Hi folks - occasional lurker here but first post.

My 95 P38 4.0 developed a problem yesterday. The problem is that the bits of the engine that live in the block exploded out of the oil pan.

There weren't really any warning signs - I thought it sounded a bit rough at idle a couple of minutes before it failed, but that's it. After about a minute on the highway at 50mph there was a bang, I lost power and a load of smoke came out of both ends. After pulling over and seeing oil spewed out the side of the engine I knew it was done for.

I'm not sure what the underlying cause was. It was driving well but had started leaking quite a bit of oil recently and I had been topping it up. I don't think that the oil was low when it broke down as there's still a fair amount left in the sump (see photo - that's after a lot of oil came out the side of the block...).

The car drives ok but is pretty beaten up (broken plastic, permanent SRS fault, etc) and it doesn't make sense to throw money at it. Still... P38s are getting rarer and I'm attached to it. Is it realistic to try an engine swap at home?

Otherwise I guess I can scrap it and find another one in nice condition. That's the rational thing to do, right?

While I was switching between EAS boxes yesterday, I remembered that the cruise control vacuum has been disconnected at the usual T for err.. quite some time. So I took the opportunity to reroute the long line from the accelerator in front of the bracketry and that made it long enough to connect up again.
Once I had air in the bags again I went for a test drive, wondering if the CC would come back to life. It didn't :(
Have I knackered it by leaving the vacuum circuit open to atmosphere?

I set the CC button on the dash, got to about 50mph and then pressed the SET+ button on the wheel. Nothing happened. I kinda remember a light on the dash as well, but if that was ever a real thing, it isn't now. Is there anything else I can try?

Hi folks :)
I tried rebuilding a Dunlop branded EAS compressor a while back and it was so totally grenaded inside I gave up as the bearings were shot.
I've got two more in the garage of uncertain provenance. What do you reckon to my chances with these ones?

https://eatlard.net/index.php/s/3bKWRbLXC395oJT

Just wondering if there is a better place to stick the aerial rather than on the heated windscreen, just in case the heated element interferes with the signal??

Good evening.
I am finally back in the P38 game after taking nearly a year to replace my shattered flex-plate. I also had some "ticking" sound from a hole in the exhaust manifold, got that welded too.
Since this car is constantly testing my faith, now I have a new sound ^^.
When engine is cold it sounds fine, when it warms up there is a ticking sound, coming from the middle of the engine. I have used a mechanics' stethosope to find the sound but it sounds the same everywhere. Up, down, left right. Sound very central like where the camshaft is. It is also about 6 times a second, so quite exactly half the RPM, so camshaft speed.
Any ideas please what that could be ? I was already fearing the liners.....
I have attached a sound file, first couple seconds engine cold, then engine warm.....
greetings,
Max.
https://c.web.de/@337510546125364120/wG6ArPRS8KkJ1kI5dHarGA
(you have to mark the whole link and then paste into browser...don´t know how to do it better...)

So I've had an issue for a long time where the barrel sticks in, and you get the "ignition key in" error. I usually just tap the barrel with the key and the warning goes away.

However it seems to have gotten worse. Now I get the message even when the barrel has popped out, and no amount of poking or jiggling will fix the message.

Any ideas how to sort it? Is it likely to be the switch itself?

Is it possible to extend the interior lights fade out? Using nanocom?

I have been getting the low screen wash error message for quite a while now & I have been investigating how to fix it. The screen wash reservoir is of course full. At the recommendation of @Gilbertd I left a hose running in the reservoir as apparently they can get sludge up. This did work the first time that I did it but the error message returned. I have subsequently left a hose running for a couple of hours to no effect.

The sensor AMR3270 is NLA & the only way to get a used one is to buy a complete reservoir with pumps etc & then you take the chance that the 20+ year old sensor won't work anyway.

The only issue with having the low screenwash message is that to conserve screenwash the headlamp wash/wipe is disabled. I have read that just disconnecting the sensor should get rid of the message but that doesn't seem to work for me. Access from underneath isn't great but I thought that I had found the blue plug that connects to the sensor & disconnected it but perhaps I got the wrong plug?

I need to look in RAVE to see how easy it is to replace the sensor. Even assuming that I could get a replacement it looks like it would be quite a chore to get at it.

Dear All, My car only has one original key. I would like it to have two for obvious reasons and want to keep the originality. (I do not want new style L322 keys). I do have a good matching pair of working p38 keys from a car I scrapped. Am I correct in thinking that you can't re-program keys to fit my car but I could have my BECM reprogrammed to fit my 'new' matching pair? I hope this makes sense.

Been looking into mutiliating a dashboard centre panel and fitting a modern large screen "radio" (or whatever the proper modern name is ) to my HSE. Primarily for hands free phone, reversing camera and nice big GPS map display.

Naturally done neatly without wires trailing all over the place.

Downloading and reading the instruction manuals suggests that the Panasonic SPH Evo950DAB will do the deed. £££ but I've not got teh patience to deal with integrating a more affordable import. Seems to have an appropriate feature list and run Waze natively. I assume running Waze via the phone means I loos navigation if I have to deal with a call. But it needs a wired connection for the media player. Looks like either a USB stick or my old iPhone SE can act as a media player but I'd like a baby binnacle / plug panel with the necessary sockets, including one to charge the phone I'm using, to sit neatly on the top of the dashboard. Nearst I can find is the USB & iPhone connection panel out of an L322 which is still short one connector and needs neat box.

Does anyone know of anything more appropriate?

