Car D.I.Y.

[Richard A Thackeray]

The recently purchased Touareg has a non-functioning high-level brake-light
After much consultation of owners forums/YouTube, we've come to the conclusion that it's going to be huge pain in the proverbial to replace
I've managed, after risking fingertips & nails, to remove the section of the trim that gives access to the supply wire

However............ father-in-law left the multimeter at the caravan a couple of days ago, so we can't test to see if there's a feed to it , & if there's not, it's 'further upstream'?
Sods Law dictates it'll be in the hinge assembly, where the supplies run through a plastic shrouding that (at first glance) is prevented from being removed by the actual tail-gate hinge
If there is a 12v supply to it. I might bypass it all togetherhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Universal-Third-Brake-Light-Mount/dp/B07H9N1R3N/ref=sr_1_53?crid=1BXLG88GPNCP3&keywords=high+level+led+brake+light&qid=1651247973&s=automotive&sprefix=high+leve,automotive,270&sr=1-53

The ordered high-level brake-light arrived yesterday
Quite surprisingly, the Touaregs rear window slopes enough to keep the light face vertical!

Now, l’ve just got to remove some trim to get to the wiring




I’ve also ordered a set of ‘jump-lead’ clamps
I have a set in the Kodiaq, & also have another set hanging in the garage
The garage set were in my Land Rovers, & have an Anderson Plug at one end, the clamps are damaged
(must have been dropped & stood on at some point?)
They’re probably about a 500 amp rating?

EDIT; Thursday 19th @ 09:23

Back in the day.......

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

With regard to the above
It’s in place, barring a couple of pieces of trim to go back

With 2 ‘Caveats’
1. Due to the tailgate wiring seeming to go through the head-lining & descending into body at the ‘C-pillar’, not the ‘D’, as l expected, there’s a couple of inches showing in the tailgate surround
I ran it through a length of heat-shrink tubing to help protect it
‘Needs Must’
(I wasn’t ripping out the headlining to get further)

2. Schoolboy Error
It works, but……. it’s a bit dim
I didn’t even consider the silly ‘privacy glass’

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Decided to change the engine on one of the kit cars, from a 1.6 to a 1.8 VVT, 110 bhp to 146 bhp, thought it would be a nice easy swap, but no, the whole wiring harness has to be changed, also the exhaust manifolds & downpipes are completely different

 

[DRM]

The ordered high-level brake-light arrived yesterday
Quite surprisingly, the Touaregs rear window slopes enough to keep the light face vertical!

Now, l’ve just got to remove some trim to get to the wiring

View attachment 645217


I’ve also ordered a set of ‘jump-lead’ clamps
I have a set in the Kodiaq, & also have another set hanging in the garage
The garage set were in my Land Rovers, & have an Anderson Plug at one end, the clamps are damaged
(must have been dropped & stood on at some point?)
They’re probably about a 500 amp rating?

EDIT; Thursday 19th @ 09:23

Back in the day.......
View attachment 645309

View attachment 645310

That Anderton plug looks like a 120A to me, they come in 50A, 120A, 175A & 350A, the bigger the capacity, the bigger the plug, most material handling trucks now use REMA plugs which come in male and female, and 80A, 160A & 320A sizes.

 

[DRM]

REMA type plugs

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

That Anderton plug looks like a 120A to me, they come in 50A, 120A, 175A & 350A, the bigger the capacity, the bigger the plug, most material handling trucks now use REMA plugs which come in male and female, and 80A, 160A & 320A sizes.

They'll get chopped off, when I get the 'crocodile clips', & thrown in the back of the Touareg, for emergency use

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

They'll get chopped off, when I get the 'crocodile clips', & thrown in the back of the Touareg, for emergency use

I somehow doubt that they're 'fit for purpose'

 

[Deleted member 26715]

View attachment 645310

I have a set like that, I used to have the Anderton connectors on all the vehicles (including the caravan), then a set of jump leads with a male/female connector near one end along with a set of big croc clips, if I want to use them just as normal jump leads just use the crocs, if I wanted to use the Anderton just unplug the crocs & plug the Anderton straight in.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Looking slightly better

 

[stephec]

Looking slightly better

View attachment 646145

Are you actually doing all the work on the driveway, rolling an engine hoist over that block paving?

 

[fossyant]

Ah, thinking about this has given me an idea. I need to change the lower engine mount on the Aygo, but one of the bolts isn't budging. Son's got the breaker bar in his car, but I couldn't move it last time - the dugga dugga gun won't move it, even after applying heat.

Just realised my son has a piece of box section steel that I can use as an extender for the breaker bar. I'll let you know when I can get in his car for the breaker bar - the Aygo is currently on ramps !

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Are you actually doing all the work on the driveway, rolling an engine hoist over that block paving?

Yep. all work has to be done on the drive I have no garage to speak of, it is only a storage area.

 

[fossyant]

Yep. all work has to be done on the drive I have no garage to speak of, it is only a storage area.

You are like my son. PS the car looks like it's puked !

 

[Deleted member 26715]

You are like my son. PS the car looks like it's puked !

Getting there a lot less wires in there now, but making it tidy is the hard one without cutting & shutting every single wire.

 

[fossyant]

Ah, thinking about this has given me an idea. I need to change the lower engine mount on the Aygo, but one of the bolts isn't budging. Son's got the breaker bar in his car, but I couldn't move it last time - the dugga dugga gun won't move it, even after applying heat.

Just realised my son has a piece of box section steel that I can use as an extender for the breaker bar. I'll let you know when I can get in his car for the breaker bar - the Aygo is currently on ramps !

Job jobbed. Box section on end of breaker bar shifted the bolt. Nice 3ft long breaker ! Lower engine mount was worn, the larger end being a bit 'loose' and the rubber worn. Fairly straight forward to replace, jacked engine to support it whilst changing. The part was £20. Cheap as chips these Aygo's.