It is a Japanese import, as well. I know this guy quite well, he imports lots of stuff from Japan, but he does deal a lot in used P38's from Japan. Having had a couple of imported Isuzu Troopers in the past [worth every penny and more] I know that imports often have all manner of strange things fitted, such as that funny looking box beside the radiator in the pictures of the P38 here.

Imports can be very good value but you can't check the mileage, for instance, and it can be difficult to find out how many previous owners. Other things like different lubricants and greases don't help, plus the radio always needs changing, the diesels need a modification to the exhaust system as the Japanese recycle the exhaust through the engine [I think it is] and on UK diesel you get black smoke when you accelerate hard. It is easily sorted, but still another job.

I also think that the aircon works at different temperatures as I could never get my Troopers to get particularly warm in winter. A bit odd really.

But still good buys depending on what you look for.

Pierre3.

Richard, I noticed that you mentioned, a bit earlier, that you set the options for passive immobilisation and the option for the wipers to turn off, very briefly, while the car is stopped, for instance at traffic lights [I had a Merc 220E that did this].

I went out to see where the settings for these options are, using the Nannycom, but I can't find any of these options anywhere. When I start Nanny I get a couple of headings such as Motronic, Bosch and EDC, after selecting the car - P38. After choosing EDC there are four heading - EDC [again, I think it said], Wabco C, Wabco D, and the gearbox [ I think I have the Wabco letters correct].

I have been through all the headings but nowhere is there anywhere to change these settings. In fact, I can't see where I can do things that people have mentioned - such as turning on the aircon, or unlocking the tailgate - stuff like that.

I did see an entry heading called "Instruments" but that didn't do anything.

I definitely bought the software for the diesel but I am at a complete loss as to how to find any alterable optiond, except for the EAS and mechanical stuff like the fuelling etc.

Perhaps you could point me in the directions that I need to go ?

Pierre3.

Hi Richard, I know that EDF are a French company but I would much prefer to deal with a European near neighbour with some kind of democratic political system, than a tyrant controlled state like China.

Don't get me wrong, I am no Labourite who thinks that the Tory party should consigned to history, but I have long railed at successive governments, both Labour and Tory, who have decimated British industry and manufacturing. I read an interesting article in the Guardian [ one of Private Eye's favourite enemies !] which pointed out that about 80% of new manufacturing startups goes immediately to China to get anything made. They very, very rarely look for manufacturing bases in the UK, employing British workers.

Unfortunately, I can also remember the dockers strikes in Liverpool and Felixstowe only too well. I was a truck owner-driver collecting and delivering shipping containers and it was a regular occurence to arrive at Liverpool container dock and find that the knobheads had all walked out over some imagined slight like their tea wasn't hot enough, or the Sun newspaper had been removed from the toilets ! But now, unfortunately, the UK is primarily a service industry society - coffee shops, cleaners and shop staff. Very few proper rewarding jobs unless you have a high level 3rd level education. No miners, no steel workers, no shipyard workers, just jobs in B&Q or Amazon.

I can't imagine either the UK or the USA being able to gear up rapidly to produce weapons or ships like happened during WWII - successive governments have ensure that we rely totally on China to produce our consumer goods. If Xi Jinping says "No" then the UK goes without, unless the government does what Johnson is currently doing, in this case pleading with the Middle East oil producers to sell the UK more oil products.

Sad really when once upon a time nobody told the UK what to do !!

Pierre3.

Dave3d, I absolutely agree with you, past governments over the last 30 years have been only too happy to sell off the family silver. As is always the case, there are a lot of politicians and business CEO's who have got their snouts in the piggy trough and pocket big rewards for selling out old, reputable businesses to foreigners. The same with big houses all over the UK - sell 'em off to the nearest rich scumbag without any questions about where their money comes from.

People like Johnson and his cronies stick their hands down the trousers of anybody with lots of money in the hope that when they get kicked out of government one of the dishonest brokers somewhere will give them a £2 million a year job. You have only to look at Cameron to see how that works. Remember, he was involved with Greensill and trying to flog his shares before the sh** hit the fan [fortunately he got shafted on that one], and now he is at the same crap with Afiniti, an American company. You can be sure the current crop of Tory wasters are at the same thing.

