Hypothetical ?

[olbod]

On these P38's running coils, can all of the EAS stuff, bags, bcem, valve block, hoses, in fact everything connected to the EAS, be removed from the vehicle ? Serious ?

Idealy it would be great if all of this dead weight could be placed in a hession bag along with a concrete block and lowered into a deep creek.
An annual bbq could be organised at the sight with singing and dancing to give thanks to the dear departed.

Just a hyperthetical at the moment but would like to know.

Ta.

[mtb_gary]

Olbod

The "castrated" Rangie can have all the EAS compnents removed, I believe some of the kits also have a way of eliminating the errors you will ultimately see on your dash re the EAS not working. Rather than the hessian sack, why not sell them on eBay or Gumtree. It will also go part of the way to paying for your coils? And maybe even the drinks at the singing and dancing ceremony? ;)

PS I have EAS on my Rangie and love it.....

Gary

[olbod]

No no, I didn't say I was going to put this Rangy on coils.
Just curious about removing all of that EAS stuff.
I like the way it rides on bags but dont like the swaying and rocking and rolling bit.
This one could be made better and more reliable with an EAS rebuild, if you dont mind the constant fiddling to keep it going.
I have the bypass kit in it and I have thought of bypassing the valve block
and pumping bags to height manually. This with new bags would be less of a headache.
A headache is what it has been. More a pain in the ass.
I dont think I want too constantly spend money on the thing and I am thinking of giving it back to the Bro.
Fact is I much prefer to drive me D1 any day.

Cheers.

[Keithy P38]

At the end of the day, a P38 that is needing loads of money spent on it now has been poorly maintained in the past. One that's seen the regular maintenance and been well looked after mechanically will be a solid unit.

Treating a P38 mean will not keep it keen!

[Mick_Marsh]

An annual bbq could be organised at the sight with singing and dancing to give thanks to the dear departed.
Sounds like a good trip for Dave and Marty to run.


Seriously, I have two vehicles with air suspension. One has taken a while to sort out but it is almost 100%.
These cars are a pleasure to drive, partially due to the marvellous ride the air suspension gives.

If you don't want air suspension, get another car. If you want a P38, get the air suspension sorted.

[olbod]

At the end of the day, a P38 that is needing loads of money spent on it now has been poorly maintained in the past. One that's seen the regular maintenance and been well looked after mechanically will be a solid unit.

Treating a P38 mean will not keep it keen!

I totally agree.
This one is a nice car but has 328 thou on the clock and was owned and neglected by a female Doctor.
Only thing of note has been a Davis 5.0 engine and put on gas that doesn't work !! Nobody in Mackay can diagnosed and fix it and I am buggered if I am going to take it south to the smoke.
It drives very nicely except for the constant Eas faults which have to be cleared along the way. Grrr.
At some stage the locks or something have been changed and not recordered ? Which means that a new key fob cant be gotten and this existing fob has been pulled apart so often that it is on its last legs. Once the battery dies thats it. Already it shows a low battery message. I havent used the fob to set alarm since I have been driving it and just lock and unlock with the key but a couple of times I have entered and the alarm has gone off and I have had to reset it with the fob and key in ignition, Grrr.
So just a matter of time I think and I will be parking it and walking away.
Dont even like looking at the bloody thing.
I am racing to get all of the maintenance done on the Disco and get it back on the road but be a couple of weeks yet.

Cheers, I think.

PS: It has a thick log book with lots of work done reciepts but very little over the years about the EAS that I could find.
I think if I were to keep it a better option would be to put it on coils and turn off the immobiliser and alarm and be done with it and would cost bugger all.
Then I think it would be a nice daily runabout shopping trolley !!!

[olbod]

Mick, its not that I wanted a P38, I didn,t, I would rather have a RR Sport and I keep kicking a stone about and thinking of having a Sport in the shed.
When I took the Disco off the road to rebuild and modify a few time consuming things, my Bro very kindly lent me the P38 for which I am eternally gratefull. Later he said I could keep it !!! He cant really afford to spend the money to bring it up to scratch and I have spent quite a bit in the last month and it is a challenge to make it right.
But I am not made off money either and I will soon have to make a decision about it.
I would like to keep it but in what form is the question !!!
Either way the Disco is my favorite and will continue to mostly be my daily
and tripper.

Cheers.

[FANTOM P38]

Mick, Mick, Mick,
Thanks for your kind words! We all know you dream of getting your own P38
perhaps you could help Robert out & offer his P38 a new home.

