briand

Correct that they are threaded in the expected way (lefty loosey, righty tighty). Confirmed at https://www.evilution.co.uk/Wheels/changing_a_wheel.htm (might need to create a free log in).

In half from front to back? Or in half from top to bottom?

I use a mac, so I did the spreadsheet and exported as a PDF. The only other way - to keep it simple - is to upload that spreadsheet to Google Docs, let everyone have access and then link to it in this forum. Wiki might be a good idea to.

changed my oil and filter, greased the universal joints in the steering column/rack, inspected all four ABS rings, checked front brake pads, readjusted windshield sprayers, cleaned and oiled my K&N air filter, cleaned my blow-off valve and had another look around to try to find a suitable catch can mounting area.

Also, OP/blitz what kind of exhaust and cat did you use? Flexpipe? Pictures please!!

Excellent points Bil, and as always, i love reading them I have experienced Paul's (BMS) 451 mount installed on a 451 as a passenger. I did not notice a single difference in vibration in takeoff versus the regular 451 mount. Turbo or non-turbo'ed 451 did not matter as well. That said, I imagine it could be different for the 450. I need a center mount (current one is original to the car and is perished) so I may "take one for the team" and buy the BMS mount in the coming weeks. Lots of vibration right now from the worn out mount. Not tooth-filling-removing vibration but certainly worse than the BMS part might introduce. Again, I'll have to wait and see. Also, BMS (Paul Barnes) makes the rear wheels wedge kits bilgladstone and I have installed on our smarts. Love those, thus my willingness to try his mount.

I know its late, but wasn't there an iPod/phone holder that attached to the passenger-side of the a/c & heater fan control?

Speedie: Thanks. I think you've helped rule out the in-tank fuel pump. FPR seems to be ok and I do have the 4.0bar Audi FPR if we need to replace the one the car came with. 42pilot: As I stated earlier, the battery is new (only a few months old) so there is no oxidation on the posts or the battery cables. I cleaned the inside of the cables before I installed the new battery. I did check the battery (first thing since I asked AAA to try to jump) and everything was ok. Thanks for your suggestion. My mechanic called and said that the fuse for the starter keeps blowing. I think this supports the posts about the alternator pulley locking up at the starter. Or it could just be a bad starter. I should know more in a few hours.

Did an oil and plug change last night and the car started right up. Twice. This morning, the car started. It also started the second time I tried it. Now, I get in it to go from one of my offices to the other and now it will not start again. Same symptoms as previously listed. Found the 700cc fuse layout on evilution. Going to check all the relevant fuses. UPDATE: Just tried to start again and I hear an electrical whirr (like a starter) and a loud sucking or whoosing noise coming from the Fuel Pressure Regulator area. Could be the FPR or it could be the rail. A possible problem diagnosis is that the fuel filter might be clogged/due for a change (as far as I know its the original to the car/from the factory filter) or it could the FPR has perished. Are these correct thoughts?

Yes it has Mike. Its great. Its a few months old (I bought it new) Optima Red Top.

My 2005 G&K gasser recently started odd starting behavior culminating in today's refusal to start. A little history. A couple of months ago I noticed gas leaking onto the ground under my car. Turns out the hole G&K made to put a valve for their added evaporate system was leaking. My mechanics tried t o repair the leak but nothing seems to work. So we put a new seal on the valve, put it bck together and the car still runs great. However recently I had a little trouble starting. Nothing that turning the car off, waiting and restrying couldn't fix.Today, first start, the car started fine. I drove around, ran some errands. I stopped for lunch and after lunch the car would not start.When I turn the key to 1, I wait for the all of the instrument lights to go away and then I turn the key to 2. Well today the battery, oil and engine lights did not go away. And the car would not turn over. Battery tested fine but AAA Tried jumping, no dice. It does make that hum that I imagine is the fuel pump charging. I noticed my dome light is flashing at a steady pace. I tried removing the light and still the car would not start. I have my seat belt buzzer wires unplugged as well. While typing this out, I tried to star it again. It did the electrical whir/hum and then briefly make a noise like it was starting to turn over but then quit. The hum then went away and a second attempt to stawrt did not succeed. I turned the key to 0 and tried to start again. This time, no hum. Is it possible that it's the fuel pump or the alternator? Sounds like it may be the alternator?

After running errands I came home to walk the dog then go run more errands. When I returned to the car I noticed a pool of liquid under the car. It smelled like gas. I saw the rear belly pan was soaked so I put the car on jack stands, dropped the belly pan and looked for a leak. Looks like it might be around where the filler neck joins the fuel tank. I really need a lift to properly diagnose where the leak is. I've buttoned up the belly pans, pushed the car out of the garage, cleaned up the fuel puddle and will take it to my mechanic tomorrow.

72570 http://www.clubsmartcar.com/index.php?showtopic=4017?

Finally replaced the battery in the Silver car with an Optima Redtop 34R. Easy install and everything is still working properly after the battery swap. Going for a long test drive tomorrow.

I searched through the forums (using the advanced search) and found a few things about the seats but could not find anything about making the passenger seat recline. Is there a way to do it? I have read Evilution Seat Information and Evilution - How to Change the Seat Runners and came up with the thought that I could just buy a RHD driver's seat and use the current passenger seat's bracket. But then I would lose the ability to fold down the passenger seat. Anyone know if my idea would work? And how I might find a RHD seat?

washed, polished and quick waxed the black/silver one. Filled the tank and met a prospective buyer. Looks great.

gauchorojo, were you able to find the old alternator and confirm this?

