I had to repair a set of Vauxhall Electric Window Switches today, so I cleared all the parts etc away off my Soldering / Programming Bench which I haven't used in a while ....



.... and sorted that issue out

Vauxhall in their infinite wisdom do not Solder the tiny connector pins into the PCB's of these Switches, they simply press in and latch, hence they are always going wrong when they get to be a few years old and the connection(s) between pin and PCB go bad.
So I fluxed the PCB and Soldered 'em both sides, hopefully that should fix it ....







So whilst doing this it seemed rude not to repair a couple of Key PCB's for the Discovery, I soldered in 3 new Buttons as one PCB did have one of its Buttons working and I only had 3 new ones here ....





So now when I can get access to a Nanocom machine hopefully I can get them to program onto the BCM, then I can be lazy and stop using the Key to lock and unlock it, I think this is what is called an "upper class issue"

Well D15KOE Playtime is over for a few days, big welding job in tomorrow and Thursday on a customers wee Van that the MOT Tester bashed big holes in ..........
Inner and Outer Sills, which means at very least Seats and Floor covering out before I start ................

The H/D GKN Greasable UJ's and the Cardon Bearing etc etc arrived today, so I cracked on with that and another "Never-Rover" job that reared it's ugly head last night and gave me a sleepless night thinking the Engine might have gone bang

More on that one after the front Prop-shaft Rebuild ....................

So I'll walk ya through the pixels :-

Front Prop-shaft components all cleaned up / de-greased and light emery clothed the UJ Cup Bores and scraped out the Circlip Grooves ....





So as I haven't done a Prop rebuild since my last Discovery, the D1 300 tdi (says summat about Disco Props that does lol), and since this booger has that awkward double Cardon Joint, (2 UJ's and a wibbly wobbly double Spherical Bearing with a Needle Roller Pilot on the middle, I started at the easy end ....



Great that went OK, so lets have a go at the fiddly double 'Poppadom' end

First UJ no real issue, but note the big Eye Bearing which also has a small needle roller and an eye bearing in the end, I bought a new one of these, but there was nothing whatsoever wrong with the one on the Shaft, so rather than get the blind bearing puller out, and being a wise old bear, I opted to leave it there and see how awkward it would be to get everything all lined up without all the Needles and Spring falling outta that Bearing and also the possibility of dislodging the Needles in the UJ Cups , oh boy was I glad I did !! ....



During trying to get it all together at awkward angles to get everything in line some of the Needles dislodged and fell outta that Pilot Bearing and the wee Spring got lost under the Bench somewhere Profuse words later, I fitted the new Bearing, Seal and Spring

Very very carefully, and now having some experience of what to expect and how to do it , the second attempt with the whole Prop-shaft at a different angle produced the desired result ....



The easy end ....



The PITA Double Poppadom ....



Jobs a good 'un, no tight spots or owt, luvverly jubbly, petite de journais as they say in peckham

A quick Pre Paint de-grease and a coat of Satin Black, I'll spend 5 minutes and fit it back on the D15KOE in the morning ....



And now, the Engine ..................
Last evening, pre dinner, I had the Snap-On Machine on the old girl to look at BCM, see if I could program those Key PCB's, nah not a chance, (to be fair I didn't expect it to), Nanocom required, so that job can wait

Whilst I was plugged in I scanned for Codes, (none I didn't expect), i.e. it has an A/C Code, but Car has no A/C, also now has EGR stuck shut Code, again, no surprises there because it ain't not got no EGR now When I get it mapped I'll get that monitor switched off, and also get A/C not present coded in

So next I'm looking at live Data, to see what's what, gave it a good old rev whilst checking MAF and Turbo Boost, next thing a mother helluva Diesel knock and as it comes down to Idle the bloody thing is on 4 cylinders ARRRRRRRGH

Switched it off and restarted, still on 4, did that a couple more times and on the 3rd go it is magically back on 5, sounds real nice and it seems to be running smoother than ever

2 minutes later the loudest knock I've ever heard, sod that I switch it off in disgust
Time for dinner, so I walk off in dismayed, sick of the darned thing now.

