Your fleet running reports

[GG.]

Is this some kind of bypass around the vulnerability that thieves can plug in through the radar and access the ECU to clone keys / start car? Are you able to say anything about what it does, without compromising keeping it secret from ne'er do wells?

Video which shows it fairly well here - https://youtu.be/r89pmM9bUyY?t=274 - note 4 minutes, but as he mentions I've seen others being stolen in under 2 mins (a large chunk is due to them having a steering lock which they have to cut off in this video). Assumption is they access the system via that port, which allows them to clone a key (hence one goon needing to be inside the car at the time).

As for the fix, most garages install a metal plate that stops the unit being removed by blocking the fixings that hold it in. This is a software solution that maintains looks/fittings.
I suppose with a metal plate it's also a visual deterrent...with this they'd never know it was fitted until they've mangled your front end trying to get it running!

Pretty ridiculous that the manufacturers don't do more to encrypt access to the CANbus system. I can't believe they're just naive to the fact this could happen. I expect it may be deliberate to not make mechanics' lives more difficult in working on the car or to avoid providing them with specialist and expensive diagnostic equipment.

There was an Alfa Quattroformaggio on the street over from mine that got stolen a couple of years ago now - I wonder if that was done by the same method. He has an early 4.2 R8 now incidentally.

[DeskJockey]

Galaxy blew a brake light bulb (O/S, again), so I've ordered a pack of 10. Unlikely to ever need all of them, but it was two for £4.49 or 10 for £5.49.

[V8Granite]

Galaxy blew a brake light bulb (O/S, again), so I've ordered a pack of 10. Unlikely to ever need all of them, but it was two for £4.49 or 10 for £5.49.

Make sure the sprung section that contacts the bulb is ok. It can be bent slightly so it is pushing a bit harder against the bulb as if they come loose then they can arc when turned on and that kills bulbs quite quickly.

Dave!

[mik]

Mrs mik has owned her E-Tron for >3.5 years, and only last week did I notice that the up&down motion on the adaptive cruise stalk (that allows you to adjust the set speed) has two stages. I was well aware of the 1mph adjustment increments when toggling it up and down gently, but this secondary talk movement allows quick & easy 5mph increases/reductions.

I feel like @Marv must have on discovering his rear-view mirror dip function.

Possibly for the Nelson-Ha-Ha of @Jobbo and/or other audi owners.

[Sundayjumper]

Possibly for the Nelson-Ha-Ha of @Jobbo and/or other audi owners.

BMW owners too

[Sundayjumper]

So, what's the list of shit that's currently broken on it?

I've only driven it home from Marlow so far, but right now the list is:

Warped brake discs
Flaky central locking on the nsr door

+ brake lights not working

The two main ones, the high level is OK, so it's not the switch, it's something to do with wiring, unlikely IMO that both units would fail at the same time. And they're pretty LEDs, not nice normal bulbs that are cheap to replace.

[Beany]

Possibly for the Nelson-Ha-Ha of @Jobbo and/or other audi owners.

BMW owners too

I worked that one out within about thirty seconds of turning cruise on, but then I had already worked out the 'soft touch' three flash for the indicators and the same for the wipers (for no thoroughly explained reason - do detents in stalks cost extra or something??) so it made sense that it'd have the same for the cruise/limiter adjust.

[mik]

Possibly for the Nelson-Ha-Ha of @Jobbo and/or other audi owners.

BMW owners too

I worked that one out within about thirty seconds of turning cruise on,

The weird thing is that a hire car (Kia?) that I drove in Foreignland a few months back had this. I just hadn’t realised the Audi did.

[Jobbo]

Mik, have you driven a car with cruise control before? It’s pretty standard even if you don’t have active cruise. Even my MX5 has it

[Beany]

To be fair, it's pretty standard on newer cars - none of the 2000s cars I drove with cruise had it, but the 2014 M135i has it so I assume that those input devices suddenly became as cheap as single detent ones and everyone started using them.

