Uhm ... my 4.6 has always been in the hotside of the things, fitting early on a scangauge allowed me to have a more precise reading all the time without the cumber-ness of the nanocom. As it was always in the 95-105 area, with peaks of 108, I assumed this was normal after reading in all places where the "wise" write, that the engine likes to hear, the leanness of the recent ECM evolutions, and the like. I never liked it though.
When I started to see how easy it was to read 120 and plus ... oh well.

Well, I will save you details of my nightmare tale, but in 2yrs and 30k km, after going through 3 t-stats, 2 water pumps, 2 viscous couplings and one fan (!!!), hoses pipes, two caps and two overflow tanks, heater rad, o-rings, plus a radiator, and COUNTLESS liters of 50/50 antifreeze mix, I can say the V8 settled in 84-90 without missing a beat, every time.
If is more than that, I am sure there is something that needs looking at.

I have also learned to deeply mistrust any other foreign hand, and they are banished from my engine bay. I make an exception only for those known engine and gearbox rebuilder, whose services someday will need. The rest, bugger off my engine!!!
I have also learned the instrument is utterly useless, and the engineers who worked the logic of the cooling system have no clue of how a thermal engine operates. The instrument is useless as it stays upright and level until 117 deg. then rises slighty. Too late! At 120 goes into the red, and the lamp comes on at 123. Condenser fans are supposed to come on controlled by the engine ECU, but their logic and behavior is a mistery, seldom I've seen them on, and I was a lot of times in the high side of things ... I made a manual switch and I turn them on when I feel comfortable doing it.

One of my worst moments, and catalyst for a change, was being stuck in summer in the border under a scorching sun with a 76IAT and 123ECT, A/C off because the ECM turns it off to save the engine, 35 deg outside, and a bothered 2yrs old baby and a VERY bothered wife.
Shortly after that mt fan blew off and disintegrated (literally), taking with it battery enclosure, pipes, cowling, radiator, t-stst, steering reservoir, gearbox cooling pipes, and some other bits here and there. That was the .... tipping point.
From there onwards I replaced most of the components myself, and I have been looking at 84-90 since.
Before, every km in hot weather or slow traffic had a vague sense of doom to it.
Curiously enough, at 270K km the engine still soldiers on ... a real champ, can't beat the RV8! :-)

Glad to hear he went thru it. If he does not mind disclosing details about it, I guess it is useful to us all.
Coming from a family in the Milano region, and living in Sofia where now we started with heavier measures, I can only advice not to underestimate this one.
At best, not to be a hassle and not to take resources needed to those who are really fighting it.

Copy all of you guys, N for longer stops, use the manual downshifting. I also keep it off the overdrive in slow traffic if I do not want to go into 4th.

Since we are in the subject, I wonder if when warming up the vehicle in very cold weather, if is worth more to keep the selector in N rather than P, to get the pump/converter fluid moving.
And I am sure is a topic beaten to death, but use the handbrake when in slopes, and do not rely on the g-bx in P.

It would be nice if there was a coating you could apply to extend their life.

I am only aware of a single recommendation from a mate with good experience ... remove the springs, clean them up with warm soapy water to keep them supple and remove all grit which in turn wears them out earlier than expected.
I've fitted all new ones an year ago, but I will try his recommendation this summer, if i ever get the lady moving again ...

Welcome!
Here the ambient is very reassuring for P38 ownership, eh eh ...

Richard question on yours as it is an ex-Police: I've seen some photos of them sporting different mudflaps than the usual plastic contoured ones, and some others with spots in the front grille. Does yours has any of this?

Sorry for the delay, I've found the reference ... EAS System Information Document (1998)*, page 18: "The vehicle should not drop more than 15mm (.6 in.) per day due to leakage."
That is a generous amount ... they were expecting a mess, probably :-)

• need to check if it is in the "pub's library" :-)

I left the laptop with the EAS TS Manual at work, so I do not have the exact value of "accepted drop", but 1" in 6-7 days I think is a sign of a system that has seen better days. Remember this is with battery off, this mean pneumatic loss either from the air springs or valve block. Since it stands on the stands (no pun intended!) there is no way to know how level it stays (in the sense one or more corners are failing). One of my mate's beauty with a full renewed system stays without drop for more than 10 days ....

Ideally, you should leave it at high/off road height, this way the springs are fully inflated and extended. They already spend all their time in normal use at normal height, which contributes to create a uniform area of wear....
Leaving it on high and on stands is a good idea to diminish the crushing effect of the falling weight deflating the springs, even if the compressor will need to work to recover the pressure. How fast does it go up after startup?
Always good to test the system's endurance with electrics on and off, to differentiate from a problem with sensors, ECU or pressure switch, or with the pneumatic part (springs, connectors, lines, valves).

I am sure this is a topic beated to death, these are the only couple things I try to remember religiously ....

