TSD

I thought I might pop along for a while Dave

NFU have Ibex on the books as a listed vehicle, Q plate is not an issue.

Each QED file contains it's own positional calibration, so *probably* can be called anything you like. According to the info I have, the MMI files have absolute position records for each object in them, but I've never delved into them. Dave

Maybe they aren't all the same, but on all the Rover ARBs I've looked at (3) the thread on the outside of the central compression nut is 3/8-24, not 1/8 BSP. These all use an olive instead of an o ring on the copper pipe though, so I guess it's an earlier type. It's close enough to throw even the local hydraulics place, and I'm sure you could wind a BSP in there, but you may wish to check!

5mm olives for plastic pipe are in the RS catalogue, part number 830-110. 11p +vat, but you have to buy 10. Dave

NFU wanted a report for my Ibex when I installed the 2.8TGV in place of 300Tdi. When I asked, they didn't seem to know what constituted a report, or who was qualified to do it. Local MoT guy was happy to issue a fresh MoT, and then write 'New engine installed to good standard' on a headed receipt, which NFU accepted without question. Dave

It happens (happened) to me too My 200 tdi disco did it through 3 sets of BFGs in my ownership (150K + miles). As far as I know, it's still doing it with it's new owner too. Don't think mine was as severe as yours though. On TracEdges, you could clearly see that the trailing edge of one tread block was a different height to the leading edge of the next. I have seen it on other Discos as well. It wasn't severe enough to worry about, I always sold my second hand tyres after 40 - 50k miles so it wasn't hurting tyre life too much. I guess it's a combination of tyre/spring/shock/vehicle weight. Adjust one of those enough and it might go away. Of course, you'll have to drive several thousand miles to spot any improvement, so it could be a long job As Fridge says, it was a well known complaint on Freelanders, IIRC Land Rover changed the tyre type to reduce the problem, and eventually changed the rear diff ratio (And that on vehicles before the VC siezes up!)

This might be worth a look too... http://sourceforge.net/projects/libwbus/ It's a library of software modules for talking on the wbus. The notes in the wbtool download say :- "This is a compiled version of the wbtool utility included in the sources of the libwbus. If you want to play with your Heater without bothering compiling anything, this is what you want." You'll probably have to install cygwin to get it to run. It looks to still be current (updated recently).

I think the 1533 timer is the oval one? If so, then yes it has a w-bus output, which is active, and didn't appear to be a very complex protocol (though it's 4 years since I looked at it) so it could be faked fairly easily. I think I have a 1533 with a dead display somewhere... will have a look later today.

IIRC there are two more with a remote main gearbox...

It's good practice to run away from one operating above it

Just the small issue of reliably (and cheaply) providing 20A ignition current at 24V without dipping below the 21V low voltage lockout and shutting the unit down. Possibly frig the wiring to power the glowplug direct from 12V (and fit 12V glowplug), since it's live side switched with a relay. The technical manual says there is a series resistor feeding the glowpug on the 24V version, so that may need to be removed also. Hopefully, the unit either doesn't really current sense the glowplug (just continuity), or the limits are wide enough that it works anyway.

I looked at this briefly with MikeTomcat, some time ago. I think the electronics is easy enough, the obvious potential problems are fan motor and glowplug. IIRC It monitors glowplug current to work out if it's lit or not, so you might not be able to just stick a 12v glowplug in. Also, the current draw at ignition makes it tricky to use a 12>24V converter (if you are using the ones I think you are... we tried it already!). You could possibly switch in a small motorcycle battery to get 24V long enough to get it up and running? You also need to fool the interlocks in the electronics - there is a low voltage shutdown - presumably for convenience and safety. Simplest of all, use the 12>24 converter to charge 2 small motorcycle batteries, and run the heater from them. or 24V worth of those surplus D cell nicads you had? You could even get enough current for ignition from 24V of AA nicads, but I'm not sure if the terminal voltage would hold up enough. £20 at maplins. Good AA nicads used to be good for 400A short circuit, assume NiMH aren't much different. Workshop manuals are all available for free download... ISTR the D1L and D1LC are the same size, but the L hass a bunch of relays and stuff in its' wiring loom, LC has it internally. If you do get stuck in, I have a 12V LC for comparison, but I will need it back... the shed gets cold in winter! In all, it may be easier to sell on eblag at the right time, with a decent advert, and put the money into a single 12V one.

Wish I'd realised it was *this* weekend they were setting off... I've still got the HOFS satellite phone in bits on my bench!