Whilst munching, I remember the Wiring Loom inside the Cam Box that feeds the Injectors, as we all know too well, this is prone to doing the Oil Wicking poop down the main Loom and into the ECU Plug, oh OK so I'll have a look in the morning, that's not too bad, I'll order the parts to do it, I was gonna do it soon anyways

Bitties should be here Thursday, £45 ish for Injector Loom, Cam Cover Gasket and also with a couple of other non related bitties

Then I do something really stupid, and go searching the Internet and find tales of woe that Injectors were bad, some had bent Con Rods, Cracked Heads and untold other miseries etc etc............. Hence the sleepless night.

Anyway, first thing this morning I fire it up, and there it is running sweetly on all 5, again it seems smoother that usual, that vibe I been saying is the home brew Drive Plate is almost undetectable ........... I ran it for half hour or more, up to temperature, revved it lots, really sweet no issues !!

So I switch it off and pull the ECU :-

The Wiring Plug from Engine, and ECU Plug Socket ....







Ah yeah, well that seems fairly conclusive then. I stripped the ECU, no oil inside it, stripped the Wiring Plug and gave that, the Wires and the ECU sockets a thorough rinsing, also cleaned out the Engine end Plug and Wiring Now waiting on the Injector Harness and Gasket ....



So there we have it, the burning unanswered question right now is will it still have the vibration once it's all back together and been driven a bit to relearn it's fuelling

I sure don't wanna have to pull the Transmission and spend a bunch of coin if I don't have to
Fingers and toes are firmly crossed for now

Dinner seems like a good idea after a good day

Injector Harness and Cam Cover Gasket arrived today
I didn't get time to fit it, due to other work,but temporarily I have also cleaned out the Cam Box end of the wiring both Plug and Socket and packed it with Vaseline.

I refitted the Propshaft and greased all UJ's and the Slider Splines with a Grease Gun, took the car for a decent drive.

Propshaft Vibe gone, Engine pulling OK and no nasty diesel knock or misfires, it really is driving nice now, but the bloody Engine harmonic is still there .............

Early doors on that though, yet to do that Injector Harness so fingers are still crossed
I will wait and see what happens when I fit the new Harness, because at the same time I am going to note the Injector Codings and make sure they are correct in the ECU, re do them if they aren't, remember this Discovery has had a later 15P Engine fitted, so knowing it was done locally it is likely they did not get reset in the ECU.
Also I will adjust the Injector Bump Clearances as well, see what happens then

If it still has the Engine Vibe after all that I will be back to plan A and fit an Ashcroft Drive Plate Kit and an Ashcroft H/D Converter ......................
If that doesn't cure it then plan B............... I will profusely swear at it some more

I didn't realise TD5 Discos suffered the same problem with the injector harness as Defenders. In the Defender the ECU is under the drivers seat so much lower relative to the head than where it is in the Disco. I guess it's more down to capillary action than gravity then. I'll have to check mine just in case.

It is definitely a Capilliary action, all Mercedes 5 Speed auto trans do the same thing, and there theTransmission is much lower than the TCU, but still the Trans Fluid ends up in the TCU causing all manner of grief

So yesterday I took a roughly 100 mile trip across the Highlands and met a really great guy who is a member on here

He has helped me out no end with some of the parts I have been struggling to get, especially a decent passenger Seat Base Cover for my drivers Seat and the elusive TD5 Torque Converter, which I may well need if I have to replace my existing Converter, due to my pesky vibration Also managed to bag a spare Central Locking RF Reciever in case mine turns out bad when I get Nanocom to program on my new Key PCB's, plus a bunch of small trim pieces to replace a few odd bits in mine

So, he knows who he is, and a huge thank you to you

This morning I stripped the Passengers Seat that I got yesterday, scrapped all the Framework etc, and ended up just keeping the Covers. This is the all important Base Cover which will be getting fitted to my Drivers Seat soon. I haven't fully cleaned it yet, just hoovered all the Straw and dust etc off it and gave it a wipe over with a wet cloth which is why it looks patchy colour wise, it is still drying out in my "office area"

I will give it a final scrub when it's fitted with that foaming upholstery cleaner My Drivers Seat is worn in the area of the red pen The rest of my interior is excellent so I was keen to rectify this
Having stripped the Seat now, and found out how it comes apart I can likely fit this without actually removing my Drivers Seat from the D15KOE





The all important un-obtanium TD5 Torque Converter ....



