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I occasionally suffer from a failure of my Caterham’s indicators which can be fixed by switching on the hazards, rocking the relays, etc. The hazards are definitely not working as they should. The switch light is dim and the relay buzzes before coming to life, then the hazards start working again - strange! Perhaps fitting new relays for both hazards and indicators (numbers 3, 4 in the manual) might help. Caterham sell Micro relays - https://caterhamparts.co.uk/fuses-relays/4311-micro-relay.html Are these any different to the standard sort of micro relays available at Halfords, etc? Can someone recommend a better brand? Any suggestions about my intermittent indicator failure would be welcome too.

Hi Revilla, Thanks for the very useful information and offer of help. It's good to know this isn't an ECU problem. I will replace the batteries in both the key fobs and see if that fixes the problem. They were both replaced at the same time, but only one is used regularly. In the longer term I might reset the flag in the map as the immobilizer is a bit of a pain. Kind regards Will

I have a Supersport Rover K Series 1.6L (2002) with Eng Kit EU3 road upgrade. The immobilizer has started to behave strangely. Until a few days ago when car had been left and the red LED on the dashboard was flashing (approx 1 per sec) I just needed to press the unlock button on the key dongle and the LED would switch-off; sometimes there would be a click of a relay, and sometimes not. [aside: Since I fitted a new lithium batt it has been a lot more reliable in this respect as previously I needed to press the unlock button several times before the LED went off. However, eventually the LED would always just switch-off ] I took the car for its regular wash/clean and left the keys with the guy so he could move it around the car park. Since its return then the behavior of the immobilizer has been different. Now need to press the unlock button repeatedly until the LED starts to blink rapidly for a few seconds and then more slowly before eventually switching-off. I can then start the engine. I get the same behavior with my spare key. I have disconnected the battery completely to force a power-on reset of the ECU, but the strange behavior persists. Is this new behavior a sign that my ECU needs replacing? Is there a way to disconnect the immobilizer? Any suggestions gratefully received.

I have just bought a new Li-Ion batt (MM-ION-15 equivalent) and that has fixed the problem as suggested by gin-fizz-whizz. Good to know this is a known problem. I do think it's a software bug caused by an over enthusiastic software engine writing too much power on self test code as the ECU will undoubtedly have a voltage regulator so it will either run, or not. That said, if the code detects low voltage it enters a 'limp home mode' which just injects fuel / sparks without regard for things like the oxygen sensor - hence the engine runs like a pig and doesn't idle properly. I don't think resetting the ECU will fix this, but thanks for the tip on how to do this. I fitted a Li-Ion battery as sourcing a Banner wet cell proved very difficult in Malta. I'm very happy with the results so far, though I did have a problem with the battery strap intermittently touching the battery's test button which caused it to discharge. God knows why they didn't put the test button on the side of the battery, or put it into a recess. Anyway, problem now solved and hopefully I didn't do too much damage to my expensive new battery. Let's see how long it lasts. I removed the battery isolator switch and have now fitted a lead so I can easily connect to an intelligent Li-Ion charger (same make as battery) when it is not being used. The instruction manual claims that the charger can be connected to the battery for an indefinite period without damage. This seems to be achieved by implementing a discharge/recharge cycle which kicks in when connected to the battery for a long time. Therefore (hopefully) it respects the need to avoid keeping the battery always at 100% charge - see https://news.umich.edu/tips-for-extending-the-lifetime-of-lithium-ion-batteries. Thanks everyone for your comments.

In 2010 I had Caterham Works upgrade my Supersport Rover K Series 1.6L with the Supersport Eng Kit (stock SS03K). This involved amongst other things changing the Engine Control Unit to the EU3 version and adding a yellow LED in the tacho. Ever since I've had an occasional problem at startup which exhibits as: 1. Yellow LED stays ON whereas normally it goes OFF once the engine is running 2. The engine stalls if you let the engine idle. To keep the engine running you need to keep your foot on the accelerator To resolve the problem I just need to getup speed, take my foot off the accelerator, let the engine stall and then do a bump start. The yellow LED goes out and the engine returns to normal. I've noticed over the years that the problem seems to be associated with low battery charge. Currently my battery is on its last legs so it happens 50% of the time. It almost never happens when the battery is fully charged which is why I've not addressed the issue before now. I suspect that the ECU does some diagnostics at startup which includes checking the battery level and if lower than a certain voltage the code enters 'limp home mode' which results in the yellow LED staying ON. If my suspicions are correct then a fix would require either blowing the EEPROM with a new version of the code, or replacing the ECU entirely. Has anyone encountered similar problems? What was the fix? In 1980s I worked in a team responsible for programming the ECU in Ford cars so know a bit about 'limp home mode'

