Seems they had a problem so we were too quick to accuse. I started a thread in the Community Help forum (which took 2 days to appear) and RRH seems to be interacting with someone who appears to have fixed it, see https://www.rangerovers.net/forum/46-community-help/337338-posts-held-checking-mods.html

You've just confirmed what I was thinking and no, they weren't just going to do it, they actually did do it so God knows how much pressure I've got in there now. When they told me it wasn't holding pressure the first thing I said was that the pressure on the high side would be dropping as it cooled down and the high and low sides equalised but they insisted that the only way the pressure could drop would be if there was a leak. But, at least it is still working, I was concerned that I'd go in with a working, albeit not as well as it could, and come out with an empty and not working system. I found it hard to believe it has a leak as it has been working fine for at least 2, if not 3, years.

It isn't just UK, it's an EU thing, you can no longer buy R134a to refill yourself. You used to be able to get a can of the stuff and a hose to fill with, now all you can buy is the hose. I've got one from when you could buy the gas and one to fit older systems that used R12 (but I can't get that now either). I've found a supplier in Italy that internittently, and illegally, will sell 500g cans for export only but no regular supplier.

So did I but the guy doing it did seem to have to go and ask someone else a number of times. He seemed puzzled when he first connected the Nitrogen as it was showing pressure, which it would on a system still working although maybe a little down on gas, unlike one that was completely empty.

First, the cheap deal. Some of you may be aware of Groupon, where you buy a voucher which gives you goods or services at a discounted price, but their latest one is definitely worth having if you need your AC regassing. £37.99, which I suspect barely covers the cost of the refrigerant for a P38. See https://www.groupon.co.uk/deals/ats-euromaster-ltd-21 Unfortunately the voucher is only valid for 31 days so you can't buy it now and keep it until you need it doing at some point in the future.

Now to the question. I bought the voucher to get Dina's SLK regassed. They pressure tested it, no problems, they then regassed it only to find that the AC comporessor didn't kick in so it still didn't work. So I wasn't charged for the regas. Guy told me to either apply for a refund or if I had another car that needed doing, use the voucher on that. Turned out that the blower motor brushes were buggered so the blower wasn't turning, so no feedback to tell it the blower wasn't turning, so no compressor. Pulled the blower apart, sorted it with brushes nicked from a P38 blower with duff bearings and lots of icy cold AC.

Last week in France I noticed my AC, while working, didn't seem to work as well as it had a couple of years ago when I'd replaced the condensor. Fine in the UK but once the temperature got the wrong side of about 28 degrees, it struggled. So I've just taken it in to use the voucher on that. AC working fine on the way there, nice cold air coming out but outside was only 22 degrees and it was coping fine. Got there and they connected the Nitrogen bottle to pressure test it. Pressure was dropping so they declared a leak and said there's no point in gassing it as it will all fall out. Now it's working and had been working when I got there (and, thankfully, is still working). They connected to the high pressure side (or at least the larger of the two ports which I think is the high pressure side) but it would have had pressure in it anyway, it had just been working, so surely, once the engine was turned off the high pressure will drop anyway? Or won't it? I've no idea. I've had a look with my UV torch and there is a glowing area on one of the pipe connections on the compressor but I remember taking that off so I could remove the old condenser with the pipe attached and undo the union with it on the bench where I could get a bit more grunt on it. So I suspect that may well be a leftover from that or I need to replace the O ring. However, as the system is currently working, I won't be doing that until it stops......

It's only goods vehicles that are plated, a passenger car (Class M1) doesn't need a VCA plate. Most Jap imports are over 10 years old when imported as that means all they need is an MoT to register them but if they are less than 10 years old they need an IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval) test. If weights are not specified by the manufacturer, then they need to ascertain what the weights are.

From the relevant part of the IVA inspection manual:

_Axle weight Calculations
9 a. Obtain the “kerbside weight” of each axle using the provided equipment
The “kerbside weight” is the weight of the vehicle as presented, with no driver or passengers, a full fuel tank, an adequate supply of the necessary oils, water, fluids etc and no load other than tools and equipment normally carried.
Note: For Unmodified Mass Produced vehicles where Design Weight requirements have been declared full fuel tanks are not required. For these vehicles the missing fuel volume should be ascertained and added to the presented weight.
1 Litre petrol = 0.74kg
1 Litre diesel = 0.84kg

b. Using the “kerbside weight” and the appropriate passenger / luggage weight, calculate (see Annex 2)
the maximum permitted weight of each axle
the maximum gross vehicle weight.
The passenger / luggage weight to be used in the calculation is 68kg in each seat (including the driver’s seat) designated for use while the vehicle is travelling on the road, plus 7kg x the number of designated seats, the weight being distributed evenly in the luggage areas.
For motor-caravans additional loads must be calculated:
10kg x the number of designated seats
10kg per metre in length
loads representing 90% full fresh water and gas tanks
For wheelchair accessible vehicles the person and wheelchair weight is assumed to be 100kg
Note: ambulances must be presented with a stretcher of the type to be carried under normal operating conditions.

