P38 Starting Problems

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fredzefisher

New Member
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26
Hi - I have a starting problem with my 1998 p38 4.6. I have recently has the engine out to confirm a slipped liner and have now rebuilt it and will just live with this problem. However, since the rebuild I have had a range of starting issues. Firstly the engine would not turn over and just clicked. This was put down to a faulty key which I have now had replaced. Again the problem resurfaced but I managed to get it started. However, after a few days of starting and running without problems the engine again will not turn over and the check engine light is not illuminated. I have read plenty on the boards about the lack of communication between the BECM and the ecu and would think that this is the problem. However, my question is... if it is this and it needs a resynch, would this not be a permanent problem rather than just temperamental Am I overlooking a loose connection somewhere?
I have been underneath and fiddled with the connector (crankshaft sensor?) Also the battery has been changed at the same time as the engine rebuild (65ah big enough??)

Any help would be greatly appreciated
 
you need a bigger battery for a start, amd depnding where you park that could be a problem too, you may find everytime you have low amps it will go out of sync get your self a resync box and a new batery allso put where you are there maybe somebody close by that could help you ..
 
Hi J

Thanks for the reply! Is the battery likely to be the problem then? I am near Cheltenham. We have the odd LR place in town but getting to them might be difficult! I will try a new battery tomorrow and see what that brings but `i suppose once it is out of sync, it is out of sync

Thanks
 
Not sure of the link between getting a click when you try and start it and a faulty key. I had a similar problem a few months back where once in a while when I tried to start it I would just get a click. I was convinced it was a battery problem even though the battery was less than 6 months old. Eventually an intermitant problem became a solid fail and the culprit was the starter motor. Fifty quid later a new starter motor solved the problem. This of course doesn't explain the engine light not coming on which I understand is a straightforward sync issue.
I don't think the crank position sensor comes into the mix here as the engine would spin but just not fire.
 
thanks for everyones input so far. it is not the starter motor as I have rigged a bypass and the starter is fine. When it was starting there was a 1/2 second delay between turning the key to 2 and getting a spin on the starter motor which I assumed was the message getting through the ecu
 
no engine light out of sync the battery you have on is to small when the amps get low your car will go out of sync again. yes a new battery will not start your car till you have it resynced. i only now this **** as i went thought it with mine and if you had a thur powered r/r i would have sent you a resync box to sort it for you like i have many others off here, if you just get resync without putting on a bigger battery you will have the same problem as soon as your amps drop good luck ..
 
thanks j the range for your input. I am off to buy a new battery this morning and will see if that makes a difference - it might do it without resynching as it has started intermittently in the last week or so. If it does start once then it is fine for a day of hard intermittent use i.e. drive for 10 mins and stop for an hour at least 5 times during one day. It is just that the following day it is dead. Anyway I will let you know how I get on and thanks again
 
its a blackbox resync toool that you need around the £120 it wont go back into sync on its own i am sure of that there is a giy on ebay that hires them out for £25 or there was tbh i bought mine as i was fed up with paying £60 for somebody to come out for two mins. i would say buy one and keep it in your car unless anybody on here has one that would lend you it. i will be away now for a week if you could leave me a pm to let me know that you got it sorted best of luck j..
 
Well, thank you j the range for the advice. Iw as always a bit unsure about the battery as I was a tightwad and bought it from a breakers yard. Have now spent nigh on £100 on a halfords battery with 510 starting amps and hey presto, we are back on the road! Thank you to everyone who replied to my original post in such quick order!!

Now another q... I still have my old 1990 classic 3.9 lpg converted which has sat in a field for 18 months, taken off the road due to headliner and tailgate problems. Came to it the other day and it fired up 1st time! i am now considering putting it back on the road and getting the lining, odd rust spots and tailgate back to standard.
Has anyone got any experience of this and is it worth it in the end (budget around £3k)? The engine has done 102k and has never given me a problem. I listed it on ebay and it only reached £700 hence my thinking about getting it back on the road and in good order (rub down & respray, headiner, tailgate top and any other hidden issues)

Thanks
 
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