Might as well spell the codes out...
P0154 Bank2 pre cat lambda sensor no activity
P1300 Random / multiple misfires
P0308 Misfire cylinder 8
P0306 Misfire cylinder 6
P0161 Bank2 post cat lambda sensor heater circuit problem
P0159 Bank2 post cat lambda sensor slow response
P0158 Bank2 post cat lambda sensor high voltage
The first thing to note is that all the codes except p1300 point to bank 2 (P1300 could point to any combination of cylinders misfiring). There are misfire codes for 2 cylinders, since that's more than 1 cylinder it might cause the P1300 (multiple cylinder misfires) and since we already know of 2 cylinders both on bank 2 misfiring there's no need to think there's a problem on bank1 unless we get other codes pointing to bank1 or lambda sensor readings / fuel trims are bad on bank 1.
The misfires on bank 2 are probably mixture related since some codes point to lambda sensor problems (not just mixture problems).
I'd be checking both lambda sensors on bank 2. My first guess would be that bank 2 post cat sensor is broken internally with its heater circuit shorting to its signal output, this causing a constant high voltage reading on that probe's signal wire, this would directly account for 0161, 0159 and 0158. I've known such short on one lambda sensor to cause problems for other sensor readings, so at a guess it could be that a problem with the post cat sensor on bank 2 is causing a problem with the reading from the pre cat sensor on bank 2, this causing the mixture to go wrong so causing the misfire.
Gilbertd wrote:
I would say that would come under 5.3.1 d(ii), a Spring modified so the suspension is inoperative. See https://www.gov.uk/guidance/mot-inspection-manual-for-private-passenger-and-light-commercial-vehicles/5-axles-wheels-tyres-and-suspension. However, if it is a very old vehicle that never had suspension in the first place, it would still pass (even though it would no longer require an MoT these days).
Thanks, yes I see that now. 5.3.1.d
(d) A spring:
(i) with an unsafe modification
(ii) modified so that the suspension is inoperative
Major
Dangerous
nigelbb wrote:
As I read that if you presented a P38 for an MOT when it was on the bump stops that it would be a "Dangerous" fail & you wouldn't be allowed to drive away from the testing station.
I don't want to detract too much from the thread but what I meant was if bars were fitted in place of springs so it wasn't on the bump stops. In that case you don't have airbags or springs that could be broken but effectively you don't have any suspension either. An equivalent to what I meant might be fitting ultra tough inflexible tungsten or titanium springs.
I reckon 5.3.5 doesn't apply if it isn't presented with air suspension, so you never get as far as reading 5.3.5 b
Though that may beg the question what would happen if the air suspension were removed and it were presented with solid bars instead of springs (so springs would also not apply)? But even if there were nothing prescribed for that situation common sense should prevail?
Sorry if I missed any points.
The fuel pressure regulator doesn't leak any fuel through the vacuum connection when you simply disconnect the pipe but maybe it leaks some fuel when engine vacuum is sucking on it?
With what you've said about petrol getting in oil, got to wonder if an injector is sticking open and putting in too much fuel which sees fuel get past piston rings and into oil. A bad enough fuel leak could maybe also explain the low fuel pressure reading. But if an injector put that much fuel into a cylinder we might expect that cylinder to misfire.
Only one post so far but we've already learned to take you completely seriously hehe.
LPG conversion will add lots of range, with that done could add an LPG flamethrower.
Now about those voodoo dolls and viagra tablets I ordered...
Yes, when I was talking weight distribution and fwd/rwd I did realise that centre of gravity moves a little further to the rear if facing uphill so if we had a car with 50front/50rear balance it might become 52/48 facing uphill (or during acceleration). I don't think that's quite the full picture regards shifting axle weights, at least not if we were talking about cornering and moments of inertia etc, but it probably makes the difference we both thought for axle weights and traction on the hill.
Spinning a wheel on the Audi implies it probably doesn't have pseudo or real LSD, or does it? I suppose being an Audi it will be front end heavy...
