David Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I've got lights installed in every car except for the cab cars, but I can't seem to figure out how to take the shell off to install them. Unlike the similar E531, the head of the E231 has a seperate "face" piece and a bigger, more intricate cab lighting frame (there is basically a whole cab section right up to the roof built into the base. The instructions show how to easily remove the face cover, and I can get the shell off the rear end of the car, but it gets stuck on the head end - I can't find the tab or other mechanism holding the shell to the base (there is a small tab right in the center near the bottom of the face, but it only helps a little, something is still holding it pretty tightly, possibly at the sides of the headlights). I'll post some pictures tonight. Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 The difficulty is—and this is common to a lot of cab cars—you have to pull the shell not just up but forward slightly as well; pulling the cab interior down and away from the front windscreen, not just down. It takes a little wiggling the shell and frame like a hinge pinned at the cab, but you'll get it. Link to comment
David Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 That didn't quite work, but it did set me on track - after loosening you need to put the shell back down as low as it can go while still passing over the seats, and then push it straight in the direction of the cab side to slide it off the cab electronics (so no upward pulling, it needs to slide as straight off the front end as possible to clear the big box containing the signage lighting). In the photos we start by removing the face plate by turning it up from the bottom and then pulling it off, the removing the shell as described. At this point I took advantage of it's open state to apply the destination sticker before installing the lighting system. With regards to the prism (the clear plastic piece you install to transmit light across the whole car), as is usual with 20m cab cars you need to cut it short. My measurements showed only one segment needed to be cut off, but in reality you need to cut off 2 - otherwise it's impossible to reassemble because the lighting component for the sign can't fit past the prism to slot into place. Putting it back together is very easy (as long as that prism is cut to the right size). Just slide the base into the front end of the shell (cab) and lower the back end down. Then the face plate can be reattached. And now you have passenger lighting - sorry for blurry no flash picture vs. super dark contrast flash pictures. Link to comment
CaptOblivious Posted February 4, 2010 Share Posted February 4, 2010 Glad you got it figured out! And I really hate that little tab of the decal that hangs down on the front number boards. Why was it designed like that? It bugs me. Indeed, Kato's decals bug me generally, but I've already ranted about that elsewhere here. Link to comment
David Posted February 4, 2010 Author Share Posted February 4, 2010 Glad you got it figured out! And I really hate that little tab of the decal that hangs down on the front number boards. Why was it designed like that? It bugs me. Indeed, Kato's decals bug me generally, but I've already ranted about that elsewhere here. I kept the tab on to give me something to hold onto with the tweezers. After it was on I used an x-acto knife to snip it off. Link to comment
Recommended Posts