Baxter's Grand Day Out!

[Guest zoomzoom]

Well today we had our sva test at leighton buzzard test centre, things didnt go too well at the start due to running out of petrol 2 miles down the road at 6 am!!

So quick phone call and 20 minutes later we are on our way. Its a 55 mile trip to the test centre in very cold fog/rain so not so nice but what the heck its in the zero!!

Next we switch on the sat-nav to guide us and hells bells its got a flat battery and a no-go, so dont panic I know where the test centre is says Baxter great says I so on we go.

Well he might know where A test station is but not the one we want so we find a petrol station to buy a map and fill up.

Spencer then meets a local know it all who says '' that testing place its down there about 2 miles''

So off we go 2 miles in the wrong direction.

When we finally find the test station we are 45 minutes late and frozen solid, but the tester (andy) says its ok we can still do it

 

We did fail on the points I expected to fail on unradiused edges (we didnt have time to finish the boot cover so this was left open), exhaust clamps, ignition leads unsecure etc.

We also failed on the fog lamp being too dim (looking at it its not a proper fog lamp at all)

 

But the worst fail point is '' 20 speedo not indicating units of measurement at all times and lighting conditions''

 

Its a digi dash2 and the tester said they had a email from swansea about how some digital dashes can be set to lap timers and not display the speed at all times. Well I said mine can do that but the speed is always shown in the top red led display no matter the mode it is in.

This seemed to be ok and he looked at it again and agreeded with me that it does show speed at all times.

Many pressing of buttons later and all seemed well, then his mate/boss/manager came over said thats one of those dashes that can't be used.

They then went away for 5 minutes and returned saying that even though it shows the speed in mph at all times the red led display dosent have the letters MPH next to it!!!

Right says I i'll have a sticker made up and put next to it

Err no says sva man because it needs to be illumimated at night

 

Baxter is very upset and spencer is crying again!!

 

That dash cost the best part of £450 and next to the bike carbs it the biggest waste of money so far!!!

 

Never mind a great 120 mile round trip (on the way back the sun came out ) in the zero

[Guest sritony]

Ah thats not good , loved your website with the teddy bears on some great pics!

[Guest chris brown]

I take it you haven’t had time to speak to Digi Dash but when you do I think you should point out that they are selling a product that is not fit for purpose that is unless they have in the small print somewhere "for track use only" but if that is the case why the hell make it to read in MPH. Other fail points sound easy for a bear like you Baxter.

[Guest gdc]

hi marcus

are you sure you went to leighton buzzard ?cos its only 3 miles from us and you are about 15 miles away ?

the tester at leighton is usually a guy called doug and he is both professional and reasnoble .

sorry you found otherwise re the locals there a bit norfolk if you know what i meen .

re dans digi dash

re the dash on the main display it displaies a number only if you go further into the unit it will display in miles per hour

sorry to hear baxter is upset !

 

graham

 

ps glad you got in under the sva though

[Guest zoomzoom]

Hi the car was built in my mum's garage and she lives in bucks near beaconfield so we went the most direct way to the test centre

 

My dash when you turn it on and after it has gone through a self test shows speed in the red led display and mph and rpm in the bottom display.

 

By pressing the buttons the bottom display moves through different functions but speed remains in the top display. this is ok but acording to the testers

(andy and doug i think) BUT its needs to be marked MPH and lit so it is seen at night (just the MPH bit as the red led is lit)

 

Abit silly I think but they seemed detirmined to fail it as a memo had come from a level 4 person at swansea!!!

 

 

3 answers to it I think

 

1 CHANGE THE DASH

 

2 ADD A STICKER WITH MPH ON IT AND A SMALL WHITE LED WHICH COMES ON WITH THE SIDE LIGHTS

 

3 REPROGRAMME THE DASH SO THE 'A' AND 'B' BUTTONS DON'T WORK

[Guest boggybogstar]

how about something like this ?, program it to say 'MPH' and double side it onto the dash - meets the requirement and also underlines how stupid that fail point is!!!

[speedtripledan]

Well today we had our sva test at leighton buzzard test centre, things didnt go too well at the start due to running out of petrol 2 miles down the road at 6 am!!

So quick phone call and 20 minutes later we are on our way. Its a 55 mile trip to the test centre in very cold fog/rain so not so nice but what the heck its in the zero!!

Next we switch on the sat-nav to guide us and hells bells its got a flat battery and a no-go, so dont panic I know where the test centre is says Baxter great says I so on we go.

Well he might know where A test station is but not the one we want so we find a petrol station to buy a map and fill up.

Spencer then meets a local know it all who says '' that testing place its down there about 2 miles''

So off we go 2 miles in the wrong direction.

