Hello All. I just bought my daughter her first car, and it's a 1997 Discovery 1. WITHOUT the Advanced Evap System.

She is making a list of "things to do", that she is giving to me of course, and one of them is taking out the faded plastic from in front of the drivers side Alpine window. Very strange, but the passenger side is completely different molding, and doesn't have room for these plastic windows that are in between the cabin and the exterior window. I pulled back on the molding (which is much deeper and looks like it's meant to have these plastic windows in it) and they are nutted down with a screw coming from the back side.

If I need to post a pic link, I'll be glad to. I just figured this has come up before.
From the outside the Alpine window looks milky "yellow" - like a very old headlamp - but it's these plastic protective windows behind it.

Why are these there and not on the passenger side? Even interior molding is different too. As I side the drivers side "IS" built to have these plastics - it a completely different design.

Thanks in advance. A thousand more questions to come. I wouldn't have asked but google-ing this didn't provide answers.
Murphy

 

Your truck has rear AC. That secondary plastic window forms a duct of sorts between the glass window to blow the AC from the rear compressor to the rear vents.

 

Fish EH. I would have never figured that out! LOL
You are exactly right. How strange. What do most people do to correct the milky faded plastic?

THANKS!!!

 

Maybe a headlight lens restoration product?

 

My 1996 had that plastic piece removed. Probably for the same reason. Of course this made the rear air blow through the huge window opening instead of out the vents. I found a replacement in a you pull it junk yard that wasn't discolored at all. Perhaps garage kept vehicles do better?

 

You could pop it out and tint the outer glass then reinstall

Honestly though the rear a/c is a waste in these IMO, if mine acts up again its coming out, would be use full if it was heat and a/c

 

My 98 has rear AC but I've not yet checked it. I did evacuate and charge the system when I got it and the front AC worked fine.

There is a rear compressor? Is it electric? Is the rear AC separate from the front? I had assumed it just had a fan to push air back there, but then it should have heat too. What's the story here?

 

The rear compressor is in the drivers side cargo area.

 

That is the evaporator and blower. The rear air uses the same compressor and condenser as the front.

 

OK, Thanks,

I didn't see anything about the rear AC in the owner's manual, but I just checked it out in the workshop manual. So there IS a separate evap/blower unit back there - guess I'll have to give it a try when the weather warms up.

Seems like a whole lot of trouble just to get AC to seldom used jump seats, but hey - it's British. Who Knows - you might want to keep your case of beer cool on the way home from the store, although I've heard the Brits have learned to like their beer warm because of their Lucas refrigerators.