Mackay1 Box Of Tricks, Review

I would like to say many thanks to you Roy for your "box of tricks" it really did the job the cars suspension is great now. its very impresive! I fitted it within a few min and it is very easy to fit. only 1 problem was fitting the blue crip conectors between all the wires but thats because I didnt want to cut all the tape,
one very happy owner!!!

once again many thanks

This post has been edited by Craigdp on March 29, 2007 05:50 pm

Hi Craig,

Glad you liked it - and thanks for the review.

If anyone wants to see what the kit looks like they're on eBay now:

190103056745

Roy

This post has been edited by mackay1 on April 14, 2007 03:20 pm

Mackay1

Is it not possible to make one for the Series one cars, G to J/K reg??

Regards
citroenxm?

Hi citroenxm,

Yes - I'm sure it is. I haven't seen much discussion anywhere about series 1 - but I'll have the information here so I'll look into it.

It's a while since I had an S1 - but it as far as I recall it suffered similar symptoms.

I'll let you know.

Thanks

Roy

I think it would work, all you need to test it is a 4007 diode from maplins, just ask at the counter they'l dig one out for you for a few pennys.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ITAG=S...79&doy=1m4#spec

To test the theory join two wires to it, no rocket science just twist a piece of wire to each end and then take the wire that you joined to the end of the diode with a white/silver stripe to the electrovalve wire, and the other to ground/earth/batter negative.

(sorry cant remember which colour is electrovalve wire, bet someone on here does though)

If it works as a test, tidy it up as a more permanent cheap fix.

Roy - you have competition

Ebay hydractive repair



This post has been edited by wirdy on April 02, 2007 06:08 pm

Hi Wirdy,

Yes - so I see. Thanks for letting me know - I appreciate it. I believe that's one of Lez's auctions (poster just above you).

Best wishes

Roy

Lez,

Whilst in the main I agree with the philosphy of a free market economy in the true Adams style I also recognise that it is not a panacea and has its weak points. You just found the worst one.

Generally there is an issue with XM's (and probably Xantias) whereby the freewheel diode in the electrovalve solenoid fails thus passing the freewheel current back to the solid state relays in the suspension ecu eventually overheating and burning them out. True also is the simplicity of the repair in refitting two more diodes elsewhere in the circuit to perform the job of the failed items. If this is done before the SSR failure then you will have saved your SSR's. Excellent stuff. This however, is old news.

Now the problem is that not all of us are handy with a soldering iron or understand how to select the correct model or rating of diode. Some people may never have even heard of Maplins. That does not mean that the information on how to do it is not freely available to those people. So some kind sole who is known for their generous contribution to the XM community and a valued member of this forum gets off his backside by his own volition, gathers together the respective parts, spends his own time and produces a handy 'kit' complete with instructions so that the uninitiated can fit it in minutes without having to understand any of the electronics reasons why it works. And yes, he charges a fee for that. Thats part of the free market economy too. What he's charging for, apart from the material & delivery costs, is the ability of someone who doesn't understand enough electronics or just doesn't want the hassle to purchase a simple 'kit' and in under 5 minutes solve his problem. Yes, the information on how to do it yourself is posted on this very forum and others. I produced my own 'fix-it' instructions at my own cost and published it here free of charge. The same man who produced this kit has freely donated his time and efforts and compiled a list of almost every permutation of wiring for every RP number and published it here free of charge. no one asked him to do that. No one paid him to do that. He does it for the same reason I do. Because he is a genuinely nice bloke who believes there is a last vestige of gentlemanly behaviour to be had in this world. And helping others in a similar plight generates a feeling of pleasant satisfaction and well-being.

So what drove you to 'piss on his fire'? I neither think Roy was going to become a millionaire for his selling price and neither are you at yours. Its not like it was a victory for the small man against the corporate oligarch. What did Roy ever do to you?

The reason no one helps each other in this pitiful excuse for a country is that there's always someone waiting in the wings who's life is so empty of reality that his sole drive in life is to 'piss on your fire'. Its hardly an incentiviser is it? I find your attack even more unbelievable given your own current plight. Because it happens to you is no excuse to take it out on others.

Cheers,

noz

I want to wholeheartedly endorse what you have just said. Asked for 'advice' a barrister will charge a fortune and give you nothing but the benefit of his knowledge. Roy too was entitled to charge for the work and the knowledge he had put into his box of tricks. So what if the cost in money of building it was very little?people would be paying for the ease of fitting it. I have a starship IQ and could follow a diagram and use a soldering iron yet I chose to buy Roy's product because it was a clip and fit job and he is entitled to earn out of it. I too was livid when I saw the repeated spoliers put about and probably for that reason too bought Roy's product. Perhaps Les intends to build his strut top cages and donate them to all XM owners but I think not.

I'm shocked no to be more exact I am disapointed.
Noz you are 100% right people do stupid things like that. As for you Lez personaly your pathetic! The quick pound merchant is you go back to the cave you crawled out of! Roys unit looks well made and is well made it also looks like a correct repair if I was to sell my car I could explain what it was and not feel bad of it looking like a poor mans repair

Je pense que vous êtes un salaud!!



Roy still happy with the "box of tricks" started work on the other thing's last night I'll work on them some more over the long week end whilst painting my new wheels

Craig

This post has been edited by Craigdp on April 06, 2007 12:38 am

I hope here Craig you are addressing Les and not Norrie or me.

J

yes my apoligies for my english but my comments are addressed towards lez
I have edited the above post and would like to make clear that the comments I made were not in conflict towards Noz, Jimcoted or any other person on the froum other than Lez

This post has been edited by Craigdp on April 06, 2007 12:42 am

I feel I ought to add to the support for Roy. I have read all the info about what the problem is, what the solution is, how to DIY it etc. I have a degree in Electronics, and whilst my soldering skills are a little unused lately, that means I am a little slower than I used to be and by no means incapable. I could easily have done it myself.

However, I chose to buy Roys solution for 1 reason. Time. Some of us have more than we want of it (and I hope Lez's battle with the unemployment system comes to a satisfactory solution soon) but some of us have none of it at all. Between work, wife, toddlers, other family and other voluntary work commitments, I manage to get the odd half hour to do something on the car or anything else about once every 2 months. Therefore a 15 min 'hardly any thought required' solution is well worth the money for me at this time. At other times in my life (past and hopefully future) it would be different.

Cheers,
Rowan.

Roy,

I'm a great believer in the belt and braces approach and like the idea of your box of tricks as a damage preventer. However, when I recently fitted HID lights to my car (late model 60 degree V6) I had difficulty in finding somewhere to fit the right hand ballast/igniter box. If you look at the photo in "petrol specific" under the heading Engine speed sensor, you'll see what I mean.

What are the dimensions of your box? What is the usual site for fitting?

Derek

Hi Derek,

I fitted my HID ballast box on the horn mounting either side - saved having to drill any holes:

I fitted one of the suspension fix kits to the W Reg V6 24v XM I had until recently - although there was nothing wrong with it either. The box is only 75mm x 57mm x 24mm (although I may end up using a slightly different size) and sits quite happily inside the ECU container above the right hand wheel arch - although it could go anywhere really with enough cable on it - but that's where I'd suggest - and it's what I did on my 24v (despite the fact that there are enough ECU's in there to run a NASA mission).


Best wishes

Roy

This post has been edited by mackay1 on April 24, 2007 01:25 pm