When we finally find the test station we are 45 minutes late and frozen solid, but the tester (andy) says its ok we can still do it

 

We did fail on the points I expected to fail on unradiused edges (we didnt have time to finish the boot cover so this was left open), exhaust clamps, ignition leads unsecure etc.

We also failed on the fog lamp being too dim (looking at it its not a proper fog lamp at all)

 

But the worst fail point is '' 20 speedo not indicating units of measurement at all times and lighting conditions''

 

Its a digi dash2 and the tester said they had a email from swansea about how some digital dashes can be set to lap timers and not display the speed at all times. Well I said mine can do that but the speed is always shown in the top red led display no matter the mode it is in.

This seemed to be ok and he looked at it again and agreeded with me that it does show speed at all times.

Many pressing of buttons later and all seemed well, then his mate/boss/manager came over said thats one of those dashes that can't be used.

They then went away for 5 minutes and returned saying that even though it shows the speed in mph at all times the red led display dosent have the letters MPH next to it!!!

Right says I i'll have a sticker made up and put next to it

Err no says sva man because it needs to be illumimated at night

 

Baxter is very upset and spencer is crying again!!

 

That dash cost the best part of £450 and next to the bike carbs it the biggest waste of money so far!!!

 

Never mind a great 120 mile round trip (on the way back the sun came out ) in the zero

Whats wrong with the bike carbs mine are great all be it set up on the rollers it was on there today and is fueling spot on.

Dan

[Guest Ian & Carole]

Hi all

 

It has been posted earlier today about replying to posts !!

 

Unless the previous text is really relevant to your answer is there any chance you could all try using the "add reply" and not the "reply.

 

This will prevent having to read all the previous post aswell as your valuable reply and looking at two full pages of photo's we have just looked at.

 

Many thanks in anticipation!!!!!!!!!! won't hold my breath though.

[Guest gdc]

hi marcus

sorry i must cogratulate you on getting it in for sva before the cut of date , (should have done it before )

and the list i am sure is not as bad as it first seems .and its a small one .

you might want to have a chat with the digi dash manufacturers re the prob they may not be aware of the sva issue .

 

graham

[Guest zoomzoom]

 

Hi would like some advice on what to use to radius the exhaust can and clamp? (cut copper fuel pipe for the can and exhaust wrap for the clamp???)

 

and also what to use as edge trim around the bonnet where the exhaust exits.

The bike carbs just dont want to work ie spitting back through the inlet and massive back firing through the exhaust so took them off and

ran with the twin choke webber for sva. I did spend 5 hours trying to get them to run (balance, mixture etc) but no joy

 

That led belt thing might work (its a bit big ) will look at maplins to see if I can get a smaller one

 

 

marcus

 

P.S. couldnt resist posting a picture of the car at the sva centre

[st3v3nw]

zoomzoom, I have a digidash lite as well and mine failed, not on the MPH display but due to the brake fail symbol not being over the light.

 

Ensure that you check the box in the set-up menu for SVA and disable all other menus.

 

Have you got a silencer heat shield? if so that should be easy to put edge trim round. If not, I'd add one as i have a nasty burn on my arm from touching the hot exhaust.

 

 

 

Also, ETB Instruments advertise their digidash lite as SVA compatible

 

The DD2-LITE is SVA (Single Vehicle Approval scheme) compliant and is suitable for all types of sports cars.

 

Good luck for the retest, and get the car down to a rolling road and have a pro set-up the carbs. It is well worth the money.

[Guest zoomzoom]

Thank for that I will look into the sva setting.

Didnt even load the disc that came with the dash as was still fitting the seats, dash and front wings the night before

 

My dash has the symbols over the lamps and not next to them so it might be a different version

Mant thanks

marcus

[nicko]

Hi, I used left over fuel pipe for trimming exhaust exit hole and silencer. The fuel pipe is 8mm dia. coated in black stuff. ( I think it's ali)

 

I hope these pics help!!

 

Nick

[Guest zoomzoom]

Hi have done most of the mods to pass sva but have had to send off the dash to have it reprogrammed to disable the buttons so it will show MPH ''at all times and lighting conditions''.

 

Have covered the boot so the tested cannot reach the diff/fuel pump and fail it on projections, does it look ok?

 

Also the exhaust can failed on edges so have covered them with edge trim and ran the engine for 30 minutes and its still there so hoping this will be ok and up to the standard to pass.

 

Where the exhaust mounts to the body was also a fail as the stud and nut were contactable with the sphere so I have cut down the stud and the mounting flange and fitted a nut cover , but the rubber bobbin is still contactable is this ok??

 

Heres the pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Marcus (hoping for a retest next week)

[stevedohc2b]

I do not think edge trim directly on the exhaust will pass as will melt needs a cover or try exhaust wrap that is fire proof. This could cover the bracket as well.

 

good luck

 

Stephen