Alternator Failure:

[redandy3575]

Well as luck has it, and always on the way of a trip the alternator has decided to give up the ghost......Again!!

A word of warning as mentioned before, steer clear of secondhand or reconditioned alternators as they only last for months, and not years. When the last one broke about 6 months ago, I could only find a reco unit within a 24 hour window as new ones were a minimum 2 to 3 days wait.

A Big thank you goes out to Graham & Ron from British Car Components that organised to get one in for a next day delivery.

Alternators are amazing things, they're little but boy they can be a hassle.

[Keithy P38]

Half your luck mate! I had mine die 2800km from home when I had just purchased the Rangie!

Here's hoping it gets you back on the road to enjoy your trip!

Cheers
Keithy

[wayneg]

My suggestion to all who plan to keep their cars is to buy a new unit, cheap from the US ebay, fit it and sell your old one as a good working unit. That way you get a fair chunk of the price back and the piece of mind on a new unit.
I was lucky and struck gold on a new Bosch 150 amp unit in the small adds and sold my original for the same price.

The 150amp units are sought by the Disco boys as an upgrade.

[TheTree]

Hi

I bought a new regulator / brush assembly and plan to install that.

But an entire new alternator is another option!

Steve

[davidsonsm]

Can you put the 150amp on the gems p38?

[redandy3575]

I'm pretty sure mines a 150 amper. I had to give a vin number to Graham who searched up the correct one.

But an Update Flash..............Drum Roll...........The Rangie has decided to just stop running about 5 km out of Ararat on our way to Halls Gap with a suspected Crank Angle Sensor failure. Tried restarting it, but ignition timing is way out, so on a tray truck again!! And back to Ararat RACV depot and hope we can source one tomorrow if that's what the problem is. Not having much luck on this trip.

Has anyone else had a random crank angle sensor failure? If so, what symptoms have you experienced? Keen to know.

[Keithy P38]

I did a crank angle sensor a few months ago. It caused the engine to stop running while hot. The engine would restart and perform like normal once it had cooled.

If yours runs rough it may be a cam position sensor or a coil pack? Hopefully you find the problem soon mate!

Cheers
Keithy

[TheTree]

Hi,

Seems as if having a spare crank angle sensor is a good idea!

Steve

[glenhendry]

Hard luck mate. Keep us informed. I have a spare crank sensor I can overnight to you of you cant find one?

[redandy3575]

It's hard to tell. It just completely stopped. I did test to see if a spark was coming out of the leads and it did, but just seems to be out of rythmn.

[redandy3575]

Hard luck mate. Keep us informed. I have a spare crank sensor I can overnight to you of you cant find one?

Cheers mate. I'll see how I go, might have to freight the car back to Melbourne and to my place for the repair.

[wayneg]

If you are getting a good spark and fuel I would have though you would at least get a chug or backfire. Are you getting fuel up?

[redandy3575]

If you are getting a good spark and fuel I would have though you would at least get a chug or backfire. Are you getting fuel up?

Getting a chug alright but just doesn't want to fire up. The RACV mechanic seems to think it's the crank sensor alright, but thinks it's something more than that. He thinks the flywheel and all the attachments behind it has shifted loose, I'm assuming the flexplate has possibly broken. And by adding another sensor will possibly break again about half way home. I was getting slight vibrations for quiet some time ( we're talking a good couple of years ) leading up to this at 2500rpm and above. Now wether it is the flexplate or simply an unbalancement of the engine who knows. I have been towing a fairly heavy camper trailer in the past, although yesterday I didn't tow anything and about a minute before this incident the engine kicked down a gear to climb a hill, while reving up to around 4500rpm I noticed a hickup in the engine then later the incident happened.

When I get the Rangie home, I'll have another look underneath verify what the mechanic said, and if this is true, I'm affraid the time has come to possibly de-commission my baby and retire it from service as I've already decided not to spend anymore large coins on this one. There may be a potential purchase of a later Thor P38 in the future, or maybe even a Disco 2. Will have to wait and see, either way, I will return to a Land Rover product in the Future.

[Hoges]

I'm presuming from a previous post it's a GEMS engine?
If so, and you've had a cracked flex plate (vibration) which has got worse, then it has probably caused the holes in the flywheel to become elongated, the reluctor ring from which the CKS gets its signal comes in contact with the CKS and bends it... no more signal. If you can remove the sensor and it's bent, then it's odds on the reluctor ring and flex plate need replacing, and possibly the flywheel as well.
The Thor engine has a different design and placement of the CKS from the GEMS..

Damned shame about your trip ... hope you can get home with min. $$$

EDIT: have a look at http://www.rangerovers.net/forum/7-range-rover-mark-ii-p38/35564-4-6-misfire-diagnosis-help-please.html post #12 for picture

[redandy3575]

I'm presuming from a previous post it's a GEMS engine?
If so, and you've had a cracked flex plate (vibration) which has got worse, then it has probably caused the holes in the flywheel to become elongated, the reluctor ring from which the CKS gets its signal comes in contact with the CKS and bends it... no more signal. If you can remove the sensor and it's bent, then it's odds on the reluctor ring and flex plate need replacing, and possibly the flywheel as well.
The Thor engine has a different design and placement of the CKS from the GEMS..

Damned shame about your trip ... hope you can get home with min. $$$

EDIT: have a look at 4.6 Misfire Diagnosis help please (http://www.rangerovers.net/forum/7-range-rover-mark-ii-p38/35564-4-6-misfire-diagnosis-help-please.html) post #12 for picture

Cheers Hoges, it's a bit of a bugger i know!! Yes it is a GEMS, been a great car reliable car in the past, got me to the cape and back, done Birdsville along with numerous off-road trips in the 3 years since I bought it.

The car is being flat bedded back to my place courtesy of RACV on Wednesday. I will re-assess the situation, but if the cost is big to replace, then it's a no goer!!