P38A 'Engine disabled' message on dash.

Datatek · Mar 12, 2022

52 classic said:
Thanks Datatek. Yes, new battery arrived yesterday and has been on charge for at least 24 hours before fitting, it is the one you recommended - lovely looking thing! For that brief interlude of starting just now it worked with either key, no problem. I take that to mean that the keys are capable of synching with BECM? One thing I haven't mentioned is that when trying to start I can hear a relay click from O/S/F under bonnet. IGN lights don't dim or anything.
Looking on bright side, display illuminates when key inserted and goes off when key removed. Good starting point to 'fix my flaps' then!
Also checked if the carpets are dry. They are, although the inside is generally slightly dampish due to lack of use lately.

Just a thought, do you have a wireless door bell, WiFi or other RF device anywhere near the car? If you have, it could be swamping the FOB signal.
Hold the FOB near the rear window on the driver side and see if it works, check if the aerial has been disconnected from the FOB receiver, this is often done to stop battery drain but it also stops auto sync of the FOB when the key is placed in the ignition.

52 classic · Mar 12, 2022

Tried Dan's EKA procedure and Dt's lock synching. No recovery. I guess those few starts must have been a fluke. That RF business sounds plausible. The house's router Wi Fi router is about 20 ft away. I'll try again with it switched off tomorrow,
Can't think of any other source. When the car started, I really thought we had it sorted so I'm very disappointed. Too cold to press on outside tonight! - Still, we live to fight another day

Thanks one and all for your interest. Are we saying that buying a Nano would fix it once and for all? Would a Synchmate gadget be sufficient?

Datatek · Mar 12, 2022

52 classic said:
Tried Dan's EKA procedure and Dt's lock synching. No recovery. I guess those few starts must have been a fluke. That RF business sounds plausible. The house's router Wi Fi router is about 20 ft away. I'll try again with it switched off tomorrow,
Can't think of any other source. When the car started, I really thought we had it sorted so I'm very disappointed. Too cold to press on outside tonight! - Still, we live to fight another day

Thanks one and all for your interest. Are we saying that buying a Nano would fix it once and for all? Would a Synchmate gadget be sufficient?

A syncmate would not be a good investment, it only covers one problem and if the engine started, loss of BECM/EDC sync is not the problem, a Nanocom is the way forward.

52 classic · Mar 12, 2022

Datatek, forgot to ask.. Where will I find that aerial? I have already tried zapping the fob near the pattern on the O/S/R window. Sorry, I see you replied about the Synchmate. Sounds like a Nano. I'll put the word around the family... 70th Birthday soon!!

Datatek · Mar 12, 2022

52 classic said:
Datatek, forgot to ask.. Where will I find that aerial? I have already tried zapping the fob near the pattern on the O/S/R window. Sorry, I see you replied about the Synchmate. Sounds like a Nano. I'll put the word around the family... 70th Birthday soon!!

The receiver is under the plastic shelf that supports the rear parcel shelf between that and the window. It takes a bit of wiggling to get it out of the clps and the plastic is fragile. There will be 2 little black boxes, one is the radio aerial amp, the other the RF receiver photo of the 3 versions below. Only the last version on the right is reliable.

52 classic · Mar 12, 2022

Thanks mate, That's a good starting point for tomorrow.

pete12345 · Mar 12, 2022

It’s probley unplugged

52 classic · Mar 13, 2022

Another try today, 'til rain stopped play. Retrieved the receiver and opened the case. Able to verify that it is the YWY500170 with a green spot. Also checked that there is a 12v permanent supply in the purple wire. All connections look good,
No burnt circuits and no damp in there. Fault is still there so having got it to run about 10 times yesterday is more than a bit frustrating! So, gentlemen, are we saying that a Nanocom is the only way forward. The car is a keeper so the man-maths aren't too hard to fathom. Do we have a friendly, club contact to buy one from? Alternatively do we have any recommendations? How 'model specific' are they? Is it possible to get one to work with the FL2 as well as the P38?
Thanks for all your help but we're not done yet.

