Dyna VT

If you want to make a big difference to the sound of your stereo whether it be a 90 or a 110 I would recommend you fit a powered sub woofer such as the Kenwood KSC-SW01, SW1 or SW10 or Alpine SWE1000 which can take a speaker level input (if your stereo does not have amplifier preouts) and have their own separate level and frequency cut off settings. I have the Kenwood KSC-SW10 in my 110 CSW and it is awesome, it really complements the four existing speakers and took about an hour to fit. It doesn't produce the sort of bass you get from the cars driven by 17 year old youths that you can hear 100 yards away, but that isn't what I was after. Because they are so slim and can be fitted upright or flat they will fit almost anywhere (it might be a squeeze in a 90 truck cab) including in your cubby box. You just need to run a fused supply to the subwoofer and if you have one a 12volt switching output from the stereo (usually on a blue/white wire) plus the speaker/preout supply. You will be amazed at the difference! Martin

Another vote for General Grabber AT2 here. I had BFG All Terrains on my previous two Defenders but was limited by budget on the new 110 so bought 5 Generals for the price of 4 BFGs from Philips Tyres & Exhausts in Castle Cary, Somerset. I must say that so far I am impressed, quiet on the road, good steering feel and when on the slippy stuff they perform as well as the BFGs ever did. I don't think you'll be disappointed by the General tyre. Martin

Back again...! I have added a wiring diagram below as I understand it you want to upgrade exisiting headlights, not simply fit a pair of spot lights? You will need - 3 sqmm brown wire from battery to relays 2 x blade fuse holders with 15 amp fuses - http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/fuses/holders1.php 4 lengths of 2 sqmm thinwall cable from relays to lights - Blue/Black, Blue Pink, Blue/Slate, Blue/Orange - this is the same as the existing wiring. 2 lengths of 2 sqmm thinwall cable in black for earthing (order enough to earth both relays too. http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/cable/thinwall.php 2 x 5 blade twin make & break relays http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/relays/relays.php 2 x relay sockets http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-onlinestore/relays/sockets.php 2 x headlamp connectors http://shop.dingocroft.co.uk/acatalog/Electrical_Miscellany.html#aZZPLUG01 2 x lengths of F11 convoluted cable tubing I would position the relays behind the dash or on the bulkhead. Locate the existing high beam and dip beam circuits and put your relays where the cable can reach. I haven't been specific about lengths as that will depend on how you run your cables, where you site your relays and where you intend to earth everything. On the subject of earthing you're probably best to earth the lamps on the bulkhead earth point. Once you've fixed your relays in position, crimp the relay terminals on the cables and fit to relay socket. Then decide how you're going to run your convoluted tubing, cut it to length and thread in a wire for dip beam LH, full beam LH and earth. Then repeat for the RH. Then cut any surplus cable from the lamp end, crimp on the headlamp connector and fit to lamp. Leave the existing wiring in place or remove if you feel energetic! Then run your battery cables, probably easy to attach to the battery +ve terminal, fit fuse holders inside the battery box and then run the cables out of the battery box and up into the engine compartment. Crimp the relay terminals on and fit to socket. Then do the earths from the lamps and relays to the bulkhead earth point. Connect the existing dip beam cable to one relay and the existing full beam cable to the other relay. Now what you have is a system whereby when on dip beam, 12v flows to the dip beam relay, energises the coil and closes the contact. This allows 12V from the battery to flow across both 87 contacts and down your new shiny wiring loom to the dip beam. You flick to full beam, power is taken from the dip relay and the lights go out but 12v is sent to the full beam relay, which energises the coil etc, etc. This will also work if you flash the lights at other Defender drivers! Hope that makes sense, any queries shout. This maybe a little more involved than some replies but it will look tidy and last for years. Wiring Diagram -

Hi, I think you've got your terminals and inputs muddled up for what you want to do. The high beam/dip beam voltage will go to terminal 85 (terminal 86 goes to earth) which when 12 volts are applied, this energises the coil in the relay and closes the contact between terminals 30 and 87. So, in normal use you would take a fused supply from your battery, connect to terminal 30 then run cables to your bulbs from terminal 87. The idea of using a relay is to use the existing wiring to simply operate the relays which requires very low current. I will draw you a circuit diagram when I get home from work. As I understand it you want to replace the existing headlamp wiring with new wiring and perhaps even a new headlamp plug? All these bits are easily available. I would suggest you use two 5 blade twin contact relays, one relay for dip, one for full beam and each relay has two terminals for the load, one for the left hand side, the other for the right. I'll check back in later. Martin

Hi folks, this my first post here so be gentle! The important wording in the legislation is 'for hire or reward'. I work in the agricultural machinery business where a lot of sales reps will have Navaras, Discos, et al. to tow trailers with their demo machines onboard. If the Maximum Authorised Mass of the vehicle/trailer combo exceeds 3500KG and the vehicle is used for hire/reward then a tacho is required - even if the trailer is empty. Remember that MAM refers to what can be legally carried not what is actually being carried at the time. Things get more complicated when it comes to drivers' hours as in theory you should put your card (or disc) in the tacho at the beginning of the day you intend to tow, even if no trailer is on when you leave home. So, if your work requires you to tow a trailer then the vehicle needs a tacho. There are dispensations for 'domestic' uses which will give you a get-out for some types of business, such as agriculture. I am wondering if the example that was mentioned previously was the one seen on TV recently (Motorway Cops I think?) where a guy in a tidy Defender 90 was towing a trailer with a Range Rover on board. He was at work therefore should have had a tacho fitted, he didn't therefore an offence was committed. Might not seem fair but that's the way it is. We tow our horse trailer with our own horses on board, well in excess of a MAM of 3500Kg, but used for pleasure so no tacho necessary. If I were to move a friend's horse and she offers to pay, or even offers some diesel, that is in theory hire/reward so I should have a tacho. Try explaining that one in court! I'm sure this one will run and run... Cheers, Martin