[Mick_Marsh]

Mick, Mick, Mick,
Thanks for your kind words! We all know you dream of getting your own P38
perhaps you could help Robert out & offer his P38 a new home.
Well, as you say, they are the most comfortable Landrover.
You need comfort whilst you're waiting for the RACV.

I would love to have a P38.
I'd be looking for a 4.6 with leather and fully optioned. I'll just patiently wait and look.

I'd also like a D2a with ACE, Leather, Td5 and fully optioned, of course.

Then I'll sell the Commodore.

Ah, don't we dream.........
reliable P38............

[olbod]

Mick, from my involvement with a P38, the only advice I could offer would be, Dont. Get an L322 instead. Over a period of time a more expensive L322 will cost you less money !!!
The P38's are nice to look at and nice to drive but they need constant attention, which is ongoing and not cheap.
I drive this one around and people always look, some with envy, some with jealousy, some even appear to hate me, I always think,"if only you knew Brother."
They are ideal for a dedicated enthousiest that likes to tinker. If you want one for a day in day out reliable family car, Forget it.
When you own a P38 you really need to have a second reliable vehicle in the shed.
In the Bro's case he is as busy as buggery and does a lot of milage to conduct his business. The P38 is thirsty, he doesn't need that. He also doesn't have the time to mess about with it, to keep it on the road.
Nor do I.
Life is to short, I want only to be dedicated to me Disco and have a reliable vehicle as a standby.

Cheers.

PS: Its been difficult over the last month because shortly after I took the Disco off the road, my eye Specialist booked me in for a cataract removal and lens replacement. When you have this opp you must spend 4 or 5 weeks sitting around quietly so as not to damage the eye and the new lens while it is healing. No hard work, no bending over to pick things up off the floor and try not to sneeze !!!
Couldn't work on the Disco but was okay because I ordered a heap of stuff from the UK while I waited.
But then at the same time I hadf to struggle with this P38, in and out clearing faults with the little thingo I bought from Paul. I would be buggerted without it. Also, I dont need to constantly worry when the rest of the problems are going to show up. During that time I missed two important appointments because the thing let me down. Grrr.
There now, I think I have just about talked myself out of the Bitch, eh.

[Keithy P38]

Gotta say, there are parts of your theory that I agree with, and then there are bits that I disagree with.

Touching wood here, however, in the 3yrs I've had my current P38 the only things that have let me down was a popped air spring (my fault as it was perished and needed replacement anyway), and a crank position sensor (could happen to any car, not specifically a P38).

I had zero faults or issues with my other P38 in the 2 1/2 years I owned it.

Luck of the draw?

[Mick_Marsh]

Mick, from my involvement with a P38, the only advice I could offer would be, Dont. Get an L322 instead. Over a period of time a more expensive L322 will cost you less money !!!
The P38's are nice to look at and nice to drive but they need constant attention, which is ongoing and not cheap.
I drive this one around and people always look, some with envy, some with jealousy, some even appear to hate me, I always think,"if only you knew Brother."
They are ideal for a dedicated enthousiest that likes to tinker. If you want one for a day in day out reliable family car, Forget it.
When you own a P38 you really need to have a second reliable vehicle in the shed.
You say that as if it's not common knowledge!
I'll swap tou the P38 for one of my old Mercs. You'll be thinking the P38 was one of the most reliable and cheap to maintain cars you had.


the only things that have let me down was a popped air spring
Quite funny.


Luck of the draw?
I disagree. If you treat a vehicle carefully and keep it well maintained, they are reliable.

[TheTree]

Hi,

I agree with KeithyP38 that a poorly serviced P38 can be a heap of trouble, but they can be sorted out.

Your pile of service receipts with no reference to any work on the EAS says it all. Would you expect your brakes to still work fine if they hadn't been serviced for 15 years?

As far as an L322 goes, personally I don't like the "pimped up" look of them. and consider the P38 to be possibly the best looking RR ever made! Being newer the L322 is probably going to be more reliable, but the same rules apply, if it is poorly serviced it will not last.

Someone on this forum said their mechanic told them to "service it like a plane", which is my motto these days ;-)

All in all it sounds like you should pass that P38 back to your bro :)

Steve

[TheTree]

I forgot to add that the P38 is my only vehicle and i drive it all the time.

That way I can become super familiar with the car and hopefully sort out any issues before they bite me in the posterior !

Steve

[benji]

Thats a bugger about your eyes mate, hope they're coming good though. Both my mum and grandma have had both their eyes done and it's made the world of difference. Definately a quality of life thing.

