Autobiography...

I am totally new to 4x4, and I recently found a gem ..s98 Autobiography, I am really happy with it, but after reading the handbook cover to cover ( I know, I had some time off work!) I still am having a few questions on how to figure out some of the meanings.
I have an ABS light which comes on for 1 second then goes out and comes on again until I start to move and then goes off. Is this normal?
I have electric seats ( without memory )I think was was the only thing that wasn't ticked on the options list! But I can't seem to get the drivers seat to the same height as the passengers seat. The tipping or tilting works fine as well as the lumbar, however the rise and fall does not...any ideas on this ? I had a quick peek under the seat and on activation of the switch I can actually see a tiny movement of the motor itself and the spindle spinning in both directions, it is like the switch cable and motor all work but no physical movement of the seat up and down. Is it worth repairing-I mean is it easy to fix!?
The car has built in satnav Carin ( i think) is there an updated version of this CD- seems slow and the directions are a bit off ( compared to my faithfull tomtom!)

Sorry for all the questions, but I am sure there are some of you who really know your stuff. I reluctant to drive into a stealership, as I am quite a hands on fella, I will give it try to see if I can fix it. One thing I have noticed, the lack of part numbers on some of the small parts- is there a online manual or service repair manual anywhere?

I look forward to your replies!!

nothing?

ABS light should come on as you start up & goes off after a few seconds - as long as it don't come on when yer drivin you should be ok

elec seats - may be the motor - see the workshop manual (below)

land rover sat nav is well known for being useless - stick to tom tom (you can buy an updated cd but it's expensive - the 2006 edition is £104 - see here

download the 'rave cd' (workshop manual, owners handbook & other technical stuff in pdf format) from here (free) - you need rave cd2 for the p38

I'm sorry to say your Autobiography is a fake.

Autobiography's were only sold in post 1999. The P38 Autobiography Edition was available from 1999, so anything pre that is suspect.

The best way to tell is under the bonnet. There should be a Land Rover Special Vehicle Plaque, stating it is an Autobiography and you can check the number with any dealer.

Check the interior, it should all be real wood covering the centre console and if there is no sat-nav it should have a Autobiography badge embedded into the wood next to the clock. The badge on the rear should be a proper solid one not a flat one.

It will be on the slam panel under the bonnet. So where the VIN number sticker is look along there and it will be there somewhere, it's near the air filter, very easy to spot, but a quick call to Land Rover with the VIN will also confirm. Some also don't have any paint code stamped on as the brochure has custom options available.

adamforeman said:

I'm sorry to say your Autobiography is a fake.
.

Click to expand...

aye - was going to ask him if it was a genuine 'autobiography' as I know a lot of the ones that say they are , AREN'T - but didn't know when they started

oh well - guess that's made his day

Your probably right- it does have the usual HSE spec, it does have sat nav, wood centre, solid badge on the back, coloured bumpers, full nudge bar, safari lamps, HK sound, tinted glass etc....no bagde thing under the bonnet??? what does it look like anyone have a picture of one?

stu PID said:

Kick a man while he is down.

Click to expand...

I was trying to help, if I bought something that turned out to be faulty or in his case fake, I would want to know....its against the trades description act and he should seek compensation or legal advice if he specifically wanted teh car he thought he was buying.

So many people have been taken in by these and have paid a lot of money on the pretence that they were buying a Special Edition.

If he paid the standard price for it and he is happy for a "Lookalike" then that's fine....just that I thought he should be aware.

the seller owned the car from new- I even have the original invoice, it does not state it as an autobiography, but according the original sales brochure any extras that are purchased from new on a HSE or are personalised to the customers requirements "becomes" an autobiography? I am not praying for it to be an autobiography, but a car costing nearly £60k, with nearly every extra on it, seemed to me the real deal. I did call the dealership but they don't have records going back to late 98- so I am at a dead end there! Any ideas?