Funny. My Dad and I have been thinking about this catch can and he brought up how a lot of GM cars had an oil/water separator. He said that maybe we could use something like that, or create something like that, for the catch can. I guess we were beating around the idea of a pre-condensor! I've sent a message and requested a place to send pictures of the engine area with my current setup. Hopefully they respond with some ideas

Activated the tach and cruise in my other (black/silver) 450 at the Outsmarting the Dragon II event. Lots of Quebec 450s here.

Sure thing William. Let me know some songs with which you are familiar and I'll load them onto my iPod so we can have a listen. Thanks CS! I wouldn't say its tricky, so much as takes some time. Would be faster if you had a second person helping and little bins or bags for the screws from certain areas. For example, the screws from the speedo cowl I placed under the driver's floor mat. The screws from the driver's side woofer I placed in the cubby closest to the driver's door and did the same on the passenger side for the passenger's woofer. IF I would have just put them in baggies, with labels, would have gone faster for me. I kept counting screws to make sure I wasn't missing any. The dash removal and replacement would be better with 2 people but it wasn't hard at all. Just fiddly.

I think I may have found a can with a good connectors and no drain plug to allow oil vapor leakage. Billet PrototypesI sent an email via the contact form asking for their smallest size can and within minutes I got a response saying: I'm going to send them pictures of my gasser 450's engine area (back of the car removed) and see if they can help us come up with a solution!!

Thanks Huronlad! I agree that there is a je ne sais quoi absent from the laboring youth in Asia. I just made a word joke. Like Shakespeare! Are you going to the Oustmarting the Dragon II? If so I want to check out those floor mats. Also, I may have a present (or two) for you. And as for what I did to the car, I added Infinty component speakers. Since I have an aftermarket head unit, I ran the front left and right wires from the head unit and to the respective side's crossover. Then from the crossovers to the woofers and tweeters. Woofers are in the speaker bins, under the dash. I was actually able to reuse the factory tweeter locations and screw holes for the Infinity set's tweeters!! Pictures coming up. I ordered the Infinity Kappa 5.09cs 5.25 inch (13cm) component speaker set and following the excellent guides at both Evilution and FQ101, I was able to do it on my own. Granted it took me two 10-hour days as I went slow; was meticulous about the Dynamat application; ran new wires, did some wire combining, wrapping and strapping; hooked up the HD tuner module, ran the wires from its mounting place (under passenger seat) under floor carpet, up center tunnel to back of the head unit; and it was HOOOOTTTTT out. Here is the interior with the dash off. There was a lot of dust in there. So I gave all the black plastic bits a cleaning. Dash Off, Old Speakers Out by briandewitt, on Flickr Another shot of the naked dash Dash Off, Dynamat On by briandewitt, on Flickr Outside of the speaker bin is coated in Dynamat. Speaker Bin Outside Dynamat by briandewitt, on Flickr Getting the shape of the speaker bin hole so I can cut the correct sized opening in the Dynamat sheet. Speaker Bin Shape by briandewitt, on Flickr On the left (from top to bottom): Infinity 5.09cs Woofer, Tweeter and Grill On the right (top to bottom): Stock woofer, tweeter dash mount, tweeter New Speakers on Left, Old on the Right by briandewitt, on Flickr Speaker bins have Dynamat inside and out, so time to run speaker wire and install the woofers! I also ran the Bluetooth cellphone microphone from the head unit to the passenger A pillar and up to above the rearview mirror. I'll grab pictures of that, close ups of the tweeters and the crossovers later. Speaker Bins Dynamatted, Woofers Going In by briandewitt, on Flickr Putting the dash and all its bits back on. I put the screw driver in that hole as the whole is easily smashed closed during dash removal and replacement. Speaker Install 07 by briandewitt, on Flickr

Cleaned the wheels, wiped car down with spray detailer, clay-bared the glass and used Adam's Polishes glass sealer. Trying the Adam's Glass Cleaner and Adam's Glass Sealer for the first time. I'll report my findings later

Nice one! That looks slick and "upgraded stock!" Great job CS. Huronlad, I expect a well-documented how-to about powering the GPS from one of the accessory points on the SAM. Those mats look nice. Are they p/leather? I imagine they're much more easy to clean than the standard smart mats and the oem (bubbly) all-weathers. And just to stay on topic, (a few days ago) I changed the oil and filter (need to find a better quality filter or just invest on the spin on oil filter conversion) and had a crack in the muffler/catalytic converter "barrel" welded closed. Next up, I think the reluctor rings on the rear need to be replaced.

The speaker bins allow for the fitting of a 5 1/4inch woofer without any sort of special spacer/adapter? I have the factory upgraded sound package but recently installed a new head unit: New Stereo In-situ by briandewitt, on Flickr Up close of my new stereo headunit by briandewitt, on Flickr Of course, I would like better speakers to improve the sound. The head unit did improve it a bit but it sounds like the speakers are meeting their match. I just want to make sure that 5 1/4inch woofers fit without a problem (or minimal effort) before I take the dash off my daily driver. And since you (and others here) have done it, I'd much rather learn from your experience before I order some speakers.