I can understand the frustration, just started the car yesterday after a motor rebuild. Had to pull the effin thing down 3 times (I can now get the oil pump grears out in just under 1.5 hours though). In the end I just wanted to give it to a mob in Melbourne to

I do have to admit though ive found my p38 to be as reliable as a swiss watch. Certainly more so than my classic which in only 3 years older. Though its little things like key synchronization, and that if leave the tailgate open overnight itll draw the battery down that catch a lot out.

Agreed however, the d1 is just nice and simple (even though a huge amount of stuff is the same as on the p38). I know that's why my dad likes his - cause he can understand it.

[olbod]

Thanks Benji.
My advice for anyone getting cataracts, Dont hesitate to have them removed and lens replacement. Both mine done now and as I said before, for the first time in twenty years I can read without glasses.
I agree with what you all say about these P38's. Lovely car.
This one came at a bad time for sorting decisions and so on.
Money would fix it over time. Which I dont have.
The main concern with that, is this blasted key fob headache. How to fix it ?
What will it cost etc. Can it be sorted without going to the extremes of replacing all the door lock mechanisms and barrel and key fobs and starting from scratch ? Landrover Spares in Mackay tell me it is the only option.
The other thing is, I am rebuilding me Disco to a high standard because I want to use it to spend a couple of months over around Lenny's Gunbarrell
area. I havent been there yet and it was something that my late wife wanted so much to do and see. She loved Len and read his books often.

Not counting the fact that I love this old Disco and would like it to be buried with me !! I look upon it as being my Carer.
I dont know that I need the agro at this time with the P38 as well.
Wont rush into anything tho.

Cheers.

[TheTree]

oldbod,

If you need a new key fob, aggro is the word, the dealer is correct as far as i can work out, you can read a bit more here if you have the energy :eek:

Replacement and Reprogramming the BeCM, Locks, Remotes, or ECM (http://www.rangerovers.net/repairdetails/becm/replace.html)

Glad to hear your eyes are coming good :)

Steve

[FANTOM P38]

Well Robert what do I say?
Sounds like you have a very unloved P38 on your hands. They are not all like yours let me assure you. I have owned mine for around 5 years now, purchased from dealer who traded from original owner.
its a 1995 4.6 HSE and considering its age has really been an excellent vehicle, most of money I have spent has been on modifications not upkeep as you might expect with any vehicle this age let alone a 4wd this age.
By the way the Fantom is not treated with kid gloves when we head offroad as many would atest to!
I purchased because of the comfiort /driveability but was pleasantly surprised with its offroad ability.
With some considered general maintenance and being aware of issues that other lesser 4wds dont encounter due to technology ahead of its time these are not that difficult to overcome. Those who constantly bag them do so because they dont want to know how relatively easy it is to keep them in good shape. This is where this forum is a great source for advice & assistance & the P38 crowd appreciate this more than others because they want to continue experiencing the benefits of owning these great vehicles, I doubt there is another 4wd that could compare on so many levels. So until there is I'll be keeping mine! :)

[bruce p38]

HERE HERE !I concur !

[PaulP38a]

Hi Robert, long time no speak. Good to hear that your eyes are on the improve :)

Keyfob synch with a replacement BeCM is an expensive option and may never work. Buying a new BeCM with keyfobs and steering column is ridiculously expensive.

Here is a much cheaper suggestion that worked for me on a 95 P38 that I had a few years ago:
- get the alarm and immobiliser disabled by a workshop or a mate who has an unlocked FaultMate or Nanocom.
- if you want to use remote central locking, buy an aftermarket central locking kit and wire in the actuator to operate the existing arm on the drivers door, leaving the old actuators in place. When the new kit open/closes the drivers door, the other doors should follow.

This does of course mean that you will have another remote on your key ring.

I know you have had ongoing issues with your EAS. If you have done the valve block rebuild and the car does not lower itself overnight with a door or the tailgate open, you can be confident that the valve block and air springs are sealing ok.

This then points to the compressor not keeping up (piston seal and/or cylinder sleeve), a logic fault in the Driver Unit, or even a dodgy EAS Delay Timer.

Best wishes with your Disco and P38.

Cheers, Paul.

