StuckAgainSteve said:
It's an old and fairly complex car - you cannot expect metronomic reliability!
Click to expand...

The only thing I have learnt to rely on with this one is that it is never reliable.

I know when I try to start it tomorrow, because I don't need it, it will probably start. When I need it the next day, it will not.
 
I guess I've been pretty lucky with mine, over 30K of fairly trouble-free miles, a coil pack went losing two cylinders recently but it still ran - no breakdown.
 
lil4399 said:
The only thing I have learnt to rely on with this one is that it is never reliable.

I know when I try to start it tomorrow, because I don't need it, it will probably start. When I need it the next day, it will not.
Click to expand...

Got to be fixable what you need is a good mechanic. Lot of the reliability problems with P38s are people who don't know what they are doing trying to fix them on the cheap. If you can't do ALL your own work don't buy one. If a good mechanic bought that off you for scrap value, he would have the bargain of the century. There is nothing that is not fixable if you know what you're doing..
 
CAN FULLY understand your frustration mate,however Im coming to uk in couple of weeks time could do with a new project,its much nicer working on the car here in the sun than in cold an miserable blighty!!
Pm me a realistic price fornit and will come and visit you and drive it to Spain, where if it breaks down i have my other one which is now reliable,so it wont matter to me if it stops or has a sulk,only thing i dont like is the auto bax but i suppose i could get used to it?
 
They often won't start, batteries loose volts. I have tried everything including the latest RF. Car might last three days if lucky..... the cold doesn't help SO...... I always carry on of these Sealey Road Start Power System - Demon Tweeks

A couple of minutes and I am away. Useful for helping others too. A must. Just remember to charge it up when needed.

Just an afterthought: I find that if I try to start in D and get click, click I then select Neutral, wait a moment or two and try again to start, and holding the key in, it often does??? must be an earth difference?
 
Last edited:
if you have to let it go like that...scrap money.
i'll have it.

drive it down to me, midlands (i pay the fuel) and then i will take you home.
 
stopover said:
They often won't start, batteries loose volts. I have tried everything including the latest RF. Car might last three days if lucky..... the cold doesn't help SO...... I always carry on of these Sealey Road Start Power System - Demon Tweeks

A couple of minutes and I am away. Useful for helping others too. A must. Just remember to charge it up when needed.

Just an afterthought: I find that if I try to start in D and get click, click I then select Neutral, wait a moment or two and try again to start, and holding the key in, it often does??? must be an earth difference?
Click to expand...
I have never had a problem starting mine except when the battery failed. With a decent battery, correct charging voltage it starts first time every time.
 
lil4399 said:
Well my P38 experience is over I have decided enough is enough of what must be the worst car ever built. Unbelievably by Land Rover who make the greatest.

I have owned it for 4 years, got stung buying it - overheated on the way home! bought new: Radiator, Viscous fan, water pump, then eventually the head. It had a new engine at 80k but obviously cheap-skated on the rad etc so the head went.

ran ok for a year then had to change all the air bags.

had starting problems so new battery. cured for a while, but then they came back. recent issues, new alternator fitted 4 weeks ago. SRS light came on (intermittent at first) then "select neutral" - works in every gear, high and low range.

Last few days I have been under 3ft of snow and surprise surprise, the bastard will not start. The only time I REALLY need 4WD it will not start. Walk/dig through 8ft snow drifts on my lane to a main road and hitch lift to work.

So it is going.
Click to expand...

I feel your frustration. It took me 12 months or so just to get my old RRC running let alone anything else. I'm not really in to P38's but it seems a shame to break a fundamentally sound car. I might take a chance on it, but also, would be willing to offer some help if you want. A battery drain can't be that hard to find (can it?) and I'm sure with help from those who know much better than me it can be fixed.
 
classic kev said:
I feel your frustration. It took me 12 months or so just to get my old RRC running let alone anything else. I'm not really in to P38's but it seems a shame to break a fundamentally sound car. I might take a chance on it, but also, would be willing to offer some help if you want. A battery drain can't be that hard to find (can it?) and I'm sure with help from those who know much better than me it can be fixed.
Click to expand...

Kev, you are so close to me I am sure you must have heard me having a Faulty Towers moment (Daily actually)

I took the outlet pipe off the pump today and turned the ignition on, the pressure did not seem right so I put another one on (I always have spares as I run biofuel and eat pumps) jump started it from missus pug and vroom, it runs.

new problem, take the ignition key out and the screen says it still in and will not let me lock the car!!!

drove 8 miles to Rhyl for a meeting, coming home, car went cold, temp guage off scale and light on. Stop, lift bonnet, everything as it should be, released a bit of water from expansion bottle, restarted, gauge dropped to normal and drove home at normal temperature.

still telling me the key is in as I walk away.

This car REALLY is the spawn of the devil.
 
