donaldh

It sounds like an intermittent electrical fault to me, maybe dodgy connectors or wiring loom. I have the exact same problem on my 1998 P38 - occasionally the blend motor stops functioning and the book symbol comes on. I have twice stripped the console and dash, only to find the blend motor working again. I have stripped the motor and checked it thoroughly, to find nothing wrong with it at all. I guess it could be the control unit but replacing it would be a last resort for me. Since you have replaced the HEVAC control unit and the blend motors, the only things remaining are the wiring loom and connectors. I have had wiring loom faults in the past on a Classic and in my current P38 so it seems quite a probable bet.

Thanks for the info. I guess it's perfectly normal behaviour then. It's unfortunate that on my daily commute I can be doing 60 and the torque converter won't lock up. To override the EAT ECU it should just be a case of identifying the wire for the solenoid then adding a switch to either supply power, or break the connection to the EAT ECU, depending on whether you want to force it on or force it off. I guess you could use a tri-state switch to allow ECU <-> Off <-> On. Cheers, Donald.

I've noticed recently that the torque converter on my P38A doesn't start locking up until I have travelled a few miles, usually well after the engine is fully warmed up. I'm curious to find out if this is normal or there is some kind of fault. The workshop manual has this to say about torque converter lock-up: "Lock-up clutch operation is dependent on throttle position, engine speed, operating mode and the range selected on the transfer box". That seems to describe its operation after I am a few miles into my journey, but doesn't help to explain the warm-up behaviour. Any ideas? Donald.

Yup. http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/exemptions.htm

The new Band G road tax rate is only relevant to vehicles registered on or after 23 March 2006. More details here: http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/taxation.htm

Um, this info might be helpful: http://www.cunningham.me.uk/rangiewiki/ind...ys_and_Security

I think it will feed some custom stuff such as manufacturer specific fault codes. But as far as I know, most P38A things require custom codes to tell it what to do. Some of the maufacturer specifc codes can be found here: http://www.troublecodes.net/landrvr/ I think this is just the same info as available in a workshop manual though. Cheers, Donald.

You're reasonably close to the mark with your description of OBD-II and the K line. In fact, the OBD-II standard and hence the connector supports three standards, ISO-9141, SAE-J1850 and ISO-15765. The variant used on the P38A is ISO-9141 that uses the K line and an "optional" L line. Normally, a stream of information flows on the K line in the form of OBD codes, each one a sequence of 1 or more values. But it's possible to send command sequences that either ask for specific information or ask to perform specific operations. Unfortunately, as several folk have said, all the interesting stuff on the P38A uses proprietery command and response codes that you would need to get hold of first. There is an open-source project to write an OBD scan tool and several projects to build interface hardware. http://freediag.sourceforge.net/ http://www.andywhittaker.com/ecu/obdii_hardware.htm I have got a version of Andy Whittaker's interface board and I will eventually get around to putting an old PC in my garage so that I can play around with it. I'd be very interested to hear if anyone else has success with one of the cheap / free tools that are available. Cheers, Donald.

David, I think you're right but I'll need to dry everything and then watch it for a couple of days to confirm that it is only the matrix o-rings leaking. I've read the whole section on www.p38a.co.uk about replacing the o-rings and it looks straightforward enough. Hopefully that's all it is.

Thanks for the info David. I've put the words into action and can see exactly what you mean now. Unfortunately I think it's going to get a lot more interesting because I have discovered coolant leaking out of the heater and soaking into the driver's carpet. I'm guessing that I'll have no choice but to remove the fascia if I need to replace the heater matrix. How depressing.

David, I've just been reading your advice for replacing blend motors as posted on www.p38a.co.uk At the start of the doc, you suggest to go to "Heating and Ventilation; Repair; Blend Flap Servos - Heater only". Is this because you have a heater only system, or because it's more helpful than the "Heating and Air Conditioning Servos" section that requires you to remove the fascia first? As you can imagine, I don't plan to "remove fascia assembly", especially considering that the instructions run to 7 pages.

Aye. I used a standard plumber's pipe cutter to get a nice clean-cut end, leaving about 4in of pipe attached to the filter union. Push hose over pipe, another stainless hose clip and Bob's your Auntie.

Indeed, I believe they are compression joints with an olive. I replaced that lot with fuel hose and stainless hose clips. Come to think of it, I've got about 20m of fuel hose in the garage ...

Hmm, I had a high volume leak from my P38a that was due to a fractured pipe where it comes out of the pump. Both pipes had severe corrosion and I had to replace the pump. The steel pipes between the pump and the unions at the filter in front of the tank were in much better condition but had some corrosion. I chose to replace them with flexible fuel hose. Dropping the tank is straightforward enough, but you need loads of ground clearance. If I remember correctly I needed all four corners on axle stands at full extension. If only it had an access hatch in the floor like late classics did.

Well I found a place called Pro-Grip in Bonnybridge that did the job for £30. The irritating wander has been cured. The toe was indeed about 1/4 degree out. Interestingly, the rear axle is out of alignment, by about 0 deg 20' or so, causing a touch of axle steer that is being compensated for in the front tracking. It could be worn bushes I suppose, but that's something for another day. LOL. Getting from "local tyre place" to "trained professional" is a big leap of faith