That's a new one, para 4.1.4 in the manual https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/4-lamps-reflectors-and-electrical-equipment. It used to say that you could convert to HID or LED as long as the beam pattern was correct, headlamp washers and wipers were fitted and the car had self levelling suspension or lights. So on a higher spec P38 with the headlamp wash wipe you were OK if you got decent LED bulbs and not the crappy Chinese ones that threw light around everywhere. I suspect they've had to fail so many where LEDs have been fitted to cars that don't have self levelling or the cheapo ones have been used so the beam pattern is wrong (and impossible to get right as on the pair that I tried) that they've decided to make it easy and fail the lot.

I wonder how they will differentiate on things like the modern Mercs that have LED on the higher spec cars or as an option on lower spec ones that ordinarily would have halogen?

Part number is AMR3020 but everywhere shows it as NLA. Mine split where you grab hold of it, in fact it looked like it had worn away with so many people opening it over the years so I built up the worn part with epoxy resin. Probably a few available from breakers though and might be in better condition over here as they won't have been subjected to such extremes of temperature.

romanrob wrote:

WIfe just got a Tesla (I haven't even been in it yet... too busy fixing the P38)

and the P38 is keeping you too busy to start divorcing her obviously........

I went through the same as you with the sunroof on the Ascot with the bolts holding the motor but I also had broken bits in the mechanism and a worn cable, hence replacing the whole cassette. You should be able to get the motor to remember where it needs to be by setting it. Drive it fully open and keep your finger on the button for a couple of seconds after it has stopped, then drive it all the way forwards until it stops (even it it stops in the wrong place) and hold the button for a couple of seconds, release the button then press it to tilt the roof, again when it doesn't go any further, hold the button for a couple of seconds, then close it and hold the button. It should then have found where it should stop and the dash will beep and display Sunroof Set.

92p an hour? Surely that's over a Euro, I trust you are going to advise her she needs to declare it on her tax return......

I replace the whole carrier, cheap enough if you go for Shitpart and it's only a lump of metal so they can't really get it wrong https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/rear-brake-caliper-carrier-britpart-stc1907-p-26995.html or actually not that more expensive if you go for TRW https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/rear-brake-caliper-carrier-stc1907g-p-823.html assuming rears. If it's fronts, Britpart are even cheaper https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/brake-caliper-carrier-front-britpart-stc1917-p-28133.html but TRW are quite a big jump https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/brake-caliper-carrier-front-stc1917g-p-819.html or if you've just come up on the lottery, you could always go for genuine https://www.island-4x4.co.uk/brake-caliper-carrier-front-stc1917-p-33256.html.

Problem with just replacing the slides is the hole in the carrier is likely to be worn too so they will be a sloppy fit.

But have you seen the price!!!! Over a grand. Allbrit lists both those part numbers as non-cat systems for the Australian market where they didn't have cats until later (Thor I think). Non-cat downpipes don't have holes for the lambda sensors either and it's doubtful it will meet the emissions requirements for the MoT.

I fitted one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/range-rover-p38-exhaust-system-p38-V8-exhaust-system-complete-front-rear-94-99/272214722398 and while dropping the crossmember makes it a slightly more lengthy process, wasn't that difficult. Makes just buying the Y piece and cats on their own seem expensive https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/range-rover-p38-catalytic-converter-p38-v8-downpipes-with-cats-wcd000860-99-my/252021472328.

You don't leave the G clamp in place, although I suppose you could, you squash the box so the cat stops rattling.

It will have had cats from new so removing them is an automatic MoT fail. Is the Y piece all one unit or does it have joins behind the cats? My original one had joins so I could remove them at the join and at the manifold and gut the cats. However, as I;m running on LPG they aren't needed for the emissions anyway. I have heard of people stopping a rattle by squeezing the cat body with a big G clamp to hold the innards secure.

One thing to watch if you don't have the sunroof is to make sure you put plenty of glue in the indent where the sunroof would be. I didn't and it hasn't stuck at that point. My excuse is it was the first time we'd ever done one.....

'Tis a bit strange, normally with an ABS error you get ABS Fault, immediately followed by Traction Failure. A brake light switch that needs resetting can cause it when you brake but that wouldn't be affected by trying to get the TC to do its stuff. Wouldn't cause the speedo to drop to zilch either.

Beautiful job, well done.

