Ferryman wrote:
Oh well, I thought I'd say something nice about the P38...
Ah, Ok, that's a different matter... Mechanically it is really solid; Electronically though it is like blancmange - or do I mean merigue...!?
Anyway I am sure that we all have our stories about our P38s but quite a few years back I was very impressed when I (accidentally) drove through 3' of water at speed (- thought it was a wet road not a flooded one....); About 20 yards of it - but the car hardly twitched.. excellent...!!
Somewhat later I realised just what would have happened if I had stopped in that 'stream' and the BeCM got wet !!
Oh and my other half will not even drive it - thanks to (too) many 'Key Code Lockout' episodes...
To be fair it will say 'FRONT INDICATOR BULB FAILURE' and the speeded-up click clack will indicated which side...
but perhaps the compromise here is to agree that the BeCM could be considered 'sophisticated' 20 years ago ?
On a more general point though I am quite serious that in these 'techy' days I do expect a car to tell me if there is
a problem - and just what that issue is (reasonably) specifically, not just (deliberately) flash up some "Check Engine"
light so I then have to go to the stealers to find out (and often at huge expense, of course) !
If it were not for BBS 'cracking their secret code' I really wonder many P38's would still exist ?
Maybe I am being too picky but if it told me exactly which bulb was gone (and the type of bulb) I might be impressed......
Unfortunately the BeCM remains 'State Of The Ark' to me !
EDIT: Come to think of it I also want it to provide me with Fault Codes without an external box....
even if that meant JLR could not charge me an arm/leg to read/reset them,,
as per their original intention !
I think we all know there are lots of doubtful Chinese parts on the interweb now but I just spotted a 'new' trend. (New to me anyway)
Not actually a P38 part but I bought something on ebay listed as OEM..... but when it arrived it was labelled as Original Engine Management !!
So beware.. OEM may just mean 'Old Elephant Muck' now....
Any other similar/blatant examples to report chaps ?
Yes, and I did some (necessary) research myself after my daft question and those are the ones; In context (Step 7):
Even if the o-rings are exactly the right size (and the 'right' material) in a well-worn block they will most likely leak.....(?)
Thanks, a helpful tip! Guess you could tie-wrap it in on the plastic ones but I now will stick to (lubricated) metal !
Purists 'look away now' but what happens if you seal the NRVs in with silicone or (oh-oh !) epoxy resin ?
The problem with adding a customised (ie. non-OEM/pattern) block is that in theory you have 'modified' the suspension system,
which may be 'of interest' to your Insurance Company: Anyone knows what happens if/when you tell then you fitted coils ?
Yes, that is probably how it is set up when manufactured; Still don't know why they later replaced the metal ones with (GR) Plastic though !
(Because of costs I expect, but are they better or worse ? Exposed situation so may be better in plastic, too ?)
A quick suggestion Morat - and at only £10 it will save each finger/toe from frostbite at only £1/digit !
Well it gets riskier over time... and both my catches/cables were in need of lubrication and so could easily jam in the open position....
so then the real risk is if the bonnet subsequently wraps over your windshield at speed ! (Yes, unlikely - but not unknown...)
Seriously though it really is just 'good practice' to have a 'failsafe' indication... like many/most other cars do...
And this ETM diagram might help explain my temporary stupidity - as far as the earth on Pin 14 (correctly) meaning that the bonnet is OPEN !
Convention dictates a cct. diagram usually shows the 'normal position' for a system, (ie. bonnet closed...) and that there is generally a 'failsafe' too - in that if the circuit is broken then that would indicate a 'risk' situation. Similarly if you pull the connector off there is nothing to tell you the bonnet is open..
Thus here it was interpreted by me as 'switch open' (ie. '0' on the diagram) means 'bonnet open' - Oopps - wrong !
A photo might help explain what I said above about 'chaffed wires'; Red arrow shows the point !
Not sure how many operations it would take to wear through the wires.. Lots of bonnet openings would be needed.. as per any P38 ?!
Not my photo; My catches are metal: This picture shows (GR) Plastic variants:
-
Thanks for the advice chaps, much appreciated !
- Sorted now based on cleaning/lubing BOTH catches and cables (as if you just lube the offside one there may not be enough tension on a single spring/catch to pull the Bonnet Release handle home). Whilst doing all this the 'permanent earth' problem disappeared and the main culprit seemed to be the wires on the microswitch (which were chaffed/cracked to bare wire just where they emerge from said switch). Resolved with a blob of epoxy resin and some tubing.
EDIT: Yes, I know.... My brain is working properly again.... the switch is wired so it provides the earth when the bonnet is open !!!! Doh !!!
(I suspect the wire is just trapped somewhere...)
Anyone had this problem ? The BONNET OPEN alert on the dash seems to be permanently on....
As many will know there is a micro-switch on the bonnet catch (- the adjacent to the battery -) which supplies a (local) earth back to the BECM (and on my pre-99 it is on Purple/White - Pin 14 - of C114)....
The bonnet catch earth does seem to get back to the BECM OK, but then it ignores it ! Might 'just' be the BECM playing up but any other ideas, chaps ?
On the positive side although the BONNET OPEN alert shows up I can still use EAS
(although I was previously under the impression that BONNET OPEN inhibited the EAS)
Diesel fuel - anything else as above is probably too volatile/thin.... !
( I use it for engine flushing, or even paraffin will work fine for that matter...
the proprietary stuff is just hugely-overpriced petroleum-based nonsense)
Brilliant video chaps, very inspiring (and also quite motivating) - and I am looking forward to the 'stills' from the movie too !
( I would have liked to see a small bottle of champagne cracked over the Bullbars for the re-start/launch though...)
As we know Toad becomes quite paranoid at times (presumably because he thinks that all his anti-enthusiasts behaviour will be 'found out' ?).....
Thus he does IP address checks if he suspects 'suspicious activity' and can then 'justifiably' intercept/monitor related PMs on that basis. No doubt he thinks that way he will detect 'other traitors' whilst not realising he is the biggest one of all ! He is the worst Mod. I ever encountered on any Forum and in 'Toadworld' unfortunately 'suspicious activity' may simply involve disagreeing with him. All we want to do is keep our P38s on the road after all.
Incidentally I have a spare BECM... but only so I could have a poke around inside ('honest, Guv !').
However it is extremely irritating not to have a circuit diagram for those PCBs within....
There are a few things which can wake up the BECM but it is ~95% an external RF source as already indicated dazer2000...
A useful (GEMS/1998) document can be found on http://rave.stringsandints.com/ In the list see item 'BECM SID CONSOL' (from page 10 or so)
I really like how Land Rover state within that 'if the LED stays on you should replace the BECM'
obviously they really meant 'you should make an appointment with your Bank Manager'....
or nowadays preferably just talk with one of the BECM experts on this site !!
Oh dear... I know it says Range Rover on the back but it looks more like a old Saab 9-3 convertible now.... Verdict ? 4/10 - 'Must try harder'...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dIWoVBZQb0
They may have got away with a folding metal roof though...