Dads Toy

It's a 1995 300Tdi with air con.

I have a chum with a Discovery and the switch that controls the fan for the air con is playing up. If you wiggle the knob it starts again so we reckon the switch contacts have gone, problem is - do you have to replace the whole panel with the temp controls etc or can you get just the fan switch? Local LR place reckon it's the whole thing for £100+ Seems a bit daft when it's only one switch out of about 6 on that panel that's gone. Any ideas? Malcolm PS he trusts me to work on it as I have a Defender.

I thought there was more to it than just levering the old housing out, but no. Like Western a bit of Plus gas, left it a few hours then a screwdriver under the lip and out it came - complete with corrosion on the housing which obviously didn't help. Good luck.

Old Hand - Thanks very much, I'm near a Maplins tomorrow so will get one. Basic electrickery I'm OK with, it's this sort of stuff I need the help of clever people like you. The other drivers in Cheshire will thank you as well as they won't have to play "guess if he's turning or forgotten again". I find the light on the panel is perfectly hidden by the steering wheel centre!

Sorry folks, also meant to say - can you get a replacement flasher relay that clicks louder? I'm a bit deaf and it would help, I've tried wiring a buzzer across the indicator bulb but it's polarity sensitive and only works when I signal left!! Malcolm

So, having replaced my Hazard warning switch with a Carling one, it is correct to flash the trailer warning light and the light in the switch itself? If that's correct I'm very happy!!! I was trying to find out why it didn't flash the dash indicator light. Malcolm

It's always the radiator! You swap/check everything else pump/stat/fan/hoses and apart from obvious major failures, changing the rad usually works!. Malcolm

I suspect you may need more than a small bead of silicone, water has a nasty habit of finding it's way in over time. I was told the rubber tape stuff only went between the glass and the aluminium strips. I put a thick bead of Sikaflex on the frame, squeezed the glass on then put the tape and ali strips on. Sikaflex is used to bond windows on boats so I reckon it will work on a Defender but you have to get the excess of quick as once it sets that it! Malcolm

OK got all the bits and about to embark on changing drop arm/drag link/tre's. Just a silly question, which end does the link with the LH thread TRE go? Does it in fact matter as I presume it's so that when you turn the link then it adjusts both ends rather than having to adjust each end separately. Malcolm

Now you tell me there's a tool for it! I've just struggled to put a side window in, and the locking strip was quite a fight but the other side will wait until I get one of those tools - the wife can't stand any more cussin' Malcolm

This came with my Mudd switch. Malcolm

Colin, Brilliant - armed with your info and my ignorance/brute force I will definitely be doing this mod. It will certainly save me the hassle when the ball joint goes again, as I'm certain it will when the cover slips off unnoticed and gets full of "stuff" Thanks for your patience and explanation with parts and links. What a nice lot of clever people on here! Malcolm

Thanks Reedx the picture is brilliant and the part numbers help tremendously. The only point I'm a little confused on is the drag links. Does the Heavy duty Disco drag link need any adjustment or is it a straight swap (when you put TRE's and the Disco drop arm on)? From BishBosh, the Defender HD one won't work with the Disco drop arm as it's a different length. Have i got that right? Really beginning to like this mod as the ball joint set up is a pita. Malcolm

Has anyone got the part number for the Disco arm?

OK plan coming together now thanks. When it goes again (zip tie still holding despite not being able to either file a small recess or tap the top out enough) then it's going to be big hammer/angle grinder time to remove the old drop arm, put a Disco one on and make a bracket for the steering damper link. I'm about to visit a chum with a Disco series 1 so can at least see how it should fit together. Silly question, but why on earth is the drop arm on so tight? It doesn't seem to be taking that much strain, it's got a BIG locking washer and only goes side to side. The prop shaft is only held on by 4 small bolts and that must take far more. Malcolm

Actually changing the joint in situ wasn't as bad as I feared, but your suggestion sounds good. I guess the big problem is getting the old arm off and how did you go about the steering damper bracket? Is there something that can be used or do you have to get one made up? Zip tie still holding! Malcolm

That's the fella - had to be ordered from my local Land Rover dealer as no one seems to carry any stock at all nowadays. Zip tie still holding!

This is what I got in the genuine LR kit - no L section there so perhaps it's Paddocks next time. Filing a small recess didn't work, as soon as I moved the pin the boot slipped off. Zip tie seems to be holding so far.

Thanks for all those suggestions - it's not just me then! I have the genuine LR kit and there isn't an L section there. There definitely isn't a lip on the section the boot sits on and I thought I might try filing a small recess to assist. Zip ties next and then ...... Malcolm

I've just replaced the steering drop arm ball joint (didn't take the arm off) and now have a daft problem. The rubber cover won't stay on! Initially I used an aftermarket kit and that included a cover that was bell shaped and with no give in it and every time I turned the steering wheel it popped off the arm. I bought the genuine LR kit and that has a bellows type cover and I fitted that, safe in the knowledge that there is plenty of flex in it. Only problem is, that also just pops off the steering arm as well! I cleaned the arm up before fitting and the cover fits over the lip and the spring thingy holds it on but only until you turn the steering wheel a couple of times. There is no obvious lip that the cover fits over it's more like a straight extension. Why won't it stay on? When I put the steering arm back onto the pin, the pin sits at an angle (sort of pointing backwards) and not vertical - is this right? The reason I changed it was because the original cover had done exactly the same and water had got in wrecking the joint. Beginning to think the arm isn't the right one, are ther different one's? Malcolm

Ah but I was told, all that ISO9001 does is prove you have the process to ensure you can produce exactly the same quality. i.e. if your initial product is cr*p, then with ISO9001 you can guarantee that you will consistently make cr*p hence they keep the accreditation!

Put the 3mm stuff on my wings which not only covered all the dings and scratches etc but also made them a lot more rigid. Also fitted them to the sills which were starting to look a little tatty plus I sealed the edges with silicone to stop all the muck from underneath getting trapped which caused the original problem. Bling? maybe, but a lot more protection.

Don't forget to check the rubber spill pipes, they deteriorate with age and when they leak it runs down the injectors and makes it look like they're leaking. You will get there.

Eventually sorted! The old seal certainly put up a fight! It took hours to get the old one out and when I did, I found that whilst it looks the same as the replacement the whole of the outer part is actually metal. The only part that was plastic/rubber was the lip and the rest of it was just covered in plastic. If I ever have to replace this one at least it should be easier to get out (famous last words). As the front one isn't leaking at the moment I think I'll hang fire before replacing it.

As Ibex94 recommended, I spoke to "crown diffs" - extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Not only are there different drive flanges (as they're called) but it depends what mud shield (the large washer thingy on the shaft) is fitted as to which oil seal should be fitted. One type of seal should even be fitted with a special tool. Luckily for me, mine is straightforward and he sorted out what I needed and it will be in the post tomorrow. Well impressed and will use them again. Malcolm