I'm over Romsey way - I can pop down if you can cover the fuel. We can enter the EKA via my nanocom and test your door latch switches, though one or more is probably at fault. Marty is the man to speak to about a replacement - but we can get it going in the meantime.

I'm probably busy all of tomorrow and Tuesday evening, but any other weekday I'm usually free in the evenings or next weekend any time.

What's your postcode?

But I want to know nowwwwwwwwwwww :)

If I could get a picture of looking down between the grille and the bar, that would be handy. Trying to picture the gap between the bar and the grille, and where the brackets protrude etc.

Could you possibly take a picture of something for me?

Polish doesn't stay on the car - it is used to remove imperfections. Wax is what makes it pop, and does form a layer on top of the paint.

'Speshul' vehicle indeed..

Do the Alpines have the functionality to let you turn them on with the ignition off? I haven't had one for such a long time I can't remember, if I even tried!

If not, then they should only come on when the accessory circuit is on, providing a switched 12v to the unit. At which point, you should be able to turn it on/off as much as you like. The fact you couldn't to me sounds like its just lost the plot a bit internally.

CTek chargers play nicely well below 12v I'm sure - I've revived some relatively buggered batteries with one. Not sure what charger you've got?

In theory :)

If you search for various Range P38 related things in Google Images, you'll probably come across this picture...

That's my photo - that was how I was getting my 96 started for a few weeks before finding Marty and his excellent rebuilt latches. Unlock with key, and then faff around entering the EKA by emulating the door latch microswitches.

That same rebuilt latch is now in my silver one and still working nicely.

Presumably you've tried disconnecting the battery and reconnecting it to see if that gives it a kick?

My remote fob never really worked for my 96, so and my oddball has friendly syncing so I'm not 100% on how you sync the key in an early one. In the door and turning then pressing a button?

I can't actually remember where... it just looked rather fitting in the old house driveway.

Three switches in the driver's door latch - door ajar, CDL (locked/unlocked), and the key switch. The latter two are used together to determine what way the key is being turned. The key switch one is activated in either direction, and the BECM combines this input with whether the CDL switch changes to the locked or unlocked state, to figure it out. If either are playing up, hello problems.

The fob should sync as soon as you put it into the ignition - insert the key and even before you turn it, you should see the light flash. Requires the RF coil around the barrel and the 'key in' switch to also be working, or it won't know the key has been inserted, and (I believe) passive immobilisation must also be enabled. That's why sometimes you may put the key in and turn to start very quickly, but nothing appears to happen for a second, or you get 'engine disabled' immediately followed by the starter engaging, if the car has re-immobilised itself after the time out period. It takes a second or so to tell the fob to transmit, sync the fob etc, and mobilise the engine.

I think that will all only happen though if the car has re-immobilised itself, or when its having a grump. My other fob is currently not synced.. I might go tempt fate and unlock with the blade, and see if it will do the friendly syncing thing straight away. It has in the past.

If you lock with the key, and the micro switches are all working as expected, it will set the alarm. If when you then come to unlock with the key, the key micro switch isn't feeling like working, it will appear to have been unlocked via the sill button, and the alarm will sound.

Mine hasn't increased in consumption in the 20k I've done in it - and I'm not overly fussed by it at this point... it doesn't smoke, nor is it leaking more than the obligatory usual undercarriage-rust-proofing system requires, so, meh.

Till changing the oil again last weekend I did have 10w40 in it, but have gone back to 20w50 now to see if it changes anything.

I don't know exactly what work my engine has had done to it, I don't think its original to the car and its definitely had at least top end work done to it - but it takes me about 700 miles to go from max to min.

Oooh looks like a second tart's boudoir in the making ;)

Have you given it 30 minutes left alone to get the message to disappear? While its still on the screen, it will ignore any input.

Orangebean wrote:

Its also good for tracking literacy levels and sitting back watching the fights that break out. More entertaining than a dull night on TV

Oh so true.

Ahhh, typical!

I don't think I ever removed it on the GEMS I had - I think I still bypassed it though when I put another engine in it.

The Thor must be different to the GEMS throttle body heater in that case - I've removed it on mine and our red one, no holes in manifold :)

I've got a hot Karcher pressure washer, and it's awesome. Started breaking tarmac up while cleaning a diesel spill a while back... have to be careful with how hot you use it!

Only downside is its massive, and needs to be kept above freezing (ie, indoors) during the winter or the heating coil bursts...