This is hard to portray but anyway...

Now its dark this is what you get...



Now its actually not that bright... That's like that because of the slow shutter in the dark... I mean its not bad... But in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=99087

Where we have just been talking about us "tinkerers" we doing things simply because we can and we need to make them better for no apparent reason... As such... I will make it brighter...

These are what I'll trial in place of the T10 to improve the interior light, esp to the front seats...



On the other hand... The map lights are awesome and this is them with all interior lights off...



They are 5 LED's again the SMD5050 chips because I find them to be the best LED chips...

Only other thing I have at this stage are these of the garnish fitted...





With regard to my trailer the way it works is such:

There is a winch mounted at the pull of the trailer which pulls the back off the trailer under the drive wheels (smaller wheels mounted on the rear (detachable))...

I have a wireless winch controller relay in the boot of my car and it can be removed to be used with other vehicles with a 50 amp Anderson connector... Currently fed by 8 gauge wire and protected by a 60 amp fuse... (same power wire for my parcel shelf shallow pioneer sub, I just switch the amp off so the winch has access to the full 60 amps)...

The issue is the winch knocks the voltage down on the voltmeter because its damn near a short circuit when the trailer starts tipping (max load on winch when the trailer is low compared to high due to mechanical advantage principal)... The alternator struggles to cope with this...

They were throwing out some unspillable SLA batteries at work... Still good, just maintenance schedule says they need replacing... I got 3 of them and made a battery box up... Each is 13 amp hour and all up I get 39 amp hour... They are bridged with 8 gauge wire... and I have 35mm wire coming out of the pack through a 100amp breaker... It will plug into a 120amp Anderson connector (smallest that will take 35mm) and around the boot to another where the winch will plug into. The current 8 gauge will be tapped into the 35mm to charge the batteries... a solid state 100 amp relay with break the 8 gauge feed on the accy power...

So the theory is this... Start the car... Relay closes and the battery pack is connected to the 8 gauge and will charge via the alternator... All works as per normal... pull up at the tip and turn the car off... Battery pack is disconnected from car, but is hard wired to the winch anderson plug... Set the winch on the trailer and plug in... So that the winch runs off the battery pack and can even flatten it if need be... It doesn't effect the computer or body modules when it kicks in and the voltage dips... When you start the car the relay closes and charges the pack on the way home...

Seems like it works in my head anyway... The batteries cost me nothing and all up will cost like $150 in parts... So the tinkering seems like a good idea to protect the modules... plus then the pack can be used in another car as its removable and then put back in mine for charging...

Other benefit is the relay will be before the distro block so the cig sockets in the boot will be powered from the pack... So when I have my Waeco in, it can run all the time... If it flattens the pack the car will still start... Reason for 35mm cable (eqiv to 2 gauge) is to stop the voltage drop as much as possible to the winch... Current wont even come close to its max... But the less voltage I drop as the alt wont be keeping it high, the better the winch will work (more current at the winch)...

So thats my theory...

Pack is made... Just gotta get the Anderson Connectors... I have the mounts in the boot already for the pack as its not really something you want to take off... So it will be secured rather well...

Amongst that I've just been progressing with the batch of the TFI-SIM's and other odd jobs that needed doing...

Thats it for now... And hope you enjoyed the ramble

Cheers,
Timmy

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Hey Timmy.

Happy New Year!

Mate, I used to run XR6 badges and garnish on my Red EB. I have no issues with it, and to those who do, TUFF.

Good stuff with the NF interior light. They really are a huge step up over the other std items.

Sounds like you have the trailer power issues sorted too.

Keep up the good work my friend.

Cheers
BenJ

Ben,

Happy new year to you too buddy...

haha with the badges, Tried to explain to my brother that it makes the car go faster... But he just looked at me all funny like

Was only made aware of the light by accident when I searching for something on ebay... it came up and I thought ah issued solved...

I'll have to get some pics of the trailer... Anyone who owns a welder has some scrap steel lying around could do it... I went all out and rewired it (who uses two thousand scotch locks to wire a trailer?) and fixed up some of their things I didn't like too... Moved the number plate to the centre and hide the number plate light wire... It certainly saves all effort of unloading stuff... esp things that pack down like dirt and clay and that...

