Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
As already mentioned i'm taking the car down to the coast (and towing a trailer back with it) so more prep today, and to make sure I know things are ok for the future...
So i dropped the spare to take a look at it and make sure the winch operated OK...
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Added a valve extension so the pressure can be checked with it in place...
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I then added an anti-theft before winding it back up...
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And here you can see the valve extension accessible from underneath...
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I was going to leave the 22mm socket and extension in place but it wasn't quite long enough so i'll order a spare socket and extension so they can stay in place between the rear seats...
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15th Aug 2016 3:42 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Key Refurbishment
Both of my keys were looking well abused...
So i ordered a replacement casing from HERE for about a fiver...
I then butchered the old key to get the blade and electronics out... This needs to be done relatively carefully so as not to damage the board inside...
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Once the board is out it looks like this (battery connections circled in red)...
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And the battery is held in the black plastic retainer (shown here with the battery removed)...
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To remove the battery, unclip it from the black retainer, pry the battery gently from underneath using a screw driver while adding head to the solder joints circled in red and it will easily pop off...
Then remove the black retainer which has 2 clips on one side and one on the other, this will give a clear view of the two holes which the battery was in, then using a solder pump reheat the 2 holes and clear of and solder ready to fit the new battery.
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To refit the new battery i put it in to the black holder first clipping it in place, then refitted the black holder making sure to put the pins through the cleared out solder holes, then just flipped the board over and resoldered the 2 battery connections back to the board...
At this stage check the key still works to open/close the car...
Then lay out the new case...
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And place the board with the newly soldered battery in to place...
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I then mixed up some 5 minute epoxy (you don't need anywhere near this much)...
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No photos for the next few stages as you need to get it together before the glue goes off...
Put a fine layer of the 5 min epoxy around the inner lip of the case, i made sure the 5 catches were covered, it's probably not enough to make it waterproof again but hopefully my key will never go swimming...
Place the metal part at the base that holds the key ring (i'd advise fitting the ring before you place this part in the key as it's fiddly as hell)...
The case did come with a new blade if you want one cut, but i opted to reuse the old one... turn the spring and button anti clockwise until you feel it 'catch' then place the blade on the button in the 'stowed' position, rotate the blade one full turn anti clockwise and hold it in place while you put the 2 key halves together...
Make sure to clean up any excess glue before it sets, a damp cloth worked just fine for this...
You will then have a shiny new case to replace your old battered one... I'll get round to doing the other one at some point...
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Total cost including glue... About £15...
15th Aug 2016 4:28 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Front Bulbs...
Well, thats a load more bulbs changed...
LED's in the side light and cornering light...
Philips Extreme +130% in the main beam...
Indicators are still standard, will LED those when i get the time to detango...
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Now need to decide if i want DRL's before pulling the headlamps apart, both fogs need replacing and a bulb/DRL decision made there and a decision needs to be made about what i'm going to do at the back, thinking twin LED tail/break conversion, bright LED's in reverse lights and get Reverse 'follow home' enabled, decisions decisions...
15th Aug 2016 5:32 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Well, not entirely sure but i think the dead alternator may have seriously shortened the life span of my battery, i tend to only do short journeys (10 miles each way to work) and some mornings have been coming out to see it sat at below 12.0v... I've just invested in a CTEK to see if a recondition can bring it back to a reasonable level but if not it looks like a new battery will be getting bumped to the top of the 'things to do' list...
18th Aug 2016 10:36 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Well, the battery seems to have been fine, been away for a week with no issues, fitted the CTek Comfort connect under the bonnet and made up a CTek to 12s Adapter so i can charge via the towing socket if i want too... although i think it'll be more of a monthly condition than actually needing to charge for any reason...
Had a bit of an oops tonight, pokey out branch that i misjudged, stuck a dent in the door and pulled the trim off, to dark to do anything about it tonight so hopefully it'll just be a case of clipping it back on tomorrow... Not gonna loose any sleep over the dent in the door, probably the first mark of many as i intend to green lane and off road it a bit...
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, just noticed the ripple in the front of the rear door too, will have to take a proper look at it tomorrow but probably not going to do anything about the dents as long as the paint isn't broken...
