3 Q's About AU2 VCT (engine, trim and electrical)

Dauphin · 11-01-2007, 02:28 PM

Hi everyone,

Some general questions regarding an AU2 VCT.

Question 1. See attached photos. After reading GK's excellent tutorial, I went to remove the plastic pipe to my throttle body to see how dirty it is and see if that's what might be causing a slightly rough idle. My clip / ring is different. Does anyone how to remove and replace the pipe when it has this ring? It's a very thin, tight wire cable, not a screw-type one. I don't want to damage it coz I have no idea.

Question 2. I've been soundproofing my vehicle (wheel wells and doors) and discovered a yellow foam piece inside the passenger's front door to fill a gap but it wasn't there on the driver's side. (Or was it the other way around?) Maybe the driver's side doesn't have it coz of the central locking tab? Anyway, only one side had it. Is it the same for everyone else or has someone probably taken apart my door before and lost it?

Question 3. On another door bit it had "PROGRAM: GRIZZLY" printed on it. Is this probably just a shift or computer name at the manufacturing plant or a code name for AU LWB?

Question 4. I know I said three questions but does anyone know how to get into the wiring so I can make a new wire from accessories?

Thank you,

Andrew.

Sapper · 11-01-2007, 02:54 PM

Answer for question 1. The pipe should just slide off the throttle body. That metal ring is just like a big rubber band. You don't need to remove it. The pipe should come off easily, you shouldn't have to force it.

GK · 11-01-2007, 03:21 PM

^^^^^^^

It looks like a really thin and tight slinky ring! It also reminds me of the bicycle clips worn on the trousers by older gentlemen riders! You know the type, that press the trousers flat so they won't get caught in the chain. All the older gentlemen who are still riding seem to have hung onto their pre chain guard, rear foot braked, one geared Malvern Star!

God bless them for still riding! I've seen a few recently around Pascoe Vale Road, which I assure you is no mean feat! LOL!

Now back on topic. Dauphin, try the previous idea and see how that goes. If it's really tight, I reckon you could gently slide a screwdriver or two under it and roll it off the lip back onto itself. That way, you'd only have to stretch and roll it back up into the groove. You know what I mean?

GK

kryzak260 · 11-01-2007, 03:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Question 1. See attached photos. After reading GK's excellent tutorial, I went to remove the plastic pipe to my throttle body to see how dirty it is and see if that's what might be causing a slightly rough idle. My clip / ring is different. Does anyone how to remove and replace the pipe when it has this ring? It's a very thin, tight wire cable, not a screw-type one. I don't want to damage it coz I have no idea.

As has been said, it just slides off. If you undo the downstream part of the pipe and pull up and away from the throttle body, it will slide right off. Had mine off many times like that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Question 2. I've been soundproofing my vehicle (wheel wells and doors) and discovered a yellow foam piece inside the passenger's front door to fill a gap but it wasn't there on the driver's side. (Or was it the other way around?) Maybe the driver's side doesn't have it coz of the central locking tab? Anyway, only one side had it. Is it the same for everyone else or has someone probably taken apart my door before and lost it?

The yellow foam, is that like expanda foam or styrofoam? Im not sure about in the doors, but in the boot, i have a big blob of yellow expanda-foam behind where the sub-amp mounts, but i have nothing on the passenger side.I suppose that doesnt help you other than to say it came from the factory (if it is the same stuff i have)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Question 3. On another door bit it had "PROGRAM: GRIZZLY" printed on it. Is this probably just a shift or computer name at the manufacturing plant or a code name for AU LWB?

No idea, but i would be really interested to find out. Got a photo and/or a location?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

I know I said three questions but does anyone know how to get into the wiring so I can make a new wire from accessories?

What for? If feasible, tap into your accessories line behind the stereo.

Dauphin · 11-01-2007, 04:16 PM

Thanks for the help!

I got it off. A lot of worry about nothing. It looks pretty clean but has a black edge on the butterfly (I think it's called). There's also what looks like some black scorch marks further inside the tubing. Should I use the spray on that also or is that permanent?

