Chat Our lovely A2 got crashed into!!

[datsundrew]

Fund for the damage have now been sorted!!
I’ve sent messages to A2Steve and Proghound over the parts offer. So hopefully this weekend I’ll get the car in bits and get the new front on it, and just the plastic grill bits to add after. Thanks everyone for your support, I’ll get some pics up of the progress soon.

 

[PlasticMac]

Why? Both companies have been informed, but without any claim, so nothing dodgy??

Sorry, didn't realise you'd informed the Insurance Cos.
Mac.

 

[datsundrew]

Sorry, didn't realise you'd informed the Insurance Cos.
Mac.

I wasn’t going to, but the lads parents got the jitters I think and got him to report it with no claim, so I felt I had to do the same as they could talk and it wouldn’t look legit. A shame really as it will effect his insurance regardless, but not as much as a claim would.

 

[datsundrew]

So…..I’ve had a really good session on the a2, and I’m chuffed to bits. Friday I was up early and pulling the front end off, with the bumper off I could see that the crash bar had deformed slightly, but not bad at all. I managed to get hold of a spare, plus bumper and wing, all cheap in the correct colour. It was interesting pulling it apart and impressed with the way it’s screwed together. Whilst it was apart, I changed the high pressure switch on the condenser ( I’ll come back o this subject later). It all went back together without any issues, and have to say it’s now looking better than ever.
My friend popped over to see progress in his a2, and we tried his grille bits , without the gaping hole it’s transformed!
he took them off when he went, but at least I know it’s going to look great again

 

[datsundrew]

With the front now fixed…..hoorah, I went on to have a go at a few other issues; the heater and air con hasn’t worked since we’ve had it, it just blows warm regardless of what it’s set to. I have posted previously about the heater and come to the conclusion it’s a flow or partial blockage as even if I remove the flap motor and manually move the flap it’ll only get warm even though both inlet / outlet to the heater core are hot. I’ll look in this another time!
a scan showed a while back that the dreaded G263 sensor behind the dash was knackered, the high pressure sensor, and just about every flap and potentiometer known to man.
since that scan weeks ago,i got myself and old laptop and VCDS, so I’m not up and running trying to track some issues.
Following guidance on here, I managed to replace the G263, not the easiest job in the world, trying to see it was the first problem, and then how to get to it, it turns out the way you’d probably think you’d access it, you don’t and it requires fingertip dexterity at arms length! Having done it once, id happily do it again!

 

[Darren C]

An excellent result, well pleased for you, it looks very fresh. Great community spirit and support on this one too. You are right to be impressed by the build, having removed my front and rear bumpers a few times, I‘m always pleasantly surprised how well the car is screwed togeter, that extends to most, if not all of it mind.

With the front now fixed…..hoorah, I went on to have a go at a few other issues; the heater and air con hasn’t worked since we’ve had it, it just blows warm regardless of what it’s set to. I have posted previously about the heater and come to the conclusion it’s a flow or partial blockage as even if I remove the flap motor and manually move the flap it’ll only get warm even though both inlet / outlet to the heater core are hot. I’ll look in this another time!
a scan showed a while back that the dreaded G263 sensor behind the dash was knackered, the high pressure sensor, and just about every flap and potentiometer known to man.
since that scan weeks ago,i got myself and old laptop and VCDS, so I’m not up and running trying to track some issues.
Following guidance on here, I managed to replace the G263, not the easiest job in the world, trying to see it was the first problem, and then how to get to it, it turns out the way you’d probably think you’d access it, you don’t and it requires fingertip dexterity at arms length! Having done it once, id happily do it again!

 

[datsundrew]

with the pressure switch and sensor replaced, I cleared the codes, and immediately the high pressure switch came up ‘open or shorted to earth ‘ again!! I tried another switch without screwing it in, cleared the code again and it went away, so I then swapped it into the condenser, and with great excitement started the engine, switched the air con on…….and nothing! Still blowing tepid..
Another scan showed no issues, but I noticed that the cooling fan didn’t run. A talk through with a friend on vcds on doing tests I tried to operate the fan remotely and…….nothing!

 

[datsundrew]

So at this point I decided that it was down to wiring or the fan control unit. I jumped onto eBay and bought another control unit, having checked there was power going into it and out, it just left the plug with the small wires which I could see no obvious damage, so it’s a case of waiting for the postman……
BUT!! Later on Saturday we decided to go out for a walk and took the a2 to Stourhead. On the way there was a metallic clanking noise when hitting bumps which turned out to be the heater exhaust hitting the road, it was previously zip tied, and I’d left it dangling after the bumper replacement……oops!
whilst faffing about in the lay-by I could hear a new noise start up coming from the front, I’d not heard this before….and it was the fan!!
so, it turns out my partner had set the climate to cold, and it had admitted defeat, it couldn’t give me any more reasons not to work and decided it’d wait a while and then burst into life!! I just don’t get why the delay?? Surely it either has a problem of it doesn’t? Needless to say on the way home it worked, and yesterday, and today, so I’m declaring it fixed for now.
Feeling pleased with myself, on Sunday I decided to investigate the drivers door switch…….I’m going to start a new thread for this as it may prove helpful for other members ( let’s just say it wasn’t simple!)