Bits and Bobs (2)

NEW ARRIVALS.

Started to gather together some bits and bobs to resurrect another dormant project....

This is a 'walnut' trim plate for the central switch console. I sourced this from 'Custom Cars' on E-bay and have bought other walnut trim pieces for Hx from them.

I have searched E-bay for the switches and the switch-plate and have missed out twice on a good bargain due to waiting till the last minute before bidding and then forgetting to do it!

The trim panel actually arrived a few months ago and was the prompt to acquire the switches. Big clue here is in the blanked-over switch plates. That is where the switches for the heated seats are mounted. Hx does not have heated seats, but after doing the research it soon will.....

This week's E-bay bargain. New, unused and with the sticky mount tabs intact. A 'manual' seat-back heating pad for £18. That's below half price and they are still available new from LR aftermarket suppliers. Each seat has two pads, so it's back to the search...

HGT500050 MANUAL

Always wondered exactly how the heated elements were laid out inside the pad. These photos were taken with the pad stuck to a window to 'backlight' the wire element. It winds it's way all around the pad like this. The white plug connects both pads together.

THE CHINA CONNECTION. 

Bought some electrical connectors dirt cheap off E-bay. They are what I term 'Tyco' type/pattern connectors and come in a bag all dismantled and jumbled up.

They look like a bag of juicy wine gums.

... good enough to eat !

The above ones are 6-way male/female connectors and I plan to rewire the sunroof switches with these. I also bought some 3-way connectors shown below (in a slightly more assembled condition)

One of these will definitely be used on the P38 light install.... ideal.

COVER GRAPHICS..

Always thought the rear wheel cover provides a good space for displaying some custom graphics. Nine times out of ten times its just used for some cheap Land Rover dealer advertising. Even so , it can be a buzz when another Landy is seen with the same 'dealer' sign on the back, especially if its one from far away..

When I had the old 300tdi, the rear cover was from 'Hillendale' up in Pendle and used a small little witch on a broom graphic. ...hmm, very fitting! Even to this day, I still look out for them!

Hx arrived with a boring 'South-West 4x4' cover and eventually I decided to replace it and make Hx a bit more individual.

The rise of vinyl-graphic print shops means that getting a one-off vinyl sticker printed is not that expensive and the hardest part is deciding what to actually put on the cover design...

  

ROUTING THE CABLES. 

Installing the red rear door marker lamps and the white front door puddle lights meant getting down to routing some cabling into the door cavities.

The work was done whilst the door cards were removed during the panel spraying.

I used spare 2 core speaker cabling sourced from the aftermarket speakers that I had purchased earlier. The cabling had the standard 'black' and 'black/white' trace colouring and throughout the install I used solid black for the negative/earth connection and the white trace for the positive connection. 

Front door lights were straight-forward. The feed was from the footwell lamps and the new cabling passed through the existing door loom grommet. The new cabling was looped around the existing cabling where possible but also cable ties and tape were used to secure the new cabling and guard against potential chaffing.

The rear door was routed through the B pillar then down to the floor and along the inside of the carpet finishing strip to end up also in the front footwell.

All the above photos show the routing of the cabling through the B-pillar. This was slow and awkward but once sussed it was easy enough and made doing the other side a breeze.

The inspection mirror was invaluable in assessing the situation and use was made of 'that piece of wire' as a cable puller....

Td5 D2 bodywork - Heater Blower Hole (6)

Two weeks plus since I applied some sealer to the blower intake /bulkhead joint and I have to report no rainwater ingress at all!  

The cover that I fashioned from tinplate has still not been fitted. There has been some sustained and torrential downpours that were good candidates for a wet footwell, but not even 'feeling' for any wetness up by the blower motor mounts has produced any signs of water ingress.

I have now even taken away the 'drip-tray' that lived in the passenger footwell to catch any drips when parked up.

If I am to conclude that the leak point was the joint between bolt 3 and 4 and that the applied sealer has now sealed the gap, there still remains the question of how does the rainwater get to run along that joint in the first place??

                        Rusty bolt no4.

I am confident that the bottom edge of the windscreen is sealed, so that leaves very little conventional paths for run-off water to follow.

When using the Borroscope to view the blower intake mounting bolts, I removed the nearby circular plastic blanking plate from the plenum chamber thinking it would give easier access for the borroscope. It popped off easily and was not sealed down in any way.

