P38 V8 as a daiy driver?

[dave88sw]

As the title really.  I'm looking at possibly buying a 4.6 Vogue with LPG to use as a daily drive.  I've worked on plenty over the years so know the fixes for most problems but realistically i have no idea what they're like to live with.  Let's say i was to go through all the usual problem areas soon after buying (check/replace air springs, fit latest RF receiver etc), would it be naive to expect it to be fairly reliable?  I currently drive a BMW 330 which is giving about 30mpg, if the range rover were doing around 12-15mpg on gas it should be similar cost wise to run.

Can anyone recommend any modifications to make it more reliable? I've seen kits to put a schrader valve in each air line to the springs to allow you to inflate the air springs manually if it has a fault, are these worth getting to keep in the glovebox?  I've read about (but never seen) a kit that prevents the air suspension functioning with the ignition off, presumably  to prevent it dropping on all 4 corners if you get a leak on one spring?

 

Thanks

Dave

[elbekko]

I dailied mine for a few years at around 30k km/year. It was fine, very comfortable if a bit noise at high speed on the motorway. Servicing it every 5k km was the biggest hassle

The air suspension mod you mention is just swapping out the timer relay under the seat with a standard 4-pin relay. Only downside is it'll have a mind of its own when starting, and you have to select the height you want it to go to while keeping the brake pressed. No big deal.

[poohbear]

I ran a P38 on gas as a daily runner for two years - economy wise you are spot on the money. As for those pre-emptive jobs add these to the list:

Blend motors

Heater matrix o-rings

Suspension solenoid block rebuild

Suspension air compressor re-build

02 sensors

Suspension height encoders

Gearbox filter/fluid change

And to add - make sure your key/alarm work properly, a new key will cost you an arm and a leg and you don't want to be fannying about with broken door microswitches and guessing the access code on a wet Tescos car park late at night. Oh, and invest in a decent bit of diagnostic kit.

 

Dave.

 

 

 

[Ally V8]

Volvo.

[elbekko]

13 hours ago, poohbear said:

a new key will cost you an arm and a leg

Only if you're bothered about the passive immobiliser working. Disable it in the BeCM and you can just use a physical key, no need for an expensive remote.

[Escape]

Like Ben I've used a P38a V8 as a daily drive, been doing so since 2006. Last couple of years the Lotus has been my vehicle of choice to get to work, but still have a Range for hauling and towing. She does need an engine overhaul, but that's another story.

It's a very relaxed and comfortable drive, and quite cheap to if you can do your own work. Most issues are just niggles, and wont prevent you from getting to work. But can be a bit challenging to solve, like blend motors. 

The 2 main mods have already been mentioned: Replacing the EAS timer with a standard relay will lessen load on the EAS and give you an early warning in case a leak develops. A set of schrader valves is useful should the EAS act up, but it will always get you home on the bumps as well. Disabling the passive immobiliser means you only need the keyblade to open and start the car.

Greetz,

Filip

[task]

I currently run a Vogue P38 as a daily, although I don't do a great number of miles.

I replaced blend motors, front door locks, air springs, dampers, plugs, leads and tyres among other things. Doing O2 sensors soon. I also carry a win10 tablet loaded with Lynx diagnostic, EAS software and RAVE.

There's  thread over in the members vehicles section on what jobs I did with mine.

[dave88sw]

Thanks very much for all the replies.

Jon, the Volvo definitely is the most sensible choice but having taken it to 160,000 miles and a few niggles started appearing, i sold it, unfortunately anything newer (quite like the V70 that came after mine) is still fairly expensive.  Still, it was definitely one of the best cars i've ever owned.

Well, i took the plunge, bought a 51 plate Vogue 4.6 on gas.  It has a full service history and has very recently had all the brakes done (discs pads and calipers all round), new air suspension compressor, cats, full exhaust etc etc.  It did have a leaking airspring but i negotiated £300 off the price and i've just changed all 4.  So far it's lost no water, runs smoothly and everything seems to work (right down to the heated seats, which is pretty unheard of). 

Useful to know about replacing the timer relay, what are the benefits of swapping it? Now that the springs have been changed, it doesn't drop overnight so the EAS doesn't have to work particularly hard.  I'll take all the other suggestions on board, it's had blend motors and o-rings within the last couple of years so they should be good for a little while.

I'm looking forward to seeing how it goes but i don't think i can lose too much at the price i paid...

Cheers

Dave

[Ally V8]

Is it one that we know Dave ?

[elbekko]

Congrats on the purchase, enjoy it

9 hours ago, dave88sw said:

Useful to know about replacing the timer relay, what are the benefits of swapping it?

If you do develop a leak, you'll know which corner it is. But if you're sure everything is in good working order, it doesn't really hurt to leave the stock relay in.
Also the auto-levelling could trigger if parked on an uneven surface.

It's also a good idea to keep the air suspension inhibit switch on (the one next to the height selector), so it's not constantly going from highway to normal height.

[SteveG]

Congrats on the purchase, looks like you’ve got a good buy there with all of the work done.

I’ve had three of the 2000/2001 spec 4.6 Vogue’s and I think they were the best for spec, interior and even reliability with the 4.6 liner issue being the only major downside. Apart from drowning the first one at 10 months old , the 2nd went past 100K before I sold it, and the 3rd past 210K miles. 

I never had any major issues with the standard air suspension set up, if the bags and lines are kept in good condition you should be fine. I had a water pump pulley and front diff go on the 2nd one, both done by LR under warranty, and both probably caused by off-roading. 

The 3rd one just needed the brake accumulator changing (soft pedal on start up), drivers door handle replacing and the hevac screen/control unit swapped. I’ve never had an issue with o-rings or blend motors, but I’ve always run hevac on auto with air con all year round on all my vehicles. 

Come the warmer weather, I’d be tempted to fully flush the engine and heater matrix, replacing the water pump, any worn pipes, thermostat and the radiator. You get a lot crystalline build up over time, especially if the previous owners haven’t been religious about use of OAT and frequency of changes. It will be a worthwhile investment knowing you’ve got a fully working cooling system on the 4.6. 

Have fun with the new purchase. 

cheers, Steve