FTO AUSTRALIA

Hi all,

I recently purchased a manual 95 FTO GPX, and I must say, I love this car!!

I've just got a bunch of questions about lots of different things, so some help with any of them would be awesome.

1. The two little UGLY indicator lights that are in the front grill. I haven't seen any other pictures of FTOs with them, so I assume everyone just takes them off? Anyway, I did - the right one I couldn't find where the cable went so I just cut it off and taped it up, but the left one I followed it and unplugged it. Problem is, now my left flicker is crazy!!! It goes really fast. And the real problem is that I through out the lights and the cable that I unplugged. Help!

2. The ugly side indicators that lots of people replace with clears ones. Is it correct that stock they are clear lights with orange covers, and then people replace them with orange bulbs and clear covers?

3. Speaker/Tweeter Wiring
I've read quite a few posts saying that the wiring to the front speakers and tweeters is not good, and should be fixed. What do people mean by this? My dad (a sound engineer) said that wiring either works or it doesn't. It seems like a lot of hassle when there is wire already there for the tweeters and all.

4. Best places to put an amplifier and the crossovers for component speakers?

5. My tachometer is not working. At all. What part do I need and where can I get it from?

6. My central locking does not work. As the car has central locking in it but it's faulty, can you still easily buy a central locking kit and fit it?

7. If I like some dials that go up to 180mph, would it be fine to fit them to my car (speedo which goes up to 180kmph) and not use a conversion kit?

8. Is there anywhere you can buy KMC dials anymore?

9. Has anyone had any experience with Pro Seat Covers Australia? They sell replacement leather covers on eBay. Are they any good?

10. On eBay, there are lots of sizes different MoMo handbrake boots. (C2, C3, C8 etc.) Does anyone know which size fits FTOs the best?

Hey mate WTTC

1. What lights are you talking about? The factory combination indicator/park lamp? If you are you should connect them back up.

2. Yes that is correct

3. There are different qualities of wire and your dad should know this. Factory wiring is always cheap crap, replace it with quality cable for best sound quality.

4. Amp - Boot, Crossovers I put on my doors

5. ignition failure sensor use search button and you will find a recent thread with all details

6. yes very easy and cheap

7. I Yes you can use them just ignore the MPH as the speed SHOULD be in the same place

8. No unless some come up on ebay.

9. The are brillant lots of members own a set from here

10. Not sure

WTTC
4. i have 2 amps bolted onto back of rear seats in the boot only practical place to have them, and cross overs in doors.

nice fto btw

I8A4RE wrote:Hey mate WTTC

1. What lights are you talking about? The factory combination indicator/park lamp? If you are you should connect them back up.

He's talking about those two little round orange lights attached to his grill.

There not a standard item on the FTO someone's added them on there to suit there own taste, i'd say take them off

topao wrote:
There not a standard item on the FTO someone's added them on there to suit there own taste, i'd say take them off

or for compliance.

topao wrote:

I8A4RE wrote:Hey mate WTTC

1. What lights are you talking about? The factory combination indicator/park lamp? If you are you should connect them back up.

He's talking about those two little round orange lights attached to his grill.

There not a standard item on the FTO someone's added them on there to suit there own taste, i'd say take them off

Oh yeah i see them now... I couldnt see them when the pic was smaller (when i quoted).

Ok to fix said problem, check all other indictaor bulbs on that side of the car. Also when you said you taped up the wires when you cut them.... you taped them up individually right? If not you need to.

BorepYano wrote:

topao wrote:
There not a standard item on the FTO someone's added them on there to suit there own taste, i'd say take them off

or for compliance.

I did read some place that with the new compliance laws they need to be there

it is a compliance issue with the indicators. I think I was the 1st car to be picked up for NOT having them in Victoria. put some "dogs balls" on to get compliance, then changed them to some LED ones later.
Robert

3. Speaker/Tweeter Wiring
I've read quite a few posts saying that the wiring to the front speakers and tweeters is not good, and should be fixed. What do people mean by this? My dad (a sound engineer) said that wiring either works or it doesn't. It seems like a lot of hassle when there is wire already there for the tweeters and all.

Id only replace the wiring if it is faulty or you are an absolute audio nut. Ive never had a problem with the stock sound myself. It just depends on your tastes I guess.

5. My tachometer is not working. At all. What part do I need and where can I get it from?

I have a brand new Ignition Failure Sensor if you need one.

6. My central locking does not work. As the car has central locking in it but it's faulty, can you still easily buy a central locking kit and fit it?

