Andyl

I'm only guessing at cam shaft wear, I haven't really looked. No obvious signs, no tapping (but there might not be with hydraulic lifters anyway), just a gradual loss of performance as the miles built up, similar to what I had on a 3.5 years ago that an expert dealer pronounced as camshaft wear. Worn lobes and thus lack of lift I assume. I sold that one without looking at the camshaft (traded it in to a dealer actually) This one I intend to take a look at one day! Cheers, Andy

Having owned 3.5, 3.9, 4.2 and 4.6, I think my favourite engine is the 4.2. Mine reached 147,000 before I retired it to the "to be restored when I have the time to do it properly" park. It was feeling it's age by then, cam shaft wear I think. Still love it and I'll look at it one day... Andy

I've come across installers who CAN'T work on stuff fitted by other installers, usually because they don't have the spares, or more often they don't have the right software for that brand and can't diagnose/set up the system. I've only ever had sequential systems though. I have a couple of local installers who I buy gas from, but had to take my OMVL system to a an installer in the next county north for a service, after that I had a Prinz system, which I had to take to an installer in the next county south!

Thanks for the pointers, that should keep me busy for an evening! Cheers, Andy

OK, so that was the fuel system relay. Changed that, started OK. Next day I moved it a short distance and when I took the key out the engine didn't stop for a few seconds! When it did stop I heard a buzzing noise still coming from under the bonnet and the fuel light was still on for the LPG. Tried turning on/off, lock/unlock, etc. Opened the bonnet and found that a relay (the main ignition relay I think) was buzzing furiously. Replaced that, battery was then flat so couldn't try it. Strangely the wipers were in the middle of the screen and I don't remember it raining when I moved it. Charged and reconnected battery - key code lock out leave it for 1/2 hour... Then someone mentioned to me that the windscreen wipers were going. Car locked, key in my pocket, wipers weren't going when I left it. sure enough, they were going. Wiper switch off, ignition off, car locked and wipers started themselves up on their own! Couldn't find a wiper fuse, so removed both wiper relays and they stopped. Is my car cursed or is there something in / under the engine bay fuse box that can do this kind of thing? It could be the famous P38 electrical gremlin sitting in the engine bay chewing wires at random! Oh why did I ever buy a P38! should have stuck with a classic, at least rust is predictable! Help! Cheers, Andy (Slightly desperate and a little more disheartened)

Thanks. There are just so many "black boxes" that could be the problem, I'm trying to make sure it IS fuel, before I spend a week chasing down something irrelevant! I have disconnected and reconnected the battery again in case something in the unlock/disarm process didn't clear properly last time. It's a 4.6 P38, so I think the fuel rail should be pressurised with the ignition on position 2, but I'll get a helper to crank it while I check the above, it's a start! Then i guess I might have to call for a tow to the man with the right computer. Ta. Andy

Having left the P38 for a couple of weeks, it had a flat battery, charged it up and refitted, once I'd fought my way through the key code lockout, the car still won't start! The car cranks OK, but won't start, not a cough or splutter. There's a valve on the fuel rail that looks very much like a tyre valve, I'd guess it's there to check fuel pressure. Don't know what that should be, but if I press the pin in I get a smell of petrol and no more, even with the ignition on. I've checked the fuse (39) and visually checked the relay (yeah, it's there and doesn't look burnt or melted!). So is this a fuel problem or am I missing something? And what to check next ? Andy

I have two 40 litre tanks where the petrol tank used to be and (I think) a 36 litre tank in the rear wing, so you might just be able to get bigger tanks for the same location. I used to get up to 200 miles on gas and I guess you could hope for 100 on petrol, out of a 4.2 LSE, (that was a closed loop multipoint kit). Andy

Make me a REALLY stupid offer and I might let you dig it back up when I'm done with mine! Andy

Soft dash RR classic has the best cup holders of any RR I bought a P38 4.6 HSE to replace my '94 softdash LSE. But I just can't part with it. Soft dash classics, and particularly late model LSEs (in black!) are still the best RR ever. They just have a classy look and feel that other classics and the P38 never even got close to. Shame they're all old now. I'll drive the P38 to work, but I'll probably keep the LSE, you can bury me in it one day! Andy

Thanks folks. My thoughts were ecu or sensors, but faced with the "test book says blend motors", I wasn't sure. I'll pay them another visit for some deeper investigations, they may even have a good spare ecu we can try, but I certainly won't get the blend motors done at this point on the strength of the test book output! Cheers, Andy

These guys do LPG conversions for diesel black cabs. Looks interesting, but a lot of work! http://www.jaymic.com/lpgblackcabs/default.asp This is a full conversion, I've not seen LPG used as a performance enhancer for oil burners Andy

I know these cars are supposed to be quite smart, but my P38's heater / aircon has a mind of it's own. Some times blows hot, sometimes cold, you have to keep adjusting the temp setting to keep comfortable. Local specialist tells me it reads faulty blend motors on the testbook, I have no reason to doubt them, they generally know what they're talking about, but I've never seen the fabled test book, could the output be misenterprated? The faulty blend motors thing is a commonish fault, but from what I hear it is usually accompanied by a book symbol in the display, I never get that. Also the outside temperature reading is often way out and the behavior of the heater/aircon seems to relate to it. In one journey (Saturday 14th April - pretty warm!) the car had been used then sat in the sun for an hour or so, started up and had a frost warning for over 5 minutes! Put the aircon on high as the inside was roasting, but it just blew warm air until the "outside" temp started to go up then the aircon began to cool down! Next time I started the car in the early evening the "outside" temp read 24 degrees!! Does this sound like a blend motor problem? I have my doubts and they're not a cheap thing to change. Comments welcome please! Cheers, Andy

Oh yes, that can a bit of a bugger. Chain wrench (as used for oil filter) might do it, or large stilsons! Good job it didn't matter what condition mine came off in! Andy

Why is life never simple? Apparently ALR6544 doesn't look like what came out and doesn't fit into the slider. I checked the number elsewhere too and it definetely should be the right part Alternative being delivered tomorrow. If that's not it then somone must have changed the whole assembly previously, so I'd have to change the window as well, which is tinted so.... Oh boy!