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Hope nobody minds me posting in here, tried posting in the relevant section but had no answers and hopefully it's generic enough to be the same for any land rover! Basically I have a Gems 4.6 V8, I bought it with blown head gaskets. I rebuilt it and it started straight up and I've had no problems on the cooling side of things but I'm having problems with the fuelling. It idles nicely with no smoke, and it drives fine with no signs of smoke - although it does feel down on power. However if you rev it in Netural on the Drive it gives out big clouds of smelly smoke (smells like petrol) This only starts above 2000rpm It seems to be the drivers side of the engine which is overfuelling. The third from the front was black and wet, the other three were all black but not quite as bad. The lamda sensor on the drivers side is ranging between 0v and 5v on idle, the passenger side is ranging between 0v and 0.3v on idle and 0v and 1v when revved a little. I've tried with and without the MAF with no differences, and have cleaned the MAF and replaced. I've used a generic OBDII scanner which reported no faults, and the engine light doesn't come on. I'm trying to get as much info so I can spend the weekend on it, and I currently can't pass the MOT with it like this! So far I'm going to try swapping the lamda sensors round, and I'm going to have a play with moving HT leads and plugs round to see if I can move the fault. Any other suggestions? THANK YOU!!!

I'm confused with the oxygen sensors. I looked at RAVE and on section 19 page 14-> of the workshop manual it shows the Engine ECM connectors and what the relevant wires are. Looking at the middle connector (red one) C507 it says the following pins are to do with the Oxygen Sensors: Pin 8 - Bank B Upstream Pin 17 - Bank A Downstream Pin 33 - Bank B Downstream Pin 34 - Bank A Upstream I have a UK 1998 4.6 HSE which pins should have wires? On mine Pin 8 and 17 don't have any wires going to them, pin 33 and 34 do have wires going to them. I connected the Multimeter to the negative terminal on the battery then probed pins 33 and 34, 33 just stayed at 0 all the time, pin 34 varied whilst I was watching it went between 0.1 and 0.7 volts. If it makes any difference the MAF is disconnected as I clean it (although it doesn't seem very dirty) - I have managed to start by applying some revs, as without revs when the MAF is disconnected it just dies, after a couple of seconds I can leave it to idle although the idle feels a little low. I also tested pin 15 which is the TPS, that gave me 0.65 volts on idle going up as I revved, I then turned of the engine and tested full movement which appears to function perfectly with no dead spots all the way up to 4.57v So questions are: Should it just be pins 33 and 34 with oxygen sensors connected? (the upstream and downstream terminoligy has me confused!) Does the fact that I can't get a reading from Pin 33 indicate that, that sensor is dead? Does the Pin 34 reading look OK? Thanks in advance

Took my p38 with it's recently replaced head gaskets for it's MOT and it failed with clouds of smoke on the emissions test Testing at home I'd only really rev'd it to 2000rpm as I'd heard more can damage the gearbox. Drove it there and felt it lacked power but drove nicely with nice smooth gear changes. For the emissions test they wanted it rev'd to 2500rpm, when this was done it billowed out clouds of very fuel filled smoke. MOT was abondoned. Driving home it continued to smoke a little for half a mile or so then cleared, and I could see no visible signs of smoke no matter how hard I rev'd it whilst driving. Returned home to test, reving it to 2000rpm produces no smoke as I go a bit above clouds of smoke appear smelling very rich of petrol. Where do I start, I have a feeling the oxygen sensors may be stuffed as the exhaust was sitting with water in it. I tried unplugging the MAF sensor so it would run on default values but it just starts and cuts out with it unplugged.

I'd leave at as one, they're manageable once out, and dead easy to lift if you get a helper - what are you wanting to do with it?

There is some great info their, sounds like I need to do some phoning around next week. How does NCB work with traders policies? I guess you get one lot? ie if I put my wifes car on as well and have her able to drive any of the cars then she won't be earning ncb? Is that right?

I'll try them and see what they come back with. @Nic - thanks for that it helps clear up some points, I would only do it if I was happy it was legal and correct. If it's worthwhile and a saving could be made it may be worth me doing a little business for it, but I'd need to know how many vehicles need to be sold per year to make it a valid business. I have family who live close who also frequently change their cars so maybe that could be included as one large traders policy - then buy and sell through the company?? Can you include a permant car owned by yourself/spouse on a traders policy? Or are they all expected to be cars which will be sold on? My idea would be to set up a little sole trader company buying/selling cars. I would then want to put 4 people on teh policy along with 5 to 7 cars to start with. 3 of those cars would be our own cars if that's allowed 2 to 4 would then be rotated on quite a frequent basis - going between a minimum of 2 to a maximum of 4 we would perhaps go through 10+ cars per year. - these 2 - 4 cars although for sale would also have to be used for our jobs Obviously this would bring a few tax implications but the idea would be to not make much money but rather to gain free motoring. So that would be the idea - does that sound legal before I start phoning round for quotes?

Insurance is starting to be a bit of a pain as I want to swap from one vehicle to another then to another within a short space of time, I also want to have 3 cars (well 1 car and 2 land rovers!) insured at the same time, I've been wondering if a traders policy is possible and if it would be helpful or more of a pain, had a bit of a search around and can't find that much info - but I am tired! I do tend to swap cars a bit, and now that my company car is going back I'll probably have 3 or 4 cars a year plus the LR. So is anything like this possible? I had a quick look at Admiral Multicar but the price for the three current cars is nearly double the price to have individual insurance for them. Anyone had any luck - if it helps and has to be done through a company, I have a couple although neither are really related to the motor trade.