So back to working today, (I gotta stop doing customers work on a Sunday

But, there is a method in my madness, if I finish the last section of Welding on the wee Transit Connect Van, I can run it down for a retest and that way I get almost all day tomorrow to work on the the D2 I'll start with Injector Wiring Harness, set the Injector Bump Clearances, and check whether they are coded correctly in the Engine ECU I took the Discovery out last evening and that Vibration was all but gone, so I am fingers crossed that the Injector Loom may just fix this last issue
It seems too much of an intermittent issue to be something mechanical ??????????????????

So, Friday last, here is where I got to on the customers wee Van welding .......................

Rebuilt the lower lip from the inner structure ....





And welded in and finished the Outer Sill ....







So today I will fabricate 3 sections for the Inner Sill under the Van, it needs doing as per the outer from the front all the way to the rear, so I will do it in 3 sections as it has weird shapes at the very front and very rear, then the rest is just a uniform section to fill in for most of the length in the centre

Better crack on then

Cheers for now, Dave

75% of the Transit Connect Vans inner sill done in one piece ....





Now for the awkward bit ....



Due to the odd shape I'll likely do it by fabricating 3 separate pieces, will finish it tonight then just Schutz it in the morning

TTFN .............

So yesterday I bagged a Lynx Legacy, built up a Dell D630 and Installed the S/W (see other thread)
I got to have a little fiddle today

My Windscreen has been replaced at some point recently with a Heated one. I recently added the Heated Screen Switch, but of course my BCM wasn't programmed for Heated Front Screen

Good job to test out the Lynx
So sod the paying work, I just finished playing with D15KOE and the Lynx Legacy Machine

Not only was I able to communicate with BCM I was also able to alter all the Programming if I wished ................ DRL's, Security stuff, a whole heap of functions can be programmed, including the Heated Screen (actually done that)
I also Tried the Key Plips, easy enough to do, Lynx asks ya to press Plip Button as a test, got that far but the Cars BCM isn't seeing the Button Press so I couldn't go any further
That likely means 1 thing, the little RF Module behind the Centre Interior Dome Lamp is suspect, could be it's earth point or could be FUBAR, so as I picked up a spare at the weekend I will do that job soon, apparently it is a common issue

The Heated Front Screen Programming has worked ....



Start Engine, both HRW and Heated Front Screen off ....



Heated Front Screen on ....



HRW and HFS on ....



Aside from the switch LED now coming on when Switch has been pressed, I can here the Engine revs drop slightly when switching it on so I guess that's working fine

Jobs a good un

Oh Joy, I better go do some paying work and Diagnose one of France's finest now, a Trafic Van ............................

Y'all can tell there is real enthusiasm for this job

That's the new Injector Harness in, Injector Bump Clearances adjusted (they weren't out), and noted all the Calibration Codes ....





Cam Cover will go back on in the morning, I've glued the new Gasket and want it to be well stuck before putting it back on the Head, the big nuts are holding the back end down to make sure it sticks well, ya can't see that bit when replacing the cover so it needs to stay in position and make sure the semicircular piece is located properly otherwise there will be a mother of an Oil leak ....





Time I was in a Hot Tub wiv Beer(s)

Man your crazy. i
Have just read all the battle notes.

good read.

Thanks Paul,
I do like saving old neglected wrecks and giving 'em a new lease of life lol and thankfully although I've got almost £3.5k in parts into this one, at least it didn't cost me a bean

Yeah on the one hand I wish I'd never clapped eyes on it, it's a love hate relationship, love driving it, hate working on it !!

