Re: [DMCForum] FanZilla VS "Fan Fix":

[Martin Gutkowski <martin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Rob,

Fair enough, there was a problem in the batch that went into the car in 
question, and you may recall I did contact you about it at the time. I 
knew the Zillas were fully guaranteed and suggested you contact your 
customer directly to arrange a replacement/repair. I can probably drag 
up the e-mails if you like.

As to your comment below, as you put it so bluntly, I will reply in a 
similar vein.

If you look back at my posts, you should find that I always praise the 
FanZilla as a neat concept, however I do think it could be better and 
found a failure on my own car that would cause the "fan fail" not to 
come on*. Not long after that happened, I heard on the DML of someone 
who found the exact same problem and did have a FanZilla. I DID "build a 
better mousetrap" and got as far as the prototype stage that worked 
perfectly. The fanzilla is a pair of relays which are switched 
sequentially using a 555 timer circuit. Each output is fused and the 
fuses are "watched" so if either blows, the fan fail light comes on. I 
think this is simple and reliable, but my own fan failure, plus comments 
from others sent me down a different path and I have not been able to 
recommend the fanzilla as a result of it - NOT because of the failure of 
the unit I saw, which I knew was unusual. I should have made that clear 
in my previous post. I contacted Bob about these specific circumstances* 
and yet again received no reply.

So why didn't we build our own? Because to re-coup the kind of money it 
would take to make the kind of product I wanted would mean selling at a 
price I couldn't justify asking. It's cheaper to buy a better 
alternator**! FWIW we got it down to a single solid state plug-in module 
the size of two fan-fail modules that just plugged into the two adjacent 
relay bases. No ugly flying leads and box.

Regarding the other Zilla products: The LockZilla is indeed a waste of 
money, in my opinion. I have never dismantled one but have rebuilt 
countless stock modules that have a zero failure rate to date. The cost 
to my customers? Less than $50. I have looked into making a direct 
replacment but I was asked, by a customer, "why bother, have any of the 
other units failed?".

The TankZilla is a 3rd party sender machined to fit the hole with a box 
of tricks to make it work on the DeLorean's electrics. Great, if it's 
reliable, but very expensive given that the DMCH unit came in at half 
the price and is a properly designed drop-in replacement. These facts 
alone speak volumes, IMO.

I don't appreciate being told I don't do anything but complain. Go back 
and re-read my contributions to this current "FanZilla" thread and tell 
me if I said anything negative other than to point out that I've seen 
your product fail too! I should have made it clear that I know this was 
rare, but at the time, you didn't seem to appreciate my involvement.

* Get water into the fan motos and thanks to the location of the drain 
hole and the tilt on the motors, it gums up the brushes causing the 
motors to go open circuit within a couple of weeks. This can be fixed 
with a squirt of switch cleaner through the drain hole and a couple of 
taps with a hammer (and mine have been fine for 3 years since) but 
that's cold comfort to an owner whose head gaskets have failed as a result.

** http://www.delorean.co.uk/DMUK/newparts1.html#alternator - the dog's 
bollocks.

Martin
DeLorean Motor Cars Ltd
www.delorean.co.uk




rob@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>Your
>incessant nitpicking of Zilla products is counterproductive and I'd suggest
>if you can build a better mousetrap then go ahead so we can all critique
>your products. You don't seem to like anything but complaining!
>
>Rob Grady
>




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