Hi guys,
As above, I'm hoping to remove these to get them sent down to Marty for a fix. I'd do the job in the garage, but after that it would be good to move the car back out into the carport.

Will it still run / move with these things removed? I know I oughtn't to "big up" the Defender too much on here :-) but unless it's missing a wheel or something it will still go....!

It seems to me that neither the switch panel or HEVAC should be 'mission critical' as far as the car starting and running is concerned, but I don't know if the car's brain will like them being missing?

Thanks

Donald

dont know for sure but would say yes.
try unplugging them first!

As luck wd have it I am "dash out" at the mo - as in HEVAC out, centre switch panel out, Dash instruments out... plugged the instruments back in - started on the turn of the key, so yes, no problem

Brilliant - thanks guys.

Can't get a more relevant answer than that!

Cheers

As long as the instruments are plugged in, it's fine. If the instruments are out and you turn the ignition of, you'll get odometer errors and the SRS light on when you put it back together. Everything else can be safely removed.

Mine is with a fully stripped interior, dash seats plastics and the like, just recently put back the carpets.
As long as the BeCM is plugged in it starts and moves, I've done it a few times around the yard, mainly towing or moving stuff around - who would say, it is a workhorse even with an empty cabin!
I was not aware if would throw an ODO error, I know the instruments sync with the BeCM but I would imagine that happens automatically. Not that I've done much road with all disconnected ...

If it has moved at all with the dash disconnected, then you will get an Odo error as it will no longer match the mileage stored in the BeCM. It needs a Nano plugging in to sync the two together again which will change the dash reading as the BeCM reading will be higher. That's one of the problems with swapping bits, you could have a low mileage car and switch a BeCM in from a higher mileage car and it will always use the highest reading.

Cool! Will face that issue when I put the dash back in, hopefully in the next few weeks ...

Thanks for the help folks. Just to report that it all went smoothly - my first P38 battery off/on under my belt :-) From such small acorns, who knows where we'll get to!?

When I first got my P38, I read stories about disconnecting the battery, including a guy who used jumper cables when replacing his battery, to avoid the "dangers" of a disconnected battery. I was apprehensive the first time I disconnected mine, but it only takes a minute or two to enter the radio code and reset the windows.

The only thing you have to remember is that when the battery is reconnected it will always return to the state it was in when disconnected. So if it was locked and immobilised when the battery was disconnected (as will happen if the battery goes flat), it will return in that state. The only time you will then have a problem is if the microswitches in the drivers door latch are poorly. As the battery has been disconnected the fob will no longer be synced and, with faulty microswitches you won't be able to enter the EKA. However, if you are disconnecting the battery deliberately, then it is pretty likely the car will be unlocked so the immobiliser will be off and that is how it will be when you reconnect the battery. You shouldn't even need to sync the fob.

When the late Orangebean first went into hospital, he emailed me asking if I could send an idiots guide to removing the battery on his VSE as he didn't want to deal with any problems when he came back to it (which he, unfortunately, never did). As this was going to be done by a non-technical friend, it had to be easy to follow so it's worth reposting here for anyone else who wants to do the same.

1. Unlock the car using the remote fob and the central locking should unlock all the doors.
2. Pull the bonnet release and open the bonnet.
3. Close the car doors and lock the car using the key in the door (NOT the remote) but leaving the bonnet open. That alarm will beep and the dash display will show 'Bonnet Open'. Don't worry about that.
4. Disconnect and remove the battery (negative off first).
5. Close the bonnet so the car is now fully closed up and locked
6. Connect the battery to the charger on maintenance setting.

When the time comes to put the battery back on,

1. Unlock with the key in the door, only the drivers door will unlock.
2. Open the bonnet.
3. Close the car door and lock the drivers door with the key.
4. Refit the battery (when you connect it you will hear the central locking motors try to lock the already locked doors). Positive on first.
5. Unlock the car with the remote fob - IF it doesn't unlock on the fob (which it should), unlock with the key. As long as the central locking unlocks all the doors, everything is fine.

Ahoy!
Thank you so much for that!
I was just contemplating what will happen when we head off shore for a few months and leave the Rangie under it's cover. With battery disconnected, I am not worried about the 5%/mo self discharge, as it is a big group 31 battery.
Will go and perform this procedure on the Borrego right now to try it out, as it is currently parked in the shed
awaiting a new owner. (Anyone need a nice Borrego?)
No fear of anything going amiss (!?) as it has good micros, an unlocked Becm, and working fob (Sadly, only 1)
On another note, if, as in Oz, the EKA is set to off, and code shows on nano as 0000, do you simply do the
"Prelude to EKA" with the turns from lock to unlock when it asks for it?....Just wondering.....
Cheers!
Tom