It does look nice now and from looking at others lately it belies it's age and mileage, and now it drives perfectly except for the naffin Engine Vibe .............
I WILL NAIL THAT TOO THOUGH, I think the next move will be to fit another pair of Engine mounts, but Genuine LR this time, but before I chuck any more money at that I'm gonna try using the Engine Crane and lifting the Engine slightly off the mounts whilst it is running to see if the vibe disappears

Being a Garage owner I should know better than to buy cheap parts but at the time I was trying to keep the escalating costs down !! Bad move
Now I just wanna finish it and enjoy it for a year or 3 before the inevitable Chassis demise

Yeah. Made me laugh when you posted the amount of
Dollar you spent. And the back of the post van

Discovery Injector Harness etc etc all finished yesterday morning, I've left the Soundproofing Cover off the Top of the Engine for now so I can check for Oil weeps over the next few trips out, I road tested it yesterday and pleased to report it's running well, and so far no signs of an Oil leak or random misfire



The pesky Engine Vibe is still there That is the only thing I can fault it on now, but boy is it getting on my nerves
If this was a Mercedes etc just come in the Workshop with this same Vibe I would categorically state "That needs Engine Mounts" ..................

Now, I have already replaced both Engine and Both Trans Mounts, but I must confess as the budget was running wild I used Pattern ones, and yes they did make a difference of approximately half Vibe gone .................. Issue I have is some days the vibration is better than others, it definitely is not a misfire, and it is not a noise, also it isn't the common 2300 RPM Vibration, this one is there at idle and changes frequency as revs rise all the way to the rev limiter !! Yesterday, hand on Cam Cover the Engine is really sweet, definitely no Misfiring / un eveness, yet some days the Vibration seems barely perceptible other days it is more apparent, and yesterday was a more apparent day ............... I haven't yet correlated whether it is worse when the vehicle has stood overnight outside in cold or inside in warm workshop, that info might point to Mounts, (pattern ones have harder rubber) ????????????????????

Hmmmmmmmmmmm I wonder if either I've got a duff one or should slap myself for buying cheap and do them again with genuine LR Parts !!
I have a plan for testing this theory, involving my Engine Crane and Lifting Strop or maybe a Trolley Jack and Wood Block more on that perhaps this weekend

Regarding the Lynx Machine and the missing 3rd Land Rover Model that it should have (L322 Range Rover), I have found a sub menu which is for "Update Firmware Key" so perhaps I should try that and see if it lists the existing Unlock Codes ( D2 and RR Sport) and if there is an option to add the 3rd Unlock Code ....



Trouble is I don't know which of the 3 Unlock Codes I have is for the L322, I can be almost certain it is one of two but I'm loath to mess with it too much in case I brick it or lose one of the 2 Models I have, so here's hoping it gives a list of the 2 Unlock Codes that it has atm .....................

L8r's

Your crazy. Do you sleep.

just to
Let you know We all truffle sometimes. I changed the steering box on ma 90. 2 weeks later it ****ed out trans fluid everywhere. Back to lr. parts. And another 2 weeks off the road while they tested a brand new unit for possible tampering. Got it back now. Still annoying after spending 500 quid on it. So I understand your pain.

Bullet bitten, I have ordered 2 Genuine Land-Rover Engine Mounts, £165 inc postage .......................
See wot they bring to my Vibration Party, trouble with this Party is they ain't "Good Good Good Vibrations"

I've read several threads now on various LR Forums that say cheapo mounts do this because the rubber is harder, and yesterday the final nail in my cheapo mount's coffin was this, from a well respected Guy who is an Indie LR Repair / Parts seller ....

"Engine mount wise, unfortunately genuine are the only way to go for soft and supple. Britpart are garbage, Bearmach are good (3 year warranty) and we use them in more agricultural based LR Defenders, but you cant beat the genuine ones. They have come down a lot in price over the last few years !!"

Yeah yeah, I should have practiced wot I preach ......................

