BrentS

Well.... It's been an interesting road. I'd like to thank this forum for all the info, support, and help. Unfortunately, a mouse (or mice) made it's way into the glove compartment area, and did a number on the wiring harnesses. Even though I just replaced the heater core, as well as the ignition control module and coil pack... and things were looking good. This mouse damage just took all my enthusiasm, energy, and motivation out of me; I just don't have the time and energy to work on Reatta wiring. Additionally, I believe the insurance payout was very generous... likely more than I would've received from selling the car. So, that was at least, an upside to the story. I guess I'll proceed in selling off any other Reatta stuff I have... Bye all. Good Luck!

I replaced my belts years ago.... and then a white plastic piece broke, and that's when I gave up on the cassette deck. I don't have a pic of it, unfortunately... but was not going to be easy to repair. Would have to machine or 3D print a replacement part.

When I hold the "TEST" button down on the instrument panel, it appears I never get the Brake, Security, Battery, or Service Engine Soon lights to light. I only see Anti-Lock, Temp, and Oil can. You think it's a loose connector, or something, with that many lights out?

So, I got the windshield replaced.....Safelite did a good job. And insurance covered it....$1,761.00 !!! Ouch. I'll try to remember to post a pic.

So, my windshield is cracked, and being in NY (with our annual inspections) I need a new one. I’m going to claim through insurance, I hope it’s covered. So, I’m not sure where to begin. If anyone has suggestions, I’d really appreciated it. I’m assuming Pilkington is still the only manufacturer? Do I contact a safelite-type of glass shop, and they’ll procure it from Pilkington? Are there any instructions for the rubber molding? Or does the new windshield come with replacement rubber?

I too, just had Eddie Voland fix my CRT. I'm soooo happy now...it's absolutely perfect. Best $175 I've spent on the car! Mine used to get the intermittent "squigglies" (shown below). p.s. Has anyone else noticed that if you do a search for "CRT" on this forum, nothing comes up? Or, am I doing something wrong?

I've done the capacitor replacement repair a few years back.....it worked great. But now my radio volume seems to die-out....and appears to be temperature-related. If the car is sitting in the sun, there's no volume at all. Or, if the car isn't too hot, it will last a little while before the volume fades away. Did anyone have this problem?

So, I picked up the car from the shop, and it feels perfect. They claim that the disassembled the bearings, greased them, and re-assembled them. I wouldn't be surprised if they simply installed them upside down, the first time; and now just reversed them, and charged me for the labor to re-install them.

Update: I jacked-up the front wheels off the ground, and with the engine running I grabbed a front tire (wheel) and manually rotated it while watching the strut. You can see & hear the coil spring and top spring seat flange skip & squeak as you turn the wheel. This is definitely the mount's bearing. That explains why after you make a sharp right turn, the car pulls to the right (and pulls left after left turns); the coil spring retains a torque because the bearing prevents complete/smooth return of the whole strut assembly. So, I returned the car to the shop....they claimed that the bearing was installed correctly, and could not have been installed the wrong way. They've disassembled the mount bearing, and found NO grease. They wanted to grease it and see the results. FYI: This is the response from Gabriel support: "The bearing provided with 142298 mount kit should be installed with the bearing part facing downwards toward the spring seat. (This is the white ring side) The top part of the bearing assembly is covered with rubber and locks securely into the contour of the upper mount. If it is installed upside down there will definitely be noises."

Thanks Ronnie, but that picture is puzzling, as it doesn't seem to show the "bearing" which comes with the mount. The "bearing" is a rather large rubber encapsulated ball bearing assembly, which has a white plastic race on one side. See attached picture. Unless....the "bearing" isn't supposed to be installed at all??? I obviously don't know. I'm hoping someone can clear things up, as the Gabriel tech support told me the opposite as the other post in 2013 for that other member.

I just got the below from Gabriel's customer support. Does this make sense to anyone? Good afternoon, The black surface lays flat on the mount, you should be able to see the white part of the bearing. Regards, GABRIEL RIDE CONTROL LLC David J. DeMunnik Senior Application Tech / Technical Advisor Upate: He just confirmed the below: So, you're saying that the bearing (that's part of the GAB142298 mount) mounts directly underneath the metal mount (that has 3 studs) with the black rubber side facing UP (against the metal mount) and the side with the white plastic race facing toward the ground?

It's definitely not the pump. It has to be either the struts (not likely) or the mounts. It only squeaks when the wheels turn (either left or right), and tends to squeak more, the more the wheels are turned. Is it possible to install the bearings upside down? The bearings had a white plastic ring exposed on one side, is this ring supposed to be installed UP or DOWN?

Thanks for the replies. The noise definitely seems to be from the strut mounts, as it only happens when the steering wheel is turned. And it never happened before I had the struts and mounts replaced. Do you think it could hurt anything if I squirt a little thin spray oil around that area?....just to see if any seeps into the bearings?

I had a lot of clunking in the front end, so I assumed it was the original struts that were shot. So, I bought Monroe front struts and Gabriel mounts, and supplied the parts to the shop for install and alignment. When the mounts arrived in the mail, I looked at the bearings that came with them, and noticed that they were rather difficult to turn. I assumed that’s just how they are? Now, when I turn the wheel a lot, I hear a squeaky/rubbing sound. Is that the mount bearings? Does that sound go away? Should I try to spray them with something? The car drives nice, though….all the clunking is gone. Thanks.

Do they re-use the rubber trim, or does Pilkington manufacture the trim, also?