RR P38's

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funrover

funrover

Active Member
Posts
276
Location
Camrose - Haverfordwest
Ello!

I've been contemplating a p38 for a long time, having had a fair few VERY boring cars since my last RRC Trb'd

I have in my sights a 2001 p38 2.5 dhse with 112k. I'm not expecting it to be faultless sooo what are the things to look out for?... lol

my Previous rrc's were eaten alive by metal moth is this a P38 problem?
and how are the electrics? i've heard many a horror story regarding p38s and their electrics surely they arn't that bad :rolleyes::p

cheers all...
 
They are ok to fix if you are skilled with spanners and can work logically to figure out what fault is and listen to experts on here
Electronics can be a pain but not impossible again if you listen to the experts on here
 
+1 on P38's being rust free. About the only RR that doesnt suffer. Only issues tend to be bubbling around rear wheel arches & bottom edge of lower tailgate.
The diesel is the more reliable. My old '02 4.6 never gave any electrickery issues in 5 years but engine problems were horrendous. No P38 likes a weak battery & can cause them to throw spurious faults.
EAS can be troublesome if left to develop faults but easy enough to maintain. If you can get diagnostics you'll save yourself alot of time chasing down faults.
As said, just about every fault with a P38 is documented on here & many knowledgable folks to help out.
 
Issues.

EAS. Easy enough to fix but can be a sod to find the niggle.

RF receiver needs to be gen. 3 upgrade to avoid battery drain.

Alternator on diesel cannot handle modern calcium batteries so will eat them without a 15 quid tinker.

Lift pump and FIP tend to fail on the diesel around 130k miles.

Viscous fans go from time to time and original plastic water pump has been known to break up. If cooling not kept in top condition it will trash the head.

Viscous coupling between front and rear wheels can go. Seems to be hit and miss but if it does go it is expensive.

ABS can give niggles. Usually it is the black ball on top of the pump which is cheap enough. If you leave air in the system or don't replace the ball then it wears the ABS pump out and then it is major money.

headlining will drop but cheap and easy to replace.

I'd say budget a grand for parts in the first year or so.
 
The V8 is a good engine as long as you change the oil often.
Agreed EAS can be a pain but I reckon the most common awkward fault is a blown exhaust
 
The only rust to look out for is the brake pipe that goes over the fuel tank at the rear its very hard to pick as its hidden from underneath.
Suspension air bag can perish and leak slowly and should be replaced every 8 to 10 years but they are reasonably cheap.If its been converted to springs then you will get abused on this forum. I have owned my P38 for 10n years now and done about 130000 miles in it bringing the total up to 235000 and have had my fair share of problems but then I have taken it to Mongolia twice and driven through Russia about 5 times and also done most of Europe and Turkey and Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan .
 
oakey said:
The V8 is a good engine as long as you change the oil often.
Click to expand...
It's very simple to work on. Head gaskets go, but they're pretty simple to do. The biggest problem I have is keeping the damn thing oil tight....
There is an advantage here too though if you choose to see it that way. The underside of my car is completely rust free, and the oil gets changed all the time as I top it up!
My P38 is the best car I've ever had. It's not been any more expensive to own than a Mondeo I don't think. I bought it at 65000 miles it's up to 130000 now and it's never left me stranded anywhere. I do do preventative maintanence on it, but you should do that for any car.
 
That's not really a fair test. I've just invested loads in the last month sorting all the niggles and attempting to avert future issues.
The Mondeo needed loads of odds and sods, but as I was just driving it into the ground I only fixed the stuff that mattered to the MOT!
 
One thing's for sure. You won't be bored. I've never been a fan of diesels and the word on the street is they're short of wind. If you're on the move from good ol fashioned plugs, points, timing and carb jet diagnostics you're in for a complete laugh. If you can keep abreast of a later V8 you're in. The modern equivalent runs into 5 or six figures. I've had my labotomy, by the way. Beats real world.
 
well i've bought a light blue 4.6!!

with a leaking transferbox and engine lol.

my first problem.. Already is when i selected Reverse it didn't engage i had to go to park and back to R for it to work ugh.
 
Sounds like the xyz switch might be at fault. Mines a bit iffy between D and 3 so the lever goes into the detent but it doesn't always select the right gear. I've learnt to live with it for now.
 
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