P38 1995 2.5 DSE diagnostic tool+ Key fob

Hi i just got a P38 2.5 1995 and i wanted to know how and what to use to check for faults as i have a book on the heater display.

And i have problem to lock/unlock with key fob. Change batterys and that helped but sometimes it works 2-3 feet away then it dont work at all even you go right up to the rear window RF aerial.
Im in broadstairs Kent if anyone close that could help please

Don't know about the book symbol. Do a search for hvac faults on the forum. Check the rf has the antenna connected, may have been disconnected to deal with battery drain, again check the forum, it's a very common fault.

tonyburchell said:

Hi i just got a P38 2.5 1995 and i wanted to know how and what to use to check for faults as i have a book on the heater display.

And i have problem to lock/unlock with key fob. Change batterys and that helped but sometimes it works 2-3 feet away then it dont work at all even you go right up to the rear window RF aerial.
Im in broadstairs Kent if anyone close that could help please

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Your heater (or HEVAC) 'cheque book' display can be one of many faults in the system. Your diagnostics choices go with your budget. It starts with going to a Land Rover Indie and paying him to read the fault. The problem with this is that you'll probably have to pay again to clear the fault from the system oince the actual fault has been repaired.
Then you've got the the BlackBox fault reader and clearer at about £250 although there's a second hand one in the for sale section on here at the moment.
Then there's the BlackBox Nano and Bearmach Hawkeye both around the £400 mark. The Nano seems to be winning this fight at the moment but you pays your money . . .
Then you move up to the all singing, all dancing Black Box, or, if you can find one, the original Land Rover T4 system.

As for your key issue, you need to check up on the RF receiver before you do anything. It might be one of the two older units which is being confused by other signals around you. Or, again, an older unit but a previous owner has disconnected the window aerial to prevent this. Either way it's perfectly possible that it could operate at random and burn your door motors out. Do lots of reading on here before you do anything or spend any money.

Oh and welcome to your new hobby, owning a P38.

Ive recently replaced my RF due to the same fault.
It's now fitted with the 3rd generation RF £170 island 4x4 delivered,and picked up my new key fob from stratstone LR yesterday (ordered key No4 as per mozz's instructions) £132 +vat and its a pleasure to able get in/lock with 1 press of remote lol and no flat battery

Black Box Nanocom EVO is the most comprehensive diagnostic DIY tool available. Faultmate is better but more expensive.

Thanks all for your replys and help.
A little update, i took the Rf aerial off and it works 100% better.
And as i was looking around in the car and found a bit of paper with the EKA number so i tryed it and it works .
I looked at the different types of diagnostic tools you all said. They all very expensive.
You can get an audi one for £30 for a reader and clear faults so why landrover so pricey?????

As per dogsbody!!! you maybe living on borrowed time by removing the antenna as it can eventually fry your door locks.. I didn't fancy going down that road and heartache so £170 for piece of mind was worth every penny imo..

mark1971 said:

As per dogsbody!!! you maybe living on borrowed time by removing the antenna as it can eventually fry your door locks.. I didn't fancy going down that road and heartache so £170 for piece of mind was worth every penny imo..

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Thanks mark i know what your saying but as of yet (touch wood) it dont seem it open and close by it self so far, unless there something i'm missing (new to P38)
I would go and buy a RF reciver but in two minds to keep it or let it go.
As i wanted a greenlaner but thinking this might have too many things to go wrong and leave me on a byway broke down.

tonyburchell said:

Thanks all for your replys and help.
A little update, i took the Rf aerial off and it works 100% better.
And as i was looking around in the car and found a bit of paper with the EKA number so i tryed it and it works .
I looked at the different types of diagnostic tools you all said. They all very expensive.
You can get an audi one for £30 for a reader and clear faults so why landrover so pricey?????

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The P38 was one of the very first electronic cars so the protocols weren't in place so a lot of the systems are unique. Lots of work to break the codes and a fairly restricted market = high prices.

tonyburchell said:

Thanks mark i know what your saying but as of yet (touch wood) it dont seem it open and close by it self so far, unless there something i'm missing (new to P38)
I would go and buy a RF reciver but in two minds to keep it or let it go.
As i wanted a greenlaner but thinking this might have too many things to go wrong and leave me on a byway broke down.

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Look at 996turbo's thread, lots of people off road the P38. Don't wait too long to replace the RF receiver, it will either strand you at a petrol station or burn the locks or do both sooner or later.

Is it just a case of replacing the RF Receiver and re synching the key? My central locking has developed a mind of its own recently, locking and unlocking at will! Or do I need to do something else afterwards?

AntDB74 said:

Is it just a case of replacing the RF Receiver and re synching the key? My central locking has developed a mind of its own recently, locking and unlocking at will! Or do I need to do something else afterwards?

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The RF receiver is just that, a receiver. It doesn't need any form of setting up, just plugging in.

As for the doors locking / unlocking if this is happening as you're driving I'd have a look at the door lock mechanisms. Something loose? A failing microswitch? Mine does this but I've never got the bottom of it and it only happens every few months so I've given up.

dogsbody said:

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As for the doors locking / unlocking if this is happening as you're driving I'd have a look at the door lock mechanisms. Something loose? A failing microswitch? Mine does this but I've never got the bottom of it and it only happens every few months so I've given up.

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Yes it happens as I'm driving, first happened a few months back, then stopped. It also however happens when the car is parked up, so am thinking that will drain the battery? Central locking doesn't work on the drivers door /boot, opens all the others though so maybe I need to start with that problem!!

Datatek said:

Look at 996turbo's thread, lots of people off road the P38. Don't wait too long to replace the RF receiver, it will either strand you at a petrol station or burn the locks or do both sooner or later.

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I disconnected the RF receiver on mine as it was waking up. This was six months ago and I haven't had any problems with the locks opening/locking by themselves?

stjohnsmythe said:

I disconnected the RF receiver on mine as it was waking up. This was six months ago and I haven't had any problems with the locks opening/locking by themselves?

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Funnily enough I've just been talking to Rick-the-Pick (all hail the great BECM god) about this and he reckons that most are caused in the driver's door lock with a rod bouncing.