Electrical Gremlins

[WGK007]

Can anyone point me in the right direction?
I parked the 97 RR on Sat night and everything was normal. Came back about an hour later and noticed that the Central locking did not work nor was the flashing alarm red light going and no interior lights.
I went to start it and the headlights came on along with "electrical fault" on the dash. It didn't start - wouldn't turn over. I kept trying for about half an hour and eventually it just turned over and started straight away. There is now no wipers, no windows, can't turn the lights off, but no high beam or fog lights, no central locking, no interior lights, blinkers blink but silently. Radio and aircon work and it drives normally except for the electrical fault flashing away - no cruise control either. Now, sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't.
I haven't had a remote working for about 18 months now since the good lady dropped it in the ocean, so I have just used the key without any problems.
There is no one in Cooma that really knows much about them.

[Keithy P38]

I'd be looking for a bad earth at the becm or fuse box... But I am no expert, good luck!

[Rupert Prior]

the becm has had a voltage spike, normally caused by a low battery output. try disconnecting the battery for atleast 1/2 hr and charging it or fitting a new one (900cca). you will need your radio code etc. if this does not work send me the becm and i will reprogram it or repair it.

[PaulP38a]

what Rupert said...
Rebooting the BeCM by disconnecting the battery for a few minutes can solve all kinds of weird electrical issues.
Just remember to leave a door open and have the key in your pocket when you reconnect the battery.
If you can drive it to Canberra/Queanbeyan on a weekend, we can plug my FaultMate or Nanocom in and have a look.

[WGK007]

Hi Lads, thanks for the tips. The disconnection of the battery did the trick for most of the faults.
Now at least it starts and almost everything works.
What I am left with now is that when ever I switch the ignition either on or off I get the message that each of the windows and the sunroof are not seated - one at a time and the central locking has ceased to work, but the windows and the sunroof still operate except for the function where you double press the window switch and it should travel either up or down without holding the switch on.
If this is an easy fix I will attempt it but I can live with it if it's not.

[bee utey]

Hi Lads, thanks for the tips. The disconnection of the battery did the trick for most of the faults.
Now at least it starts and almost everything works.
What I am left with now is that when ever I switch the ignition either on or off I get the message that each of the windows and the sunroof are not seated - one at a time and the central locking has ceased to work, but the windows and the sunroof still operate except for the function where you double press the window switch and it should travel either up or down without holding the switch on.
If this is an easy fix I will attempt it but I can live with it if it's not.

Wind each window in turn and the sunroof to its fully open setting and fully closed setting and they are reset.

[Keithy P38]

Good to hear mate! Could have been something as simple as a dodgy battery connection to cause so many of your dramas!

[benji]

Glad to here you have got everything going. When I bought the HSE it'd been jump started from it's flattery for the last six months, heaps of things didn't work. As soon as a good one was in, everything worked.

To delve a bit deeper, I assume a low voltage somehow corrupts the software (maybe by not haveing enough voltage to change all of the required gates?); when the battery is removed, this resets everything?

[PaulP38a]

Benji - it could be voltage related, however I view the ECU's in the P38 as fairly primitive computers. Computers generally build up a "memory effect" over time and need to be flushed every now and then. On our PC's we reboot them to clear memory and fix 90% of weirdness. Same applies to the ECU's in our cars ;)

WKG007 - the Owner's Manual tells you how to reset the windows and sunroof. The driver's seat and mirrors will have also lost it's memory presets after disconnecting the battery.
If you do not have the Owner's Manual, get yourself a copy of RAVE from the shop on this site which will also get you the workshop and Electrical Troubleshooting manuals.
Again, if you are passing through Canberra I can help you out with RAVE and a checkup using my Nanocom or FaultMate. My rates are very reasonable... I like beer and red wine ;)

[WGK007]

Thanks for the help lads: All the windows and sunroof are now re-set and working fine.
Just the central locking is still not functioning as it should.
The only other issue I have was self inflicted when I disassembled the instrument cluster to replace some globes and I turned on the ignition when the air bag system was disconnected. I only found out that is a no no after I had reassemble everything and found the warning flashing away.
I am told that it means a trip to Land rover to get that reset. Do any of you blokes close to me have the ability to reset that function? It comes up for rego in about 4 weeks so I'll have to attend to it soon.
I am in the AFP Pipes and drums so I come up to Canberra every Tuesday afternoon for practise.
In fact we just recently went to Edinburgh for the Military Tattoo and while I was their I bought another P38 with 60k (miles) and one owner since new.It was fine until I parked it at my sisters place where there are two rf boosters for their internet and TV operating. 2 days later it was a trip in the tilt tray to Ascot Land Rover where 1400 pounds later it was all fixed. My wife drove it around for 2500 km and no problem until it went back to my sisters place and two days later it went the same way. This time Ascot LR want 1800 pounds to fix it. So after searching similar sites to this in the Uk I think I have found someone to attend to it.
I am looking forward to getting that one back over here next year.

[PaulP38a]

My Nanocom should be able to reset the SRS Airbag fault, assuming that it is just due to the cluster being disconnected and not an intermittent fault on the rotary coupling. Have seen/heard it happening before... just can't remember if it was mine before I replaced it or someone else.

Cheers, Paul.