Thank you all for the kind words, healing well, walking unaided and it hurts less than it did before already.... Still stiff and a bit swollen though...

Had the dressing changed today, not bad for a week old, they seemed pleased with it... Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Last edited by Haylands on 4th Jun 2022 6:18pm. Edited 1 time in total

Best of luck with it pete.
hope you mend real soon mate.
Greg.

Drug induced double post . 2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

axle, the original injury that started all this off was in 1990 and since then I have been in pain every day, I have had 7 major operations over the years, some more successful than others but never had much respite from the pain, subsequently my pain threshold is great, when the physio came in the morning after I had the operation (at 6pm the night before) she was open mouthed as I got up and walked about without sticks, she actually went and asked when I'd had it as she didn't believe it.... They offered me lots of pain meds, from morphine to opioids but it really never felt anything worse than mildly uncomfortable...

Unlucky to need all these operations but lucky that I just don't feel the pain any more....

Hope yours is doing well, we'll have to compare scars when your plaster comes off....  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

If you can sleep and do the the physio I recon you can walk through this ( literally lol) The bloke I shared a room with was a mess , couldn't cope with the pain at all and couldn't move to do anything , I feel quite worried for him but I have been much luckier after a hard first few days my recovery is really accelerating and as you say after decades of pain since my early 20's it's something to look forward to . Dressings don't come off till next monday , then we can play old soldiers  2008 MY Supercharged
Rimini Red / Jet
four zone climate
remote park heater
and no ugly kid windows.
magnus satis quod turpis satis

Awesome thread Pete, I am part way through binge reading it and jumped to the end to leave a comment and saw your leg wound and thought the RR had attacked you! Glad it was just routine maintenance and I like the carbon fibre, maybe get that leg wrapped once it's healed?
Hope you have a speedy recovery.
Andy

Cheers, glad you are enjoying it...  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

Last work done on the FF was on 3rd June, over three months and it's needed nothing, must be some sort of record, it's still my daily driver so it does get used alot, only had a week off when I had my knee...

Anyway if you lot think I've been taking it easy then your wrong, been busier than ever, working on the house to get it ready for sale and then lots of other work on the family vehicle fleet... So thought you might like to hear a bit about that....

Deb decided she wanted to change her TT, she's had it three years, scratched that itch, and now wanted something more practical with rear seats etc....

I kept all the invoices for service/repairs and I have to say she is a good girl and drove it like it should be driven, it's the 3.2V6 DSG box one, she did 20,000 miles in three years and got through 10, yes ten, tyres they are heavy on tyres but really......!!!!!

As is always the case with these things, the weekend after she decided to part with it, she was in London and the DSG box jumped into failsafe mode, stuck in 1st, not even reverse available, she managed to drive it 30 miles to our daughters house but had to get the tow truck to get it home... It turned up a week later (with much apologies from Green Flag and a �200 compensation payment..!!!!)

A quick diagnostics revealed the all too common Mechatronic unit failure.... Oh, easy thinks me.... just whip the sump off the gearbox.... no way.... it's in the front of the gearbox and is about 8-9 inches thick so you need to clear out a whole host of items to get room including the front crossmember, oil coolers, radiator hoses, air pumps... etc etc... then unbolt the engine and box from the car, jack it up, push it back, tilt the front down and you can just get it out if your mate holds back the massive wiring loom that's in the way....

At this point I'm getting fed up with being Deb's taxi so bought an aging Nissan Almera Tino for a few beans to tide her over till the TT is fixed and sold and the replacement comes along....

Mechatronic unit goes off to be repaired but it's unrepairable.... great, never mind Audi still sell them... only �1,800..

Luckily found one through find a part, it was in Italy and off an AudiA3 but it's the same unit, had it shipped to the repair company who swapped the software over.... refitting was just a reversal as they say but not a 10 minute job, gearbox oil was as expensive as an FF...!!!

So that was back together and up for sale, sold in 2 days for �1,200 above book price thought I'd be greedy and try it. A dentist who had been looking for a decent one for ages turned up and just paid the money, didn't even want to haggle.... Maybe I didn't ask enough.... not bad though �300 depreciation in 3 years....

She drives them hard, but keeps them nice...

Deb said she didn't want to spend any more money than what we got for the TT, we are going to buy a boat and be snow birds for 6 months of the year and she doesn't want to eat into the boat fund, she's never really worried about having a new car all the time and she's happy with second hand now... Anyway, she wanted a cheap, fast, easy to park, 5 door automatic....

Hmmmmm, I managed to talk her into a diesel as it seemed the way to go to fit anywhere near those prerequisites.. narrowed it down to the VW Golf Audi A3 platform and after looking at them all decided on the Seat Altea which is basically a VW Golf plus... To get the performance we needed one with the 2.0 TDi BKD engine and to get the automatic it's back to the 6 speed DSG box again... Finding one was no mean feat, plenty of manuals, found a few and they were all tatty and abused....