Looks like the replacement stat I fitted about 7 years ago is an 82 degree one then. I needed a new radiator some time ago, the one in it (may even have been the original) did the job as you would expect until I was going uphill, towing about 3 tonnes in summer and the gauge started to climb. Putting the HEVAC on Prog so it went to full heating bought the gauge back down confirming the rad was only just flowing enough when things got critical. That was when I fitted the Direnza as it was around £160 at the time, so not much more than a standard replacement so it seemed like a good idea. I've towed up to the 3.5 tonne limit in ambient temperatures up to 40 degrees so keeping the cooling system up to scratch isn't such a bad idea considering what can happen if it isn't.

But it does sound like running at 85-86 degrees isn't going to do any harm and gives me plenty of headroom if things do start to cause it to run a bit hotter.

There's a hook at the base of the seat that goes over a latch in the floor as you tilt the backrest of the seat to the upright position. If there is anything stopping the seat base from going down fully, it doesn't latch.

I'd be more worried if it was running closer to 100 degrees and relying on the pressure to keep the boiling point down. More wondering what sort of temperature range is acceptable.

I know the thermostat is supposed to open at 88 degrees, but mine is obviously opening sooner than that. As mentioned a few days ago, my temperature gauge has gone intermittent and as I had a trailer towing trip over to France last week, I plugged the Nanocom in to keep an eye on the temperature. Seems I'm running at a steady 85 degrees, saw 87 once while slogging up a hill and 81 when coasting down the other side but even after being stuck in traffic for an hour (in the UK, that sort of thing doesn't happen the other side of the Channel), it sat at a steady 85-86, never getting any hotter than that. OK, so I've got the Direnza alloy radiator that has 50% greater capacity than standard, it's filled with the required 50/50 mix of Ethylene Glycol anti-freeze, a relatvely newish (about 3 years old) Airtex water pump and a two year old viscous coupling. So the cooling system is in good nick but is running at these sort of temperatures something I need to do anything about?

There's always going to be variations as no two height sensors and linkages are going to be absolutely identical. Front left to right look a bit off except on High setting. Was that done before you'd finished calibrating it? The software will only let you write one height at a time.

There's been a problem with pictures stored on Marty's server for a while but as he's on the opposite side of the planet, he can't give it a kick at the moment.

Our road tax system is based on the CO2 emissions of a vehicle so as there are no emissions from an EV, they pay nothing. However, there have been talks on and off for years on changing to a mileage based system so that would hit them just the same (unless they decided they were exempt). They should put a credit card slot in the public charging points too so they pay for the 'fuel' they use too. Maybe they get sent a bill though, I've no idea? Even the humble Nissan leaf has either a 40 or 62 kWh battery so at the average electricity cost in the UK, that's between £8 and £12 a fill. The quoted range is a maximum of 168 miles with the bigger battery so at £1.25 a litre petrol cost, that's the equivalent of 78mpg if it was running on petrol. You could buy a Micra for half the price of a Leaf, convert it to LPG and get the same, or cheaper, running costs.....

They've spent years encouraging us to use less electricity by banning the sale of Tungsten and Halogen light bulbs and switch to LEDs then they push everyone to use more by buying an electric car.

The other thing that gets my goat is how they will always describe it as 'renewable electricity'. It's not bloody renewable, you use it. You get a supply of electrical energy which you then use and turn into heat or light energy. It's gone, it isn't there any more so you can't renew it. The only way you could say it was renewable is if you used it to illuminate a light bulb that was 100% efficient focused on a solar panel that was also 100% efficient. Wouldn't do you any good though as there wouldn't be any excess to use for anything else.......

Pierre3 wrote:

Panel front pic 003:

Yes, the shell is thin fibreglass mouldings sandwiching another fibre type material and the dusty orange on there is what is left of the old foam, it has disintegrated and needs to be brushed off so you are glueing to a clean surface.

There's no switches in the track, the BeCM counts the number of turns from the motor (hence more than two wires). I seem to remember there is a process for syncing the motor involving slackening it off so it can turn without moving the mechanism and letting it run from one end of the travel to the other. Don't quote me on it though and I'm not sure I got it right. Hopefully someone else will know the process better. Although locking with the manual key probably does the same thing.

The orangy coloured sticky residue is the remains of the foam and all needs to be cleaned off. Wire brush works well too.

Can't help you with the sunroof though, only ever played with the one on the Ascot and that didn't work so I replaced the whole cassette.

Hopefully all the other seemingly complicated problems will turn out to be simple. Definitely getting there now, it's about time we saw some more pictures.