Turning off the passive immobiliser does save a lot of headaches if you have a key fob that doesn't work and just have to use the key in the door - because aswell as disabling the coil around the ignition, it stops it form timing out an re-immobilising the vehicle when the key is removed from the ignition, or after a time out period. (Then the coil is usually used to resend a mobilisation code and allow you to start the engine again... which is the problem if the fob doesn't work!)

If it doesn't resync with the immobiliser turned back on, then I'd turn it back off and just use the key for the moment :)

As Gilbertd mentions on the sensor - it might just need pushing home a bit more, but they can get damaged when they are removed (the wiring can go a bit brittle - as I found on mine when I unclipped it at one point!) Luckily they are pretty cheap to replace and aftermarket ones do actually work... probably one of the few things that it's not fussy on!

I'd say the Front/Left sensor is your problem then... easy, and cheap enough to replace!

Fob... if the passive immobiliser is turned off in the BECM, then it won't sync in the ignition. If you have a dodgy microswitch in the drivers door latch, then it probably won't sync in the door either...

I had one person who was in touch with me about the issue, and the problem was his RF receiver was faulty - so door latch, fob etc were all working fine but just would not sync. He bought one of the cheap MK I receivers just to test and it worked first time.

If you're down to see me, or at the summer camp, then I have a load of spare older receivers kicking about that we can try, even if it's just to eliminate that...

Sounds about right - the HEVAC system was designed and built by Valeo in France, and I've heard that the blend motors used in the P38 are also used in some Peugeot vehicles aswell, so it almost makes sense the heater core was used in other vehicles too...

Also somewhere I saw that the blower motors in the P38 are shared with some models of citroen aswell.

Makes me wonder if any citroen or pugs suffer the same problem with the flaps sticking in their heater boxes...

Nissens 70230 is the part number of the one with the bigger hose connectors from memory... they measure up to about 20mm so fitting 19mm hose on is TIGHT... but it means it won't come off in a hurry!

Nissens 70220 is another one I have in the garage and that fits 19mm hose nicely - it's a smooth fit, and the hose clamp will probably actually have to do something on them...

Don't tell everyone though or I'll never sell any kits :p Though the Thor ones are easy enough, and GEMS are just a slightly longer run of pipe... the diesels however are a PITA as they use 21mm hose from the engine, so again need reducers... and finding 21mm-19mm reducers can be a pain! And I feel in the long run may be more hassle than it's worth!

I use Nissens for the Audi heater core replacement kits. They seem to be a fairly big brand in aftermarket heater matrixes..

I did see £7.50 price tag and thought it had to be a mis-print... the Nissens units seem to be pretty solidly built from the Audi units I've had in.

Yes, Rave does have a pretty long process for getting the dash out, but it is the process to take the WHOLE dash out, metal framework and all. The version I use is just removing the top of the dash and leaving the metal framework intact. You then just need to remove 4 bolts to get the centre retaining bar out that's in front of the heater box, unbolt the heater box itself and remove one screw that holds the front half to the A/C back half and the whole box comes out.

The biggest advantage to doing the dash out, is that you can then obviously clean the heater box, and split it in half to give all the flaps a clean and lube (and shave if they have been binding up or hard to move).

Interested to hear about taking the steering column out though - take a few pictures when you do it to post up! Damn LHD vehicles getting it easy on that task!!

Sounds like fun....

The new Audi heater cores i'm using in my kits have slightly larger hose pipe connections, so they don't need reducer fittings like the older ones do ;) at leas on Thor models. It's a tight fit between the 19mm hose and the hose connections on the replacement core, but makes it highly unlikely to try and leak again!!

I'm not sure how much of a self-check/clear the ABS system does on it's codes, or whether it logs it as having having happened on X occasions and comes up if it is/isn't currently present when it's being read.

You won't be able to log live data from the ABS system above 5mph - as it shuts off communications to the outside world. The last time I tried it, Nanocom just came up with a 'Unable to communicate with ECU' error after a little while.

However, you should be able to see the voltages being reported back from the sensors, and the wheel speeds below about 5mph - co if you are just crawling, then you might get some useful live data...

You can try giving the MAF a clean, but my experience of a faulty MAF, cleaning it didn't help :(

You are more than welcome if you are about that weekend... If not, then we can arrange a time for you to come down if you would like me to take a look at the bits that you mentioned previously in email (I'm just about to reply to you! Playing catch up now!!)

There isn't Internet at the workshop, no - other than the sketchy 3G/Cell signal. I have tea/coffee making facilities there - so we shouldn't be short of a brew or 2!!

I'm pretty sure most of our vehicles are all on EAS (the green one that myself and a mate are in half each on and fixing up to sell is on coils - and it's very noticeable!) so there should be plenty of expertise on that front!

