Although it can now be locked and unlocked with the key without the need for the EKA, it is still possible that you will be locked out with intermittent microswitches in the latch. For instance, if the CDL switch works and the keyswitch doesn't, then you unlock it and it only detects a change of state on the CDL and not the keyswitch, so it thinks you have smashed a window and unlocked it by pulling up the button. If it thinks that, it won't turn off the immobiliser and you'll be back in the state you were before. So it is pretty vital that you get the latch switches working. If you can get the fob working then it doesn't matter as much as the signal from the fob does the work not the mechanical switches. Ordinarily I would suggest getting in touch with Marty to get one of his refurbed latches with new switches but he seems to be away a lot at the moment (any idea where he is Sloth? Last I saw of him he was in Canada) so that may not be an option.

Otherwise you could do what I did with mine. I found my keyswitch was intermittent when the fob wouldn't work and I tried to use the key to unlock. Fortunately I could enter the EKA with the Nano, re-sync the fob and carry on but I knew I had to do something about the latch switches. The latches are the same as the MGF and just as expensive however, Rimmers seem to have a glut of LH latches for LHD MGFs which they are flogging off cheap. I bought one of those, took it apart and removed the microswitches, locking motor and superlocking motor and fitted them into my RH, RHD latch. So I've got brand new switches and motors in the original latch. The MGF one you need is this https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-FQJ102292PMA

If you are being paid to tow it, then it is being used for commercial purposes. In the same way as you would then need to have a tachograph fitted and adhere to the rules that go with it. For that reason every car I take over to France or bring back is registered in my name or I have paperwork showing I've just bought it so my journey is personal and not commercial. Easy and cheap enough to register a trailer if you feel you need to and you get an extra plate for the trailer with a letter and 7 numbers. If you look you'll see them on lots of HGV trailers these days.

Is the lead you are using a specific EAS lead or a OBD lead? EAS uses different pins to OBD so you have to have a lead made for the job. The first video on this page http://www.rswsolutions.com/index.php/p38a-eas-unlock-videos shows how to make your own and which pins you need to use. USB to serial adapters are a bit of a bodge but if you have one using the FTDI chipset, it will usually work. Have a look at the Properties and see what chipset it is using. You can't go directly from USB to RS232 as the voltages are different. One thing I have found is that I had to change the baud rate for the serial connection from the default 9600 to 4800 for a serial cable to connect.

You've only just realised the possible ramifications of lots of misguided people voting for something they had little information on and even less understanding? There has to be ifs and buts depending on what sort of deal is negotiated. If there is no deal not only does it remove all the concessions we get as a member of the EU, but also all those that were agreed many years ago. Back in the 1940's an agreement was reached with the Schengen countries that a UK driving licence was valid over there but that will be removed so we may have to get an IDP to drive on the other side of the Channel (come to that, they may decide we need to apply for a visa to enter Europe, who knows?). The same goes for the green card, we'll need one of those too. Come to that, we'll also be back to the dark ages of no more than 200 cigarettes and 4 litres of wine when coming back to the UK. However, if there is a deal, what concessions we keep will depend on the exact terms of the deal.

Nice one, just ordered 4 as well.

BrianH wrote:

Good quality Britpart is that even a thing?

He thought it was so insisted on using nothing but. When I bought the Classic it did need a few bits and pieces doing to it and half of them involved replacing Britpart bits with real ones.......

Mahle, nothing but. When I bought my Classic it would take a good 20 seconds at idle after standing overnight for the oil pressure light to go out. Previous owner told me that he'd changed the oil and filter regularly and always used a good quality Britpart filter. Put a Mahle in and the light went out immediately and, upon investigation found that the Britpart didn't have any sort of non-return valve so the filter was having to be filled from empty every time it was started.

I've never even seen a factory roof rack......

The last one I sent to Clarion had a duff screen and all they had were what they described as Grade B screens and a very limited stock of those too. The only other company that does anything with them is GB4x4 but they only send them to Clarion anyway.

It is done automatically if you send a unit to Clarion for repair, as is adding a line in, but no idea if it can be done otherwise. Try contacting Clarion and seeing if they will tell you (or how much they would charge to do it for you) http://www.clarion-service.co.uk/cs/Repair.html

No, the diesel isn't GEMS. There's 3 different engine licences, GEMS (petrol up to 98), Thor/Motronic (petrol from 99) and EDC (diesel) but that only affects whether you can connect to the engine or not, you can still connect to all the other systems. I maintain a diesel in France and although my Nanocom only has the GEMS licence, I was still able to enter the EKA, turn off passive immobilisation, check the operation of the door latch switches and read and clear faults on the ABS and the HEVAC. So doing what needs doing on yours won't be a problem no matter what licence the Nano has.