Only the gobshites in Downing Street could think that is a good idea to let the Chinese have 50% ownership of new nuclear power stations that were going to be built with EDF. What complete prat thought that one up. Thank God the Americans saw that Huawei were dodgy and banned them from government contracts, which meant that Johnson had to follow te same line.

I think that I will put a bid in to buy Camell Laird ship builders - I bet the government will sell it to me for £1000, plus funding for ten years to biuld bicycles !!! Again, only a Tory government could think that it is a good idea to give a couple of million to a ferry company to run a ferry service to Europe from the East coast of England - to a company that had no ships, none, as in not any !! Probably another Tory donor scam so tat someone could stick half a million pounds in their trouser pocket.

Pierre3.

Personally, I like them. I am more familiar with Belfast- Cairnryan, and Dublin Holyhead.

I normally book seats in the Stena Plus lounge where you can get free food ! I think the tickets cost an extra £18 if they are available. They normally have free papers and magazines, if no-one has robbed them all !!!

I have always found them quick and efficient, and their prices are pretty competitive. Anyway, now P&O have started acting the maggot I won't be using them anyway, and I am not keen on supporting Irish Ferries as they are doing something similar to P&O.

Pierre3.

I was watching todays news on TV [ Monday] and I see that P&O [DP World] are considering hiring Indian staff at £1.20 - £2.00 an hour. Because they have the ships registered in Cyprus they can get away with these pay rates. If Johnson and his bunch of cowboys had any balls they would ban P&O from any UK ports. I am not in favour of the old days of ferry crews going on strike whenever they felt like it, but everybody is entitled to be paid a decent living wage.

I do think that, with leaving the EU, Johnson is trying to break payscale agreements and bring the UK back to the 1970's when hard working people were paid pennies while the greedy fatcats earn multi-million wage packets along with disgustingly large bonuses. Just to show fair DP World are to their workers they have sacked all the UK based staff [ due to the aggressive union strength French workers are so far unaffected, I believe. I have seen the French Unions in action and I suspect P&O don't want to pick a fight with them] while the CEO is paid around £4.5 million a year. Very similar to that fat pig Phillip Green from BHS/ Arcadia.

There was a lot of trouble when Irish Ferries pulled the same trick, sacked a lot of long time workers and rehired new workers on much lower wages. I am proud to say that whenever I have to take my car from Ireland to the UK I use only Stena Line, who I really, really hope don't do the same s***.

{Admin - feel free to change some text here - I just hate people like Phillip Green !!!]

Pierre3.

Richard, as you rightly supposed, I received the new power steering pipes yesterday [Saturday] and they are acclimatizing at the moment in my front room.

In Ireland, when you take a car for the annual road test, called the NCT [aka the National Car Test], you get a window disc, like a tax disc, when you pass. If you pass the test first time it costs €56 [ this figure is not dependent on whether or not you pass first time, you have to pay €56 when you book the test]. If you don't pass first time then you have to book a "Retest" and this costs €28.

So, because I failed the first time around, I had to use a bit of chicanery to pass the retest. Generally, you only get tested on the thing [s] that you failed on the first time, but you do need to be careful, they could fail you on something else !! What I did was to take the car down to my guys in the local garage and ask them to scrub the pipework with petrol and some wire wool. I then drove 4 miles to the local test centre where I had booked a retest and they inspected the work and passed the car. I just told them that I had fitted good replacements.

You have to understand that it is purely guesswork as to trying to figure out what will cause your car to fail. I strongly suspect that the company that has been contracted to run the testing operation has a requirement to fail a certain percentage of cars so that they have to have a retest, thereby increasing the profit margin considerably. You can fail on small stuff like your windscreen washer jets not being strong enough, or your side indicators [on the front wings of the car] not being orange, or bright, enough.

When my car failed the other week the tester bloke said that the power steering pipes were leaking, and to some extent, he was probably right, but you are talking about a miniscule seepage. I'm sure that if I go out and look under the car today there may be a very slight staining of the rubber pipes but there will not be a dripping leak.

I am only fitting new power steering pipes because I have to take the car back for a new test in August, and I would prefer not to fail again, although it probably will as the knobhead of a cycling Transport Minister doesn't want any older cars on the road in Ireland. The problem with the test, and retesting, is that the test date is always the anniversary of the cars first registration, not from when the test is done. So because I couldn't get a date first of all, and then had to have a retest, my test disc is now only until next August. So the less I drive it now the more chance the car will pass the test next time !!!