No questions are too silly - there's a lot of communal knowledge in the group, and I'm sure we'll all be happy to talk P38's!

Bank 2 is the RH side as you are sitting in the drivers seat/LH side as you are standing at the front of the vehicle, looking at the engine.

I was having rough running and adaptive problems aswell, and could see in the live data on the Nanocom that my O2's weren't behaving properly. I managed to find some Genuine Land Rover/Bosch ones for £30 each, and that seems to have sorted that out.

MAF can cause problems on the Thor vehicles - and they a) don't seem to take to cleaning very well, and b) don't like aftermarket MAF sensors either as they don't seem to be to the same calibration tolerances that the genuine Bosch ones are.

Rough Road signal is generated by the ABS ECU - this basically sends an alternating +12V/Gnd signal under normal conditions and changes this if the ABS system detects (via the speed sensors) if it thinks you're on rough road, and this just signals it to the engine ECU so it can add extra filtering to the knock sensors (which detect vibration, and are used by the engine ECU to determine if there's a misfire, and where it is).

If you have a dodgy wheel speed sensor, then that could be causing the rough road fault in the engine ECU.

ABS system can be talked to and live data read when the vehicle is stopped, and up to about 5mph. After that it seems to stop talking to diagnostics and you have to reconnect once you've stopped the vehicle. However it will have logged fault codes aswell, which you can read/clear without the vehicle being moving.

Hope that helps a bit...

Marty

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your reply...
I have built a work-bench in the workshop which should be adequate for the rebuilding of your ABS modulator.
Brake pads etc should be easy enough as you say.
Hard standing... there is some space outside the workshop, yes - but it is also access for the other workshops (we are on the corner :( ). There is some parking space in front of a grain silo - but this is on a bit of a slope - so if would probably be useful for anything that doesn't require jacking up etc. There is a bit of flat space, but it is unpaved, so again not the best for pulling things apart, but may be of use again for interior works.

Brake fluid in bulk sounds like a good plan, yes, as I want to swap my modulator for a spare I've got and will need to flush the system through and re-bleed aswell.

My list is a bit more comprehensive - but a lot of that will depend on if I've got some of the replacement bits organised by then!

Hopefully install a recon steering box, and a new PS pump, and possibly lower steering column linkage <br>
Radius Arm bushes <br>
Swap ABS modulator for a spare one I have here and refresh fluid/bleed. <br>
Possible look at gearshift mechanism (bit tight getting down into 1st/2nd gear - might just be the cable) <br>
Possible swap VC if I've managed to swap the front bearing out of a spare VC by then <br>
General service - Diff oils, engine oil, Transfer case oil <br>

I know I can get the recon steering boxes, and I already have a new PS pump sitting in the garage waiting to be installed, so don't think that should be too much of a nightmare to do. I've still got some DEX III ATF to refill the system and do the T/Case

Not bothered if I don't get radius arm bushes done - I am not sure if the budget will allow getting a press and the bushing tool at the moment, so that might be a job for later in the summer!

I have the spare ABS modulator already here to fit, so that should be easy enough with a few extra hands!

VC bearing - again, if I can get a press and get the bearing changed (I've got a spare VC which isn't seized to fit it to) then that is a fairly easy job to do with a bit of help... though I might get some new bolts for the crossmember and pull that out this time as it was a bit tight the last time I took the VC out was going to swap it, only to find the bearing was just as bad on the replacement VC!

Other general service stuff for me should be pretty quick aswell - engine oil/filter won't take long to do, nor will diff oils.

I reckon we could get a couple of ball joint swaps done in a day - as long as the hubs/swivels come apart easily enough!!

Right...

Before I bugger off for a couple of months work (it's been pushed back a few days due to work Visa issues!) I thought I would create a separate thread here to be able to discuss the 'Summer Camp' that we were talking about in the other thread I had going about the death wobble...

So far we have interest from (in no particular order):
Orangebean
Sloth
Gilbertd
Oldshep56
Myself

Date we have fairly well decided is 2nd/3rd July
Location is my workshop just outside of Marlborough. I have mentioned to my mate that I would like to be able to use bother workshop bays that weekend, so fingers crossed the Discovery that is currently still lurking in there is gone by then. I got the steering shaft back on the green one that we are fixing up, so it just needs the arch liner, mud guard and wheel put back on and then it can be shifted out.

I was on Landyzone and mentioned I had the ball joint press kit, and a couple of guys on there are interested in me giving them a hand to replace their ball joints... What do people think about adding a couple more names to the list (assuming they are about that weekend), and doing that aswell? May be a couple more people to add to the forum here, and generally other owners to meet?