Agreed Jonathan - the simplest solution is usually the best Whilst writing the post it did strike me that coolant manufacturers may put additives in their product that inhibit the formation of carbonic acid so allowing people to use deionized water as a dilutant. I will contact the CTO of Connor and raise the point with him/her/they.

Heating tap water above 61°C/141°F causes any dissolved calcium to precipitate out as limescale that can accumulate on and corrode metal parts and surfaces. This is a particular problem in the parts of the country with high levels of dissolved calcium and other salts in their tap water - i.e. hard water areas like London. Boiling tap water in a kettle can remove its temporary hardness, but leaves calcium sulfate and/or magnesium sulfates ions in the water which can also contribute to engine corrosion. Therefore people living in hard water areas may want to consider using some form of purified water when diluting their engine coolant. In this regard distilled water is more expensive than deionised water, but less readily absorbs carbon dioxide so avoids your coolant becoming a weak carbonic acid solution which may corrode the metal parts in your engine. References... https://www.chemicals.co.uk/blog/deionised-water-or-distilled-water In natural water, both calcium and magnesium primarily exist bound to bicarbonate, sulfate or chloride. When hard water evaporates or is heated above 61°C/141°F, bicarbonate converts to carbonate and precipitates out with Ca++ to form calcium carbonate (CaCO3) scale that can accumulate on and corrode metal parts and surfaces. Therefore purified water is often used in cooling systems, particularly in hard water areas like London. There are two main types of purified water: Distilled - produced by heating tap water past its boiling point so it vaporises. The collected vapour is then cooled so it condenses into distilled water. This process removes all impurities including ions, minerals, heavy metals and organic matter Deionised / demineralised - typically produced by passing tap water through an ion exchange resin so charged ions are replaced hydrogen and hydroxide ions which combine to form pure water without any charged ions. Unfortunately the process makes deionized water more able to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere so forms a weak carbonic acid solution which can corrode metal partshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18965910/ Deoxygenated water is a further type of purified water. It is typically produced by boiling at normal atmospheric pressure (like boiling water in a kettle) boiling under reduced pressure purging with Nitrogen sonication under reduce pressureBoiling at normal atmospheric pressure was found to be the least effective way of producing deoxygenated water. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemical-engineering/water-hardness Water hardness is the total calcium and magnesium ion concentration in a water sample and is expressed as the concentration of calcium carbonate. Temporary hardness is that part of the total hardness that disappears on boiling. Permanent hardness is not removed by boiling.

Inspired by the Shaun_E Service schedule for Duratec I've created something similar for K-Series owners. However, I would appreciate comments from wiser heads before submitting - see link

Many thanks!

Does anyone know where I can obtain a service schedule for a Roadsport with K-Series 1.6 litre engine similar to the excellent one produced for the Duratec engine? Alternatively what changes should I consider to the Duratec schedule? service-schedule-duratec-specificThanks Will

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will start by replacing the sender, but also take a look at the sump baffle. I use Castrol Edge10W-60 oil by the way.

The oil is 8 months old and yes the needle does jump when I blip the accelerator. When cold the pressure is midway - ie. 4 in scale of 0-4-8 I would be happy to swap to a mechanical gauge. Do you have any suggestions / websites? Many thanks for suggestions!

I have a 1.6 litre K-Series dating from 2002 and notice low oil pressure at 3,000 RPM or less on hot days after the engine has been running for 30 minutes or more on a gentle ride through the countryside. The gauge needle sometimes goes slightly into the red zone or just above, but the pressure does rise slightly when engine speed increases beyond cruising levels. There is plenty of oil in the engine. Immediately after startup the gauge is in mid-range. Might an oil cooler improve the situation, or is this something that I don't need to worry about? Any advice about oil cooler kits would be welcome.

