7_Malc

Light(ish) Blue and silver stripe 7, with hood on, heading towards Wheathampstead, around 3pm Saturday afternoon. Bit damp out there today…

Problem identified - daylight helps - the toggle switch from main to dipped beam is failing (the bezel is falling apart). It will need replacing but tightening it up has remedied the issue for now. Hopefully I can source one that matches the 1999/2000 style.

Morning all… I had to abort my early morning blatt (K-series 140 Roadsport) when, after an hour or so of driving on full beam, I switched to dipped and… darkness… no headlights at dipped. Side lights (stupidly dim) work. Main beam works. All other lights (dash switches and dials, rears, numberplate etc.) are all working fine. No dipped headlights. Anyone else experienced anything similar and can point me in the direction of a fix? Thanks, Malc

Not first hand, so this will be another learning curve for me. I have read a few things about the process and will happily undertake further research tonight. Does anyone know of a step-by-step dummies guide for coolant replacement and bleeding?

Here's the report back - thanks again to you all for the guidance. 1. No sign of leakage on the floor or around the engine. Radiator and fan all appears so be in sound condition. 2. Expansion bottle is empty! Slight white residue on cap… 3. Jubilee Clip holding the small pipe to the expansion bottle had slipped down the pipe and was loose. Pipe still attached, but mostly likely this was the source of the hissing as the coolant boiled away around the loose seal? 4. No sign of mayonnaise under oil filler cap. 5. Oil colour is good. Cold engine, so level not tested properly (plenty on dipstick though). … I have repositioned and tightened the clip. No movement at the bottle / pipe joint now. Clearly there is an absence of coolant, which will need replacing, but have I missed anything before I begin down that path

Thanks guys - will get a chance to check over the car in the morning, and feedback then.

Calling all K-series guru's… your advice please. Having spent the weekend blatting round Wales, I have noticed that my 1.8 K-series (standard SS 140bhp) is now running hotter than before the trip began. Previously the water temp was around 88-90 degrees, which would drop slightly when driving at higher speeds (better airflow?). Now the temp gauge reads 90-95 even at higher speeds, and rises to 100 in traffic and when idling. The fan still kicks in when idling (and the car is quiet enough for me to hear it) but I can't be sure its not running the fan all the time… no obvious signs of radiator damage or debris blocking the fins. When I arrived home last night the car was 'hissing' quietly for some time after engine shut off - like a quiet kettle boiling away at low pressure. I don't recall it doing this before. My questions are: 1. why would the car no longer gain extra cooling from higher speeds? 2. is the hissing noise a danger sign that needs immediate investigation? - thanks for any clarification you can provide. I've yet to remove the bonnet since arriving home, and am not sure what to be looking for when I do.

"Discovered" by a good friend who lives locally, I had the pleasure of staying at Gellihaf House this weekend while visiting my friend and watching Wales v England in Cardiff, before heading over the nearby Brecon Beacons and off on a road trip through central Wales to Snowdonia. Travelling with another friend, we shared the twin room – Sirhowy – which features two beds, each a width and a half. So well proportioned is the room, and the excellent ensuite bathroom, that it all feels perfectly aligned. The top grade linen and all-round plushness was immense. The guesthouse is amazing, with period features, large perfectly appointed rooms that balance modern services (USB wall sockets!) with fabulous real furniture and tasteful arts and crafts decorations that harmonises with the architecture. Hosts Catherine and Howard are superb. Breakfast is worth the five hour drive from Hertfordshire alone… I look forward to returning as often as I can find the excuse to drop in to South Wales. http://www.gellihafhouse.co.uk

Mac OS 10.14.6 Chrome. No PDFs visible. Malc

I recently has a very similar issue on my 1.8 K (2000) … my gauge was dropping to zero and bouncing around too… very worrying. A new sender from Chris at Redline solves the issue immediately. Yes a mechanical upgrade is an option, but not to everyone's taste or budget. New sender is now 2-3000 miles in and working fine. Keeping the contacts clean with WD40 seems to help, as does a healthy wrap in insulation tape or heatshrink on the connecting cables - it all hangs off the leading edge / bottom of the sump so picks up all the muck on the road.

The helpfulness and knowledge base here on BC is superb. Thanks again guys. I'm going to order a spare switch (Mazda style) and swap it out in 12 years / months / weeks / miles time when my cleaned-up one fails… maybe get clutch and throttle cable to add to the bundle in the boot.

Bright Green - with black stripes… Spotted early this morning (8am?) on the Deepcut bridge diversion… were you heading for Pirbright Bends?