4wd has another advantage when its patchy because one axle might be on a slippery patch while the other axle still has good traction.
Obviously the best case is to have 4x4 with diff locks and snow tyres...
I mostly mean which is most likely to have push traction to go up a slippery snowy hill rather than preventing the driven end going sideways. Push traction if the driven end doesn't go sideways.
If only 2wd much might also depend on the front/rear axle weight balance, front wheel drives generally better for traction than rear wheel drive because the front end is usually heavier? But some vehicles have equal front/rear balance so would have equal (or arguably more uphill traction) if rwd compared to fwd?
I said summer versus winter tyres but could also include cheap tyres that tend to have big gaps in tread patterns, I suppose the manufacturers use less rubber if there are big gaps in the tread.
Edit - I mentioned quite a lot of things but assuming all other things such as LSD or no LSD being the same. Some vehicles have pseudo LSD (brakes a spinning driven wheel so acts like an LSD). If we're comparing a 2wd vehicle that has that kind of equipment it should be against an equivalent 4x4 that has that kind of equipment.
I'm not sure if the long topic title will be fully readable on forum users devices so I'll repeat it here...
Which is better in snow, a random hatchback with 4x4 on summer tyres or the 2wd version of the same car on winter tyres?
This always comes up on Elgrand forum whenever there's a bit of snow. I have the 4x4 version(s) and reckon they're better in snow on random tyres than the 2wd version on winter tyres but others disagree.
Is it oil or dirt on the air filter element?
Is it on the entry or exit side of the filter?
I forget if the P38 breathing design has an engine breather (from say a rocker cover) running to near the air filter housing but I don't think they do? If it's oil might wonder if it were pointing to a piston blow-by or breather problem...
I'm too late for the Christmas greetings, hope you all had a good one.
Happy New Year for when it comes to everyone.
I expect there'll have been a lot less transmissions on frequencies likely to interfere with P38 central locking when they were designed?
Can we usually tell if the V8 idles with a misfire on one cylinder by hand feeling the engine rock?
Sorry if it's been mentioned or implied - what's the story with the pictured missing bits of steering column trim? If it can be started with pliers are the ignition barrel and steering lock OK?
Is it OK now Miles?
nigelbb wrote:
There are several Autogas LPG bulk tanks for sale on eBay but £7.5K for this 1,410 litre one is a bit too pricey.
That listing is from Birmingham Autogas, if you site your tank within a certain distance from them they'll supply you with gas at very reasonable price per litre too. The problem for me and most people is that the certain distance is within relatively short range of Birmingham... I contacted them ages ago.
Some forecourt style LPG vehicle refuelling pumps have a built in pressure regulator... so there are 2 pipes running from the tank to the pump, one is obviously the liquid feed pipe, the 2nd pipe is the return pipe from the regulator. Edit - LPG pump pressure regulator so plumbed between the output side of the pump and back to the tank.
I say this to prevent anyone with an existing bulk tank making the mistake of thinking they've found an easy way to plumb a forecourt pump to their tank, so buying one, only to realise there isn't an easy way to connect a return line. Maybe there is an easy way to connect a return line but I don't see how from looking at the diagrams linked to above.
Strictly speaking yes you should pay road duty and VAT on top if using gas as a road fuel... But i don't know of anyone who bought one of my pumps who does.
A couple of my pump buyers have bulk tanks at home and bought the pump for purpose of refuelling their vehicle from the bulk tank. I advised them they'd need a liquid take-off fitting to the bulk tank with an isolation valve on the tank itself to turn off the gas feed to the input line to the pump, but told them I wouldn't get involved with the bulk tank liquid take-off modification. Nevertheless they seemed to find getting the bulk tank liquid take-off modification fitted by a qualified bulk tank engineer no problem - Obviously the tank has to be empty before fitting the liquid take-off. The liquid take-off doesn't need to be fitted to the bottom of the bulk tank, it can be fitted to the top if a pipe from the take-off point runs internally to the bottom inside the tank.
