Superduner

I was thinking of putting the smallest NOCO jumper unit in the glovebox and running a twin 12AWG fused line to the Battery though a double pole momentary push switch on the front of the glove box.

In the case of a low Battery, push the button, turn the NOCO on, and start the car (hopefully).

How does that sound for a summer project?

If you get it repaired quickly, then they are pretty good.  Once the crack is more than about 2cm, you are looking at a new screen.

If anyone is interested, these are the graphs from the Battery monitor from when I installed it on Thursday.

Peak voltage after running for an hour (key off) was 12.5 (14 while running).  At midnight on Thursday it had dropped to 12.28.  At midnight on Friday it was 12.19. At 0930 this morning it was 12.14.

The car was sitting in the sun all day yesterday and at about 1500 the voltage was 12.21.  Both of the last two nights have been just about freezing-the car lives outside.

It's interesting to see that throughout the monitoring period there are very small fluctuations in voltage of about 0.03v

The voltage dropped faster on Thursday, presumably as the systems shut down.

I'd be interested for anyone a bit more into electrickery than me (concrete is my thing) to comment on this information.

I should add that the Battery is a new Bosch.

Whatever, I see the monitor as a useful diagnostic tool.

Ok, so the gadget is now on the car, and I have to say it's quite impressive (but with a few niggles).

It hooked up to the phone instantly and began a moving display of Battery voltage, which corresponded with the power socket USB plug pretty well.

I ran the car for an hour - it was showing about 14v, and when I put on main beam, a/c and heated rear screen it went down to 13.95/6/7 or so.  So I'm thinking no problems in the charging department.

Turned the car off and after 3 minutes the voltage was 12.65 or so.  It stayed at that for 3 or 4 minutes, and when I turned the "ignition" on it dropped to 12.3v.  Turned the ignition off and it went back up to 12.45.

The main niggle for me is that you only get a large scale graph (useful) for 5 minutes, after which it changes to a much longer period with very squeezed up data points.

The other makes of monitor on amazon UK look identical, and I'm sure that they use the same app.

4 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

Really? Be interested to be updated as to how it performs? It's perfectly understandable why a temperature sensor may need location 🤔 but a battery monitor? Get outa here! 

I'll stick it on a spare Battery and see what happens.

In this context, the word simple does not really apply.

There are loads of threads about this very subject, with links to suitable bits to connect.

I use a Vline on my RX400, but that's a bit pricey.

amazon France does, and that's where I live.  It's due to arrive tomorrow.  The ca is still in the workshop waiting for a new screen to arrive from England, so fitting it will have to wait a while.

As for the software, I find that a lot of apps that you would think do not need to know your location insist on having it.  My Bluetooth temperature sensor/recorder outside the back door, for example.

12 hours ago, cidersteve said:

you don't get the answer first  Keith, wade through the 70,000 page handbook ,then , 2 weeks later , come back and admit defeat ,then you might get an answer !!

It's a rite of initiation that we all go through.

I didn't know these existed.  I'm going to get the Tonwon one, as it's a bit cheaper but still gets good reviews.

It'll give me the chance to actually see the loss in charge over time on a graph (we engineers love graphs) - which the power socket option does not.

Actually "Pare brises sont nous". Out with Google translate?

And no, it's not their real name!

8 hours ago, C Mclean said:

Windscreens are sided....inside and outside hahaha....

Mystery solved.  They tried to put it on inside out.

I would think it's the base screen. Certainly no HUD or heating. I'm just waiting for them to tell me that they've found the right screen and fitted it, but I can't see that happening for a few days, somehow 

21 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

I'd be very surprised if windscreens came in LHD and RHD versions. The glass shape is the same.

Do you have HUD? I suppose this might make a difference if the film is positioned at manufacture? The same could be said for any camera area or rain sensors but I've never heard of 'handed' screens before.

My guess is they have broken something or ordered the screen for a different model..

1 hour ago, NemesisUK said:

My guess is they have broken something or ordered the screen for a different model..

You have a very suspicious mind.........and I totally agree with your hypothesis 🙂

My rhd RX400H developed a cracked windscreen lost week so I booked it into a specialist here in France for replacement. The technician was looking at the car while he was on the phone to his suppliers and after a couple of tries found a screen.

The car went in today and a couple of hours after they started the work I got a call to say there was a"small" problem because they had received a screen for a left hand drive car instead of a right hand drive-so it didn't fit.

It's this likely or an I being fed a line to cover a mistake on their part (did they order the right part in the first place).

Are windscreens handed?

Turning off the power opening is with a very small switch beside the lid of the glovebox.  It can be hard to find!

You don't need them now.

It's a long shot, but check that the manual rubber covered switch is not being held in/jammed.  The cover on my switch had been "repaired" by a previous owner by painting it with what looked like underseal.

Over time, this had seeped into the actual switch and jammed it.

A new rubber cover from eBay was about a fiver.

It did however take well over an hour to clean out the switch and get it working properly again.

Let me know if you need any pointers later.

My mistake.  In the US, support is by Heath...if it matters.

Talk to Pete at Grom Audio UK.  He knows everything, and is extremely helpful.

The Vline comes with absolutely everything you need.

My RX has the Mark Levinson (2007) so I know of what I speak.  Well, usually anyway.

Funny, after the UK office advising me on the actual purchase, tech help has always been from the US.  If I remember correctly, Pete in the UK, and Dean in the US!

I have the Vline, and I really like it - when it works. Which is most of the time.

I'll qualify that by saying that it's not necessarily the Vline that doesn't always work, but the apps on it.  It's not really a "standard" Android system and sometimes the whole infrastructure doesn't quite gel.

I'm ok with messing about with it, as I'm retired (so lots of spare time), but if you don't have the knowledge/ability/inclination to uninstall/reinstall stuff almost every week, then it may not be for you. 

It does mean that you can tailor the apps you use for navigation (Sygic in my case), music (Rocket), and Hybrid Assistant to monitor the car system.

Installation took me about a couple of hours, and of that a lot of time was spent feeding wires into the glovebox and up to the screen (gps antenna and microphone)

Vline help is also quite good - but based in Texas so there is a time difference

All the bulbs are listed in the handbook.  In my experience, even online bulb suppliers get it wrong.

Mine does not unlock at all using the manual button.  I have to use the power button on the fob.

The rubber is rock hard and impossible to "push"