Kryzak, that LTD woodgrain center dash thingy is still on eBay. Maybe if you offer a lower price he'll be happy to offload it.

To answer your questions, yes, it is styrofoam.

No photos of the GRIZZLY thing. It was a white sticker on the inside of the driver's side arm rest (the thing that pops up on some models).

The accessories question is for a carputer. Is it okay to run a full PC off that as well as the inverter and the stereo and screen? I will put a 30A fuse in between. Surely at some stage it will draw too much power or something and pop the stereo's fuse?

Regards,

Andrew.

kryzak260 · 11-01-2007, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Thanks for the help!

I got it off. A lot of worry about nothing. It looks pretty clean but has a black edge on the butterfly (I think it's called). There's also what looks like some black scorch marks further inside the tubing. Should I use the spray on that also or is that permanent?

Kryzak, that LTD woodgrain center dash thingy is still on eBay. Maybe if you offer a lower price he'll be happy to offload it.

To answer your questions, yes, it is styrofoam.

No photos of the GRIZZLY thing. It was a white sticker on the inside of the driver's side arm rest (the thing that pops up on some models).

The accessories question is for a carputer. Is it okay to run a full PC off that as well as the inverter and the stereo and screen? I will put a 30A fuse in between. Surely at some stage it will draw too much power or something and pop the stereo's fuse?

Regards,

Andrew.

The scorch marks are just a bit of dirt. If you wipe them with a rag, they will come off.

I dont think i will need it anymore. I got a whole standard centre facia from ford for $90 brand new. I am going to custom modify that to get my carputer screen in there. I will do a writeup on that aswell as my custom case for the carputer. If your interested, anyway

You shouldnt be drawing any power off that accessories wire. You draw all power from the fused +12V straight from the battery. The accessories wire is only there to tell the stereo/carputer PSU/screen/etc to turn on. AKAIK it is only capable of supporting 0.5-1.0A anyway. And yes, if you are only using it as a signal wire for your stereo, it will be fine to run multiple things off them.

Dauphin · 11-01-2007, 04:19 PM

While looking at the throttle body, I noticed a small black knob at the back of the TB that can be rotated. Does anyone know what that is?

In fact, is there an illustration on the web that shows a complete run down of the engine bay and what every single thing is and what it does? I'd find this very fascinating as I am not that knowledgable on engine bits.

My AU workshop manual is quite vague and even contains an error.

StAndArdAU · 11-01-2007, 04:25 PM

yeah i wondered about that too (the knob) i worked out that turning it doesn't do anything.

it's not mentioned in my Gregory's manual so i guesa it's nothing.

Dauphin · 11-01-2007, 04:29 PM

Hmm, so it's not a VCT power boost adjuster then.. damn.

Dauphin · 11-01-2007, 05:03 PM

Sorry I meant I want to power the carputer from the yellow lead to the stereo (always hot) for the carputer, which seems to come from the same grouped point. The only hole in my firewall is extremely small and already has the amp wiring somehow stuffed through it. I guess I need to start drilling holes in it?

I'ev been waiting for your carputer project to get going!

I am sick of my USB MP3 headunit. The USB drives (all 3) have started falling out when I go over a big bump, causing the player to reset to radio and forgetting where it was playing WinAmp will solve all my worries and I can run a pitch control and gain / limiter plugin.

kryzak260 · 11-01-2007, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Sorry I meant I want to power the carputer from the yellow lead to the stereo (always hot) for the carputer, which seems to come from the same grouped point. The only hole in my firewall is extremely small and already has the amp wiring somehow stuffed through it. I guess I need to start drilling holes in it?

I'ev been waiting for your carputer project to get going!

I am sick of my USB MP3 headunit. The USB drives (all 3) have started falling out when I go over a big bump, causing the player to reset to radio and forgetting where it was playing WinAmp will solve all my worries and I can run a pitch control and gain / limiter plugin.