I produce and sell pump setups that pump gas from red propane bottles into LPG converted vehicles tanks :-)
I sell the pumps for £375 + £8 shipping privately (away from Ebay that takes commision), or at £399 + £8 shipping through EBay.
To save some typing and posting pictures here I will include a link to my Ebay listing, but obviously if anyone reading this wants to buy a pump it would be better to contact me directly. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/326295382117
I have 47kg (92.1 litre) red propane bottles delivered to home for £79.50 exchange from a local bottled gas company, this works out at 86.4p per litre. The pump is easy to use, runs from a 12v car battery and takes around 30minutes to pump the entire contents of the 92.1L bottle into my vehicle tank. No need for a separate 12v battery, just pop the bonnet and connect the power lead to the vehicle battery.
There are still forecourts local to me that sell LPG at a fairly reasonable price (92p at a local BP station) but I more often refuel at home using one of these pumps. Morrisons used to be my usual go-to forecourt but not since MFG increased the price to £1.299 per litre.
There are pros and cons to both filling at forecourts and filling at home from a bottle. I would prefer LPG to still be widely available at a low price from forecourts but it is very convenient filling at home. If you're miles from home it's a disadvantage that the cheapest place to refuel is at home but if you have decent range on LPG it becomes less of a disadvantage, while for some people/vehicles it would be possible to take a red bottle in the luggage area and refuel anywhere. The pump can also pump from bottle to bottle (may need a different output line 'end fitting' bought from me, or could use a bottle filling adapter instead)... So could pump from a large bottle into smaller bottles at home then take some smaller bottles in the vehicle luggage area to refuel from. On my own vehicle I fitted a 2nd LPG tank, if both LPG tanks are full I have 700 miles range on LPG and the original petrol tank still fitted gives another 350 miles range... I may yet remove the petrol tank and fit another LPG tank in its place but I already have no range anxiety with 700 miles range on LPG.
I imagine in the fairly distant future if EVs become the majority of vehicles on the road forecourts selling petrol and diesel will start to close too. But if I live long enough to see EVs start to take over I imagine it will still be legal to run a vehicle with a proper engine (especially if running on LPG) and I intend on still running a vehicle with a proper engine on LPG... Just refuel at home from a red bottle. LPG continues to be the cheapest fuel to run a vehicle on, no need to pay the price of a new vehicle (or suffer the depreciation).
Like Gilbert, I'd still run on LPG if there was no saving versus running on petrol, my oil stays clean far longer when running on LPG versus petrol.
When I was rebuilding my boat engine I read quite a lot on engine builder forums, a lot of people were saying that back in the days of carburettors they'd expect to see cylinder bore cross hatching worn smooth on high mileage engines but the same engines running fuel injection instead of carbs are likely to retain the cross hatching, they attribute this to the finer fuel atomisation of fuel injection being less likely to dilute the oil film on cylinder walls. LPG is a vapour before it enters the engine and won't dilute the oil film on cylinder walls, furthermore it burns cleanly and doesn't cause as much carbon or other contaminants build up in the oil.
Filling at home from a bottle I expect there'll always be a good saving running on LPG, its main use as a fuel is for home heating customers so its price has to stay competitive in that market or the gas supply companies will go bust, they might not care much about the increasingly niche market of LPG as a road fuel but these companies will want to stay competitive in the home heating market.
Wow! Congratulations to you both!
I haven't checked this forum for a few weeks, seems quite a lot has happened...
Great picture.
Gilbertd wrote:
Lpgc wrote:
If a starter motor is drawing more amps than usual (to dim lights etc), where is that power going (and why) if it isn't converted to magnetic power / torque to spin the engine?
It's converted to heat. A dodgy starter has more resistance (due to the additional resistance between brushes and commutator) so it gets very hot.
I would agree, but the extra resistance should mean it can't draw as many amps from the battery causing the lights to dim more than usual