Key In warning is due to sticky ignition barrel switch....use a air can/compressor and blow out the switch then use some Graphite Powder on the key and lube the lock with that, don't use WD40!
 
stopover said:
They often won't start, batteries loose volts. I have tried everything including the latest RF. Car might last three days if lucky..... the cold doesn't help SO...... I always carry on of these Sealey Road Start Power System - Demon Tweeks

A couple of minutes and I am away. Useful for helping others too. A must. Just remember to charge it up when needed.

Just an afterthought: I find that if I try to start in D and get click, click I then select Neutral, wait a moment or two and try again to start, and holding the key in, it often does??? must be an earth difference?
Click to expand...

Stopover,

I have to put this car on a trickle charge EVERY night. My local garage says it starts the next morning for them, so I put it down to the big metal box on a post 10m away (power cables) it hums so must have high voltage. That or mine & my next door internet and cordless doorbells.

I carry a clark jumpstart at all times but this devil car can take the jumpstart and jump leads from another car and still not start!
 
lil4399 said:
Stopover,

I have to put this car on a trickle charge EVERY night. My local garage says it starts the next morning for them, so I put it down to the big metal box on a post 10m away (power cables) it hums so must have high voltage. That or mine & my next door internet and cordless doorbells.

I carry a clark jumpstart at all times but this devil car can take the jumpstart and jump leads from another car and still not start!
Click to expand...

Spurious RF could be an issue. If you want to, you are welcome to park it up here then come back the following day and see if it starts. I'm also quite happy to stick a volt meter on it and see if there are any obvious issues with battery and/or alternator. unfortunately I don't have a clamp meter so can't test for battery leakage. One other thought on the battery drain, could there be an issue with a sticky relay somewhere?

I am no way experienced in the foibles of the P38 but understand the fusebox and relays are a known gremlin. Wonder if it would be worthwhile checking it out.

As I said, I am not very familiar with the P38 but if you want to pop up here I am happy to offer assistance, silly thoughts or in the alternative a very big sledge hammer!
 
lil4399 said:
Stopover,

I have to put this car on a trickle charge EVERY night. My local garage says it starts the next morning for them, so I put it down to the big metal box on a post 10m away (power cables) it hums so must have high voltage. That or mine & my next door internet and cordless doorbells.

I carry a clark jumpstart at all times but this devil car can take the jumpstart and jump leads from another car and still not start!
Click to expand...
That's the standard RF receiver problem. Easy fix but not cheap. key in ignition also easy to fix and dirt cheap.
Running on veg oil always causes problems in the cold.
 
lil4399 said:
Stopover,

I have to put this car on a trickle charge EVERY night. My local garage says it starts the next morning for them, so I put it down to the big metal box on a post 10m away (power cables) it hums so must have high voltage. That or mine & my next door internet and cordless doorbells.
Click to expand...

Out of interest have you removed the RF aerial from the receiver? or has the car got the improved receiver unit? the other thing I wonder about is if there has been any check on whether or not the BECM is going to sleep. I vaguely remember seeing a post how to check this - might be worth a go.Let's face it, you'd kick yourself if the battery drain part of the annoyance could be quickly and easily fixed as opposed to scrapping the car.

HTH
 
Datatek said:
That's the standard RF receiver problem. Easy fix but not cheap. key in ignition also easy to fix and dirt cheap.
Running on veg oil always causes problems in the cold.
Click to expand...

Absolutely, when I got my P38 I was living away for work and staying on a little farm, no charge problems, when I returned to London the battery was flat within two days, I changed to the new RF receiver and have had no problems since, I can leave my car for weeks and it will start on the button. I live on a typical busy London High Road, turn a computer on in my house and you get three pages of available WiFi connections! Electrical noise everywhere and not a single problem since changing the receiver.
 
I did disconnect the rf but that had no difference, the key issue has stopped itself today(!?!) and instead overheated....

The water was coming from the cap rather than the overflow pipe as it did when the head went so ordered a new cap - I just can't help myself replacing things!!

If the overheating issue is sorted with the cap I will look at the gearbox issue again before it goes so..

.

.

sixty four million dollar question

.
.
.
what the f..k can be causing the "select neutral" I have changed the transfer box ecu, cleaned all the conections on the switch/ motor on the side of the gearbox, loosened ;the bolts on the motor / switch and tried to move (it didn't) what else can I try?

all gears work - high and low, if I put it in sport the light comes on then goes off, the indicators do not click (the "select neutral" issue happened before, the clicking of the indicators went with it, when the message stopped coming up, the clicking started again)

so what to try next?

Classic Kev, may take you up on the offer as I am at the point of needing moral support.

200tdi - all offer are binding lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Radar1946
P38A 12.5 volts and not enough to start engine.
2
Replies
23
Views
1K
Radar1946
Radar1946
G
RR 55 plate l322 vogue
2
Replies
30
Views
1K
stuu
stuu
seldom
Heated screen and seat
Replies
4
Views
156
Graculus
Graculus
marjon
L322 Key fob case replacement.
Replies
5
Views
403
marjon
marjon
D
P38 in need of some love
Replies
7
Views
776
stuu
stuu