your advice

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RRHANS
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your advice

Post by RRHANS »

Since I am still in my Excel virginity, I need your advice on a few problems.

1)My oil pressure meter jumps occasionally from 4 bar to the red zone when I am cruising at 75mph.
when I press the clutch, revs goes down, oil pressure goes down.
Then I go back to 75mph, the VDO goes back to 4 bar and all is well again untill......

2)Also drive train is a bit rough around 55 mph. feels like driveshaft vibrations.

3)When fan is kicking in, a relay under the dash seems to be a little confused (buzzing sound) before fan eventualy starts.

Should I be worried?

Will my Lotus permagrin be wiped of my face with a trip to the dealers or will my box of spanners become greasy?
:D or :(
Hans

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amarshall
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Re: your advice

Post by amarshall »

Number 1 - oil pressure is probably caused by a loose connection on the sender - to get to this you to remove the airbox - easy.

Number 3 - buzzing - probably corrosion in the relay - remove it and replace with a new dry one.
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amarshall
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Re: your advice

Post by amarshall »

Number 2 - vibrations - where do you notice them ? The whole body or through the steering column ?

My own suspicion would be an unbalanced or/and damaged wheel.
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bash
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Re: your advice

Post by bash »

Erratic oil pressure guages are common. mine has always been like this, and, yes, at first it used to worry me. It doesnt now cos Im used to it ( Ive had my car 15 years ). If it worries you fit a 'T' piece between the sender and the block and fit a temporary guage unde the bonnet with a proper oil feed.
Vibrations... apart from the items mentioned, it is fairly common to have a very slight bit of driveline vibration at about 50 to 60 mph. Again if you feel it, youre not driving fast enough ! Dont worry about it.
Always keep a couple of spare relays in the car. They are the only thing to give common electrical problems, some of which can be quite wierd !

Bash
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.

RRHANS
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Re: your advice

Post by RRHANS »

Thanks,

My permagrin is back, I'll send you the speeding tickets Bash

On my third day of ownership I was already stopped by the Belgian Police to check the papers.
I did notice a slight vibration on another excel that i have driven, suppose its normal.
Its at the back of my car, i think driveshafts, not propshaft, could it be differential mount related?

I will check the oil pressure sender.
Hans

Lotus Excel SE full leather, aircon, 16" Konig rewind, twin 104 cam's
Triumph TR6 CR 11/1, fast road 89, roller rockers, pulse header, Overdrive
Ferrari Mondial Cabriolet 3.2 quatrovalvole
Range Rover Sport HSE luxury
Mini clubman Hampton

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MrCoolA
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Re: your advice

Post by MrCoolA »

My oil pressure gauge is tempremental and every time it sticks at 4 i fret about it for a sec, but it always starts working again..It is a dodgy sender unit.

The vibrations as Angus satates does sound like a buckled wheel, i know one of my rears is out of true and i get some issues like you mention.

Keep the grin..........even when things go wrong, they are all sortable and i should know............... just a thought last time i had a bad vibration i thought was prop shaft my rear wheel fell off, i am not saying that this is going to happen to you, but i wreckon in might be worth loosening off the rear wheel nuts and make sure the wheels are set true on the rear hubs before retignening, it is possible to tighten the wheels when they are not seated properly (as i found out) stop laughing Angus
Previously Jerry (Taylor)
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hodders
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Re: your advice

Post by hodders »

My permagrin is back, I'll send you the speeding tickets Bash
If I remember correctly, Bash has plenty of speeding tickets already, of the unfilled-in kind, ready for giving out...
-- hodders

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tonypoll
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Re: your advice

Post by tonypoll »

Another possible item for drive line vibration is the rubber gear box mount - the joint between the rubber bush and metal can often break. It's above the gearbox so can be hard to see, so you'll probably need it on a ramp.
I believe the Toyota part fits just fine.

Tony

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bash
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Re: your advice

Post by bash »

Just trying to drum a bit of business up Hodders. Cos Im a good boy, I never speed !!!!

Bash
Ps. I think my nose has grown a bit, can't think why ?
Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.

terry
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Re: your advice

Post by terry »

Gearbox mount above the box, ?

I was going to suggest you look at the two rubber diff mounts, that are set in the square metal fabrication above the diff.

These rubber mountings already have a few holes in them to soften the effect, bit they could be perished.

Terry

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Tanz
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Re: your advice

Post by Tanz »

[quote="RRHANS"]
2)Also drive train is a bit rough around 55 mph. feels like driveshaft vibrations.

Last year I had vibration problems that kept coming and going - turned out to be a sticking rear brake caliper. Just jack up car and turn the wheels to see if they turn freely.
Cheers, Phil
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