In the middle of this, youngest daughter's Smart Roadster starts playing up, three days before she's off on a long trip, the clutch, which is automatic, one of those funny manual auto boxes but nowhere near as complicated as the DSG..!!, was playing up, it would bite, and then bite again, I told her it was an F1 car then with a double clutch but she wasn't convinced... Thought it was probably the clutch actuator which is basically an electric motor that moves the clutch arm but no it turned out to be worn out engine/gearbox mounts, all three of them... another pig of a job as there is no room to work and even less when you have to jack the whole lot up to get the mounts out... Got it sorted and it's back to it's old self...

I digress, back to the Seat saga....

Finally found one in Nottinghamshire that is immaculate inside but marked on the outside on just about every panel... It had only done 3,000 miles in the last 4 years which made it low mileage but comes with it's own problems, it would overboost and drop into limp mode, classic variable vane turbo carboned up and not working, engine light on and airbag light as well... Was a garage selling it and he accepted a silly low offer to get it off his hands... It drove fine as long as you didn't floor it so was easy to drive home.. a look over it confirmed it is in generally very good condition, just not been used enough...

Changing the turbo is like being a vet with his hand up a cow's bottom to the shoulder, you remove the exhaust and then reach the turbo from underneath the car up through the hole left, it's all done at arms length, not too bad a job just a bit fiddly... Turbo swapped, new glow plugs, Airbag light was an unplugged drivers seat, an oil change and it now drives like it should...

So the next stop was the paint shop...

Wasn't a massive job, it had two small dents but every panel except the center of the roof and the tailgate were scratched or damaged so bumpers, lights etc off and a respray to 11 panels later and it looks like new again....

The paint shop just take so much time though... took it in at 8am and got it back the next day at 2pm... I mean, 30 hours... a bit slow I recon...

It was mates rates so only �500 for that lot....

More mates rates and it was sitting at A1 remapping having a Quantum remap, it's now 180bhp and 400nm torque about a 25% improvement and it pulls like a train.... Not allowed to say how much it cost but it wasn't much...

It would have been in this week for the wheels to be refurbed as it has a small amount of corrosion on a couple and a bit of curb rash but....

Oldest daughter lets me know her little Yaris was poorly, apparently it's been like it a few months but she couldn't afford London prices to get it fixed as they are saving for a wedding next year, mind you she has just been promoted to Manager of the companies premier client and has got a substantial pay rise to go with it (proud of you girl....) She didn't like to mention it before because of my knee.... bless

Dad's garage has much better labour rates.... It's problem was a broken exhaust manifold, I found a second hand one locally last week (new is several hundred pounds) so she bought it up at the weekend, I said I'd look over the rest of it so they got sent home in the Nissan (it's come in handy)...

The little Yaris was bought in 2008 as her first car, it was a cat C and she helped to repair it and fix it up, she loves it so much she doesn't want to get rid of it but she has said she fancies a Mercedes SLK when the wedding is over...

It also had a broken nearside mirror and the central locking had stopped working on the same door, it also had a big dent in it where her fiance opened it onto a post... so a second hand door later all three things fixed for �30...

Some shoes and a strip, clean and check of the rest and it now stops a bit better, an engine service and a good clean and it's running like a dream again...

We are going to swap the cars over on Sunday so that'll be fun, 220 miles in the little Yaris, then 220 miles in a Nissan, both with no air con.... I hope it's cool.....

If you've got this far, and well done if you have, we are now back onto FF's.... Mine has a few small issues that want sorting and to do it means it will be off the road for a while so when we get the wheels sorted on the Altea (sorry, small relapse) I will use the Nissan and sort the FF...

Not saying too much, you will have to watch this space, it does include removing a lot of the interior though...

Here's an arty shot just to put an FF in this saga somewhere....

Bl@@@y Hell Pete, you've been busy, like the artwork.
Mart.

Had a very nerve wracking couple of weeks, decided to upgrade the IID tool to a BT one which meant I had to send the old one to Canada before I got the new one, well it's now left Canada and should be here soon so only a few more days with fingers crossed that I don't get the "bong of doom"...

To be fare (and put a curse on it) it's been very good for months, I have a post cat lambda probe out which keeps throwing the MIL on but apart from that everything is running great... the rear end has started to squeak again, can't think it's the hub bushes as they aren't that old, maybe the wishbone bushes or drop links... will have to get it on a ramp..

Going to see if I can get the IID working with the Android head unit, but I think the BT in the head unit is not V4 so it probably won't, the latest head units do use a BT chip that has the capabilities of running V4 but it's how the unit is configured that counts so even upgrading may not do it... Still, those lovely people at EE have just given me a free upgrade to an iPhone 7 so it will work with that great....

Off playing at the MacMillan Charity do we run every year tomorrow and over the weekend, still not too late to come, and if you want, park yours up and come for a drive in mine...

http://www.fullfatrr.com/forum/topic39368.html

Then hopefully next week I will do some more work to finish off the bumpers, decided on a few mods and then have them galvanised so at least they won't rust...

Knee is still swollen but so much better than the old one so am able to do more now....

Fitted an Xtrans Android head unit to the Seat, absolute piece of It looked great, had a total flat screen with no knobs or buttons, just a slot at the top for a DVD CD etc...