Will be putting the cam in soon too... So that entails rebuilding all the lash adjusters as I have a couple of noisy ones... Do that and fit the EEC-V and thermos and XH snorkel and hit the dyno again and see how much the cam makes a difference and how much the J3 makes a difference...

It was 110rwkw from std... 115rwkw but a bit rich with the EEC-V J3 computer in... see what they change to with the 1636... Hopefully the printer works this time...

When I get my wage top up and back pay I'm waiting for from work I may get my turbo rebuilt and consider adding it one day too... May get a work vehicle soon or at the latest 12 months time so gives me time to organise parts for it if I end up doing a motor swap and drill the sump properly off the motor and that... Not keen on doing it on the motor...

Cheers,
Timmy

I'm just wondering...

Excuse my MS paint skills...

But what is the opinion on continuing the black from the XR infill across into the lights?



Just paint them a matt black... Not sure if they can be removed from the tail light and paintedon the inside or not... Maybe something to look into... Maybe too hard...

Cheers,
Tim

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Unfortunately, painting that strip is not a good idea, as they are your rear reflectors. If you paint them your car will be illegal.

You could get around this by adding reflectors to another location on the rear of the car, but doing this in a neat and tidy way will be the trick.

Cheers
BenJ

Really?

Guess that's why they never made them match on the XR's from factory then... I always wondered why they put black in the garnish but didn't continue it into the lights...

I'll have a think about it... Not sure if it will work though... :/

Wouldn't mind doing what Troyman did to his indicators if I ever have the motivation to pull them apart... Was going to make up my own LED tail lights but again due the shape of the plastic made it all that little bit harder and I moved onto something else... Just wouldn't mind something unusual on the tail lights without going to the ugly altezza ones...

Cheers,
Tim

Not many options for the ED tail lights unfortunately...

The clear altezza ones look good on a white car because the blend in... My factory red ones already do that and the altezza ones would look like s**t...

I have seen the tinted ones for sale on ebay and the garnish tinted black too so that it matches all across and that would look good I think... But I bet tinted tail lights aren't legal either? I've had enough trouble with the law enforces with the LED parkers let alone making the lights worse... Plus I have HID lows too... So we know where they stand with that... Luckily they don't know about them here...

Cheers,
Tim

Good Evening to all...

Back home after a week away on hols... We stayed in Goulburn for two nights and then down to Bright for three... Car ran great... Before hand it got its 5000km service plus extras so all in all it got: New oil + filter, new fuel filter, new air filter, 3 new belts, plugs re-gapped, two new tires and generally everything else checked from brake and power steering fluids to the slight leak which looked like it was coming from a diff seal from the Lokka install, unsure if it was left from then or was actually seeping so it got cleaned and I must check it again... Only other things it needs now is a passenger bottom ball joint, and nearly two more tires (Damn Lokka )

Was also left to do a service myself on the second car as the old man had to work... So mum's car (VT commodore) had the usual... Oil + filter... It had a blocked fuel filter... It also had a flogged drivers tie rod end...

All in all the car travelled what was mapped to be 1200km of highway on whereis plus another 250km of climbing Mt Hotham and then onto Mt Beauty... Temps lifted slightly while climbing but nothing to be worried off... It cooled lower than normal while rolling down again... The Lokka made on/off throttle sections rough (more backlash) but other than that was a fun experience... Put Bridgestone Supercats on the front (SAVA's we on the limiters) and man to the corner nice and the vibration I had through the wheel is gone (me and my old man fitted and balanced them this time)...

My dual battery system worked great and the WAECO keep the daily foods nice and cold... For something that I didn't think I'd use it was chockas everytime it was in the car... Just gotta add a rectifier diode in series to negate the effect of the solid state relay (battery pack is able to drain back to car when relay is off, meaning both batteries can go flat by the car, if kept separate and the car goes flat I can use the pack to jump the car )...

So I've got some snaps of the trip... Through the mountains makes for good car photos so half of them had my car in them... So it only seems fitting that I share some with you guys... Please excuse the fact it was riding low in the bum... With a boot full of gear and a tank of juice it tends to do that...

