New owner of VL, lots of problems

[manolis]

Hey guys, just recently I got myself a VL with 250,000km on the clock, one of the best and easiest cars that i've driven.
But it has problems that I need to fix.

Firstly I don't want it stolen, therefore I need help with the door locks and the ignition. Also the central locking is stuffed. (I've read the "shave your locks" section)

Secondly, I have a suspicion that most dials don't function properly. The oil gauge is stuffed completely, the fuel gauge doesn't accurately show how much fuel I have, the electricity jumps everytime I hit the brake and I have a feeling they might all be not accurate.

Thirdly, the brake pedal needs to be pushed hard in for the car to brake efficiently. I don't know if this is how it originally was but I'd like to tweak it abit so I don't have to push as hard to get the car to stop.

Fourthly, if there are other things I need to check out on the car that members on here know of, it would be greatly appreciated.

I could fix up the VL Berlina or buy a VS later on, I'm still unsure of that.

[stockies]

Hey guys, just recently I got myself a VL with 250,000km on the clock, one of the best and easiest cars that i've driven.
But it has problems that I need to fix.

Yes i'ts a great car to drive. Manual?

Firstly I don't want it stolen, therefore I need help with the door locks and the ignition. Also the central locking is stuffed. (I've read the "shave your locks" section)

Central locking is easy to replace. Or you could get a whole new alarm setup. Solex locks on the front doors and boot is a good idea to.

Secondly, I have a suspicion that most dials don't function properly. The oil gauge is stuffed completely, the fuel gauge doesn't accurately show how much fuel I have, the electricity jumps everytime I hit the brake and I have a feeling they might all be not accurate.

Mabye you need a new dash cluster? Or have yours looked at. Also check the condition of the wiring, That may be the cause of the electricity "jumping"

Thirdly, the brake pedal needs to be pushed hard in for the car to brake efficiently. I don't know if this is how it originally was but I'd like to tweak it abit so I don't have to push as hard to get the car to stop.

Brakes are woefull at best. It's just a fact of VL life.

I could fix up the VL Berlina or buy a VS later on, I'm still unsure of that.

Keep the VL, there great cars if looked after properly.

[manolis]

Nah mate its an Auto. Thanks for the reply.
What do you recon are the standard things to upgrade for it.
I'm thinking new tyres and rims, exhaust+extractors, central locking.
(I'm a P-plater by the way)

[harry3]

better quality tyres and an advanced driving course will help you stay alive longer, IMO

the oil pressure sender may be faulty it screws into the block near the filter

elleries workshop manual is quite good and you need to learn about using the bleeder bolts when working on the cooling system to avoid a cracked head from overheating, this is the biggest VL problem

[rb26dett]

A dirty connection on the oil pressure switch will show it as off the gauge also.

[manolis]

I didn't mean performance upgrades so i can race n stuff, I meant upgrades so the car would run better without the possibility of breaking down (since its a 21yo car). From a complete stop till about 40-50km/h the acceleration is pretty slow, but from a rolling start it accelerates better.
Thanks for the other info though.

[VL_5SPEED]

For it to be reliable I would be replacing the crank angle sensor or get the whole dizzy reconditioned before your car stalls at the traffic lights and you have to wait 2 hours to get it towed. Air flow meter is another common problem with age so buy one as a spare. Other then that they are pretty reliable motors. Do you have drum brakes on the rear? If so you can replace them with VL,VN disc brakes and calipers.

[manolis]

Thanks mate.
Anyone know where I could go for interior work like seats and dashboard in VIC?