[Guest]

Hi
I might be new to the group but this will be my third xtrail. I thought I could get away with a Note but I miss the space and knowing I never having to check what the weather is doing. After two years away I was lured back by the big discounts, I will miss the fuel economy I think, as the Note never got below 55mpg and I cant believe I will get anything near that! 1.5 dci to 2dci auto are not in the same league but I am curious what to expect from the new 2dci. I would also like to take it off road more than my old ones, they did go off road but on not too challenging conditions. Looking at the Australian xtrail web they really go to extremes but they do have plenty of bush to get lost in. Anyway I get my Aventura 1st March so I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas so Im filling my time getting a fix from the groups and gleaning as much information as possible. Good to see we have some active groups here ready to do their own work. I did change the radios on my previous xtrails and I do have the wiring adaptor for the last one suitable for Sony with steering remote and other models that use a 3.5 jack plug, also the boot hard mat and a boot carpet if anyone is interested. I added LED lights to the top of the tail lights to fill in the gap at the top, they looked much better for it. Anyway must go, got a brochure to look at!

 

[jme.73]

Welcome aboard phil. What colour is your new xtrail going to be and what trim level have you gone for?
I may pick your brains about the additional tail lights mod you mentioned.

Jamie

 

[Guest]

Thanks Jamie
I went for the Atlas Blue not my first choice but cheap, I was after the thundercloud Artix after seeing it in several lights it looked different each time, it had the roof bars lights and side steps did make it look a bit tall but when my partner saw it she had a fit "Looks like a ****** American hearse". I have to admit I can see her point! So all that was left in the knock down price was the Aventura in blue and an other Artix in white, my last white car never looked clean what chance an xtrail so it is the blue in Explorer trim black leather no roof lights. Cant say I love the Satnav though my last one was out of date when I bought it and they wanted some 300 pounds for the latest dvd, thats the price of a good sat nav and no gatso warnings, so I will probably run two together, looking forward to the camera though. My first exy, the salesman tried hard to sell me reversing sensors, £250 "no point" I told him. One traffic sigh a lamp post and a car I backed into that was two bumpers and a tailgate, I succumbed to having them fitted. An expensive learning curve, I just could not understand how they kept leaping out behind me!
The light mod is quite easy two BA15D stop/tail led bulbs red 19/24 led or tower work well. Remove the tail light fittings and you'll see what looks like an unused fitting at the top of the lights fitting, cut into this with a hole saw a little bigger than a ba15d led bulb. When you cut the hole you will get bits dropping into the light vacuum these out and trim the edges of the plastic. Get a couple of old CD/DVD's and cut them so they are a little bigger than the hole you have cut. You will find the hole in the CD is just the right size of the BA15 base they clip over the base of the ba15 pins with a little persuasion. Solder three wires to the BA15d one on each connector stop and tail light and one on the metal side (earth return) These will then connect to the existing stop and tail connectors tap or bullet connectors work well. Check you have the tail and stop connectors the right way round.
Silicon sealer round the cd on the bulb holds it then silicon seal the cd to the back of the tail lights fitting. Silicon over the connectors to water seal them. The LEDs should last a lifetime but check them first, some have duff leds in them.
Thats the gist of it if you or anyone else needs a better write up I can do one, the tower leds look better as they are not so directional, but the rear at night looks so much better.

 

[jme.73]

Thanks for the info phil very useful.