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Hi, this is my first entry and I’d like to offer something back to this brilliant site. I’ve learned a lot from everyone, the depth and interest amongst members is astonishing.
I live in a very dark place, a tiny Hebridean island where the nearest street lamp (and policeman (who's also a Surf owner !)) is an hour’s ferry away (downside, diesel is £1.83 a litre !).
Anyhow, I need good lights, including interior lights, especially since I’m the island’s linesman going out in the depths of night fault finding and switching the electricity on (and off).
I’ve recently got a 2nd gen 2.4 LN130 with a few age related problems. But I’m working through them thanks to you lot. There’s only 20 miles of road here and I spend most of my time off road, in bog, sand dunes or beach. The surf’s the first vehicle I’ve managed to drive to my house in in winter, so I'm impressed!
Anyhow, I decided to mend my rear courtesy light. On first attack with the multimeter it all looked OK. However, the fault(s) lies under the tiny alloy rivets that peen the switch contacts to the silver strips (well should be silver in colour) that connect switch to bulb holder. Even though the rivets peen metal to metal an oxide film had built up UNDER the connection and there was no continuity throught the contact surfaces.
Remedy: 1) squeeze/push out the alloy rivets, easily done with a sharp knife, 2mm drill or tiny screwdriver. The rivets are soft as sh1te. 2) Clean, by scraping off the oxide, the surfaces of the ‘silver’ strip and brass switch contacts and then 3) refit using M2 bolts, nuts and washers. Took about 30 minutes and cost £1 for a pack of 20 bolts etc from eBay, and a new LED replacement bulb for 55p (31mm 16 SMD LED), again eBay. Here is a knife attacking the first alloy rivet. Just one turn and the rivet was so loose, it just fell out....
Below's a pic of the unit with one rivet pushed out...
and the bits that fell out to be cleaned, with a new M2 nut and bolt
and, below, the final clean and working unit with M2 bolts installed in place of the alloy rivets and a 16 SMD (surface mounted Diode) LED replacement 'bulb'.... Sooo much brighter....
I live in a very dark place, a tiny Hebridean island where the nearest street lamp (and policeman (who's also a Surf owner !)) is an hour’s ferry away (downside, diesel is £1.83 a litre !).
Anyhow, I need good lights, including interior lights, especially since I’m the island’s linesman going out in the depths of night fault finding and switching the electricity on (and off).
I’ve recently got a 2nd gen 2.4 LN130 with a few age related problems. But I’m working through them thanks to you lot. There’s only 20 miles of road here and I spend most of my time off road, in bog, sand dunes or beach. The surf’s the first vehicle I’ve managed to drive to my house in in winter, so I'm impressed!
Anyhow, I decided to mend my rear courtesy light. On first attack with the multimeter it all looked OK. However, the fault(s) lies under the tiny alloy rivets that peen the switch contacts to the silver strips (well should be silver in colour) that connect switch to bulb holder. Even though the rivets peen metal to metal an oxide film had built up UNDER the connection and there was no continuity throught the contact surfaces.
Remedy: 1) squeeze/push out the alloy rivets, easily done with a sharp knife, 2mm drill or tiny screwdriver. The rivets are soft as sh1te. 2) Clean, by scraping off the oxide, the surfaces of the ‘silver’ strip and brass switch contacts and then 3) refit using M2 bolts, nuts and washers. Took about 30 minutes and cost £1 for a pack of 20 bolts etc from eBay, and a new LED replacement bulb for 55p (31mm 16 SMD LED), again eBay. Here is a knife attacking the first alloy rivet. Just one turn and the rivet was so loose, it just fell out....
Below's a pic of the unit with one rivet pushed out...
and the bits that fell out to be cleaned, with a new M2 nut and bolt
and, below, the final clean and working unit with M2 bolts installed in place of the alloy rivets and a 16 SMD (surface mounted Diode) LED replacement 'bulb'.... Sooo much brighter....
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