Coffs to Broome D4 observations

[Plane Fixer]

Have just reached Broome after a six day trip to Broome for a contract.
I fitted new Maxxis 255/55/19 and a new battery which I charged overnight before setting off. I reset with my IID tool the battery replacement on the computer.
The tyres performed brilliantly and were not as noisy as expected. The roads were wet, dry, flooded and covered in locusts between Kunnunara and Halls Creek; horrible stinky things full of crap. Cleaning is an ongoing nightmare.
Using the cruise control it drives like an Indian or Asian taxi driver; accelerate, back off and repeat. It, at 110 kmh will go to 111 and the back to 109 and repeat. Bloody annoying after a while.
I have a voltmeter in the cigarette lighter and over the day's driving noted the voltage changes. After start I would see briefly 13.7 and would settle to 13.0 for a while. Over a period of 8-9 hours the voltage would drop to 12.2 before climbing up to 12.7 and sometimes to 12.9. I admit once in the middle of nowhere and seeing 12.2 I was a little bit worried, but it never let me down. With the old 5 year old original battery I used to see 14.7 after start and often 13.4.
A fantastic trip in a fantastic car with 145000km now. Permagrin intact!

[GregMilner]

Good to hear your experience with the Maxis. I've just ordered 6 of them to replace the OEM tyres. The voltage changes are a bit weird though, what caused that?

[LandyAndy]

Its the way they charge.Once the battery is full they only charge on the over run,ie down hills etc.
Andrew

[Plane Fixer]

I am assuming that with the kms each day that after the start, then the continuous running the battery was floating and it had to get down to a set voltage before charging started again.
Greg, the tyres performed very well as I set off from Coffs to Port Macquarie where I had an audio appointment and then the Oxley Highway with all its twists and turns. It felt surefooted at all times with placard pressure. The ride is harsher compared to my Toyo Open Country which are my city set.

[DiscoJeffster]

The point of variable voltage alternators is to reduce fuel consumption by only charging when required. The car monitors the battery level and charges when required, and as suggested, once topped up, only on overrun etc, unless the float voltage drops too low. Sometimes tools to monitor something you don't understand are worse that trusting the system.
As for the cruise, 2kph to me is unnoticeable physically as inertia on the body. Stop watching the dials[emoji4], sit back and relax.

[Graeme]

Using the cruise control it drives like an Indian or Asian taxi driver; accelerate, back off and repeat. It, at 110 kmh will go to 111 and the back to 109 and repeat. Bloody annoying after a while.My 4.4 RRV did the same on its 1st drive home - most annoying cruising on the freeway. Your hunting could be caused by a sticky inlet isolation valve which could have also been mine's problem, having spent its 1st 3 years of life doing only a few city trips as mine's hunting soon disappeared.

[DiscoMick]

The voltmeter in the cigarette plug would not be reading the state of the battery, but rather the amount of charge flowing through the vehicle.
Once the battery is charged a smart alternator only puts out enough to keep everything working.
That's different to the alternator in my Defender, which settles to a standard output.

[Steve Hill]

To clean up bugs from vehicle, I highly recommend Bowden's "Bugger Off" in conjunction with their "Debugger" (a microfiber cloth which has a particular weave).
Using the "B.O.'' on myself, I rid myself of B.O. (I like the perfume).:arms:

[LandyAndy]

Windex works really well too.
Andrew

[Plane Fixer]

I used a pressure wash to get most off, but will drop the bull bar in the hangar on Sunday. This will enable me to thoroughly clean behind the grill as I am worried about overheating if left there.
I have ordered a new pollen filter to try and get rid of the smell. Locusts are disgusting things!

[LandyAndy]

How long are you in Broome????
I love Broome.
Make sure you get into Matso's Brewery.There was another place called the "Satay Hut" a Bali style pool bar where you could buy reasonable priced satay sticks and meat/fish to self cook on the bbqs.Was very popular with scantily clad backpackers,not sure it still exsists.It may under another name.
I could jump in the D4 tomorrow and head there and disappear,love the place!!!!!
Andrew

[letherm]

I used a pressure wash to get most off, but will drop the bull bar in the hangar on Sunday. This will enable me to thoroughly clean behind the grill as I am worried about overheating if left there.
I have ordered a new pollen filter to try and get rid of the smell. Locusts are disgusting things!

They sure do smell, especially when they are cooked on your radiator or engine. We drove through a locust plague many years ago going north to south through the Wimera region in Victoria. Too me about 30 to 40 minutes using a pressure sprayer at a garage to get the muck off. Still had locust carcasses falling out of recesses up to a year later.:eek2:

martin

[discorevy]

How long are you in Broome????
I love Broome.
Make sure you get into Matso's Brewery.There was another place called the "Satay Hut" a Bali style pool bar where you could buy reasonable priced satay sticks and meat/fish to self cook on the bbqs.Was very popular with scantily clad backpackers,not sure it still exsists.It may under another name.
I could jump in the D4 tomorrow and head there and disappear,love the place!!!!!
Andrew


Ha, got married at matso's in 2001 , I have a lot of good memories of living in Broome, quite a few friends have left now , they all reckon its lost its feel , still love to get back though. Mr plane fixer , I'm almost certain you will have met or will meet Jai , who is the son of a good friend down this way , he is a great kid and a willing learner , say hello from Elleker[smilebigeye]

[Pierre]

And the lovely Divers Tavern at Cable Beach for a cold beer at sunset.... serenity.

Enjoy Broome.

Pete

[BMKal]

And the lovely Divers Tavern at Cable Beach for a cold beer at sunset.... serenity.

Enjoy Broome.

Pete

X2 [wink11]

A great feed at Diver's too. [bigsmile]

[Plane Fixer]

Will certainly check out a few places. Love Mateos brewery, the ginger beer is certainly something else.
I have met Jai, he is an apprentice here.

[GP1200]

How long are you in Broome????
I love Broome.
Make sure you get into Matso's Brewery.There was another place called the "Satay Hut" a Bali style pool bar where you could buy reasonable priced satay sticks and meat/fish to self cook on the bbqs.Was very popular with scantily clad backpackers,not sure it still exsists.It may under another name.
I could jump in the D4 tomorrow and head there and disappear,love the place!!!!!
Andrew

Oh Andy, I do remember the " Satay Hut " it was a terrible place to stay, they kept all there beer in big sinks under a truckload of ice, had the best satay sticks and the staff were so unfriendly ... I used to travel away for work for two weeks at a time from Perth,( driving ) and somehow I always managed to spend the middle weekend away in Broome, i started @ CJD in 1988, so would have been late eighty"s or very early nineties it was in operation. My all time favorite places to stay when working in the Pilbara.

jack