Masochistic Early Midlife Crisis - Old Land Rover Content

Sounds like a sharp response, nice.

^
on the basis that the insert comprising a roll of electrical insulation tape would only grip a very small beaker ??

Do you also have CB radio fitted? Is it still in use much?

Popped out to get a takeaway Chinese last night and I had no dipped beam. Fuses were fine so I took the Mazda.

I had a very good idea that it would be the dim dip relay. This is an archaic sort of daytime running light from the 80s and 90s that uses a ballast resistor to make the dipped beam come on dimly with sidelights when the ignition is on. The resistor blew ages ago, but the dipped beam still goes through the relay and is a common failure.

It wasn't the relay. I have an aftermarket headlight loom often fitted to classics with substandard headlight wiring and no headlight relays. It takes pressure off the wiring, switch and column stalk.

It turns out this loom isn't made to the same quality that it used to be. I've already had to replace a melted fuse holder and when I investigated today, one of the relay holders has melted. I'm running Osram nightbreakers which are the standard 55/60W and is well below the 40amp rating of the loom. Both those bulbs pull a maximum of 10 amps.

I'll effect a temporary repair tomorrow (weather was atrocious today) and I've bitten the bullet and ordered some LED headlight units. All fully E approved and legal. Age does effect night vision and I've noticed driving at night a lot harder than it used to be - especially as most modern cars have lights that outshine the sun.

I've extended the loom so the relays are higher up in the engine bay and cleaned up all the connectors and given them all a good squirt with grease. I now have super bright halogens once again, but I am still going to fit the LEDs.

They should make a big difference, especially on main beam with the light bar on as well.

Decent headlights make so much difference at this time of year.

So does cleaning them. I knew mine were a bit grubby but having washed the car I now realise the grime was seriously blocking the light.

Yes, I usually give mine a quick clean mine most days at this time of year, but don't need to quite as often with the RR as headlight washers are more effective than they were on the BMWs.  I also like the washer jet that cleans the rear view camera when you wash/wipe the rear window.   It does use a lot of water though, even when the headlight washers don't activate.  On the BMWs I could give the washers 1-2 very quick squirts, then wipe, but the only option now is a full wash/wipe cycle which is very thorough but feels a bit wasteful.

Yes, that's the best solution.

Surely, when driving an M5, everything outside the car is blurry?

Having driven quite a bit more in the dark recently, I am really happy with the new lights. There isn't such a massive difference when going from main to dipped any more, so it's definitely safer.

Had to install a new car alarm. The Cobra system I installed 4 years ago died suddenly. No idea what happened. It started doing odd things then stopped working altogether and I had to bypass it to get the car started.

I ordered an identical replacement so all I would have to do is unplug the two modules and replace. Unfortunately, after 6 weeks of promises, it still hadn't turned up soni obtained a refund and bought a Sigma S30 instead. This is probably a better system overall and I even have such niceties as the interior light coming on when I unlock! It's the same system fitted to Subarus.

Stable water was frozen so I had to cart water from the house around in the Land Rover. Coming up the hill from stables in deep snow, I realised my diff lock wasn't operational. Luckily I got out OK, although I could have winched myself up is necessary.

Removal of the gear lever gaiter revealed a sloppy linkage inaccessible without removing the tunnel. Rubber floor mats had to come out before removing rusty screws and then the tunnel. Only had to grind two of them.

There is a vertical rod with a clevis pin in the middle as a pivot. The diff lock knob moves the top of this left and right and the bottom operates the diff lock lever. Instead of going left and right as I operated the knob, it was just twisting and doing nothing.

The nut and bolt at the top had lots of free play, as did the clevis. There are a couple of nylon bushes on the clevis which I reused, but I replaced the clevis for a nut and bolt and some washers and I replaced the nut, bolt and washers at the top. After some pivot point adjustment (this winds in and out of the gearbox case) I had a fully operational diff lock and no free play.

Took a couple of hours, but was simple enough. The time was taken up removing and replacing the tunnel and matting.

No photos because it was bloody freezing, although gloriously sunny.

Mmm. Not looking good. Last resort is a new expansion tank cap. The system is holding pressure even when cold.

It's not actually overheating at all, but I suspect the old radiator failing (put my camera inside it and it is corroded between the tanks) has caused a problem with the head or the head gasket I replaced back at the beginning of November.

If the new cap doesn't work, I'll pull the head and get it tested.

I think you're right!  I'm not sure if I've already shared this, but I immediately thought of Mark when I saw it....

Head is coming off tomorrow and going to Cleasbys to be tested.

It isn't overheating. I went for my prescription this afternoon and it was fine. However, the cooling system was full of pressure this morning which I released. When I got home and opened the bonnet, the expansion tank was bubbling like hell and was worse when revved.

I think the radiator has definitely caused a head or head gasket problem.

Cummins will progress. I've been waiting on a few bits and pieces.