Onboard Tools

[junkyddog11]

Nice tool kit Jim.......jayzus!

most of the rescue calls I get are to drag mangled "domestic equipment" from the local death bogs.

There has been the occaisional Rover in despair that has been stranded for multiple days that I've had to haul, but the Rover crowd generally seems to get along without much help.....once off the computer that is.

[thixon]

I guess that really depends upon where you drive. I haven't seen a whole lot of commercial tow rigs that are set up for trails.

My AAA towing would work just fine for my Triumph TR3 if it is not a quick fix, but I expect my Land Rover to be able to come home under her own power.

I was sorta being sarcastic TA

[TeriAnn]

I was sorta being sarcastic TA

Sorry.

That's always been a problem with email & such is that there is not a universal smiley to indicate sarcasm and it it not easy to tell what is or is not.

Truth be known my Land Rover made use of my AAA card last year. This was back during the time when I was having charging system problems and I could not figure out why the charging system worked at first then seemed to stop working. I thought I had it licked and was out shopping when I noticed that the voltage gauge was reading about 10V. My truck is power intensive with EFI, 2 electric fuel pumps and a hefty electric fan from a Mercedes V8. I knew from past experience that the fuel pumps became erratic below 10V and I wasn't going to make it home. I was only about 20 minutes from home. I could have called a friend to pick me up, drive me home where I could have changed clothes, loaded the charger and the generator then returned to the LR. Instead I just called AAA and got flatbeded home where I put the tuck on the charger & scratched my head about the problem. Normally I take great pride in getting my truck home under her own power but this time it didn't seem worth the effort.

So yes, I agree a towing assistance card has its uses and a Land Rover is not on the trail all the time. And I'm not about to get grease stains on a cute outfit just because my truck decided to throw a temper tantrum. But when she gets wounded out on the trail, I want to be able to provide emergency first aid and I will not leave her behind.

BTW It took me a good 4 months and the creation of a new web page ( http://www.expeditionlandrover.info/...ternators.html ) to find the solution to the charging problem. There were 2 problems. One is that I didn't have a good connection for the excite current. Over time a connector connection between the idiot light and a switched 12V source had corroded to the point where it could not carry enough current for the alternator to make a strong magnetic field. The idiot light came on when it should. A volt meter showed the proper voltage. I just didn't know the connection resistance was high enough to limit current flow below that needed to create a strong magnetic field.

The second issue was that on my first alternator swap (in Grand Junction) the store didn't have the exact alternator number and gave me one that they said was an older equivalent alternator. What I didn't know was that my 78 AMP 12-SI alternator was just swapped to a 40 something amp 10-SI alternator. The 10-SI could not keep up with the electric fan, especially since its magnetic field was weak.

It wasn't until I learned what the wires going into the alternator did inside the alternator that I knew to chase down the excite circuit current limit problem. The oxidation causing my problem was not at the surface where the 2 connectors joined. I cleaned all the connections early on. It was at the crimp where the wire strands connected to the crimped back of the connector. It is easy to focus on the connector to connector connection and miss the connector to wire connections.

[Mercedesrover]

There has been the occaisional Rover in despair that has been stranded for multiple days that I've had to haul, but the Rover crowd generally seems to get along without much help.....once off the computer that is.

Well, I just got towed from 75 miles north/nortwest of Millinocket down to Brewer. If others here aren't familiar, if it's not the middle of nowhere, it's the edge of nowhere. This was one repair I couldn't handle on the trail.

John and Sons Towing out of Millinocket came to get me. Nice guy.

[navydevildoc]

I'm a bit behind in signing up new members. I've got about 8 of you guys I need to add to the list. Promise I'll get to it this week.

jim

Was wondering what happened with that....

[Tsmith]

Tools

This sounds like a hands-on group, but there is no need for tools you can't use. Any list should take the way you use the car and your mechanical aptitude into account, as should the spares on board.

Even if you don't have the skills to to install a Land Rover-only part, a local mechanic often can, but only if you have the part.

My other car has wire wheels and the tires have innertubes. If I have a flat tire in the tire dealership's parking lot, they often can't fix it unless you give them a tube; they mostly don't carry tubes.

The other obvious caution is the car's location. We've all seen a pir of legs protruding from under a car parked a few inches off the Interstate. If you can't get to a safe place, call a tow truck.

Tom Smith

[bmohan55]

I'm still learning my way around my truck BUT I carry complete set of sockets, wrenches, fluids and a several spare parts. Figure if I can't
fix it someone else can so at least I'll have the tools to do it.

[junkyddog11]

Only thing I might add to Mercedes rovers "gold standard tool kit" would be to carry a catch basin and some oil diapers or kitty litter and the ability to contain and clean up messes (which I am sure Jim does carry). Don't have photos of it all but this can all be packed into a tupperware, or similar (catch basin) that will fit into the recess of the spare tyre.....at least on my heap.

In further thought, to truely contain my mess I would need a container large enough to fit the whole truck in!

[xsbowes]

going to conn.?!?!!? So now the Series rover population in Oahu will dwindle to 3 maybe?