Pierre3.

OK, thanks for the information.

Happy that my dashboard display is clear again - for the time being !

Pierre3.

I can agree with karlos01, I had to deal with various hydraulic pipes being made up when I was driving trucks, many years ago. I started off with EF's and Seddon Atkinsons and having to get new hydraulic pipes made up was a pretty common thing.

Anyway, I have just received a large box, care of DPD, containing two new power steering pipes. I know one is a late model P38 item, the low pressure return pipe [?] and one is an early model P38 high pressure pipe. I haven't opened the box yet to see what the look like, but my supplier is very confident that the high pressure pipe from the early diesel car will fit all the same.

If the weather holds out over the weekend, giving me the opportunity of getting under the car then I will soon find out !!!

Incidentally, I will be refusing to sail between the UK and Ireland, in the future, using any ferry services by P&O ! Disgraceful performance all round, and they will probably be using Russian oil to run their ships !

Pierre3.

I didn't do too much bashing at the head of the sensor, just a few taps. I can't be certain but I thought that I noticed the sensor move a bit on the first tap. Anyway, the warning lights are out for the time being.

I thought that, reading a lot of info elsewhere, that even if the sensor was pushed too far in then the rotation of the wheel would push it back out to maintain the correct spacing. Perhaps I have this wrong.

Pierre3.

Thanks Richard. I actually have a plastic head hammer somewhere in my garage. I think I will go out now and look for it. Thanks again.

Pierre3.




*
Edited- 16th March 2022.

The car passed the annual road test. Finally. The first time it was due, last October, the drivers door latch packed up the evening before the test, and the car had to be lifted to a garage foe repair. After that was repaired it was almost Christmas, and Covid was about, and I couldn't get a test until the end of February. It failed the test due to a very, very minor leak on the ower steering pipes. When I had a look underneath later I also noticed that the gearbox oil cooler was leaking, and an ABS/Traction control message appeared on the dashboard display.

So a trip to Edinburgh took place to pick up these parts. They were fitted the day before yesterday, Monday, and everything looked OK for an annual road test repeat. Until I was close to my house after collecting the car from the garage, when the ABS/Traction control message re-appeared. The evening before the annual test - again. I am sure the dopey blue donkey really doesn't want to be tested.

So first thing this morning, get under the car with a plastic head hammer and give the new sensor a couple of thumps. Give the car a run around for twenty minutes or so and finally, success. No ABS/Traction control message. For now !!

Pierre3.

Excellent stuff, you guys. Thanks very much for all the advice and information.

I will have a look at the way the sensor has been fitted. Hopefully, hopefully, it is a seating issue. What do I use to tap the sensor further into the wheel housing ? Do I use a hammer and a piece of wood or can I use a copper-headed hammer ?

Pierre3.

BrianH, very many thanks for your suggestions. I wasn't sure about cutting the cable because I have read that the sensor is what is called a Hall-effect sensor, and I had some experience with these sensors in revolving doors that I used to install. As you say, cutting the cable and shorting the two inner cables may not solve the issue. I was hoping to hear that joining the sensor wires together would close the circuit so that the ECU would see a permanently closed circuit and report it as normal, thereby switching off the warning lamps.

I will just have to get the jack out, first thing and see what I can do with it. I have the feeling that clearing the message with Nanocom will not help me much - I think that the fault will just come back.

Pierre3

I could do with some advice/assistance, please. My garage guy fitted a new ABS sensor this afternoon, a Britpart sensor, and everything was OK. I went out to the shops this evening and te ABS/Traction fault message has appeared back on the dashboard, with the warning lights coming on. Unfortunately, I have an MOT tomorrow morning and I am wondering whether there is any way off getting rid of the message ?

I am wondering whether there is any way that I can cancel or delete the ABS messages using a Nanocom ? If I cut the sensor cable can I just short it out ? Can anyone suggest an alternative means to clear the message before the test in the morning ?

I remember Richard [GilbertD] writing up which Wabco option, using Nanocom, I need to use. I have a 2001 2.5 DHSE automatic, and I remember seeing two options after plugging my Nanocom in for the first time - was it Wabco C and Wabco D ? And which one do I need ?