Common fault. Any aftermarket kit will do the job. Most auto shops will stock them.

Thanks so much everyone!!!!! Lots of helpful people.

I8A4RE wrote: Ok to fix said problem, check all other indictaor bulbs on that side of the car. Also when you said you taped up the wires when you cut them.... you taped them up individually right? If not you need to.

What exactly do you mean check other bulbs? They were all working fine until I unplugged the UGLY front lights, now they flick on and off really fast.
Yes I taped them up seperately.

tarkus wrote:it is a compliance issue with the indicators. I think I was the 1st car to be picked up for NOT having them in Victoria. put some "dogs balls" on to get compliance, then changed them to some LED ones later.
Robert

I think I'll risk it. Did you get fined or just a warning? Coz damn, they are ugly. They make me think of this:

tarkus wrote:it is a compliance issue with the indicators. I think I was the 1st car to be picked up for NOT having them in Victoria. put some "dogs balls" on to get compliance, then changed them to some LED ones later.
Robert

arrhh yes the dog balls, have heard anyone refer to your dog balls for a couple of yrs now lol

peterm3150 wrote:What exactly do you mean check other bulbs? They were all working fine until I unplugged the UGLY front lights, now they flick on and off really fast.
Yes I taped them up seperately.

Ok on a normal car (one without aftermarket lights attached) if a bulb blows the indicator will flash fast so as that the driver will know they need to replace the bulb. If all your bulbs are fine then you need to trace back the wiring on the ones they wired in.... it has something to do with the way they wired it.

central locking failure is common, just replace the locking motors, not the whole lot (the car is 15 years old come on!)

if youve cut wires to the indicator and its furiously blinking youve cut the wrong wire!

its the same as when a front indy bulb goes... the wattage is spread amongst the remaining bulbs, thus speeding it up... its a solder and disconnect the ugly grill ones jobby

Welcome to the club...

youll spend more time on it than in it... but youll love all of it!

How you can mount an amp and crossovers.

Yes, a shameless plug of my car

tarkus wrote:it is a compliance issue with the indicators. I think I was the 1st car to be picked up for NOT having them in Victoria. put some "dogs balls" on to get compliance, then changed them to some LED ones later.
Robert

I think I'll risk it. Did you get fined or just a warning? Coz damn, they are ugly.

they was gunna crush the car if it was not fixed and made road worthy. you could risk it but if they checked that it had been done as part of compliance - they will throw the book at you!
Robert

The Proseat guy is a member here:

http://www.ftoaustralia.com/modules.php ... emId=69855

1. The lights will have been for a RWC. Few people have been made to do this as they claim you cant see the turning indicators from 45 degrees either side or some sh*t. Take them off. If yuo have the indicatirs flashing to fast, experiement with higher powered globes until you see it slow down to normal.

2. Yes they suck. Need some clear side indicators. They look hot.

3. Your dad is right. The wriing in reality only needs to be big enough to carry the current. However the wiring is a big *~delightful!~* and old. Its quite easy if your installing new splitters in your door/tweater to just run new cables for the tweaters as i did. The doors are a bit harder as they need to come though the door grommet.

4. I installed cross overs for the front splitter system under the CD player in the centre dash. There is heaps of room there. I have quite quite large cross-over boxes mounted there.

5. not sure

6. Depends on whats not working. When you press the button can you hear it try to open / close? If so go buy the Jaycar central locking solanoid things, not hard to install, instructions here somewhere, post up if any issues. You may only need drivers side.

7. The 180mph dials you may see have the same scale as 180kmph. No difference apart from the unit.

8. Dont think so, have a look for some EL dial sets.

9. He is the best and a good mate of mine

10. Dont know they usually fit *~delightful!~* in my experience.

One thing that comes to mind with the fast blinking blinkers is that when a brake light goes out, the blinkers work faster because the circuit becomes smaller. Might be the same deal with those front indicators you've tried to remove. Might have to take it to an auto sparky as they might be wired up to a particular circuit.

haha turns out that my front indicator had in fact gone off. I was going to buy a new bulb, but when I went to take out the old bulb, VOILA, the light came back on.

Turns out that the wiring to the indicator was a bit temperamental (I've now resoldered it) and that when i unplugged the ugly round front indicators, it pulled on this wiring.

So all good now

I8A4RE wrote:

topao wrote:

I8A4RE wrote:
Ok to fix said problem, check all other indictaor bulbs on that side of the car.

no worries