bluesmuso

One other omission which I'd completely forgotten about due to the relative insignificance when compared to the missing books , jack and spare was the missing wheel nuts (the right rear wheel had normal spare tyre style nuts rather than the proper chromed acorn style XR6 nut, it looked a bit funny so I got 5 xr6 chrome nuts from the wreckers for $10.00 when I bought the jack, no big deal but the wrong wheel nuts were not noted on the mechanical inspection so I can only assume that the correct nuts were removed after the inspection, either that or the mechanics missed it.

Cheers Alex, in the mechanical report there was a special mention of a missed service at 130,000 km's (not recorded in the service book) so they do exist, when I spoke to her I made a point of making sure that she includes the RWC and makes sure it is in the glovebox which she did, perhaps she thought that because I didn't say "make sure the books and f*****g jack and spare wheel are there, she didn't have to include them, lucky for me she didn't want to keep the engine and turbo charger as a momento after all it is the best engine made in Australia ever what a momento. Thanks tab, I hear you, let's hope that the Form 1A has some effect.

Good point, they can be simply filled out by anyone, it is when it comes time to sell or trade up that the absence of books bother me, but it is very annoying when they are listed as present in the mechanical report but are absent upon delivery. I can remember when I had a pretty newish VX Late model camira and it was a pain having to pay out all the service costs to keep the books clean, but when I sold it, it paid off (the other car he was looking at had missed 2 services so he bought mine) The main problem is when there are no books some buyers will freak out and think it has done 350,000km's instead of the 165,000km's on the cluster because there are no records. I personally go by how the car feels to drive, you can usually feel if a car has not been looked after by the 'seat of the pants' but a lot of people judge the car by the service books and probably don't know much about cars so that's all they have to go by, and with so many cars on the market at one time ones with missing books will be struck off the list first.

Thanks for your reply carcycle, all input is appreciated, and no offence taken. When I bought the car I also bought the books of which particulars were noted when my interstate mechanical inspection was carried out, if my mechanical inspection had noted 'NO BOOKS' I certainly would have offered less. I think that a car is always worth more with books than without in that a prospective buyer (if you can get someone to come and look at it without the books) will use it as leverage to push the price down (to me it's kind of like a vital part of the car is missing but unlike other parts it is not easily replaceable), obviously with an older car (10 years+) it is less important but it still is important though, and my car is not that old. The jack, spare and second set of keys and fob were also missing but the books and owner's manual was the final straw. The seller is only 700km's away (not the other side of the country) and it's because of the distance involved and that I wasn't there to check that people like this think they can get away with keeping items which are no longer theirs, not necessarily so! It's the assumption that people won't do anything about it that encourages people like this everywhere to stuff people around by not responding to phone calls or letters and just hoping you'll go away. I am a landlord and one tenant took most of the light bulbs the day he moved out (just because I was not there at the last minute to make sure he didn't) Some people think it's ok to do the wrong thing just because nobody is watching. Well I now have a better tenant and a much better property manager...but this was just an example. It is a fact that from experience people will only try something dodgey if they think that they can get away with it. If I let it go I am sending a loud and clear message to this person and others like them that it's ok to rip people off. I don't intend on spending a fortune pursuing this (a form 1A and an ordinary summons does not cost much) but this to me is not about money, it's more about principle and it's my books that I'm after rather than money. And before anyone says "serves you right for buying a car interstate" I am very happy with the car and got it for a lot less that what I could have found here in SA, I just want the books that were also purchased with it. I hope nobody is offended by my long winded response, cheers and happy safe motoring everyone Bluesmuso

Well no luck, it's all been lip service, the books have not arrived, I even posted a prepaid package satchel (registered post) so all she'd have to do is put the books in it and put it in a post box, but no luck it has not been posted and not likely to be, she has even had her phone disconnected and never answers her mobile or text messages. So I am going to chase her legally for vehicle depreciation due to lack of books, anyone have an idea of how much less a vehicle is worth without books? My guess is about $1000. A solicitor advised that a letter of demand and then an ordinary summons should be enough to encourage her to post the books and if not I could pursue her for damages (the amount to be determined later). I looked on the red book site but could not find anything regarding lower vehicle value in the absence of the books. I really need to know how much less on average a car is worth without the books. I phoned Ford Aust and they told me they don't keep a database on cars once out of warranty and cannot help me, the guy I spoke to was not at all helpful. When I owned a crappy old 99 VT wagon in 2006 I was able to ring Holden, supply the rego and vin and they told me the car's history from brand new including every service and noted a late 70,000km service which was done at 76,000km's. The VT had done over 200,000km's when I got it and it had the books and everything but even without books it's service history was on holden's database.

