Raistlin

That'll be a "NO" then.

Thanks. Well worth doing it myself if that's the sort of price Harvey. I just need to know if there are any pitfalls.

How much are they going to charge you please Harvey?

Has anybody replaced the oil sump on an S-Type with the 6 speed automatic transmission please?

It might be that the flexible link in the left hand exhaust bank has split, allowing exhaust gas to leak.

Sorry David. B+ is car electrics shorthand for Battery Positive voltage, ie 12 volts. If you do not have a Volt meter (DMM) then if you have a 12 volt bulb, that will do. Anything which runs or lights up with 12 volts. Connect one side to earth and the other to FC942. Keep testing at intervals to see if B+ does suddenly appear. As I said, I'm of the opinion that it will not appear, as you haven't mentioned any of the other accessory controlled circuits live with ignition off. If I can recommend, a small cheap DMM from fleabay is an ideal piece of kit to have around. They cost a few pounds and are invaluable. They do not need to be extremely accurate but are sufficient to give indications. The following link will take you to an ideal candidate. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/LCD-Ammeter-AC-DC-Voltage-Checker-Tester-Digital-OHM-Multimeter-Voltmeter-/251800519897?hash=item3aa07b04d9 This is most certainly NOT state of the art diagnostic equipment but is ideal for most purposes in terms of car and household electrics. I have this very model on my workbench and another of the same in my car. By audio module I mean the radio, where connector FC942 is. I tend to say audio module because there are several different ones depending on spec / year.

At this rate you'll have cut all the wires before I get home from work. Have you ever worked in bomb disposal David? That was very much tongue in cheek by the way... please don't be offended :) I concur that the yellow wire(s) are not involved, being the SCP network bus. I was thinking about a different wiring concern... ooops. I also agree that the correct wire according to the diagram is a white / red to FC942. Using your photo for reference, it is the wire on the BOTTOM row, second position in from the RIGHT. That traces back to the ignition switch accessory function. If that is the wire you've cut then it should isolate the ignition controlled supply to the audio module. So I'm now at a loss as to why the radio still switches on. I think at this stage, I'd test for B+ on FC942 with the ignition off, then accessories, then on, just to test the function of the ignition switch. I would then keep checking FC942 with ignition OFF over a period of time. It should not ever become live with the ignition off, even after the periods of time you've mentioned. If I'm right, that would, in turn, suggest an intermittent B+ within the audio module. Further, if the ignition switch has produced B+ when switched off, all the other accessory circuits should be live as well. Have you checked that David? Figure 01.4 ( Ignition Switched Power Distribution: I (Accessory) ) will tell you what pother circuits are live on accessory. BTW, soldering or barrel crimps for re-joining. These are power supply wires so you don't want to take any risks. PLEASE do not use Skotchloks.

Looking at the 2002 MY electrical manual, it should be the yellow wire (FC949) at the main connector on the audio unit. If you intend to insert a switch, I'd suggest breaking into the wire at the audio unit end, not the ignition switch as that provides ignition controlled services all over the car David.

If replacement bulbs don't fix it, then the sub carrier needs to be replaced. Available at dealers for about £20 if i recall. If the circuit board is burned then that will need replacing as well. I used a salvaged one from a scrapped car. The replacement will come with the appropriate clips but If you solve the problem without replacing the sub carrier then I'd strongly recommend finding a pair of clips to secure the sub carrier properly in any event.

I've been out to the garage and checked. With my car, I can't turn the radio on without the ignition switch being set to acc, which is the first position, also, if the radio is switched off, it stays off when you cycle the ignition. If you switch your radio off, then switch the ignition off for say, 30 seconds, then switch the ignition on again, does the radio remain switched off?

The permanent live is there to power the head unit memory, including the security code. If you put a switch in that wire, you'd have to re-enter the security code each time. There is also the possibility that the car's security system would interpret it as an attempt to steal the head unit. It isn't definitive from your narrative but I'd suspect that the problem you have is probably due to the ignition switched supply. What causes me more concern though is that ( I thought) that the audio power on - off switch, integral with the volume control, should completely disable the radio, regardless of whether the ignition is on or not, although I will admit to having minimal experience with the earlier audio head units.

