Just replaced the drivers door latch with one Marty rebuilt, which was the one she had originally, that was new but needed a little fettle..

Works pucker, and stops the random locking!!

Happy as a cat with 2 arses.

Oh and the water ingress has halted, no more water pissing in..

The car smells much nicer inside too, the damp smell has disappeared!

changed the front seats for newer ones, much firmer and more support.

Pulled the inspection port off the bellhousing and found the Input shaft seal for the Autobox is leaking..

Argh!

Not too much of a ballache!

But still annoying!

StrangeRover wrote:

Pulled the inspection port off the bellhousing and found the Input shaft seal for the Autobox is leaking..

Argh!

Not too much of a ballache!

But still annoying!

I have this exact same issue, it's certainly not leaking enough to leave a puddle, more like a spoon full after 50 or so miles. But I'm supposed to take a 500 mile round trip this weekend.... dunno if I should take the Rover, wouldn't want to have the seal let go and leave me stranded.

In either case the transmission has to come out to replace the seal = $$$$ Just when I thought I had sorted everything.

It's been leaking since i bought her..

The seal has already failed lol

StrangeRover wrote:

It's been leaking since i bought her..

The seal has already failed lol

Lol....yea I've been getting mixed results from searches online, some say stop driving and get it fixed ASAP. Others say just make sure it's topped up every other week or so.

I've only noticed the leak about 3 weeks ago, put about 300 miles on it and it doesn't seem to be getting much worse. Fluid is always full when I check it...Did 200 miles straight yesterday, going to check tonight if there was significant loss of fluid or not. Fingers crossed.

Personally I'd keep using it and check the oil levely more often than you would otherwise.

Harv wrote:

Personally I'd keep using it and check the oil levely more often than you would otherwise.

I think you guys are right. After a hard 200 mile trip, with no breaks, I only lost another spoonful. Checked the oil level just now and it is still full. Should be good to go for this weekend.

At last! I can report something useful.

This is what we started with...

Bolts came out with no problem.

Consigned to the undergrowth...

Wrong colour coded "cheeks" removed from the replacement. Three barbed spring clips and it's off.

Original Epsom Green going on. Strangely, three barbed spring clips will do it!

No pics of the fitting, they're awkward enough without trying to wield a camera! But...

Looks a bit better. New lenses on the way as well.

Front? Next time. :)   I may paint it tomorrow.

Having overdone things before in this heat, I'm pretty much attuned to know when enough is enough. As a general rule of thumb, when the fag packet in the top pocket of your overalls collapses into a mushy mess, you have now leaked enough fluids. Time to restock. So a soak in the shower, half a gallon of water and now on the cold ones.

Feet up time and contemplate half a job well done. :D

Ironically, I know from experience that the front is actually easier. Although heavier and no less awkward, there's no fighting for an hour with reluctant arch liners or mudflaps after you've fitted it to contend with.

So that's the worst behind me.

I'd say you're one up from me, my rear bumper is held on with zipties!! lol

Fitted new bonnet release cable and found a library of compressor faults but at least i can fit a grill.

is that you fitting the grill???

Ha no thats the daughter. Im a slightly different shape

Changed spark plugs and fitted extra earth cable and alternator to battery cable.

The latest task has been extending the screen cabling and wiring for my navigation drive, so it's not nestled up behind the glove box, rather than stuffed into the dash with all the wiring and next to a heater box.

Also changed my engine coolant temp sensor, as it was reading -39.5 C (open circuit) to the engine ECU when cold - and cause bad running and nasty gear shifts until it decided to make a connection again. Luckily it was an easy job - removed belt, removed the belt guard, undid AC compressor, and moved out the way on flexible hoses and then un-screwed the old sensor from the inlet manifold. Screwed new one in and nipped it up with a spanner. No coolant loss at all!

It now reads properly and I don't have to wait for a few miles for it to warm up enough to report proper temp and the gearbox doesn't hang onto gears FOREVER.

Next job I'm finishing, hopefully over the next few days, is a rear auxiliary control panel. More info to follow...

Changed vacuum pipe for cruise control, just need a good drive to test it
Oil and filter change today. No leaks

Fitted a electric driver seat in a former manual SE spec. Funny finding, as the seat has memory, but I have the six connector mirrors, they drop(ped) everything I switched to reverse, but never came up. You can disable the function by ignition in position II, reverse gear engaged and pressing the memory button for some seconds until message says "...blabla function disabled".

Car feels with new seat cushions and the much more comfortable and adjustable seats like new. One of the best upgrades I did so far. Chronic featuritis is incurable ;-)

That's interesting, the 97 4.0SE UK spec car I used to have had electric seats (but not memory, that along came with the HSE), yet the 99 French spec Diesel I look after has manual seats in tan leather. I always assumed it was a base spec that had been fitted with leather seats on the original manual bases. Seems there's a few trim differences between markets.

Yes, right Gilbertd ... e.g. my 98 LHD has manual leather seats (as well in TAN). As far as I got now, many parts are interchangeable between manual and electric seats (bases, headrest) and the seats have many parts in common - read non handed.

For the different markets, OH YES! When I got mine it lacked the read puddle lights, which I retrofitted. Left side, pre-wired including plug, right side ... NOTHING. Don't ask me, if I would have installed them, if I would habe known before, being picky in original. It took quite an effort to research plugs, connectors, color coded wiring loom and track down sources to buy etc ;-)
Another thing were the footwell lights, I was told by someone with a RHD that the plugs were there, footwell light pre-wired. Sadly not on mine, which was another study in details I now know, but prefer I wasn't obliged to research ;-)

anyway, mine is now a H(ybrid)-SE. 2nd best thing IMHO was the insulation mat under the bonnet, which made a difference.

BTW I was told that the late higher spec cars have better sound insulation? Can anyone confirm / deny?