Steeringlock

"Urgent Safety Maintenance Check"

25th April, 2000

Below is a report sent to the club by Jilden in S.A. that all members should be aware of. The report explains the reasons for you as a owner of the Leyland P76 to check the steering lock on your car.

DURING THE EARLY PLANNING STAGE OF THE P76 LEYLAND AUST'S DECISION TO ASK WILMOT-BREEDEN TO DESIGN & MANUFACTURE THE IGNITION AND STEERING LOCK ASSEMBLY, FOR OUR BELOVED P'S MUST HAVE, FROM ANYONES POINT OF VIEW, BEEN SEEN TO BE A VERY GOOD MOVE, AS WILMOT & BREEDEN, ALONG WITH LOWE & FLETCHER, HAD PROVED THEMSELVES TO BE AMONGST THE MOST COST EFFICIENT AND RELIABLE AUTO LOCK MANUFACTURES TO THE WORLD, BUT, AS THE OLD SAYING GOES "SOMEONE GOOFED" AND A MINOR FAULT HAS, WITH TIME, ESCULATED TO A VERY REAL DANGER OF THE LATCH ASSEMBLY ENGAGING WHILST THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. I MUST STRESS THAT OVER 80% OF THE FAILURES OF THIS LOCK SITED BY THIS FIRM "RON SQUIRE & SONS'"- A N.R.M.A.RECOMMENDED REPAIRER, HAVE BEEN THANKFULLY WHILST THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN STATIONARY - THE OTHERS NOT SO LUCKY. THE LOCK MANUFACTURER, REALISING THIS FAULT ADVISED LEYLAND AUST., WHO IN TURN, IMMEDIATELY RECALLED THE p76 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE UNIT. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY VEHICLES HAVE BEEN MISSED, EITHER THE OWNERS NOT BEING NOTIFIED, OR SIMPLY NOT BOTHERING. AS A REAL SAFETY PRECAUTION, I RECOMMEND THE STEERING LOCKING ASSEMBLY TO BE REMOVED FROM THE LOCK UNIT ENTIRELY: THUS USING THE LOCK MECHANISM AS AN IGNITION SWITCH LOCK ONLY. SOME OTHER MORE EFFECTIVE METHOD OF SECURING THE VEHICLE CAN BE FITTED. ALTHOUGH THE MAKING AVAILABLE OF THE PROCEEDURE NECESSARY TO DISMANTLE THE UNIT GOES AGAINST MY CODE OF ETHICS, I TENDER THE THESE PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE HOPE THAT THE INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED THEREIN MAY CONTRIBUTE TO SAVING SOME OWNERS DRIVER'S LIFE. CONSIDERATION 0F REPAIRING 0R REMANUFACTURING THIS COMPONET, WOULD, I FEEL, BE OUT OF THE QUESTION, AS ANYONE INTENT ON STEALING THE VEHICLE, WOULD NOT BE IN ANYWAY WORRIED ABOUT BYPASSING THE 'STEERING LOCK.'

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