I am not at all familiar with Nanocom so bear with me please !!!!!

Pierre3.

Hi karlos01, thanks for your information. You have it about right - the hydraulics company that I rang said that they could not guarantee the quality of the pipes, and therefore they were not interested in making up new pipes for me.

Karlos01, yes, I will let you know how I get on.

I do admit that diesels are not the most "atmosphericly" [I bet that isn't a real word] friendly of engines. Yes, you are right, Richard, it is not great being behind a dirty diesel, especially on a wet, cold day when the air doesn't clear the fumes away. I have memories of driving artics through places like the Blackwall tunnel, the Queensway Tunnel [River Mersey], and the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Back in the 70's and 80's there used to be rather a lot of fumes in those tunnels, most of it caused by diesels.

Anyway, we won't be driving any of them very much if that idiot Putin has his way. Either none of us will be here any longer, or there won't be any oil coming from the Siberian oil fields, or the Putin-loving Saudi oil fields. I knew that buying a donkey was going to be a good plan, except that he has run off, the stumpy little git.

Pierre3.

Thanks everyone, for all the information.

So; mad-as - thanks for the offer of sending a pipe from Australia. I will use the pipes off my own car if I go down the hydraulics manufacture route.

karlos01 - this gives me the most confidence. I think that I will order the new ones, the low pressure pipe for the late model, and the high pressure pipe for the early model, and keep the fingers crossed that it fits. Or else it may end up in the box that I have containing new parts that don't fit my particular car !!!

Richard - I have always had diesel 4x4's simply because large petrol engines are just too expensive to run in Ireland. Even my P38 costs €1200 a year in road tax alone. You can, with a compliant garage, register them as "commercial" vehicles with a crew cab, to allow for the rear seats, but you can run into trouble with the garages that do a commercial road test on them. They can report you for not actually using the vehicle as a commercial vehicle, or they may refuse to do the test. Then you also need commercial insurance, if you want to be properly legal, and there are certain passenger restrictions on that insurance. In my view it isn't worth it if you are not actually using the car for work. I did use previous Isuzu Troopers for work, but not the P38.

I don't mind not having spark plugs, distributors, and other exciting things like that, I have got used to the bang and thump of diesel !!

It looks like the end result will be new pipes, one a new model variant, and one being an old model variant. When I get them I will, hopefully, put this to bed.

Pierre3.

Richard, glad to hear from you !! I would agree with you, I can't see any mention that there are differences in the routing etc. between early and late models.

The problem that I have is that I am not great at figuring out the RAVE manual, and, having read the manual I am under the impression that the power steering pipes are all the same. There is only one diagram, and in the written instructions it doesn't say that there is a difference in the pipes between the years and models.

Pierre3.

It's interesting that I have had a lot of people [I have asked the same question on P38 Facebook forum] giving the same answers to this [get one made up by a hydraulics company, or buy one second-hand, or clamp the joints with jubilee clips, all good suggestions], but no-one has mentioned whether the RAVE diagram about the power steering pipes is the same for all years of P38 diesels.

This is what I am trying to find out - a bit like my questions last year as to whether one could modify a KHD drivers door handle to fit a RHD drive car - can the high pressure pipe from an early [1995] P38 fit a 2001 P38 ?

I did figure out that, with a bit of work and ingenuity, you can buy front door handles from a LHD car and get them to work on a RHD car, useful if you can't get new handles for a RHD.

But can I do this with the high pressure power steering pipe ? This is the question I am trying to solve, without first spending €160 getting an early model pipe delivered to Ireland.

Pierre3.

I have looked at having them made up, but when I asked one hydraulics company in Dublin they didn't want to know. They said that they could quote me but, as a one-off item, and without have an exact pattern they were talking about €800 - €900 !!! The ones that are available at the moment, the low pressure correct pipe, and the high pressure one from the earlier car, would only cost about €250 together.

I can't find a diagram anywhere showing the routing or shape of a 1994 P38 steering pipes, which would make me think that my contact is correct in saying that the high pressure pipe from the earlier P38 will fit the later 2001 car. I can only find one diagram which, to me, would indicate that there is only one diagram for both models of car.

Again, I wonder whether anyone has any knowledge of this.

Pierre3.