Hey guys I got it off, I just moved the caliper more out of the way which gave me room to swing and thought of a guy at work I don't like much and hit it hard with the rubber mallett, I'll have to thank the guy at work because up until now he has been no use to me. Thanks for all your responses everyone. Bluesmuso P.S. Now that I have the rotor off I can clearly see the 'toothed wheel' which you spoke about Seventytwo, I will remember that when I do the other side.

I can't see any toothed wheel through the hole, all I can see is 2 large allen key type bolts and two springs, the disc rotor moves freely albeit with some effort. If the parking brake shoes are preventing the rotor removal wouldn't it be impossible to turn? But there is no way that this rotor is coming off, I have hit it with a heavy hammer rotating it 360 degrees until the wood (40mm thick) between the hamer and rotor is dented and beginning to split, a guy at repco said they just come straight off but the parking brake shoes may still be holding it but as I previously said I can't understand that if I can still turn it ok.

Thanks Guys, the handbrake is off and the brake caliper with the two 15m bolts are off and free from the rotor, but I have only jacked up one side, maybe I sould jack up the other side as well and rotate the rotor as I am tapping it with the hamer/rubber mallet....I could also try some more effective swear words :tosser: I hope I don't have to disconnect the parking brake as I really don't want to touch that. Seventytwo are you talking about the larger hole with the rubber in it?

I did a search but found no comments on the actual removal of the disc rotor, as far as I can see once the caliper has been removed then the rotor should come off, or is a special pulling tool (like a steering wheel puller) usually used. There is no sign of retaining screws and it seems that all that holds the rotor on is the wheel nuts but mine will not budge and I don't want to force it, it may be rusted on a bit. With past cars they have always generally come off with a few light taps with a hammer or a few heavy blows with a rubber mallet. I need to remove the rears to have them machined (they are at 16mm full thickness) and then it will be slotted DBA's or whatever for the front. My workshop manual mentions a retaining screw but I can't find one, all I can see on the rotor face is two holes one with a rubber in it with nothing behind it and another empty hole where perhaps a threaded retaining screw was or maybe it's a point to use a pulling tool or something.

UPDATE: I got the new horns working, I hadn't earthed them, I erroneously thought that the horn's mounting point was the earth.....maybe with the single note horn but not the dual horns....they are wired up like speakers with + and - terminals but are not marked so it does not matter which way. Just don't earth the blue wire like I did or you'll need another 15 amp fuse I still don't know where they are supposed to be mounted but I found a spot and ran an earthing wire and all is well, it sounds much better and being a musician I can inform you all that it plays a nice two note chord ( a G and a B flat infact ) Anyway I hope this update to my thread question may help anyone else out there who is swapping over to the dual Fairmont horns, they certainly sound better and much louder

Yeah that was me (we are no.21) I've got the blueprint XR6T and the TJ Magna wagon with 18" rims (which are going to end up on the Ford) Without the owner's manual I didn't know where the fuses for the horn were because the fuse lid inside the car next to the steering wheel don't have a map on the back of the lid but the relay box under the bonnet does. I tested the horn direct from a car battery and it's had it, makes no sound. I also don't know where the stock twin horns (which I've bought) are supposed to be mounted. Yours is the silver one with the 20" rims right? Sounds wicked, auto or manual (sounds like an auto like mine) I had mine fixed (see other thread) and filled it with 98 ron premium fuel, boy does it go, that midrange torque would shame most V8's. Mine's a bit rough with stone chips and bumper bar damage and scrapes but I got it for 13K with premium sound so I'm happy, they would have to be the best looking car ever made in Australia, but I'm biased, I call her "The Geelong Gem" cheers Martin

I had a look but none of the blue 15 amp fuses are blown, maybe the relay has had it. Could you post a picture of the fuse guide? Another thing do you know whether the dual horn terminals (there is two with the twin horns) are both + I think they are both positive and therefore does not matter which terminal you use because the horn is earthed via the chassis mount, I'm just trying to figure out what I did to blow a fuse or relay. Thanks heaps Wados

I got it off carsales.com.au, it has pretty rough bumpers (tings and scrapes on front and rear and one hole in the middle from trailer damage) which put others off which worked in my favour. It was a country car so it has lots of stone chips on front and sidesbut still looks OK unless up close but I'd still have to throw a bit of money at it. Yeah SA = less people less cars available (Seller's market) it is the same in WA. But in VIC, NSW and QLD itis generally a buyer's market. SA also = one way southern expressway, South eastern freeway upgrade and tunnel 30 years overdue, State bank collapse causing one generation (30 years) of damage to the state's economy, traffic light every 100 metres most with cameras. But Good beaches especially down South and takes a maximium of 1 hour to get anywhere by car even in peak traffic.....still is a great place to live.

