I tested that the BECM went to sleep with a clamp on ammeter and it was OK whilst on my drive. I then needed to park my car across the road and I left it there for a few days and the battery went flat. Could have been anything on 433 MHz : door bells, weather stations. You name it. Must have been something transmitting all the time I think.
As Marty says, the best remedy is to fit the Mk3 receiver. It is a bitter pill to swallow though. I don't like being ripped off.

I am intrigued.

I did think about setting up a bench test rig for checking the fan viscous unit.
Clamp the unit in a heated water bath and try to measure the shaft torque at a fixed speed of say 1000 rpm. Maybe by using a variable speed electric drill and measuring the amps for various temps? It should spin freely then virtually lockup. Anyone know what temp they kick in?

My god, there are some supermen on here! Took me about 4 hours to do mine.
Second time round I could be quicker.

Hello John-Sussex, a familiar name !

Marty, I understand the BECM on later cars used less power when asleep than earlier cars. Read it somewhere.
You are right. The sensible choice is to buy the Mk3 receiver. I do plan on keeping the car. I have already forked out for the diagnostics and I have a garage full of spares. It just seems so overpriced for what it is. Island4x4 have them at £200 + VAT. Does anyone know a cheaper source?

Thanks Marty.

I have a spare center console that is less marked than the one in the car. When the weather is a bit better I plan on swapping them over so I will use the opportunity to investigate the gear change LEDs with a multimeter. I did think about just picking up from the LED wires using an optical isolator or whatever. Then use the signal to just switch another circuit. PWM is equivalent to an analogue signal using digital means is it? Electronics is not really my forte.
I have got a clamp on dc ammeter and I used it on one of the leads from the battery to check the BECM. My car used 0.65 A when awake and after 2 mins it drops to 12 mA even with the bonnet open.

I was even thinking of a transmitter (different frequency of course) from the car back to a portable receiver in the house.
A small pocket-sized case with a red LED on the top that I can put on the coffee table. The electronics should be cheap enough from Maplin. Red light comes on when the BECM is awake. How cool would that be.
An air compressor running indicator in the car would be nice. I have already got a pressure gauge fitted inside the car.

I was caught out again this week by the BECM waking up when parked and flattening the battery. I guess I could solve the problem once and for all and go out and buy the mk3 receiver but it is very expensive. I have since removed the blue aerial lead again which I had foolishly replaced when refitting a trim panel in the back.
It would be a big help if there was an easier way to see if the BECM is asleep or awake. The led on the auto gear change panel is difficult to see from outside. I am thinking about fitting a more prominent indicator. Maybe a brighter led on the dash.
Where would be a good point to pick up the signal? I thought about the park led on the gear change panel. The circuits would have to be isolated, but how to do it? Need comments from Gilbertd and/or Marty I think.

I have never replaced a diff and am no expert, but wasn't there a discussion on the "other" forum about front and rear diffs being physically interchangeable but the teeth are cut differently? It yours has failed in just a few months it maybe the problem.

Sounds as though it has gone the same way as Afrikaans, the language spoken in South Africa. Originally they were Dutch settlers who arrived there about 350 years ago. To modern Dutch people it sounds very medieval.

Finally got the blanking plate. Delivery took ages as it was on back order apparently. Not much call for them I guess.
Unbolted the vacuum pump and fitted the part and ........ the noise is still there. Grrrr.
It does neaten up the front of the engine though. I need to remove the vacuum pipe and the redundant EGR pipe sometime.
Had to take the rocker cover off to fix an oil leak and I had a look at the timing chain. It looks OK, not too worn.
I suspect the upper chain guide may be the problem. Anyone know if it can it be changed without taking the head off?

If you need to keep topping up as you say, then clearly the brake fluid is leaking out from somewhere.
Have you checked the rear cross over pipe yet?

Not done it on a p38, but I did it once on a classic I had. I remember jacking both front wheels off the ground. I then screwed the adjuster in bit by bit to eliminate the backlash. Not sure what Rave says about the p38.

Mine went also where it crosses over the chassis behind the fuel tank. I was doing a brake job and stamped hard on the brakes. Suddenly the pipe burst and the pedal went straight down to the floor. Luckily it was in my drive. I have since since replaced it with copper/nickel pipe.

It can't be seen and I guess it may have a slight leak and not drip on the floor yet. If your take off the RHS rear wheel and wheel arch liner, you can shine a torch through the small gap where the pipe runs.

Roger, that is exactly the information I was looking for. Thanks.

I am liking this forum more and more.

When the plug is out you can fill it more easily with a length of clear nylon hose and either a big syringe or a garden sprayer with the nozzle cut off.

Ha Ha.

I only comment on problems that I have come across before otherwise I keep shtum.
Aircon belt is at the bottom. Alternator, water pump, viscous fan all OK.
Problem is either vac pump or timing chain me thinks. If I take the vac pump off I will find out but it may throw oil out.

Hi, first post so here goes.

I need some opinions please. I have got a 2000 DSE with about 140K miles on the clock.
I have a high pitched noise from the top of the engine at the front. Louder when it is cold, it gets quieter after a run.
It goes OK and starts OK even with engine hot so I don't think the timing chains are too stretched yet.
It does not sound like followers or tappets.
I suspect the EGR vacuum pump. I don't actually need the pump any more as I have blanked off the EGR.
Has anybody removed the vac pump completely? If so does it leave an opening to the end of the camshaft that needs blanking off?
I haven't looked in detail what is involved as yet.

Hi Richard and Marty. Some familiar people on here I see!

I would not call myself an expert on the whole of the p38.
Maybe I know a lot about just bits of the car. Usually the bits I have had problems with.