Was about to say... chances are the elements in the base will have some breaks in them on the drivers side at least! Probably worth testing for continuity/resistance before bothering.

You'll find two connectors under P38 seats for the heating elements - one is for the backrest and one is for the seat base. You need to wire them in series and just supply 12v - and you're done. So cut both plugs off, connect one wire from the seat base to one wire of the backrest, then +12v to one remaining wire and ground to the other. No fancy control required on these.

Don't connect them in parallel or you'll likely burn both elements out and/or cause a fire.

Sorry when I say the boost is meeting demand - that is from data logged from the ECU. The ECU spits out what it wants, and what it is seeing from the MAP sensor in the inlet. It is now very close. Power is getting predictable, and it is driving quite well. I just need to deal with the angry noises.

I think I have either a leak, or the turbo is on the way out. It's fine when cold... but once it has some heat in it, something starts making a fairly unhealthy noise that is definitely boost related. It hasn't really changed or gotten worse so I'm not too afraid of impending turbo boom, but that is next on the list to look at.

In other news... I've adjusted the shift pressures and points and it is sooooooo much nicer to drive around now. Smooth changes on throttle at low speed, much more eager to change down appropriately etc.

Boost is now, despite the noise, meeting demand. Power is generally much better. I feel I will probably want more in the coming future - which may mean the early E60 turbo is on the cards, but I'm not sure. I've lost track of what the upgrade paths are at this point.

May well be - just rules other things out for sure.

I think on omvl based systems, unplugging the control button will force it to start on gas? Or holding the button as you turn the ignition on - I have managed it before but I'm now lacking two cylinders and both petroleum and lpg...

Have you tried starting on gas?

Would rule out petrol system entirely.

There is no transponder in a P38 fob as such. If the remote is operating the locking, it will also be arming/disarming the immobiliser.

EKA will stop it cranking too. The engine ECU and BECM could be out of sync however, which on a Thor WILL still crank with no signs of firing - check the codes match. But if you had it coughing to start with, that is unlikely.

Next I'd be thinking the crank position sensor. Also check what it reports the coolant temp is - anecdotal but I have personally had it read 140c+ on a cold engine, which caused a no start with nothing else looking out of the ordinary. Turned out to be twisted wiring with cracked insulation at the plug on the sender in my case.

The map I currently have should be good for 220hp and 450nm. So hp on par with the 4.6, and a fair whack more torque. In theory...

Will see how it goes. There will be a reason.

Still having VNT issues, but I think getting there. Not spending as much time as I'd like looking at it - but other things are just in the way.

Have been using it for a few days taking it to work - and will this week too. Currently at a point where it is making boost - but it doesn't appear to be all there and when the adjustment is tweaked just a bit too far, there is more power, but it starts screeching when hot. Unsure if turbo is the happiest.

Since adjusting more I haven't been able to get it on the motorway at a decent speed - unless I want to drive all the way to work on a weekend, the motorway in both directions from home is a 50 average limit at the moment till you get so far. As of Thursday when I last had it up to 70... it was somewhat disappointing it must be said. Taking a lot of pedal to maintain speed, and acceleration up inclines was poor. It has been so long since I've driven a V8 I can't remember. I know its a boost issue too... cos the clouds I've been leaving behind me would really piss Greta off. And the back end is getting black spots :)

To be honest if I do get the boost in line with where the ECU wants it and its still lacking - I am going to be at a lot of a loss as to how much power this thing needs to get it moving. Turbo upgrade would be next on the cards, and further mapping.

Did find today that if I shift it manually, it'll pretty quickly do 40-50 in 2nd, but leave it to its own devices and the current Compushift mapping doesn't downshift enough at in 3rd, it'll rev to about 3k and then struggle to keep going. I really need to do the ASBO thing and abuse the industrial estate at work on a weekend to do some straight line runs with it locked in each gear while data logging - see what is going on.

I did indeed run a 16mm cable down out of the body through grommet under the tail light and bolted it through the rear cross member. I have a 16mm cable running front to back fused at 100 amps both ends for the positive supply, with my VSR in the back too. My setup is only to keep a leisure battery charged in the back for the fridge and other connectable things - hence I didn't go for the Tmaxx or chunkier cabling. I've seen it pull 70 amps thus far - haven't had an issue with voltage drop or the battery not getting a good charge thus far.

That is looking tidy.

If you can get another bumper of any kind - you can split the internals and swap the plastic outers over. Some of the bolts go into plastic inserts that can put up a fight... but it is doable. That's if the metalwork isn't salvageable on yours - they can rust horrendously. Our Bordeaux needed a new one as it had very little structural integrity left - the plastic was holding it together!

Bit of an update

Having issues with the turbo VNT at the moment. Boost is unpredictable. Sometimes not enough, sometimes too much. Accompanied by a nasty screeching noise at times too. Need to inspect the business end of it - I'll be surprised if its got excessive play in it - it was fine and operating correctly before the incident.

Assuming their isn't excessive play in it, some data logging is needed to see what is going on next.

I fitted mine with M10 stainless rivnuts, using the double spanner method. Pain in the arse but they're still solid.

I've been there in the summer :) Back in 2007 though.

I can't remember how hot it was on the day - but for someone that doesn't like it too hot, I remember it was oddly not uncomfortable, because it was so dry.

I don't feel bad having cut the floor to be honest - if it was a like for like replacement, I'd have swayed more towards dropping the tank, as it should only have had to come out once. But who knows.