[olbod]

G,day Paul.
I would love to just disable the immobiliser and the alarm, best way to go, I hate this sort of modern bling, keys seem to work for years and dont need a battery and you are only immobilised if you lose or break the thing. Our local bloke, Landrover Spares wont have bar of it and dont want to know. I suspect that I am miles from a faultmate or someone that knows how to use it !!!
With regard to the EAS it does not appear to lose pressure when left standing for a few days. We have your kit with the guage and all there looks good.
Problem is, when driving it say 50klm to the shop and back, the alarm goes off and I have to stop and clear it with the klicker thingy that I got from you. If I ignore the alarm for a bit the thing will drop to the bump stops. Grrr. In this short drive the fault might need to be cleared 3 or 4 times. On other days it might not happen at all. Russian roulette. I am beginning to loathe getting into the thing because it is a pain in the butt and I dream of all the years on coils and leaves without a problem. My dream P38 now would be one with the bling turned off and lovely reliable coils under it and my butt could live with it.
Dream on.
Anyway, I have replaced the Timer already so I suspect the Driver. The best price I can find on those is from the UK at $210.
I could easily get one of those thingy's and take pot luck but I am a bit reluctant to spend any more money while I have this Fob problem hanging over it. I could spend a thousand or so on the EAS just to have the thing completely immobilised and stuck down the back paddock.

Woe is me, eh.

PS: When The Bro bought this P38 I suggested he take it to Landrover Spares and have them look it over. They checked with the computer and he was told that it had 5 pages of faults.
The Bro suspected that at the hourly rate required to fix the problems it might cost a million bucks. He told them to give it a grease and oil change !!!
Now I have it !!!

[TheTree]

Hi Robert,

Sounds like one of the nightmare P38 stories we hear from time to time :(

I guess you have checked all the electrical connections and earth connections, you could have a loose one which is playing havoc with things.

Seems as if the keyfob issue is the real killer, reading about that makes me want to lock my spare keyfob in a safe deposit box :eek:

Seems to me your time may be better spent on the Gunbarrell highway than battling with this particular beast !

Regards
Steve

[olbod]

Steve, you are right of course.
I am not going to bother with it any more. When me Disco is back on the road ( couple more weeks ) I shall return the P38 to The Bro.It was great having it available when in need.
Funny thing, today I made the 100 odd klm trim into Mackay and back to shop and the damn thing went like a dream. No trouble and a pleasure to drive. Grrr.
Pity tho, I would have liked to have sorted it before I give it back because I know that it never will be now.
If the thingy's could have been disabled, it would be worth fixing the EAS but we are miles, probably days away from a faultmate.
Neither The Bro or I have the time to mess about with it.

Cheers.

PS: The Bro has a number of vehicles amongst which is a 20 year old GQ Nissan Patrol which has over 370 thou on the clock and never ever given the slightest trouble and is still going strong.

[TheTree]

Rob,

All the best, I am sure 'Merlin' will be more fun than that P38 beast :angry:

While there are many advantages in EAS and Electronics, simplicity is not one of them:eek:

Regards
Steve
PS: I though about a Disco, but being 6'6" tall it seemed the P38 has a little more headroom, so despite the potential nightmares, I chose a P38:angel:

[mtb_gary]

Robert

From the responses I've been seeing you have an EAS bypass so that you can fill individual springs from an external source. Why not just set the height that you would like the car to be at then remove the EAS relay from under the passenger seat? Sure, a message will come on the dashboard that speed is limited, but just ignore it. Once the relay is removed the EAS will be disabled and the control of height is now done through your EAS bypass valves.

Gary

[olbod]

Gary G,day.
I did that to determine whether I had any leaks in the bags or hoses over a couple of days. There were none, so i hooked it back up again to try and solve the problem, which I havent yet.
I would be quite happy to run it as you suggest, hence my innitial question about removing all of the EAS components but the main problem longterm is the immobiliser and alarm.

With the bypass kit you can remove the T pieces and air straight to the bags as you suggest, which would be great.
There we have a decision to make ie: three of the bags are old and crappy looking and one recently new. This I think is the reason that it rocks and sways. All new Gen 111's would be ideal and fix the ride but after spending that money the blasted thing might be completly immobilised on the first test run.

Cheers.

[mtb_gary]

Robert

Keep a look out on eBay and Gumtree, I was fortunate enough to win an eBay auction that included Gen 111's, adjustable shocks and a 2" lift kit along with an entire valve block assembly and pump for just over $1000. The Gen 111's and springs were less than 1000k's old. Needless to say I've been pretty happy with the purchase ;)

As for the immobiliser and fob, not long after I purchased the car I took it to my local Land Rover dealer to have another key made. They were able to have another key cut and programmed for me, from memory total cost was around $200. Given that when I purchased the car it only had 1 key I felt it necessary to have some sort of backup, I'm glad I did as it has been used many times.

