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The only place for a coil spring is up Zebedee's arse
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I use this instead of opening a new topic, since the question is fairly simple.

I have a P38 license, and I can see no probs my Thor engine ECU. However, recently I connected to a friend's GEMS but I was unable to see any engine faults, or communicate at all with the engine ECU. Others do work. Can I rule out licensing issues to the older variant and focus on a technical/electrical issue?

Replaced the earth from engine to bonnet, looked fairly corroded. Looks like an area of attention.
Hard to find a long strip so I joined two with a bolt.
Excited by this progress, I had a thick cable laying around with suitable ends and I added to the same engine bolt another earth directly to the battery.

Then I would risk it.
But I would talk with them beforehand, don't know if they take your engine as core or what, just to make sure there are no ... surprises or misunderstandings.

My CKP crapped out last Friday.
I started from the workshop to go collect a few things, I had a busy schedule, but after 5min run in the traffic light it died on me. As I have been having troubles with the LPG system lately, I thought it was that but no, cranking and no starting at all. Thought fuel pump as well ....
Anyway, back it up on a side street, went back to the service, got the mate's T4 and went home to collect the nano and see what comes up, and also if it picks up revs on cranking (suggestion from a mechanic friend).
By the time I was back, 1h later, it started up right away no problem. I was baffled.
My friend says "CKP, gets some shit on it when hot, cools down and it works. Change it".
While my colleague checks for availability, I was thinking how to get home and get the "spare" (wife's old Micra) at least for runaround and get work done.
I was advised to leave rangie there and take the bus or taxi. Stubbornly, I decided to risk the way home, slowly (10km).
After 7km on the equivalent of your "M25" it dies again, and this time engine warmed up enough that I would have had to wait like two/three hours .... on the shoulder of the ring road, bad idea.

Called my mate towing truck and returned to the workshop amid laughter and shame thrown by all participants.
First time I ever had the RR on the tow truck.

Part ordered, strangely it was in stock (the RRP38 is a rare care at these latitudes), surprisingly cheap (55eur retail price, I got it discounted), some spanner work (thanks EAS, and a little jacking assistance), et voila'!
Funnily, it was in my "preventive maintenance list" since a long time ... oh well, at 263k km and after three years sitting, I cannot fault it. Pity I had to add the tow truck to it. Shame.

The worst part was having to have the P38 trucked half of the city, fueling the usual comments "ah these land rovers ..."

Well, yes and no, you have also deteriorating further hand and block which could be reconditioned and saved for another engine in the future. Do not know the policy of V8D (still pondering on how I will get my engine done and how), but from a mechanical perspective it would be a pity to totally ruin what left.
Sorry, I am a romantic :-)

If you expect to use the car these 6 months, maybe not as "intensive" use as originally planned, Richard's idea is not bad at all. And will save you some money on the trailer trip to V8D!

Well, I am not sure because if you say in #3 pedal is "soft" at first start I would be tempted to consider an "air in the system" problem (like I have, I have read and re-read the RAVE procedure but I can't get it right, alone is nearly impossible it seems), but the pump running at each press it could be a separate problem.
As StrangeRover has said, it is an expected matter if life of the canister goes out.
You should make sure as Richard said, you got no air in the system at all.

Air in the brake system can come from the ... air :-) but it could be also not just air: brake fluid is hygroscopic and it does attract moisture and water molecules in the air (there is a membrane in the reservoir to equalize pressure), water/moisture content which besides lowering boiling point of the fluid and diminish brake performance, plays havoc with caliper pistons and seals "from inside". Considering caliper pistons have already a rough time from crud "from the outside" which can get past the caliper seals, once they get rusted you can expect more trouble, and more expensive as well :-)

Correct, the tacky/gummy peeling actually falls off and reveals the "normal" plastic underneath.

For the "wood" parts, I use normal car polish, the parts ones I can't remove I do it by hand with a microfiber rag, the ones I managed to take out, directly with the polishing machine. With the machine comes much better, most scratches and scuffs from use simply disappear...

Kurt, don't worry, the case was eventually for a friend who as you see is not much in need :-)
Other parts from now I will not go crazy for, I have other projects to finish first. Thanks!

Do you happen to know whether the two items are on detachable plugs ?

Pierre, you can unplug all upper switches (including lights), the clock power/bulb, ans air sensor, and remove the console as a whole. Depending on your audio system you might take the radio as well in its cradle. Then you can work with a bottle handy! :-)

...the surface of the black panel has gone a bit sticky and can't be cleaned properly...
The plastic surface deteriorates like many other cars from that era (and some more recent as well), and it cannot be cleaned or repaired - sanding and repainting with a quality plastics paint is the only solution.

Kurt! I have not forgotten you, still need to address the topic of the luggage case!
I actually would like a nice one, because mine was literally broken (some dork tried to remove it forgetting there is a retaining lug underneath the instrument binnacle surround), the one in the other donor car is stained from a leaking rearview mirror, and someone "enlarged" a switch hole to fit the LPG switch.
I have a nice one, but is a special edition 25th year or something, with a plate, and dont want to mess it up.

I have a good guy that makes wood type finish, and the results are pretty good, but he has not gotten the right shade of "brown" to match the original factory look.

I do agree on the console "cheeks", and must absolutely be on leather and wood ... gorgeous.

While I haven't updated the "long project" topic, I can mention I have already clocked up 1000km since returning the thing to life, and I have already suffered a few cases, first two-three were failed started and trouble brought by the LPG valve on the reducer, mostly due to debris (I had also now to change the tank as it "expired"). After two filters and constant bother when hot, I decided directly to replace the valve and be done with it (Romano, around 20 euro and some spanner work).
Since then, all well with the LPG. I want to replace the reducer as well, is got over 120k km and while I used the rebuild kit I feel is past its best.

