I think I can see the idle air control valve just below and to the right of the TPS. Just around it is a 'soggy' rubber hose that looks as if it has seen better days - little surface cracks etc - i think it draws air from the valve cover top ? If I remove the valve is it obvious what needs cleaning ?
On one of my rat visits they got into the air intake and made a home in the air filter box chewing up all the paper filter for comfort. I only found out when the car came to a stop and I found the chewed up paper had been sucked into the intake and reached and blocked the wire mesh filter and the air flow ! I cleaned as best I could but it wouldn't surprise me if there are still little bits of paper floating about somewhere. This was a few years ago so don't think it is to do with the current problem.
By the way - you guys on here know so much I can't believe you ever have problems fixing your own cars ! But if you do its a bit worrying because where does that leave a relative beginner like me ?
Right I did check the throttle closing - the strange thing is that it drops to the correct idle speed after car comes to stop and put lever in Park but then after a few seconds rises to the 1000 and up to 1500. Not sure where the idle air control valve is - I do have the manual but one has to be clever enough to know what might need checking in the first place. Found the idle air control detail in the manual but not seen on engine ! One of the short rubber pipes coming from near the throttle housing to the crankcase top looks soft and as if it is turning to glue !!
Ah Orange I seem to be back in favour ! Able to post again. Looking at the internet am I right in thinking the Nanocom does allow you to reset the settings in the ECU ?
Also, I have been driving about (on petrol) hoping for the idle speed to be 'adapted' - it is trying hard and seems to have made up its mind to hover between 700 and a 1000 at first when one makes a stop and puts gear in parked but then rises to abt 1500 and holds there. Is there a clever little guy in the ECU who says to himself - 'Car stopped.- parked - engine running - so set correct idle ? ' Just how long does it take to learn its lesson ?
If anyone is as behind the times as I am and needs a copy of my old EAS software which seems to work ok then let me know.
Thank you - no big panic - there is a tremendous wealth of knowledge here and it must be a lot of work to run things which when I joined I just didn't think of. One takes it for granted as being 'free' - just wondered how the organizers get their reward !
And this morning it still doesn't allow me to log in on the alesi topic - still a 505 error. Actually I'm very impressed with this forum but who actually runs it ? Is it one of you ?
Thanks - getting grey hair here with everything breaking down !
Hi Familiar friends - I know it is not the forum I'm normally on but I can't get onto my Alesi LPG problem forum (called Opening Time!) I get a server error 505 - that is on my Opera and google chrome. I can see them to start but the error comes in when I sign in - any ideas please - expect the system is fed up with me !!
Yes that makes sense - especially if the spark is missing or poor. And as you say one of the difficulties is making changes when the engine is hot. Is there any software free or affordable for our period of Range Rovers like testbook that one can get hold of ? I have the free EAS software from USA which has allowed me to keep the suspension ok. And some garage guys I speak with say they only have the latest testbook/software or modern version so cannot do my 98 P38. Is this because they have made modern RRs able to use affordable diagnostics ?
Some relief - it is now idling at about 1000 after a short drive around the hills. The normal idle was always about 600 -700 so I'm hoping it will 'adapt' more. At least I can drive to town and garages if necessary
Well when I first got the P38 - second hand but in good shape it very soon started problems with running and in those days I could afford to take it to the RR garage and they quickly found the coil pack was faulty which surprised me and changed it at a cost of around 4-500 pounds ! The car ran perfectly afterwards. This time with a similar problem but ten years on, I cleverly bought a second hand coil pack for £35 and changed it in case. Car started, ran smoothly but having warmed up and driving quite slowly in traffic the engine seemed to 'hunt' or run unevenly as if missing again as it had before so I judged that unless the second hand coil pack was also faulty I had not found the fault. I have renewed plugs, leads, coil pack- trued up the LPG with help from wonderful people here but still have this problem on both petrol and LPG.
Repaired what I can see of rat wires and that is a possibility but this is an intermittent fault and seems related to heat.
Haven't had spark tester for years - so now you need 4 but is it just a question of being able to see a spark/light and can you then judge if it is working ok ? Thanks for pointing me to them.
Lurking in my post yesterday is the new Crankcase sensor which I'm scared to touch after my experience with the Throttle position sensor. Assuming it is the right one I read that there are critical washers fitted for different spacing on Manual and Automatic gearbox. I was planning to take it down to Dave on the coast because it is not easy to get at under the car on my sloping dirt track here on the mountain and I'm trying to avoid my 'Army operations in the field' which I have done in the past.
Anyway- going out to try and get the throttle position thing right - hoping that by driving round it will 'self adapt' to the correct idle speed again - crossing fingers but just don't know what that ECU gets up to or how it thinks.
