316 - 1977 - petroscf - Greece

[petroscf]

Will have to wait, as it seems...
Strike of the truck drivers hit the petrol stations as well, and as petrol level is going down, I have to do my best to achieve the highest possible mpg these days...
So no petrol wasting at all for now!!!
(I guess that if I had already fitted it, I would already be a happy man, as generally said, as I expect I would have better economy...)

[petroscf]

Any reviews about VARTA batteries anyone?
I used to think they are among the best...
I had a not bad one, but 4 years old and decided to replace itbefore facing any problems, last december (2009)...
Since then, whenever I leave the car more than 5 days in the garage (greek weather, winter is veeery mild...) battery is running out of power...
(Car has an alarm system, a radio-cd player and the factory VDO quartz clock...what is more, I have taken the car to the electrician to check whether any of these sources is pulling more power from the battery than needed, or if the battery is not well charged form the battery charger...nothing of the above happens...)
I left the car (with the battery poles on, just to chech it) for about one week but in full summer!!! the same problem happened...exactly...

I have the battery charged once more, and by the end of the week I will take the battery to the representative of VARTA in Athens, who can check it and see if there is any problem with the battery, and if they find it to be defective, give me a new one, as it is under warranty...If they find it to have no problems, then I will just NEVER BUY A VARTA AGAIN, they have probably gone chinese...!!!!

[petroscf]

From Varta they say the battery's OK...Just don't know what else to do...
I mean, I can think of a couple of solutions (such as replacing with another battery and leaving the car for a week to see if the same thing happens) but I just haven't got the time to loose in order to do all the moving needed...And most of all, I can't leave the car for another week, as I can't live without this car!!!

Well there's another solution I can think of: never leaving the car without driving it for more than 2 days

Saturday evening took her for a small trip about 100km out of Athens, and Sunday early morning back to Athens...These 200 km were pure pleasure!!!

[petroscf]

So today is the 175000 km service day...!!!!!
After this I expect her to drive like new!!!! (although I didn't have any major complaints recently, anyway)
I don't know what the cost will be though...
And, what is more, I 'll still have to wait before 1) fixing that dash nois problem and 2) fitting Jimi's E30 mirror (my mechanic said he 'd rather not do these jobes, I 'd better have an electrician do them)

And a question (technical...): In another thread I was advised that it is easy taking out the centre console in order to reach to the back of the dash and fix an ventilation duct which is probably out of place and 1) creates a horrible noise at bumps+holes, 2) windscreen demisting (central part) does not work properly...Is it really easy? and, once the console is taken out, is not the heating system (which I think exists back there) an obstacle in order to reach the back?

[petroscf]

Just yesterday replaced a new (!!! less than 1 yera old) battery...But, hopefully finished with adventures, and definitely finished with VARTA!!!!
Never again! when the battery is faulty they don't give you a new one, saying whatever as excuses, so you have to remain with the problem!!Actually their warranty is rubbish!!!
Put a HANKOOK, (Korean I think) anyone has any idea about them??

And, also, fitted Jimi's mirror!!!! (E30 interior rear view mirror with driver+co driver map lights). It's really lovely!!! I have to take pics and upload for who might be interested to see...

[petroscf]

Some new pics (new mirror etc)

[petroscf]

Damn! it cuts horizontal pictures, I just noticed this!!!!-You have to click on the pic, then you see it complete

[petroscf]

QUESTION: Can a cheap (4 euros!) octane booster make so much difference? Last 3-4 top-ups I have always filled with unleaded "100 octane" (the expensive one-as there is also the regular one, 95 octanes)... And in the same petrol station (I know the guys, and they don't cheat with what they sell) But last night after filling her up, I added an Octane Booster, this very cheap one mentioned above. I drove the car afterwards and felt a big difference in the engine's power...well, still in need of some real power, but...it WAS something!!
OK, In order to find out, I plan to use this again after one or two top ups, to see if there's going to be again some difference...

[petroscf]

Bad news: Still got some issues with the battery...Replaced battery with a new one (althought the other was less than one year old) and still after 3 cold days in the garage, (not turned on at all for these days) couldn't start...
I have to look deeper into the matter, it must be something else, not the battery...some leak...

Good news now: The Hartge strut abr just arrived...Can't wait to fit it on!!! I wonder whether I should fit it ASAP, or should I wait for the stress bar to fit them together...

[e21-Mark]

Did the engine turn over? If so, maybe the old Solex has finally had enough?

If I were you, I would fit the Weber & strut brace and enjoy the transformation. You'll have an easy 10 to 15% increase in engine performance.

[petroscf]

No Mark, it didn't at all...It is electrical problem, for sure. Everytime after 3-4 days garaged the car started only with cables from another battery.
If I am using it everyday (or every second day) no problem at all...
(except for the small choke issues if the morning is very cold, so in general no problems, with greek winter)

[petroscf]

However, I am going to have the weber+intake manifold and strut brace fitted on next service-which is very soon!!
So you'll have my news (and pics when possible)...!!
Do you think I should fit the strut brace first and the stress bar separately, later? Or should I do the job once? (would it have any interest to see the differences in handling? only the strut bar first, and after some time the stress bar also, in order to understand what each item adds)

[petroscf]

Issues with battery seem to be reaching the end...It seems that the problem is solved but can't give asure answer yet:
It seems that one (or more) relay in the Alpine radio-mp3 needs some time to turn off when the radio is turned off. And it seems that, if the car is turned off and the radio is still on and plays, and turned off after the car, this relay remains turne on...So the radio "pulls" more energy from the battery than when the radio is turned off when the car is still running.

Don't ask me how this happens, I don't know, all I know is that my electrician saw this with his amper-metre (I dont know what the right term is) or volt-metre? on the car, and he suggested me to turn the car off last. And after I started doing it this way, problems have stopped!!!

Of course, whoever might have an idea or suggestion is more than welcome to post it on here!!

[petroscf]

Still problems...!!!Even though the problem seems to have been found, I still tried to start the car after about 3 days and it wouldn't...
However, we said that this time it might be that the battery after all these times was not fully charged, so today I took the car to the lectrician and had another one (BOSCH, just for history) fitted, and will keep it for about one week or so (I 'll try not to use the car in order to see what happens after 7-8 days with battery on, radio-cd on-turned off of course! and in the garage..)
And then refit mine...(fingers crossed if everything goes well)

[petroscf]

Oh, yes ! : and only if+when+after THIS problem is solved shall I start working on the other E21 plans for 2011, as mentioned in the other thread-Mark's one, about plans for the new year...