BogMonster

Yep, I have one too, though my USB connection is on a flylead from the back (Kenwood head unit) not sure which is best, I wished I had got one with the port on the front but somebody said that they can give problems over time with bad connections because of the weight hanging out of the front and vibrating up and down. It is great, but it is impossible to get the damn songs to play in the order you want them to, even renaming the tracks. It plays them in the order they were saved on the key, and that it it, unless you reformat the key and re-copy them all again which is too much of a pain! You can buy the portable USB hard drives to plug into them, so 40GB is a lot of MP3 music! But I hate to think what it is like if you try to organise it "now was it track 34387 or 38347 I was looking for"

there are loads of mistakes in Microcat and it is a poor substitute for the printed parts books!

Let me know if the green sender does it and I might not have to, Will try and do it some time but it is still dark after work and I think the controller of programmes is planning more floating floors for the weekend so not sure when

T4 is now replaced by IDS but that is still mega money. I don't have any experience of either of the systems but from what I have read the Autologic and Rovacom were both fairly well thought of so it probably depends on how much each one costs and whether you can get the modules you want for it - the aftermarket systems usually lag behind Land Rover in supporting new models so you may find that RRS is not supported. I thought about buying a Rovacom to be independent but for as long as I have a free T4 to use it seems a bit silly

I don't. It looks like either somebody made a mistake when they were mixing real green, or they just painted it with primer and forgot the top coat!

Just checked a few vehicles and the black sender is fitted to "proper" 300Tdi vehicles i.e. 1994-1998MY with the old type instrument pack, while the newer 300Tdis built from 1999-2006MY with a Td5 type instrument pack have the green sender fitted. So the one you'll want Mo is AMR1425. Work Microcat is bang up to date but still doesn't tell you anything useful

Can't confirm 100% but it looks to me like "normal" (from a 1995 age 300Tdi Defender parts book) are AMR3321 but in later Td5 Defender parts books (printed in 1999) this is still the only number listed... Microcat has both numbers but nothing useful like VIN ranges to help identify which one fits what age however since the AMR1425 doesn't appear in anything other than the latest Microcat I'm guessing it is the newer sort but I can't confirm that 100% and I've got the Discofairy at work today but I'll try and remember to have a look at my 110 at lunchtime... IIRC one sort has a green surround and the other black so you may be able to see what you have fitted now and then go to a parts place and ask for the other colour?

The latest versions of Microcat has the 2007 Defender parts listed on it but its even more protected than it used to be and now requires the doodah in the printer port plus it expires after only a month. The only tech info is on GTR, www.landrovertechinfo.com its a subscription service, or freely available depending on where you work

The Td5 gauge is driven by the ECU, not directly by the sender, so the difference is to do with that. I think the next stop is a new sender and when I get to work later I will check the p/no but I think Jim is right, that one rings a bell anyway

Yes Older ones had a separate little filter but this was rubbish and used to block up in dusty conditions so newer vehicles go into the clean air side of the airbox

There are 2 types of mil bumper so I was told a few years ago, good strong ones and rubbish tinny ones, both basically the same design.

Mo (and Jim!) you will also need a late type 300Tdi sender, IIRC there are 2 types and right now I don't have the part number for either but I am pretty sure the early 300Tdi sender as used on 1994-98 vehicles won't work with the Td5 type instruments. Ralph may be able to consult his bible of part numbers and provide you with the answer, failing that I will try and find out tomorrow So you need the right sender for export spec 99-06MY 300Tdi Defenders (like my 110) and the different wiring harness as Jim said up there ^^^ , if you stick both of those in then it should work fine When you get the Tdi instrument harness and take the instrument pack out it will be pretty obvious where it goes, basically it is the bit that goes between the main vehicle harness (the point where you would unplug it to take the instrument pack out), and the back of the gauges.

landybear, check out the Recovery links in the index at the top of our LR4x4 Tech Archive forum here

True but with a tow hitch the loads are still indirectly spread between the chassis rails and on a proper LR the crossmember is plenty strong enough (not on Td5 age I know!) and the 4 bolts total about 22 tons tensile strength plus I think a NATO is about 24 tons breaking strain so there isn't a weakness there Main advantage for me is ease/speed of use, important if you are towing some rubbish Mitsubishi every 5 minutes Neither method is wrong and both are fine. Fitting a NATO hitch with stud bar, now that's wrong

Hmm I'd do it the other way round (NATO hitch takes the load, JATE rings for backup) but it's a good idea.

I've just fitted one of the Rebel 4x4 steering guards with the towing eyes on the front and it is good (and I think it will be fairly strong - the side brackets/eyes are laser cut out of 10mm plate) but they are about half an inch too far in to get a full sized shackle in the hole, it will go in but if you pulled hard any anything other than the straight ahead position the shackle would jam on the guard or chassis leg and exert all sorts of nasty forces Haven't tried a 3.25T shackle yet but I think that is what I will have to use. Doesn't bother me anyway as I usually loop a (suitably protected) rope over the bumper...

Ah the joys of electronics in a Defender, he said sitting here looking smug with no warning lights

Hmm it has had a fair old tweak then if it is putting out 148bhp might be OK - try it and see!

Hmmm methinks there must have been some substantial tectonic activity if I am close to the Arctic circle

Cheers Al, you will shortly have a PM Postage on something that small will only be a couple of quid so much cheaper than a new grinder, quite happy to cover any costs!

Coo thats expensive Dad bought one for a fiver from the clearout sales here in the 1980s Mind you he bought two portakabins for £50 each too... My Sankey costs £250 a few years ago which grieved me enormously

Slight problem. I have lost the threaded nut/washer thing that retains the disc onto the spindle on my grinder, I took it off ages ago to use a wire brush on the grinder, and now I can't find it turned the bluddy garage upside down several times but despite the spanners (which must have been used to remove it) being exactly where they should be, no sign of the nut It's an M14 thread which appears to be the standard on almost all 4.5" grinders, anybody know if you can buy spare ones anywhere? I've found an ordinary M14 nut and washer to use but I don't think it goes on far enough to be safe with anything other than the really thin cutting discs. Don't want to chuck the grinder as it works perfectly well and the only new grinder I can buy round here at the moment is nigh on £100 which doesn't appeal! Or alternatively if somebody has a b*ggered 4.5" grinder with an M14 spindle nut going spare ... you might get some beer tokens for it instead of throwing it away Ta Stephen

I'd stick with standard, use it like that for a while and then decide if you think you need a lift based on your early experiences of whatever you are using it for. Lifting suspension usually means its less stable on the road and believe me that is a big issue unless you are only using it as a plaything.

Later 300Tdis were EDC engines giving 120bhp, but only in some countries

Bend the pedal up a bit?