Abandoned Range Rover P38... Resurrection or Bust
Discussion
Impressive work, and you may have used up a fair amount of your luck quota for the decade!
Definitely book it in for an MOT if nothing obvious untoward on an emission level - perhaps an oil change and a 30 mile decent trip to properly shake out the cobwebs and check water leaks.... What could possibly go wrong?
Definitely book it in for an MOT if nothing obvious untoward on an emission level - perhaps an oil change and a 30 mile decent trip to properly shake out the cobwebs and check water leaks.... What could possibly go wrong?
Spinakerr said:
Impressive work, and you may have used up a fair amount of your luck quota for the decade!
Definitely book it in for an MOT if nothing obvious untoward on an emission level - perhaps an oil change and a 30 mile decent trip to properly shake out the cobwebs and check water leaks.... What could possibly go wrong?
That's one of my worries, how long can my luck hold. Definitely book it in for an MOT if nothing obvious untoward on an emission level - perhaps an oil change and a 30 mile decent trip to properly shake out the cobwebs and check water leaks.... What could possibly go wrong?
I forgot there are the SRS and ABS lights on the dashboard to resolve first as well as the horn.
What The Deuces said:
Superb thread, wife sounds like a PH'ers dream!
Lovely writing style too.
She's amazing but i have had 30 years to lick her into shape Lovely writing style too.
Thank you. I did apply for a staff writing job at Practical Classics years ago but never heard back. I assumed my style wasn't good.
lancer778544 said:
Excellent thread. I'm in Cardiff too with a 10t press, welders n such if you need anything done.
Lovely of you to offer, thank you. If you're interested we hold a monthly car meet at the Ty Mawr pub in Lisvane on the first Wednesday of the month from 7pm (that's this Weds coming) and we get everything from 1970's Lancias to Nobles, Lambos and Maestros. all welcome. Come and say hi if you're available. We don;t bite (much).Sorry to disappoint you today but I barely touched the Rangie as I've been helping a friend who is chairman of the Armstrong Siddeley owners club.
We started with this:
and ended the day with this:
No, that's not me in the pic.
Just got the other side to do tomorrow.
I did lower and raise the suspension back up this morning (well you have to don't you) and it appears to be staying up. Was still inflated at 10pm this evening when I took the pooch out for a pee.
We started with this:
and ended the day with this:
No, that's not me in the pic.
Just got the other side to do tomorrow.
I did lower and raise the suspension back up this morning (well you have to don't you) and it appears to be staying up. Was still inflated at 10pm this evening when I took the pooch out for a pee.
I haven't had much chance to mess with "Nelson" over the last couple of days but have been researching the issues with the Air suspension light, SRS and ABS lights being on.
The friend who spotted the car, Martin, has owned his Diesel P38 for 5 years, popped round for a catch up and chat about car and to see progress and obviously so I could pick his brain.
He advised that the Air suspension light stays on while the car suspension is in it's highest setting. I lowered it to the mid setting and the light went out! Doh! Simplest fix yet.
Next was the ABS light which had gone out but had come back. On Martin's advice, another trip down to the end of the road and back extinguished the ABS light.
. Not sure if it'll come back on but it seems it may just need a good drive to clear and debris from around the sensors.
Next up are the SRS and lack of horn.
I did some detective work with the meter and the (lack of) continuity issue seemed to be between the inputs and outputs on the steering wheel buttons.
Research suggest that the "Rotary Coupler" AKA the "Clock Spring" AKA "Control Squid Rotor Steering Wheel Ring " is prone to failure and the symptoms are lack of horn, SRS bag light on and loss of some or all of the other steering wheel controls i.e cruise control and audio. Since the cruise control won;t work as it's vacuum based and all the pipes are rotted through (normal), not that I could test it anyway, and the radio doesn't work I can't test those either.
I removed the airbag pad (all online warnings heeded and first time I've ever removed one
) (four screws behind the wheel - after removing cowling and lower knee pad cover etc etc) ...
...and took the wheel retaining bolt off (yes, bolt, not a nut - weird!!) and then pulled the wheel from the column (the easiest one I've ever removed). The "Clock Spring aka etc etc" is in fact a (semi) sealed cartridge containing many contacts and a switch for the auto cancelling indicators.
Another recce of Ebay reveals there are plenty available tested and s/h so £17.50 later one is ordered and the cost added to the running total. And now we wait.
The suspension remains pumped up.
And now the bad news. Last night we had rain for the first time since the car arrived back on 20th April (11 days ago) and "'er ladyship" (well she has a Range Rover now don'tcha know) went out to get some cleaning clothes out of Nelson to throw in the washing machine. She returned reporting rain was dripping from the headlining!
Martin had told me that he was going to take the headlining out of his before it get reupholstered so he could find and resolve a screen leak on his so I'm guessing it's a common issue. It could, of course be blocked sunroof drains or something simple but we'll have to see.
