Eddie Honda's wheels of steel (and occasionally alloy)

[Eddie Honda]

They are definitely ageing gracefully and a really good looking car imo, I wonder how many will survive the period they are in now?

Well doing a quick tally of all the floppy top variants.

Peak = 7722

2021 Q1 taxed = 573
2021 Q1 SORN = 1217

Currently 23% left going by the peak figure.

[paulplom]

Was it rattly before you did the rockers or did you do them as a matter of course.
I didn't realise they still made engines with adjustable tappets.

[Eddie Honda]

It wasn't tappet rattley. On these they should be checked every 30k, but it's not a job many can be arsed doing.

Apart from the double-plug nonsense, it has TIMING CHAIN (I can't be arsed with doing belts)

[Eddie Honda]

Jizz update 9th July 2021 (1/2)

Like a scrab you can't resist picking at, the (lack of some) dashboard lights was bugging me. The backlights to the heated rear window/mirrors and A/C button were out. The final straw was when the wee blue light on the aircon button was not working.

Now all you need to do is remove the switches to get at the bulbs. However to remove those switches half the dash has to come out.

First up remove the single screw under the rotary blower switch

resized_IMG_20210709_193841_5.jpg (164.45 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

Then unclip the cover

resized_IMG_20210709_194510_7.jpg (220.25 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

Getting your head underneath those controls there are a couple of wiring plugs to disconnect.

resized_IMG_20210709_194557_0.jpg (160.84 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

There's a couple more screws buried up and under on either side.

resized_IMG_20210709_195256_1.jpg (138.4 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

The radio needs to come out as it's all on the same piece of fascia plate, but before you can do that, you need unclip and disconnect the 3 heater control flap wires so you have enough slack to pull everything out. To get to those, the glovebox insert needs pulling out. The big bastard is that there are six clips that hold the radio in at the front. Even looking up the manual is fucking useless. In the end I managed to use a 3/8" extension bar on a ratchet handle to lever the unit from behind. It feels like you're going to break something then it eventually gives.

resized_IMG_20210709_204955_7.jpg (119.41 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

resized_IMG_20210709_205020_8.jpg (66.88 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

resized_IMG_20210709_205001_6.jpg (179.55 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

Then the two switches can be got at from behind and pushed out

resized_IMG_20210709_205049_5.jpg (145.17 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

resized_IMG_20210709_205114_7.jpg (59.97 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

What a palaver

resized_IMG_20210709_205459_3.jpg (168.86 KiB) Viewed 1834 times

[Eddie Honda]

Jizz update 9th July 2021 (2/2)

Warning: EXPLICIT LIGHTBULB CONTENT

You can see the four wee round bulb holders in the switches here. Two are backlights and two are "on" indicator lights.

resized_IMG_20210709_205611_8.jpg (234.28 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

resized_IMG_20210709_205650_2.jpg (238.96 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

Rather than replace the whole unit, I unhooked the wires from the base

resized_IMG_20210709_205731_3.jpg (114.9 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

resized_IMG_20210709_205836_6.jpg (300.16 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

Then removed the coloured party hat to reveal the naked incandescent bulb.

resized_IMG_20210709_205859_1.jpg (118.13 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

Then fuck about putting that johnny bag back on and bend the legs back round the base.

resized_IMG_20210709_212821_1.jpg (168.68 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

I didn't have an aircon indicator bulb of the right wattage, so had to do the same radio removal shit on the old "spares" car to borrow one.


With the switches out of the way there are four backlights round the big rotary radio switch one or two which had blown. Honda don't list these separately on the parts list, but they are removable.

resized_IMG_20210709_215853_7.jpg (74.83 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

resized_IMG_20210709_215913_3.jpg (274.96 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

There's also another (up under the letter E) that is soldered in, but that was still working

resized_IMG_20210709_230342_4.jpg (202 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

There's another three on the main board soldered - two to light up the 1-6 buttons and one up the top for CD eject backlight. All working.

resized_IMG_20210709_231817_0.jpg (241.64 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

After all that and having checked that they worked, I plugged it back in the car.

resized_IMG_20210710_002026_3.jpg (31.57 KiB) Viewed 1832 times

Oh cock! The did work (depsite what the photo shows), but they weren't as bright as the rest. I think they must be 80ma bulbs and I only had 40s and 60s. Fuck it. Threw it all back together in a hump.

I might just fit a double-din unit to it and save a load of cocking around...or maybe not. There's something quite pleasing about a "does what it says on the tin" factory radio.

[Scruffy Bodger]

They are definitely ageing gracefully and a really good looking car imo, I wonder how many will survive the period they are in now?

Well doing a quick tally of all the floppy top variants.

Peak = 7722

2021 Q1 taxed = 573
2021 Q1 SORN = 1217

Currently 23% left going by the peak figure.

Still plenty left then in reality even if most of those are currently off the road.

