Welding on a 'normal' working car...

[Stuart]

Is there any (electrical) precautions I need to take when welding an exhaust bracket onto the backbox while still attached to the car (being the gheymo clio btw)

OBV no setting fire to stuff is a wise move, but thats 'easy' to get around.


It will probably be stick welding due to being out of gas for the mig lol

[bmw156]

disconnect the battery and youll be fine.

[Stuart]

hmmmmmm dont want to brick the radio...

[John]

hmmmmmm dont want to brick the radio...

Not got the code?

[Stuart]

I'll have a look, but I'm going with no like most used cars lol

[SR-Rally]

disconnect the earth off the battery and it will be fine. are you friendly with clio garage? they can get the code but will charge you unless you know someone there

[Steve0011]

take the backbox off the car :) prob quicker than trying to rig up an external power supply to keep the radio alive

[Saloony]

Go borrow a surge protector to put across the battery rather than disconecting it

[Mike]

Ive never disconneted a battery when welding & had no problems, ever.

[Andy]

Get on with it! it will be fine

[mowgli]

get one of those cheapo things to shove into the fag lighter socket with a 9v battery in it...

[John]

I've only just noticed you called the clio "normal" lol

[Spudly]

Trust me you will want a surge protector or to disconnect the battery, renaults do not need an excuse to go wrong, they have a few ecu-esque fuse boards which love to pop when you use jump leads and another car to start them so imagine what fun and games a welder will cause, if it comes to it radio codes are only £10 +vat from your local renault mainstealer, this will be faaar cheaper than having to replace the UCH trust me!

[MK999]

Trust me you will want a surge protector or to disconnect the battery, renaults do not need an excuse to go wrong, they have a few ecu-esque fuse boards which love to pop when you use jump leads and another car to start them so imagine what fun and games a welder will cause, if it comes to it radio codes are only £10 +vat from your local renault mainstealer, this will be faaar cheaper than having to replace the UCH trust me!

Undeniably Cheap Hardware? lol

[Spudly]

Undeniably Cheap Hardware? lol




UCH

The UCH (Unite Centrale Habitacle) is an electronic control module that is fitted to many late model Renaults (early 2000's onwards.) It is responsible for controlling many of the non-engine related functions of the car, such as central locking, electric windows, and even some of the lights (e.g. indicators.)

A brand new UCH is supplied with a blank memory. This must be coded (using the Renault Clip computer) to match the serial number of the ECU and key/card before it will work with the car. The memory can only be written once, so a used UCH cannot be taken from a donor vehicle to be used in another unless the ECU and keyfobs/cards are also transferred.

[MK999]

That doesn't sound cheap at all, remortgage for a new one?lol

[Spudly]

Exactly and they adore breaking for fun, hence me saying to Stuart that he really needs to disconnect the battery before welding!

[Stuart]

cheers lover :)

Trust me the board is cheap (under 50 euros), but the actual sale price by the dealer will be much much higher ;) Where I used to work sold PCM's (engine ecu) for 50 euros a piece, we made 1 euro on each one, sales as a 'part' at a dealer were in excess of £1000!!!! lol

I shall go through the stuff I have to see if there is the radio code :)
Or see where I can get a surge protector from ASAP


Just found the radio code. WIN. Welding on the gay one tomorrow

[16v Nova Kev]

i would never weld a car without the battery discounted of a surge protector.

[Balley]

Connect a 9 volt battery to the cigerate lighter. job done !!!

[Spudly]

No problems sweety, i thought youd have a fair idea of all the electrickery gubbins you could frazzle but i thought a little reminder would be prudent:d




Connect a 9 volt battery to the cigerate lighter. job done !!!



No need he has found his radio code:thumb:

[Stuart]

No problems sweety, i thought youd have a fair idea of all the electrickery gubbins you could frazzle but i thought a little reminder would be prudent:d



Even though I understand how elastictricery works and know that MOST car electronics should be reverse polarity and spike proof, there is an awful lot of corners cut on body electronics as they arent safety critical :(

[mowgli]

a local bloke we use for proper serious welding reckons that if the earth is clamped on in a decent place, so the current path is really short, then it doesn't matter about disconnecting stuff...

[Stuart]

Where can I get a spike protector thing from on a sunday? lol

I have the radio code but if I can get away without disconnecting it I'd be most happy.

Mike, I agree, but I dont want to risk it with French electronics

[nova_stee]

Be carfully disconecting battery on a clio some times they lose the code in the key and wont start

[Steve0011]

disconect the exhaust from the manifold, i would think that the rest of the system will be suspended by rubber mountings then weld away :) oh yes, dont forget to disconect the lambda if it has one ;)

[Stuart]

its getting easier and easier to simply wrap mig wire round it to hold the box in place and just get a near silent aftemarket exhaust lol

[db_1.2]

Did you get a surge thing for the battery? And have you done the welding alright?

If its any help, i use a local garage my friend has ownership of, and we welded my backbox on my mk4 Golf using a mig, with the battery still fully connected, but had a surge protector thing.

Anyway, i wouldnt associate the words ''normal'' and ''working'' with a Renault!

[Stuart]

I know, its a rare occurrence for a reggie to be working, but it is :)

Not done the welding yet, going to the old mans tomorrow to get at the welder

[db_1.2]

Ahhhh renaults arent all that bad, could be worse, could be a peugout. Always liked renaults though.

I'd say just to be safe use one of those anti surge devices on the battery, but personally I'd still be jubeous.

Good luck with it anyway, hope the weather holds out too.

[Stuart]

Pikied it and used two large jubilee clamps lol, it works and will do till I work out what I want to do re a new system

[Andy]

So you didnt weld it?

[Mike]

LOL copter at the bodge pic on facepoop lol

[John]

Baxtertastic! lol