On reflection, I now think that this could well be the access point for the rainwater to get beneath the plenum cover. Don't forget there are two of these circular covering plugs on the plenum cover and also attention was drawn to the wiper mountings which are rusty and could do with a re-furb.

While the cover plug was removed, it was treated to a black respray as it was very faded.

.. It was more faded then those wheel arches! ..

Here is the same circular plastic 'plug' in place on the plenum cover.  It would probably be prudent to smear some sealant around the joint just to deny water any access to what's below  ie.  the blower intake! 

In the above photo, the windscreen is to the right and the bonnet to the left. On the very edge of the bonnet can be seen the creeping menace of the dreaded lacquer peel.

Td5 D2 electrics - P38 Courtesy Light (3)

More thoughts about fitting the Courtesy light unit. 

The lighting unit has 6 spring clips that locate it in a suitable opening in the overhead console. I will have to fashion this opening on the Hx console and hope that some clearance exists to the sunroof motor which will be directly above the unit.

The overhead console in Hx is the original manual sunroof version that I modified earlier to an electric version in order to house the switch panel for the sunroof motors. It shouldn't be difficult to modify it further to accept the new lighting unit.

The original 'manual' console fitted to Hx.

 A fitted 'electric' console.

I plan to install the P38 light on the flat panel at the rear of the console. The console in Hx currently has a metal panel attached to cover the gap from when I cut out the recess for the manual sunroof handle..

Hx console after 'electric' modification.

The thin metal plate has two screw mountings to hold it in place. The second to last photo shows a cctv monitor on the plate that I was thinking of installing there before the P38 light option presented itself. 

I have noted that the Freelander and P38 install is direct to the headlining material and use is made of a metal mounting ring as an edge reinforcement for the headlining aperture. This gives the spring clips something to 'push' against to attach to and hold the unit secure. It can be seen in the photo from Rave showing the connector location and I wonder if having it on Hx would make the install any easier?  

    

Above photo shows the six spring clips that retain the light unit on the headlining.

Also shown to the left of the nearest retainer is the plastic 'shoulder' which must also be accommodated in the mounting aperture. 

A side-on view showing the depth of the spring clips.

The additional piece of plastic by the clip has been cut from the console in Hx and represents the thickness of the console plastic in that area. 

Hopefully, this thickness should be enough to attach the light unit too provided I can cut the aperture to the correct shape and size. Having that 'metal aperture ring' would be really helpful for that task. 

Some careful measuring will be required... The best option may well be to make an aperture template to aid the marking out..

Td5 D2 electrics - P38 Courtesy Light (2)

More research into fitting the P38 lighting unit. 

It arrived with bulbs already fitted but I decided to replace the tungsten bulbs with LEDs. Red in the middle with white either side.

Fortunately, the Rave copy I have also contains info on the Freelander1 and the P38 Range Rover, so I already had access to the wiring schematics.

This is the control board for the lights. The three push switches are at the top and the 4 circuit board terminals are at the bottom  ( I have already labelled them to correspond with the Rave schematics ).

The first thing I wanted to know is what does  the loom connector look like.?

  Rave and the web to the rescue... 

Three photos of  'C0355'.  It's a custom right angled board connector of a kind I haven't encountered before. It has 4 terminals available but only three (1,3,4) are used in the Freelander install.

The last photo shows one of the terminals removed from the connector body and it can be seen how it would 'pinch' onto the circuit board tails.

This photo from the Web is of a Discovery 'Metropolis' and shows the same connector in use. The three wires are the same ones used to connect the front courtesy lamp on every D2.

So, it would seem that all I need to do is get hold of one of these connectors and wire it onto Hx and connect up.....  As if...

Reading up on the Web about these connectors revealed a lot of common connection problems leading to inoperative lights. Corrosion of the Earth  
(black wire, terminal 1) connector is down to the flimsy construction and water ingress probably from a leaky sunroof. If this connection fails then none of the lights will work in 'manual' mode. 

Here is s close up of a connector terminal. It's construction does seem a bit fancy to me. I can easily see how even when attached, it's design will allow moisture access to the terminals. 

I can probably only source this connector from a breakers yard and assuming it to be in good condition I will still need to lengthen the wires or even remake the connections to the flimsy terminals. 

