Honest John - modern diesels

The loom isn't the issue. What fails is a thermal fuse. All you need to do is replace said thermal fuse. It's simple to check - all you need is a continuity tester.

But then again, I guess you're just like most mechanics nowadays and nothing more than a fitter.

Of course there's airflow over the resistor pack. You can't stop it unless you block up the fresh air intake.

That is what recirculate does, it stops fresh air intake.

What on earth would be the point of repairing a ten pound item? I agree it would be OK to do for yourself, but not cost effective for a customers car.

The ones I have seen have had melted contacts on the end of the wiring and need the whole lump replacing along with the wiring loom modification.

Bear in mind that I was rebuilding cars probably before you were born and have literally had a lifetime in the trade.

Mrcheerful

No, it merely changes the intake from the fresh air vent to cabin. It doesn't stop fresh air going into the fresh air intake vent and doesn't stop it passing over the resistor pack as the heater assembly is after the resistor pack working from the filter back.

Stick to being a fitter.

You obviously learned f*ck all.

So there is a separate flow of air to come in from outside, cool the resistor pack and be vented outside again? I must take a closer look at the next one with this problem (hopefully I never will !!)

A fitter was originally someone that literally made things fit. In the old days before size standardisation many parts were made to varying qualities in different places and did not fit together when needed, hence the need for a highly skilled fitter to get them to mate. Also a fitter would do such work as hand scraping bearings and the like. So your apparent attempt at denigration by calling someone else a fitter is a bit of a faux pas.

I agree that most modern car work is more about changing pieces rather than repairing what is already there, however that is largely driven by the very low cost of the complete items, making it not cost effective to repair parts in most cases, about the only bits I can think of that actually get fixed rather than replaced are starters, alternators and calipers. Although even those are getting fewer and fewer, often due to the non availability of spare parts and their high cost.

Mrcheerful

How much do you charge for changing said resistor pack, just out of interest?

Mike P

At least I learnt how to rebuild my own pinto engine !!

Mrcheerful

the cost of the bits, plus half hour labour. (less than forty quid total)

Mrcheerful

sounds a fair price to me, just wondered - I did one myself not long ago, your estimate is about right

Mike

If I found the problem during a service then the cost would be less !

Mrcheerful

That fresh air has to go somewhere otherwise no flow. I'd guess the resistor pack is after the fan airflow wise since it only has be cooled when the fan is running - and the fan moves the air in either fresh or re-circ modes.

I know of 2 that have died that way.

Only with the 16v Fiat based jobs.

The old Alfa lumps don't seem to burn it off as quickly.

Mind you, even the Fiat ones are oil-tight once they've done 100k miles.

I want a Tatra T700.

Thirded - it was some hyuugge engine at first but they ended up with a much smaller one. And were not pleased.

In another episode ISTR somebody found a Corvette, started it up and revved the nuts off it so the boys in the work area could hear it.

Big old long-unused Yank V8s don't like revving to 6000 rpm+ from cold. It died.

snipped-for-privacy@italiancar.co.uk (SteveH) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Not a T700.

A 603 or an 805 for me, ta.

Horses for courses; I'm tight* so feel absolutely fine putting up with some diesel-ness**. I'd never remotely even consider calling the 2.2 lump in my Saab smooth...

...but I'd get closer to calling it smooth when compared to my 1990 diesel Fiesta...

...and if I borrow a colleagues 3.0 V6 diesel it feels tractorish again.