Canyon said:

the seller owned the car from new- I even have the original invoice, it does not state it as an autobiography, but according the original sales brochure any extras that are purchased from new on a HSE or are personalised to the customers requirements "becomes" an autobiography?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately, when talking about P38 Range Rovers NOT L322's (2002-onwards), an HSE with addon's is still an HSE. In the same way my 4.0 SE is a standard SE but has additional upgrades made at the time of purchase or after sales.

History of 4.6 HSE Autobiography Edition: These were luxury models that were the top of the line model in Europe. The Autobiography Edition was not sold in the U.S. but they were available in North America through the Canadian dealer network, so some may be in the U.S.. The Autobiography models had custom colour seat piping and full wood kits on the cash and centre console (including wood shift lever and parking brake handle). The wood piece below the centre console storage bin had the Autobiography script logo. This logo was also on the tailgate next to the 4.6HSE logo. Real Land Rover Autobiography models will have a numbered Land Rover Special Vehicles plaque with the Autobiography under the hood (similar to the plaque under the hood of the supercharged 4.6 SSE made in the U.S. by Cameron Concepts).

It can be a bit of a mine field model codes, i have a 1999 DSE which was sold as a DHSE by the Land Rover dealer but is a DSE limted eddition and have a letter from Land Rover saying that. I know mine has the same spec as a DHSE , its listed in parkers and Glass guide as a DSE + bloody mine field.

Well ive just purchased a p38 1996 and on the log book its down as an hse,but it has all the autobiography bits on it wood,elec heated leather,18"s,etc,including the land rover special vehicles plate under the bonnet.i believe that it is a genuine autobiography.

p38lee said:

Well ive just purchased a p38 1996 and on the log book its down as an hse,but it has all the autobiography bits on it wood,elec heated leather,18"s,etc,including the land rover special vehicles plate under the bonnet.i believe that it is a genuine autobiography.

Click to expand...

Nope, afraid not, if its prior to 1999 it can not be an Autobiography as they were Special Editions only and not part of the standard range. Yours is yet another HSE with extras.

Here is a link to all 1999 Model Year Range Rover Special Editions.

1999 Range Rover

You will note that the Autobiography is there....and not sold prior to that.

anyway.... whos got a copy of the latest sat nav cd?

Canyon said:

anyway.... whos got a copy of the latest sat nav cd?

Click to expand...

Josef Kenyon used to sell them but they have ceased trading.

Siemens VDO Navigation spares and service, maps for Carin navigation, C-IQ systems and standard systems contact VDO 0121 324 1234

for nearest dealer and for network dealers, contact Auto Audio, 35 Wakefield road, Swillington, Leeds LS26 8DT. 0113 286 2970

adamforeman said:

Here is a link to all 1999 Model Year Range Rover Special Editions.

Click to expand...

Had a look at the link and it seems specific to NAS cars. Mine is a '99 (2000MY) RR badged and registered as a Vogue SE. The Vogue and Vogue SE (limited edition) were UK cars and are not listed on the link.
I do agree however that there seem to be a lot of fake Autobiography cars out there and buyers need to be very careful about what they are buying. It's just too easy these days to buy a few bits and a badge of Egay trying to make something out of nothing.

I actually spoke to LR Special vehicles Identification dept and they said strictly, not all Autobiographies were "plated" as them- they seem to have put them on vehicles that had a lot of optional extras like the flip out tables , two tone leather, video players, 7 seat conversion etc...he told me some dealerships would put them on at there discretion- as the factory fitted options increased the lead time by 6 weeks....

Autobiography. I am new to this 4x4 as well, having just bought an autobiography 2010 plate. Love the bloody thing to bits. Joined this site, only to see how many of them might be fake. I found a website Total Car Check (app) which details the Vechile being registered new, mine is quite clearly an Autobiography. Thought I would point it out, as you could input the registration before purchase. At the moment saving up for its service!!