I got the inspection through a local Tullamarine mob called 'Howe power engines' I found them on the internet, they were pretty good and covered everything and didn't cost too much, they emailed me the inspection results, but it was abit underwhelming in that the inspection email was just typed like a personal email rather than a formal looking inspection template like you would get from RACV etc, but they rang me and talked for ages and texted me photos of things I needed to see, they were pretty good and told me what I needed to know and said that for the money the car is very good........and they were right, I should also mention that the service records and owner's manual were in the glovebox when they performed the inspection. I wanted that car and Adelaide is crap if you are looking for a specific car eg. try finding a Blueprint BA XR6 Turbo with premium sound in pretty good nick for 13K in S.A. The same car would have been 16-17K here in Adelaide.

UPDATE: The owners manual still has not arrived yet, so maybe it was just 'lip service' I will have to call them again, is the owners manual and service records all in one book or is there two seperate books?

Thanks Wados, is there only a horn relay in the box under the bonnet or is there also a fuse there as well? I don't have my owner's manual, long story, bought the car interstate and still waiting for the manual tobe posted, owner forgot to put it in the car. Most cars have a fuse guide or key on the back of the lid, whilst the box under the bonnet does the one inside the car doesn't.

Hi, my horn finally stopped working altogether, so I tried one of the new ones (I bought dual horns from the wreckers) and that does not work either. All I get is an audible "clicking" sound from the relay box in front of the coolant tank. So either I've blown a fuse or a relay but when I took the fuse cover off to the right of the steering column there is no map on the inside of the cover to tell me which fuse is what. Also does anybody know whether or not it matters which terminal on the horn is used? It looks to me like they are twin active and are only earthed by the mount to the chassis therefore it would not matter which horn terminal the blue wire was connected to, none of the horn terminals are marked so it should not matter. And finally does anyone know how the dual (BA Fairmont horns) are wired up? I would assume that the second (High pitched horn) would be run straight off the first Low pitched horn, and as to where they are supposed to be mounted???I can't even remember where the old single horn was mounted.....underneath the bonnet catch behind the grille I think. Thanks.....all this just to get my horn working...far out

Phyber, who the #@%# serviced that? Pretty hard to miss that!

UPDATE: You'll never guess what it was! The wires to the exhaust cam sensor had fried together (insulation melted and on the most part missing). This had apparently sent the car into "limp mode" because it had no variable timing at all, strangely enough no check engine warning lights ever came on in the cluster. The guy at the exhaust place Tuesday said that the car sounds "funny" and could be a timing issue. Neville from Speciality tuning replaced the wire behind the engine leading to the cam sensor with more heat resistant wire (he said the cam sensor is OK) after this he got no error codes and the engine was back working how it should. He put it on the dyno and got 186 rwkw's out of it @ approx 5 psi boost which sounds about right for stock or maybe a bit less than most but at least the car is working now. He said that before it would not have made as much power as a non turbo BA, I'd believe it to. I drove it home and hell what a difference it really goes and is far more responsive and cruises with less throttle application, my average Litres per 100 is slowly dropping it now says 19L/100 down from 22L/100, hopefully it will settle over the next few days to a more reasonable figure which will depend on my right foot.......even stock boost is addictive. He checked the Turbo, waste gate valve, boost solenoid etc, and all was OK, but I will still have to check that oil pickup screen sometime and either clean or remove it. I wonder if this cam sensor wires melting is a comon problem? I don't know who "Ryan" is on the Dyno print out but it's my car, may have been a previous customer's name.

Yeah, mine sounds like a duck on acid, might have water damage, was probabl moved and not earthed properly and I think only one is working (there is two right) the cops might nab me for it so I'd better fix it, hope I don't have to take off the front bumper to get to them.

Neville from Speciality tuning at Marion is looking at it Thurs, I can't get into graham west workshops until later next week, speciality tuning is within walking distance of my work so it is easier, and he has a dyno. It does seem to be pointing towards the wastegate, there is also a trans cooler mounted in front against the intercooler (not the best spot) but unless some intercooler pipes have been blocked or something I doubt that would have anything to do with the power loss and dreadful fuel consumption. Totally unrelated but It also (as I found out today when some moron changed lanes without looking and almost hit my car) has a very very quiet horn, infact unless you were standing with your head under the bonnet you wouldn't hear it LOL I've heard of horns not working at all, but too quiet? Maybe it's full of water, I laugh every time I sound the horn. Sorry about the change of subject but I'll have to fix that bloody horn it sounds ridiculous. Anyway back on track, I'll keep you posted after my results from speciality tuning.

Cat is fine, nothing wrong with it.

Yeah, the tuner is going to look at that next week, it is more than likely a wastegate flapper valve issue, I just want to rule out the catalytic converter first as I believe it is a pretty straight forward heat test to determine if there is too much heat in front of the cat and too little behind indicating an internally melted cat.

It may be a melted/blocked catalytic converter, I've got her booked in tomorrow at an exhaust place for a heat test.

And thanks to all others who have posted with some great advice and tips, as Racerx said about the clever people on this site, we are indeed lucky to have such a valuable pool of knowledge from the members of this forum