P38 Little Niggles

Hi everyone. am new to the range rover scene and just need a little bit of help. been looking on the site and got a rough idea of what i need to do but just want to double check.

Problem 1: Dashboard and Switch lights - None of these illuminate when the headlights are turned on. I have tried moving the switch on the top of the indicator stalk and it doesnt appear to do anything. The message centre is working and the icons on the dash light up but there is no backlight and none of the switches light up on the heater panel or eas switch or anything. Am i right in thinking that this i down to the switch on the stalk or is there a fuse somewhere that i need to check. If it is the stalk, has anyone on here got one?

Problem 2: Bonnet Open - The previous owner has for some reason fitted quick release catches to the bonnet which has done away with the pull cord on the inside. The lever is still there with both cables attached but they don't feel like they do anything. I really want to restore this back to it's former glory with everything working as it should but am not really sure what parts i need to get to sort this. the bonnet still has the safety catch but there are no buffers or anything else. The message centre is reading that the bonnet is open all the time, even when its shut. Would someone be able to tell me what parts i need to get to sort this out please.

And Finally Problem 3: ABS light - The ABS light has illuminated on the dashboard and just wondered if there is any specific sensor that is more likely to go wrong or do i just need to put it on a diagnostic machine.

Many Thanks in advance. Any Help is greatly appreciated! Steve

:welcome2:
Hello and welcome.
1. Dashboard lights - I've had this once and it was the wiring from the switch. It had broken in places where it exited the stalk. I managed to solder the ends together where they'd broken and it was OK for years afterwards. They weren't chopped right through and looked OK on a visual inspection. Only by 'wiggling' them could I feel they were broken.
2. I think you'd have to find another P38 and compare them side by side to see what you'd need. (If you put your location in, there may be someone nearby who can help).
3. Most common is a wheel sensor but you may be better having the module read for faults as it could be a number of things.

Dash lights could be as simple as multiple bulb failure over time.

I'm in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK, if any one lives close by that would be able to help me.
Willl try what you said bout the wiring, is it a big job or as easy as just taking the steering shroud off and getting the wires there? i have got a handheld obd scanner - will that do the job for the abs sensor?

Yeh but not all the switch lights, HEVAC lighting etc as well. Has to be something common to them all and it's the switch on the stalk or its associated wiring.

right i'll have a look this afternoon and let u know what i find or don't find. will i be able to tell if there's a break in it dead easy? how far from the stalk is it likely to be?
have downloaded the microcat disc from greenoval, would this be able to help with the bonnet issue?

I'm in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK, if any one lives close by that would be able to help me.
Willl try what you said bout the wiring, is it a big job or as easy as just taking the steering shroud off and getting the wires there? i have got a handheld obd scanner - will that do the job for the abs sensor?

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It's a fiddly job as they're very thin wires. You'll see what I mean when you remove the steering column shroud. Not a big job, just fiddly.
The handheld OBD scanner won't comminicate with the ABS ECU. Those scanners only access the engine ECU on the Range Rover and not even that sometimes from what I can gather on here. To access the ABS and any other ECU on the car, you'll either need the official Testbook or a Rovacom or later Faultmate from BlackBox Solutions. It ain't cheap. I think Autologic do one as well but very expensive again.

right i'll have a look this afternoon and let u know what i find or don't find. will i be able to tell if there's a break in it dead easy? how far from the stalk is it likely to be?
have downloaded the microcat disc from greenoval, would this be able to help with the bonnet issue?

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You'll only be able to tell by 'wiggling' the separate wires. I found they were broken where there was a crease in the wire where it was bent. Gentle wiggling highlighted where they were broken. You'll see better when you do each one in turn and can feel any differences between different wires.
Microcat is a good start yes certainly. It doesn't always show you how things go together but it's a good place to start in the absence of another Range Rover to compare side by side.

thanks mate, u been a great help. guna have a look this afternoon and see if i can solve at least one of the probs.

Got the dashboard lights working, for now at least. Got the parts coming to hopefully sort the Bonnet issue out. Just need a bit of advice for a couple of other problems.
1. The rear wiper moves freely and by hand. Surely this should be stiff like the front ones? Does this mean something is damaged on the wiper motor?
2. I have found an automatic rear-view mirror from a ford scorpio ultima fits the bracket on the windscreen, just need a little bit of help with the wiring. i have a found the negative supply from the interior light but which wire would i use as the live? i wired it to the purple but it stays on constant so would drain the battery. i need it to be switched off when the ignition is off.
3. Upon sorting the dashboard lights i have found that the heater/HEVAC panel isnt functioning correctly. the panel itself seems to be heating and blowing but the lcd panel is showing what it's doing correctly, just patches of numbers/letters. is there any way of fixing this. is it just a loose ribbon from the board to the lcd display panel or do i need to replace the whole unit.
Again many thanks in advance.

your rear wiper arm need nipping up the nut is loose..

j the range said:

your rear wiper arm need nipping up the nut is loose..

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A very astute and precise diagnosis J.

thanks j, will try that this afternoon.