I know I might sound a bit biased (read at a lot biased) towards p38's but they really are a great car when looked after properly. Regular servicing will ultimately pay off. Yes they are more complex than the D1 but also IMHO more comfortable especially over a long distance. There are not too many vehicles that can play in the mud on Saturday give it a wash then use as a wedding car on Sunday.

Good luck

Gary

[Keithy P38]

There is another way to bypass the EAS if you plan on making it a regular thing - something that I am doing right now as a "water crossing preventative" seeing as I'm leaving for the cape in a months time.

I'm wiring a simple on-off switch to the earth on the delay timer. When a water crossing of reasonable depth approaches, set the height as normal using dash button, then once it's level, flick the magic switch!

Robert's your dads brother.

Cheers
Keithy

[olbod]

Keithy that sounds like a good idea, I might do it also.

Another thought that I have had out of curiousity.
What would the thing think if you left the EAS kicker plugged in permanently ? Would it cry foul ?
Would it clear these mind numbing faults before they happen or would the thing have a brain fade and melt ?
Thought about it but havent been game to try it !!!

Cheers.

[mtb_gary]

There is another way to bypass the EAS if you plan on making it a regular thing - something that I am doing right now as a "water crossing preventative" seeing as I'm leaving for the cape in a months time.

I'm wiring a simple on-off switch to the earth on the delay timer. When a water crossing of reasonable depth approaches, set the height as normal using dash button, then once it's level, flick the magic switch!

Robert's your dads brother.

Cheers
Keithy
Keithy
I did the same on mine. I used an inhibitor switch from the wreckers and mounted in the blank spot on the left of the dashboard. A black permanent marker to mask out some of the inhibitor icon makes it look a bit different to the inhibitor switch.
Gary

[TheTree]

There is another way to bypass the EAS if you plan on making it a regular thing - something that I am doing right now as a "water crossing preventative" seeing as I'm leaving for the cape in a months time.

I'm wiring a simple on-off switch to the earth on the delay timer. When a water crossing of reasonable depth approaches, set the height as normal using dash button, then once it's level, flick the magic switch!

Robert's your dads brother.

Cheers
Keithy

Hi Keith,

Mine has such a switch under the passengers seat, now I know as use for it apart from an emergency "get me home" :D

Steve

[TheTree]

Keithy that sounds like a good idea, I might do it also.

Another thought that I have had out of curiousity.
What would the thing think if you left the EAS kicker plugged in permanently ? Would it cry foul ?
Would it clear these mind numbing faults before they happen or would the thing have a brain fade and melt ?
Thought about it but havent been game to try it !!!

Cheers.

Rob,

Once you get Merlin back why not give it a go and let us all know :p

Steve

[TheTree]

G
There we have a decision to make ie: three of the bags are old and crappy looking and one recently new. This I think is the reason that it rocks and sways. All new Gen 111's would be ideal and fix the ride but after spending that money the blasted thing might be completly immobilised on the first test run.

Cheers.

Rob

I have read about old airbags not leaking in one spot but leaking at different spots depending upon their extension.

So when you park it they are in an OK spot but as soon as you begin to move and the extension changes ... down you go unless the compressor can keep up

I noticed there are a set of Gen II's listed on eBay Oz at the moment.

But it really seems unless you can get the Keyfob issue sorted out, it may not be worth doing anything to the beast!

Steve

Steve

[olbod]

Steve, spot on re the key fob issue, I wont be spending any more on it except to get a switch to isolate the timer and possibly pay someone to isolate the immobiliser and alarm if I can find a bloke.

To test the bags a bit more a while back, on arriving home at the gate I
put it into low range and lifted it to full height. Then I parked it for 3 or 4 days to see if it started to sag. It did not so I assume the bags are holding ok but may have lost some uneven tension. Even went slowly round the block in low range and lifted inducing a bit of a sway to see what happened, ie: nothing behaved as it should. I will continue to look for something loose or not right.
If the thing was ok I would keep it as my daily and save wear and tear on me Disco. i really like the auto and cruise control, niether of which is in the Disco. When it works it really is quite pleasant to drive.

I will definately try leaving that kicker thingy in and see what happens.

Cheers.

[TheTree]

Rob

Sounds like it's being a right bas:censored:ard these intermittent faults are always the most frustrating, regardless of the equipment !

Best of luck with it all

Regards
Steve