The tank tapers at the front so with the front lowered there's plenty of space between the top of the tank and the underside if the car. I did the fuel lines on the SE I used to have (return line had rusted through) with the EAS on high and a jack under the towbar to stop it lowering. Filler hose is just a big thick hose with a hose clip but like any hose that has been in place for 20 years, it'll have stuck but once freed off comes off easily enough.

If you've not got the GEMS licence it doesn't matter for this purpose. When you switch it on, you select P38, then GEMS so it is set to talk to a GEMS car. It won't connect to the engine but it will connect to all the other systems and it will only show systems that a GEMS will have. With ignition off, go to BeCM, Utilities, type the EKA into the box and hit the button. It will think about it for a couple of seconds then the other doors should unlock (unless both front doors are already unlocked), you'll get a message to say the code has been sent and it will be possible to start it. You can check the microswitches from the BeCM, Inputs page but from the fact that he can enter the EKA sometimes suggests that either the CDL switch or the keyswitch is intermittent so it may appear to be working when you check it but won't work all the time.

5W-40? A bit thin, I run 10W-60 in mine.......

Yes it is, it resets everything so when you subsequently lock with the key it will allow you to unlock, and turn off the immobiliser, with the key.

A couple of further thoughts on Frank's problem. As pressing a button on the fob while the BeCM is asleep, doesn't wake it up means the receiver isn't passing any information to the BeCM. That could be because the fob isn't transmitting a signal or the receiver isn't receiving one. I've sent Frank a known good receiver to try but I would suspect, as the fob is held together with a tie wrap, that someone has already been in there to try to fix it and it isn't transmitting. I did wonder if the fob had been taken apart and the key blade fitted into a random fob from a different car. That wouldn't sync as the lockset bar code programmed into it would be for a different car and not match the lockset bar code programmed into the BeCM. But, if that was the case, it would still transmit a signal, which would still be received by the receiver so would still wake up the BeCM. You can wake up the BeCM with the fob from a completely different make of car or virtually any other 433 MHz low power device (which is what causes the battery going flat due to RF interference problem). So, it is still a toss up between a duff receiver or no transmission from the fob. If the former, trying my spare receiver should make it work, if the latter then the fob can be sent away and repaired.

Just been outside and tried it with mine to be absolutely sure my recollection was correct. My car and Frank's are both 98 models so should have identical firmware and react the same.

My car had been locked with the fob, so I unlocked it with the key.
Only the drivers door unlocked and when I tried to start it I got the Engine Immobilised, Press Remote or Enter Keycode message.
So I entered the EKA using the key in the door latch. All doors unlocked and I was able to start the car.
Switched it off and locked it with the key. Waited for the alarm LED to stop flashing quickly so it had set itself and unlocked it with the key, same thing, only the drivers door unlocked and when I tried to start it found that it was immobilised.
This time, instead of entering the EKA using the key in the door, I plugged the Nanocom in and entered it with that. That unlocked all the doors and allowed me to start the car.
Switched it off again and locked it with the key. Waited for the alarm to set itself and unlocked it with the key. This time, all doors unlocked and the immobiliser was turned off so I could start it without having to enter the EKA again either with the key or the Nanocom.

So that is what the Nano can do that the key can't. It will always remain in a state that it was in originally, locked with the fob but unlocked with the key so will need the EKA. Once the EKA has been entered directly from the Nanocom it resets everything so the next time it was locked with the key it remembers it was locked with the key so can be unlocked with the key and won't ask for the EKA.

Turning off Passive Immobilisation is a bonus so it won't need to be locked and unlocked with the key if it isn't started within 30 seconds of unlocking it.

Morat wrote:

Fair enough, I've never done it on a P38. But I bet those bolts aren't going to be just spinning out!

I've dropped a tank twice and both times the bolts/nuts have come undone without any problem. They are big (17 or 19mm) so not fiddly little things that are going to round off as soon as you put any grunt on them. RAVE tells you to disconnect the filler neck but you only need to do that if you are taking the tank right out, no need if you are just lowering it down to get to the pump..

Dropping the tank isn't difficult, 5 bolts (or 2 bolts and 3 nuts if you want to be pedantic) and a trolley jack. A lot safer than cutting holes in the bodywork next to a plastic tank full of petrol.

You are quite welcome to try my spare receiver although I suspect your fob isn't transmitting a signal even though the LED is lighting. The fact that it is held together with a tie wrap means someone has had a go at it before. I'm about to reply to your PM anyway.

Do you have power on the White/Blue wire from the inertia switch? That's the wire going from there to the fuel pump so you could jumper 12V directly to there. Is the pump drawing any current? Sometimes you can hear it but not always.

Cut a hole in the floor? On a Vogue 50? What next, go faster stripes on the H&H? If you are going to do it, do it properly and drop the tank.