Does anyone know where I can get an official copy of the emissions in grams per kilometer for 2002 Roadsport SV with K-series 1.6 litre engine? I recently registered my car in Malta and discovered the new log book stated the emissions as 251 g/Km. It's not clear where they got this figure from, but it seem high. Interestingly anything less than 250 g/Km would cost only EUR 600 per year for road tax rather than EUR 1200. Will

I am moving back to a country where they drive on the correct side of the road - i.e. like UK. Therefore I need to refit the RHD chrome 7 inch headlights that were originally supplied on my Roadsport SV back in 2002; either entire units or glasses. Please let me know the price and suggest the delivery options. Commercial sellers welcome as well as private.

I can understand the problem as I recently had a great drive through the St Bernard pass leaving Switzerland, but thankfully it was in daylight. I couldn't have matched the speed at night due to the problem you mentioned.

What I really miss is having headlights with a beam direction that changes with steering. I suspect this is why modern cars with this feature have 'straight beams'.

Hi Jonathan, I will probably go for the simplest and cheapest way of passing the Maltese road worthiness test, but a copy of the Assembly Guide would be helpful. If it's easier for you then send to will dot stott at hotmail dot com Am I correct in thinking that I just need to change the headlamp glasses and then get a garage to realign the headlamps? I guess that putting some form of sealant on the chrome rims that secure the glass is a reasonable approach to waterproofing. Do you have any suggestion for a suitable sealant? Kind regards Will

Thank you for your comments. I'll send an update once I've fitted the my new headlamps.

Does anyone know the headlamp size fitted as standard for a Roadsport SV 1.6 K supplied as a kit in 2002? Unfortunately my car is in a different country so I can't just go out and measure them. It seems there are 11 inch, 7 inch and 5.75 inch available in black or chrome. Is that correct? Mine are chrome which is something I like. I need to revert my headlamps from right hand traffic (as in France) to left hand traffic (as in UK). I might take the opportunity to upgrade to LEDs but in other posts there seems to be mixed views on this idea. Let's not repeat the arguments here, but focus on what job involves. My understanding is that you need to buy the LEDs as an entire unit (2) which is set for either LHT or RHT and includes the glass, back part and the internal LED bulb as well as wiring and connector. It is then a case of removing the existing headlight assemblies, replacing them with the new LED assemblies, and then adjusting both lights so that they are correctly aligned. Is this correct? Are the electrical connectors the same? Are there any gotchas? If I decide to keep with halogens, then I guess that it is just a case of replacing the glass covers (containing the prism the throws the light to the left on dip beam) and then adjusting both lights so that they are correctly aligned. Where is a good place to buy the glass covers? Does anyone have any tips for keeping the whole assembly waterproof? It was 20 years since I did this when building the car so can't remember what I did. If I can't identify the size of my existing headlights and decide against LEDs, then I will need to buy two entire units (glass, back part, bulbs). Is it better to go for 11 inch, 7 inch and 5.75 inch? What are the pros and cons? I hope someone can help

Many thanks for your comments all. The roads in Malta seem a bit better than those in Sicily which were shocking in places, particularly the Autostrada A19. It was full of sections permanently roped off as roadworks due to the collapsing surface which nobody seemed to be addressing. However, the warmness of the Sicilian people more than compensated. The car is now safely in Malta and I got a three month temporary road permit which allows me to drive on Swiss plates and insurance until my Maltese permit arrives. The process is a bit convoluted so I might write a quick overview for others once I have successfully completed it. The major issue so far is getting decent local insurance for a >10 year old car as it seems only third party is available; not even fire and theft.

I'm moving from Switzerland to Malta with my Supersport SV (2002) and want some advice about registering the car with the Maltese Transport Authority particularly tips on getting through the roadworthiness test. Besides changing the headlights to LHD what else might i need to do?

I have electrical type as there is no mechanical drive cable entering the back of the speedometer, just an electrical connector block

I have a Roadsport Sv 1.6 with Rover K-series built in 2002. Unfortunately the speedo suddenly stopped working the other day. Possible causes: 1. Broken inductive sensor 2. Broken cable 3. Broken speedometer unit (display) Can any advise the most likely cause? Is it possible to test the speedo unit? There is a connector on the back which I presume provides DC power as well as a pulse input from the inductive sensor. I suspect sending pulses to the unit from some sort of test rig (555 timer for example) should cause the speedo needle to move. Does anyone know the specification for the pulses - 12V square pulse 50% duty cycle frequency 0-500Hz for example?