The M25 roundabout circuit sounds interesting, hopefully the tarmac isn't too cut up. Have you tried the roads round Ashridge Estate? Early mornings are great, especially up to Ivinghoe Beacon and back via Tring station road. Old Toms' harpin is a hoot too. Not made a Herts meeting yet - Wednesdays are tricky and I have to juggle the kids alongside my blats. One day I'll have a free Saturday… the 507 is a great road though.

Cheers Jonathan, at first the idea of removing the pedal box cover seems rather daunting, but once underway it wasn't so bad. The switch disassembly was fiddly - and I nearly lost the spring despite the warning - but it all works again now.

All sorted - thank you. The internal contacts needed a clean and adjustment. Brake lights back in action!

Thanks - shorting the leads inside the pedal box (bypassing the switch) now lights both brake lights, so it looks like a failed switch. Are these a common part or a Caterham speciality?

Brake lights not working this morning. Rear lights are fine, indicators fine. Both rear light bulbs appear to have unbroken filaments (x2) but there is not even a flicker of light when the pedal is pushed. Brakes themselves work fine. It might be a fuse? Looking the 7s fuse box / array. None say brakes? This is the end of my electrical knowledge, so advice needed please. Car is a 1999 K-series Roadsport 140. Many thanks, Malc.

I think one of the other Sevens I saw was the white one you mentioned. Was exiting a roundabout, so only a brief glimpse heading in the other direction. Pretty sure they waved… the best I could manage was a nod of thanks. I've read your Roadsport / CSR journey posts - very enlightening. I'm an early morning blatter - when the roads are quiet. Will keep an eye out for you when I'm on Coopers Green Lane :)

I liked the mystery… good marketing ploy.

Spotted a couple of Caterhams out for a drive on routes around Harpenden last night… I was in my Viper Blue Roadsport. My evening class was canceled, so went for a sunset blat instead :)

I've driven nearly 1000 miles in my first month of ownership. Not been 'spotted' once yet. I do like the quieter roads of the early morning though, so hopefully this will continue.

Three blats today. Danger of overdose? One for me (5am start, about 100 miles) then a sunny day drive with my supportive partner, which she rather enjoyed and wasn't **too** nervous. And finally a local loop with my teenage daughter. All good. This addiction thing is hard to crack.

I succumbed again today. Two great hours of twists, turns, hills and crests. The sweet singing of the 'K' ringing in my ears, the light movement of the Momo wheel in my hands. As darkness lifted we drove as one out of the night. The ritual is complete. Today is already a good day.

Hello, my name is Malc and I have a 7 problem. It's been a month now since I purchased my own Seven and it has become an obsession. Every spare moment is dedicated to planning my next drive, weighing up options for weather, traffic avoidance and hunting for the next best 'B' road to explore. It began for me with a long-weekend break in the Scottish Highlands, and a trip to meet Boyd Stokes at Highland Caterham Hire. I'd known about Caterham's from an early age, as my mum grew up in nearby Coulsdon and we would drive down Caterham Hill when visiting my grand parents. Mum and Dad liked their Triumphs (in the 70s) and I heard many stories of my mother four-wheel-drifting her Herald or Dolomite Sprint on wet roundabouts before 'the children' came along. I guess it was fate… I never stood a chance really. So a brief taste of 'Seven heaven' in the Highlands had me hankering for more. First up was a 4-day trip to navigate the North Coast 500 in another of Boyd's SV 7s , taking my fellow petrolhead and lotus-loving best mate along for the experience. Then followed a couple of dry years while I plotted and saved, saved and plotted my way to my own Seven. This included a garage demolition and new garage construction. A big project with many phases. A brief foray to Book-a-tracks' Drift Experience confirmed that a Series 3 chassis was a 'good fit' and the hunt was on. With a partner, two kids and a dog plus mortgage to feed, the off-the-shelf purchase price of a new Seven was never in contention. I looked a a loan, decided the interest rates were too high, and settled on sourcing an affordable Seven for cash. Lots of reading. Lots of web searches. Lots of 'this is never going to happen'… until finally it became the right car, at the right price, at the right time (well maybe 2 months earlier than planned… it is an addiction after all). So now I have the car and the garage. She's an older lady, with personality, but she wears her miles with pride. She gets me out of bed at 5am on a weekend (sometimes earlier) and we play together for a few hours until the roads become clogged with normal folk. There are plans in the making for longer travels (next year) and I would really like a house (with garage) in the far north west of Scotland… It's been two days since my last drive. Thanks for listening.

Hi David, If these will fit my S3 windscreen then I will very happily benefit from your generous reflection, and pass the generosity on to the Dementia charity (my family are also struggling with the effects of this). many thanks Malcolm