Datatek · Mar 13, 2022

52 classic said:
Another try today, 'til rain stopped play. Retrieved the receiver and opened the case. Able to verify that it is the YWY500170 with a green spot. Also checked that there is a 12v permanent supply in the purple wire. All connections look good,
No burnt circuits and no damp in there. Fault is still there so having got it to run about 10 times yesterday is more than a bit frustrating! So, gentlemen, are we saying that a Nanocom is the only way forward. The car is a keeper so the man-maths aren't too hard to fathom. Do we have a friendly, club contact to buy one from? Alternatively do we have any recommendations? How 'model specific' are they? Is it possible to get one to work with the FL2 as well as the P38?
Thanks for all your help but we're not done yet.

Nanocom is certainly the best for the P38, I know it does other models but not sure about the FL2, have a look at the Blackbox-Solutions web site for full info.

pwood999 · Mar 13, 2022

Nanocom needs the correct engine license for P38 (either GEMS, Thor or Diesel). All other P38 ECU's work no matter which license you have.

It does also support FL2 & some other Canbus vehicles, but you need different cables & licenses.

All versions are on this page.

Mark Piercy · Mar 17, 2022

The nano will help you in finding the issue but won't cure it but without it your scrambling in the dark

pete12345 · Mar 17, 2022

That’s where I’ve been going wrong all these years I thought once you plugged it in job done

52 classic · Mar 18, 2022

Nanocom arriving on Tuesday. In the meantime I thought I'd 'air' the interior - windows/sunroof open. Put the key in and it started fine. Flashed up 'alarm fault' for the first start, now it starts on the button. No spurious messages.
That's frustrating but I thought I'd drive it to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, that way I can bear it acting up at either end of the journey. Won't be messing with the locking buttons 'til the Nano gets here tho.'
Either way it will be a while 'til I can trust the bu66er for a proper run!
If the weather holds my plan is to give the old girl a clean up. Good for my morale at least.

Grrrrrr · Mar 18, 2022

52 classic said:
Nanocom arriving on Tuesday. In the meantime I thought I'd 'air' the interior - windows/sunroof open. Put the key in and it started fine. Flashed up 'alarm fault' for the first start, now it starts on the button. No spurious messages.
That's frustrating but I thought I'd drive it to work on Tuesday and Wednesday, that way I can bear it acting up at either end of the journey. Won't be messing with the locking buttons 'til the Nano gets here tho.'
Either way it will be a while 'til I can trust the bu66er for a proper run!
If the weather holds my plan is to give the old girl a clean up. Good for my morale at least.

Might be imagining it but got a vague memory of those ultrasonic sensors acting up and causing alarm fault messsage on the dash?

Datatek · Mar 18, 2022

Grrrrrr said:
Might be imagining it but got a vague memory of those ultrasonic sensors acting up and causing alarm fault messsage on the dash?

They are only operative when the car is super locked, at least that's what the manual says.

52 classic · Mar 18, 2022

That's an interesting idea! Had a problem with those on an A Class Merc. The sensors 'saw' rain on the glass and triggered the alarm. Not too popular at 3 a.m. I solved it by covering them with grey Gaffer tape. Never happened again.

DanClarke · Mar 18, 2022

Having it suddenly agree to work just fine must be intensely galling.

But having a Nanocom is one of the best P38 investments you can make.

pwood999 · Mar 19, 2022

I had random Alarm Fault for a while. Replaced the ultrasonic sensor with one from eBay for £7.99 and fault fixed.

RangeRoller dt · Mar 19, 2022

. Good drive with windows down in nice weather may sort it

52 classic · Apr 28, 2022

By way of an update 'The Duchess' is back on the road! Day by day the errant messages disappeared, functions of things like windows & sunroof corrected themselves so away we went. Now using it for my thrice weekly commute to the restoration shop BUT I still don't have the bottle to use the fob buttons in case I end up back at square one! Nanocom? Not such a success. cutting a long story short, having taken on the chin over a hundred quid's worth of import duty (My own fault I suppose, I voted to leave the EU!) it just never 'fired up' Black Box are helpful so far, all may come good in the end. Thanks for all the advice and reassurance tho' I could have still been struggling!

P38A 'Engine disabled' message on dash.

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