I am conscious about what we want to get done in the couple of days, and don't want to try and fit toooo much in as we don't want to get to Sunday afternoon and find that we still have a bunch of P38's in bits and people needing to drive long distances to get home!

I would like to get a bit formal with it all in the coming weeks/month or so once the tour I'm on in China has bedded in and I'm not spending every waking hour in a dark theatre - but mostly just to get a definite idea of what people want to get done, and if people are wanting to bring any parts they need, or if I put in a bulk order for any parts required and see if we can't get a bit of a discount. Things like ATF, engine oil, diff oil etc will be cheaper if bought in a larger quantity, and I am happy to buy it all in advance and have it there for general use and we can work out what the per-litre cost is for what people use etc. I'd like to think we'd all save a bit that way too!
Other parts, again, I am happy to go to someone like LRdirect or Island 4x4 who offer options on OEM/Aftermarket parts and do a bulk order of everything that we need for people to do what they want, if it is easier to have them all delivered here and then ready and waiting for that weekend. Or if the consensus is that it's easier for everyone to bring their own parts that they are wanting to fit, then that's fine by me too!

Let me know your thoughts about adding a couple more people to what we already have (I haven't even mentioned it on RR.net yet) and the bits about parts, and as I say - I'll try and get the majority of the organisation done whilst I am away, and then we can just get stuck in when the time rolls around!

Cheers, <br>
Marty

Keep in touch!

I did get your other email, but that was at the time where work started getting busy!! I will message you back soon, I promise!

I'll keep an eye out on here when I'm away again for any other postings that come up ;)

Marty

I appreciate it! But if is does get too tired, then I won't lose any sleep over you getting one elsewhere.... but I would still like the old faulty one to add to the box of bits :)

If you come down to the RR Summer Camp at the start of July, then I can supply one then and we can all get it fitted then!

Glad it's up and running again!

It is worth testing the door latch, as it is possible for the central locking to work and the EKA not to.... that could be the key switch being faulty (which is what the BECM uses to count the number of turns). The CDL switch tells it if it is locked/unlocked and is the trigger for it to lock/unlock the rest of the doors. If it gets triggered by turning the key in the door, but it doesn't detect that the key has been used (from a faulty key switch) then it will just think that the doors have been locked/unlocked from the sill button on the door card.

Or maybe it was just RF interference when the car was parked before, and that was interrupting/confusing the BECM whilst you were trying to enter the EKA in the door - but doesn't affect it when done diagnostically...

Glad you can get on with the other bits and pieces now though!

Marty

Good to hear! Shame I'm away as I've got a couple of refurbished pumps sitting on the shelf ready to list up for sale on exchange when I get back at the end of June!

Maybe I should make thermal switches a standard replacement part on refurbished pumps I do... though they are a PITA to change (well to get the brushes back in nicely!

If you end up swapping the pump and don't want the old one anymore Austin, then I might be interested in buying it to add to the pile of ones I have on the shelf already that need refurbing...

The positive connections are under the outside scuttle panels/plastic plenum covers - whatever you want to call them, and they are waterproof connectors.

the ground feed is common between both halves in the middle of the windscreen and connects to an earth stud. which has been known to corrode and part company with the vehicle. It can be repaired by cleaning up all the contact surfaces and using a nut/bolt to reconnect the grounds to the bodywork.

They do get pretty hot - especially if they are working hard...

The thermal switch is set to cut the compressor out at 120 degrees C - which is in the 'too hot to touch' category for me!

Definitely check the connectors behind the kick panel.

There is one that as well has having the EAS OBD port connectors in it, also has all the feeds from the ride height switch, and the inhibit button - so if one of those pins is corroded and not making proper contact, or dropping out occasionally - then it could cause the problem.

Sounds like it had a 'soft fault' if it held air in it, as if it was hard fault then it would drop back to the bumpstops.

If you do get a fault, and it doesn't drop then worst case if you either unplug the delay timer, ECU, or even just the valve block, then it will hold the air in the springs and will keep you riding at whatever height it's at - which makes for a bit more of a pleasant journey than on the bump stops!

The only other thing I can think of is possibly a rogue height sensor, if it randomly hits a bump or something and jumps out of range then it could cause issues that you are seeing aswell.

Sounds like a logical thought process!

If you are getting no communication, then it's worth checking the connectors in the LH footwell behind the kick panel as the EAS diagnostic lines go through there and are known for corroding, which will stop you from getting any communication.

Didn't get a PM through on RR.net? Well haven't had any notifications of one... I'll go have a look though.

I think my return address is on the postage label, so just send it back there when you've finished with it.. no hurry as I don't need it for anything else at the moment as I'm away for work this week aswell!