Just to note, the Accumate is not foolproof - there are situations where it can get confused and do the wrong thing. I left mine for a few days charging a battery (it should charge it and then drop back to 'float' charge). Unfortunately, one dead cell confused the charger into running at full tilt continuously. When I came back to the workshop, there was a strange metallic smell in the air, and one very hot (and dry) battery. Not the chargers fault, I should have fitted the temperature sensor to the battery which would have reduced the current when the battery heated up. The battery was already stuffed, it wasn't damaged by the charger. Just to note, don't leave it unattended for long periods unless it's already dropped down to the float charge mode and stayed there (not switching back to 'absorption' occasionally). Agree it's an excellent charger though.

I think that's possibly the wrong instruction booklet, ie from a later / more expensive unit. The original 'Tachostrobe' was one of those incredibly clever bits of design elegance, which just didn't bloody work. The knob moves a pivot point up and down a length of springy metal bar, chaninging it's length. When you pull the trigger to run the strobe, it 'twangs' the springy bar like a skool ruler, and just like that ruler, the note changes according to the length. Some backscatter light from the strobe lamp shines past the arm onto a plastic prism on the top of the unit. If the rpm of the engine matches the setting n the rpm knob, then the image of the bar in the prism stays still. If too fast or slow, it moves across the prism. Very clever. Very elegant. Impossible to use, IME. Just ignore it, and use as a normal timing light with fixed advance.

I keep a set in my (electronics) toolbox for work. Lots of stainless M3 pozis that always get the heads chewed off by clumsy assemblers. Won't tell the clients where I got them though. As the old joke goes...$1 for the chalk mark, $19999 for knowing where to put it

Cheapish LH drills at Northern Tool http://www.northerntooluk.com/products.asp?partno=150272E Not exactly top quality, but that's not what you need. You aren't trying to dill a clean hole, and a drill that 'grabs' a bit helps to get the stud free. I wouldn't be without a set.

I have some Trombetta solenoids in Warn packaging which are rated for continuous duty at 125A, intermittent to 250A. They do get hot though. I use one for linking two Optimas together, and it's worked fine for a few years. Hold in voltage is only 2.5V, so ideal for jump starting and the odd bit of winching without the relay dropping out.

A lot of laptops are 19V but will run fine at 13.8V. The difficulty is that some will discharge the battery if it is present, and of course they won't survive the voltage drop during cranking if you remove it. You can get around this by removing/refitting the battery as required, but it's fiddly. The last 3 or 4 laptops I've used were fine at 12V if you ignored all the warning lights etc., including my current toughbook (dunno the model but its a P-266). Cheap mains inverters are undesirable for all sort of reasons, but many people use them without issue. Just watch for the whistling caused by cheapo imitation mains - it can cause the laptop psu to overheat or fail. Some laptops (e.g. some toshiba) will happily hold on to the external supply down to 12V but won't switch over to the external power until it gets to a higher voltage - there are some cunning tricks to fool the laptop in this situation. Last laptop I had used an odd psu connector, so I smashed open the battery pack, removed the cells and wired 12V directly in. Drastic, but effective, and kept it out of landfill a bit longer. (It's part of the scenery at Brickiln Farm now except for the bits scavenged by Fridgefreezer!)

I've had a couple of these for years (one for each vehicle). I've only needed it a few times, but it really is as good as they claim, though can be a bit fiddly to use. I don't think you can do what it does with a screwdriver or a pair of pliers, as you can wind in a lot of wire tension without repeatedly twisting the wire, which weakens it. Edit : I didn't get any response from that website when I bought mine... I got them from www.akcooltools.com

There are quite a few about, but I found this one worked well :- http://debin.net/gMapMaker/ Remember you can get your IP temporarily banned from google if you abuse it... guess how I know

What, the one I mailed you back in January wasn't good enough ?

For Ladoga last year I loaned Fridge a Benefon Esc - old now, but built on a stainless steel chassis and as near to bombproof as any phone I've ever seen. (You'd expect that from a phone costing over a grand when new ) Fridge was unable to break the main phone, so he settled for just snapping off the antenna instead

Testers handbook says something like "Vehicles having a Q plate registration when presented for MOT are to be treated as being first used on 1 January 1971". So the emissions test is visible smoke only. Never had a test on the hybrid, or the Ibex, though have had to 'prompt' the tester once or twice. With the hybrid I often let them do the test anyway, just to see what the emissions were. Dave Edit: another site quotes the wording as follows :- Vehicle 'first used' dates - application of test criteria 2. Vehicles having a Q plate registration when presented for MOT are to be treated as follows: For emission purposes only, all these types are to be considered as vehicles first used before 1st August 1975. For all other testing purposes they are to be considered as being first used on 1 st January 1971,or