I've not used them since long time, I find this link much more useful - until I finally manage to install the cat, that is.

http://lrcat.com/#40

Uhm, this is a nice topic ... to bring a P38 to the XXI century after fixing all its issues (that's enough!) and putting all the options/accessories desired, I'd suggest:

• upgrade headlamps, maybe with suitable LED options;
• install a BMW coolant tank with sensor and a manual override switch for the A/C fans (because is never enoguh redundancy);
• improve soundproofing: the base layout is pretty good for a factory car, but there are a lot of resonance/hollow spots to work on;
• upgrade audio: the speakers are pretty good (at least the high line HK on mine), but the cassette is really outdated ... as mentioned by others, a touchscreen/navi is a nice addition, hands-free for the phone as well;
• make some sort of holder for the spare when you have LPG tank in its place (like I do);
• add lighting and tie-down hooks in the luggage area (considering it was a costly accessory and the threaded holes are there from the factory, makes you wonder why them dudes would not do that directly from the go);

Just some of the stuff on my list!

of course: tune engine :-)))

I am horrified by the beautifully looking Rangies in the "show us..." post ... I have no pic in decent looking shape so I will abstain to post there until I have something meaningful ... just here couple shots of mine, these are old but at least to show

at work on a loaned trailer (mine is single car)

Hi all and thanks!
I realize the location is not noted under the username, although it is in the profile. I am Italian and currently reside in Bulgaria since like ... er many many many years. But I like it here, made bit of a quiet and happy life. Playing with cars, took a while but I got where I wanted to be: a very very very scaled down version of what Gilbertd does, mostly with youngtimers audis and with a very nice crowd, very passionate and honest and friendly.

I did not hail from no other English-speaking LR/4x4 forum, I did spend many hours in all main places to suck in info, but as I say, there was always this strange feeling. Plus not easy to associate with US or AUS guys, their access to parts and suppliers is radically different from Europeans....

As Gilbertd, I wanted to return to LR, but after years of Diesels I really wanted back a petrol engine ... LWB, and tow easily at least 3t ... not many viable options out there, basically Cruisers, Pajos, and Discos and Rangies.
No American junk (I already gave with a Wrangler and it was enough), and no half-stuff like X5, T-reg and that rabble.
Cruisers i did not want a V6, so that rules out the 95 (I guess you know it as "Colorado") and I tried a 100 (Amazon) which is an impressive piece of machinery (I have great respect for HD Toy vehicles, they are really above all except in rustproofing lol), but very very heavy and unwieldy ... a boat to ride, you feel the suspension struggling with the bulk of the vehicle. The Pajo 3.5 is a capable vehicle, but sticking to the V2x series (I am convinced of the advantages of a real axle) means finding very old vehicles ... plus they are smallish!
A RRC? Is a dinosaur, lovely but ... plus can't tow 3t (paperwork) and it is smallish as well ... D1 same, D2 is a very good option but never really convincing for me ... I wanted a Range Rover, and a V8 to that. Ah! and I wanted adjustable suspension!!!
The L322 is a great rapper and soccer player magnet (now outdated even for that!), and amazingly complex and not DIY machine ... that leaves the real last British Range Rover, with its pluses and minuses - all of them very well known!
We will indulge more on that ....

davew I left the RF matter for later on, I have now stripped all the interior and once done will address that! :-)

hugh - you will always have these thoughts ... seems like every past opportunity would have been a good one!

... in my endless quest for understanding the intricacies of maintaining a P38 Range Rover, I've came across this forum some months ago, while researching the (evil) magic of the RF "green dot" "blue dot" and similar, and attracted by Martyuk's knowledge on the matter, I took note of his website and send him an email (which he never answered lol) and though nothing more of it ... yeah, bad, I know.

Time later, in one of my numerous email exchanges with Phil (known here as 'Holland&Holland'), I've noticed in one of his videos this place was mentioned, and I did notice the curious fact I was again redirected here ... so this time I've decided to look more carefully.
And I've found something I was looking for since quite a while: a close community of 'aficionados' to this neglected and fascinating vehicle, which is really much more than the sum of its parts - especially taking into account its history and heritage, development, and giving a lot (in all sense) still over 25 years.... (I also did learn why Marty might have never had time to answer my email as well!).

There are plenty forums online (I am not into FB WH and the like, old fashioned I am), some of them pretty rich in info and people, but there is always a certain 'distaste' getting into them as you belong to the much fabled hated distasteful "black sheep" of the LR family (actually time shows there is plenty dark in many of its siblings also, but less talked about). Also, forums age as cars and people age, and much info is being lost which cannot be maintained if not by those with true spirit of sacrifice. Which from some initial reading (soon will be more), here seems to be plenty lol!
So I hope then to be able to be part of this, and amuse you with some tales of my love and suffering for my beloved Rangie.

She is a 00 4.6 and is my third RR, l had in the past two Classics (a 2-door '85 which I regret deeply losing, and a 4-door EFI Vogue '89 which
I also regret selling). I've also had a Disco 300 '97 (also very much remembered), after which I made a long stint in the Dark Side, where I was dazzled by American and Japanese starlets (some amazingly capable), but somehow I always longed to get back to the Green Oval. Must be the 'imprinting' of those Sandglow vehicles full of mud jumping through rivers and jungles when I was a kid ....

Well, I guess this was long enough for an introduction (I tend to write a looot!). Will see how to post images online to provide more grounds for entertainment, and after gulping a drink or two will find sufficient courage to explain why of all available I've chosen a P38 to return to the fold :-)

Thanks for having me!