Disco1tdi

I've finally got 'round to putting a sticker in the cubby with the last oil change date on. Prior to that, I just relied on my memory... That's as planned as it gets. There's a mental to-do list, with a rough order of "really need to do", "must get 'round to, sometime" and "that'd be nice"...

Again, around my neck of the woods, it shows many routes that can't be driven, and none (of the few) that can....

http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=4896 http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=81684

I would suggest that pivot point has punched through the clutch fork....

Surely it's the fuel being burnt that produces the given amount of power to hold you at a certain speed, with friction and wind resistance trying to slow you down? If you backed the fuel off, at a particular speed, wouldn't you just slow down, in the same way you would if you back the accelerator off?

I ran my 300tdi Disco on 265/75r16's and it was fine. Admittedly, I didn't tow much, but I preferred the taller "high" gearing, the taller tyres gave.

Gwyn Lewis' heavy duty trailing arms are worth a look... http://www.gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/page17.html Reassuringly chunky.

265/75r16's on my old Disco, and now on the 90. Their road performance is acceptable, in my view, but then perhaps I don't expect too much from them. At the end of the day it's a circa 2 tonne truck, with an high CoG, not a car. I try and drive it accordingly (keep your eyes peeled for a post in the future, about my having put it deep into the scenery).

mmgemini - "Now VOSA have access to the original build sheets of all vehicles vis the MOT computer.".... could you point me to somewhere official, where it says that this is the case? If it's true, where did they get all the build data, and how far back does it go?

I'd suggest 10w40 as another option for the engine.... if nothing else, it makes for easier cranking when very cold....

I believe 1/2" AF 12 point is the tightest fit.... but I stand to be corrected....

"SX010 BRAND NEW SEALEY 52MM IMPACT SOCKET 1/2" SQUARE DRIVE" from ebay worked well for me.... £11.99 delivered. Yes, the box spanners are cheaper (if you search around), but for the sake of a few quid, why not have a much better tool? (assuming you have a breaker bar/torque wrench already)

Twig - To help with your list.... BP 300tdi water pump.... a steaming (almost literally) pile of excrement. 14 months old and the bearing had already worn out. My issue with BP is that they may well make some good parts, but I don't expect to have to take part in a lucky dip, when it comes to whether a part is up to task, or not.

Although, I'm sure someone will pop up and tell us that they never bothered, and used just used exhaust putty.

Yes. ESR3260, I believe....

Chris - You mention a blue and purple wire, and all the lights coming on. Where's the wire located/what does it do?

As was said, further up, you can test the rest of the circuit, by touching the wire that attaches to the door switch, to the body. If your light comes on, it's a problem with the door switch.

If you look inside the switch, you can see where the end of the metal that the terminal pushes onto, makes contact with the other "half" of the switch. The contact patch is tiny, and gets mucky/corroded very easily. If you can clean this up, you're highly likely to have a working switch, again. A really half ar$ed way to do this, is push the switch full in, when it's still installed, and let it go, by sliding you thumb off it, sideways, so it fires out, rather than slowly moving out with the door. A couple of these is usually enough to break the layer of crud on the contacts for a few more weeks/months. Your switch may of course be really knackered, in which case you need a new one.

To back up Teabag, he's correct. There's 12V to the lamp, through it, and to the switch. The switch, when the door opens, allow the 12V to complete the circuit, and make it's way to "earth" through the body of the vehicle.

It's worth considering the age/condition of the clutch, too. Given the work involved in getting the box off, would it be worth putting a new clutch in, while you're down there? (for the sake of an extra £100).

It's probably the clutch fork giving up, at the point it pivots. An uprated one, with a bit of metal welded across the back, is only a few quid more than standard. http://forums.lr4x4.com/index.php?showtopic=5009

I've used the same with stainless M5, and it's been fine. Admittedly you can feel a bit a flex in it, but at the price you can find them on ebay, it's hard to argue.

My theory related to an A3, so may not be relevant, but if in the initial attempted bleed, the master cylinder piston seals had been inverted, then it wouldn't push fluid too well....

If it's the same as my '02 A3, if you push the pedal all the way to the floor, when conventionally bleeding, you invert the seal on the piston, and then it's fubar'ed. Added to that, you need VAG-COM or dealer software, to get the ABS pump to run up, and purge itself of air, once you've run the fluid low. You can't just use a pressure bleeder. As I say, that's the A3, but a brief google suggests similar issues for the A4.

What vehicle is it?