What i have done is ran a 4GA power wire down to the boot to a distribution block and from there is goes to the amps and the the eventual carputer. I will probably upgrade the wiring to 2GA when the carputer is installed, which will fill the clutch cable hole perfectly.

I have the carputer itself going, but i havent got the cash at the moment for the screen and DC-DC power supply. Both of those have to be ordered from the US and at ~$499AUD for the screen and ~$220 for the PSU plus freight, it aint cheap! Do you know where to get a decent 7" touchscreen VGA monitor in australia for cheap? What have to got setup/on the drawing board?

I am still happy with my headunit and will retain it after installing the carputer. The audio will go through the AUX IN and will be subjected to the headunit's inbuild EQ/TC/X-Over/etc settings. Im mainly getting the CarPC for GPS and being able to have ALL of my music (~40GB) in the car at once without burning 100 CDs. Movies and wardriving are just bonuses

EDIT: I just re-read your post. DO NOT(!!!) run your carputer from the stereo power cable, especially if you are going to use an inverter and not a DC-DC PSU. Only use the ignition/accessories wire from the stereo (this wire is only hot when the key is pointing at ACC or ON). Do what i did for power and put a distribution block in the boot and power it from there. PM Me if you would like further clarification

cArSiK · 11-01-2007, 05:58 PM

my AU2 also had PROGRAM:GRIZZLY written on the door trims...wired

Dauphin · 13-01-2007, 08:42 AM

Kryzak, you can get a 7" touchscreen from Jaycar for $299 which works out almost the same if you were to go to eBay and get it and add the postage. Jaycar also sell the DC 12V power supply for $99. So your best bet is to go there.

My plans are to have a carputer so I can use my extensive MP3 collection play movies and have sat nav.

I only run the inverter for my other things that use AC. The carputer is going to use a DC 12V PSU and a relay switch system that Panda has made for me. I want to have it boot up when the cabin lights come on and it'll run off a smaller 12V rechargable battery linked to accessories also so it won't kill my battery.

So actually, it does need to run off an accessories power line so that when the car is off accessories, it's only running off the smaller 12V battery and won't use up all my main car battery.

kryzak260 · 13-01-2007, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Kryzak, you can get a 7" touchscreen from Jaycar for $299 which works out almost the same if you were to go to eBay and get it and add the postage. Jaycar also sell the DC 12V power supply for $99. So your best bet is to go there.

Got links to the products on thier site? I have looked for their LCDs before and have not been able to find them on the site. Also, the DC PSU, does it have a shutdown controller and engine crank protection?

This DC PSU i am importing has a shutdown controller which will shutdown the PC a pre-determined time after you turn the car off (configurable between 1 and 20 minutes), will detect when the car's battery drops below a pre-determined voltage (config between 9 and 11V) and shutdown the PC, will keep the puter powered even when cranking the engine (when most accessories go dead) and allows temperatre monitoring, etc. So as you can see, it is not simply a DC-DC power supply and is worth the money. It is also 220w for $190USD (~$243AUD), where the most powerfull similarly spec'd PSU in australia is ~$160AUD for 130w.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

So actually, it does need to run off an accessories power line so that when the car is off accessories, it's only running off the smaller 12V battery and won't use up all my main car battery.

Im not entirely sure what you mean by this. Just make sure you are not drawing alot of current through the accessories wire. It is only a signal wire from memory, used to signal stereos and stuff to turn on. Im not 100% sure though, so i will shutup

With my alpine headunit, it draws all power from the +12V thick wire, and the thin accessories wire is only used as a signal to startup. As soon as +12V is present, the stereo turns on.

**Mechan1k** · 13-01-2007, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

Hi everyone,

Some general questions regarding an AU2 VCT.

Question 3. On another door bit it had "PROGRAM: GRIZZLY" printed on it. Is this probably just a shift or computer name at the manufacturing plant or a code name for AU LWB?
Thank you,

Andrew.

I have the same on the inside of the passenger door trim of the AUII XLS ute .... I thought it was funny seeing it ... I was going to take a photo of it and post up a thread about it.

