Raistlin

No, the wiring is designed to take care of that Keith

Wiring the powerfold function to extend and retract the mirrors automatically when you lock and unlock the car ensures that the mirrors are regularly exercised

He's reasonably local to me but still helpful

The powerfold mirrors are prone to sticking owing to dis-similar metal corrosion if not used regularly. Removing the covers and liberally applying spray lithium grease to the pivot point will help. Better still, once dosed with spray grease, get somebody to "assist" in exercising the mirrors while you operate the switch. It might take a while but they will eventually work completely free.

I put together a procedure for resetting everything after battery dis-connect. INCLUDING how to reset your audio if you don't have the code. If anybody wants a copy just PM me your e-mail address. It's nothing that isn't readily available, just all brought together in a logical and comprehensive sequence.

Free delivery Keith

If I was cynical Peter, I'd say it s to justify the ridiculous prices main dealers charge for maintenance ;)

This morning at 01:15 I bought a Webasto auxilliary heater to replace the knackered one on The Princess from a Jaguar breaker on fleabay. It was delivered at 09:00. How's that for service?

I think I can help there Derek :) inside the door pull, you will see a small black rubber mat, pop this out (it is not held in by anything other than its own weight) and you will see two cross-head screws. Remove these and set to one side. Then, with a plastic trim tool ( or any lever providing it is plastic), pull the trim ring from around the door opener. You will need to manipulate the door opener lever to get the trim ring fully dis-engaged. Then, starting from the lower edge, using the trim tool pop the first one or two fir-tree clips. It will sound horrendous but don't worry Once you have one or two of the clips undone, pop the rest by using your fingers under the panel, a bit at a time. The panel then just lifts off the door and you can disconnect the electrical connections. On the back of the trim panel you will see a lot of pressed steel nuts, locate those which hold the switch pack assembly in and undo them gently. The studs are plastic so be careful how much force you use. Once the nuts are removed you can ease out the part of the trim panel holding the switch pack and then it is just a case of undoing two screws to remove the switch pack itself. The electrical connection to the switch pack has a locking lever. Just slide this fully open and it will release the connector. Re-fit, as they say, is a reversal of what you've just done. Make sure when re-connecting the electrical connectors that they click back in to place. Ensure the fir-tree clips are properly aligned with their appropriate sockets before popping them back in to place. Hope that helps.

Derek, you have to remove the door panel as the switch pack is bolted to it on the inside. Removing the door panel is dead easy though. Just a thought, have you switched the rocker switch to select the appropriate mirror for adjustment? The powerfold function should only work with the rocker switch in the central (neutral) position.

Another hit for black

Hi Elvis, I personally used the CTEK MXS 5.0 which provides up to 5 amps and costs roughly £55. There are various output capacities available if you want to pay less... or more. Not a cheap charger but it handles all the modern types of battery and can resurrect some batteries that might have been considered beyond recovery. Also,, if you lay your car up for any length of time, it "float charges", keeping the battery fully charged without causing any damage by over-charging. The charger just plugs into the mains and the output cable plugs into the little socket you can see below the "traffic light" display in my photos above. The in car installation involved cutting out a small rectangular piece of the boot liner (template supplied) and the wires have ring terminals on which attach to the battery terminal bolts. Took me about 30 minutes in total because I chose to completely remove the trim panel so I could cut the hole accurately on my work bench. The CTEK is supplied with crocodile clips so you don't need to use the panel mounted indicator. I just chose to do so because you can plug the charger to the car in a couple of seconds without having to disturb the boot floor.

As far as I'm aware, the earlier premium system doesn't have a link to the D2B loop either.

I fitted it myself Joe, one of four I've done now. Dead easy apart from feeding the cables through the centre console.

Its fitted on the top of the satnav DVD and CDC rack in the boot.

Audio Connectivity Module is ridiculously expensive Joe, unless you find one in a breaker's and they don't know what it is and how much they retail for. Having said that, for all it's cost, the best modification I've made to The Princess. Works perfectly in conjunction with the integrated audio / Voice / Touchscreen and gives one a choice of iPhone, iPod, USB or phono inputs. Some of the Wagnerian operas I listen to are four hours long. Using iPod, I can play the whole opera through without having to change media.

I find my standard audio system perfectly functional as well, although I tend to listen to Wagner, Mozart, Beethoven, etc. However, I intend to retrofit the premium system just as soon as I can locate the bits and pieces. :)

Russ, It mght be that HID bulbs will not cause dazzle or heat damage in your car. The only way to be sure would be to try it and see. I have, perhaps been too general in my previous post above. However, I will say that such problems have been reported many times iin other car fora. I know from personal experience that exactly those problems existed in my Rover 75 because I tried the kits, only to be almost constantly flashed by other road users and seeing my headlight lenses begin to distort owing to heat damage. Perversely, the lenses also reduced the light output of the HID bulbs as well.

The big problem with fitting HID burners in standard headlight units is, of course, the focussing properties of the headlight lens. They are not designed to suit HID and therefore cause scattering of the HID light which in turn will probably make you very unpopular with drivers coming towards you at night In addition, the headlight lens may not be capable of dissipating the extra heat generated by HID bulbs. Just a thought :) Simon, the powerwash is related to the screenwash so not sure how you're using more because of the headlights?

Filled The Princess up at Sainsburys fuel station on Sunday and, for the first time that I can remember, the £ display incremented more slowly than the volume display :) It made my day.

Wolverhampton

It's a bit difficult to provide a quantitative answer on the info provided Tim. It might be a sensor, it might be the ABS unit... or it might be totally unrelated, as some faults are on the S-Type. Need more detail on the car I think. Price, age spec etc. My initial reaction would be, if the seller won't fix it, walk away, there'll be another around the next corner, as it were. But, if it might otherwise be a bargain... Welcome to JoC btw :)

I'd certainly like to see that when you've done it Steve :)

There is no way to use a Halfords trade or discount card other than at the counter Pete. I was told that by the manager of my local Halfords superstore.

I've seen this once or twice. As far as I know, a battery reset will sort it out. Make sure you un-pair your phone first then pair it after the battery is re-connected. Be aware that you will need to do the post battery connect shuffle as well, not the least of which being the audio security code.