28th Aug 2016 11:06 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Doesn't look too bad now the trim is back in place... There were 3 or 4 clips missing so I'll get some ordered...
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I also obliterated the NSR mud guard so took a look at them all and in one way or another they were all damaged so they have all come off and gone in the bin...
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Doing so increases the clearance quite a bit...
Loads of screws here need replacing so I'll have to find the part number for those, either they are rusty and knackered or missing all together...
29th Aug 2016 3:18 pm
PeteHse
Member Since: 13 Sep 2015
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 202
Your last pic, is your tyre rotating the right way?
29th Aug 2016 8:04 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
No idea tbh... I'll check tomorrow...
They are all coming off the end of next month anyway...
29th Aug 2016 9:11 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Side on, in extended mode, removing the mudflaps has definitely improved the clearance and the look IMO, the side steps will have to come off and make way for tree sliders in the not to distant future i think...
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29th Aug 2016 9:54 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Not done much for the past couple of weeks, just enjoying a few local easy lanes and such...
I did get a CB Aerial mount from Ray which i have mounted up and earthed to the boot hinge but i am yet to get the rest fitted/wired in, i'll try to get that done in the week if i get time...
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11th Sep 2016 3:22 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Side Step Removal
Not much of a fun job... Took about 2.5 Hours which isn't terrible but it's not exactly a cool day so was melting a little bit...
Drown all bolts in some kind of release agent for several days before starting the job...
Rear wheels off, 2 screws out of the rear of the sill trim...
Each side step has 6 x 10mm nuts holding them on, mine were corroded to hell, most just instantly snapped, annoyingly a few rounded off so the angle grinder was brought in to play, destroy as much of the nut as possible in the room provided, then 'remove' whats left with a chisel and big hammer...
Remove the sill trims, there should be 3 x 13mm bolts and 4 clips along the bottom, with the clips, using your flat screwdriver, you remove the centre of the clip, then remove the main body of the clip, once these are all out there is a row of the usual 2 part yellow and white clips across the top, just pop these off starting from the rear...
Then the brackets are held on with 3 or 4 bolts each, use your 13mm socket to get these out... Try not to snap any, Luckily only one of mine was seized solid and no amount of plus gas made any difference and it snapped, not sure there is enough of it left for a stud extractor to work, i'm leaving that for another day...
Once all the brackets are off your sill covers will have some holes in, up do you how you deal with that, at the moment i have run a length of duct tape down each just to cover them up but the plan is for tree sliders on mine in the not too distant future...
I definitely think it looks much better without the steps... (Shown here without sill trims), and obviously the clearance is increased, makes me wonder if rock sliders as opposed to tree sliders is the way to go to keep it looking pretty much the same as it does now...
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15th Sep 2016 5:35 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
Oh, and despite still not having had time to get the CB fitted in properly, i did get a couple of nut covers just to tidy up the look of the mount, subtle difference but does look tidier
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15th Sep 2016 5:37 pm
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
3 Wire Splice + Broken Wire Fix...
Well, slowly doing the CB install (which i will post up when finished), but while i had the side trim up I thought i'd split and solder the 3 green wire splice in an attempt to prevent future problems...
A nice easy job, find the 3 wire joint which is located in the loom, to wards the rear of the front NS door...
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Chop it off and strip the wires back a little, twist them together...
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...Solder...
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...And then apply head shrink... Job Done...
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What i didn't expect to see was a wire at the base of the B pillar that had been stripped back and just left exposed behind the trim twisted together... No idea what it's for but also soldered and shrinked that as well while i was there... Any ideas what it is for? I might study the schematics one day to find out...
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23rd Sep 2016 11:08 am
PaulJC
Member Since: 07 Mar 2015
Location: Herts / Essex
Posts: 192
New Rubber....
5 x Goodyear Duratrac's from Camskill were delivered last week, just had a chance to go and get them fitted...
Loaded up ready for fitting...
Up on the ramp...
New boots, a definite improvement in look and hopefully performance...
30th Sep 2016 5:15 pm
tayaste
Member Since: 15 May 2013
Location: Chester
Posts: 7633
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, just noticed the ripple in the front of the rear door too, will have to take a proper look at it tomorrow but probably not going to do anything about the dents as long as the paint isn't broken...
