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JohnJ
Member Since: 26 Jul 2006
Location: Sunninghill South Africa
Posts: 2
  
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| LR South Africa attitude to any modifications |
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Hi All, Just joined and am facinated by the amount of modification and fiddling that you guys are doing on your Disco3's. I am leaving in a week for a 4 week Safari into Northern Zambia and have been involved in having a Dual Battery, Charging System, and Brad Harrison power leads to my offroad trailer in order to power the Fridge and Deepfreeze required for Frosties and Food. Land Rover South Africa, factory not dealer, are taking a stance of Voiding Warrenty on Electrics if you do this, eventhough sustem is totally passive with blocking Diodes etc. What would the reaction be to a Turbo Chip upgrade or DVD into Satnav I shudder to contemplate. What is LR England attitude to all these Mod's as regards Warrenty status????   Its hell in Africa, but someone has to do it!!!
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 28th Jul 2006 1:30 pm |
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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
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Howzit JohnJ
Nice to see another Safrican on the forum.
I can kinda understand LRSA's stance on the electrics, because they don't have any control over what you connect, but I have been told that they will void my chassis warranty because I installed a non-LR roofrack.
My friend was told that he is not allowed to connect anything to the white towing socket. I think this is nonsense.
Did you get this in writing?
PM me where you are going on your trip. We just came back from 3 weeks in the Kaokoveld in Namibia, and I am battling to get back into work, just wanna drive my (wife's) landy
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| 28th Jul 2006 2:56 pm |
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JohnJ
Member Since: 26 Jul 2006
Location: Sunninghill South Africa
Posts: 2
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Hi Baben, the system I have fitted was through an organisation recomended by Land Rover dealer that has been working on Landy's for many years and has done about 20 Disco3's. The system is developed by the CSIR( council for scientific and Industrial Research) and is state of the art technology and totally passive and protective of the vehicle. I have actually written to 4x4SA magazine and they have contacted LRSA for a formal position because so many guys are worried. in other words... Land Rover.. Go Anywhere.. long as you dont need a fridge or trailer!!!  Its hell in Africa, but someone has to do it!!!
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| 28th Jul 2006 4:34 pm |
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IronMan
Member Since: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Midrand
Posts: 99
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HI guys,
My Disco 3 is now 15 Months old TDV6 SE. I have done 45,000Km and have also done some mods...
I like Baben have the FrontRunner roofrack which I will highly recommend. The guys did a great job fixing it, I have 40l water container dual jerry holders etc. (I tent on the ground - KIDS!...)
NOW the elctronics issues... The problem with Dual battery systems is that some (not all) connect to the igintion to detect when the car is started to allow the main battery to "recover". Now remember that your key conatines a bettery that charges while you drive and thus the reason why you should switch your daily used key at least every 6 months! Thus what happens is there is also a charge running through the ignition system.
2 systems in SA now offer a system that does not require "tampering" with the ignition. The Gemeni and new National Luna systems. Previous versions of NL required an ignition portion.
I installed the NL system with Dual Bat. monitor, also a 75 Bat that fitted nicely in the open bay. 16mm cables secondary bat. was taken to the back where we fitted 2 HELA plugs without touching the existing 12V lighter socet wiring. Thus a solidoide connects to the Main and Dual. It Auto detects when chraging starts and after a 5min period will allow the dual to start charge. The dual ONLY feeds the 2 HELA's at the back.
Thus far NO ISSUES! Now "unofficially" I was told that both these systems work on the D3...
Now I'm still hunting for new tyres!!!
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| 31st Jul 2006 3:11 pm |
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IronMan
Member Since: 18 Jul 2006
Location: Midrand
Posts: 99
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Sheeesss... one can see I did that previous reply from my JasJar on the move... sorry about all the typos!
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| 31st Jul 2006 3:15 pm |
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Charl Barnard
Member Since: 08 Aug 2006
Location: Centurion
Posts: 10
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Hi All,
Been trying to find out a few things about white towing connector. When I spoke to one of the techies at waterford landrover the other day he told me that connector was specifically there to provide power to the trailer for charging batteries in. So if you are not aloud to use it, do any one know why it is there?
My other problem is that I have an offroadtrailer, and due to the rading height of the disco under normal conditions the trailers nose drops. Any ideas how to get past this obstical?
Charl
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| 8th Aug 2006 5:29 am |
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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
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Are you molo charl?