What I still can't figure is, if the sunroof was left open as it was and there is a leak in the roof, how the hell was it dry inside when I viewed it?
If the "Clock Spring" resolves the horn and SRS issues then I may get brave and book the MoT.
I have run the car a few times in order to get the air suspension sorted and I've had to put a gallon of petrol from a can as it was V low. I think it's consumed that even though it switches to gas within a minute or two of starting. I just love the smell of unburned hydrocarbons in the morning!
The friend who spotted the car, Martin, has owned his Diesel P38 for 5 years, popped round for a catch up and chat about car and to see progress and obviously so I could pick his brain.
He advised that the Air suspension light stays on while the car suspension is in it's highest setting. I lowered it to the mid setting and the light went out! Doh! Simplest fix yet.
Next was the ABS light which had gone out but had come back. On Martin's advice, another trip down to the end of the road and back extinguished the ABS light.
. Not sure if it'll come back on but it seems it may just need a good drive to clear and debris from around the sensors.Next up are the SRS and lack of horn.
I did some detective work with the meter and the (lack of) continuity issue seemed to be between the inputs and outputs on the steering wheel buttons.
Research suggest that the "Rotary Coupler" AKA the "Clock Spring" AKA "Control Squid Rotor Steering Wheel Ring " is prone to failure and the symptoms are lack of horn, SRS bag light on and loss of some or all of the other steering wheel controls i.e cruise control and audio. Since the cruise control won;t work as it's vacuum based and all the pipes are rotted through (normal), not that I could test it anyway, and the radio doesn't work I can't test those either.
I removed the airbag pad (all online warnings heeded and first time I've ever removed one
) (four screws behind the wheel - after removing cowling and lower knee pad cover etc etc) ......and took the wheel retaining bolt off (yes, bolt, not a nut - weird!!) and then pulled the wheel from the column (the easiest one I've ever removed). The "Clock Spring aka etc etc" is in fact a (semi) sealed cartridge containing many contacts and a switch for the auto cancelling indicators.
Another recce of Ebay reveals there are plenty available tested and s/h so £17.50 later one is ordered and the cost added to the running total. And now we wait.
The suspension remains pumped up.
And now the bad news. Last night we had rain for the first time since the car arrived back on 20th April (11 days ago) and "'er ladyship" (well she has a Range Rover now don'tcha know) went out to get some cleaning clothes out of Nelson to throw in the washing machine. She returned reporting rain was dripping from the headlining!
Martin had told me that he was going to take the headlining out of his before it get reupholstered so he could find and resolve a screen leak on his so I'm guessing it's a common issue. It could, of course be blocked sunroof drains or something simple but we'll have to see.
What I still can't figure is, if the sunroof was left open as it was and there is a leak in the roof, how the hell was it dry inside when I viewed it?
If the "Clock Spring" resolves the horn and SRS issues then I may get brave and book the MoT.
I have run the car a few times in order to get the air suspension sorted and I've had to put a gallon of petrol from a can as it was V low. I think it's consumed that even though it switches to gas within a minute or two of starting. I just love the smell of unburned hydrocarbons in the morning!
While I wait for the "Clock Spring" I've begun cleaning up a few more things like removing the PRNDL indicator plate and surround plus the ashtray plate. They'd obviously had much MucDonald's Coffee spilt around them over the years (I keep finding MucD's salt, pepper and sugar empty sachets in hidden places.)
I'm also tempted to remove the headlining and remove the rear seats for cleaning.
I should really be fitting the 12 internal doors to the house that I bought and varnished before the Rangie arrived but somehow I don't seem to be getting around to it and they are still stacked in the hall.
I'm also tempted to remove the headlining and remove the rear seats for cleaning.
I should really be fitting the 12 internal doors to the house that I bought and varnished before the Rangie arrived but somehow I don't seem to be getting around to it and they are still stacked in the hall.
Tyre Tread said:
...I honestly can't remember being this elated in a long time and all over a tatty old Range Rover that I wasn't sure I wanted...
Great to read about your progress.I know that wonderful feeling of elation. I finally fixed the locking rear differential on my Touareg (that had not worked for about 12 years) and experienced the same buzz.
Look forward to your further updates.
N Dentressangle said:
All good stuff!
Mine was an £800 impulse buy just over a month ago:
4.0 V8 Auto. MoT til Nov and only major spend so far has been brake pressure reservoir. No sunroof, and someone's already put it on springs so there's a few issues 'solved' already
Nice RR but the whole point of a P38 is the Air suspension. Ya can't beat a car that goes up and down (let's see if I'm still saying that in a few months time) Mine was an £800 impulse buy just over a month ago:
4.0 V8 Auto. MoT til Nov and only major spend so far has been brake pressure reservoir. No sunroof, and someone's already put it on springs so there's a few issues 'solved' already
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