Jim-Bob

Sorry for the long post…I’ve taken the D2 for a holiday, it’s rewarded me by being nothing but unreliable! Tried reading/resetting the three amigos before setting off, tried twice and both times my nanocom failed to communicate with the ECU, thought it was weird but carried on regardless assuming it was just not in the mood being a discovery diva as they do… Drove 400 odd miles, stopped several times without issue, stopped one last time for some shopping, came back to a half dead truck, turned the key and lost everything! No lights on the dash at all, checked the fuses all fine, wriggled the battery terminals (they need replacing as only just grab the battery terminals) and the interior light popped on, turned the key and away she went?! Got to our destination, unloaded, locked up, all fine. Went out the next day started fine, took a while to lock on the button, knew battery probably needed changing in the key so didn’t think much of it, came back to it a couple of hours later, remote central locking not working, unlocked manually had to enter EKA code to start, got back left it unlocked hoping for not immobiliser issues this morning… Went to go out this morning, immobilised itself without being locked?! Started after EKA code entered. Went out replaced key fob battery, remote central locking still not working, locked on the key. Came back still not remote locking, unlocked on the key, immobilised again so EKA code to start again… So each time I leave it now, locked or unlocked I lose the radio memory, trip odometer and it’s immobilised so needs the EKA code, which is already becoming a tedious job, will be glad to get home and leave it parked up until I can get the issues resolved! Any ideas on which bits I need to consider replacing first?! Seems like it’s multiple things that have failed?! Checked the voltages tonight and I’m getting 14.48v charging and 12.8v with the engine off, battery is only just over a year old so fairly certain it’s not a voltage issue relating to battery or alternator! Any help much appreciated! And once I know which parts are needed I will be heading home tomorrow from Wrexham via Carmarthen then on to Oxford so if anyone can recommend a breaker on route(ish) I’ll pop by and grab the bits on the way home! Cheers, James

There’s loads more pictures to go with this, the Forum and my phone are clashing over upload sizes...let me know if any is doing the same thing and I’ll send them over! James

Update... Yesterday I set about tackling the problem, so this is how I found it the other day (truck hasn’t been used since my original post): I started scrubbing the years a grim away I’m away with a small wire brush to reveal that this is not the first time this has happened?! Shame a PO at some point has decided on the bodge route and used some sort of silicone based adhesive stuck to the outside of the filler neck?! With everything brushed/sanded back to bright brass I set about learning to solder...electrician playing plumber was never going to end well! First attempt ended with a lot of solder everywhere and the nipple fell out to top it all off! Cue second attempt (after clearing up the mess from the first attempt!) went more smoothly this time, has left me with a large lump of solder under the nipple but it’s also stopped it from potentially bend of snapping now though so I’ve left it be! Once everything was was tidied up with the help of wire wool and my Aldi dremel, then hoovered our to keep any more crud out of the rad, I set about topping the coolant up, about 1.2 litres it took?! :/ also empties the expansion tank down to around the 2” mark and it was over 6”! Ran the engine up to normal temperature, everything held fine and no sign of any coolant escaping as yet, will take it out for a drive today to test it under load and see how it fairs! Coolant dropped a little after running yesterday so will keep an eye on that today and just see if it was pushing air out from where the level had dropped?! James

Haha, yes I’ve already got them in the basket ready to go! I guess the filler neck just needs a good wipe over and degrease and I’ll be good to go? Will attach a solder mat around the filler neck to keep the heat away from anything flammable!

Cheers guys! Will top the rad up and try soldering it up (can’t make it any worse as the tube can fall out at the moment!), done quite a bit of electrical soldering, none on pipework though... :s J