Last Friday I had the first ever real breakdown in a P38 ... but I will narrate it separately, too much shame!

Richard, that is so darn clever, brilliant and simple. You make me feel like I haven't employed any brain cells at all on the matter ...
Using a splitter in the pipe means also you have less stuff to worry about besides the switch, like the ducting, which is a bother on the way.
I feel elated :-)

I have no exact idea to which parts you refer (sorry), but I can offer:

  • Drag link clamps nuts and bolts 8mm 22 Nm or 16 Lb. Ft.
  • Drag link clamps nuts and bolts 10mm 47 Nm or 35 Lb. Ft.
  • Drag link to drop arm and swiwel hubs nuts and bolts 50 Nm or 37 Lb. Ft.
  • Drag link to drop arm nut 50 Nm or 37 Lb. Ft.

These along with others I have it the workshop manual in Section 06 Torque Values, 57 Steering, page 60 or 1361 in my PDF file.
Have fun!

Yes, and - feel free to make fun of me - since I have not put the ducting back I am suffering the summer heat lol

While we are on the subject, what are the exact dimensions of the blades you guys are fitting?

Wow, keep me in the loop please if the have some LHD ones, wether normal or walnut ones.

Now, Richard was very kind and gave the short answer, to spare you the drama of pestering behind the console. I can give you a fuller picture, and is a bit grim ... whoever designed all that junk was clearly missing a class or two at Engineering, or was simply told "do with what you got" ... here it goes
The entire assy is very flimsy, poor 90s plastic which becomes brittle and easily damaged. The fitting lugs, you might have already one or two broken already. You need to remove the binnacle surround as well for a proper job.
The tray it is a separate part, but is fixed with small metal washers to plastic pins. Obviously is a one time fit job, as to remove you need to very delicately "twist" the washers out of the pins, while they dig into the plastic of it.
Is a matter of time and they break, guaranteed. Will look through my junk pile to find one and make pictures.
The "strip" that covers the air sensor is similarly fitted, and equally crappy. Its regular shape makes it easy to glue back on however.
The air sensor is located through two very very long and thin screws to two very very long and thin "locating pins" to which the sensor goes attached. Screw one screw a turn too much and you are ... screwed, the plastic breaks and the sensor dances around its housing. Same story for the clock, sans the screws.
Both sensor and clock are on a separate housing, which fortunately only "clicks" into the console. Push too much on the clock and it breaks its locating pegs and "falls" into the car.
All in all, a great design and even greater manufacturing.
Of all the weak areas of the P38 (and they are many), the interior quality is at utilitarian cars from a decade earlier. Pity.

Now, if you only want to put a navi/display/tablet in a console which has none, it is easy to ditch the tray, and cut the air cover grill sensor to new shape. If you find a navi console, the better.
If you need to go bigger, it can be trimmed, I think Marty and others have done it, but you do need an outlet for the air sensor anyway.

Again, if you come across anything interesting please do not forget me, I am always looking for a walnut LHD, tray or navi I do not mind, I can work around it :-)

Yes, I cannot stress enough to be extremely careful around that damn switch, I've broken two the two times I had to manouver with the damn vacuum pipe.
I suggest also to fit reinforced or silicon so you can write that off the list of troubles instead of being a regular occurrence ... especially if the brake switch goes along with it (and you lose ABS and ETC as well).

Hi guys, sorry is been a long time but I have been drowned ....

The good news is that, after little over three years (countless wasted time), and after getting rid of my "alternative transport", I got my Queen back on the road, albeit incomplete, but hope will be a permanent condition from now on! :-)

I got lots to tell and will update so in my own post somewhere down the pages ...

Wiper blades: considering the prices of these nowadays, I just consider them a easy consumable and switch between Bosch, Valeo and Champion, with a preference for the first two. Basically I wait until they are in offer - watch them in main supermarkets as well, not auto shops - and stock up. After an year or so .... replace.
We are talking the normal metal framed ones, not the new fangled silicon blade which looks hideous on an older car.

It obviously pays to have the glass very clean and de-greased of all organic matter (dead bugs and such), thing that most rarely do ....

Thanks Richard ... as I have all the cabling still "loose" by the pillar in proximity of the dreaded C0229, will do some testing when I have time, and refer here.

Well, it certainly has a certain "old school" feeling to it, and not quite flashy as some of the newer platforms (which are also more "touch-friendly"). Personally, I could not care less, as I am after information not fancyness, but yes, in some moment you will be "pushed" to update :-)
Thanks for having done that all work in the first place anyway!
Might send you some comment if I find something interesting to add.

I know this is a closed issue and I apologize to REDP38 for a partial hijack, but since the topic is interesting and relevant, and I do not value my question important enough to warrant another thread ...

So, the topic of the A/C request and A/C grant between ECM and HeVAC has been mentioned a few times here, and is clear before "switching on", the HeVAC ECU exhanges request/grant status with the ECM.

The ETM describes both signals as "active low", but my question is ... what are they exactly? Plus? Earth?
In the ETM I see both in Section K4 page 8, pins 13 and 14 on connector C0793 ... is there any way to override those, giving the HeVAC ECU an "always grant" signal and thus controlling the activation of the compressor from the driver?
You may certainly ask "why would you want to do that?" And I would answer "I like to be in control of the operation of my machinery, thank you" ... :-)

Hi Dave, welcome to the den of P38s.

A little hijack - Simon very very nice website! I will dig into it when time allows, is packed with lots of info!