Yes - I think I was careful about refit - the original which I put back on has a slight 'start' on the travel so when throttle closed the potentiometer has started on track a little bit and this was running idle correctly at about 600-700. When I put the new one on there was no 'start' tension and that is when it ran at 2000 idle. I connected the plug on the old one again but took it out of the throttle housing and the idle was ok - presumably because the pot was at zero. When inserted the plastic key is started on track a little bit and this was obviously set at zero volts and ran fine before.
As you suggest - it needs to do the Adaptive thing or be set by testbook or other I think. Grateful for your extensive knowledge but what a nightmare these cars are when old and breaking. My friend here said dump the P38 and keep the classic going - much less trouble he said ........
fair enough - I'm not up on the limitations of the different diagnostic stuff. He is hard to get hold of on the phone so difficult to ask. I remember it was about the shape of a loaf of bread - longer than wide - only about 3-4 inches deep and yellow I think ? - it had a set of chips you plug in at the wire lead entrance for different cars. If it can do the job its worth a journey I suppose.
By the way - if I did the Zavoli autocal again - starts on petrol -and run at the constant 2800 rpm or so as directed , would it reset the main ECU during the procedure and therefore the idling too or is it completely ruled by the main ECU setting ?
Oh thanks - so quick 'cos here I am fretting what the hell to do - I've just this moment looked in my manual and it says - Warning, If the TPS is changed, it is necessary to reset the closed throttle voltage. Are you reasonably certain it will reset over time and if not - there is an English guy on the coast who works out of a shed who has a sort of handheld diagnostic kit for my Range Rover but it is not a proper RR testbook. Do you think it is capable of doing a reset if necessary. Of course, any journey with car in current situation is not easy.
My CPS and TPS have arrived from UK. Now I am in a another fix-seem to be digging a bigger hole with everything I touch. You'll see that with all the help here I got the LPG and everything running ok, starting and idling perfectly apart from the strange occasional misfiring/lack of rpm/power when the engine was hot and only at certain rpm in range abt 1000 -2400.
So I changed the TPS only, (not the CPS) but it may be the wrong type and found car started but then stuck at a fast idle of abt 2000 and will not run slower. So I put the old TPS back in and that now sets the same - high idling. The old TPS apparently worked ok but have I caused the ECU to reset and will it reset itself with driving or does it need a testbook reset !
The new TPS I ordered looks the same but has a slightly different drive shape plastic keyway. The one I bought is here
Thanks Chris, I ordered one at the same time as the cps because with a week to two week delay in post I thought it best to be able to change that too if cps was not the answer. It cost about £20 - worth it if it solves the problem.
That is very kind - but I've just ordered it on ebay - the cost was £39 which I gather is not bad for a LR original. - would be nice to have saved some money because 'A place in the sun' has plenty of sun but not a lot of lolly ! I'm crossing fingers that it is the cps that is at fault but the throttle position sensor could also be playing up - took it off - tested with ohmmeter - sprayed with WD40 but afterwards found some odd differences in the running - like the engine was 'knocking'. My problems all seem engine speed related. Because parts take so long to get here from UK it is not a 'quick' fix.
Thanks for confirming the part - I can't get at it yet so need to be sure. I did find this in a 'genuine' Land Rover box at £40 or so but they vary considerably in price around the web http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/range-rover-p38-crank-sensor-discovery-v8-crank-sensor-err6119-genuine-landrover-/271946056721
Just a query. Still waiting for new set ignition leads - P38 running more or less as it should on LPG or Petrol but still have the missing and lack of power when hot. So am in process of ordering Crankcase sensor and Throttle potentiometer (this for good luck - tested it with ohmmeter and it seems consistent but this was when cool off engine). By the way this part is no longer supplied by Rover and official sites but is still on UK order From MG-Rover-COM new £23.99
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/NEW-LAND-ROVER-TPS-THROTTLE-POSITION-SENSOR-FREELANDER-V6-02-05-SLD100080-/311478731971?hash=item48859444c3:g:C2gAAOSwPcVVybV0
For the Crankcase sensor ERR 6119 (hoping it is right) what I want to ask is would you order a 'factory original' at slightly higher price or go for the aftermarket ones like Island 4x4 http://www.island-4x4.co.uk/crankshaft-position-sensor-disco1-lucas-err6119-p-9787.html
which are not a lot of money ? By the way, these parts come up on ebay USA at horrendous prices -like 160 dollars !!
By the way - this is my second Jeep - this was a Hotchkiss -Willys 'acquired' in France - only 5000 kilometers on the clock - had 24v electrics (fitted for radio) so I had to change back to the 6 volt system- In this picture I am driving Jim Cox to his Wedding in Germany - marrying a German girl seemed to require a number of 'best men' .....................