The P38 is about the only car I know of that doesn't have an access panel - I've had both newer and older cars that have all had panels under the rear seats. Really odd that it doesn't.

Last night it had its first test drive without a breakdown! We welded beads on either end of the alloy tube that blew off the other day, but I was still quite light footed as there is another leak from somewhere I haven't found yet and didn't want to risk something else popping.

Driveability around town - it is very smooth, with only downshifts when you come to a halt being a bit late. I haven't ever driven an M51 P38, and honestly I'm not sure how to compare it to the V8 entirely. My V8 at least had instant torque off the line as you'd expect from an N/A vehicle, but that very quickly lost enthusiasm and fell a bit flat. This has no problem moving from a standstill, and then the power just starts to build. The only 'old' diesel I have to compare to is an old 2.2 Saab 9-3, which had the Vauxhall (or Isuzu, depending on who/what you believe) direct injection 4 cylinder. That was terrible for turbo lag - pull away in haste and it was nothing nothing nothing POWER nothing. This engine is more like 'righto, gently does it but lets get a move on and not piss about'. That is to say... at the speeds I've driven around town in it so far, it drives like a petrol. Planting it I suspect will have some noticeable delay compared to the V8, but not a great deal.

The late downshifts are I think because the final drive ratio in the compushift isn't setup correctly, so it thinks the vehicle is moving faster than it is - which the readout certainly suggests. I'll look at this tonight.

Otherwise... it is very smooth. Cruising at 40-50 just...works, and it doesn't feel like its working hard. Climbing a long incline was about the only time I felt I wasn't gaining speed as much as I'd like, but I was also only just on the boost because pansy and didn't want to risk it where I was.

On the few occasions where I did blip the pedal a bit more underway and felt it start to really come on - you could feel there was power ready to go. Soon. Sooooon.

What kind of heating element is it? An enclosed tube, or a bare beating element?

If its an enclosed tube it sounds like it is soon to be done for anyway. Maybe I'm missing something a picture would reveal - but if a heating element is shorting in any way internally, I'd be replacing it. I've had to replace some on my Samsung. Actually I'm still missing one of the drain heaters... if/when the drain ever freezes up I might get around to sorting that!

Not a lot of progress of late - I've been away on a course and its been too hot for my liking to be working on anything outside.

I have however started work on the fuel system. Being a Thor, it had a returnless pump setup and the filler neck obviously wouldn't fit a diesel nozzle. So both had to come out.

Controversy time - yes, I could have dropped the tank. But I a) couldn't be arsed and b) sods law would dictate if I did it that way, I'd get it all back in place and down off the stands, and then have forgotten something or something would leak, not work etc, and I'd be doing it all over again. So I've cut a hole in the floor. I will need access to it again sometime over winter to fit another dip tube for the Webasto diesel heater - so now I have easy access. Once all is said and done, I will secure the flap back down and seam seal it, so its semi-permanently sealed.

Out with the petrol filler neck.

Diesel filler neck in. They look the same... you'll have to believe me :)

The pump locking ring put up a fight coming loose... but a bit of reshaping and painting - it'll be fine.

New aftermarket diesel pump setup in place. Of course, the plug is different.

This is the bracket that held the Thor evaporative emissions canister under the car in front of the fuel tank. I have repurposed it to hold the return fuel cooler and the BMW pre-supply pump, that takes the supply from the lift pump in the tank and bumps it up to 4bar before supplying it to the HPFP on the engine. Said pump will have its supply taken from the wiring to the in-tank pump. The wiring looks more than capable, and the in-tank pump is now a very low pressure (0.3bar I think) job, so the 5 amps the BMW pump needs won't be an issue.

Highly complex bent bit of bar welded on along with some rivnuts to hold the cooler. It isn't ideal being under the car, but I figure when under way it will get some air flow - more than it would in the hot engine bay anyway.

And then we have breakdown #2... had to take the RR to get enough fuel in the tank to cover the pump before I dared turn it on, given it was now void of petrol, but not petrol vapour...

I'd put the new ECU in which has been mapped... and on second application of mild-loud pedal, big bang and lots of smoke out the back :)

Pipe work was temporary to get it home - time to address that I think. Luckily had literally only a 7mm socket and ratchet in the car.

Can confirm though - definitely (if not briefly) had more spank. I look forward to giving it a proper hooning, and seeing what falls off next.

Electric cars already do - given they have no combustion engine to drive one otherwise. But then they also have high voltage available - which is really what makes it possible. At 12v you'd need potentially over 100 amps to drive an electric compressor of a suitable size to get the cooling capacity required. So consider a) the additional alternator capacity and b) the size of the wiring to support it, and it's not worth the complication.

On most modern normal cars the compressor runs all the time now, and can adjust its own capacity, adjusting discretely - so you don't get that tell tale drop in revs or audible clunk of the clutch pulling in/letting out when the controller calls for more cooling. I say most - I know it's true of 'higher' end marques. Like inverter driven electric compressors almost. Pretty cool.

I put pure sodium silicate in mine and it completely sorted the water getting into #6. Presume there is a crack behind the liner as there are no water galleries around that pot... lasted over 18 months with hard driving before pulling the engine to do the m57 conversion.

When I pull the head off at some point I will investigate.

No point doing a practical on mine at the moment - more than half of it is missing :) The precious magic sauce is currently stored safely away to go back in once I've made some pipework up.