Nice work with those fiddly little bulbs, I take it there are no LED replacements you could source now, they should be fit and forget at such a low wattage.

[Eddie Honda]

Nice work with those fiddly little bulbs, I take it there are no LED replacements you could source now, they should be fit and forget at such a low wattage.

There are loads of LED replacements, but I want my dash lights to have a piss-trickle glow and dim properly with the dimmer knob.

[Eddie Honda]

Failed trailer collection - Saturday 10th July
Re-attempt - Friday 16th July
LED trailer light bollocks

So with the car serviced and everything well, it was time to nip over to borrow a car trailer from the same top bloke as last time.

However the collection went tits up as upon plugging it in the trailer lights weren't doing what they were meant to.

Tail lights - okay
Brake lights - okay
Right indicator - flashing, but also flashing right brake light
Left indicator - flashing, but also flashing both indicators and rear brake lights.

Bollocks.

Yer man's suggestion was the wiring on the Jizz, as his Landcruiser was operating them fine. It wasn't the trailer wiring as I rewired the whole lot October 2019 when I last borrowed it as the monkey previously paid to do the job maid a right arse of it with twisted together wires, etc. Anyway, an hour was wasted mostly trying to put the 12N socket back together on the car to which nothing was found wrong with. I had my doubts as I'd been towing my own trailer recently without issue.

I thought it might be the LED lights on the trailer, so went off back home to RTFM of my Jizz wiring kit.

Re-read the IKEA-like instructions and nothing was forthcoming. Downloaded a more up-to-date set of instructions and found this panel which isn't in the earlier ones:

Screenshot_20210725_123255a.png (36.21 KiB) Viewed 1823 times

This wanking warning box wasn't compatible with LEDs. Now I could of pissed about with some load resistors on the trailer, but I didn't want to go there. I wanted to just sort the car. What I need was "an upgrade" (read robbing you a second time) of this 52400006:

52400006_AFC_module.jpg (52.5 KiB) Viewed 1823 times

Now it may be an AFC in German, I think it could be called a Trailer Interface Module (TIM) in English or just a fucking expensive trailer flasher relay 52400570:

jaeger_led_afc_modul_52400570-1.jpg (348.61 KiB) Viewed 1823 times

I phoned four trailer/towbar places in Dublin. Two didn't have a fucking clue what I was on about and two had clue but didn't have anything like it in stock. So it was time to fuck the local economy and shop abroad.

First I found PF Jones didn't have it on their website, but did have an ebay listing - £73 and over £70 in shipping/export fees on top of that. WTF? I phoned them to see what the story was and they said postage to Ireland was £9.50.....but they haven't had one of those in stock since late last year and it may take "up to 8 weeks" to get one. "So WTF are you listing them on ebay for?". "Don't know, I'll have to ask our ebay department".

Then I spot the unit required for £62.50 (ex-VAT) at Anglia Towing Centre showing a stock of 8. I quickly mash the keyboard, see the £25 shipping and checkout at £87.50. Dash off to work, then find an email following the order up. "Our minimum order to ROI is £150, is there anything else you'd like to bring it up". No thanks, your checkout is shit not flagging that up before taking the money. I understand it may be due to new VAT rules. Just refund me it, I'll get one from Germany.

Now the cheapest in Germany is less than €55 (inc. VAT, ex-shipping),

https://www.qp24.de/de/led-afc3-modul-1 ... 570/347270

However, DOES NOT SHIP TO IRELAND.

They have an Amazon.de store - DOES NOT SHIP TO IRELAND.

Out of idle curiousity, I check Amazon.fr - SAME FUCKING GERMAN COMPANY - Sold and shipped by qp24. Shipping to Ireland €15.08. Click, click, click. Bought.

Now I'm expecting wholly to get a cancellation of the above order, but no it goes through on Wed 14th and arrives on Mon 19th. Thought it would take longer.


Rewind to Thursday 15th, and in desperation to get this car trailer moved from North to South Dublin, I buy a universal bypass relay (PCT ZR2000) kit for around €45 (containing wiring and 12N plug, etc. I'll use it on another motor eventually).

resized_IMG_20210715_130843_1.jpg (251.51 KiB) Viewed 1823 times

There's no way I'm going to rip my plug-in wiring loom out and fit it, but I will tin the ends of the wires with solder and jam it into the multi-plug and use a couple of split pins as jumpers.

resized_IMG_20210716_142606.jpg (54.49 KiB) Viewed 1823 times

As shown earlier in the thread. It did the job





Yer man didn't have his Landcruiser handy, so I had to pull the trailer out of the drive so he could take the Lexus off. I made it out onto a busy Friday rush hour M50 and N7 and didn't get had by the guards.

[LynehamHerc]

You're begining to look like Ireland's answer to McGyver or the A Team.

[Hooli]

At least you can replace the bulbs in yours.

I've got a few lights out for the gearshift in the XJR & they are all LEDs soldered on to PCBs so I've not bothered.