[Jobbo]

There was something similar on my E39, and every E46 I’ve driven. Press the button once to increase or decrease the set speed by 1mph, hold it to change until you let go. The E60 came out in 2003 and had cruise on an extra stalk so got the 5mph change as the second option.

[Sundayjumper]

This car might end up having "character". You don't get that with a BMW

Central locking - turned out to be simple, the switch to enable the child lock was halfway between on & off, seems it was partially disconnecting part of the mechanism.

Brake lights - there were error codes for short circuit on both left & right. After a drive and resetting the errors, the os one has started working again, error remains for the ns.

One side of the bonnet wouldn't latch closed. The mechanism was just gummed up.

NEW ! While I was out, waiting for the missus while she dropped something off, I applied the (electronic) parking brake which had a hissy fit and refused to disengage again. Turning the car off & back on twice solved it.

NEW ! The nav says it has no GPS signal, but does show it's position on the map correctly.

Looking back through the history, the last MOT was in December and between then & my buying it, it did 261 miles, including about 10 miles of test drive. So my working theory for now is that it's been sat around getting damp in the electrics and needs a bit of exercise to dry it all out. Hopefully. Not exactly the right time of year for drying stuff out though.

Brake discs definitely need changing, but are reassuringly cheap, under £100/pair for Febi.

It has cheap crappy mats, I need to get myself some genuine ones.

Otherwise, it seems good. The tracking is slightly off, I can adjust that no problem, and I'll have a look at the steering in general. It wanders a bit. Maybe some loose ball joints, maybe TADTS.

[mik]

Handbrake gumming up is a (fairly) regular issue with D3/4.

[Sundayjumper]

Can be un-gummed ? Or just make a point of using it regularly ?

[mik]

Can be un-gummed ? Or just make a point of using it regularly ?

Yeah we never suffered an issue, but there is a freeing-up process. I’m sure it’s detailed on Disco4.com.

We also never suffered any suspension issues on our cars - made a point of always dropped it to access height to get in and out of the car, and raised it to off-road height about once a week. Kept sensors and shizzle exercised.

[V8Granite]

Can be un-gummed ? Or just make a point of using it regularly ?

Yeah we never suffered an issue, but there is a freeing-up process. I’m sure it’s detailed on Disco4.com.

We also never suffered any suspension issues on our cars - made a point of always dropped it to access height to get in and out of the car, and raised it to off-road height about once a week. Kept sensors and shizzle exercised.

Similar with the air suspension on the ML. Off-Road mode once a month, gets put in sport multiple times a week as the MIL finds it easier when the car is lower etc.

I’ve missed the part where you say what car it is

A chap who offered a fixed price servicing, warranty set up for older Range Rovers replaced the main battery every 2 to 3 years as he had far fewer issues and customers coming back because of weird faults. They are very battery sensitive. He said something about type of batteries aswell but it was a long time ago and I’m old now.

Dave!

[Sundayjumper]

I’ve missed the part where you say what car it is

2012 Discovery SDV6 HSE

So far I hate it less than the RR. I’m hoping it stays that way

41de379fcfdb4a98b0b752f801c899d6.jpeg (95.59 KiB) Viewed 1170 times

[mik]

2012 Discovery SDV6 HSE

Ah - I didn't realise it was an HSE (as I think it's on 19"s as opposed to 20"s?). HSE is of course the correct spec.

[Sundayjumper]

I don't really know what the differences are the only obvious thing was the real poverty spec has a tiny screen. My main want was the newer engine/gearbox combo that came in around 2011/2012. The rest is jam.

Edit - correct - 255/55/19

[V8Granite]

I think the electric handbrake was moisture getting in and cracking the casing ?

EGR pipes crack and do damage from memory.

Despite many LR flaws, they have a very good community of people who fix their own stuff which makes working on it really good.

Dave!