It’s only a small leak, honest

[Saltire]

Probably only down to local Malmesbury to check out a suitable Fri/Sat night pub venue for LEC's trip to Castle Combe next year. We need a new drinking HQ now that The Smoking Dug has finally closed its doors on us

There are rumours on the grapevine that someone has bought it . . . .

[Saltire]

And Finally . . .

Back in the garage where she belongs

Looking shiny front . . .

. . . and rear

Everything forward of the firewall is new or refurbished

Fresh MoT with no advisories and 12 months tax, although I’ll probably SORN it again at Christmas.

And now . . . Lots of careful running in, a check of bolt tightness after a couple of weeks, and no rainy days please.

Happy bunny

[esprit888]

Looks great Jonathan, and congratulations on sticking with the 'small leak'

[Saltire]

Good job you offered me that advice: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” - or something like that!

[Simon_P]

Well done Jonathan, it was clearly worth the effort!

[Rambo]

Excellent work Jonathan. That car looks brand new, not one that is 25 years old. And an engine bay to be well proud of. When can you start on mine

[Saltire]

Well done Jonathan, it was clearly worth the effort!

Excellent work Jonathan. That car looks brand new, not one that is 25 years old. And an engine bay to be well proud of. When can you start on mine

You’re both too kind; I’ve had several false starts along the way, and I was fortunate to have the use of some proper garage equipment - plus a great deal of help and advice from the Forum members, who are far more knowledgeable than me. Thanks for all the support during the dark days of and
Roll on next summer and the opportunity to go to some

[Saltire]

Now here’s a funny thing
I took the Elan out today for a longish shakedown run finishing up at Kemble Airfield, which currently hosts the largest selection of 747s in the country:

However, the Funny Thing concerned the car: after about 10 minutes (4 miles), the catalytic converter warning light came on. And it stayed on for the rest of the journey. After a while, I stopped and switched off, and the light went out on restart, but reappeared shortly afterwards. The handbook says a) this light is Japanese market only, and b) it’s an overheating problem, but the temperature gauge never went above 1/4 throughout. Being an S2 of course it does have a cat, but I was under the impression this circuit wasn’t connected.

The online circus diagrams have no reference to the cat warning light, so I can’t tell what triggers it (ECU??) or where the terminations are. What I do know is that it never came on before I did the recent overhaul, so something must have changed as a result of that.

Should I:

- panic
- hope it will miraculously cure itself
- take the bulb out

[TorqueHorse]

What's the worst that can happen? I mean it's only a small , honest.
Seriously, I'd just take the light out though, if you aren't noticing anything else.

[dapinky]

Jonathan,

Don't confuse the 'overheating' bit of the worry......

.... the 1/4 guage reading is the coolant (and by default, the engine) temperature - quite normal - no worry.

.... the warning light concerns the temperature of the exhaust (pipe, gasses or whatever) in the Catalytic converter. Now, whether it warns of a temperature which is too high or too low, I don't know - but as you say, it is only actually part of the Japanese market requirement.

Therefore, I assume that your car doesn't actually have the sensor for the "warning" anyway, so it indicates that there is an incomplete (or accidentally complete) circuit being made via the ECU.

Clearly, removal of the lamp bulb is a resolution, but you may need to examine if there will be any consequences - ie, does the ECU go into a 'Limp Home' mode if it detects a problem??? It may be as simple as grounding a sensor wire (or connecting to a suitable 'signal') to keep everything as it should be.

[Rambo]

But, surely there must be some form of sensor on the cat ? And, if so, has Jonathan plugged something in that was blanked off before all the work ? Or, as you say Dave, is there something that is accidentally completing the circuit to the ECU ?

Strange it didn't manifest itself before ie on the way to the MOT shop

PS I think I have passed Kemble a couple of times on the way to Malmesbury from Cirencester (annual CC, but not this year ) Quite impressive but sad in a way

[dapinky]

Mark,

The sensor should only be present on a Japanese car......

Jonathan,

I spent many a happy session driving round Kemble like a lunatic whilst working (if you can call it work!) at Devizes Regional driving school..... and also during various other training days which needed lots of space and involved crashing cars and evading the bad guys...... ah, happy memories!

[esprit888]

EDIT ! There is no sensor on the cat (at least not on the 4 I've owned, I just crawled under the latest acquisition to confirm!), which is located underneath the car aft of the 'squish' pipe. Cars with a cat, at least half of mine, and more importantly a pre-cat, had the heat sensor fitted from the factory at the bottom of the pre-cat housing but the two wires were just wrapped together and folded back (not connected to any circuit) on all but the Japanese models. Its possible that when reinstalling the engine it was somehow connected to a power and ground source? but more likely an ECU short somewhere else.

[Saltire]

Esprit888: it’s a puzzle, because we didn’t touch the ECU at all during the recent work

Dapinky: and still used for training, not only by Wiltshire Constabulary, but also Wilts & Dorset Fire Service - sometimes concurrently

Re the cat light: I looked at the wiring diagram, but I couldn’t see a termination for that connector. I’m inclined to suspect an earth leak, because all the engine earths were remade on rebuild. Based on the operation of the other warning lamps, there’s a permanent +12v feed to one side of the lamp, then the other side feeds the switch, which earths out the circuit and lights the lamp.

Thinking about it, I seem to remember from when I had the dash to bits that all the RHS warning lamps run off a common PCB with a single 12v feed, so maybe there’s a faulty earth there. However, that wouldn’t explain why it only arose some time into the journey. Still puzzled

Rambo: you would have passed it, it’s on the main road from Cirencester to Malmesbury. This was the view heading north last Friday

[Rambo]

Is that on a dashcam ?

[Saltire]

Is that on a dashcam ?

No, although I do have a dash cam in the Volvo. It’s on WifeCam

[Rambo]

What ? You let her out ?? And allowed her to travel with you ??? Disgraceful behaviour M'Lud

[GeoffSmith]

Should I:

- panic
- hope it will miraculously cure itself
- take the bulb out

The correct answer is number 3.

[GeoffSmith]

Is that on a dashcam ?

No, although I do have a dash cam in the Volvo. It’s on WifeCam

Did you ever cure the whining you thought was coming from the NSF wheel bearing. :ducks:

[Rambo]

Is that on a dashcam ?

No, although I do have a dash cam in the Volvo. It’s on WifeCam

Did you ever cure the whining you thought was coming from the NSF wheel bearing. :ducks:

Don't forget your coat !!