Been there... done that... got the t-shirt. It does take a fair old pull to release at the front. However, it will come free without damage. Do try to use finger tips rather than a levering tool though, otherwise the plastic will be damaged. I had one hell of a problem when I first tried to get mine off and that was because some cowboy had re-fitted the interior light sub carrier loosely rather than using the proper clips and so I was trying to pull both the console and the sub carrier out at the same time. Even so, it did eventually yield to pressure finger pressure although If I'd known then exactly why it was such a difficult bob, I'd have given it more thought because the deformation of the headlining is the sub carrier being pulled out with the console because it is not clipped properly. With hindsight I'd suggest a sort of contortionist approach, attempting to get the fingers of one hand in the gap to hold the sub carrier in place and pulling down sharply on the console with the other. I do hope that makes sense. The fact that your headlining is deforming suggests that you may well have the same problem that I initially had. If you don't mind me asking, please can you say why you are removing the console? The reason I ask is:- a. because I am a nosy old git b. The bulb sub carrier assembly is notorious for causing problems because the electrical bus bars are embedded in the plastic which unfortunately, degrades with time, causing lights failure, smell of burning and possible damage to the electronics in the console itself, manifesting as a burned PCB.

What's the ebay number or link please Brian?

Oh heck Ian, If I'd known I could have sent you a copy free of charge.

I have one you can have if you want? BTW, the arm rest slides forward to cover that hole :D

Had my insurance quote for The Princess through from Sainsburys today. Quite reasonable, I have to say, but worth a quick freephone call to see if it could be reduced a little. Success. No fuss, no drama, a reduction of £105... just for phoning up and asking. Best of all... SWMBO doesn't get to beat me up because she gets another year of double Nectar points

One possibility is that the ambient light sensor is breaking down. To test if it is working, cover it and see what changes of screen brightness occur. If you can't replicate the problem like that then the problem almost certainly lies with the screen. Another way might be to disconnect the ALS entirely but I'm not sure whether this would darken or brighten the display Graham.

That trick is even simpler if you have pre-hensile toes Peter Still a worthwhile trick to have annotated in your glovebox manual. My car occasionally throws that sort of information up as well.

That's where I'd start from too Frank.

Thanks Stan. That's certainly an idea :) I'm in Wolverhampton.

DVM is Digital Volt Meter Brian. DMM is, perhaps what I should have said but many years familiarity breeds, if not contempt, then lack of precision DMM is Digital Multi Meter and as teh name implies, can be used for different measurements. In brief, if your meter has a resistance or continuity check function it will be ok for what you need. Usuallu there is a selection on the meter where, if you touch the two probes together, you get an audio tone. I'm not at home at this time but later, I'll arrange for you to receive the wiring diagrams and will try to give you an idea of the way I would tackle the job. Meantime, please PM me your e-mail address so I can get the wiring diagrams document to you.

I don't think you can do better than a Mongoose Gareth. The appropriate software (in your case IDS) is "readily" available. The Asian clones are quite cheap and provide a wealth of information. I'm still learning about mine so I haven't done any changes yet. I'm aware that it is quite capable of serious damage in the wrong hands. The fleabay OBD readers are much of a muchness as far as I can tell.

Fuse 7 is said to supply :- Driver's Door Module (DDM), Driver's Seat Module (DSM), Powertrain Control Module (PCM), Passive Anti-Theft System (PATS) LED, security horn, power mirror. That being the case and IF the garage did remove all the above mentioned modules then it has to be a short circuit in the loom somewhere. I'd not describe it as a nightmare to find, because electrical wiring is nothing if not logical. The problem is that there is so much to check. Armed with a decent DVM set to con-check, and the appropriate wiring diagrams, it will be a case of methodically working through from the fuse itself, probing further and further down the loom until the DVM indicates an open circuit, telling you that you have just gone past the problem. This is a job that I'd prefer to do myself because it WILL cost an arm and a leg if you get it done at a garage, or even a competent auto electrician. I've just had a good look at the diagrams for a car of your model year and I can see where I'd start from. I would like to know how they managed to disconnect the DSM though, with the seat screwed in place. Not much I can offer in terms of encouragement Brian other than offering to send you the appropriate wiring manual (if you don't already have it) Unfortunately, you are a bit too far away for me to get involved "hands on". As an aside, I have to say that I'd like to know why it cost £173 to disconnect a few modules though. If you eventually do decide to get professional help, please find a good auto electrician though. Most garage mechanics haven't got much idea when it comes to electrics, whereas auto electricians do this sort of thing day in and day out. As a forlorn hope, I assume this hasn't always been the case. Did you fit anything electrical or carry out some other maintenance just before the problem occurred which could lead you quickly to the local area?

Thanks Peter. All we need to do is arrange a date and time then :D

As far as I can understand Peter, they screw into metal clips which grip the splash shield and they have corroded together and therefore the clip is turning instead of remaining clamped in one position. I can't see any way of getting to the inside to grip them. There are nine I think.