1. A vehicle which is capable of towing must have a technically permissible towing mass which conforms with the information below
   Where a vehicle is capable of towing a trailer fitted with a service braking system, the technically permissible maximum towable mass of the vehicle must not exceed either of:
   the technically permissible mass of the towing vehicle, (OR, for off- road vehicles 1.5 times that mass (See note 3)
   3500Kg

Where a vehicle is only capable of towing a trailer which is not fitted with a service braking system, then the technically permissible towable mass of the vehicle must not exceed either of;
half of the mass of the towing vehicle in running order,
750kg__

So, in the case of an Elgrand or similar that was imported when under 10 years old, the weights would be calculated and entered on the IVA certificate, so it follows that for one that was too old to need to be put through an IVA test, same figures could be used. Fortunately, everything I've put through the IVA test have been European manufactured, but intended for the Russian market (don't ask....) so the test has been reasonably straightforward, addition of a rear fog light if one wasn't fitted on the right as standard, speedo showing MPH or MPH and KPH and headlights that dip the correct way.

Lpgc wrote:

I have a Nissan Elgrand Jap import... Lots of confusion over whether or not it's even legal to tow anything with the import(?) but I towed my caravan to Cornwall with it...

Under the bonnet or on a door jamb you should have a plate or sticker. It will have 4 figures on it, these being (in order) front axle max weight, rear axle max weight, gross vehicle weight and gross train weight. The last one minus the third one will give the maximum trailer weight it is cerified to tow. If the plate doesn't exist, find out the vehicle weight and go on the recommended 80% of that as a max trailer weight.

I've towed all sorts behind mine, each just under a 1,000 miles a time and can confirm what David says. The slightest slack in any suspension or steering joints and inbalance in the brakes will really make themselves felt when towing. The same goes for tyre pressures and wheel balance.

This was last week,

Only a lightweight one, 1,200 kgs for the car and a further 800kgs for the trailer so only a couple of tonnes all in. Could cruise at 70 mph on the flat no problem (although took a bit longer than normal to get up there). None of this 60 mph limit when towing on the continent like there is here.

Like you, my licence allows me to drive up to 7.5 tonnes, or 8,250 tonnes if towing a trailer but I've only ever done it once. I hired a 7,500 tonne Ford Cargo with a 20 foot long box with tail-lift on the back. Went into the office, showed them my licence, gave them the money, they handed me the keys and left me to it. I remember thinking at the first road junction, who the hell thought 7.5 tonnes was a good cutoff point? I'd driven things like Transit Luon box vans and they drove like a bigger, slower, car, but the Ford Cargo was a completely different thing entirely. It took me at least 200 miles to start to feel even remotely confident. Admittedly, I've since driven a 6 tonne plated car transporter with a loaded 3.5 tonne trailer which I'm not actually licenced to drive......

Local place quoted Dina £450 to get BE so she can drive the P38 with a big trailer. Apparently they do a roaring trade in the children of caravan owners so the kids can drive the outfit if they need to any time.

Sounds like you need to do the test to get BE on your licence. Dina wants to do it too so she can stand in for me on our longer runs, maybe we can find somewhere that will do a block discount......

In saying that, a 750 kgs trailer behind a P38 has as much affect as a couple of passengers in the back, you don't even notice it's there! They are a bugger to reverse though, give me a full sized 6m job any day.

Definitely no. Nothing to do with the combined weight, you're only allowed to tow a trailer of up to 750 kgs, so that is too heavy.

I tried Millers 75W 90 fully synthetic and the diff was noisier than before so I bunged in some cheapo 75W 90 (Comma I think) and it was much quieter.

It isn't visible though......

I registered my alternative username on there, sent a couple of posts which had to be approved then didn't use it for a long time. When I next tried to use it, posts didn't need to be approved so it obviously works on post count and time, leave it long enough and they don't need approval.

You're right, it doesn't seem to exist but on LRCat the oil pump gears aren't listed either, just a complete front cover. The oil pressure relief valve is removable and has an O ring which has a tendancy to leak, so people have removed it to replace the O ring. You are quite correct in how it works, it's simply a spring loaded plunger that lifts off a seat and allows oil to dribble back to the sump if the pressure is too high. If the O ring is leaking, it also allows oil to dribble down the side of the block, usually dripping off the oil filter. Too much oil pressure can do just as much damage as too little. A trick on old Ford engines when the pump started to wear bringing the light on at idle, was to fill with thicker oil and put a washer behind the spring (then flog it quick....) so it took much more pressure to lift it off the seat.

Seems like Marty is the ONLY person who can post. His two and one from a new member from the early hours of yesterday morning are the only new posts.

I pleaded ignorance and posted in the Community Help section last night explaining that my posts are being held until they've been checked and wondered if it was a software glitch. That also popped up a message saying it would be visible once it had been checked by a moderator. It still hasn't appeared, neither has a post I sent about 7pm last night and looking at the forum, neither has anything else since yesterday evening. Maybe we are being to hard on poor old RRTH and it's a software reset and everyone now needs posts to be held and checked so he's sitting there with hundreds of message to check.

Tried it before, didn't even get an acknowledgement. I don't think they care as long as the advertisers keep paying (although you'd think that by now anyone not running an ad blocker deserves to be bombarded with crap).

Bugger, been sussed. Despite using a different user name, my posts are now being held too.