VZ Adventra - 2021 Lockdown Project

[figjam]

The V6 Adventras got a bit more electrickery that the 8's didn't get, such as hill decent and esc. Not sure about the cross6 though

Happy with mine. They are the same as the Cross8 with 2 less cylinders, and a basic interior. Nothing electrickery.
But ..... I was an Alloytec virgin, and knew nothing about them or the quirks and potential problems. A bit of knowledge would have scared me off.
Now ....... I still know nothing about them, but I do know what can go wrong and what the symptoms are. Fortunately nothing has with mine.

Bought the Cross6 with 80Km, and now has 145Km in nearly 11 years. Transmission fluid changed once, diffs, and transfer case twice in that time.
Major repair so far has been a new radiator. Luckily it waited until I got back from Dead Dingo Creek before it dumped its contents.
Fuel consumption on a trip is 9 >10 L /100.

Those videos above brought back memories of how I wanted an Adventra at the time, and if I had bought one, it would have had about 340Km on it by now.
When decision time came, I bought a Monaro. Go figure that logic.

COVID lockdowns have got me questioning why I have 3 cars, and if we will be able to travel interstate ever again.

 

[figjam]

The “press release video’’ prompted me to dig out some long ago archived interesting stuff that I have kept for somebody to chuck out when I fall off the perch.

“Wheels” magazine joined that expedition to the Flinders Ranges, and published it in the Oct 2003 edition.
At the 3.33 time of the video, some techies are doing something around the LHR wheel area.
Short version …. about 100km from Arkaroola, the top of the LHR damper broke off, not a Holden problem, a Monroe problem.

“Modern Motor” magazine ( Nov 2003 edition) also were there.
They did not mention the damper problem, but did loose all drive on another Adventra, and incorrectly suspected a gearbox failure.
The left front drive shaft pulled out of the hub because it had been fitted with a “left handed helix clip” when it should have been a right handed clip, with a detailed explanation and diagram. ( Interpreting that is beyond my pay grade ).

Both articles are good techie reading on info about the CrossTrac sytem, and raved about how good it is/was.

 

[Fu Manchu]

That’s the product I was talking about.

 

[krusing]

After putting all the dash back together,
I found a couple of globes not working,
Transmission shift illumination, and the Mode/Set button,
The Trans shift was an easy one, just ordered a White T5 LED from Jaycar, and worked great,
But the one for the Mode/Set buttons is a very small twist type, and is internal of the unit, and the globe has one of the green comdom's on it.
I did try to utilise a LED in the base, but the original base was very brittle, and started breaking away, so I will try and source a replacement, I was hoping it was the same size as the dash ones, but it is much small again.
The other option would be to silicone a 5mm LED into the existing hole, and a couple a dabs of solder (inc a resistors) and that will solve that one, one would hope it should last for a few years.

Photo’s to be added soon.

 

[Fu Manchu]

There is a guy who sells them with LED already for a minimal cost.
https://www.ebay.com.au/usr/bendigoledseller?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

All products:
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/bendigoledseller/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

 

[Fu Manchu]

I'm not sure what I'm watching here, but this is not an Aussie plate, Not NZ.

Was the Adventra sold in Africa? I don't think this is a Saffa plate either.
Are they Kenyan plates????

 

[krusing]

I did look for them, but hard to guess if they will fit,
Where as I had some 5mm Clear Green LED's on hand, that I had left over from replacing the panel globes in my 2002 VXII Climate Control Display,
So I figured, Its going to be a Circuit Board LED

The 5mm LED fits perfectly in the original fitting hole,
So I figured out what the Polarity was - [Looking from the Back, with the Plug Pins at the top]
Right side Positive,
Left side Negative,
I used some Wet & Dry Sandpaper and roughed up the LED Lens/Body, so it will act like a defuser, and spread the light,
Otherwise the LED would of been like a spot light to the centre of the switch and not spread the light evenly
Placed the led in the hole,
Then placed some heat shrink on the Negative leg [Cathode], and folded it back on its self,
then a little dob of solder on the - C/Board connection, and soldered the leg onto the board,
Then cut short the 2k2 resistor, and also place a dob of solder on the + C/Board Connection, and solder that to board,
then run the Resistor parallel to the LED Anode,
Place a dob of solder on LED & Resistor, and cut them short, and placed shrink sleaving over the resistor.
Keep in mind, there is not much room at the back of the LED in the housing, so I placed a small peice of duct insulation on the back of the switch cover to hold it in place [forward]
I did test to see if it worked before re-assembling the unit
Re-assemble the Switch
Placed it back in the Dash, and its just the correct brightness,
I was going to use a 430 ohm resistor, but it would have been too bright, especially for a dash switch.

Parts used -
1 x 5mm 3.2V > 3.4V Clear Green LED
Small piece of fine Wet & Dry sandpaper
1 x 2k2 5% Resistor
Shrink Sleaving
1/2 hour.

 

[krusing]

I did put the Dash back together yesterday,
And used a T5 LED for the Trans Shift indicator from Jaycar
https://www.jaycar.com.au/t5-wedge-...os=3&queryId=b0cc70f8574b4855af522c1522963398

 

[krusing]

Dash all cleaned up, and Back Together Again.

Side Note:
Its amazing what you find under the console, especailly the crap people spill,
and a heap coin/money, which has now covered all my entry fee's to Jolly's

 

[krusing]

Update on the Delivery of my parts,
Still nothing,

So if your waiting on parts, they could take up to 2 weeks.
In saying that,
Do your online Christmas Shopping Early this year !!!