"I should'a known better"

Bearing in mind how much coin I spent with that particular supplier and assuming that the Genuine Mounts cure it, I will be trying to return these Chinesium poop parts for a refund
Still no core refund from "Watts Linkage Rebuilder Muppet", he received my old Watts assy on 6/9/21 so I am giving him until 20/9/21 before unleashing a full "Napalm Dispute" requesting my £50.00 Core Deposit, the £9.99 return postage cost (because his couriers don't collect up here so he verbally agreed that), and also a 50% refund on the new unit as it arrived with one of the main Pivot Bearings Boots split, thus it will fail in short time

I'm done listening to his BS, bloke obviously has issues but I have been more than patient and they aren't my issues, and they sure as hell aren't gonna become my issue

I'm tackling a few Interior jobs this w/e, including swap in the "new" Drivers Seat Base Cover, fit the RF C/L Reciever, (behind the bloomin' Headlining) but I'm confident / hoping I can get it without removing the Headlining completely

Play with Lynx some more ..................

I'm sayin' nowt, except a pleasant afternoon spent on D15KOE, and all going well ....

















I'll start the rebuild in a minute, and finish it tomorrow

Pic 1 looks like I got some Jimmy the Hoovering to do

D15KOE Update

Drivers seat is all done, looks really nice, and I cleaned it plus the interior a bit more, I also found that when I fitted the Base the Seat back looked it bit tired in comparison to all the others, so I cleaned and fitted the Back from the passenger seat that I got, the only difference being that the Lumbar and Recliner adjuster wheels are now on the right side, I doubt anyone will notice that, and even my OCD can handle that, the Seat now looks VGC as does all the rest of the Interior really belies it's age and mileage now

Pixels:-

The wee steamer trick is used to remove a slight depression in the foam padding where the Seat had some parts etc sat on it before I removed it from the breaker D2 parts car ....



The Seat rebuild / refit ....













Of course, all that fiddly work will go unseen most of the time, as this is my DD Workshop Car, to avoid getting the Seat filthy it will have a slip on Cover over it most of the time




Now, re the Engine Vibration, we have had 2 nice warm days since I last drove D15KOE, and today I went for a run after refitting the Seat, vibration was almost totally gone .........................

So much better I could almost live with that

That suggests to me that either ....

The el cheapo Engine mounts "Rubber" is a bit softer when Outside Temp is up ...................

or

Since fitting the Injector harness and re coding the Injectors in the ECU the Car is now re-learning it's fuelling .....................

Very puzzling, does anybody know if TD5 is like many other Engines, i.e. has Adaptive Learn in it's ECU ?

I'm wondering if it is re-adjusting it's fuelling now and that's why it feels better ............

Does anyone know, does the TD5 have Adaptive Learn Fuelling like other vehicles ????????????????

lol, I could but hope, but the way it felt today I am certain I would feel nothing at all once I fit the Land Rover Genuine Mounts when they arrive

Better be gone now, Curry tonight mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

So D15KOE has stood in the heated workshop (22c) all night, fired it up today, pleased to report that the Vibe is much improved if not ever so slightly less than yesterday, so yes, and subject to it staying this way I would 2 fold put this down to cheap hard Engine Mounts, and the Fuelling being all over the shop due to the Injector Harness Oil wicking to ECU issue throwing the Adaptives all over the shop

Of course it is early days yet, and I may well be swearing again if it takes a nosedive backward turn next week


Talking of Seats in my last post, my Office Chair where I spend a lot of time, the Arm just snapped off ....



This is the second (different make) one in 4 years, first lasted around 3 years, this one lasted just over a year, bloomin' Fleabay tat !!
It was never that comfortable anyways

Being industrious I have a plan .........................................

TBC

continued ..................

Put all the old D15KOE Seat remnant's together, cut 2 bits of decent Angle Iron, fire up the Welder and yer mums brother is Robert ....





It is well comfortable, and I'll wager it will last a lot longer than the EBay tat
All I need now is a pair of grey plastic Discovery Drivers Seat Lower Trims

Genuine LR Engine Mounts arrived ....

They're Heeaaar

Sadly I'm busy, but hope to get these fitted before the weekend ....



Hopefully I'll be a happy bunny once I've fitted 'em


The Car has, so far been much improved over the last few journeys since doing the Injector Harness and resetting the ECU, it has got better over the last few days as it has re learned it's fuelling, so there was definitely a Cylinder Imbalance beforehand !!

It's now at the point that the Vibration is almost tolerable so I am hopeful these will get the in Cab experience exactly where I want it, i.e. like it was when it was new


More soon