A better solution would be to solder 3 cables direct to the board terminals, insulate them with 'hot-melt' and run the cables to the installed front interior light on Hx were they will connect via a generic 3-way connector to the loom of Hx. .....  job done..

I got a bit carried away with the Freelander wiring schematics. Quite rightly so, because it closely resembles what is already on Hx. The big problem I was soon to encounter is that this unit is designed for the P38.

A big clue is in the P38 schematic. The same black connector is used but all 4 terminals are wired and connect to the board on the unit. The P38 connector has its own ID  number. . C329.

A photo of my notes from the P38 schematic. Terminals 1,2,3, have the same function (but not the same terminals)  as the Freelander install, and will be the terminals that I will use for Hx.

T4 on the P38 board runs straight across the board without connecting to any component on the board. It then feeds the black micro switch mounted off-board (at the top of the picture) which returns a wire back on to the board to then exit at T1. 

That black micro-switch is 'non-latching' and it's function is to generate an earth path via T1 which after 2 seconds causes the vehicle computer/bcu to 'deny' any further 'requests' for any internal light to operate until the switch is again held down for another two seconds.

This function is better explained in the P38 Drivers Handbook where it mentions an accompanying 'beep' from the dashboard console each time the function is selected.

I fail to see the benefit of this 'function' particularly as it denies the use of the switch to 'manually' operate the central lamp.

I need to work out how to achieve this before I install the unit on Hx. First thing to do is to strip-out that central black non-latching micro-switch and replace it with a latching one the same as the other two micro-switches.  Next will be to run a wire direct from the 'negative' central lamp contact direct to the switch and then replicate the return path from the current switch back to the board.

This should give me the functionality that I desire:

(1) - Automatic switching and fading of the central light via  BCU earth on T2
(2) - Manual switching of all three lamps via the micro-switches and earth T1
(3) - Constant 12v supply to all lamps at T3 

Can't help thinking with hindsight that I should have bought the Freelander version of this lighting unit. It uses a different design of circuit board but has all the functionality I desire inbuilt. And crucially, it has 3 latching micro switches on board....

Aside from the wiring issues, the other hurdle to overcome is how am I going to attach this unit to the overhead console in Hx...?

. 

Td5 D2 bodywork - Faded Plastic Trim

Ever since ownership began I had noted how the black plastic wheel arch 'brows' had gone all patchy and faded. I noted how the very texture of their surface had become rough like sandpaper in some areas.

It's a pretty common problem and effects all automotive plastic trim to some extent. Apparently it is caused by UV exposure altering the chemical stability of the surface layer.

There are many aftermarket treatments available ranging from 'snake oil'  back-to-black gels through more advanced "polymer dye' up to the manufacturers favourite.... costly replacement trim. ..

Over the years, I have tried them all with varying success and my current solution is to spray the afflicted areas with matt or satin black paint. 

I can only state that on other outdoor projects I have had good lasting results with 'Pro-Cote' 'tough industrial paint' sourced from Toolstation in handy aerosol form. That is my current (since summer 2015) treatment and is what I intend to do all of Hx with. It is currently on the door handles, the grill, the rear chassis and the towbar plate.

JUNE 2015  -  First to step up to the task was 'Back to Black' gel restorer.  Little more then a coloured silicone polish. It went on and looked good but had no staying power. I used it on the rear wheel arch trim and it just washed and faded away within days!

It faired better on the internal trim. I treated the footwell kick panels and the seat base trims with it and the kick panels were taken out the other day and still looked good.   Verdict ?  Only use it where the Sun don't shine!

AUGUST 2015  -  The Internet is full of wacky treatments for restoring black trim. Baby oil and peanut butter seem laughable and using a heat gun to 'melt' the black back is perhaps the most extreme.  

For Round 2, I purchased some 'Forever Black' from Ebay. Apparently this stuff can withstand the hot Californian Sun and is more of a polymer dye then a polish. 

Used it on the rear wheel arches 

Three views of the offside rear arch trim showing it's mottled faded brittle state. The texture is really more like sandpaper then plastic. The nearside arches were the same and both needed sanding back.

Initially the nearside arches were only lightly sanded before the dye was applied. This proved to be a false move as the texture just showed through the finish as can be seen here.

The only solution was to sand them flatter and the above photo shows the body arch being sanded while the door arch still has the first coating on it.

The rear arch after second sanding and application of Forever Black.

