I started by removing the spare wheel and re-inflating. Thankfully it reached pressure and has continued to maintain it. I'm really chuffed that it is in virtually new and unused condition. It still has its knobbly bits on it!
The same couldn’t be said of the wheel though which was covered in grime and rust. I keyed it with a wire brush to remove any loose debris and flaking rust. I wiped clean and re-sprayed with my favourite hammarite direct to rust. I did this on both sides.
Moving on to the boot I removed the boot lining and carpet and started by hoovering up all the muck and mud that had accumulated over the years. I then cleaned the boot thoroughly with a degreaser, and a detailing brush to agitate the dirt. I did this twice over to ensure a good finish. I noticed that one of the foam bumps for the bottom of the carpet tray had detached along with one of the rubber grommets had left its position, so I popped that back in place – perhaps that may explain the slightly damp boot?
I then hoovered and cleaned the carpet. In the summer I will aim to have this properly wet and dry vacuumed to remove all of the dirt. After the vacuum, I put everything back together including all of the original tools, and re-gluing the foam support for the bottom of the boot carpet so it sits better in its seat.
Finally moving on to the rear parcel shelf, upon dismantling the rear blinds I realised the right hand side was missing its spring, along with the centre roller plastic divider being split. I put back together as best as I could but without these items it wont be possible to repair. One to add to the parts list.
Fuel Relay
An issue that I have noticed on the car is that it sometimes refuses to start when the engine is warm. Looking on the forums this is often down to the fact that it is a faulty fuel pump relay. Thankfully The Viking has a lot of good advice on this. The relay is located under the centre console and can be viewed if you contort yourself from the passenger side.
I did however take full advantage my friend Tom who was came to visit. He is adept with a spanner and loves anything electrical. I have him the tools and he made light work of it. Removing the 4 screws that hold the centre plastic trim in place, and within a few moments he had removed the relay and unclipped it from its box.
I did neglect to take some before photos – but none of the solder was broken. Just a bit discoloured with signs of corrosion on the contacts. I let Tom do the work and just 10 minutes later he had removed all corrosion and re-sealed with fresh solder
A few moments later and it’s back on. I haven’t officially tested the repair, but since this has been carried out I am yet to experience the non-starting issue when the engine is warm! Hooray!
