2 questions about my new p38. please help

hey guys. this is my first thread on here, but have been reading and studying past threads very diligently. I have 2 questions for you guys that seem to be a very big problem. my truck is a 99 rr 4.0, but i don't know if it is a S or a SE. i think it has the old engine, not the one that they put in in 1999, but am not sure at all. thanks in advance for listening and all the help.

number 1: the truck will not shift. the only way to drive it is to start in D1, and go up each gear from there by manually shifting the shifter. Maybe a sensor in the tranny that is supposed to change gears? This only happened the day after I bought the truck.

number 2: any time i turn the wheel, there is a pretty loud clanking in the wheels, can't tell which ones. I tried to look under the truck, but it did not come with a jack, so I can't take off the wheels, nor do i think i want to, after what i read can happen to the airbags if you lift the truck.

I am hoping i did not make a very big mistake. I got the truck for $5,000, and thought that this was a great deal, until i saw the problems it had, and started to read about these beautiful but expensive trucks. thanks again.

Hi.
When my "first gear" went i could drive off in 1st and then shift into drive at which point it would drive normally until ithe car became stationary again. Try this to see if it is "First Gear" only.
When you say a clanking noise, is it when the vehicle is stationary or movinng.
What are the problems you've heard about when jacking the vehicle up ?

Cheers, Nick.

It is definitely all my gears. It seems to be some kind of gear shift sensor? I can drive it normally when I finally get it into Drive, but as soon as I even slow down, the tranny will not downshift, and I will usually have to stop to start all over again at first gear. Also, i can hear the clanking when ever I turn the wheels, either moving or stopped. I have heard that lifting the vehicle the wrong way can pop the airbags out of form? or stetch? or something like that. but, i don't even have a jack, didn't come with the truck, and really need to get one. any problems jacking up yours? thanks for the time.

Hi again.
Have you checked the fluid level in the gearbox ? It is a little tricky as you need it running in neutral i think and according to some people i used to know who used to work for landrover they took the dip stick off the car as people were filling it incorrectly, so a trip to a Land rover specialist is a must( I changed the drive train in my 38's gear box and don't remember any extra wiring for sensors apart from the abs/traction control and hi/lo ratio solenoid).
Can you be more specific about the clanking noise, is it when you turn the steering wheel or when you drive along the road, ie the road whells making the noise ?
Lastly the problem with jacking up the vehicle is only if you jack up the body and not the axle's, and quite honestly you would have to jack the body about 2 feet into the air before it would be a problem. At an open day at a sand pit i got my p38 stuck on a sand ridge with all four wheels off the floor, t/c desperatly trying to find traction with the car sat on the sills, my friend pulled the car off the ridge with no ill effect.

Cheers, Nick.

i have not figured out how to check the fluid in the gearbox, and figured i would maybe have to bring to a dealer. the clanking happens when i am moving very slow, like less than 5 or 10 mph, either reverse or drive. sounds like some sort of loud metal clank! i think it is in the front and the back, so any common problems in the wheels, axles, etc? anything helps at this point. I don't have the money to bring to the dealer right now, so I have been driving like this for a little while now.

Hi.
I really don't know what the noise is. I think that you need to raise the 38 up and check all the prop shafts and make sure the wheel bearings are good and that all is secure underneath as something in the drivetrain could fail while you are driving. Dont go under the car unless it's supported with axle stands.
Let me know what you find.

Cheers, Nick.

As for Question 1 - First action is to change the gear box oil/fluid. This cures many problems. Question 2 - On full lock you often get strange noises, I noises are present when rolling then poss bearings? You did after all buy a P38, so there are always a few gremlins to sort out!!

not exactly sure what poss bearings are. I am going to check it all out and let u guys know what happens.

d.weglarz13 said:

not exactly sure what poss bearings are. I am going to check it all out and let u guys know what happens.

Click to expand...

Poss = Possible, it's our quaint way of shortening words to confuse our US cousins

oh, cool. thanks for the help everyone.