This stuff was easily more lasting. It is now over a year since application and only now if I cast a critical eye can I see it needs re - doing. 

The offside has faded the most. It gets more direct sun then the nearside but also with all the recent spraying and masking, I noticed how the masking tape kind of removed some of the blackness from the arch.

At the time of application, (Aug 2015) I was also sealing the windscreen rubbers and got some excess silicone sealer onto the surrounding black trim. I noticed when I rubbed it off that it gave a pleasing finish to the black plastic. 

As an experiment I smeared the A - pillar and plenum cover with some clear silicone sealer. It gave an even black coating that lasted for a while but the best thing was its rain shedding property.

Here is a photo of the silicone sealer smeared plenum chamber. The light grey strip just above the bonnet on the drivers side is the original tone of the plenum chamber. This took no time to apply and lasted months, it was very waterproof but attracted lots of dust. I feel that the static was from rubbing the surface with the cloth when applying it..

The wiper arms in the above photo were also experimented on... The nearest one was left in its faded condition while the other one was treated with 'T-Cut'.

T-cut was trialed in Sept 2015. I have history with this product going back to my time on the work vans and the weekly surface scratch and blemish removal. That was always on white metal so what would it be like on black trim. ...?

Two views of the nearside B - pillar and window frames. Admittedly this is faded paint on metal. I only did the window frames and took the photos half way through treating the front window frame. A fast fix that is still looking good today.

I left the central B - pillar alone. The only action here is to respray the pillar.

Moving on to the roof bars and again a very quick rub down with the T-cut produced a good result that lasted best part of a year.

The current tone of the bars is about midway between the two. The bars have a metallic covering and even today I would consider re-applying T-Cut simply for its ease of use.

And so we come up to date with the new contender, the 'Pro-Cote' matt black spray....

I recently did the grill and headlight surround with it but don't have a good photo 'in situ' as it were. The other day I sprayed the circular plastic plug that sits on the plenum chamber. There are two of these 'plugs' and on every Disco2  I've seen they are standout faded.

A quick spray brings it to this finish. It was then handy to photograph it against other faded trim on Hx..

...the C-pillar behind the rear door...

...the offside rear wheel arch. ....

..The offside rear bumper...

Clearly a lot of work to come, starting again with those wheel arches.

Td5 D2 bodywork - Heater Blower Hole (5)

Following on from the recent work around the Heatwer Blower inlet 'leak', I began to fashion a cover plate for it from the paper template made earlier by 'rubbing' the outline of the intake.

Dug out the remains of an old aluminium printing plate. I recall the image on the plate is from a college project nearly 30 years ago!!

The plate is thick enough to be rigid yet can be easily worked with hand-tools.

When I got down to it though, I felt that trying to get it into a final fitted position would be a challenge as the plenum cover is still in place. I elected to use thinner catering foil trays thinking they would be easier to 'work' under the circumstances. 

Still a work in progress. I have strengthened certain areas by glueing extra pieces of the aluminium tray together.

Although the last image shows near enough the finished cover, trial fittings have shown I need to fashion some kind of fitting for the front edge to the plenum cover.... There is very little space between the top of the intake lip and the underneath of the fitted plastic plenum cover above it, and care is needed to get the intake 'covered' yet still allow air to enter and any water to drain from its surface.

I began to question the whole notion of rainwater entering the intake directly through its opening.  Also, started to question why the intake is the size it is. ? And why does it have that particular shape/outline?

Don't know anything (yet!) about air flow volumes in heating and ventilating systems, but looking at that photo looking down into the blower body, the blower wheel seems small compared to the inlet. ..

I know that the design of the intake inlet remained unchanged throughout the 15 year production of D1 and D2. That makes me wonder if the intake 'moulding' had indeed been 'imported' from an earlier vehicles' design? Maybe even a Leyland bus or truck??

While I mused over that,  I decided to apply some 'Granville clear silicone sealant ' to the area identified the other day with the borroscope. The sealer comes in a handy small tube that allows access to awkward areas. ... ideal!  

I smeared a good coating of the stuff between bolt 3 and 4 making sure the joint with the metal bodywork was covered. 

That was done a few days ago and since then there has been a few prolonged downpours but there has been no visible leakage into the footwell. I have even physically checked the area around the blower motor mounting which is the leak point and it was dry. 

Encouraged by this,  I have decided to monitor the situation before fitting the intake cover.

Fingers crossed...