Hmm. sounds like that button may well wind up staying there then...Albeit with the wiring sorted in a slightly less sketchy way. I guess every car needs a simple but annoying and difficult to fix "feature." Given the wheel and stalks seem to be the same (at least superficially) as on the 206/7 is this a common problem on those too?
That's going to be lower down the priority list though - if I can leave that live-earth wire alone for long enough anyway.
Highest priority mechanically wise is sorting out the whiny belt as I don't want that suddenly getting worse and self-destructing. I'm guessing it's one of the idler/tensioner rollers on the aux belt based on where it seems to be coming from and that the belt seems to be vibrating more than I'd typically have expected on a couple of the longer runs. Hopefully that's all it is rather than one of the actually driven components with a bearing on the way out as that would be annoying. Just realised that this might well be new enough to have a fancy freewheel clutch on the alternator too, which is something else I've never done battle with...
Looks like a set of at least low pressure power steering lines will be on that shopping list given how badly they're perishing.
The fluid also looks horrible so I'm wondering if it's ever been changed. Given that like brake fluid and manual gearbox oil it seems to be something that only ever gets replaced if there's a leak on about 98% of cars I'm going to guess the answer is "probably not."
Is this the variant of this engine which is renowned for having issues with the strainer on the turbo oil feed inlet banjo clogging up? Given it looks to be easily accessible in this configuration, checking and cleaning that could definitely get added to the service regime. Have to admit to having near zero knowledge of the HDi engines in any form besides checking the oil on my father's Motability cars - all my diesel PSA vehicles have been XUD powered up to this point.
The front speakers at least will indeed want an upgrade. Head unit will remain to be seen. I know that for quite a lot of OEM stereos these days there are Bluetooth gizmos available which plug into the head unit and emulate a CD changer - so you can retain the standard display, steering wheel controls etc. Not sure if anyone has made one of those for the RD6 though, I'll need to do some digging. In the interim I'll steal the FM transmitter from the Renault.
I will need to do a proper back to back comparison of these two at some point.
I'm sure that both of them have pros and cons. I'll be surprised if the Partner manages to quite match the economy, as that has really surprised me with the Caddy. Even around Milton Keynes it's always managed to average in the mid 40s MPG. Into the 50s on a motorway run is entirely doable without dawdling, even in spite of the brick wall aerodynamics of the box on the back. Much as I may complain about the ride in it, on the motorway it still manages to have an uncanny ability to apparently just delete hundreds of miles of the journey at a time without ever getting uncomfortable or tiring.
Speaking of motorways, it looks like I won't be quite so easily able to add cruise to the Partner, as if equipped it would have had a different instrument panel with a little LCD display for the cruise where the temperature gauge is on this. I rather doubt that one bit will work without the other given the joys of multiplexed systems. Granted I'm not sure if this hasn't already had a replacement cluster at some point as that really doesn't look like a diesel rev counter to me.
Looking forward with great anticipation as to what's joining your fleet...