Raistlin

Maybe a retro-fit?

Those of you who run an S-Type will be well aware of how sensitive the car's electronics is to voltage drop. In the old days, eventually your starter motor would begin to exhibit a distinct lack of torque to start the engine and that warned you to charge the battery. In our cars, the system throws a wobbly at the slightest voltage drop, well before the starter has trouble. All you get is a plethora of fault codes and the immobilizer refuses to disengage. I, along with others, make use of the superb CTEK charger to trickle charge the battery, in my case, once a week. I've now installed the CTEK panel mounted status indicator. Not only does it give you an immediate red - amber - green LED indication of battery state but it also has the fairly unique CTEK charging socket built into the device so you just plug the CTEK cable in without even having to lift the boot floor. The CTEK status indicator connects directly to the battery terminals via a fused cable. I suppose you can mount the indicator anywhere in the car but I dislike having extras visible in the passenger compartment so I've mounted it in the side of the boot, alongside my auxiliary power socket. Having a sealed battery, I close the boot-lid which doesn't damage the charger cable and refresh the battery overnight. You can't over-charge the battery with the CTEK charger and it automatically cycles if it detects the battery voltage falling below maximum. In use, if the indicator displays the red LED, there is still sufficient power to run the car but a charge, either from a run or from the charger is required to bring the battery back to peak.

Yes Steve, Just before Christmas he said that I should look after the car (his is a wreck btw) having had the good taste to buy one. I once asked him what colour the sun that his planet orbited was ;)

I think it might be safe to make this public now :D When I first bought my S-Type, in March of last year, I was prone to leaving it parked outside the garage just so I could admire it A neighbour came over and proceeded to tell me, with great conviction and authority, and in great detail, what a poor choice of car I'd made. I can't deny that I was on the point of inviting him to perform a certain degree of self-surgery when he left with a parting shot to the effect that I'd not last a week with the S-Type. A week later, the dip-stick had gone and bought himself an S-Type

Had to be done Russ There are several S-Types linked to this forum now with leapers.

I took SWMBO for her first consultation in the Oncology department of New Cross hospital in Wolverhampton today, prior to the start of her radiotherapy following a diagnosis of stage 2 / 3 endeometrial cancer a couple of days before Christmas. Neither of us were looking forward to the experience and expected the place to be... well, I don't know quite what we expected, but certainly not what it turned out to be. There was a lively buzz of friendly, upbeat, even joking conversation between the patients and also between patients and staff. We were immediately assimilated into the throng and very soon felt welcomed, included and comfortable. Now I don't mean this post to be patronising and if it appears so please accept my apologies. Let me explain that I haven't been in an Oncology department for many years so was almost certainly naive in my expectations. What a tremendous upbeat appreciation of people and life there was in the department. We both learned a lesson this morning.

I, and many other, use a copied disk Simone. 99% of the time it behaves itself in The Princess. I have had several copied disks which would not play though.

Hi Stuart, Not quite sure what you mean by "next to useless". Mine is a 2006 car and the sat nav seems perfectly adequate. Anyway, the lack of postcode option is usually down to a copied sat nav DVD disk although I have very occasionally heard of it with a genuine disk. I suspect it might be to do with the sat nav losing power before being shut down in good order. The solution, I've found, is to remove the DVD disk, switch the ignition off then on again, wait until the sat nav tells you it doesn't have a disk, then re-insert the disk, switch the ignition off then on again, then leave it for a few minutes to re-orient itself. This usually works first time but may need to be repeated once or twice :) Sounds a bit of a faff but, if what I believe is correct, would only be needed if the battery was dis-connected without waiting a few minutes for the electronic to shut down properly. Worth a try?

Following recent concern with my battery, and after discussion, I've instituted a regular weekly trickle charge regime for The Princess. Not essential I suppose but I don't want to be taking any chances. The problm is, with older cars you got a warning of low battery by virtue of the fact that the starter motor can't turn the engine over sufficiently fast. Modern cars can't tolerate a voltage anywhere near that value so you get no warning until the gremlins begin.

By the time Midnight arrives I will not be able to trust my keyboard skills so HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody :)

Certainly sounds like the dreaded crack in the flexible joint Dave. I got round mine quite cheaply by virtue of a Powerflow dealer locally who took it as a personal project. Unfortunately, his words after completion were:- "Never again". Depending upon your dealer's attitude, there are three ways to solve the problem. First and most expensive is to replace the cat / flexi assembly. Second is to use one of the officially endorsed flexi stub replacements. Thirdly is to use a third party replacement which doesn't have a built in flexi. Personally, I'd steer well clear of the third option. The designers built in a flexi for a reason, after all. Bonnet mascot seems to be a bit of a Marmite point. I wasn't keen at all until I saw one in the flesh, as it were, on Denis's S Type. Do you recall seeing mine with leaper at the nanos? I'd suggest that you might wish to see one for yourself before making what might be an irrevocable decision.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course Andy :) I imagine Dave will draw his own conclusions.

Perhaps replace it with a bonnet mounted leaper? If you think it goes with the car?

Have you got the Audio Connection Module in the centre console Dave?

I'd like to hear a "back to back" difference between the standard and the premium sound Dave. It's one of my intended retrofits. I bet yours doesn't have auto powerfolds

Looks great Dave. I hope you're impressed. Looks as thought there's not much to retro-fit. Have you got the premium sound system?

Thanks Joe. I think we have a workable solution :) Thanks to everybody who helped - very much appreciated.

Joe, the laser marker you suggest seems ideal but I can't find them. Do you have a link please? Thanks for your suggestion Peter. Certainly worth considering.

The laser markers I have detect the presence of the car some 2 metres ahead before they switch the laser beam on Joe

Tried that idea Garry. It's not accurate enough unfortunately, and it relies on your head and eyes being in precisely the same position each time. Thanks though

Problem is Joe, the laser's detection distance is so small that a laser at the back of the garage will not detect the presence of the car while it is outside the threshold.

I've raised this point before but now it has become something of a quest for me. That is, what can be done to assist in lining up your car centrally prior to entering a garage threshold of limited width? I have laser markers within the garage so I always stop in the right place but, because the front wings of my car disappear from line of sight, I'm always nervous with regard to placing the car central to the garage entrance before the front wings get anywhere near the garage entrance itself. So far, the best solution has been another laser marker, attached to the up and over door, giving accurate centre-line guidance. The only problem with that is the fact that these laser markers only last 24 hours on a battery and, because the marker moves with the door, I am unable to connect it to a permanent supply from a transformer as I do with the fixed laser marker inside the garage. The detection range of these markers is such that I can't fit one within the garage as it doesn't detect the car and switch on until the front of the car is over the threshold. I've tried using a ribbon hanging from the edge of the garage door but, of course, the slightest breeze blows it all over the place. Any clever ideas gratefully received. :) Thank you.

The manager of the local MotorWorld just happened to be one of our guests for Christmas dinner

Bonus :D Got me a Ctek MXS 5.0 for £35 including a free Battery Status cable and, after I badgered, a free wall bracket.

I was thinking of installing a socket in the boot Joe, directly connected to the battery. I have a convenient mains power point in the garage just by the boot of the car when she is in the garage.