale was somewhat hylarious.
I have a switch for the dizzy under the dash, but i guess thats common.
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Sent from my ouiji board.
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The Clan had two separate audio systems installed when I bought it - a MW/LW radio with an electric aerial(!) and a single speaker under the dashboard - and a cassette deck wired into speakers in the rear trim panels. The most annoying thing was the earthing on the aftermarket HRW - it'd been connected to the dash frame, but as it's a GRP car that's onl earthed by a single small wire: melty melty.  |
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Apr 15, 2013 11:29:59 GMT
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It probably wasn't an intentional DIY addition, but on my white 1500 Beetle, the tail-lamps would pop fuses constantly if you had globes in the front parking lamps. Problem quickly solved by the removal of the globes! Nobody ever uses the parkers anyway.
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Colonelk
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,740
Club RR Member Number: 83
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Apr 15, 2013 11:45:47 GMT
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My Monza had a bicycle 3 speed gear selector mounted under the steering colomn hooked by a cable to the throttle for some sort of crazy home brew cruise control!
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Apr 15, 2013 11:58:32 GMT
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my capri has been full of them! It had one of these on the dash:  ...wasn't connected to anything all sorts of wires going all over the place with nothing on either end  there was one like this controlling the electric fan:  ..i ripped that one out |
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Apr 15, 2013 12:00:04 GMT
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My Monza had a bicycle 3 speed gear selector mounted under the steering colomn hooked by a cable to the throttle for some sort of crazy home brew cruise control! Now that is plain scary  |
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R.S. Autotech. Servicing/Repairs/Diagnostics.
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bortaf
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,549
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Apr 15, 2013 12:10:43 GMT
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Had plenty of ex minicabs with a 2nd choke fitted as a cruise control, some late ladas came with it as standard  |
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R.I.P photobucket
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Apr 15, 2013 12:29:57 GMT
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I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights??
I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why?
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Apr 15, 2013 12:59:27 GMT
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I purchased a 72 VW type 2 panel van a few years ago that had its share of strange mods.
I got it from the original owner so through the years he modified and mended until his heart was content.
On the column, the indicator switch only worked for going left so he mounted a toggle switch below the speedo for going right. This meant that you had to reach through the spokes of the steering wheel to operate and cancel the indicator, usually resulting in a trapped hand as the wheel turned.
He also had a habit of almost selecting reverse when shifting down from 3rd to 2nd. Instead of adjusting the linkage he installed a broom handle to the dash with hinges. When driving normally the broom handle was down to restrict the gear levers movement then when you needed reverse you raised the handle.
Dave.
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adam73bgt
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,887
Club RR Member Number: 58
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Apr 15, 2013 13:08:03 GMT
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I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights?? I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why? For helping to lose the police at night if you happen to be a drug dealer or a robber?.. When I got my MGB, it had a tape deck radio fitted to it which was wired up with only a single ignition live wire, no speakers or aerial whatsoever, not even any evidence of there ever being any Also had a random pull/push switch on the dash which was wired to nothing.. Plus a ford washer bottle had been fitted in front of the radiator with some unnecessarily long wiring, but instead of using a momentary push switch, someone used a toggle switch instead, which while it kind of works, just looks wrong  And most of the interior had been covered in this horrible cheapy grey carpet which looks like its come from the floor of a school or something  |
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Apr 15, 2013 13:25:09 GMT
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I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights?? I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why? Id imagine it's for nothing legal, can only thinkg that it was there for evading the law when up to no good. |
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RobinJI
Posted a lot
"Driven by the irony that only being shackled to the road could ever I be free"
Posts: 2,995
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Apr 15, 2013 13:25:30 GMT
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I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights?? I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why? I'd guess it'd be for hunting. Keep the battery from running out as fast while allowing them to use the front lights to see what they're shooting maybe? |
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Apr 15, 2013 13:45:44 GMT
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I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights?? I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why? I'd guess it'd be for hunting. Keep the battery from running out as fast while allowing them to use the front lights to see what they're shooting maybe? The first thing I thought of was to turn the brake lights off to make someone drive into the back of it. But then it would have been in a salvage auction. |
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R.S. Autotech. Servicing/Repairs/Diagnostics.
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,867
Club RR Member Number: 174
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Apr 15, 2013 14:37:22 GMT
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The MX-5 WillCarter had now has an inline switch to the heater blower motor. The blower stopped working, I assumed it was the speed control switch on the dash that had broken. I wired it up directly through a relay, and now you have to have the switch I fitted on and the knob still works so you can still have all the speeds lol.
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Apr 15, 2013 14:51:43 GMT
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A previous owner added about eight extra switches to a mini. All of them were wired into the main loom, but after hours of tracing them back, I couldn't figure out what any of them did. I ended up just tucking them up behind the dashboard to get hem out the way. The same car had some horrible, sick coloured 70's house carpet put in replacing the original carpet. That came straight out on purchase. I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights?? I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why? Someone I used to know had a similar setup for crashing into cars. |
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Apr 15, 2013 14:53:00 GMT
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"I bought a forester from an auction fitted with a switch that isolated all rear lights including brake lights?? I have my suspicions but has anyone else got any ideas why?" My brother in law had to deal with loads of this before he retired as a Traffic officer - he spent a couple of years working on Thames Valley's Disqualified Driver squad - this was one of the std tricks they'd use to try to evade pursuit - along with keeping the car(s) registered & stored elsewhere etc. etc. etc. They'd do anything to avoid being caught - including hitting someone else before the helicopter coupld get involved to force the chasing officer(s) to have to stop & deal with innocent injured victims & give up pursuit...  SCUM! |
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grumpy
Part of things
Posts: 557
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Apr 15, 2013 16:32:20 GMT
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A mate of mine had a mk1 fiesta which had a huge square spotlight with toggle switch bolted inside the engine bay . It was usefull if you had to do anything and needed the light but seemed to be a odd thing to go to the trouble to do .
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SCUM!