Not mine but Nigelbb's car. He dropped it off for a continuation of the work I did on it last time on Tuesday and I've been on it until about half an hour ago. Out with the dash to get the heater box out so I could change the matrix. I used the Paulp38a instructions on removing the dash and found a couple of things that he'd missed, but not too bad a job. Although someone had been in there before and the four bolts holding the dash to the frame weren't fitted, maybe it won't rattle now. Then looked at RAVE to remove the heater box. RAVE says to undo the 2 bolts at the front, two more underneath at the back and, with an assistant, lift it out. What about the two bolts at the top and the screw that holds it to the AC evaporator housing then? No mention of those. The two at the front can't just be removed because the bracket along the front won't allow it to come out so that has to be removed too. Anyway, once out, changing the matrix was easy enough. While out I put the spindle for the face vents back in, it had slid out so wasn't attached to the cog driven by the blend motor so the flaps were just flapping. Lubed all the flaps too for good measure. All back in together with new foam in all the duct joints so what comes from the blowers actually gets to the vents and doesn't leak out under the dash. While the dash was out I replaced the cruise control vacuum hose to the brake pedal switch. The old one had a leak and was split at the usual place where it went through the bulkhead.
Reverse flushed the cooling system and refilled it. Took ages to refill and get all the airlocks out (seems a Thor is more difficult to bleed than a GEMS?). Wasn't happy with the temperature it was running at, or the fact that the top hose was cold while the header tank was getting very hot, so dived out to Nene Overland for a new thermostat (and had to drain and refill again). While under the bonnet, found the spacer for the guard that goes over the AC compressor and PAS pump that Nigel had lost (under the alternator), tapped the thread on the bracket that he had chewed up and ran a die over the bolt so it now screwed back in as it should. Ran it up and found the temperature was stable at 94 degrees and the heater was chucking out loads of heat. Finished putting the interior back together. Then noticed the heater had stopped giving heat..... Nanocom said that the heater matrix was at -10 degrees so off with the lower panel again. Touched the pipe to the heater to find the sensor was telling lies as it was bloody hot. Gave the connector to the sensor a wiggle and the Nano told me it was at 83 degrees and heat came back. Off with the sensor, unplugged it, gave it a squirt of contact cleaner and then had to drop the lower panel off as the clip pinged off inside the dash. Having found the clip, put it back on, checked that it worked reliably and called it a day.
The other problem was that the keyfob wouldn't sync and Nanocom reported that the keyswitch wasn't changing state when the key was turned. The door ajar switch was also intermittent, sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't, so a new door latch was needed. As a 2001 car, it needed the version with the single 8 way connector. Offered to get one of the MG latches and change the plug over but Nigel said he'd prefer a nice new genuine one despite the price. All the usual suspects showed them as something they would order in from LR so figured it would be quicker to go to the LR main dealer. Called in there yesterday and ordered it and got a text at 8am this morning saying it was in. Picked it up and pulled the door panel off to find someone had been in there before as the moisture barrier was missing. Not just torn where someone had accessed something inside the door but completely removed! Fitted the door latch, synced the fob and almost there. Took it out to try it. Temperature remained a nice steady 95 degrees and the cruise control worked but not well. Going uphill the speed would drop and it wouldn't try to maintain it but going downhill it would back off the throttle so was working after a fashion. Tried to use the Resume function and nothing happened initially but suddenly it felt like the throttle had been stamped on. Figured something was a bit sticky. Adjusted the throttle and cruise cables as per RAVE and noticed everything seemed a bit stiff. Lubed it all, re-routed the cruise cable so it didn't have a tight bend in it, took it out again and found it was now working as it should.
The only puzzling thing left now is the EAS. When driving it, everything works exactly as it should but when parked, even with the doors open, with the engine running, I can hear the pump cut in, then the car will rise slightly, then pump cuts out and it drops back to where it should be. Looking at the state of the valves with the Nano, it shows them all to be closed. This suggests a leak inside the valve block but no matter how long I look at the diagram, I still can't see where? I've got a spare valve block but it isn't complete so can't fit that and can't swap it for the one on the Ascot as Nigel has taken that to go home in while I've got his car. I'll give it a bit more thought and may have a go at that on Sunday before he comes to collect it......
Peterborough, Cambs
- '93 Range Rover Classic 4.2 LSE, sold
- '97 Range Rover 4.0SE, in Oxford Blue with a sort of grey/blue leather interior sold as two is plenty.....
- '96 4.6HSE Ascot - now sold
- '98 4.0SE in Rioja Red
'98 Ex-Greater Manchester Police motorway patrol car, Range Rover P38 4.0, in Chawton white - the everyday car
All running perfectly on LPG
- Proud to be a member of the YCHJCYA2PDTHFH club.