Thread: What initial and preventative steps for new owner?

Be nice Dave... we all go through our ups and downs of LR/RR ownership

Nothing so nice as when we are wheeling through the scrub leaving the lesser 4wd's stranded and then recovering them, or leaving a new model 4wd (SUV?) standing at the traffic lights. Nothing so heartbreaking as a simple maintenance item or fiddly electrical bit taking the baby out of action.

It's not just LR/RR's that are affected by gremlins.

We live, we learn, we conquer... and then do it again

Glen - in response to your questions:

1. seems to be a common thing for P38's to drop water/soot out of the exhaust, particularly in cooler months. Mine does it a lot in Canberra.
2. most/all Aus models have single pipes. Dual pipes are usually custom or import parts.
3. NFI what that white multiplug connector is. Will try to find it on mine and see if it connects to anything.
4. the tube behind your radiator overflow/expansion tank is probably the overflow pipe itself. A common "enhancement" is to extend this pipe down in to the wheel arch so it does not leak overflow under the fuse box.

Why does your engine bay look so clean? Go out and get it dirty!

More good info thanks.

When I connected a hand held OBDII reader, I got a bunch of codes P0201-0208, P0304, P0102, P0134, P0154. I didnt know how old these were so I noted them down and cleared the fault codes, drove to work to determine which ones are current.

After the 15km drive, I now have 3: :
-- P0102 Mass or Volume Air Flow Circuit low Input; Mass Air Flow Sensor Low Out of Range Fault
-- P0134 Ox Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 1 Sensor 1); Front HO2 sensor LH bank open circuit
-- P0154 Ox Sensor Circuit No Activity Detected (Bank 2 Sensor 1); Front HO2 sensor RH bank open circuit

I am still getting black smoke on idle and acceleration (only on petrol - fine on LPG). Now while I can look these up, I am not sure if the fault is saying the MAF and O2 sensors are busted or just grumpy. I cleaned the MAF with MAF cleaning can but no improvement.

Can anyone suggest a test I can do to confirm the fault codes on MAF and O2 sensors? If busted, are there any Brisbane suppliers or shall I order in from UK/US?

Thanks yet again! I am confident that I will have this girl running smooth yet.

Post Edit: In the "Live Values" on the Reader, I get the following:
o2s11 0.840vo2s12 0.445v
o2s21 0.910v
o2s22 0.445v


Does this suggest that the O2 sensors are working?

Glen - I have little faith in a normal OBDII scanner run aganst a P38. I once used one on mine and it reported a bunch of codes that related to gearbox and O2 sensor faults. When I ran it again after getting a FaultMate, the faults were not there.

Message here is: don't trust an OBDII scanner on a P38 just 'coz it has an OBDII port. Check with other AULRO members in your area who might have a multi-vehicle FaultMate licence that can help you diagnose the problems. I'm happy to buy the additional licences for mine and you are welcome to drop by and use it if you are near/in Canberra.

Cheers, Paul.

Thanks Paul. That is interesting and disappointing. Why have protocol standards if the device or the car is not going to be true to it?

On the good news front - My Rangey has stopped blowing black smoke on petrol!!!!!

I suspect it was an injector stuck partially open. And either the injector cleaner or the running on premium has allowed it to close. I am very happy. Now she is good on petrol and LPG!

Now that the engine is sorted, its onto the EAS. One bag drops overnight (driver's) and the compressor runs often, so I will hunt for airleaks with soapy water and contact the airbagman.

Anyone know the best place to get 4 spinner caps for my 18" hurricanes?

Thanks again for your input - it's been too long since I had a car that liked being tinkered with and I am enjoying it - my family car is a 08 Kluger. Nice/safe/smooth/quiet/powerful/efficient but boring...

Wow, reviewing my first post, two years later brings back memories. It seems that then I knew so little. Its now over 2 years and 400 posts later and jeepers have I had fun.

I am loving this car and tinkering with it. I wheel it hard and drive it to work every day and around every weekend. I suggests its close to impossible to get more capability/luxury/posture/style for so little money than our humble P38As.

Thanks again to this forum and the cadre of folks who are generous with their time and knowledge. I wish we could get all the P38s together for a Glasshouse Mountains offroad day - damn this wide brown land for being so... wide.

Glenhendry, not sure about the "jeepers have I had fun" , maybe it should have been "rangies have I had fun"

Gary

If I'm down that way any time ill send you a message mate! Always keen for a run, especially when I've never been there before!