The touch screen was miles out of alignment and no facility to configure it, the radio was so cheap it would pick up about 2 stations across the whole band, It wouldn't play music from the SD card or a USB device, the DVD kept stopping, and the worst of all it took 10 minutes to read the GPS card and switch on the navigation so every time you started you had to wait 10 mins to use it... Generally the whole software package was useless, it was running a modified Android 5.1.1. setup but it didn't have a rockchip in it so most Apps came up saying the device was unsuitable... It's gone back now for a refund and I think we will pay a bit extra for an Erisin unit, I know other people have had problems with them but the one I have in the FF has been great and hardy any problem in the two years it's been in...

I fitted a Pumpkin branded one in a mates Jaguar a while ago and that wasn't too bad, had to upgrade the software as it wouldn't work with the DAB radio that they sold us with it...!!! But they were very helpful and it was sorted in the end....

Seems to me they don't test these units well enough.... Oh well that's technology for you....

And as I like to put at least one photo on these posts, here is one on the correct way to go Green Laning in an FF, you have to take a picnic hamper, we even had the gingham picnic cloth, strawberries and cream and champagne flutes for the (alcohol free) booze, unfortunately it was so cold and wet we didn't get to do it properly but the thought was there.....!!!!

Well the BT IID tool turned up from Canada, I upgraded my old Non BT one via their exchange scheme...

WOW... what a difference, it connects to the FF much quicker and with the latest beta software is so much easier and quicker to use than the old one, it really is stunning and the App works really well...

I'm using an iPhone 7 on the latest software and have found a few minor glitches that have come with IOS10, Pat is aware and is updating the software...

The new Air suspension calibration wizard is now so easy to do, not having to work anything out and getting confused with + and - numbers changing when sorting it, is superb, now you just use the app to raise or lower the corner to the height required (it tells you what standard is) and press a button, move to the next wheel and so on, then it just sorts itself out... don't think mine has sat so level....

Apparently they are working on an update that will make the tool go to sleep when you switch off the ignition, then you can leave the tool in permanently (If you leave it plugged in 24/7 now it "can" flatten the battery) which for me would be great...

Moving between different height profiles is much quicker as well (I use this feature for extra suspension height when off road...) just a few buttons and you can switch between them and then adjust them just as quickly....

You can have up to 8 live values showing and record a log of their values and a graph readout, it then emails this to you if you want (this was the small glitch, chose more than 5 values with the latest IOS and it crashes the App, Pat is on it though )

Full control of the BECM features like opening windows with your phone is handy for diagnosis and also cool to show your mates...!!

CCF editing is easy as well and you can play to your hearts content as it reads all the settings when you first plug in, so if you mess something up (which is pretty unlikely) you can revert it back easily...

Just a shame I have such an early car with only 17 ECU's as the later FF's have even more to play with..

So yes it is expensive as far as diagnostic tools go but it is superb value for money, it does everything and more that JLR can do to your FF, leaves you in control, prevents unscrupulous garages ripping you off if you don't fix the FF yourself, and also has a decent second hand value, mind you it now works with so many JLR products that you would probably keep it anyway..

It's locked to your vin, you can have up to 5 vins on one tool at £60 extra each, you can swap it to your new car for £25 and it will read and clear faults on all these vehicles...

Defender 2007–2015 L316
Defender Puma 2.4 L 2007-2011 L316 -07
Defender Puma 2.2 L 2012-2015 L316 -12
Discovery 3/LR3 and Discovery 4/LR4 2004–2016 L319
Discovery 3/LR3 2004–2009 L319 -04
Discovery 4/LR4 2010–2016 L319 -10
Freelander 2/LR2 2008–2015 L359
Range Rover 2002–2012 L322
Range Rover 2002–2005 L322 -02
Range Rover 2006–2009 L322 -06
Range Rover 2010-2012 L322 -10
Range Rover 2013 onwards L405
Range Rover Evoque 2011 onwards L538
Range Rover Sport 2005–2013 L320
Range Rover Sport 2005-2009 L320 -05
Range Rover Sport 2010-2013 L320 -10
Range Rover Sport 2014 onwards L494

So if you haven't got one... go get one, you won't regret it...

Oh, and if you're wondering I'm not on commision but I do like it when something "does what it says on the tin" and I feel the need to share...

 Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-

You forgot the 2 best bits about the BT IID tool.....

It doesn't rely on the info screen in the dash, so no matter how naffed up your pixels are you'll still know wots going on

And secondly, you can read it info from under the car..... this is by far the best thing when your filling the gearbox  Yesterday I couldn't spell Engineer... Today I are one!
Inventor of the 'Guide-o-Matic automatic wheel alignment tool'
Former long term L322 owner, Up/Down graded to a Classic Tractor!

Oh, the list is endless...  Pete

__________________________________________________
2014 L405 Autobiography SDV8 4.4 Loire Blue Ebony interior
2011 L322 Vogue SE 4.4 TDV8 Baltic Blue. Parchment over Navy Interior. Sold
2012 L322 Autobiography 5.0 Supercharged Ipanema Sand, Jet Interior. Sold
2002 L322 Vogue 4.4 V8 Epson Green, Ivory over Aspen Interior (Fatty Offroader) Sold
-Click for Project Fatty off roader-