The instructions say to sit the GPS antenna on either dashboard or parcel shelf on top of the supplied metal plate that, presumably, acts as a ground plane. Which is likely to be best or won't it matter? I guess the DAB aerial sticks to the screen and the wire tucks inside the A-post trim. Head lining has to be done so routing the reversing camera connections over that shouldn't be a problem.

Attenuate the audio outputs or bypass the door amplifiers? I suppose whilst I'm in the doors giving the locks et al their 10 year service & clean tip I could change the speakers but is it really worth it given my 70 year old, never wonderful, hearing.

Clive

Aloha,
My PC that runs RAVE in the shed is on loan......
Does anyone have a handy list of the (7, I believe) wires on the RH 2 plugs on the controller that need to have B+ and earth connected
to enable testing of the unit on the bench?
I have a couple of plugs to use for the test rig.
Going to overhaul 5 HVAC controllers and it would be very nice to be able to check out bulbs and display on the bench.

Hi Guys, on very hot days here in Australia 32-38C I've noticed my front wings and steel paneling around the radiator get very hot from the radiator and engine bay temps. The radiator top is almost too hot to touch and also the top hose is quite firm but not bulging. The car runs at 93C max stationary from NanoCom, and 87degC driving in ambients of 32degC plus which seems pretty good. I've replaced the viscous fan and the thermostat (I added a 6mm hole), the water pump is fairly new and not weeping. The car doesn't use or lose coolant either and the degas lines flow properly and the heater matrix get hot. So I'm trying to find out if this is normal for a P38 or if I have an issue? I'll have to do a combustion gas test but wondering if I could have a blocked rad - my rad has been replaced but is aluminium OE style. Is there a high flow type that might fix this?

Got the following codes on my 2001 P38 4.6.
P0154, P1300, P0308, P0306, P0161, P0159 AND P0158.
I’ve read the codes etc but looking for guidance as to what could possibly cause these to come on at same time. All were able to be cleared.
Plugs and leads were changed 14,000 miles ago and she has had no issues since except for the occasional P0440.
Thanks in advance

While looking something else up on the MoT testers manual, I came across this section

5.3.5. Gas, air and fluid suspension

Defect Category

(a) A gas, air or fluid suspension system inoperative - Dangerous

(b) A gas, air or fluid suspension system component damaged, modified or deteriorated in a way that:
(i) it would adversely affect the functioning of the system - Major
(ii) its function is seriously affected - Dangerous

(c) An obvious leak from any part of the system - Major

That suggests to me that a P38 on coil springs should be an automatic fail under 5.3.5 (b)(i)

I've read RAVE, I've looked at the confusing high speed/low speed fuse box relay circuit and still have no idea why my low speed fans don't run. If I jump 13/14/18 relays both fans run, if I use Nanocom (GEMs ECU Output Function) to run low speed AC fans they both run. On a 40degC days here stuck in traffic my high speed fans run but never the low speed. My AC works well but even with a new fan viscous coupling the performance drops at idle. As far as I can tell there needs to be an HVAC low speed fan request, a GEMs fan request (for 12V and Ground) and the the two way/low speed AC pressure sensor needs to be closed. Suspecting the HVAC controller output but does anyone know when the HVAC is supposed to request low speed fans so I can check the output? Thanks - going crazy on this one.

Hi All, new member here so hope this post is okay. I've got a 1997 GEMs 4.6L that runs very rich. Using a Nanocom I can see my short-term trim is 38 and my long term trim is zero. Both O2 sensors appear to be working and with light driving they run at around 4.6V to 5V and both banks run in a similar way. The MAF seems fine - sensible voltage and mass flow numbers and so does the TPS. I've tried resetting the adaptive, but the P38 always returns to this high short-term trim number. I always run a minimum of 95Ron but 98Ron makes no difference. Any idea what I should try to fix this? So far I've cleaned the MAF (with MAF cleaner), changed all the plugs for NGK plus OEM leads - the original plugs were the richest I've ever seen on a fuel injected car! My next step would be to change the O2 sensors except they seem to both be working. Any help really appreciated!

I have a multitude of issues on my 2000 D2 (171k miles). The most pressing to me right now is the noise coming from the engine bay. it is a quite annoying squealing sound that is present when parked. It speeds up while driving but also gets quieter as I go faster. I have ruled out belt squeal by replacing the belt, and it just doesn't sound like a squealing belt. I was hoping it was just an idler pulley, but while listening to each component with a pvc tube, it seems to be coming from the power steering pump. The steering works flawlessly though. My other concern was that it may also be the oil pump. This coming spring I have plans on replacing the timing chain and head gaskets. along with relocating the coils. So I may just replace the oil pump while I'm in the vicinity. Could the power steering pump have an internal bearing going bad? and wouldn't that affect the function of the steering? Thanks for any help.

I have a Britpart Lynx code reader and Panasonic Toughbook computer on the shelf with half a decade of dust on top.

Purchased because her ladyship was running an L322 at the time and the Lynx could do those as standard as well as the P38.

I shall never use it again as I have a Nanocom now, juggling the computer whilst sitting in the car was too much of a PIA for Clives temper!

What's a fair price? Does anyone here want it or shall I just E-Bay / Facebook it? Toughbook batteries still charge but how long the computer will run for is anyones guess.

Clive

Would someone be kind enough to give me the approximate dimensions (ie length of the split section and length of the single section) for the black webbing spare wheel lifting strap ? ebay wants 25 pounds+, which seems silly for something so basic that i can fabricate in about 15 mins

** With its off-road capabilities and robust design, could the Range Rover P38 be the ultimate survival vehicle in a zombie apocalypse? What modifications would you make to ensure it handles hordes, rough terrain, and limited fuel supplies? Let’s debate its strengths and weaknesses in a post-apocalyptic world!