Next time I have the door trim off I'll take a photo of it. So it seems it's not just a model variant thing ... might be a program to make the door trims or something.

b2tf · 13-01-2007, 09:55 AM

The ute has GRIZZLY doortrims too. probably just the codename for the interior trim development program etc.

Sapper · 13-01-2007, 11:07 AM

After asking around, the only thing I've heard about Program Grizzly was that its supposedly the development of the 5.6 stroker for the TS50. Although this doesn't really shed any light on the door trims.

**Mechan1k** · 20-01-2007, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hot xr6

After asking around, the only thing I've heard about Program Grizzly was that its supposedly the development of the 5.6 stroker for the TS50. Although this doesn't really shed any light on the door trims.

Damn ... I wish I had the 5.6L under the bonnet ... unless mine is a special green rocker cover version

Dauphin · 13-01-2007, 01:51 PM

Thanks for the info everyone!

Futura01 · 13-01-2007, 02:15 PM

maybe ford just had to off load there stroker stickers lol

Dauphin · 15-01-2007, 10:09 AM

I can't seem to find the 12V PSU, maybe they've removed it. But the touchscreen is:

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...=&SUBCATID=687

If it doesn't work, go to the search box at their website and select Car Accessories > TFT Screens.

I didn't know that the stereo turn on wire shouldn't be excessively used. I just knew that both are 12V and discovered by testing the Aerpro harness adapter for a reported design fault that having the wires either way can power the stereo and the screen.

I've been running a 300W inverter off the red accessories line for about 4 months now so it comes on only with Accessories by itself and it's hidden away in the boot with a 4-board power outlet board in the rear cabin. The most I've run at the same time was a VCR, spy camera, mobile phone recharger and a 4xAA battery charger and it never had a problem.

I just want to find a way for the PC to draw power from the car's main battery only when the accessories is on, and that's what my limited knowledge knew. I guess I can use another relay switch that connects the battery to the PC only when accessories is on.

The second battery is so that when accessories is off, the PC will run for up to an hour off a smaller 12V battery that's in the boot and charged when the car's running. If I plan to stay out of the car for a longer period, I will shut down the PC manually or by a switch to provoke hibernation.

bodes-sh · 19-02-2008, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dauphin

trimmed

I just want to find a way for the PC to draw power from the car's main battery only when the accessories is on, and that's what my limited knowledge knew. I guess I can use another relay switch that connects the battery to the PC only when accessories is on.

The second battery is so that when accessories is off, the PC will run for up to an hour off a smaller 12V battery that's in the boot and charged when the car's running. If I plan to stay out of the car for a longer period, I will shut down the PC manually or by a switch to provoke hibernation.

the other option you have here is to install a 4x4 dual battery controller, that way when the car is off, you can use the power from your second battery and when the car is running it will be charged, this way you also wouldn't have to worry about surges when starting the car because the second battery is isolated

edit....just noticed this was like a year ago lol.....still may be of help to someone

Dauphin · 16-01-2007, 08:57 AM

Here's the Jaycar DC power supply. I don't think it has any of those wonderful features that you're looking for.

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView...Max=&SUBCATID=

**Luke Plaizier** · 19-02-2008, 03:03 PM

Grizlley = AU2 as far as I can tell.

From what I can see:
AU=WR2A,
AU1.5=WR2T,
AU2 and AU3 = 1R23 (Grizzly), 1R53 (TL50), 2R23 (200kW V8, Dedicated LPG -> One of these two is Seagull), 2R53 (220kWV8) and YR23 (Ute - Osprey).

Lukeyson

b2tf · 19-02-2008, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

Grizlley = AU2 as far as I can tell.

From what I can see:
AU=WR2A,
AU1.5=WR2T,
AU2 and AU3 = 1R23 (Grizzly), 1R53 (TL50), 2R23 (200kW V8, Dedicated LPG -> One of these two is Seagull), 2R53 (220kWV8) and YR23 (Ute - Osprey).

Lukeyson

Seagull = BA XR6T