OK. Think I've found the issue, not the pollen filter lid but the screw holding the trim on immediately above it. This goes into the pollen filter housing and with the pf lid off I could see drops of water hanging off the end of this screw. Bit of dum dum and cured I think. Makes sense now why it's never leaked in before until I parked facing uphill, rainwater can pool a little in this area but not so much if parked level.

I'm normally parked on the level at home and other than slight ingress in the boot, the cabin stays bone dry. Yesterday I had to park facing uphill and we had heavy rain during this time, come late last night and I'm off to fetch the wife from work and instantly hear this gurgling sound which progressively got quieter after 5 or so miles, wife opens the door to get in and spots the water on the floor straight away.
So the noise I heard was, I guess, the fan I noticed when changing the pollen filters last summer, churning the rainwater that had got in there and flung it out the foot vent?
The p38 is quite new to me but can anyone confirm my thinking that rainwater in the fan housing can only get there via the pollen filter lid?
It's never leaked in before but this is the first time it's been parked facing uphill which may be a clue..
TIA.

I found the fronts a doddle. Top bolts access from the engine bay. Liners on the front, if you still have mudflaps are/can be a pig to get off, rear liners are easy. Top bolts on the fronts usually are corrosion free too unlike the rears. I use a cutting disc in a grinder to remove the bottom damper nuts.

Can't help much further being new to the p38 myself. However, I did read a post somewhere with a unreliable CC issue. A following motorist noticed the brake lights flickering on a p38 in front, CC was dropping out on that vehicle. Brake switch adjustment or replacement, can't recall which, gave reliable CC operation again.

Correct. Clutch also on the manual.

OK, we've been fiddling and,again, run out of time to fully investigate the dead door but we have fixed the exhaust, abs sensor and dull message center.
What we have done also is swopped out his switch pack with my fully working one which has confirmed its not that causing his dead door but has confirmed that his sunroof switch needs sorting.
On the door, we got as far as checking voltages on the good door and comparing them at the plug for the electric window. All voltages checked out the same except for the yellow/red which was dead on the dead door but live on the good door. I'm not sure if it was a yellow with red trace or red with a yellow trace as the findings aren't here but in his glovebox. I found what I think is the other end into the becm but he was waiting to desperately leave to pick his daughter up.
So that's where we are at thus far.

Is the time clock the same bulb type/wattage too? That's gone.

Cheers Richard, nice simple fix, I like them.

Not really an issue just wondering really. The RHS (mpg) of the message center is reasonably bright but not as bright as the LHS, as I set off the RHS gets duller until it's unreadable. Next day it's reasonably bright again and so on.
I've no idea what or how this is illuminated but I want to find out what needs fixing if or when I remove the binnicle in the future.
TIA.

Still not got round to this due to unforeseen issues. Just updating this thread so I don't appear rude 😉

Champion, thanks again.
Knocked it on the head for now, cold, hungry and it's started to rain, his DMM is naffed too so I'll return tomorrow with mine.

To add.. interior light doesn't come on on the dead door either, fine on all the other doors. Is that a clue I wonder?

Finally got around to swopping the door outstations, and the good front passenger door one swopped for the suspected driver's door one didn't work, everything still dead. It worked everything when fitted to the passenger door so both outstations are good.

Cheers Richard, I knew you'd know!
I'll pass on your message and get him to sign up too.

Asking for a friend who has just got a 2001 diesel, the door was dead when he purchased it just a week ago, the seller mentioned it's the out station maybe? Anywho...I'm helping him to fix up some of the minor issues it has, balljoints,exhaust, diesel leak etc but I'm no electrical genius and neither is he!
CDL doesn't work on this driver's door but will lock with the key, window and mirror also dead, nanocom won't work them either, all other doors are ok.
I've suggested we omit all 4 white kick panel plugs to at least take them out of the equation like I've done to mine. All fuses are good. Is there an obvious place to look that maybe feeds power to this door?

j_rov wrote:

Will do, got a long trip to do first so hope it holds up.

I would take some suitable bits with you to do a roadside matrix bypass just incase.

This stuff was like cement mortar and dried like it too. What I've done is use a couple of magnets, one for each 'button' to hold them tight against the glass and carefully put tigerseal adhesive over and around them using a wooden coffee stirrer stick. That, once cured, has worked, no more crackling and I suspect the rubbery glue to be very durable. Can't see the repair either once the side parcel shelf support is refitted.

I'd change the fuel filter and run a flow test on the intank pump whilst the old filter is off.

The conductive paste didn't work.
It has no 'glue' properties regardless of the snake oil words used by eBay sellers.

Oh, goodo!
Only just seen your post and just yesterday I ordered some conductive glue stuff off eBay. I'll try the glue when it comes and update.