Fergie46 said:
Until I got out of the car and shut the door leaving the engine running so as to get my multimeter, where upon it locked itself pretty much at the same time as I noticed the cooling system decanting on the drive.:eek:
Couldn't shut it down or open the bonnet.
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For my sins I get to design process control systems for nukes and explosives. I describe this as "deterministically not letting something go bang".
The P38 is *designed* to go bang - either that or the designers were utterly incompetent.
 
Castor said:
For my sins I get to design process control systems for nukes and explosives. I describe this as "deterministically not letting something go bang".
The P38 is *designed* to go bang - either that or the designers were utterly incompetent.
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Software nerds with no management control:rolleyes:
 
Never, ever close the door on a P38 with the keys inside unless you have opened a window first....that's rule No.2
 
Druim said:
Today it smelt burning, that horrible plasticity/electronics burning.
Everything works, still, but fear something bad is about to happen, left it for an hour and went out to have a sniff, still smell it, can't determine where it's coming from, will need a bit more investigation.:mad::mad::mad:
Could it be the GB ecu like in my old long gone RR:confused: or the HEVAC unit there lost a pixel last month:confused: melting wires:confused: Tomorrows daylight may bring up a clue...

Mind this was played whilst driving: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejorQVy3m8E
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Found it yet?
 
stopover said:
Found it yet?
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Hi there,

Nope, sniffed ecu's, had Lynx diagnostic on it, no faults and smell gone, not sure what happened, will maybe open transfer ecu as that was at fault on previous car, looks totally different to the GEMS though.

Wife said she turned up heating on passengers side on the run, but that shouldn't smell like that:confused:
Been on a test drive, found nothing wrong, probably waiting for a weak moment to attack:D


Tarragon:lalala:
 
Druim said:
Hi there,

Nope, sniffed ecu's, had Lynx diagnostic on it, no faults and smell gone, not sure what happened, will maybe open transfer ecu as that was at fault on previous car, looks totally different to the GEMS though.

Wife said she turned up heating on passengers side on the run, but that shouldn't smell like that:confused:
Been on a test drive, found nothing wrong, probably waiting for a weak moment to attack:D


Tarragon:lalala:
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Corpse of the dead mouse roasting when the heater was turned up:eek:
 
domino said:
After reading horror stories on here about keys, I never leave the key in the car (running or not) without a window being fully open.
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Im totally with you on that! If Im working on it the keys stay firmly in the house unless required to start it then they are taken straight back lol...
 
It's Spring and everyone is having small bonfires to clean up the garden, bet you went through the smoke of one stinky. Used to be a brickworks along the old A1 and that gave off a deadful smoke, you could see cars down the road with their bonnets up thinking their cars burning up!
 
Got time to read a wee tale of woe?
After working away up on the hill yesterday, started up ok (but perhaps a little hesitantly?) and put it into low range to have a 'controlled descent'. All the usual beeps and clunks, but then going downhill it didn't seem to be engine braking as usual. It wasn't that steep or wet so I just kept going using the brakes. Got onto the road, changed back to high range. Beeps and clunks again then lots more warning lamps and beeps. Then it settled down so I thought I would stop it and start it again. Big mistake! Needed a jump from my passing pal to get it going. Tested at battery terminals, obviously not charging. Thought I would head home PDQ. Various beeps and things going off and on until just at my road end massive BEEP - and everything died!:eek: Just enough momentum to pull it into my drive (bloody hell the steering is heavy when the power is off!). Alternator fecked I think. I swear that in its dying moments I saw 'alternator fault' flash up. Question is why no alternator warning lamp? I've since checked the bulb and have searched on here to find that it goes through the Becm. New alternator (and belt) on its way. Will all be well after I fit it? Watch this space...:)
 
I've since put another battery on and there is still no alternator warning light coming on as a check. But the bulb is, as I said, ok.:confused:
 
domino said:
After reading horror stories on here about keys, I never leave the key in the car (running or not) without a window being fully open.
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I don't either in any vehicle, especially phobic about my P38 but even the 650i and the van i won't leave a key in them when its unlocked or running without a window fully open.

Dad on the other hand, is a nightmare for it so every time he borrows the old girl he gets the same lecture DO NOT LEAVE THE KEY IN IT!
 
Thanks Data! Phew! I wondered if I had been a bit hasty ordering a new alternator before checking all other possibilities. Still one has to trust one's intuition ...
I'm getting it from Craddocks, surposedly a 're-manufactured OEM' (?)
So what is the point of the alternator warning lamp? When would it come on? only if the battery is fecked?
 
plumbfisher said:
Thanks Data! Phew! I wondered if I had been a bit hasty ordering a new alternator before checking all other possibilities. Still one has to trust one's intuition ...
I'm getting it from Craddocks, surposedly a 're-manufactured OEM' (?)
So what is the point of the alternator warning lamp? When would it come on? only if the battery is fecked?
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The lamp provides the excitation voltage that starts the alternator charging. On the P38 it goes via the BECM so it's just possible that there is a wiring/BECM problem, however that is unlikely as you got the alternator fault message.
 
plumbfisher said:
So would the alternator not work if the bulb was blown?
How does it 'provide the voltage'?
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In theory that is so, but sometimes the alternator will kick off using residual magnetism.
The lamp gets 12 volts from the ignition circuit, the other end goes to ground through the alternator, when the alternator starts to charge, it raises the voltage to 12 volts so the lamp has the same voltage on each side and therefore goes out. There are several thinks in the alternator that can fail causing the lamp to fail to illuminate.
On the P38 things are a bit different as the BECM is involved, but the principle is the same:)
 
Thanks again. I'll have a look at the Becm to check for any corrosion, (and then probably fit the new alternator anyway!)

"On the P38 things are a bit different as the BECM is involved" . There's a phrase I bet has been said a fairly often! :)
 
plumbfisher said:
Thanks again. I'll have a look at the Becm to check for any corrosion, (and then probably fit the new alternator anyway!)

"On the P38 things are a bit different as the BECM is involved" . There's a phrase I bet has been said a fairly often! :)
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Stick the new alternator on first, look for a problem if the light still does not come on:)
 
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