Morning All, Was having a nosey about under the bonnet of my series 3 the other day after a short drive (trying to pinpoint an oil leak but that’s another issue!), noticed spots of dark liquid around the radiator cap... Turns out the nipple under the radiator cap has come loose (the whole tube), so there is a gap around it and coolant must be escaping under pressure?! I checked the coolant last night having driven around some more, it has now dropped to the point where the tops of the cores are visible (will refill before any more trips out!), the expansion bottle has been about 90% full the whole time I’ve owned the truck, I guess this is because nothing can get drawn back to the tank as the nipple is broken and there the system is not sealed and air is going be drawn in over the coolant in the expansion bottle?! Does anyone know how far the nipple stick out into the neck of the radiator filler neck? Just wondering if I could get a new threaded nipple and fix in place to keep the system sealed and working for now, until I have time to refurbish the coolant system? I believe my rad is original, how would the nipple have been fixed originally? Looks to be made of copper or brass so I guess soldered or brazed in place? If a threaded nipple wouldn’t work could the original be reattached in some way as it would of been originally? Thanks in advance James

Cheers Jimsky, smart set-up you’ve got there! However for now I think I’ll stick to a bench or 2 as it’s just me and missus at the moment and it’s very rare we ever have anyone else with us even when we’re out and about in the Golf! Can’t justify that expense really at the moment, maybe in the future once we have a family it might be necessary to swap a bench for a couple of these to comply with seat belt/child regulations! J

Cheers mate! Was thinking of waiting until after Newbury, to see if there are any going for a reasonable price

Fair enough, no such luxuries as be stored inside when at home (not yet anyway, garage may be option one day), have got dry storage away from home, will have to see how much it gets used as to whether it will live here or there! Bit I will definitely get galv ones! Think they are only available new from Exmoor Trim? J

Cheers Gazzar, I did see the galv frames, do the powder coated ones rust quite quick in comparison? Galv finish is definitely more in keeping with a series look too! Are there any brands to avoid? With regards to fixings, frame quality or cushion/material quality? To be honest they’ll be for very occasional use and I want to keep the rear load area as clear and big as possible to keep it usable as a workhorse for logs etc when called upon! DPC is a good shout! Got plenty in the shed James

Cheers rtbarton That’s one article I didn’t stumble across, and by gov.uk’s standards very clear cut! Looks like it’s just a case of choosing a set of seats and installing them using common sense and good workmanship?! Does anyone know if the rear tub is drilled for any seat brackets or are there reinforced/strengthened parts of it that would be a better location to mount the seat brackets? Or is it a matter of fitting spreader plates once the holes are drilled through? Land Rover newbie, trying to learn fast! James

Evening all, I recently (finally!) purchased a Series 3 109, currently it’s got a hardtop on it with side windows cut in just behind the front seats. I’ve got 3 seats up front, however the middle seat is going to be swapped out for a cubby box, I’m 6’4” so will be constantly elbowing a middle seat passenger, there’s a lot of arm swinging about! So I’d like to add side facing rear seats on at least one side, to give me the option to carry a few more passengers should the need arise! This is where you guys come in: - Are there any makes to avoid (a fold-up type would be best if they exist)? - Are there any legality issues or tests required after fitting them? - Has anyone figured out the seatbelt requirements, (truck is a 1982 model) I’ve found lots of various dates but nothing concrete, seems there was a 20 year grey area on seatbelts back in the day?! - Anything I should be aware of when fitting them, reinforced mounts, etc.? Cheers James

Cheers Gazzar, The owner assured me that the bulkhead rust patch is the only bit, has had welding done (on the chassis I believe) during his ownership to make it roadworthy. Will definitely check the wiring but will probably rewire it all anyway, want to add a few extras and security features whilst I’m at it! And untidy/modified wiring sets my sparky OCD off big time! James

Hi Guys, I’m off to view a series 3 109 2.25 petrol on Sunday, but I’m a complete LR newbie, having only ever had French and German hatchbacks and vans, so the more pointers I have the better! I’ve brought a printed buyers guide, which is very detailed, but I doubt I’ll remember (or know how) to check half of it whilst viewing! I am going with a very knowledgeable friend to view it, however he is from a he coiler brigade 😜 So what are the the main things I need to check, it’s a 3 door van with rear windows added just behind the front seats? It needs a small patch on the top of the bulkhead on the passenger side, there’s a small hole near the mirror. All advice greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance! James

That is a beaut! Bet it weighs a fair bit though! Anyone recognise what make it is? Ah fair enough, might head over in the new year if I get a free Saturday. I'm closer than you think...trying to think if I've seen your fleet sat on a drive locally?! Junction 10 is only 2 minutes away James