I think Gary was just answering the original posters questions, he didn't know the first two so just put a ? by them, then answered the last one with his experience

He managed to track it down to the fuel pump, although it was running and pumping fuel round it wasn't making enough pressure, so the regulator was just returning it. Does that right? New pump fitted and the fuel was all jellified round it - so that was all cleaned out, anyone seen it like that?

I've got 235/85/16's on mine. They're MT's with an aggressive tread pattern. I had to adjust the steering stops nearly all the way out to stop them rubbing on the springs. Also with such deep tread they're a lot taller than the 7.50/16's they replaced. Look wise the 235's are loads better as the 7.50/16's just looked so narrow. I must admit though that the 7.50's were a nicer drive on the road, had a better turning circle and better acceleration etc The MT's are a world apart off road though.

I haven't got that one, it sort of looks like an automatic tensioner has been retro fitted? Has it flipped all the way over? Does that pully pull back round to the top for the belt to go over?

I have to disagree, there isn't anywhere in the MOT manual that says the battery has to be securely fastened in place. Check the handbook online at www.motuk.co.uk. An MOT tester cannot fail a car for having an insecure battery. They can however give an advisory at their own discretion, my series has never had anything holding the battery in place, it sometimes gets an advisory and sometimes doesn't, the discovery I had also didn't have anything but that never received an advisory (probably too busy with all the other faults!) The Range Rover p38 I have also has a 'loose' battery but I'm yet to MOT that

Cheers - ordered one

Me too, you can have more than one. I have a XP mode virtual computer set up just for Microcat, I leave Microcat running and just close the virtual computer (which hibernates it) then when I open it back up again Microcat is running and waiting and I don't have to mess with the date - works a treat. That's on 64bit Windows 7 with a dual core centrino

EDC - is Electronic Diesel Control, only on autos so you won't have it, it was a system that gave more power and economy along with a host of extra electrical problems. As you have a manual it could well be the Spider causing problems as suggested above, Keep a length of wire in the car - if you get stuck and can't start it then connect the wire from battery positive to the solonoid. That bypasses the spider. Probably worth the £5 for a spider bypass kit - only takes approx 30 mins to fit and once fitted you can forget about that problem.

It's a bit of a grey area - but technically yes it probably is illegal to drive them with coil springs as you say the headlights will be all over the place. It's also a tricky area for insurance as it was never type approved with springs, so it has to be declared as a major modification and they can if they want get an engineer to inspect it before allowing it to be insured. Having said that many people have done it and haven't had any problems - you'd have to get caught by someone who really knows what they're looking for. The worst case is probably having a serious accident and then being responsible especially if you have haven't told the insurance. Personally I wouldn't bother - it's a downgrade for reliability on springs which have probably lasted 10 years already.

Thanks for that, I've told him to pull it apart and check the gauze filter inside the FPR. Fingers crossed it's blocked - but it just cut out, there was no missfiring or loss of power like most people with FPR problems talk about

He's still having problems with this, he says that the fuel goes up to a pressure relief valve on the back of the engine, and it's pumping well up to there but it's also pumping at the same rate straight back to the tank from there. The fuel pump never stops running like it used to it just keeps going. Does that sound like the pressure relief valve is broken/clogged? Are they a common part to fail? or is it still likely to be the injector harness? He says he's pulled the ECU and it's bone dry as are the connectors etc. Any ideas? Also thanks for the response chromofoam, it runs on normal diesel from Esso. As above he's now checked that fuel is getting up to the engine but it's pumping straight back

Personally I'd stick with the 300tdi providing you can keep on top of the body rotting away. If you must go for a td5 then personally I'd go for one with good service history and plenty of receipts for work done etc. Mileage depends a bit on age but I don't think what you are saying makes a lot of sense. I'm guessing that you are assuming that a low mileage disco is low mileage because it's spent most of it's life off the road being repaired!? You might be right in a couple of cases but a low mileage one might be an excellent buy which has been driven careful and well looked after.

Sorry didn't mean it to sound quite like that - just trying to point out that if it was an auto it wouldn't have one, and as it's an ES most of them seemed to be autos so there's probably a good chance it's an auto, will have to wait for the OP to post!

If you are supplying power to the solonoid (use a direct wire) and it still isn't starting then there is a problem with the stop solonoid. You shouldn't have to wait a few minutes for it to 'reset' You don't say if it's an Auto or a Manual Disco, so I don't know how people can say it's the spider. Late Autos from 1995 on (EDC controlled) don't have the spider unit and don't have this problem. Also if you do have EDC then you don't actually need the stop solonoid in place. The solonoid is just a little plunger on a spring, if you wind out the stop solonoid you can carefully remove the spring and plunger - this will allow you to full rule out the solonoid. Refit the stop solonoid without the sping and plunger in. If you have a manual vehicle you will need to stall the car to stop, if you have an EDC auto then it will just stop on the key, if you have a non EDC auto then you will find it difficult to stop!!

That's very kind of you both, I'll drop you PM's in a min, Cheers

I've just won an item on ebay that's in Ashford Kent, only problem is that it's collection only and Kent is miles away! I asked the seller if I could get him to post it or if I could arrange a courier a few days ago but haven't had an answer, so ended up figuring it was worth bidding - so I won it for 99p. Hopefully he will respond now but I expect him to say collection only! Is there anyone in Ashford, Kent who would do me a massive favour and collect it for me, wrap it up, and post it - obviously I will cover all costs and provide a few beer tokens! Thanks in advance!

I had the same with my p38 4.6, I got nothing when I turned the key, no fuel pump, no brake pump, and no starter on the next turn. I ended up stripping the fuse box down to check for any damage, when I rebuilt it - it all magically worked fine - no idea what the problem was though

Fuel is getting up to the engine but isn't being injected, looks like it might be the injector harness