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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26775
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It worked! nice warm car to get into this morning.
It would appear that the radio stays on all night. No problem with the battery either. The only downside is the radio display and the sat nav are on. You can turn the screen off the sat nav by going to settings and selecting "screen off"
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 24th Jan 2005 8:34 am |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26775
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Guess what, the dealer never called me. Guess what happened next, I rang them and was told that the man I needed to speak to was in a meeting and would phone me back. Guess what, he never did. 
Thats it, I have now written to Land Rover Customer relations. My letter is polite but firm, is not derogatory in anyway, but tells LR exactly what my problem is, and why I have been left with no alternative to write a letter.
I await a response.
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| 24th Jan 2005 4:43 pm |
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Ecosse
Member Since: 07 Jan 2005
Location: Grampian, Scotland
Posts: 889
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Gareth - good luck!! - my experience of writing/faxing/e-mailing LR CS is not very favourable. At pre-sale delivery of car took almost 2 months to get a reply (& then it was wrong!!), and all post sale correspondence has been ignored. What about also writing to the MD of the dealership & if they are part of a larger company (as many are) direct to the chairman of the parent company - they may be sharper off the mark as they have more to lose through poor service. 
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| 24th Jan 2005 5:15 pm |
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Big Al
Member Since: 20 Jan 2005
Location: Wiltshire UK
Posts: 143
  
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Gave this a whirl this morning, set for 0645, and then turned off ignition, turned on the radio, volume to zero and blanked Sat-Nav screen, then locked the car. Wow, this works really well and by 0720 the car was completely defrosted and nice and cozy inside. LR really do need to sort out the timer issue not working unless the radio is on, as the results are stunning. I've never had a preheater in any car before and will certainly be something on any future cars. All we need now is LR to fix the software bug stopping the timer and I'll be even more impressed than I am already with my car.
I will press my dealer if they know anything further, and if I get anywhere I'll forward details.
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| 26th Jan 2005 8:03 am |
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Ecosse
Member Since: 07 Jan 2005
Location: Grampian, Scotland
Posts: 889
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Big Al - just to show how little info LR themselves seem to have, the following is a copy of a reply I got from them to this same issue:-
"The fuel burning heater only has the automatic temperature feature - the timing feature is not available, despite the presence of the stalk button. Originally, this was to be part of the specification but has now been delayed until later models."
I await hearing from them regarding a software fix for existing models - also from a safety point of view has anyone figured out how to be certain the heater is not running when we refuel???!
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| 26th Jan 2005 8:31 am |
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DiscoDuck
Member Since: 23 Jan 2005
Location: West Sussex UK
Posts: 126
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Programming the heater to start instantly with the LR button on the key fob would be a great feature!
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| 26th Jan 2005 10:58 am |
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Ecosse
Member Since: 07 Jan 2005
Location: Grampian, Scotland
Posts: 889
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DiscoDuck wrote:Programming the heater to start instantly with the LR button on the key fob would be a great feature!
and could be so easily set up in the programming if LR would only take a "Can Do" approach to the vehicle. Having said that the priority is to have a working "off" & "timer control" system, especially as they have now admitted that "Originally, (the timer) was to be part of the specification". We've paid for it, so we should get it!!
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| 26th Jan 2005 11:18 am |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26775
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Chaps, BEWARE of this. I have used the radio on method for three nights now, it worked on two of them. The one that it did not work on the radio switched itself off during the night. The following morning the car was UNLOCKED! I am 99% sure I locked it!
I don't know what made the radio switch off, whereas on the other two occasions it remained on all night. Maybe, I did leave it unlocked? I simply don't know, and maybe in an unlocked state the radio shuts down.
But knowing the complexity of these cars, I would not put it past the software to be unlocking the car.
I will check again tonight, and confirm that I have locked the car.
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| 26th Jan 2005 11:21 am |
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Ecosse
Member Since: 07 Jan 2005
Location: Grampian, Scotland
Posts: 889
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| Re: Point to look out for. |
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Gareth wrote:
But knowing the complexity of these cars, I would not put it past the software to be unlocking the car.
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Gareth - that could be very interesting from an insurance point of view!! - certainly my insurance requires the car to be locked if left unattended, but I wouldn't bet on my chances of persuading the insurance company that it just unlocked itself!! - hopefully no-one can get a repetition of this!! 
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| 26th Jan 2005 11:39 am |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26775
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I set it when I got home from work at 4.30 this afternoon. I just been out to check, and whilst the radio had switched itself off, the car was still locked.
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| 27th Jan 2005 12:11 am |
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DiscoDuck
Member Since: 23 Jan 2005
Location: West Sussex UK
Posts: 126
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It would be nice to know the impact on the battery is from the radio being left on, is it hours or days before the battery will not start the car especially if it then has to run the heater for 1/2 hour?
Also under what conditions will the radio switch off automatically and does it make a difference if the timer is set?
How helpful will LR be on this question?
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| 27th Jan 2005 10:55 am |
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Ecosse
Member Since: 07 Jan 2005
Location: Grampian, Scotland
Posts: 889
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DiscoDuck wrote: is it hours or days before the battery will not start the car especially if it then has to run the heater for 1/2 hour?
I may be wrong, but I don't think the running of the heater for 1/2 hour should have too much effect as it is a small diesel heater and I think will only need a starting current then will run largely power free in the same way as a diesel engine. Anyone have any technical knowledge of the actual functioning of these units?
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| 27th Jan 2005 11:02 am |
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DiscoDuck
Member Since: 23 Jan 2005
Location: West Sussex UK
Posts: 126
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From the wabasto website the heater takes about 3 amps + cars ventalation fans+electric water pump
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| 27th Jan 2005 11:44 am |
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Big Al
Member Since: 20 Jan 2005
Location: Wiltshire UK
Posts: 143
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Still hearing from my dealer that the preheater functionality is likely to disappear when the D3's serviced next, since LR it is rumoured, are having a change of heart and may wish us to pay for an "upgrade" to have this "working" functonality. If this is so, I for one wont be too pleased as this should be as standard, especially they've already let the "cat out of the bag" and provided our D3's with references to the functionality, even if they screwed up the software!!
I've scoured the LR literature and no-where does is mention preheater, apart from the workshop manuals, however they too mention tyre sensors too. It may be an uphill struggle to prove otherwise that we should keep this functionality, but let's hope since we've already seen/experienced it, even if we do have to leave the radio on overnight, that LR have a change of heart. After all it's not like they're actually going to be adding extra bits, the software should be put right and hey presto, more satisfied and warm customers in the morning 
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| 31st Jan 2005 5:53 pm |
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DiscoMad
Member Since: 11 Jan 2005
Location: Warwickshire, United Kingdom
Posts: 190
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You know, I just dont know how they can remove a feature like this ! isnt it stealing ?
LR didnt say that the rear passenger controls would overide the driver settings on the radio - are they taking this functionality away too ?
I will not be happy if the next SW upgrade removes the current (pre-heater)functionality, even though I want it fully operational.
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| 31st Jan 2005 7:16 pm |
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