The pinout for the white plug is available at http://www.rydertowing.co.uk/trailer_towba...iring.htm, but herewith a summary:
Yellow Reversing light and catch 1
Blue Live feed aux battery 2
White Earth 3
Green Live feed interior lights* 4
Brown Sensing Device Spare 5
Red Live feed fridge 6
Black 2nd Earth 7
The fuses for the live feeds (15A) are behind the left hand side rear panel (ie. where your towbar lives when it's not in use)
Seeing as the inputs are fused, I can't see why not to use them. I am using feed 2, and earth3 which comes on only when the vehicle is running, to charge the batteries and run the fridge in my offroad trailer, and have had no issues at all.
I share your frustration with the height of the towbar! With the D3 in offroad height, my trailer still noses down. The towbar removes a good 10degrees of departure angle. So far I have not found a solution
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| 8th Aug 2006 6:19 am |
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Charl Barnard
Member Since: 08 Aug 2006
Location: Centurion
Posts: 10
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Hi,
Well, I am still new to the disco seen. Got caught out with the towbar height issue. For some stupid reason I thought you would be able to set the height or lock it some how. Well, again according to the techie at waterford, you can change it out for a range rover tow bar that is somehow adjustable. Just feel a bit violated forking out another +- R6k. Havent seen, it in action yet, but was hoping for alternative options.
Charl
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| 8th Aug 2006 6:43 am |
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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
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You can get the adjustable towbar, which will allow you to adjust the height of the towball, but it sticks out underneath the chassis even more than the "donkie-piel" standard bar.
Are you molo Charl?
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| 8th Aug 2006 8:33 am |
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Charl Barnard
Member Since: 08 Aug 2006
Location: Centurion
Posts: 10
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Hi,
Sorry there, No I am not. The papers to join LROC has been lying in my desk for 2 years now. Been meaning to do it.
The towbar story is bad. I have frequent trips to namibia is this really worries me.
Since it seems that you have dealt with most of my new found worries, what desent offroad tyres can one use that is available. There is a lot of talk about the Wrangler MTRs or are you still running the HP set?
Charl
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| 8th Aug 2006 8:58 am |
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Baben
Member Since: 15 Feb 2006
Location: Kyalami
Posts: 2059
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If you have the SE, you have 18" wheels, so you have little choice.
The MTR is only available in 19" at the moment as far as I have been told, so for the HSE you will be sorted.
I used Cooper STT 276/65R18 during last month's trip to Namibia, and they were great. These are serious off-road rubber though, and very noisy on tar. My friend with the S model used them too, but in 17", and he loved them too. See my gallery for pics
If you need on/offroad, Cooper have other options at nice prices. Speak to your Dunlop dealer, or if he is a bit uninformed, PM me and I can give you the contact details of the import guy who helped me a lot.
For everyday use, we are still on the Pirelli Scorpions, which are a great road tyre, but won't last a minute in the real bush.
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| 8th Aug 2006 9:14 am |
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Charl Barnard
Member Since: 08 Aug 2006
Location: Centurion
Posts: 10
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Hi Baben,
Thanks for all the info. Check some of your photos. Looked really nice. I shall definatley let ypu know If I do not come right with Tyres. I used to drive a defender 110 and had the Cooper S/T on it. If possible will op for that one. You did not have any from dealership concerning warranties being effected.
Charl
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| 8th Aug 2006 9:34 am |
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dflo
Member Since: 04 Jul 2006
Location: Wading in and out of it...
Posts: 1361
 
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Hi Baben,
Baben wrote:<snipped>I used Cooper STT 276/65R18 during last month's trip to Namibia, and they were great. These are serious off-road rubber though, and very noisy on tar. My friend with the S model used them too, but in 17", and he loved them too. </snipped>
I am looking at some 17" wheels and Cooper STT... What size were your friends? I see that there are 245/70-17 and 265/70-17 and have seen 245/70 on a D3 (nice  ) but I am wondering if there may be clearance issues with the 265/70?
From my sums, I make it that the diameter of the 265/70 is only going to be 1 - 1.5cm less than your 275/65-18 and I recall that you had some clearance issues?
Any thoughts?
Ian "Funny, mine doesn't do that......."
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| 8th Aug 2006 10:22 am |
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Slimer
Site Moderator
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Last Exit to Nowhere
Posts: 16295
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There's a handy tyre size calculator here The End
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| 8th Aug 2006 10:29 am |
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dflo
Member Since: 04 Jul 2006
Location: Wading in and out of it...
Posts: 1361
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Thanks Si
See you later  "Funny, mine doesn't do that......."
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| 8th Aug 2006 10:32 am |
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