Geared up and ready to head...




Goulburn Caravan Park




Hume Damn at Albury




The Way Into Bright


The Climb & Summit of Mt Hotham




The Climb to Falls Creek








The decent from Falls Creek











Mt Beauty Summit





Wandiligong Maze... Everywhere you looked it was the same so 1 pic will cut it...


Now I may have gotten carried away here but this is 35 pics of 540 something that were taken on just my camera...

So nice places and amazing scenery and you kept thinking I need a photo of my car in front of that...

I'll get some pics of the dual battery system and add them too... It all turned out very neat...

Cheers,
Tim

Come on man... Don't remind me... Thats Monday... Though wednesday is a hoilday and I have an RDO next Monday so it shortens the first two weeks nicely

I have an interview on Monday too... So Monday is going be a real kick a** day... Worst part will be waking up at 6.30 again... I'm accustomed to getting up at 9.30 now...

I've been busy all hols... But can't think of what I've done... Done heaps on my TFI testers I suppose... Tinkered around with various things... You're not meant to work too hard when you're on hols yeah?

Cheers mate,
Tim

Hey mate...

Yeah I just started my 4th year... We're not guaranteed a job so in our 4th year we're able to apply and have positions held until we're signed off... So thats what I'm doing... Same job... Just as a qualified... Interviews are being held in Wagga... I've got me a rise now being 4th year anyway... Plus back pay to my 21st (as apparently thats when its supposed to start) It'll be great except for the chunk that goes missing as tax...

Cheers,
Tim

Yeah its a bit daunting... This is the next big step in life I guess... So getting there slowly...

Thanks mate... Pretty sure I'm set but have to go through the formalities anyway... Yeah I'll get a work ute and mobile so I'll be pretty set then and my car can be come a toy Work utes are only to and from work access (not full private use) but thats where most of my fuel is used from day to day to that'll be a saving... I'll get a choice of probably a Colorado, or a patrol, or a D-max (which is a colorado)... New one I think at this stage... So that'll be aweome... Unless I want the other option which is a sprinter tray back with a small hiab on it... But I think i like the comfort idea of a ute...

Tossing up whether to get me a new phone on a plan atm (which is 24 months) and have two phones for a year (I text more than the company would appreciate) so that may be ideal to have two phones yet... Still deciding... Just waiting to see how the new Nokia E7 pans out... I'd sooner something made for rural areas and around the 50 bucks a month mark...

Cheers,
Tim

If they are anything like my work Ash (they are a sister company) Tims work will be a pack of anally retentive t*** who wouldnt give a crippled crab a crutch!
Car is looking good by the way Tim!

Sounds like your company is identical Matt...

Its a PITA at the best of times... I like what I do and what I get paid so I hang around... Its the sort of company (Govt dept) that has 10,000 rules to follow... But the instant you don't understand one and question it... Nobody can give you guidance or an answer and nobody can point you in the direction of the person who came up with the rule in the first place... I learnt its easier not to ask questions of management because they have no idea... The blokes you work with have great technical knowledge to query... But the bosses... Sometimes I wonder whether they know what they're doing... Its a well paid office job... But not something I think I'd be keen on doing...

Thanks for the comments Matt... Its looking pretty good atm I feel...

Yeah Ash that'd be one of those too hard to answer questions... With the bosses they can go on contract employment and then salary sacrifice to a car which then gives them full private use and it has no signage on it so nobody who sees them knows and complains its being used after hours (the general public do with work utes with siganage, esp ever since the price rise...)

Cheers,
Tim

Oh yes Tim they sound exactly the same.
I only hang around for the same reasons as you.
I love how they keep threatening the merger between the 3 of us and then they forget about it overnight.
At least you know who your working for. We are the company with no name as it was sold as part of the sell off everyone is up in arms about!

Hey Tim!

The car is looking fantastic.

Brings back memories of my old Red EB. Pleased to hear that the trip went well without any real mechanical dramas.

Hopefully we can meet up at some point in the future.

Cheers
BenJ