technical

I have a 200 Tdi and have exactly the same problem. My power steering box is ok - no leaks and all the UJ's have been replaced. Also, the steering is sharp and no problems as such. Swivels have also been changed. Would be great to have a solution.

Will the TD5 temp gauge give a correct reading on a 200 Tdi? Also will the fuel gauge work or is it complex to change it (sender's etc)?

To be on the safe side - I think I will probably go down the 3 speed fan speed route using the Rover 100 Switch and ballist resistor.

Further to starting this thread: Replacing Cracked plastic brackets which hold the instrument panel I finally managed to undo the Instrument Cowl - an original flimsy partand looked at the options of replacing it. Over the years (mine's a1992 reg 200 Tdi Defender 90) the plastic has become brittle and withthe opening / closing of the screws on the heater fan switch panel, thehot / cold air switch panel, and the dash instrument panel itself, minehas cracked severely on various sides. After having super glued it a few times and not really succeeding, I looked at my options in the following order: 1. Try super gluing it again - (keep having the hassle!) 2. Get an original LR part (costs about £40 plus delivery) - (and possibly replace it again in a few years) 3. Get one from a guy who fabricates them in the USA (I think we still have phenomenal engineering skills in the UK - we didi supply some of the parts for the Hubble telescope apparently!) 4. Fabricate one myself - (which would have turned out CR*P) anyway, due to the lugs and bends needed OR 5. Ask someone to make it for me.... (esp. if its made in the UK and by someone who produces high quality fabrications)... and who may well be a LR enthusiast So having considered the Raptor Engineering dash console and lookingto get one I asked Raptor if they would make me a Cowl as well. Well, this is the response from Phil at Raptor Eng (before anyone asks let me clarify that I am not affiliated to Raptor Eng or Phil in any way and only spoken to him on the phonetwice in my life): Yes - it will not be a problem to fabricate the Cowl. However, it'sonly worth his while if there are other people who also require it. So... here's my question - are other people interested in it? Apparently it will be far superior in quality to the original item anda fair bit cheaper. I don't know if or how to put a POLL on this site but people can contact Phil directly at: http://www.raptor-engineering.co.uk/index.php?route=information/contact I have posted some pics to show what I mean about the cracked plastics on mine.

Have looked at the PWM on ebay - what sort of switch do I need to give that variable motor running from zero to anywhere inbetween to full? Then, which coloured wires go to what on the switch? Sorry for asking dumb questions - but does this then mean that the resistor is disconnected and the wires on the current fan switch are also disconnected (just asking as it was mentioned that the current fan switch would need to be in the open position). Thanks for all your help.

I must admit - I'm not good with car electrics... so how does a PWM controller get wired to the heater and where does the potentiometer come in? Any sketch drawings with wiring, etc would be a big help and the exact spec for the items. Thanks in advance.

Hi. Can this work on a Defender 90 - 200 Tdi? Where is the resistor located? Are the wires / wiring different? Thanks.

That Aluminium one will be well worth it - it will save the same headaches in the future .... so thanks - I appreciate your recommendation.

I have some similar bucket seats to the ones in your initial post (Blue one) - except that mine are grey and black. They were quite cheap - under £100 from Ebay. Unfortunately not the most comfortable. They slope steeply upwards from the bum area (rear) to the front (knee area) and if you have a tight clutch it makes it even harder to push down on it. The sides also have a high profile and this makes for uncomfortable driving as your thighs end up squeezing your nether region! They do look good and were easy to fit - we bolted them to some chequer plating and the chequer plating was then bolted to the floor in the same area as the original Defender seats. Access to the battery became problematic - although it may seem like you only have to undo 4 bolts. Try getting the seats bolted back to the 4 bolts becomes fiddly. I then fitted a heavy duty Anderson plug which sits behind the passenger seats. I still have my middle seat in place (now bolted more back) and it just about fitted. The front of the bucket's have a sort of winged area (wider at the front), which means the middle seat would not fit in it's original position. My advice - get good quality bucket seats - or simply keep your original ones! I'll try post some pics but previous attempts were unsuccessful

Thanks for your quick answers. Any idea on where is the best place to buy the cowl from? Did you have to undo any part of the top dash (where the heater vents are located)? I can see 2 screws which go through the top section of the Cowl and they look to be retained by plastic lugs somewhere under the top dash. Also - how do I undo the speedo cable?

Thanks for those drawings - I think it may be part No. 1 - MTC 2808 - the Cowl. Sorry - I tried attaching the pics but it didn't work out. I will try to attach picture/s to show what I mean. Any idea if this is a difficult job and what it will entail?

Hi. Does anyone know where I can get the plastic bracket from (on the inside of the heater controls (left side) and the bracket (fan switch) on the right side? I have attached pics to show what I mean. Thanks.